Heroes Shed No Tears - Gu Long

[ycb5959]

woot! another fast one!
Thanks!!!

[deathblade]

Chapter 4: An extraordinary person, an extraordinary place, extraordinary things

Part 2

—Who are you? What is this place?

The girls only laughed, they didn’t speak.

Little Gao wanted to get up, but his shoulders were being held down by a girl who appeared to be as delicate as a pendant on a fan.

He didn’t dare touch the girl.

He knew that he wasn’t the type of person who could easily resist temptation.

But what drove him crazier was the blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl grasping his face with both hands and blowing gently into his ear.

Little Gao could feel himself changing, and he was changing in a very awkward and embarrassing way. (1)

Suddenly his body twisted, warping in an unimaginable way and bending in a completely unexpected direction. (2)

The girl holding his shoulders and the girl grasping his face, felt something slide past their hands, and suddenly realized the person they were holding was no longer there. When they turned their heads, the found that he had already hidden himself behind the golden Buddha statue.

“You’d better not come over here,” he said loudly. “I’m not a good person, if you dare make a move in my direction, I won’t be polite.”

He was actually a little afraid of these girls, but if they really approached him, he wouldn’t be too sorry, and he wouldn’t be too scared.

Unfortunately, they didn’t go over, because the master of this place had already appeared.

He was dashing and thin, of very tall stature, and had a glossy black silk gown casually draped over his body. His long, pitch-black hair hung down loosely over his shoulders.

Even though he was dressed casually, he had the bearing of an emperor.

Especially his face.

His profile was distinct and well-defined.

His face was pale white, completely devoid of color, as if it was carved from white marble, and it carried an indescribable, cold grandeur.

As soon as they saw him, the girls dropped gracefully to the ground and prostrated themselves. Little Gao suddenly said, “You’re definitely the master of this place.”

“Yes, I am.”

“I don’t know you, and you don’t know me. How come you brought me here?”

“I don’t know either.”

“You don’t know either?” cried Little Gao. “How could you not know?”

“Because I didn’t make you come with me, you came along with me on your own.”

Little Gao was shocked. So shocked that he couldn’t even open his mouth for while.

“I came along with you? Don’t tell me you’re the person with the box?”

“Yes, I am.”

Little Gao held his head with his hands. It seemed like he was about to pass out.

An ordinary person wearing coarse clothes, miraculously turning into someone like an emperor.

This kind of thing only happened in myths, and yet Little Gao had just seen it happen.

**

“Exactly what kind of person are you?” Little Gao stepped out from behind the Buddha statue. “Are you a top-notch assassin who wanders from one corner of the earth to the other with your box? Or are you some kind of incredibly rich recluse who has abandoned the world of mortals? These two types of people are complete opposites. Which one are you?”

“What about you?” the man retorted. “What kind of person are you? A hot-blooded kid who’s curious about everything in the world? Or a cold-blooded swordsman who views human life as trash?”

“I’m a student of the sword. If someone studies the sword, they should devote their life to it, and not fear death. What about you? Why do you kill people? For money? Or because killing people makes you happy?” Little Gao stared at him. “Does it make you happy to know you can decide whether people live or die?”

The black robed man turned and walked to the large table. He poured himself some wine from one of the crystal drinking vessels, then slowly drank it down.

Afterwards, he continued in an indifferent voice: “As far as I’m concerned, it’s not a happy thing. But sadly, I am like most people in the world; I sometimes have to do things that I don’t really want to do.”

“Why did you kill Yang Jian?”

“For Zhu Meng. Because I owe him a life.”

“Whose life?”

“Mine.”

“Zhu Meng saved your life?”

“Most people find it hard to avoid dangerous and challenging circumstances. I’m no different. You’ll also face circumstances like that one day, and you can never predict who will be there to save you, just as you can never know what kind of people will die by your hand.”

“Not die by my hand, but by my sword,” said Little Gao. “The people who’ve died by my sword are all people who’ve devoted themselves to the sword. I’m like them, so if I died by their sword, then I would die without complaint.”

The black-clothed man suddenly took a long, strangely shaped sword down from the shelf. He looked coolly at Little Gao. “And what if I used this sword to kill you right now?”

“I think it would a great pity,” said Little Gao. “Because I still don’t know who you are.”

“You already know enough, enough for me to kill you.”

“Oh?”

“You already know that I killed Yang Jian, and you already sneaked a look at my solitary box.”

“But I didn’t see anything,” said Little Gao. “I still want to know how that could be the most fearsome weapon under heaven.”

“You really want to know?”

“I do. I really do!”

The man suddenly drew the sword, and its cold aura blasted against their faces. Its flickering light was dark green in color.

“This sword is called Green Willow, a relic left behind by Taoist Gu from Mount Ba.(3)” He gently caressed the blade. “Years ago, Taosit Gu swept China with his Cyclone Dancing Willows 49 sword forms. It’s hard to say how many famous swordsmen died under this sword.”

He put down the long sword, and from the rack picked up a flower-shaped broadaxe.

“This is the axe that was used long ago by the Hidden Hero Wu Lingqiao from Mount Huangshan. (4) It weighs eighty pounds. Even though he only used 11 different stances, each stance was extremely lethal. It’s said that at the time, no one in Jianghu could hold up against seven of them.”

Next to the broadaxe was a weapon that looked like somewhat like a spear, and yet wasn’t. Instead of a spear head, it had a sickle shaped blade, attached to shaft with a metal chain.

“The Iron Chain Flying Sickle can mow people down like grass,” said the black-clothed man. “It’s said that this weapon comes from Japan. Its weapon forms are secretive, never before seen in China.”

He pointed at some of the other weapons on the rack; a pair of Judge’s Brushes, a set of Emei spikes, a Tiger Cross blade, a hooked Wu sword, a polearm, a Persian cutlass and large white bamboo pole. “In the past, these weapons were used by the greatest masters of the time. Each one has its own unique weapons forms, and it’s impossible to say how many souls of martial arts masters are collected in them.” (5)

“But I’m asking about your solitary box,” blurted Little Gao, “not these weapons.”

“My solitary box,” said the black-clothed man, “is the essence of these weapons.”

“I don’t understand. How could a solitary box contain the essence of thirteen different weapons? I looked inside, and all I saw was a bunch of random pieces of metal tubes and parts.”

“There’s a mystery to it, of course you wouldn’t be able to see. But you should be able to understand that all the weapons in the world are made up of random pieces of metal. If you put the pieces of metal together, then they become a weapon.” He finally gave a more detailed explanation: “To have a sword, you need the body, the blade, the hilt, the cross-guard, the grip. If you put these five different things together, then you can make a sword.”

Little Gao finally seemed to understand, at least a little. “Are you saying that you can use the metal parts in the solitary box to make a kind of weapon?”

“Not a kind of weapon, thirteen kinds of weapons. Thirteen completely different types of weapons.”

Little Gao was shocked into silence.

“Thirteen different methods can be used to make thirteen weapons of completely different shape and style. And yet each of these weapons is different from commonly seen weapons, because each one contains the abilities of at least two or three other weapons. The essence of all the weapons forms of all these weapons, are contained in my solitary box.” He looked at Little Gao. “Now do you understand?”

Little Gao was now completely speechless.

He finally understood how exactly Yang Jian, Cloudy Sky and the seven others appeared to have been simultaneously killed by three different types of weapons and yet were killed by a single person.

Of course he’d realized this before, but he hadn’t been able to completely believe it.

Without being able to see with your own eyes, who could believe that such an ingenious, complicated weapon existed in the world. (6)

But Little Gao had no choice but to believe.

So he let out a long sigh. “Whoever forged this weapon definitely is a genius.”

“Yes.”

The black-clothed man’s white, noble-looking, cold face was suddenly filled with a strange expression. It was an expression you might see on the face of a pious believer when they suddenly mention their venerated deity.

“No one can compare to him,” said the black-clothed man. “His swordsmanship, his wisdom, his way of thinking, his patience, his blacksmithing skill. No one compares to him.”

“Who is he?”

“The same person who forged ‘Tearstains.’”

Little Gao was yet again shocked.

He suddenly had a very odd feeling, that there must be some strange and mysterious relationship between him and the black-clothed man.

The feeling made him surprised, happy, and frightened.

But he still wanted to know more, about the solitary box, the sword, this amazing person, and what they had to do with each other. But the black-clothed man didn’t seem willing to allow him to know much more. He had already changed the subject: “Even though there has never been a weapon as remarkable as this solitary box, using it is not very easy. Without a remarkable person to use it, it can’t release the slightest bit of power.”

He wasn’t showing off, and had no air of arrogance in his voice. He was just describing the facts. “Not only must this person be proficient in the forms of all thirteen weapons, and must completely understand the composition of all them all, he also must have extremely dexterous hands to be able to assemble the pieces within the box, in only a moment’s time.” He continued, “In addition to all of this, he must have an abundance of experience, extreme agility and reflexes, and exceedingly good judgment.”

“Why?”

“Because all opponents are different, and the required weapon and weapon forms are also different. In an extremely short period of time, you must make a judgment about which weapon can effectively overcome your opponent. Before you opponent makes a move, you must decide which parts to put together, to form which weapon. You must also completely assemble the weapon. If you are slow in even one step, you’ll die by your opponent’s hand.”

Little Gao laughed bitterly. “It really isn’t an easy thing. A person like this… you could search heaven and earth and I’m afraid you’d only find a few.”

The black-clothed man looked at him quietly. A long time passed, then he said, “To open the solitary box also isn’t easy. And yet you opened it very quickly. Your hands are already dexterous enough.”

“It seems they are.”

“Your martial arts already have a good foundation, and it seems like you practice the mystical Indian yoga arts from the peaks of Mount Everest.” (7)

“Yes, it seems so.”

“The old man who passed ‘Tearstains’ down to you has a connection to my solitary box. So up until now, you’re not dead.”

“Don’t tell me you actually want to kill me? Why haven’t you?”

“Because you need to stay here. I want to pass on my martial arts to you, pass on the box to you, pass on to you everything here.”

**

His words were something that others wouldn’t even have the luck to hear about in their dreams.

—Unparalleled wealth, extremely mystical martial arts, and the most fearsome weapon under heaven.

A young person with nothing in the world who suddenly gets everything, whose luck in life changes in an instant.

What would this young person be feeling in their heart?

Little Gao had no reaction, as if someone had mentioned something that had nothing to do with him.

The black-clothed man continued: “My only requirement is that before you master all of my martial arts, you cannot step foot out of this place.”

The requirement wasn’t too harsh, and actually quite reasonable.

“Unfortunately you forgot to ask me something,” said Little Gao. “You forgot to ask if I’m willing to stay here.”

This question really shouldn’t be asked. Only crazy people and fools would refuse a requirement like this.

Little Gao wasn’t crazy, and he wasn’t a fool. The black-clothed man asked him, “Well, are you willing?”

“No, I’m not.” He continued without an explanation: “And I won’t.”

The black-clothed man’s pupils suddenly pulsed, changing into the point of a needle, the tip of a sword, the stinger of a bee, piercing Little Gao’s eyes.

Little Gao’s didn’t blink. A long time passed, and the black-clothed man asked, “Why aren’t you willing?”

“No real reason, actually,” said Little Gao. “Maybe it’s because I’m too bored here, and I’ve always valued a free and comfortable life.” He stared at the mysterious, fearsome man. “Or maybe it’s because I don’t want to become a person like you.”

“Do you know what kind of person I am?”

“I don’t. But I can tell that you are the type of person who lives in the shadows. Whatever face you use when you step outside, it seems you’re always stepping out within the shadows.” He sighed. “Even though you have immeasurable wealth and the most fearsome weapon under heaven, I get the feeling your life isn’t very happy. In fact, sometimes I even feel sorry for you.”

The cold light emanating from the man’s eyes slowly began to disperse, disperse into a murky shadow, and then into nothing.

“Everyone has the right to choose their way of life,” continued Little Gao, “including myself. I want to live under the sun. Even if I have to kill people, I’ll openly challenge them to a duel, and win a fair victory.”

The black-clothed man laughed.

“You think Sima Chaoqun will really give you a fair fight?”

“I challenged him openly and fairly. It’s one on one, how could it be unfair?”

“Of course you wouldn’t understand now,” the man sighed. “I’m afraid by the time you do understand, it will be too late.”

“No matter what, I have to go. Right now, I’m about to die from starvation. I just hope you’ll let me stay to have a meal, then let me go.” He seemed happy again. “I can tell you’re not a stingy person, and my requirements aren’t very high.”

“Definitely not too high,” the man said coldly. “But sadly, you forgot to ask me something.”

“What’s that?”

“No one who has every visited this place has ever left alive.”

Little Gao suddenly laughed. “I believe you. But luckily there’s an exception to everything.” He laughed happily. “I believe you’ll definitely make an exception for me.”

“Why will I make an exception for you?”

“Because we’re friends, not enemies. And I’ve never offended you.”

“You’re mistaken,” said the man. “You’re not my friend. You don’t qualify to be my friend.”

His eyes suddenly shone forth with a strange light. “If I make an exception for you, it will only be for one reason.”

“What reason?”

“Because you feel sorry for me.”

The expression in his eyes suddenly changed into one of bitter and anguished cynicism. “This world only contains people who hate me or fear me. There’s never been a single person who felt sorry for me. For this single reason, I think there’s no harm in giving you a chance.”

“A chance? What chance?”

The black-clothed man stood up, and casually grabbed two crystal bottles from the long table. Then he asked Little Gao to pick one of them.

“Why do you want me to pick?” asked Little Gao. “They both look the same. All the bottles look the same.”

“There’s one small difference.”

“What difference?”

“One bottle has poison in it. Deadly, gut-wrenching poison.”

**

Actually the two bottles had another difference about them. One of the bottles had a little less wine than the other.

Because the black-clothed man had already poured some of the wine into a glass and drank it.

He still lived.

Little Gao saw this, but he still chose the other bottle.

The black-clothed man looked at him coldly and asked, “You’ve decided?”

“I’ve decided. And I won’t change my mind.”

“Didn’t you see me drink the glass of wine just now?”

“I saw.”

“And don’t you know which bottle I drank from?”

“I know.”

“Then why wouldn’t you pick that bottle?”

“Because I don’t want to die.” Little Gao laughed, even more cheerfully. “You know I’m not blind, and not stupid. I can obviously see which bottle you drank from. But you want me to make a decision, because most people in this situation would choose to drink from the first bottle.”

That was a fact.

“Luckily I’m not most people, and you wouldn’t lump me in with most people. If that bottle really had no poison in it, you wouldn’t use that method to test me. If you wanted to overcome me, you would definitely use a more challenging method.”

It was definitely not an easy decision.

Even many very intelligent people might come to the conclusion that the poison was in the bottle the black-clothed man drank from, but might not have the guts to drink from the other.

“The poison is yours, of course you have the antidote. Even if you drank eight or ten bottles it wouldn’t be a problem. Of course, I can’t drink a drop, so I have to pick the other bottle.”

The black-clothed man looked at Little Gao with a very strange expression. “And if you choose incorrectly?”

“Then I guess I’ll die, and that’s that.”

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he took the bottle and drank a mouthful.

And then he collapsed.

**

(1) I’m not sure if it comes across in my translation, but the “change” in his body he’s referring to is …. Uh yeah, you can guess….
(2) Okay, my translation differs from the original Chinese, because I think the original can’t be translated well into English directly. The original says, “his body suddenly twisted, from a position that no person could imagine, twisting in a direction that no person could imagine.”
(3) This is a mountain in Sichuan. http://goo.gl/uby2jU
(4) This of course is one of the most famous mountains in China. http://goo.gl/X7fqtz
(5) Here are links to pictures of some of the weapons. I did my best to translate everything correctly, and tried to find ‘official’ or existing translations of as many of the weapons as possible. If I made any mistakes, please let me know. I’m especially not sure of my translation of Tiger cross blade, which I’ve seen before in movies and stuff but am not sure how to translate into English.
Flower-shaped broadaxe http://goo.gl/DZmRK5
Judges’ brushes http://goo.gl/xGL43z
Emei spikes http://goo.gl/BbHJmA
Tiger cross blade http://goo.gl/HzRKs4
Polearm http://goo.gl/EvHDHx
(6) He actually uses like four or five adjectives in Chinese that all basically mean the same thing. Precise, delicate, complicated, etc.
(7) The word he uses to describe Mount Everest is actually “Holy Mother of the Water,” which apparently is what they call Mount Everest in Tibetan.

[deathblade]

End of Chapter 4

[Ysabelkid]

Thanks deathblade for CNY present.

[ycb5959]

Whew! Another one. Thanks!

[WesY2K]

Thank you for the translation and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Regarding 1.) Little Gao could feel himself changing, and he was changing in a very awkward and embarrassing way. (1)

To make it even more obvious, maybe you could use something like:
Little Gao had a swelling feeling of change inside him and he was swelling in a very delicate place too :-)

[deathblade]

Thank you for the translation and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Regarding 1.) Little Gao could feel himself changing, and he was changing in a very awkward and embarrassing way. (1)

To make it even more obvious, maybe you could use something like:
Little Gao had a swelling feeling of change inside him and he was swelling in a very delicate place too :-)

Ah good suggestion. I'll go back and compare with the original, think about it, and maybe make some adjustments later!

[deathblade]

Chapter 5: Extraordinary meetings, extraordinary adventures

Part 1

The twenty-fifth day of the first month of the lunar calendar.

Chang’an.

Gao Jianfei wasn’t dead.

His judgment had been correct, and he’d had enough guts, so he hadn’t died.

The only thing he was sorry about was that he had no idea how he had left that place, and had no idea where the mysterious cave was located.

**

After drinking the alcohol from the bottle, he had immediately fainted and passed into a coma. Later, he found himself back in the cheap inn, sleeping on the plank bed in his small room.

How had he returned? When had he returned? He didn’t know.

No one else knew, either.

No one knew where he had been for the past two days, and no one cared.

Luckily, this was evidence that his experiences in the last two days were not a dream.

—A solitary box. A solitary, dark brown, oxhide box.

**

When Little Gao awoke, he found the box.

It had been placed on the little table next to his bed. The color and shape was exactly like the box he had opened before. Even the spring lock was the same.

If this box was really as unique as the other box, how could the man possibly leave it here for him?

Little Gao didn’t believe it was, but he couldn’t help but be intrigued, and couldn’t help but open it to take a look.

Thankfully, he hadn’t forgotten the lesson he learned last time.

It wasn’t very fun to get knocked out every time you opened a box.

So by the time the box opened, Little Gao was already standing outside the window. Cold wind blew in through the window like a knife. Whatever type of knockout powder there was, it would definitely be swept clean away by the wind.

This time, Little Gao slowly entered through the window and circled around the room.

As soon as he saw what was in the box, he was a little bit disappointed.

The only things inside were some pearls, jewelry and jade, along with a pile of gold leaf.

It was enough to buy the whole street, enough to be able to hire a whole city of people to devote their lives to him.

**

Three days had passed.

During the three days, he’d gone out carrying the solitary box, but his life hadn’t changed at all.

He still lived at the cheapest inn, and at the cheapest boiled cabbage noodle soup.

It seemed as if he didn’t know what he could do with the contents of the box, and didn’t know that he had already become filthy rich.

Because he hadn’t thought about it and didn’t want to know.

He really had no concept of the value of money. And he wasn’t willing to let his lifestyle be changed by anything.

But on the twenty-fifth day of the first month of the lunar calendar, his life changed. It changed in a very strange way.

[Ysabelkid]

Thanks deathblade - you are spoiling us.

[Jayariyin]

Thanks, deathblade.

[sanskritsutras]

Thanks deathblade - you are spoiling us.

i concur with u ysabelkid...@deathblade ..is on fire ...or on translation superpower enhancement drugs..i am loving it.

[deathblade]

Haha thanks everyone. Tomorrow I'll probably be pretty busy but hopefully the day after I can post another big update or two..

[ycb5959]

what- another unexpected update! Thanks!
edit:

in the update to the last part of chapter 4, you used 'synicism'- it should be 'cynicism'

[LuDongBin]

I agree with the sentiments about the speed of updates and quality ones too ... but those cliffhangers ..argh! Mercy deathblade ..

[deathblade]

Chapter 5: Extraordinary meetings, extraordinary adventures

Part 2

It was a bright day. After eating noodles at the noodle shop, he was preparing to go back and sleep.

There had been no word from Sima Chaoqun and Zhuo Donglai, and he didn’t know when exactly he should prepare to duel.

But he wasn’t nervous.

After giving him the enormous gift, the mysterious black-clothed man had not sent any messages either.

He was prepared to give the box back to him at any moment, so he carried it with him at all times. But he was afraid he might never see him again, and so the box had turned into a burden for him.

But Little Gao wasn’t too worried about it.

It didn’t seem there was anything in the world that could affect his mood.

If someone wanted him to wait for two days, he would wait for two days. If they wanted him to wait for two months, he would wait for two months. In any case, he knew that eventually in life he would reach a time when he had to wait for news about something, so what was the point in getting anxious?

He had already made a firm resolution; before this decisive battle, he wouldn’t do anything.

He must definitely keep his body in top physical condition, and maintain a good, balanced mood.

**

This afternoon, when he was walking back along the long, snow-packed street, he realized that someone was watching him. Little Gao didn’t need to turn back and look; he had already guessed who the person was.

Last night when he was eating, he had noticed someone staring at him, the way a cat stares at a mouse.

The person was wearing raggedy clothes and a floppy hat; his body was not very tall, and he had a big beard; his footsteps when he walked were very light. It seemed he practiced kung fu.

Little Gao had never seen this person before, and had no idea why he might be watching him.

He never thought of himself as the type of person who would attract the interest of others.

After walking for a bit he couldn’t hear the footsteps behind him, so he let out a relieved sigh. And then suddenly, from the alley right next to him, flew forth a rope.

It was a coarse rope, and was tied by slipknot into a noose. In an instant, it had encircled Little Gao’s neck. It wrapped around his neck in a strangely accurate fashion.

When a person’s neck is encircled by a noose, one’s eyes will bulge out, one’s tongue will protrude, and one’s breathing can be cut off at any moment.

Little Gao understood all of this. So when the rope was pulled, he flew along with it, like a kite.

The person in the alley pulling the rope was the man with the beard.

He was pulling hard, but unfortunately the rope had already snapped, and the part wrapped around the neck of his target already thrown back toward him.

Big Beard turned around and ran. He ran for a while, and then had a strange feeling.

Because as it turned out, Little Gao wasn’t chasing him.

He ran two more paces, and then stopped, looking back to see if he was being pursued.

He turned around and looked at Little Gao, shocked. “Why aren’t you chasing me?”

The question was very clear, but Little Gao’s response was even more clear. “Why should I chase you?” he retorted.

Big Beard started. “Don’t you know that I just tried to use that rope to strangle you to death?”

“I know.”

“If you know, then why would you let me go?”

“Because you didn’t strangle me to death.”

“But you must at least want to ask who I am, and why I want to strangle you to death.”

“No, I don’t want to ask.”

“Why not?”

“Because I really don’t want to know.” When he was finished speaking, he turned around and started walking away, not even looking back.

Big Beard was speechless.

He had never met a single person in his life like Little Gao.

And Little Gao had also never met a person like him before. Even though Little Gao didn’t chase him, but he chased Little Gao, and once again pulled out the rope. He quickly tied a noose and threw it around Little Gao’s neck.

He threw accurately, and Little Gao was once again caught.

Unfortunately, even though he was caught, it didn’t do any good.

No matter how hard the man pulled, Little Gao just stood there. Not only was his neck unharmed, but he didn’t move an inch.

“What kind of a person are you,” asked Big Beard. “How come I can’t strangle you?”

“Because in addition to my neck, I also have fingers.”

When the noose slipped around his neck, he had simply used a finger to block it, right in front of his larynx.

He flexed his finger, and Big Beard was suddenly pulled toward him. He turned around, and Big Beard’s head bumped into his chest.

“Your rope game isn’t very good,” said Little Gao. “Can you play any other games?”

“I can play blade games,” said Big Beard.

He still wasn’t standing firmly, but a dagger appeared in his hand, stabbing toward Little Gao’s soft midsection.

Sadly, his blade wasn’t fast enough. Little Gao used a finger to tap his wrist, and the dagger went flying away.

“It looks like you’re letting me go again.” Little Gao sighed and shook his head. “Whatever game you play, they’re all useless against me.”

Big Beard had already fallen onto the ground. He suddenly used a move called “Straightening Carp.” His body flipped up, and his two legs wrapped around Little Gao’s head like a mahua dough twist. (1)

Even Little Gao never thought this would happen.

Big Beards legs were extremely nimble and flexible, and also very strong. Little Gao almost could breathe. The odor from the pants that covered the legs was quite ripe.

Little Gao couldn’t take it any longer. Using a very strange method, his body twisted, rolled, turned, and heaved; Big Beard was thrown off and slammed onto the ground. His pants split open, revealing his two legs.

His pants had been about to split from the very beginning, and when they split they were nearly completely destroyed, and revealed almost all of the two legs.

And now, Little Gao was shocked into speechlessness. It was as if he had just seen a beautiful fresh flower blossom out from a pile of muck.

**

Everyone has legs, but Little Gao had never before seen a pair of legs that looked as good as these.

Not only had Little Gao never seen anything like them before, most people in the world had never seen anything like them.

Only a few people in the world had even laid eyes on these legs.

They were slender, long and fit. Their contour was even, soft and graceful. The muscles were flexible, the color of the skin milky white, like that of fresh milk.

Little Gao would never have dreamed that a dirty, stinky person like Big Beard would have legs like these.

What was even more unimaginable was that this bearded man who had just tried to use a rope to strangle him to death, and then tried to use a blade to kill him, would suddenly start crying. He covered his face with his hands and cried like a child, sounding grieved and heartbroken.

Little Gao had planned to leave without even turning his head, as he had moments before, but couldn’t hold back from asking, “Why are you crying?”

“I like crying, I’m happy to cry, I want to cry. It’s none of your business!”

A grown man with such a big beard, speaking words that sounded like as unreasonable as a child, so much so that his voice seemed to have changed to that of a child’s… What kind of freak was this, and how could Little Gao possible continue to worry about him?

Little Gao decided to ignore him and leave, but Big Beard suddenly shouted, “Stop!”

“Why should I stop?”

“You’re going to leave just like that? It’s that easy for you?”

“Why can’t I go? Don’t you still want to strangle me to death, or stab me to death? Leaving like this, I’m actually treating you very well. What else do you want?”

“I want you to dig your eyeballs out,” Big Beard said. “Take your two eyeballs and dig them out of your eye sockets!”

Little Gao laughed again. “I’m not insane, why would I dig my eyeballs out?”

“Because you saw my legs,” said Big Beard. “These legs are not for just anyone to see.”

Little Gao had to admit that the legs were very special, and especially good-looking.

But he hadn’t looked on purpose, and looking at someone’s legs didn’t count as something incredible.

“If you’re not happy,” he said, “You can look at my legs. Look at them as long as you want.”

“Dog farts!”

“I’m not a dog, and I didn’t fart.”

“Of course you’re not a dog, because you’re stupider than a dog. All the dogs under heaven are smarter than you, whether they are big dogs or small dogs or male dogs or female dogs, they are all one hundred times smarter than you. Because you’re a pig.” Big Beard was getting more and more angry. Suddenly he jumped up. “You pig, don’t tell me you still can’t tell I’m a woman?”

“How could you be a woman? I don’t believe it,” he said numbly. “How could a woman have a beard?”

Big Beard appeared to be on the verge of going crazy with anger. Suddenly, she ripped the beard off and threw it at Little Gao’s face.

Her body flew forward as well, waist twisting, her two legs once again entangling Little Gao.

Two smooth legs, completely lacking any hair.

This time Little Gao really couldn’t move, he could only look at her and force a smile. “I have no hatred or enmity with you, why do you have to treat me like this?”

“Because I’ve taken a fancy to you.”

Little Gao was petrified. Luckily the beardless Big Beard quickly went on: “Don’t feel full of yourself. What I’ve taken a fancy to isn’t you yourself.”

“What did you take a fancy with?”

“That box of yours,” sad the beardless young woman. “If you just give me this box, I won’t come bother you again. You’ll never even see me again.”

“Do you know what’s inside this box?”

“Of course I know,” said the young woman. “Your box has gold and jewels worth at least eighty to one-hundred thousand pieces of silver.”

“How do you know?”

Little Gao was obviously astonished, because he had never opened the box in front of anyone.

Not only did she not answer the question, she asked one: “Do you know who my father is?”

“No.”

“He’s a thief god. A thief god with miraculous hands. He’s stolen things from everywhere under heaven, and has never been caught.”

“Great! Great skill!”

“But, he falls short of my grandfather. Do you know who my grandfather is?” she asked Little Gao.

“No.”

“He’s a great robber. If he sees people, he robs them. If he sees ghosts, he robs them.”

Little Gao let out a sigh. “So it turns out your family has three generations in the same profession.”

“You’re finally smartening up,” Lady Big Beard said. “How could a third generation member of this profession not know what things are inside your box?”

“I’ve heard before that masters of this profession have that ability. From the way someone walks, they can figure out the value of what that person is carrying.”

“Absolutely correct,” said the young woman. “But, I can’t tell what type of person you are.”

“Oh!”

“Your box has gold and jewels in it, but the only thing you eat every day is a bowl of boiled cabbage noodle soup that costs three or four coins. Are you some kind of miser? Or just some freak?”

“The box I have might be full of gold and jewels, but unfortunately they aren’t mine. Even if I wanted to give them to you, I couldn’t. But I can guarantee you, even if your skill was ten times greater than it is, you should forget about trying to steal this box.”

The young woman suddenly sighed.

“I know I can’t steal it from you. But regardless, I had to give it a shot, even at the risk of my life. I’ll keep trying even if I die!”

“Why?”

“Because if I don’t come up with fifty thousand pieces of silver in the next three days, I’m dead for sure.” Her eyes rolled as tears streamed out. “I’m thinking that, other than you, where else can I get fifty thousand pieces of silver?” Her tears fell like raindrops. “I can see that you’re a good person. Please, help me. I’ll be grateful to you for my entire life.”

Little Gao was already starting to soften. “Why do you have to come up with fifty thousand pieces of silver in three days?”

“Because Sima Chaoqun’s Great Protection Agency will definitely require fifty thousand to escort me home safely. My home is in Northeast China, without them to take me there, I’ll be dead on the roadside at any time, with no one to take care of my corpse.”

Little Gao laughed coldly. “Charging fifty thousand to escort someone to Northeast China. I think that’s just too dark-hearted.”

“But I don’t blame them,” said the young woman. “Escorting me won’t be easy. If I was Sima Chaoqun, my starting fee might even be higher.”

“Why?”

“Because the people who want to kill me are too fiendish and terrifying. Nobody is willing to go up against them. “You would never believe that there is anyone under heaven as brutal and ruthless as them.” Her body was starting to quiver, and even though her face was covered with ash, you could still see that it was twisting with panic-stricken terror.

It seemed she really was frightened for her life.

“Who are they?” blurted out Little Gao.

It seemed like the young woman didn’t hear his question. Tears pouring down, she said, “I know they won’t let me go. I know that they can kill me any time they want.”

It seemed as if she had some evil and inauspicious premonition, like a wild animal that knew a snare lay ahead, and hunters were coming to complete the kill.

Although premonitions of this sort of usually unexplainable, they are often correct.

At that moment, from the tops of the short walls on either side of the narrow alley, hidden weapons shot forth. From the left, a rain-like cluster of silver needles, from the right, several shining flashes.

**

Gao Jianfei’s reaction was extremely fast.

He used the box in his right hand, as well as his cloth-wrapped bundle, to block the rain of needles coming from the left side.

He was already carrying the young woman, who was still had her legs wrapped around him, so tilted to the left and flew up.

But at the same time, he heard her emit a sighing moan, and he felt her two legs slacken. She fell to the ground.

Little Gao wasn’t pulled down with her. On the contrary, he shot up, tapping his left foot with his right, borrowing strength to create strength. He flew up nearly nine feet into the air. Behind the walls on either side of the narrow alley he could see a person fleeing. They were extremely agile, their lightness kung fu not weak.

By the time they had fled several meters away to stand on the eaves of the buildings, Little Gao had alighted onto the top of the wall. Suddenly, the two figures spun around and stared at him. Their faces were covered with hideous masks, and their eyes brimmed with fierce, ruthless maliciousness. One of them spoke to him in a cold, raspy voice: “Friend, your kung fu is good. To master a lightness kung fu like ‘Climbing the Cloud Ladder’ is not an easy thing. It would really be a pity for you to die at such a young age.”

“Thankfully, I don’t want to die at the moment. And in fact, I can’t.”

“Then you’d better listen to some friendly advice. You shouldn’t get involved in this matter.”

“Why can’t I get involved?”

“If you provoke us, it’s like getting tangled up with the devil. Whether you’re eating or sleeping, no matter what you’re doing, you could suddenly find a hidden blade pressed against your throat. Or when you wake up, you might find a meat cleaver slowly slicing your neck.” His voice was sinister. “No matter who involves themselves in this matter, they won’t meet a happy end.”

Little Gao let out a sigh.

“This thing doesn’t sound very fun. But sadly, I have an innately strange temper.”

“Oh?”

“When people don’t want me to get involved with things, it just makes me want to get involved more.”

The other man let out a cold laugh. “Then you can go back and await death.”

In unison, the two men flipped up into the air and flew away.

Their technique was fast, but Little Gao could still catch them. However, there was someone lying on the ground. After she had fallen, she hadn’t moved at all. Her long, glistening legs were quickly turning purple from the freezing cold.

Actually, she had nothing to do with Little Gao, but Little Gao couldn’t let her and her two bare legs freeze to death in the snow of the narrow alley.

Her injury was on her back. A very, very tiny wound, it was already swelling up and burning. —The hidden weapon was poisoned, definitely poisoned.

But luckily, she had meet Gao Jianfei, who from a small age had lived on a remote mountain infested with poisoned bugs, ants and snakes. He would definitely have a poison antidote on his body.

So, she didn’t die, and in fact, she regained consciousness almost immediately.

**

(1) Mahua is a classic type of Chinese snack, made from twisted fried dough. http://goo.gl/DNiwA6

[deathblade]

I would have updated yesterday, but I couldn't connect to spcent on any of my devices. The same thing was happening this morning, so I got my vpn running on this system and then I was able to connect fine. Is the site blocked in China? I've had troubl connecting before, but usually for no more than a few minutes or maybe a couple hours. What gives?

[ycb5959]

Thanks!
Like you, I have only experienced the occasional inability to connect - not to the extent you mentioned.
Hope site is not blocked from your end, or this "hero" will start shedding tears (for my fix)...

[deathblade]

Thanks!
Like you, I have only experienced the occasional inability to connect - not to the extent you mentioned.
Hope site is not blocked from your end, or this "hero" will start shedding tears (for my fix)...

Weird. Well, at least I have a VPN in case it is blocked.

[deathblade]

Chapter 5: Extraordinary meetings, extraordinary adventures

Part 3

When she regained consciousness, she was lying on Little Gao’s wood plank bed in the small inn. The wound was spread with medicine and covered with a strip of coarse cloth.

She looked at Little Gao for a long time, and then softly asked, “You’re not dead yet?”

“Not quite yet.”

“Then, I’m not dead yet either?”

“Not quite yet.”

“How could I not be dead?” She seemed surprised. “They already chased me down, how could I not be dead?”

“But your luck was good, you met me.”

The beardless young woman suddenly was angry. “I’ve been forced to the end of the rope by these people, chased everywhere like a wild dog, hiding everywhere. Then I got poisoned by hidden weapons. How could say that my luck is good?” She stared at Little Gao. “I really want to hear your explanation. How could this possibly count as good luck?”

All Little Gao could do was make a wry smile.

The young woman stared at him for a long time, then sighed. “I know you won’t give me the box. So you might as well leave me alone.”

“Why?”

“You shouldn’t get involved in this matter. My life or death has nothing to do with you. You don’t even know me.”

“I didn’t know you before, but now I do know you a little bit.”

“Dog farts!” she cried. “What do you know about me? Tell me!” (1)

Little Gao didn’t say anything.

He’d never met someone like this. Never before had and never would again. (2)

“What place is this?” she asked him. “Why would you bring me a doghouse like this?”

“Because this isn’t a doghouse, this is where I live.”

The young woman yet again stared at him, eyes wide.

“You’re a pig, you really are a pig,” she said loudly. “The whole street knows you live here, and you bring me here? Will you only be happy if you watch me die by their hands? Are you just waiting for them to come cut me to pieces so you can be happy?”

Little Gao laughed.

It wasn’t often that you met a woman as unreasonable as this.

The young woman was even more mad.

“You’re laughing? What’s there to laugh about?”

“What do you want me to do,” asked Little Gao. “You want me to cry?”

“You pig, how can pigs cry? When did you ever see a pig cry?”

“You’re right.” Little Gao had suddenly realized something. “Pigs really can’t cry. But pigs also can’t laugh.”

The young woman seemed about to go crazy. She sighed. “You’re right. You’re not a pig, you’re a person. A good person. I beg you, just send me back. Send me back immediately. The faster the better.”

“Send you back where?”

“Back to where I live. They won’t be able to find me there.”

“If they can’t find it, then how can I find it?”

“It never occurred to you that there’s someone here who definitely knows how to get there?”

“Who’s that?”

“It’s me!” she shouted.

Part 4

It was an average-sized courtyard residence, and it housed sixteen families. (3)

These sixteen families were clearly down and out. Only people with no means would live in a place like this.

If you can’t imagine how a family of eight could live in a small room the size of a pigeon cage, then you should come to this compound, and see how some people in this world are forced to live.

**

Lately, the sixteen doors within the compound had become seventeen doors. The landlord had taken the wooden firewood shack in the back of the courtyard and split into two sections, and rented one of them to an outsider. A person who wore a floppy hat and had a long beard.

After seeing the place where this beardless young woman lived, Little Gao laughed again.

“It looks like your Excellency’s palace is smaller than my doghouse.”

He had returned her back.

If it was during the day, the compound filled with chickens flying, dogs leaping, pigs squealing, people talking loudly, husbands and wives arguing, in-laws squabbling, old men spitting, kids peeing; even a housefly entering the compound would be noticed.

Luckily, it was dark now, and they slipped in over the back wall.

If a person wanted to hide, it would be difficult to find a better place than this.

How could this young woman find a place like this? Little Gao had no choice but to admire her.

What he couldn’t figure out was that just now, she had seemed completely clear and conscious. All the poison seemed to have been expelled from her body, and yet she had suddenly slipped back into a coma. And this time she was unconscious for even longer than the first time. Little Gao always thought his poison antidote was extremely effective, but now he was a little doubtful.

Was the poison that afflicted her too powerful, and had already entered her marrow and arteries? Or was his antidote not strong enough?

Whatever the reason, Little Gao had no options left.

Her condition was not stable. Sometimes she would slip into unconsciousness, sometimes she would wake up. When unconscious, she would be soaked with cold sweat and rave deliriously. When awake, she would gaze at Little Gao with listless, expressionless eyes, as if she was afraid he would abandon her.

Little Gao could only stay by her side. Even his custom of eating boiled cabbage noodle soup was cast aside. When he was hungry, he would buy a few mantou or some bread from outside the back of the courtyard to allay his hunger. When he was tired, he would sleep in a chair for a while.

He didn’t know why he was doing this, why he would completely change his life habits for a woman, and a stranger at that.

She was beyond doubt a beautiful woman.

The first time Little Gao had used a damp cloth to clear her dusty, sweaty face, he had discovered that not only were her legs beautiful, her face was also extremely pretty.

But if anyone had told him that he was staying behind because he was falling in love with her, Little Gao would deny it to his death.

He had never thought about women before. He’d always considered them to be like one grain in a big wok of cooked rice.

Then why was he doing this?

Was it because of her miserable situation? Was it because of her two imploring eyes, silent, but filled with an gratitude?

Or could it be that the relationship between two people can just never be explained by others?

**

It seemed that two or three days had passed. Little Gao felt dirty and tired, but he felt no regret.

If the same thing happened again, he would do everything the same.

These few days, she hadn’t spoken a single word, but looking at the expression in her eyes, you could see that he had already become the closest person to her in the world. He was the only person she could rely on. What kind of feeling was this?

Little Gao knew the feeling in his heart. Never before in his life had someone depended on him like this.

One day when he woke up, he found her gazing at him numbly. She looked at him for a long time, and then suddenly said, “You’re tired. You should lay down and sleep a bit.”

Her voice was soft and weak. Little Gao didn’t even think about it. He laid down on the half of the bed that she’d left open for him. The two of them seemed to think that this was a very natural thing, just as natural as the flowers blooming when the spring wind blew over the land.

As soon as Little Gao laid down, he was asleep.

He really was tired, so he slept very deeply. He didn’t know how long he slept, but by the time he awoke, dusk was falling.

The person sleeping next to him had already gotten up, washed and dressed. She’d changed clothes, and had tied back her long, flowing hair with a silk ribbon. She sat at the foot of the bed, gazing at him.

The sky outside was growing dark, the whisling, cold wind slowly died down.

Everything was calm and quiet. Suddenly, she softly asked him, “Do you know my name?”

“No, I don’t.”

“You don’t even know my name. Why would you treat me so well?”

“I don’t know.”

Did he really not know?

He only knew that he after meeting a woman like this, he had done these things.

He didn’t understand anything else.

She sighed quietly. “Actually, I don’t know who you are either, and I don’t know your name.” She gazed at his face. “But I know that you’ll make space for me to go lay down.”

He made space for her, and she laid down. She laid down next to him, into his arms.

Everything that happened was natural, just as natural as things growing when the spring rain moistens the earth.

So natural, so beautiful, enchantingly beautiful.

**

(1) Two quick notes. I’m changing the translation a bit. In their banter moments, they actually keep using the word for “relationship.” As in, “you have no relationship with me.” It doesn’t mean romantic relationship, it just means some sort of connection. I changed it to “knowing” because I think it sounds better in English and also carries the same meaning.
(2) I’m removing a line that I think is totally superfluous in English. The original says, “he had never met someone like this, he never had before, and never would again. But now, he unexpectedly had met a person like this.” In Chinese I think it sounds fine, but in English it’s just awkward to have this level of repetition.
(3) By courtyard residence, I mean the classic Chinese siheyuan style building. http://goo.gl/xIHjtR

[ycb5959]

Wow - blazing speed! Thanks!

Edit (errors):

The whole street knows you life here
Should be "live"

He hard returned her back
Not sure I understand this statement

It seemed that two or three days had passed. Little Gao felt dirty and tired, but he felt to regret
Should be "no"

PS: on your footnote on relationship - I think the English is "we are not related to each other" (something to this effect, ie we don't know each other)