The Deer and The Cauldron

[crazee]

Certainly one of the more exciting part of the story.
One cannot fault XB's gambling skill here. Even with his life. Gotta appreciate his courage.
I can't help but wonder if Ah Ke will fall for him....given her enmity with him...and of course a sissified rich handsome spoiled brat competitor.
Well in real life I find that some ladies tend to like sissified men better...

Again my sincere thanks Foxs, for the translations.

- yes...some asians make tons of money..but not stupid asian like me working like a slave and having to commute between 2 countries, like a refugee to earn a living slogging in a factory...luckily not a sweatshop

[SkyWalker]

Thanks foxs.

[9Dragons]

Wow, thanks foxs for your constant flow of updates. This entertaining story amuses me to no end with Master Wei devising ingenious tricks to escape life-threatening predicaments and cunning guile to eliminate unworthy rivals, sometimes simultaneously.

[KChill]

Per Ah Ke's own words, she did agree to the deal. She has already experienced WXB's wit and courage, so had she used her brain, WXB wouldn't have the chance to use her words against her. WXB is definitely not a gentleman and now has a valid reason to make Ah Ke his wife. Beauty without brain and a bad personality .

True, and even proposing the deal makes him look petty and childish.

[Ace High]

True, and even proposing the deal makes him look petty and childish.

WXB is a child. He's barely 13.

[athlonkmf]

WXB is a child. He's barely 13.

Nah, by now he's 16-17.

[Ace High]

Nah, by now he's 16-17.

How could he be 16 -17 since when WXB left the Imperial Palace for Mt Wutai searching for Shunzi, he was around 13 - 14, and up until now, it was only about a year?

You might also to factor in the Chinese age reckoning, which put newborns start at one year old, and each passing of a Lunar New Year, rather than the birthday, adds one year to the person's age.

That would makes WXB 13 - 14 years old according to Westen system at this point of time or 14 - 15 years old as per the Chinese age reckoning.

[athlonkmf]

I thought he was 14 when he started his Wutai quest. Lessay he found him at 14
He still have all those incidents with WXB rescueing him, HH coming to see his father, travelling to the snake island, being on the snake island. That would at least take a year. Making him 15 when he got sent to Shaolin.
He then spend at least a year at the shaolin monastry. (remember he broke a bone?) then get send to Wutai again to be the new head, he had to wait several months before the lama invasion. Making him at least 16.
And then there's this whole white nun thing. By now he should be 17.

Some evidence:
See also http://www.spcnet.tv/forums/showthre...l=1#post991099

Jin Yong said he was about twelve, thirteen

All things were settled, the only thing he had to do was painstakingly waiting for Zhang Kangnian and Zhao Qixian’s letter, he was dying to know that girl in green’s name and surname, and her background. Yet after waiting for several months unexpectedly there was no news at all.

http://www.spcnet.tv/forums/showthre...=1#post1000374



It'd be best if someone would go back and write a timeline on his age vs the time he's wasted....

[Ace High]

In Chapter 10, it was mentioned WXB is about 13 -14. WXB started his journey to Mt Wutai in Chapter 15, which happen within days of Chapter 10.

It is impossible for WXB to spend a year at Shaolin without that leopard embryro pill effects flare up.

Furthermore, how could several months WXB was at Shaolin only for about a month when he first met Ah Ke? (http://www.spcnet.tv/forums/showthre...l=1#post987252). Ah Ke became WXB's involuntary guest for a week at most. Plus another ten days for WXB to recuperate his wounds. Then he met Galdan & co. That's when the several months waiting came in. Not even half a year had passed at Shaolin.

Another evidence was the Empress Dowager. She too ate the leopard embryro pill. After WXB divulged his identity as the White Dragon Envoy, she asked whether he had brought her antidote for that year. We know Hong Antong didn't received any sutra of forty two chapters from the Dowager, and its very unlikely for him to send antidotes to subordinates who didn't accomplished their mission yet. Therefore, since the event of WXB stealing the sutras up until now, its not a year yet.

[Anh Nam]

Thanks Foxs Since Jin Yong is Chinese the Western age that is one year younger should not be considered at all.

[athlonkmf]

In Chapter 10, it was mentioned WXB is about 13 -14. WXB started his journey to Mt Wutai in Chapter 15, which happen within days of Chapter 10.

It is impossible for WXB to spend a year at Shaolin without that leopard embryro pill effects flare up.

Furthermore, how could several months WXB was at Shaolin only for about a month when he first met Ah Ke? (http://www.spcnet.tv/forums/showthre...l=1#post987252). Ah Ke became WXB's involuntary guest for a week at most. Plus another ten days for WXB to recuperate his wounds. Then he met Galdan & co. That's when the several months waiting came in. Not even half a year had passed at Shaolin.

Another evidence was the Empress Dowager. She too ate the leopard embryro pill. After WXB divulged his identity as the White Dragon Envoy, she asked whether he had brought her antidote for that year. We know Hong Antong didn't received any sutra of forty two chapters from the Dowager, and its very unlikely for him to send antidotes to subordinates who didn't accomplished their mission yet. Therefore, since the event of WXB stealing the sutras up until now, its not a year yet.

I've went ahead and did a little digging:
introduction

Suddenly from the main hall a boy, about twelve, thirteen years old, scrambled in and swore loudly, "You dare to hit my Ma! You are a dead turtle, rotten bastard. I wish a thunder will strike you when you go out, I wish the back your hands will be infected by rotten boils, which will eat your hands and your tongue. I wish bloody pus will go into your belly, rotting your stomach and intestine!"

WXB is said to be 12-13. Let's say he's twelve. All the way leading to

oboi's death

would take about a year or two.

Another man in black cursed, "Little demon!" He raised his saber and hacked it down. Wei Xiaobao jumped up suddenly and caught the iron bars on the prison's window, his body was hanging in the air. The man in black wielding the steel whip was in the process of prying the iron bars open, seeing Wei Xiaobao was obstructing him at the door, he struck his whip down. Wei Xiaobao was caught in a dead end, plus his legs were caught in between the two iron bars. The iron bars was already bent, his body was slim and small, unexpectedly he was able to slip through the gap. Releasing his grip, he fell down into the prison cell. 'Dang!' the steel whip struck the iron bars.

The men in black outside shouted one after another, "I'm going in, I'm going in." The man with the steel whip probed his head into the opening trying to worm his way in. A thirteen, fourteen years old Wei Xiaobao could slip in, but this man's stature was stout and strong, how could he slip through?

13-14 years old. milestone chapter 8 when he became the Green Wood Head

The events where Mu Jianping is brought to his palace room, fangyi being rescued, etc took no more than a week. That's when our adventure began.

We can by now safely say that he's 14 by the time he met Shuang'er, the old emporer, Fat Toutou, etc . So I'll check the time from that point on. Chapter 19.

That's also when the big time jumps begins.

Shuang'er and the men immediately stopped fighting. Shuang'er was greatly puzzled, she did not expect this xianggong had already had young mistress. But at that time, marrying too early was prevalent, it was not uncommon for a fourteen, fifteen years old man to get married, it's just that Wei Xiaobao had never told her that he had a wife.

OK, SE confirms more or less that WXB's about to turn fifteen. Probably even fifteen when she met him.

FY takes WXB to the snake's island:

Every day they would travel until night fall, where they lodged for the night, and then the next morning they would continue their journey. His only fear was that Fang Yi would finally say that they had arrived. In the middle of this cozy surrounding, the Emperor's imperial order, the Forty-two-chapter Sutra, the Old Emperor on Mount Wutai, everything was pushed away to the back of his mind. In his daze, he did not know how many days had passed.

The boat sailed for several days. One particular day the two of them were leaning on the window, enjoying the sunset on the sea.

Lessay a month in total. WXB 15 minus a few months. 14.5?

The ugly man said, "That ship has already left three days ago, how could I find it?"

Wei Xiaobao was puzzled; "Three days ago?" he asked in bewilderment.

The ugly man said, "You have been in coma for three whole days and nights, most likely you did not know it?"

By the third day, Wei Xiaobao was able to get up and walk slowly by holding on to the wall.
...
By the sixth day, the man surnamed Pan said, "The physician of our island, Mr. Lu, has returned from his journey out to the sea, I have already invited him to examine Wei Xiongdi." Wei Xiaobao thanked him.

WXB's trick got found out and he's forced to learn the fake tadpole script

After studying for several days, the viper bite injury on Wei Xiaobao's body was completely healed, but after so much difficulty, he only managed to learn about twenty, thirty characters; not only that, he was so confused that out of ten characters, often times he would make seven or eight mistakes.

At least half a month has passed I'd say. Before he gets to leave the island. Since it took a month to get there, it'd take a month to go back: 14.75.

WXB went back to KX, met the princess and is sent away to become a monk.
start of chapter 22

WXB met Mount Wangwu's men. And became a monk. :

After living in the Temple for several days, he was already bored to death; he pondered, "Xiao Xuanzi wanted me to serve the Old Emperor, but he sent me to Shaolin Temple to be a monk. I wonder when is he going to let me go to Mount Wutai?"

Therefore, after wandering around Shaolin Temple for more than a month, he did not learn even one bit of martial art skill. However, he has an easy-going personality, he loved to mingle around and make friends. Since in term of seniority his position in the Temple was second only to the Abbot, and he was willing to make friends with other people, all monks were very warm toward him.

One day, the spring breeze was gentle and pleasant, Wei Xiaobao felt his entire body was comfortably warm.

OK, by now he's certainly 15 when he mets Ah Or. It's spring

And I even gave him lotsa slag. Most probably he's 15.5... But let;s just say 15 when he tricks Cheng Guan into finding a "fasttrack martial skill".

Quickly one month had passed. Wei Xiaobao often took a walk toward Bo're Hall. He saw Cheng Guan was getting thinner to the bone and looked alone and helpless, his countenance was wan and sallow, and never said anything to him.
He looked like an idiot, sometimes he would stand up and punch and kick for a while, and then he would shake his head and sit down again. Wei Xiaobao only thought that this old monk was very stupid, after working hard for more than a month, he was still unable to find anything useful. He did not know that each one of Shaolin Pai martial arts paid particular attention to strong foundation, slow progress was preferable to a fast one. A crash course was precisely Shaolin martial arts' big taboo. Although Cheng Guan knew almost all martial arts under the heavens, for him to violate his own Sect's rule by creating a crash course technique was actually akin to asking him not to conform to the teachings he had been following all his life.

The weather was gradually getting warmer. Wei Xiaobao had been staying in the Temple for several months.

At least 3 months has passed. Start of summer now when he met Ah Ke again in the brothel (she waited for him for months outside the monastry!!). Ah Ke slashed him. He needs to recover and Cheng Guan taught him some moves

Wei Xiaobao’s injury was light, plus Shaolin Temple’s metal cut wound medicine was extremely effective; after recuperating for aboutten days, he was completely healed.
....
After training for several days, his laziness came back, suddenly he thought about Shuang’er, “That girl’s martial art is not weak, most likely she will be able to deal with these two girls.

So he's at least 15 and a half now. 15.5 when the girl in blue came to Shaolin with the bunch of people to get even with WXB.
Zhang Kangnian came to the rescue with the imperial guards. Also giving WXB the decree to become head master at Qingliang Temple.

WXB sent ZKN to investigate the girls

They took their leave. Wei Xiaobao remembered something; he asked, “The group of men you met outside the mountain gate just now, do you happen to know their background?”

“We don’t,” Zhang and Zhao replied.

“Quickly go and investigate for me,” Wei Xiaobao said, “That group of people came to Shaolin Temple sneakily, evidently they also want to steal treasured martial art manuals from the Temple. That troop commander in particular, I wonder whom he is working for. He is acting as an imperially appointed official, yet has the audacity to spoil His Majesty’s important matter; it is indeed treason and heresy, he wants to rebel intentionally. Go and investigate what kind of person is the man behind this, you will render an enormous service.”

WXB goes to Qingliang Temple.

All things were settled, the only thing he had to do was painstakingly waiting for Zhang Kangnian and Zhao Qixian’s letter, he was dying to know that girl in green’s name and surname, and her background. Yet after waiting for several months unexpectedly there was no news at all.
...

If within a year I did not deliver a copy of sutra to the Divine Dragon Island, the poison might flare-up then it won’t be fun. Come to think about it, only several months left.

please allow me to say that WXB is now at least 15.8...

After the temple got attacked, KX came to meet his father and WXB gets kidnapped, isn't safe to say that he's now at least 16 years old?

Like I said, the whole leopard pill thing is a mistake of JY. Like I said, he's very bad with timelines. Unless

only several months left

actually means 2 months or so.

No way he's still 14... I can agree to 15.5 almost 16, but that's forcing it really...

[foxs]

Tweety, Smurf, Grundle, here is my take on Ah Ke: by this time she would have realized that what WXB did was not a big deal (the fat lama was a lot worse); however, WXB told her that he wanted her to be his wife, while Ah Ke's interest was actually another man. Therefore, her hostility toward WXB was not because what he did, rather, she was afraid he might be right. Ladies, tell me, are girls sometimes like that?

KChill, I reread this part in Minford's work the other day, and just now realized that WXB called the nun in white 'Reverend Mother'. I half expected the nun would sing 'Climb Every Mountain' ... [for younger generation: it's from the Sound of Music (Rodgers & Hammerstein ]

Crazee, you can still save money to see the world ... Sky, you are welcome. How's baby? 9Dragons, sometimes I have more time, sometimes less time. By strange coincidence, I am a bit busy these weeks, so I might not be able to post regular updates.

Ace, Anh, Athlon, interesting discussion. I am impressed with Athlon's effort in providing all the info. I am leaning to your opinion. WXB was introduced as 12, 13 years old boy, and by this time of the story, it's definitely more than a year, perhaps two.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sangjie was furious; he picked up the torch and threw it to the front of the cave. A burst of thick smoke was blown into the cave, Wei Xiaobao and Ah Ke were assaulted by the smoke that their eyes watered and they coughed incessantly. The nun in white was breathing very slowly, she was unaffected by the smoke. The other two lamas threw more torches.

“Shitai,” Wei Xiaobao said, “That sutra has no use anymore, just give it to them, we will … we will slowly think of other ideas.”

“’Postpone the troops’ stratagem,” Ah Ke said.

“They are not troops,” Wei Xiaobao said. Ah Ke was coughing repeatedly, she was unable to argue with him.

“Fine,” the nun in white said, and handed over the sutra to him.

Wei Xiaobao raised his voice, “I have a copy of the sutra in here, I’ll throw it out. If it falls into the fire, it’s not my problem.”

Hearing that he agreed to hand over the sutra, Sangjie was delighted. Afraid that the sutra might fall into the fire and burn, he quickly picked several large rocks and threw them at the burning stalks. His strength was enormous, his aim was accurate, the burning stalks were crushed by the rocks and immediately extinguished.

Seeing his strength in throwing the big rocks, Wei Xiaobao could not help but was shocked; he mused, “If he threw the rocks to the cave, the three of us would be crushed to death, while the sutra won’t be harmed the least bit. I must not let him think about this idea.”

“Quickly throw the sutra out,” Sangjie called out.

“Alright, alright!” Wei Xiaobao replied, “My Shifu says that you want to study the sutra, you are good disciples of Buddha, she instructed me not to harm you …” While he talked, he pulled his dagger and made several cuts on Hubayin’s hand. He placed it on the sutra, and took the bottle of ‘transforming corpse powder’ from his pocket, and sprinkle some fine powder on the fresh cuts of the severed hand. His body was obstructing the nun in white and Ah Ke’s visions, he would not let them see what he was doing. And then with a loud voice he said, “My Shifu said that this copy of ‘Forty-two-chapter Sutra’ was taken from the Imperial Palace in Beijing, it is very valuable. I heard there is a big secret hidden in it, after it is revealed, the teachings of Buddha will be flourishing, it will make everyone throughout the world believe in Bodhisattva. Men will become monks, women will become nuns, little children will become little monks, little nuns, the old men …” While he was talking, the severed hand gradually changed into yellow liquid permeating the sutra.

Hearing that the sutra was indeed from the Imperial Palace, and that it concealed a big secret, Sangjie was ecstatic. He knew that ‘flourishing the teachings of Buddha’ and so on was obviously not the truth. Afraid that Wei Xiaobao might not be willing to hand over the sutra, he quickly gave some careless, perfunctory promise; he said, “Flourishing the Dharma, spreading our teachings, those are all very good.”

Wei Xiaobao said, “My Shifu read it, but could not find the secret. Now she gives it to you, asking you to study it well. If you can reveal the secret, you must spread it to the monks’ monasteries and the nuns’ convents throughout the world; you must not be selfish by keeping the secret only for your lamaseries. Will you promise to do that?”

Sangjie laughed and said, “Naturally I promise. Tell your Shifu to set her heart at ease.”

“If you cannot figure out the secret,” Wei Xiaobao continued, “You must hand it over to Shaolin Temple. If Shaolin Temple’s monks cannot figure out the secret, ask them to bring it to Qingliang Temple on Mount Wutai. If Qingliang Temple’s monks cannot figure it out, they must bring it to Chanzhi [dhyana wisdom] Temple in Yangzhou. One hands over to another, until the secret within the sutra is revealed.”

“Alright, alright,” Sangjie said, “I will surely accomplish that.” While in his heart he said, “The nun only knew that the secret in the sutra is concerning the Dharma. Lucky for me she did not know the truth, otherwise, how could she easily hand it over to me? Humph, after obtaining the sutra, I will slowly think of a way to put them to death.”

Wei Xiaobao continued, “My Shifu says, after you finish studying this ‘Forty-two-chapter Sutra’, if your heart admires the teachings of Buddha, and you want to read some more, you may come to look for her, the Senior; we still have the Jin Gang [vajra] Sutra, Fa Hua [lotus] Sutra, Xin [Heart] Sutra], Da Bo’re [great/major prajna/wisdom] Sutra, Xiao Bo’re [minor prajna] Sutra, Long Ah Han Sutra, Short Ah Han Sutra, Not-too-long-not-too-short Ah Han Sutra, Old Ah Han Sutra, Young Ah Han Sutra …” He mentioned more than a dozen Buddhist scriptures in succession, all of which he had heard when he was being a monk in Shaolin Temple and Qingliang Temple; naturally he misspoke quite a few of the scriptures’ names.

Sangjie was impatient, yet he did not dare to rashly seize the sutra, since he was still afraid of the nun in white’s divine fist; he was also afraid that they might destroy the sutra. Without any other choice he thoughtlessly gave his promise, “That’s right, after I finish studying this sutra, I will borrow some more from your Shifu.”

Seeing the severed hand had completely melt, and the yellow liquid had soaked the sutra, inside and outside, Wei Xiaobao removed his shoe to cover his hand, and picked and tossed the sutra out. “Here comes the ‘Forty-two-chapter Sutra’!” he called out.

Sangjie was greatly delighted; he leaped forward with outstretched hand to catch the sutra, but suddenly thought, “This sutra is very valuable, how can I obtain it this easily? Could there be any trick in it? Perhaps he would take the opportunity while I am holding the sutra to shoot some secret projectiles to me.” While he was hesitating, the two lamas picked up the sutra and said, “Shixiong, is this the Sutra?”

Sangjie said, “Examine it carefully over there, don’t fall into their trick and get the fake sutra.”

“Yes,” the two lamas replied, “Shixiong has thought everything thoroughly; we must not let them deceive us.” The three of them withdrew several zhang; hastily they opened the book’s envelope and thumbed through it.

Sangjie said, “The sutra is wet, turn the pages slowly, don’t damage the paper. Examine the look, see if it is fake, if it really looks like the description that man gave to us.”

One lama called out, “This is it. Da Shixiong, this is the book.”

Wei Xiaobao heard them speaking loudly; although he did not understand Tibetan, listening to the tone, he could deduce that they were exceptionally delighted. He called out, “Hey, hey, how come you have centipedes on your faces?”

The two lamas were startled; they reached up to feel their faces and did not find any centipede or any other insect. “Little urchin loves to talk nonsense,” they cursed.

Sangjie’s cultivation in meditation power was really deep, hearing Wei Xiaobao’s shout, unconsciously he felt something like a bug crawling on his face, but he ignored it; he focused all his attention to thumbing through the sutra.

Wei Xiaobao shouted again, “Aiyo, aiyo! A dozen scorpions are creeping into their necks.”

This time the two lamas were not fooled. One of them said, “Seeing us obtaining the Sutra, this urchin is not happy, he is making preposterous remark to cheat us. This little thief has killed two of our Shidi, we can’t simply spare his life.”

The other lama, however, really felt his neck was rather itchy. He reached back to scratch it, but after scratching a few times, he felt his ten fingers were unbearably itchy; thereupon he wiped the fingers to his arms. By this time Sangjie and the other lama also started to feel their fingers were itchy, but they ignored it. After half a day, unexpectedly the itch was becoming unbearable. When they looked at their fingers, they saw all their fingertips were covered in yellow liquid. “Strange,” they three of them said to each other, “What is that?”

The two lamas also felt their faces were itchy; instantly they reached up and vigorously scratched their faces. The more they scratched, the worse they felt. After a while, their faces started to ooze yellow liquid. Sangjie suddenly realized what was going on. “Aiyo!” he cried out, “Not good, the Sutra is poisonous!” And he threw the Sutra as far as he could. He saw his own fingers were producing yellow liquid, like beads of perspiration coming out of his skin. In his great shock, he hastily rubbed his fingers to the dirt on the ground, but he saw his two martial brothers were clawing their faces vigorously; each scratch produced a strip of bloodstain.

This bottle of ‘corpse transforming powder’, which Wei Xiaobao obtained from Hai Dafu’s room, was very fierce; if it came into contact with intact skin, it was absolutely harmless, but if it came into contact with a drop of blood, the blood would turn into yellow liquid with great corrosive power, the rotten flesh would then turn into yellowish poisonous liquid. The poison would then melt more and more flesh, just like a single spark from the flint would burn a large stack of hay into flying ash.

This ‘transforming corpse powder’ became poison when it came in contact with blood, it could be considered the number one poison under the heavens. Initially it came from the west. It was reported that the poison entered the Wulin world of the Song Dynasty by the devil champion Western Poison Ouyang Feng, who created it from the venoms of more than a dozen different vipers and poisonous insects. After the ‘mother poison’ was created, re-processing was not needed, simply let the yellow poisonous liquid dry in the sun, and it will become the poisonous powder.

When the two lamas scratched their faces and the poison came into contact with blood, in an instant their faces were turning into yellow liquid. They screamed and howled while their faces were even more painful and itchy; they fell to the ground and rolling around continuously. Luckily Sangjie had not scratched his face, but the itch on his ten fingers had penetrated onto his bones. Immediately he took off his outer garment to wrap the sutra, and then holding it under his arm he flew away, urgently trying to find water to wash the poison from his fingers.

The itch the two lamas experienced was so terrible that they lost their minds; they raised their heads and crashed them randomly against the rocks. After several strikes, they both fainted.

Witnessing this kind of scene, the nun in white and Ah Ke were amazed endlessly. Wei Xiaobao only knew that the ‘transforming corpse powder’ could melt dead body, but he was not sure if it would be effective on living persons. In desperate situation, he had no choice but to try it. Unexpectedly it was a success at the first attempt, plus he was lucky to have Hubayin’s severed hand to initiate the poisoning. Supposing he sprinkled the ‘transforming corpse powder’ directly on the sutra, it would be quite useless. Originally he only wanted to use the severed hand to fondle Ah Ke, unexpectedly it had become a very effective weapon.

Seeing Sangjie had run far away and the two lamas had fainted, he rushed out of the cave and pulled his dagger, thinking that he would stabbed once or twice on these lamas’ bodies. But as he came near them, he saw the two lamas’ faces had already rotten until only their bones were visible. He did not need to do anything; shortly afterwards, the corpses would turn into two pools of yellow liquid.

He walked toward Zheng Keshuang and said with a laugh, “Zheng Gongzi, my demonic method is very effective. Would you like to try it?”

Zheng Keshuang saw the terrifying condition of the two lamas; hearing Wei Xiaobao’s words, he was shocked. Hastily he jumped backward with clenched fists in front of his body. “You … don’t come near me!” he shouted.

Ah Ke came out of the cave; she angrily shouted at Wei Xiaobao, “You … what are you doing?”

Wei Xiaobao laughed and said, “I am just scaring him a little bit, what does it have to do with you?”

“I don’t want you to scare anybody,” Ah Ke angrily said.

“You are afraid I might scare him to death?” Wei Xiaobao asked.

“Why would you want to scare anybody without any rhyme or reason?” Ah Ke said.

Wei Xiaobao beckoned to her, “Come and look,” he said.

“I don’t want to look,” Ah Ke said. Although her mouth said so, her curiosity was piqued; slowly she walked over and looked down. She could not help but jumping in fright, while screaming in high-pitched voice. She saw that the flesh on the two lamas’ faces, their noses, their lips, everything was gone; what remained was their skulls, with four holes on it. All hairs, ears and the muscle behind their necks were not yet rotten. Perhaps there has never been any person alive on this earth with such a frightening face like these two lamas.

Ah Ke was dizzy and fell backward. Wei Xiaobao hastily reached out to hold her. “Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid!” he called out.

Ah Ke screamed again and ran back to the cave. “Shifu, Shifu,” she panted, “He … he turned those two lamas into … into monsters.”

The nun in white slowly stood up. Ah Ke held her hand and took her to the two lamas, but she turned her head away, she did not dare to look again. Seeing those two skulls, the nun in white could not refrain from gasping. She looked up at the distant place and saw the bodies of three more lamas; she could not hell but heaving a deep sigh while casting her gaze to the distant mountain.

By now the sun was sinking on the west, painting half of the sky with blood red color. She was thinking about how this setting sun was also illuminating thousands of mountain passes and tens of thousands hills, as well as the barbarians of the distant land. If she wanted to restore the country, she wondered how many more lives would be killed, how many more bones would be piled up. When all is said and done, should she, or should she not?

[camtay]

Thanks foxs!

Loving your translation.

[tweety365]

Wow, I had no idea the powder originated from Ouyang Feng. Learned something new again! Thanks for the translation, foxs!

[aliderhamy]

Yay for a good update

i liked this part.

[crydee]

The dead hand got so much use!...
-Groping
-Fighting
-Tricking
-poisoning..
...etc

[pannonian]

Wow, I had no idea the powder originated from Ouyang Feng. Learned something new again! Thanks for the translation, foxs!

The severed hand was the first shark. The sutra was the second shark. The lamas were the third sharks.

[Ace High]

I beg to differ.

1. WXB was 12 – 13 when he entered the Imperial Palace.
2. Oboi’s death was within one year WXB entered the palace. When asked Hai Dafu on his age, WXB answered around 13. (Chapter 6)
3. It was middle summer or early autumn when WXB became Green Wood Hall Xiangzhu.
4. Its during the winter when the arc with Mu Family of Yunnan happens (Chapter 9). It was mentioned in Chapter 10 that WXB was still 13 – 14 at that period of time.
5. WXB set out to Mt Wutai in Chapter 15, which we all agreed happened within a few days or a week at most from Chapter 9.
6. Its about after 2 – 3 days of travel that WXB met SE. (Parting with FY & co, haunted house etc)
7. I estimate it took around a forthnight to arrive at Mt Wutai
8. He spent a week at most at Mt Wutai, although 2-3 days were more likely.
9. Again, another forthnight for the return trip
10. He then was captured and brought to Snake Island at Liaodong Peninsular. If WXB age did change at this point of time, its more likely 14 than 15. To make it 15, WXB should spent at least a year on Mt Wutai adventure.
11. The event with Wangwu
12. Only at Shaolin did the wheather was mentioned as changed from winter to spring.

[KChill]

WXB is a child. He's barely 13.

True, but in some things he seems remarkably mature for his age. Especially the life and death situations. He only Benjamin Button's when a pretty girl comes around.

[KChill]

I beg to differ.

1. WXB was 12 – 13 when he entered the Imperial Palace.
2. Oboi’s death was within one year WXB entered the palace. When asked Hai Dafu on his age, WXB answered around 13. (Chapter 6)
3. It was middle summer or early autumn when WXB became Green Wood Hall Xiangzhu.
4. Its during the winter when the arc with Mu Family of Yunnan happens (Chapter 9). It was mentioned in Chapter 10 that WXB was still 13 – 14 at that period of time.
5. WXB set out to Mt Wutai in Chapter 15, which we all agreed happened within a few days or a week at most from Chapter 9.
6. Its about after 2 – 3 days of travel that WXB met SE. (Parting with FY & co, haunted house etc)
7. I estimate it took around a forthnight to arrive at Mt Wutai
8. He spent a week at most at Mt Wutai, although 2-3 days were more likely.
9. Again, another forthnight for the return trip
10. He then was captured and brought to Snake Island at Liaodong Peninsular. If WXB age did change at this point of time, its more likely 14 than 15. To make it 15, WXB should spent at least a year on Mt Wutai adventure.
11. The event with Wangwu
12. Only at Shaolin did the wheather was mentioned as changed from winter to spring.

I really don't think one or two years difference of opinion is worth debating. The important thing is he's been in so many positions of leadership already, he should be using that to try and impress her, it's obviously working for ZK. That childish, I'm entranced by you stuff isn't working.