The Deer and The Cauldron

[crazee]

Yes, Foxs, Fully agreed. it's actually dragging the storyline......not unlike the soap / or sob stories... I think you know what I mean.

Yes, I also concur with tweety365 and Ace high..but then true to WXB with his mighty kungfu of a different kind, he will not be so nice to those who cross his path. I fear to cross a devil like him heh heh heh.

Anyway, the tactics seems to be similar in these cases and if I'm the zheng fellow, i'll definitely be able to link the happenings to WXB or is he so naive as to think that he's suffering because of bad luck ???

[SkyWalker]

thanks foxs.

I agree with tweety365. Why didn't ZKS feel anything is amiss when he successively been accused of wrongdoings and for each time being saved by WXB?

Goes to show that ZKS is really stupid! Not just him, even Ah Ke didn't notice either. A smarter pair would definitely notice something fishy is going on if they get framed time after time after time. I'm so ready to be done with this part of story and move on to WXB's next adventure.

[smurf120]

this strangely makes Ah Ke and ZKS the better pairing - they can go off and make beautiful, easily impressed/angered, stupid children.

anybody know if DOMD came out in serialized format first? maybe JY was having writer's block so he repeated the plot???

I can fully forgive the tv series for combining the sections into one big framing now.

[Grundle]

The only saving grace is that ZKS is such a tool that it is fun to see him abused over and over.

Unfortunately it is like a really good joke that gets beaten to death. Okay, we got the point now move on.

I really appreciate Foxs tenacity for seeing this through. There is nothing more challenging than translating an utterly boring passage.

[aliderhamy]

The only saving grace is that ZKS is such a tool that it is fun to see him abused over and over.

Unfortunately it is like a really good joke that gets beaten to death. Okay, we got the point now move on.

I really appreciate Foxs tenacity for seeing this through. There is nothing more challenging than translating an utterly boring passage.

He has been beaten up by 3-4 different groups of "peasents with pitch forks" and yet when another groups of peasents come what does he say "get lost you useless weak peasent...." WTF man surely he cant be that dumb... his bumb has got to be hurting at some point... and that pain would teach him something ? like be polite to the "peasents with pitch forks"?

I can fully forgive the tv series for combining the sections into one big framing now.

actually initially i thought it was a bit sad what WXB was doing... then i thought it was a bit merciless the secound time he beat him up... but now i see... this guys a moron who really tots his own horn a little to hard. He keeps treading over the peasents and treating them like dirt... WXB must have just known he was rotten from the start...the same way he believes the nun is a good lady.

so this repeated series of beatings on ZKS has had some effect on me

[crazee]

I will sum it this way for Zheng KS, being the heir to the power seat that is sent to China to unite the forces he is not doing his job.
Other than using his family's fame, he is not seen to be doing anything concrete to help Tian di Hui the society that is bent of helping his family restore their power.
What is he doing wooing a girl....of unknown background when bigger responsibility awaits him ??
Well, to a certain extent JY is telling his readers the reason/s for the failure of organised rebellions against the Manchus...the weakness or lack of able leaders to unite rebellions.
I suppose that's the way of chinese...never really united.

Just my 2 cents worth...

[Ace High]

Well, they are not willing to set aside their differences and work as a cohesive rebellion force.

The 18 provinces meng zhus have no real power to coordinate and to take action. Moreover, some of the meng zhus was not chosen based on their leadership abilities (cough cough, Zheng Ke Shuang, cough cough). Meng zhu of Henan, Abbot Hui Cong of Shaolin Temple has a good relationship with the Imperial Court.

[foxs]

Happy Thanksgiving y'all!

Tweety, Ace, Crazee, Sky, Ali, I think Smurf summed it up: they both got good look, but no brains. Grundle, thanks for the compliment. I promised myself to translate everything without skipping anything, now I have to face the consequences ... I guess we are stuck with this trio for a while.

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Zheng Keshuang was extremely angry; he thought that he came to the Central Plains this time he had always met with unfavorable situations, even this uncouth peasants also trying to give him trouble without any rhyme or reason. Raising his horsewhip, ‘crack!’ he lashed it down on Ao Biao’s head.

“Aiyo!” Ao Biao screamed. He raised both hands to protect his head, and then fell down his horse and curled up on the ground, twitched several times, and then lay down motionless.

“Murder, murder!” the crowd of peasants cried out.

The peasant girl jumped down from her horse to embrace Ao Biao, while screaming and wailing. Her voice was really rough and husky, she sounded like a pig being slaughtered.

Zheng Keshuang was shocked; thinking that right now they were on foreign land, plus he was someone wanted by the Qing government. If he was involved in legal case involving homicide, he would be in a very big trouble. Instantly he shouted, “Everybody, run!” Raising the horse’s reins, he was thinking of making a dash out of the encirclement.

Suddenly a peasant leaped up high to the air and pounced down on him. Zheng Keshuang sent a left backhand punch toward the man’s chest. The man caught his wrist and twisted it. ‘Crack!’ his elbow was dislocated. The man landed on the saddle behind him, his right hand reached down from his flank and up to his neck. It was precisely a move from qinna technique called the ‘slanting stage backward scale (of fish)’. The man’s movement was clean and agile; his mouth was yelling and calling loudly, “Ah San, Ah Gou, [lit. ‘the third’ and ‘the dog’] quickly come and help me, I … I … I am hurt from his strike. Aiyo hey, this fellow is killing me! He is killing me!”

Zheng Keshuang’s body was numb and aching; he was already immobilized completely. The Zheng Mansion attendants pulled out their weapons and charged forward. This time, although Mu Palace people were not too many, each one’s skill was not weak. They lifted up their hoes and iron rakes, and engaged the opponents in a tangled battle, preventing the already injured attendants from coming to Zheng Keshuang’s rescue.

The peasant grabbed Zheng Keshuang and rolled underneath the horse, while raising a clamor, “Ah Hua, quickly catch your husband, don’t let him run away.”

“He won’t run away,” the peasant girl shouted back, while leaping up and firmly holding Zheng Keshuang in her arms.

It was only then did Wei Xiaobao realize that this peasant girl was actually a man disguised as a woman; no wonder she was that unbearably ugly. Obviously he was a Mu Palace person. The way ‘she’ captured Zheng Keshuang was also a qinna technique.

Ah Ke anxiously called out, “Shifu, Shifu, they captured Zheng Gongzi, what should we do?”

Jiu Nan shook her head and said, “This Zheng Gongzi’s behaviors is dishonorable, receiving a bit of lesson will not be useless to him. These peasants won’t possibly harm his life.” She was reclining on the large carriage to recuperate, hence she only heard the commotion outside without actually seeing the way the Mu Palace people were making their moves; otherwise, with her keen vision, as soon as she saw these people’s agility, she would have seen through their scheme.

Ah Ke said, “These peasant seem to know martial art.”

“Martial art they don’t have,” Wei Xiaobao said, “But their brute force is definitely not small.”

Ao Biao crawled up from the ground; he called out, “Damn it, you nearly killed your laozi.” [Reminder: ‘laozi’ literally means ‘old man’, as in ‘father’; also to refer to self (arrogantly or jocularly).]

A peasant laughed and said, “You are his Dajiuzi, how could you be laozi?”

“Alright,” Ao Biao said, “Grab this fellow. Since Dajiuzi is not dead, he does not need to pay with his own life. My Ah Hua meizi will have someone to depend on all her life. Take him to bow to the Heaven and the Earth.”

The peasants cheered and yelled, “We are going to drink wine of happiness, we are going to drink wine of happiness!”

They led the attendants’ horses away, and with Zheng Keshuang in the middle, they rode back to the direction they came from. Shouting and yelling, the Zheng Mansion attendants tried to run after them, but those people disappeared behind a cloud of dust, how could they pursue on foot?

Wei Xiaobao laughed and said, “Zheng Gongzi will live with the bride’s family in here, that’s wonderful. Turns out this place is called Gao Lao Zhuang.”

Ah Ke was shocked and angered at the same time; she was already at a loss of what to do. Hearing him saying that, she thoughtlessly asked, “This place is called Gao Lao Zhuang?”

“That’s right,” Wei Xiaobao replied, “In the Journey to the West, isn’t there a chapter called ‘Zhu Bajie [the pig] lives with the bride’s family at Gao Lao Zhuang’?”

Ah Ke angrily said, “You are the Zhu Bajie!” Leaning on a tree by the road, she cried.

“Shijie,” Wei Xiaobao said, “Zheng Gongzi is getting married, that is a happy occasion; why are you crying instead?”

Ah Ke was going to scold him, but then she changed her mind, thinking that this little demon head had an extensive remarkable ability. Only by asking for his help would she be able to rescue Zheng Gongzi back. She said with a cry, “Shidi, please think of a way to rescue him from danger.”

Wei Xiaobao opened his eyes wide; pretending to be utterly astonished, he said, “Did you say ‘rescue him from danger’? He did not commit any murder, they won’t make him pay with his own life.”

“Didn’t you hear?” Ah Ke said, “Those people are going to force him to bow to the Heaven and Earth with that peasant girl.”

Wei Xiaobao laughed and said, “Bowing to the Heaven and Earth is very good.” Lowering his voice, he said quietly, “I want to bow to the Heaven and the Earth with you, it’s too bad that you are not willing.”

Ah Ke shot him a malicious look and said, “Others are dying of anxiety, you are still talking that kind of senseless talk. Just see if I am going to ignore you in the future or not?”

Wei Xiaobao said, “Shifu says that Zheng Gongzi’s moral conduct is not good, let him suffer a bit of hardship, it will be greatly beneficial to him. Much less bowing to the Heaven and the Earth and get married is not a hardship at all. Most probably Zheng Gongzi is very happy. Otherwise, why would he look for that miss last night, and dilly-dally with her, doing some dubious thing?”

Ah Ke stomped her right foot and angrily said, “You are the one who dilly-dally with women and do dubious thing.”

Along the way that day Ah Ke was deliberately trying to delay their journey. When they stopped for a meal, she slashed her saber on the mule’s hind leg, thereupon the mule was limping and afterwards it walked really slow so that they only travelled for a bit more than ten li when they had to stop in a small town to lodge for the night. Wei Xiaobao knew that that night she would definitely want to rush over to save Zheng Keshuang. After dinner, and after everybody in the inn went to bed, he went to the stable and slept on the pile of straw.

Sure enough, before the first watch of the night he heard intermittent footsteps, a dark shadow entered the stable and pulled a horse out. Wei Xiaobao called in a low voice, “Someone’s stealing horse!”

The shadow was precisely Ah Ke; she was startled and turned around to run, but then she recognized Wei Xiaobao’s voice. “Xiaobao,” she called, “Is that you?”

“Naturally it’s me,” Wei Xiaobao replied.

“What are you doing here?” Ah Ke asked.

Wei Xiaobao replied, “Mountain people have divine foresight and marvelous calculation; foreseeing that some people would turn into a horse thief tonight, I am guarding here to catch the thief.”

Ah Ke spat. And then with an imploring tone she said, “Xiaobao, come with me to … to save him back.”

Hearing her beseeching him with a gentle voice, Wei Xiaobao could stop the bones in his body to turn soft. He said with a laugh, “If I can save him, what will be my reward?”

“Whatever you want …” Ah Ke was going to say ‘whatever you want, it’s up to you’, but immediately recalled, “This little demon head always wanted me to marry him, I can’t leave it up to him.” Therefore, before she finished, she changed her statement, “You … you are always thinking of a way to bully me; you have never been willing to help me sincerely.” Speaking to here, she started to sob and cry. It was not a fake cry, however, she was actually thinking about Zheng Keshuang’s frivolous character, but also the fact that he was falling into a dangerous situation; she was wondering if he had bowed to the Heaven and the Earth to get married or not.

As soon as she cried, Wei Xiaobao’s heart softened. He sighed and said, “Alright, alright! I am going to go with you.”

Ah Ke was delighted. Sobbing and sniffling, she said, “Thank … thank you.”

“You don’t need to thank me,” Wei Xiaobao said, “It’s just that we don’t know where Gao Lao Zhuang is.”

Ah Ke was startled, but then she understood that by saying ‘Gao Lao Zhuang’, he was scolding Zheng Keshuang in a roundabout way. “We will have to inquire along the way,” she said in a low voice.

The two of them opened the inn’s back door, led the horse out, and rode together along the road they travelled during the day. Wei Xiaobao asked, “Actually, what’s so good about Zheng Gongzi that you like him like this?”

“Who says I like him?” Ah Ke said, “It’s just that … it’s just that we know each other; he meets calamity, naturally I must go to rescue him.”

Wei Xiaobao said, “If some people caught me and forced me to bow to the Heaven and the Earth and get married, will you come to rescue me or not?”

“Pfft!” Ah Ke stifled her laughter and said, “Are you good looking? Who would want to catch you and force you to bow to the Heaven and the Earth to get married?”

Wei Xiaobao said, “You think I am not that pleasing to the eye, but there might be a young lady out there who thinks that I am outstandingly handsome, outstandingly smart?”

Ah Ke laughed and said, “In that case, I should thank the Heaven and the Earth for sparing me from your ghost always entangling me.”

“Fine,” Wei Xiaobao said, “Since you don’t have any conscience like this, if some people caught you and force you to bow to the Heaven and the Earth to get married, I am not going to rescue you.”

Ah Ke was slightly startled; she thought that if she really encountered such matter, she would definitely want him to rescue her. “You will definitely come to rescue me,” she grimly said.

“Why?” Wei Xiaobao asked.

Ah Ke said, “Others bully me, you won’t watch with folded arms. Who told you to be my Shidi?” As soon as these words entered his ears, Wei Xiaobao felt sweet comfort in his heart.

While talking, they had reached the place where they met Mu Palace heroes during the day. They saw more than a dozen people were sitting on the ground by the road, with lanterns in their hands; they were none other than Zheng Mansion attendants. Ah Ke reined the horse and asked, “Where is Zheng Gongzi?”

The attendants stood up. With a sullen look on his face, someone said, “In the ancestral hall over there.” While saying that, he pointed to the northwest.

“Ancestral hall?” Ah Ke asked, “What is he doing?”

The attendant replied, “Those peasants invited Gongzi, and insisted that he bow to the Heaven and the Earth. Gongzi is unwilling, and thus they punched and kicked, very vicious!”

Ah Ke was angry. “You all are … humph … you all are martial art masters,” she said, “How come even several peasants like that you are not able to defeat?”

The attendants were very ashamed; they hung their heads low. A man said, “Those peasants know martial art.”

Ah Ke angrily said, “Other people know martial art, and you simply ignore your master? We are going to rescue him, lead us the way.”

An elderly attendant said, “Those peasants said that if we dare to raise a ruckus, they would slaughter every one of us.”

“They want to slaughter let them slaughter,” Ah Ke said, “What are you afraid of? Jun Wang ordered you to protect Gongzi, yet you are greedy for life, afraid of death like this?”

“Yes, yes,” the attendant said, “It would be best if Miss does not ride the horse, so that we won’t alert them.”

“Humph,” Ah Ke snorted. Together with Wei Xiaobao they jumped down the horse and tied the horse on a roadside tree. The attendants set down their lanterns, and led the two people toward the northwest.

They walked for about a li, passing through a wood, a stretch of graveyard, and arrived at a seven, eight-room big house. Sounds of gongs and drums can be heard inside the building. Ah Ke’s heart was anxious, “Has he really bowed to the Heaven and the Earth?” she mused.

Pulling Wei Xiaobao’s sleeve, she quickened her steps, circled around the side of the building, and saw a door half opened. Peeking inside, she saw complete darkness with nobody inside. The two of them sneaked in, following the sound of gongs and drums toward the main hall. They squatted down underneath a window and peeked inside from a crack on the window; and were able to see everything in the main hall. Ah Ke was immediately greatly worried, while Wei Xiaobao was extremely delighted.

They saw Zheng Keshuang’s head was adorned with several stems of red flower, standing opposite a woman whose head was draped in red silk. The hall was bright with a lot of candles. Several peasants were beating gongs and drums while continuously cheering and jeering.

Wu Lishen called out, “Bow again, bow again!”

“I have bowed to the Heaven and the Earth,” Zheng Keshuang said, “What else should I bow to?” Hearing this, Ah Ke was so mad that she nearly fainted.

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[1] According to the dictionary, it is between 7 and 9 pm; however, during the Eagle Shooting Hero project, the source I used described it as between 11 pm and 1 am.

[CNProf]

Thanks Foxs.

Poor ZKS.

[Gubrak]

Thanks Foxs

[Eagle]

Hi Foxs,
You are the icon of dedication, still translating and with an extraordinary frequency. I read your work with great interest, but very honestly, I am really surprised (glad) that you are still doing it so consistently. Great job!!

[crazee]

Hi Foxs, another update......wow.

Anyway, I suppose the reason why we all patronise these translations and love it over the commercial ones is precisely that the translation are true to the originals.
Unlike the one I read, and the serials there are some omissions and some personal views or shall I say introduction into the translations.
To say that they are boring, it is not because XB and his people have different ways to make his enemies uncomfortable. These people are really good at coming with means to trick Zheng KS. I suppose even if he is smarter, he will still be in the dark and blames his luck to meet these peasants.....heh heh. Never in his dreams did he take XB to be his rival in love.
--vanity ?? Thinking himself to be high and important compared to XB.

Have a good week end All.....

[SkyWalker]

Thanks for the update foxs and hoped you had a great Thanksgiving as well!

[Anh Nam]

Thanks Foxs

[aliderhamy]

Just take your time bro. I think one of the things I like about this translation style (you, jean, icyfoxs and RWX and the many others is that its a shared experiance. You translate and the readers read and post back...

Its kinda fun. I dont think i would bother reading whole wuxia books non stop in one go. this is like checking the news for me. I do it when i need a break from the ordinary

[foxs]

CNProf, Gubrak, Anh, you are welcome. Prof, what are you teaching? I worked as an instructor in a local college for several years, engineering. Eagle, thanks for the compliment. Hopefully I won't disappoint you. (Even if I did, you won't say anything bad about me, will you? ) Sky, it was quiet, we were also celebrating my youngest second birthday. Crazee, Ali, it's just that I am upset for WXB, obviously the girl was selfish and did not have any feelings toward him at all, not even a feeling of friendship or brotherhood. Ali, I agree, reading the on-going translation with all the comments is actually more fun.

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Shaking his head, Wu Lishen said, “We have a custom here, the groom has to bow to the bride one hundred times. You have only bowed for thirty times, there are still seventy times left.”

Ao Biao raised his leg and kicked Zheng Keshuang’s buttocks. Zheng Keshuang was unable to stand, he fell kneeling down. Ao Biao pressed his head down and shouted, “You are the groom today, what’s the big deal of bowing several more times?”

Wei Xiaobao knew that they were stalling, waiting for his arrival. In all his life he could not necessarily see this kind of good and rare drama several times, thereupon he thought that there was no harm in watching it a bit longer; hence he took his time in coming out to save him. Ah Ke, on the other hand, could not bear it any longer. ‘Bang!’ she kicked the window, and leaped inside with a saber in her hand. “Release him quickly,” she shouted, “Otherwise your Miss will kill each and every one of you!”

Wu Lishen laughed and said, “Miss, are you here to drink the wine of happiness? Why are you using saber and spear?”

Ah Ke took a step forward, brandishing her saber to chop at Ao Biao. In her anxiety and anger, her saber was moving very swiftly and fiercely. Ao Biao hastily leaped away. He picked a long wooden bench behind him to block the saber. Although Ah Ke did not have internal strength, her moves were quite refined and amazing. Ao Biao’s wooden bench was an awkward weapon, unexpectedly he was forced to draw back again and again.

Wu Lishen laughed and said, “Hey, not bad at all.” And he stretched out his hand to meet the saber. His martial art skill was considerably higher than Ao Biao’s, just with two bare palms he was able to weave in and out between the saber blade.

Zheng Keshuang leaped up with the intention to help, but his back was punched twice, ‘bang, bang!’ and he fell to the ground.

Ah Ke successively launched seven, eight moved. Seeing that she could not resist the enemy, she called out, “Shidi, Shidi, come here, quick!”

But she heard Wei Xiaobao was shouting outside the window, “How fierce! Laozi will fight you to the death.” She heard the sound of punching and kicking on the window, apparently Wei Xiaobao was fighting fiercely with someone else.

Hearing Wei Xiaobao’s arrival, Wu Lishen busily signaled with his eyes, and then shouted, “Who’s there?” Two of his disciples immediately stepped forward with unsheathed weapons to meet Ah Ke’s willow-leaf saber.

Wu Lishen rushed outside the hall, but saw that Wei Xiaobao was alone, kicking the window, making a lot of noise; obviously he was not fighting with anybody else. Wu Lishen nearly burst out laughing; he called out, “Everybody stops! You, little kid, what are you doing here?”

Wei Xiaobao loudly replied, “My Shijie asked me to save people; quickly let him go! Aiyo! Not good, these peasants have superb martial art skill.” While making a big fuss, he ran outside the door. Wu Lishen laughed and ran after him.

When they were outside, Wei Xiaobao stopped and said with a laugh, “Er Ge, thank you very much! The way you manage this matter is very interesting.”

Wu Lishen laughed and said, “Is that Miss Xiongdi’s beloved? Her martial art is really good, her appearance also … also … hey, hey, not bad.” He was straightforward and frank; Ah Ke’s physical appearance was extremely beautiful, he did not think much of it, but her moves were refined and amazing, he was quite admiring her.

Wei Xiaobao sighed and said, “It’s a pity that she wholeheartedly wanted to marry that stinky fellow, and is unwilling to marry me. You can force that stinky fellow to bow to the Heaven and the Earth to marry that peasant girl; if only you could force her to marry me …” Suddenly he had an idea. “Er Ge,” he said, “I am asking you to help me to the end. Pretend that you capture me, and seize that Miss also, and then force us to bow to the Heaven and the Earth to get married. What do you think?”

Wu Lishen burst out laughing; he could not help but shaking his head, and hastily said, “Very good, very good. Xiongdi, I hope you don’t mind, shaking my head has become a second nature to me; it’s just that … it’s just that …” Speaking to this point, he slightly hesitated.

“It’s just that what?” Wei Xiaobao asked.

Wu Lishen said, “We are men of chivalrous and righteous way, it is all right to play a joke, Xiongdi, please don’t be oversensitive, your Gege is speaking frankly: you should absolutely have to guard against any voracious desire to satiate lascivious heart.”

“Naturally,” Wei Xiaobao said, “She is my Shijie; after we bow to the Heaven and the Earth to get married, she will be my official wife. Er Ge, you are the matchmaker; after bowing to the Heaven and the Earth, we will be officially married, won’t we? It’s not ‘picking flowers’ [i.e. enter houses at night to rape women] or visiting prostitute, so you cannot say ‘lascivious heart’, can you?”

“Yes, yes,” Wu Lishen said, “Xiongdi, please promise me, you must do not any … any bad things that are not according to chivalrous and righteous way.”

“Please set your hundred and twenty hearts at ease,” Wei Xiaobao said, “A real man make a promise, some horses cannot chase it.”

Wu Lishen was greatly delighted; he laughed and said, “I already knew that you are a well-known hero and warrior. This Miss can marry you, it is indeed her good fortune.”

Wei Xiaobao smiled and said, “You are the matchmaker, we must offer you the first cup of the wine of happiness.”

“Wonderful!” Wu Lishen said with a laugh, “Xiongdi, let’s do it.”

Wei Xiaobao put his hands behind his back and said with a laugh, “No need to be polite.”

Wu Lishen grabbed his wrists with his left hand; raising his voice, he said, “I want to see where are you going to run to?” And then he pushed Wei Xiaobao into the main hall.

They saw Ah Ke’s saber had been knocked down, while three weapons were pointing to her front and back. Although Ao Biao and the others wanted to completely subdue her, they knew that she was Wei Xiaobao’s beloved, hence they did not dare to be rude to her at all.

Wu Lishen took off his belt to tie Wei Xiaobao’s hands, and then he pushed him to sit on a chair. Next, he also bound Ah Ke’s hands. Wei Xiaobao did not stop cursing.

“Little demon,” Wu Lishen shouted, “You curse one more time, I am going to dig your eyeballs out.”

Wei Xiaobao replied, “I’ll curse whenever I want to curse, stinky thief!”

“Shidi,” Ah Ke said in a low voice, “Stop cursing so you won’t suffer the present trouble.” Only then did Wei Xiaobao hold his tongue.

Wu Lishen said, “This Miss actually has more sense, her appearance is also not bad. Very good, very good. I have another brother who is not married yet, I’d better take her as my ‘difu’ [younger brother’s wife] today.”

Ah Ke was greatly shocked. “That won’t do, that won’t do!” she hastily said.

“Why not?” Wu Lishen said, “Big Miss of a good family will always be married, my Xiongdi is a hero and a warrior, he will not bring disgrace to you, why are you unwilling? You really fail to appreciate other people’s kindness! Play the music!”

Ao Biao and and the others picked up the gongs and drums and started beating them. ‘Dong! Dong! Dang! Dang!’ It was very lively.

Of all the frightening experiences Ah Ke went through in her entire life, nothing was scarier than this. She thought that these peasants were rough, uncouth and dirty, his younger brother must be of the same quality; if she lost her chastity to this kind of coarse peasant, even if she killed herself right now, it was already too late. She clenched her jaw and bit her lips, she was so scared that she was unable to utter anything.

Wu Lishen laughed and said, “Very good, you agree.” He waved his right hand, and everybody stopped beating the gongs and the drums.

“Not yet, I haven’t agreed yet,” Ah Ke called out, “Just kill me quickly!”

“Alright,” Wu Lishen said, “I will kill you. I will kill even your Shidi.” While saying that, he took the steel saber from Ao Biao’s hand and raised it high in the air.

Ah Ke cried and said, “Quickly kill me, if you don’t, you are not a real man. You … you kill my Shidi quickly, kill … kill him first.”

Wu Lishen cast a sidelong glance toward Wei Xiaobao; he thought, “This Miss is so without feeling and without sense of justice toward you, why would you want to marry her?”

In his heart, Wei Xiaobao was also cursing, “Stinky little girl, why would you want to kill me first?”

Wu Lishen angrily said, “I simply won’t kill your Shidi. Ah Gou, take this stinky fellow and chop his head outside!” While saying that, he pointed to Zheng Keshuang.

Ao Biao replied, “Yes.” And dragged Zheng Keshuang away.

“No,” Ah Ke cried out in alarm, “Don’t harm him … he can’t be killed. His father … his father …”

“Never mind!” Wu Lishen said, “Are you going to be my Dixi [yet another word for ‘younger brother’s wife’] or not?”

Ah Ke cried and said, “No, no, you … just kill me.”

Wu Lishen tossed away his steel saber and picked up a horsewhip. “I won’t kill you,” he shouted, “I’ll lash you a hundred whip first.” In that moment the anger in his heart was unbearable. ‘Crack!’ he cracked the whip in the air, ready to lash it down onto her body.

“Hold on!” Wei Xiaobao shouted.

Wu Lishen halted the whip in the air and did not lash it down. “What?” he asked.

Wei Xiaobao said, “We are heroes and warriors; we pay particular attention to yi qi. Shijie and I are like hands and feet born on the same parents, this a hundred-lash whip, just strike it on me.”

Seeing Wu Lishen’s ferocious and tyrannical look as he raised his whip, Ah Ke was already scared and panicked. As soon as she heard Wei Xiaobao, her heart was delighted. “Shidi,” she said, “You are a really good person.”

Wei Xiaobao said to Wu Lishen, “Hey, Laoxiong, whatever it is, let me take it. This is called ‘being a real man, I am not afraid of calamity, I’ll step forward bravely’. You must not force her to marry your Xiongdi, if you have any Jiejie or Meimei [older and younger sister, respectively] who is not married yet, just let me bow to the Heaven and the Earth with her to marry her. This Zheng Gongzi has already married one, I will marry another one, successively we marry two of you; it’s not bad, is it? If you have another one, just let her marry me. Laozi is a junk copper, rusty iron; my brain is already rotten …”

He spoke to that point, Wu Lishen and the others burst out in laughter. Ah Ke also could not help feeling funny, but she only chuckled a moment, and immediately remembered the wrong she was suffering; her tears flowed down again.

Wu Lishen laughed and said, “You, this little kid, is very interesting; you are a real man. I was actually thinking of letting you go, and was saying all those things to scare you, but laozi is too worthless. This matter of bowing to the Heaven and the Earth must be done; you tell me, who is going to bow to the Heaven and the Earth? Will it be you, or she?”

Ah Ke was anxious to get away. “It’s he, it’s he!” she hastily said.

Wu Lishen fixed his gaze at her; raising his voice, he said, “You say he is to bow to the Heaven and the Earth to get married?”

Ah Ke felt slightly ashamed; she hung her head and said, “Yes.”

“Alright!” Wu Lishen said. Pointing to Wei Xiaobao he said in a loud voice, “Today I insist that you bow to the Heaven and the Earth to get married.”

Wei Xiaobao turned his gaze toward Ah Ke and said, “I … I …”

Ah Ke said in a low voice, “Shidi, you help me out of great catastrophe today, I will never forget it. Please agree!”

Wei Xiaobao looked distressed. “You want me to bow to the Heaven and the Earth and get married? Ay, you know, this is a very difficult matter.”

“I know,” Ah Ke said in a low voice, “If you did not help me out of this great difficulty today, I would have no choice but to crash my head and die. I … I have no choice but to ask for your help. They … they are extremely vicious.”

“Shijie,” Wei Xiaobao said in a loud voice, “Today you opened your mouth to ask me for help. I, Wei Xiaobao, have no choice but to face the difficulty, to agree on your behalf. It is you who wanted me to bow to the Heaven and the Earth to get married; it was not me who wanted to do it, am I right?”

“Yes,” Ah Ke replied, “It was me who asked you. You are the hero, a real man who steps forward bravely, who relieve other people’s distress, also … also someone who listen to my words the most.”

Wei Xiaobao heaved a deep sigh and said, “Shijie, my feelings to you, you have always understood. No matter what it is that you want me to do, I will readily agree, I won’t frown. Since you ask me to bow to the Heaven and the Earth to get married, naturally I will comply.”

“I know you treat me very well,” Ah Ke said, “Later on … later on I will also treat you well.”

“So be it,” Wu Lishen said, “Xiao Xiongdi, I do not have any meizi for you to marry. My daughter is only three; she can’t marry you. Hey, if any of you have Jiejie or Meimei, quickly call her out to bow to the Heaven and the Earth to get married with this young hero.”

Ao Biao said with a laugh, “I don’t have any.”

Another man said, “This young hero’s righteousness reaches the clouds and the sky; if I can be his in-law, it will be my greatest good luck. Too bad I only have brothers and no sisters.”

Another man said, “My Jiejie has already married and gave birth to eight kids. Young hero, if you are willing to wait, wait for my jiefu [older sister’s husband] to die, then I will tell Jiejie to marry you.”

[lorrycai]

This is so funny! Grown men duped by a little boy........makes you wonder the IQ of these so called pugilist...all brawn and no brain......

Thanks foxs!

[9Dragons]

I actually find the playful exchanges become progressively creative and hilarious. It's not like they recycle the same ideas. Also shows how powerful qualities like luck, influence, and quick-wittedness can be. Xiaobao sure demonstrates resourcefulness in effectively wielding dagger, armor, drugs, wealth, and kung fu training. Love how Jin Yong seamlessly weaves all these encounters into one cohesive plot.

[smurf120]

I'm starting to question the "moral" standards of these seasoned wuxia heroes to play along with such a scheme. I know the real motive of why they are eager is to teach ZKS a lesson but they are all a little too eager (and trigger happy) to give a guy a beating solely on heresay of an insult.

[aliderhamy]

This is so funny! Grown men duped by a little boy........makes you wonder the IQ of these so called pugilist...all brawn and no brain......

Thanks foxs!

to be honest all the main heros know 50-90% of WXB true story.... the 10% they dont know adds to the mystery and adventure.

they all respect his ability to take what life gives him and be happy with it... even when Ah Ke dosent love him... he still dosent turn into a dark and hating person. he tries to do something about it.

I'm starting to question the "moral" standards of these seasoned wuxia heroes to play along with such a scheme. I know the real motive of why they are eager is to teach ZKS a lesson but they are all a little too eager (and trigger happy) to give a guy a beating solely on heresay of an insult.

This is a mans thing... or a boys thing... If you went to a rough and tough all boys school you would know that every so often they can play some relatively violent practicle jokes on each other... I have seen the ambulances called once to many times during my high school years... some of it was sick and disgusting, but at other times it would be relatively funny.