7 Killers - Gu Long

[ycb5959]

Thanks for a new update!

[ycb5959]

...
Also, as I mentioned above, I'm reading along a little bit ahead of my translation, so I don't know exactly where the story is going. But has anyone else noticed that there is a lot of talk about hands? In Chinese, the word we usually translate as assassin or killer is 杀手 sha shou. Sha means to kill, and shou means hand...

I watched lots of movies in the 60's & 70's when they were in mandarin - yes, 'sha shou' kept coming up, and the subtitles always mentioned them as "killers" (my impression was 'professional killers')

[LuDongBin]

Depending on context, my take is that 杀手 can mean either killing moves or assassins.

"Anyone who is friends with Meng Fei is an enemy of ours."

I would prefer: Anyone who calls Meng Fei a friend is an enemy of ours.

[Ysabelkid]

Thanks for the update. Loads of action already....

[deathblade]

Depending on context, my take is that 杀手 can mean either killing moves or assassins.

"Anyone who is friends with Meng Fei is an enemy of ours."

I would prefer: Anyone who calls Meng Fei a friend is an enemy of ours.

About 杀手, cool, thanks for the input. And about the "friend," I agree. I'll change it momentarily...

[deathblade]

Chapter 3 - Yue'er shining on Changjie

Part 3

Liu Changjie didn’t move, didn’t even open his mouth.

Neither did Hu Yue’er move, nor open her mouth.

The only sound that could be heard was that of rustling tree leaves, hens clucking, and dogs barking.

It was suddenly very hot inside the room. Liu Changjie slowly unclasped the front of his garment and then lay down on top of Hu Yue’er.

Surprisingly, she didn’t kick him away, but instead just stared at him with her large eyes.

It seems she finally understood how frightening Dragon Fifth truly was.

“They’re gone,” said Liu Changjie. “All gone.”

“These seven days, they really won’t come back?”

“That man doesn’t seem like the kind of person who speaks idly.”

“Do you know who he is?” asked Hu Yue’er. “Did you recognize the hand?”

The hand was a left hand, and on it was no vestige to indicate the person had martial arts training. However, anyone could see that if the owner of that hand wanted to kill someone, very few people in the world could offer any resistance.

“I hope I didn’t mistake what I saw.”

“You hope it’s the green-robed man?”

He nodded.
“Why?”

“Because if it is him, it means that sometimes he’s not with Dragon Fifth. When I make my move, I really hope he’s not there.”

“When are you going to make your move?” asked Hu Yue’er.

“I’ll wait until he completely trusts me,” replied Liu Changjie. “I’ll wait until he presents an opportunity.”

“You believe that day will come?”

“It will,” replied Liu Changjie resolutely.

Hu Yue’er sighed. “I’m afraid a lot of people will have died by the time that day comes.”

“You’re feeling bad about Stone?”

“Stone was an honest person,” she said sadly. “This was supposed to be his last assignment. When it was over, he was going to return to his hometown and start farming. He even bought some land already.”

Stone was the man who had been playing the role of her husband.

Liu Changjie listened quietly. “He shouldn’t have bought a house and land,” he said emotionlessly. “People like us are bound to meet death at some point along the road.”

“Yes, but he died so unfairly.” She closed her eyes. “His kung fu is just as good as that bastard Peng Gang’s. But when Peng Gang attacked, he couldn’t defend himself, otherwise he would have revealed our secret. Only … only by dying could he keep the secret safe.”

“He did what he had to do,” said Liu Changjie calmly. “That was his duty.”

Hu Yue’er’s eyes opened. “Are you saying he was supposed to die?”

Liu Changjie said nothing.

“Are you human or not!” she cried. “Do you have any heart in you at all? You … you ….”

As she spoke she seemed to get more and more mad, and then suddenly she kicked Liu Changjie off the bed and onto the floor.

Liu Changjie laughed. “If you think Stone was an honest person, then you’re wrong. And if you think he died at the hands of that bastard, then you’re even more wrong.”

He laid on the ground, looking just as comfortable as he had been on the bed. “Maybe he just let Peng Gang land a couple blows to make him think he was dead. If he really let himself get killed by that runt bastard in just one blow, then he shouldn’t be called Stone, he should be called Tofu.”

Hu Yue’er seemed suspicious. “You really think he’s alive?”

“Do you know how important this assignment is? Do you know how much time we spent planning it? If Stone was as honest as you imagine, how could let him participate?”

Hu Yue’er laughed. “I don’t know about other people, I just know that you are definitely not an honest person.”

“Uh…”

Hu Yue’er bit down on her lip. “You know, even if you heard someone outside earlier, you didn’t need to do what you did. You were just taking advantage of the situation.”

Liu Changjie laughed. “You’re half right.”

“You mean you had other intentions?”

After a while, he said, “I just wanted you to understand that if I really wanted to force myself on you, there’s really nothing you could do about it.”

Hu Yue’er rolled her eyes. “Don’t tell me … you don’t want to?”

“Don’t tell me you want me to try again?”

She started to blush, and began gnawing on her lip again. “You wouldn’t dare!”

Liu Changjie laughed again.

Suddenly, he flew onto the bed, pressing down onto Hu Yue’er.

She gasped. “You really are a pervert!”

“But this time you intentionally seduced me. I know that you…”

Before he could finish, he suddenly flew out of the bed, slammed into the wall, and fell onto the floor, clutching his stomach. His face was pale white.

Hu Yue’er looked at him. “Yes, I was seducing you on purpose. Because I wanted you to understand that if I’m not willing, there’s really nothing you could do about it.”

Liu Changjie twisted his waist. It looked like he was hurt so bad that he couldn’t even speak. Sweat dripped down his forehead.

Regret suddenly flashed in Hu Yue’er’s eyes. “But,” she said softly, “it’s like you already said before. Until this assignment is finished, I … I …”

She said nothing more, and she didn’t need to. Even an idiot should be able to understand what she was getting at.

And yet it seemed that Liu Changjie didn’t understand.

He slowly reclined, lying down on the floor. Whereas before his face had been friendly and happy, now it was filled with sorrow and misery.

He said nothing. He just lay there silently for a very long time.

Hu Yue’er’s heart was soft. With a calm face, she said, “I know I kicked you, but you don’t have to lie on the floor like a child and refuse to get up.”

He kept his silence.

“Are you really mad at me?” she asked. “Or are you just thinking?”

He sighed softly. “I was just thinking that you’re father will definitely find a great man for you. Someone who doesn’t do what we do, someone who isn’t constantly courting death. We …”

Hu Yue’er’s expression suddenly changed. “What is that supposed to mean?”

Liu Changjie laughed emptily. “It doesn’t mean anything. I just hope that you can grow old together happily, and eventually forget about me.”

Hu Yue’er’s face was white as a ghost. “Why are you talking like this? Didn’t you understand what I was talking about just now?”

“I understood,” he said with a sigh. “It’s just, I don’t think I can wait until that day.”

“Why?” she asked.

“The day I accepted this assignment,” he said dully, “I also accepted that I would die. Even if I have the chance to kill Dragon Fifth, I … I will never have a chance to see you again.”

His eyes stared at nothing, and a mournful expression filled his face.

Hu Yue’er looked at him, and from the expression on her face, it seemed that there must be needles stabbing through her heart.

Liu Changjie couldn’t help but laugh again. “Regardless of anything else, if I’m able to exchange my life for Dragon Fifth’s, it will be worth it. I’m a nobody, really. No family. No …”

Hu Yue’er didn’t let him finish.

She threw herself onto him, her soft, tender lips covering his….

The wind blew harder outside. (1)

**

The moon was out, and the moonlight shown in through the window onto Hu Yue’er’s face. Her face was slightly flushed.

Liu Changjie glanced at her furtively, his eyes filled with joy.

Hu Yue’er gazed at the moon. Suddenly, she spoke. “I know you tricked me.”

“I tricked you?”

Once again, she bit down on her lip. “You deliberately said all that stuff to soften me up. You … you just took the opportunity to bully me. I obviously know you’re not a good person, and yet somehow I let myself be fooled by you.”

As she spoke, tears rolled out out. It was at this time in a girl’s life when she was the weakest, and the most likely to weep.

Liu Changjie let her cry, waiting for her calm down before sighing and saying, “Now I know why you’re sad. You’re sad because my death is not certain.”

Hu Yue’er didn’t want to defend herself, but couldn’t help it. “You know full well that’s not what I meant.”

“If you knew I was going to die, wouldn’t you feel a little better?”

“But you’re not going to die,” she replied immediately. “You already said that you would wait until you are sure you can succeed before making your move. If you know you can succeed, who could possibly stop you?”

“If I’m not going to die, and the assignment will be completed, and you’ll marry me in the end, then why are you so upset?”

Hu Yue’er seemed stumped.

She suddenly realized that Liu Changjie’s laugh was repulsive—but not completely repulsively. It was a little bit cute as well.

She looked at him and sighed softly. “I know that you’re feeling pretty pleased with yourself right now. Because you know that I’m going to be much more obedient from now on, since we have no choice but to get married. But if you’re not obedient, then I’ll make you sleep on the ground instead of with me.”

Her lips were next to his ears. “Now do you understand?” she said softly.

“I understand. But,” he laughed, “there’s another thing I’m not clear about.”

“What’s that?”

He laughed bitterly. “At this point I’m not sure if it’s me who fooled you, or you who fooled me.”

Regardless of who fooled who, this kind of trickery would be welcomed by most people.

The days passed happily. The only sad thing was how quickly the days went by.

Seven days seemed to pass like the blink of an eye, and suddenly they had arrived at the last night.

It was the last night, and you would think it would be the sweetest.

Hu Yue’er was dressed up nicely, sitting in the living room. Normally, they would be laying in bed at this time.

Liu Changjie was looking at her. It seemed that he had been studying her for quite some while. Finally, he said, “Okay, what did I do to offend you?”

“Nothing.”

“Are you sick?”

“No.”

“Then what’s wrong?”

“I just don’t want to become a widow before I’m even married, that’s all.”

“There is no one who wants you to be a widow.”

“Yes there is.”

“Who.”

“You.” Her face was blank as she continued coldly, “These seven days, any time I want to talk about serious issues, you just talk nonsense. If things continue on like this, I will definitely be a widow very soon.”

Liu Changjie sighed. “Serious issues don’t need to be discussed with your mouth. You solve them with your hands.”

“And what are you planning to do to solve them?”

“So you’re acting like this tonight because you want to have a discussion?”

“If we don’t discuss it tonight, I’m afraid we won’t ever have another chance.”

Liu Changjie let out a sigh. “Alright. If you want to talk, let’s talk.”

“Dragon Fifth wants you to steal a box from Madam Lovesickness?”

“Yes.”

“And did you agree?”

“Yes.”
“Because you want to have a chance to get at Dragon Fifth. In order to get that chance, you need to earn his trust. And to earn his trust, you have to do this important thing for him.”

“Do you have a better plan?”

“I don’t.” She sighed. “These past few years, we know that a lot of crimes have been perpetrated by Dragon Fifth, but we haven’t been able to find a scrap of evidence.”

“Even if you got your hands on some evidence, you might not be able to get your hands on him.”

“So, we needed to call in the cavalry.”

“And your cavalry is me.”

“Therefore, if you want to get your hands on him, you first need to get your hands on evidence of his crimes.”

“Therefore, I definitely have to help him.”

“Are you confident you can do it?” she asked.

“A little,” he replied.

“In one hour, you can kill the seven guards outside, then lift the 1,000 pound iron gate, open the three secret doors, and flee to a place where Madam Lovesickness can’t find you?”

“I said that I’m a little bit confident, not that I’m completely confident.”

“Do you know what kind of people those seven guards are?”

“I don’t.”

“What do you know about their martial arts?”

“Nothing.”

“You don’t know anything, and you say you’re only a little bit confident. Isn’t this deliberately setting me up to be a widow?”

Liu Changjie laughed. “Even though I don’t know about their martial arts, I do know that you’re going to tell me.”

Hu Yue’er didn’t seem to be amused. “Why the hell do you think I would know anything about their martial arts?”

Liu Changjie smiled. “Because you’re smart and capable, and know pretty much everything that goes on in Jianghu. Also, these past several days, you haven’t slept very well. You’ve definitely been putting a lot of thought into it.”

Her face was blank, but in her eyes could be seen a little bit of warmth. “So,” she said softly, “you do have a bit of a conscience after all. You finally realize how hard I’ve been working.”

Liu Changjie walked forward and seized her waist. “I know that you treat me well,” he said gently. “And so…”

Before he could finish, Hu Yue’er shoved him away. “So, you should sit down like a good boy,” she said coldly. “Listen carefully while I tell you about the martial arts of those seven men. Think of a good way to deal with them, come back to me alive and don’t turn me into a widow!”

Liu Changjie had no choice but to sit down. “You really know who the seven people are?” he asked with a bitter laugh.

“In recent years, the number of people in Jianghu who have been forced into fugitive status could number one or two hundred. But among them, many are either tpo weak in martial arts or too old for Madam Lovesickness to even glance at.”

“And certainly a lot in that group have died.”

Hu Yue’er nodded. “So, I’ve thought about it a lot, and I’ve come to the conclusion that the number of people Madam Lovesickness could have taken in numbers about thirteen at the most. Among those, there are seven who are the most likely candidates.”

“How the hell did you figure that out?”

“Because these seven not only covet riches, they also fear death. Only men who fear death would be willing to be a woman’s lackey.”

Liu Changjie laughed bitterly. “I don’t fear death, and yet I’ve already become your lackey.”

She stared at him. “Do you want to know about the seven men, or not?”

“Yes, I do.”

Hu Yue’er continued, “Have you ever heard of someone called “Little Fifth Omniscient?”

“You mean the Deflowering Bandit?”

“Fifth Omniscient” was one of the demons of the Jiangnan Temple of Licentiousness. So it made sense that “Little Fifth Omniscient” and the Deflowering Bandit were one and the same.

“Even though he is not one of the Five Gates’ worst sexual predators, his Qing Gong and Palm techniques are not bad. The most dangerous thing about him are his three concealed poison weapons. One prick of the poison will seal your throat up immediately. It’s extremely potent.”

“I heard he’s a member of the Tang Family from Sichuan. Their poisoned weapon kung fu is definitely the real deal.”

The Tang clan from Sichuan and their concealed poison weapons were well known in Jianghu. In their three hundred year history, few people in Jianghu had been willing to provoke them, and they were also not reluctant to offend others. The Tang Clan family regulations were very strict and well known.

“Little Fifth Omniscient” Tang Qing was definitely a member of the Tang Clan, but perhaps the worst representative of the family. If he was really relying on help from Madam Lovesickness, it must be because he was worried that the Tang Clan would try to apprehend him and punish him according to their family regulations.

“Among those seven men, you especially need to be careful of his concealed poisoned weapons. I think that before facing him, you should go to Sichuan and get the antidote to their poison.”

“Sadly,” said Liu Changjie with a bitter laugh, “I’m afraid even if I want it, I can’t have it. It’s not like they sell it.”

“Then you have to take care of him first; don’t give him a chance to use his poison on you.”

Liu Changjie nodded. “Don’t worry. I know that getting Tang Clan poison powder on your skin is extremely painful.”

“For safety’s sake, you should wear very thick clothes. I know you don’t like the heat, but heat never killed anyone.”

“I’ll definitely wear a thick, cotton jacket.”

Hu Yue’er finally seemed satisfied. She continued, “Among the seven, his kung fu is not the best.”

“Whose is?”

“Three of them have very powerful kung fu. One is ‘Ghost Meteor’ Dan Yifei, another is ‘Soul Seducing’ Zhao, and another is ‘Iron Monk.’”

Liu Changjie’s brow furrowed. He had clearly heard all three of these names before.

“Iron Monk is especially dangerous,” continued Hu Yue’er. “He used to be one of the Eight Great Shaolin disciples, and it’s said that he practices Virgin Kung Fu. (2) He’s not obsessed with money or with sex, but with killing people. The methods he uses are so inhuman that he ended up being expelled by Shaolin.”

“Maybe he developed mental problems from practicing Virgin Kung Fu, and that’s why he developed a taste for indiscriminate killing.”

“Even if he does have mental problems, he doesn’t have any problems with his kung fu. Reportedly, his Thirteen Heroes Skill has reached the level that his body is impervious to blades.” (3)

Liu Changjie laughed. “Maybe because he’s killed so many people, he himself has started to fear death. And because he fears dying, he decided to practice this kind of blade-resisting kung fu.”

“There have been a lot of supposedly invincible people that have died under your hand, so you’re not concerned about him at all, are you?”

“Precisely correct,” laughed Liu Changjie.

Hu Yue’er stared at him and the sighed. “Actually, what I’m really worried about is not them.”

“Who, then?”

“It’s a woman.”

Women are always worried about other women.

“You mean one of the seven is actually a woman?” asked Liu Changjie.

“Yes, one is a woman.”

“What kind of woman is she?”

“She’s not a normal woman.”

“Normal women can’t entice me,” laughed Liu Changjie, “and you’re worried about abnormal women?”

“It’s because she’s not normal that I’m worried.”

“Why?”

“You’ve seen lots of normal women, but as for this type of abnormal woman, I guarantee you’ve never seen one like her before.”

Liu Changjie’s eyes narrowed. He was interested in women in general, whether normal or abnormal.

Hu Yue’er stared at him obliquely. “I know you,” she said coldly. “As long as there is a pretty woman, no matter normal or not, you couldn’t help but be tempted.”

“Ah.”

“And if you get tempted, you’ll be dead.”

“So you want me to not look at her?”

“I want you to kill her the instant you see her.”

“It seemed like just now you wanted me to go after Tang Qing first.”

“Correct.”

“You want me to kill two people at the same time?”

“Two won’t be enough.”

Liu Changjie laughed again, but this time it was devoid of mirth.

Hu Yue’er continued, “There’s one more among the seven who doesn’t count as human.”

“If he’s not human, what is he?” he laughed bitterly.

“A wild dog.”

He frowned. “Invincible Li the Mastiff?”

Hu Yue’er nodded. “Because he’s a wild dog, he’s very hard to kill. Even if you chop a sword right into his head, you couldn’t say for sure that he still wouldn’t be able to turn around and bite you.”

“Getting bit by a wild dog hurts just as much as poison.”

“So when you attack, you have chop his head clean off, that way he won’t have any chance to counterattack.”

“So it seems I need to kill three people at once.”

“Three isn’t too many.”

“It’s a pity I only have two hands,” he sighed.

“You have feet too.”

He laughed. “You want me to use my left hand to kill Tang Qing, my right hand to kill the wild dog, and a foot to kill the woman?”

“Like I said, you can’t give them any openings. I know it won’t be easy to kill three people in one shot, unless you get extremely lucky.”

“You just wait and see how lucky I can be.”

“Okay,” she said. “Great!”

Liu Chagjie closed his eyes. “How did I ever become so lucky?”

Hu Yue’er smiled sweetly. “Your luck started improving the day you met me.” She suddenly changed the subject. “Have you ever heard of a type of hidden weapon that can be shot out from your shoes?”

“I believe I have,” he replied.

“And, do you wear shoes?”

“I believe I do.”

“Good, then you’re set.”

“I’m set?”

“I just happen to own that type of weapon, and you just happen to wear shoes.”

Few people have the skill to evade hidden weapons shot from shoes.

Hu Yu’er continued, “You move very quickly; if you have a weapon concealed in your shoe, killing three people at the same time won’t be too difficult.”

“Unfortunately, I’ve only ever heard of that weapon. And only one time.”

“You’ll be able to see it almost immediately.”

“Oh? Where is it?”

“It should be on the way here already.”

“You sent for someone to bring it?”

“As soon as I realized those three people were involved, I sent for it.”

“You left the house?”

“I didn’t leave, but a message sent by me left.”

Liu Changjie stared at her.

He wasn’t stupid, but he couldn’t for the life of him think how Hu Yue’er had been able to send out a message.

Hu Yue’er said, “I know this place is under surveillance by Dragon Fifth. But, no matter how powerful he is, he won’t prevent people from eating.

Liu Changjie still didn’t understand. What did eating have to do with it?

Hu Yue’er continued. “In order to eat, you have to cook. And in order to cook, you need to light a fire…”

Finally Liu Changjie understood. “If you light a fire, there will be smoke.”

“You aren’t so stupid after all,” she said sweetly.

Using smoke to send messages was an ancient method, and a reliable one.

Hu Yue’er fixed her eyes on Liu Changjie. Her gaze was as steady as granite, her voice as tender as the spring rain: “As long as you have a plan, and understand the method, any object will obey your commands, and do things for you. Even smoke leaving through the chimney can speak for you.”

————————————————————————————

(1) I omitted a which to me really didn't make sense, and sort of took away from the flow of the story in English. Right after it says "the wind outside blew harder" there is an additional line in Chinese that says "the mother hen just laid a nest full of eggs..." In Chinese it implies that they are sleeping together I think, but in English it just seems silly.

(2) Here is an article about virgin kung fu: http://www.kungfumagazine.com/magazi...hp?article=897

(3) What I translated as "Thirteen Heroes Skill" is 十三太保横练, or literally Thirteen High Officials Cross-training? Like Virgin Kung Fu, it is a real Shaolin art. Here is an article in Chinese about it http://baike.baidu.com/link?url=Tc13...thMAwDYUyx1VPa

[deathblade]

Wow, this part was much longer and much harder to translate than I expected. There's one more shorter section of chapter 3. I'll try to get it done in the next few days.

[dragonsense]

[QUOTE=deathblade;1070072]I omitted one line which to me really didn't make sense, and sort of took away from the flow of the story in English. Right after it says "the wind outside blew harder" there is an additional line in Chinese that says "the mother hen just laid a nest full of eggs..."

In Chinese it implies that they are sleeping together I think, but in English it just seems silly.

Also, regarding the "Virgin Kung Fu," here is an article about it: http://www.kungfumagazine.com/magazi...hp?article=897


is that virgin kungfu tong zi gong then it means male wirgin not female virgin haha maybe it's the opposite of jade maiden skill from roch yu ni sen gong can be translate to virgin divine skill too

[ycb5959]

Thanks!!!!

[Ysabelkid]

Thanks deathblade for the update.

[deathblade]

Chapter 3 - Yue'er shining on Changjie

Part 4

The night was dark and quiet. From far away could be heard the yipping of dogs.

Hu Yue’er said, “Other than the hidden weapon, you will also need a sword capable of cutting off a person’s head in one blow.”

“Is the sword on its way?”

“For the sword, just ask Dragon Fifth. Of the thirteen most famous blades in Jianghu, he has at least seven of them.”

Liu Changjie stared at her, at her chest, and said, “Do you have any other orders for me?”

“No”

“Then, can we get in bed and go to sleep?”

“You can.”

“And you?”

She sighed. “I should start preparing to die.”

Shocked, Liu Changjie replied, “Prepare to die?”

“After you leave, Dragon Fifth definitely won’t let me go free. Even if he trusts that you won’t divulge any secrets, he still won’t leave any witnesses behind.”

Liu Changjie finally understood. “Whoever he sends here to kill you, you can’t offer any resistance, because you're supposed to be the wife of a farmer.”

Hu Yue’er nodded and the laughed. “I might as well die at your hand.”

“Die at my hand? You want me to kill you?”

“You couldn’t bring yourself to do it?”

He laughed bitterly. “Do you think I’m also a wild dog who bites people?”

“I know you aren’t,” she responded sweetly. “And I also know you couldn’t bring yourself to kill me. But…” She laughed mysteriously. “There are many ways to kill people, and many ways to be killed by people.”

Liu Changjie didn’t press further.

He didn’t completely understand what she was getting at. Furthermore, he heard the sound of approaching footfalls.

The footsteps had reached the outer courtyard, and moments later, there was a knocking at the door.

“Who is it?”

“It’s me.” It was the voice of a woman, young and pleasing to the ear. “I’m here to deliver eggs.”

“Oh, it’s Ah De,” said Hu Yue’er. “You’re so anxious just to deliver a few eggs?”

“I was passing by,” she replied. “Tonight I have to go into the village to get someone.”

“Get someone? Who.”

“The old devil left yesterday morning for the village and never came back. Some people said that he’s been whoring it up the whole time. This time I really…”

She stopped talking.

After she entered the room, she caught site of Liu Changjie. She seemed surprised.

Liu Changjie was looking at her.

She was young, firm, and plump, like a ripe persimmon, fragrant and soft.

Hu Yue’er had already closed the door. She looked back at Liu Changjie and laughed. “What do you think of her?”

“Very good.”

“You want to sleep with her tonight?”

“Yes."

He really did.

The clothes the woman wore were very thin, so much so that you could see her nipples beneath the cloth, hardening.

Did she want the same thing?

Hu Yue’er smiled. “You can take off your clothes now.

Ah De bit her lip, and then without hesitation slipped out of her clothes.

She did it very quickly.

Hu Yue’er also stripped off her clothes, just as fast.

They were both beautiful women, both young, with long, straight legs.

Liu Changjie looked at them both, and his heart sank.

He suddenly understood what Hu Yue’er had said moments ago.

“There are many ways to kill people, and many ways to be killed by people.”

As it turns out, she had already prepared to have this woman substitute for her in death.

Their physiques were similar, their faces as well. With a little bit of makeup, Dragon Fifth’s subordinates would never be able to tell the difference.

In truth, they wouldn’t pay very close attention to the wife of a farmer. They would just know that they were being sent to kill a woman. If this woman looked exactly the same as the first one, they wouldn’t be able to tell.

Hu Yue’er had already begun to put on Ah De’s garments. Looking at Liu Changjie out of the corners of her eyes, she said, “What are you looking at her for? Aren’t you going to carry her to the bed?”

Ah De’s face was flushed.

She clearly didn’t know the true role she was to play, she only knew that she was supposed to switch places with a woman, and accompany a man.

The man wasn’t the scary type. She clearly wanted Hu Yue’er to leave as quickly as possible.

Hu Yue’er was about to leave. Giggling, she suddenly spun around and struck Ah De in the chest with her palm.

Ah De’s mouth opened, but nothing came out. Not sound, not blood. Because Hu Yue’er had already stuffed one of the eggs she had just delivered into her mouth…

Liu Changjie watched her fall to the ground, feeling as though someone had stuffed an egg into his mouth as well. His tongue had a bitter and fishy taste on it.

Hu Yue’er sighed. “The original plan was to leave her here with you for a while, and have you kill her.”

He was quiet for a long time. After a while, he quietly said, “Why did you suddenly change your mind?”

“Because I couldn’t stand the expression on your face just now when you were looking at her.”

“Ah.”

Hu Yue’er bit her lip. “One look at her, it seemed like you couldn’t wait to get your hand up her skirt.”

He let out a breath. “It doesn’t really matter. She was going to die sooner or later. When there is a matter as important as what we are doing, there will always be people who die along the way.”

“I just hope that whoever Dragon Fifth sends to get you isn’t a woman.”

“If it is a woman, are you going to kill her?”

Hu Yue’er slowly put all of the eggs onto the table, emptying the basket.

On her face was a strange expression. After a while she said, “I know I’m not the first woman you’ve been with, but I really hope that I’m the last.”

**

Several of the eggs were empty, and inside were hidden several pieces of copper machinery. When assembled together, they formed a very delicate hidden weapon, the type that could be concealed inside one’s shoe.

If one exerted the right amount of pressure with the toe, poisoned needles would fly out. The poison was like that from the fangs of a green bamboo snake, the needles as sharp as the stinger of a bee.

And like the heart of a woman!

“I won’t sit,” said Hu Yue’er. “I need to get back to the town.” Carrying the empty basket, she left, smiling proudly, and then laughing happily.

The darkness outside was very deep.

[LuDongBin]

Such venom! Such deadly conspiracy .... more, deathblade, more ...

[Jayariyin]

This is becoming more interesting.

Thanks, deathblade.

[Anh Nam]

Thanks deathblade

[deathblade]

Such venom! Such deadly conspiracy .... more, deathblade, more ...

Haha! Must go faster! This was the end of chapter 3. Chapter 4 coming as soon as possible.

[ycb5959]

thanks for the update. Looking forward to 'faster' -

[Ysabelkid]

Thanks deathblade for the update.

[deathblade]

Chapter 4 - Inhuman people

Part 1

It was very late at night.

Liu Changjie sat in the simple living room. A very long time had passed already, and not a sound could be heard in the night.

He had taken the body of the woman and put it on the bed. Then he had taken all the quilts in the house and placed them on top of her, as if she was afraid of catching cold.

After that, he went around and lit all the lamps in the house, even the lamps in the kitchen.

He wasn’t afraid of death, and he wasn’t afraid of the dark. But in his heart he carried an indescribable hatred for both of them, and always wished to push them as far away as possible.

Now he sat thinking, trying to wrap his mind around the whole matter, from head to tail.

He was a quiet person, not very well known, to the point that even he was unsure of the extent of his own power and ability.

He had never tested himself, never even put thought to it before.

But “Power of Hu” Patriarch Hu had discovered him, the same way one might discover a pearl inside of a clam.

Patriarch Hu not only had sharp eyes, he had a mind with no equal.

He never misjudged people, never misjudged anything—in fact he had never made a single error in judgment.

Even though he had never worn the official headdress of a government official, had never eaten at a meal provided by the government, he was without a doubt the most famous investigator alive. The chief constables of every administrative district and every prefecture virtually worshipped him.

There was not a case in the world that he couldn’t crack; as long as he was alive, there was not a single underworld criminal who could evade justice.

But sadly, even the fastest sword will eventually become dull; no matter how powerful the person, they will eventually become sick and old.

He had finally grown old, had contracted rheumatism, and could barely walk without the support of others.

In the two or three years after becoming ill, he had stayed in Beijing. In that time, several hundred serious crimes had been committed—three hundred thirty-two to be exact.

Among those over three hundred serious cases, not one had been solved.

But leaving these cases unsolved was unacceptable. Among the victims were members of the nobility and high government officials, famous figures of the martial world, well-known and aristocratic families, and even the royal family itself.

Patriarch Hu’s legs were crippled, but he was not blind.

He knew that all of these crimes were committed by one person, and he also knew that only one person could solve them.

The criminal was none other than Dragon Fifth, and the hero could be none other than Liu Changjie.

Everyone trusted his judgment in this matter.

And it was in this way that the quiet and unassuming Liu Changjie suddenly became a legend.

**

Currently, Liu Changjie wasn’t sure if he had gotten lucky, or if had struck extreme bad luck.

Even now, he still didn’t completely understand what Patriarch Hu really thought of him.

It seemed that he would never be able to understand that crafty old fox, and he would never understand his daughter, either.

He thought back to a year or so before, when he’d become friends with a man named Wang Nan. One day, Wang Nan had suddenly suggested that they go visit Patriarch Hu. Three months later, Patriarch Hu gave this task, this burden. It wasn’t until this night that he realized how heavy the burden really was.

So what now?

Was it really possible for him, in only one hour, to kill Tang Qing, Dan Yifei, Soul Enticing Lao Zhao, Iron Monk, Li the Mastiff and the woman? Could he really reach the mysterious wooden box? Could he really get his hands on Dragon Fifth?

Only if he knew the answers to these questions, could he be truly confident.

But lately, what really caused him anxiety was Hu Yue’er.

What kind of woman was she? How did she treat him?

Only he knew the answer to that question. After all, he was just a person, made of flesh and blood like everyone else. He wasn’t an emotionless rock.

It was very, very late, but sunrise was still a long way off.

What would tomorrow bring? What type of person would Dragon Fifth send to accompany him?

He sighed, wishing that he could just sit in the chair for the rest of the night and forget about all these troublesome thoughts.

But at that moment, he suddenly heard a strange sound, like a light rain hitting the roof.

And then, there was a boom, and the entire house burst into flames. It was as if house were made of paper, it was clearly impossible to extinguish the fire.

There was no way Liu Changjie would be killed by some fire.

If you put him in an actual furnace, he still might be able to escape.

Even though the house was not a furnace, it burned like one. Everything was on fire, and nothing was visible other than the flames.

And yet, Liu Changjie was able to escape.

He dashed into the kitchen, grabbed an enormous jar of water, and poured it over his body. Almost before the water could soak his clothes, he was outside.

His reaction time was faster than most people could fathom, and fewer people could imagine how fast his body moved.

Other than the burning building, the night was peaceful.

In the courtyard grew several patches of yellow-flowering plants. In the flickering light of the flames, the flowers seemed especially tender and beautiful.

Standing there was a young woman in yellow clothing, holding a yellow flower in her hand. She looked at Liu Changjie and chuckled.

Outside the courtyard was a horse and carriage. The horse’s eyes were covered, so it was unaffected by the frightening inferno.

The yellow-robed girl flew like a swallow to the carriage and opened the door. She looked back at him and smiled.

She didn’t say a single word.

Liu Changjie also said nothing.

He entered the carriage and sat.

**

The flames burned unceasingly, but Liu Changjie was further and further away from them.

The carriage sped along urgently, having long disappeared into the deep night.

It was a dark night.

Liu Changjie wasn’t afraid of the dark, but in his heart he carried an indescribable hatred and disgust for it…

[ycb5959]

Yippee!- Another one - thanks!

edit: possible mistakes -

In the two or three after becoming ill, he had stayed in Beijing.

I think you mean "two or three years".

[deathblade]

Hm, for the sake of speed, I'm sacrificing some proof-reading time. I feel like the English quality is dropping .... Let me know if there's any big mistakes. After I've finished the whole thing, I'll do a complete review and re-write...