The Deer and The Cauldron

[tweety365]

@ smurf - my thinking exactly. I totally get that women's rights are nonexistent in ancient China. Heck, they don't exist in most countries nowadays. However, it does not make the "heroe's actions" any less hypocritical.


Ali, your lucky the few women that frequent this thread do not take offence at your jokes.

[SkyWalker]

Thanks foxs!

[smurf120]

I don't mind the jokes but I just might need to change my avatar since this is the second time someone thought I was a guy on this forum. LOL

Apart from women's rights, since JY made such a fuss in ROCH about marriage between YG and XLN was taboo and how you need the necessary pairings and parental consent - the heroes have certainly de-volved to not even asking whether XB has his shifu's permission or why doesn't he just ask his shifu for shije's hand?

[Ace High]

Apart from women's rights, since JY made such a fuss in ROCH about marriage between YG and XLN was taboo and how you need the necessary pairings and parental consent - the heroes have certainly de-volved to not even asking whether XB has his shifu's permission or why doesn't he just ask his shifu for shije's hand?

Do bear in mind that the Mu Family heroes owed WXB their lives. They will do almost anything just to repay their life debt to WXB. The Mu Family also recognized the important of having such a high ranking official an a trusted aide of the Emperor as their good friend. So, they naturally did not even think twice.

Secondly, they thought they are doing Ah Ke a great favour, although its a favour she did not want and truly despise. In their opinion, they are saving her from a useless man and marrying her to a heroic, capable and wealthy young man. We all know that the members of the Jianghu are a prideful bunch and always thought little to nothing of other people opinion.

[aliderhamy]

Apart from women's rights...

there we go now I will never ever ever make the mistake of thinking your a cool dude. Only women rant coherantly about meaningful things in Wuxia. Guys will be busy discussing whos got a bigger energy blast and so on... much more important in my opinion.

Also i believe ace high answerd your questions well

[crazee]

I don't mind the jokes but I just might need to change my avatar since this is the second time someone thought I was a guy on this forum. LOL

Actually it did not cross my mind about members being guys or gals....
Only when mentioned that gender comes across my mind....like Foxs saying he's a guy and mdm smurf120 says she's a lady and of course I can deduce that Aliderhamy is a man...

interesting though.....maybe for a simple minded fellow like me but not for the sophiscated and high IQ members I suppose....

[Ace High]

Actually it did not cross my mind about members being guys or gals....
Only when mentioned that gender comes across my mind....like Foxs saying he's a guy and mdm smurf120 says she's a lady and of course I can deduce that Aliderhamy is a man...

interesting though.....maybe for a simple minded fellow like me but not for the sophiscated and high IQ members I suppose....

how about me?

[crazee]

how about me?

LOL.....I suppose with the exception of this simpleton.., all the rest belongs to the High IQ group.....hah hah hah.....

No!!! I don't want to start WWIII in this forum....

[Ace High]

LOL.....I suppose with the exception of this simpleton.., all the rest belongs to the High IQ group.....hah hah hah.....

No!!! I don't want to start WWIII in this forum....

no worry, i'll just send you a nuke...

[crazee]

no worry, i'll just send you a nuke...

I mean I'm the simpleton.....



ha ha ha btw what's a nuke....

[Ace High]

I mean I'm the simpleton.....



ha ha ha btw what's a nuke....

A nuclear weapon. A good weapon to have when WWIII started

Although I doubt WXB will ever need one. His tongue and network will do the same for him.

[foxs]

Ace, maybe I am reading too much Tom Clancy, but I always thought that organizations like that would have lots of eyes and ears everywhere. Wait, let's not talk about Tom Clancy, even Gu Long's organizations are better structured than the 'Fan Qing Fu Ming' movement. Anh, Sky, you are welcome. Smurf, IMHO, it's not your avatar, but your username. I could never have guessed that you and Sky are girls. I mean, how many girls you know would choose username like that? Smurfin, maybe ... Now, Tweety ... I am almost sure she is a girl. Ali, you have just opened up a can of worms. Crazee, I think Ace was asking if you think he/she is a guy or a girl. I don't know, 'Ace' is a neutral name ... Thanks, guys and girls, I thoroughly enjoy your banter. It makes this thread more lively ...

On a serious note, I am getting busier nowadays, which is good for me, not good for this translation project. Please bear with me.

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Yang Yizhi raised his saber high, aiming it at the crown of Ah Ke’s head. “Woman, not good,” he said, “Kill her.”

Wei Xiaobao busily said, “Wife, mine, no kill!”

“Wife, yours, no kill?” Yang Yizhi asked.

Wei Xiaobao repeatedly nodded his head; he said, “Wife, mine, no kill!”

Yang Yizhi was angry; he shouted, “Wife, yours, no kill. Kill you!”

“Very good,” Wei Xiaobao replied, “Wife, mine, no kill. Kill me!”

‘Whoosh!’ Yang Yizhi swung his saber toward Wei Xiaobao’s chest. When the saber went down, the blade created a loud whooshing noise, obviously it carried a tremendous strength, yet as soon as the blade came into contact with Wei Xiaobao’s body, immediately he pulled his strength back; his wrist trembled, the blade of the saber bounced back. He feigned a shock and jumped backward. He then chopped three times in succession and made three long cuts on Wei Xiaobao’s outer garment.

“You, Bodhisattva, cannot be killed?” he shouted.

Wei Xiaobao nodded. “I, Bodhisattva, cannot be killed,” he said.

Yang Yizhi raised his thumb and said, “You, Bodhisattva, not. Big hero, yes.” Pointing to Wu Lishen and the others, he asked, “Han people, kill?”

Wei Xiaobao shook his hand and said, “Friends, mine, no kill!”

Yang Yizhi nodded; he asked Ah Ke, “You, wife, Big Hero’s?”

Ah Ke wanted to deny, but looking at the flickering saber in his hand, she did not dare to say anything. Yang Yizhi’s saber chopped down on the sacrificial table, breaking it into two pieces; he shouted, “Husband, yours?” while pointing at Wei Xiaobao.

Ah Ke had no choice, with a low voice she said, “Husband, mine.”

Yang Yizhi laughed aloud. He lifted Ah Ke up and dropped her in front of Wei Xiaobao, saying, “Wife, yours, embrace.”

Wei Xiaobao spread his arms and embraced Ah Ke tightly. “Wife, mine, embrace,” he said.

Yang Yizhi pointed to Zheng Keshuang and asked, “Son, yours?”

Wei Xiaobao shook his head and said, “Son, mine? No!”

Yang Yizhi shouted several ‘barbarian’ words; he grabbed Zheng Keshuang and rushed outside, while his mouth repeatedly whistled. His men abandoned their captives and ran outside. And then the sound of hoof beats was heard; unexpectedly they left just like that.

Ah Ke’s fear and panic was somewhat subsided; she felt Wei Xiaobao still had his arms around her waist and did not let go. “Take off your hand,” she said.

“Wife, mine, embrace,” Wei Xiaobao said.

Ah Ke was ashamed and angry at the same time; using her hands she pried open Wei Xiaobao’s arms and struggled to free herself. Wei Xiaobao picked up a steel saber from the floor and cut off the ropes binding Wu Lishen and the others.

“Those barbarians’ martial art is superb,” Wu Lishen said, “Fortunately the groom knows how to speak barbarian tongue, plus you have trained the ‘golden bell shield iron cloth garment’ martial art, sabers and spears cannot penetrate, hence we were all saved by you.”

Wei Xiaobao said, “Although those barbarians’ martial art is quite high, they are very stupid. I talked nonsense a little bit, and they believed me.”

Ah Ke said, “Zheng Gongzi is captured by them, how can we save him?”

The fake bride suddenly yelled, “My husband is caught by the barbarians, they are going to boil and eat him.” And then she cried loudly.

Wu Lishen cupped his fist and said, “May I ask hero’s respected surname and great name?”

“I do not dare,” Wei Xiaobao replied, “Zaixia surnamed Wei.”

Wu Lishen said, “Wei Xianggong and Wei Family Niangzi got married today, won’t a tiny bit of congratulatory present be considered as showing respect?” While saying that, he put his hand inside his pocket and fished out two tiny golden yuanbao.

“Thank you very much,” Wei Xiaobao said, while reaching out to accept it.

Ah Ke’s entire face turned red; stomping her feet, she said, “It was not real, it did not count.”

Wu Lishen laughed and said, “The two of you have bowed to the Heaven and the Earth, and just now you said to that barbarian, ‘Husband, mine’. How can you deny? The bride and groom should enjoy the bridal room and ornamented candle, we are not going to disturb.” Waving his hand, together with Ao Biao and the others he strode out of the ancestral hall.

Instantly such a big ancestral hall became extremely quiet, nobody made any noise. Ah Ke was scared, but also ashamed and resentful. She stole a glance toward Wei Xiaobao, thinking about how she herself had said, ‘Husband, mine’. Suddenly she threw herself on the table and cried. Stomping her feet she said, “It’s all because you are not good, it’s all because you are not good!”

In a gentle voice Wei Xiaobao said, “Yes, yes, it’s all because I am not good. Wait till I think of something to save Zheng Gongzi, and then you will say that I am good.”

Ah Ke raised her head and said, “You … you can save him?” Under the red flickering candle light, her incomparably tender and beautiful face made the several beads of teardrops looked like bright full moon, so that even pearls inlaid with white jade seemed inadequate by comparison, so that the first budding rose could not surpass her luminescence and elegance. Wei Xiaobao could not help but staring at her with blank expression, and forgot to answer.

Ah Ke tugged his clothes and said, “I am asking you, how are we going to save Zheng Gongzi?”

Wei Xiaobao woke up from his dream; he sighed and said, “That barbarian leader said that since they have come out, they cannot go back empty-handed, they must catch someone back to their cave, to be cooked so that everybody can eat …”

Ah Ke cried out in fear. “They want to cook him so that everybody can eat?” she asked. Thinking that the ‘bride’ had also cried out in fear, she was even more terrified.

“That’s right,” Wei Xiaobao said, “They originally said that you have a soft skin and white flesh; you must have the best taste, so they wanted to catch you and eat …” Ah Ke could not endure it; her body shivered all over as she looked outside the door, afraid that those barbarians would come back.

Wei Xiaobao continued, “… I told them that you are my wife, only then did they let you off.”

Ah Ke anxiously said, “They caught Zheng Gongzi, are they going to cook … cook …”

“That’s right,” Wei Xiaobao said, “Unless I volunteer myself to be eaten, in exchange for Zheng Gongzi.”

“Then you should go in exchange for him!” Ah Ke said. But as soon as she blurted it out, she realized that she had misspoken; her pretty face blushed and she lowered her head.

Wei Xiaobao was furious; he mused, “Stinky little mother, in your eyes your husband is not worth half a wen; you’d rather have the barbarians cook me and eat me to have your lover [orig. male adulterer] rescued.” With a cold voice he said, “Even if I go in exchange for him, it would be useless.”

Ah Ke anxiously asked, “Why … why useless?”

Wei Xiaobao said, “Zheng Gongzi has bowed to the Heaven and the Earth with that peasant girl to get married; you have seen it with your own eyes. Since he already has a wife he officially married, the wood has been turned into a boat, you can’t marry him anymore.”

Ah Ke stomped her feet, “That was a fake.”

Seething with rage, Wei Xiaobao said, “Alright, you want me to go in exchange for him, I will go. I just don’t know where the barbarian cave is. Humph, let’s go.”

Ah Ke silently followed him out of the ancestral hall, she was afraid she might say anything wrong, and then he would not be willing to trade his life for Zheng Gongzi’s.

When they reached the main road, they saw the Zheng Mansion’s attendants standing in a circle with their raised lanterns, speaking loudly among themselves. When the two of them came near, a Zheng Mansion attendant said, “Miss Chen is here. Where is our Gongzi? Where is our Gongzi?” while rushing over to meet them.

From among the crowd suddenly a slim figure flashed by, his movement was fast, Wei Xiaobao only saw a blurred shadow and suddenly the man was already standing in front of him, and then he heard a sharp voice asking, “Where is our Gongzi?”

The man was standing with his back against the lantern, hence Wei Xiaobao was not able to see his face. His heart was frightened, he took two steps back. Who would have thought that as he withdrew two steps, the man also went forward two steps, so that they were still standing face-to-face, less than a chi apart. He asked again, “Where is our Gongzi?”

Ah Ke replied, “He … he was captured by the barbarians, they … they are going to cook and eat him.”

The man said, “How can there be any barbarians in the Central Plains?”

“They are really barbarians,” Ah Ke said, “Quick … quickly think of a way to save him.”

“How long have they been gone?” the man asked.

“Not too long,” Ah Ke replied.

The man’s body suddenly stiffened up, he leaped backward and landed on a horse’s back. His legs squeezed, the horse immediately galloped away, and in an instant disappeared in the darkness. Wei Xiaobao and Ah Ke looked at each other in shock; one was dismayed, the other was delighted. They saw this person’s martial art skill was high, his movement was fast; they had rarely seen this kind of man in their lives, in their hearts they were full of admiration.

“I wonder who that martial art master is.” Ah Ke said.

The elderly attendant replied, “He is Gongzi’s Shifu, Feng Xifan; his title is ‘One Sword without Blood’. Feng Shifu is unmatched in the world, if he goes to rescue Gongzi, it is guaranteed that he will achieve success.”

“Turns out it is he,” Wei Xiaobao and Ah Ke said together. Ah Ke added, “Since Feng Shifu has arrived, why didn’t you ask him to immediately go to that ancestral hall over there to save Gongzi?”

An attendant said, “Feng Shifu has just arrived. He received our letter, sent by flying pigeon. From Hejian Prefecture he rushed over in the same night.”

“Feng Shifu was at Hejian Prefecture?” Wei Xiaobao asked, “Why we did not see him?”

The attendants looked at each other, nobody answered. Knowing that he had blurted out a secret, the attendant who spoke earlier lowered his head.

Wei Xiaobao thought, “Turns out there was a martial art master hidden among the Zheng Family people who attended the ‘turtle-slaying assembly’, all along he did not show himself. Only after this stinky fellow was captured did he finally rush over for the rescue.” Pinching his own cheek, he said, “Flesh, oh flesh, someone else is going to save Zheng Gongzi, you don’t need to be exchanged with some darling treasure and be eaten by those barbarians.”

Ah Ke blushed; she wanted to explain, but had a second thought, “I don’t know whether Feng Shifu singlehandedly [orig. single spear one horse] will be able to defeat that many barbarians.”

Wei Xiaobao saw she was going to speak but refrained herself, he could guess what was in her mind; he said, “Don’t worry, if Feng Shifu is not able to rescue him, there is still this rotten flesh of mine to be exchanged with your darling. A real man gave his words, some horses cannot pursue.”

“It’s good if Feng Shifu is able to save him,” Ah Ke said.

Wei Xiaobao was angry, he started to walk away, but with the corner of his eyes he saw her pretty face, his heart turned soft; he turned around and sat by the roadside.

Seeing he was about to leave, Ah Ke could not help but was worried, thinking that if Feng Shifu was not able to save Zheng Gongzi, and Wei Xiaobao left, who would get Zheng Gongzi back? Onlt after seeing he came back and sat down did she feel relieved. She did not dare to offend him this time, hence she came over and sat next to him.

Wei Xiaobao thought, “This moment you need my help; if I don’t take any advantage now, what am I waiting for?” Reaching out with his left hand, he wrapped it around her waist, while with his right hand he held Ah Ke’s right hand. Ah Ke struggled slightly, and then stay motionless. Wei Xiaobao was very happy, he thought, “It would be best if that man surnamed Feng is killed by Yang Dage and the others, and won’t come back forever, so that I can sit waiting like this for the rest my life.”

He was fully aware that Ah Ke did not have even half a part of feeling toward him, early on he already had no high hopes in his heart; he only hoped he could sit embracing her for a lifetime, then he would be perfectly contented, he would be even happier if she did not ask him for a help.

Unfortunately, things turned out contrary to the way he wished; he only embraced her for a short time when they heard the faint sound of hoof beats on the main road. Ah Ke sprang up and called out, “Zheng Gongzi is back.”

The sound of hoof beats was getting nearer and nearer, it sounded like two horses were rushing over. “All right,” Wei Xiaobao said, “I just got my life back, no need to have the barbarians eat me.” The tone of his voice was brimming with bitterness. But by this time, even if he was ten times more angry, why would Ah Ke care? She was anxiously running toward the main road.

The two horses arrived one after another. The attendants lifted high their lanterns, while cheering loudly. The one riding on the front was indeed Zheng Keshuang. Seeing Ah Ke rushing over to meet him, he leaped down from his horse. The two of them embraced each other with unbounded happiness. Ah Ke buried her head in his bosom, crying. She said, “I was afraid … afraid those barbarians would … would …”

Wei Xiaobao was actually starting to stand up, but seeing this sight, it was as if the pit of his stomach was punched, hard. He fell back sitting down, his head dizzy his eyes blurred. He made an oath in his heart, “His granny, if in this life I cannot make you, this stinky little mother, as my wife, I am your Zheng Keshuang’s seventeenth, eighteenth generation grandson. I, Wei Xiaobao, am a ‘wang jiu dan’, a ‘wang ba dan’ plus one egg[3].”

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[3] ‘wang’ – king, ‘ba’ – eight, ‘dan’ – egg; strung together, it means ‘b@stard’ or son of a b1tch. ‘Wangba’ can also mean ‘tortoise’ or ‘cuckold’. He was simply increasing the level of ‘b@stardness’ by one degree.

[wandering]

thanks for the update

[tweety365]

foxs, with a name like "tweety," I would hope that people don't mistake me for a guy. Unless I come across as too "manly" in my comments

Thanks for the update!

[Gubrak]

Thanks Foxs, your job first and then back here when you have time, don't worry, we will always loyal to you and waiting until the end of this story ...

It's funny, 'wang ba dan', 'wang jiu dan' and maybe next will be 'wang shi dan' then wxb can change his profession to eggs seller

I though all of this wuxia fans are men, except, of course, for Tweety, one can see through her feminin name, and a beauty in her avatar. But even if all the fans are women, the story will be the same, am I right?

[Feiwu]

foxs, with a name like "tweety," I would hope that people don't mistake me for a guy. Unless I come across as too "manly" in my comments

Thanks for the update!

Tweety (the cartoon character) was male. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tweety.

Thanks for the update Foxs

[Ace High]

Ace, maybe I am reading too much Tom Clancy, but I always thought that organizations like that would have lots of eyes and ears everywhere. Wait, let's not talk about Tom Clancy, even Gu Long's organizations are better structured than the 'Fan Qing Fu Ming' movement.

Even if we talk about real history, wasn't the Ming Dynasty had their oh-not-so-secret secret service know as the Eastern Depot and later on the Western Depot? Furthermore, they knew the Qing have lots of eyes and ears everywhere, but why didn't they do the same? Its not like they have to ask for the Qing's permission beforehand. And on the same breath, they didn't take any precaution against the Qing eyes and ears.

They want to fight against a well organized enemy. An enemy that have capable commanders, trained and disciplined soldiers, well provisioned and well equiped. Whilst theirs are an unorganized mess, commanders chosen because of their name (or their ancestors), soldiers were untrained and possibly undiscplined, self provisioned and self equiped.

[smurf120]

Funny thing is that despite all this playacting, when it comes down to actual sacrifice, I think WXB will actually sacrifice himself for his friends and loved ones.

Foxs - love your translations but work is more important and family is even more important yet!

[SkyWalker]

Thanks foxes!

[played0ut]

@ smurf - my thinking exactly. I totally get that women's rights are nonexistent in ancient China. Heck, they don't exist in most countries nowadays. However, it does not make the "heroe's actions" any less hypocritical.


Ali, your lucky the few women that frequent this thread do not take offence at your jokes.

wait, what?

....... women are allowed here? This isn't a Nora Roberts forum.

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