Thread: 大唐双龙传 [Da Tang Shuang Long Zhuan] by Huang Yi

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    Default Book 24 Chapter 5 - Part 1

    Jaya, Xiaohu, DongBin, Ysabel, HPC (why twice? ), you are welcome. Shirak,


    Book 24 Chapter 5 Friend And Foe Difficult To Tell

    If he was cooperating with Kou Zhong, Hou Xibai might suspect that after rescuing Cao Yinglong, Kou Zhong might abandon his partner and left on his own. But Hou Xibai believed from the bottom of his heart that Xu Ziling was not that kind of person. Yet this kind of faith practically did not have any reason behind it; it was purely a feeling when someone met someone else, although oftentimes it was not too reliable.

    Therefore, Hou Xibai was sure that Xu Ziling must have met some trouble. Secretly raising a mouthful of true qi, he inserted the Fan of Beauty into his belt, and said with a smile, Going by Long Shus suspicious character, since you knew that there exist the Eight Moves To Break The Lotus, unexpectedly you are unwilling to obtain clear understanding but want to leave immediately instead. I wonder what could be more pressing than this?

    An Long crossly said, Xianzhi is acting as if you dont know how to write the word dead. But everything that has been happening tonight is very strange; everything is beyond my expectation. If Xianzhi is willing to tell me where you got the information, perhaps we could strive to have real cooperation.

    Hou Xibai was greatly astonished; from what Xu Ziling told him, An Long should not have this much time, he should be rushing back to perform his sorcery on Cao Yinglong. How could he leisurely waste his time by chatting with him now?

    On the surface, however, he remained calm and composed. Surely Long Shu is joking? he said, In vain Xiaozhi always showed utmost respect to you. You have secret ties with Yang Xuyan, and are trying in vain to scheme against Shi Shis beloved daughter, yet now you say you want to cooperate with me; it is indeed the greatest absurdity in the world.

    An Long flashed his trademark fake smile across his face, while secretly gathering up his power. He said, Xianzhi, you surely dont know how to differentiate good from bad; who said I was going to harm Shi Dages beautiful daughter? Whom did you hear it from?

    Hou Xibai was about to speak to taunt him, to stall for time, when suddenly alarm went off in his heart; turning his head to the left, he saw hidden among the trees in the dark, at the part of the garden where the moonlight did not shine, a big and tall man.

    An Long was actually a step ahead of him in term of reaction; when he saw the man, his face revealed a shocked expression. Evidently he recognized the man.

    The man walked out of the shadow. He had an overbearing, looking-down-on-the-world demeanor around him, his expression cold and detached, his forehead high, his nose straight, with a mixture of healthy, robust lines on his rectangular face, giving up the impression that he was a man with extraordinary unswerving determination, as well as subjectively obstinate; an awe-inspiring man.

    From his comparatively darker complexion from the average men and his exceptionally good shape, Hou Xibai knew right away that he must be the master of Duzun Bao Xie Hui, whose might shook Bashu.

    This martial art master, who shared the same fame as the Heavenly Saber Song Que, only cast a glance toward Hou Xibai, his burning gaze fell on his sworn brother An Long, as he spoke indifferently, Where is Cao Yinglong?

    Even Hou Xibai could not imagine that Xie Hui would be this blunt and get right to the point [orig. to open the door and see the mountain], without leaving anything.

    An Long laughed aloud and said, Did I not explain clearly just now that Cao Yinglongs affair has nothing to do with me, An Long, at all?

    The murderous aura in Xie Huis eyes was burning brighter; staring hard at An Long, he said, If I did not remember the brotherly love between us, I would have made my move before you even finished speaking half a sentence. After the wear and tear and your current loss of power, I guarantee that you wont last long. And now, let me ask you again, remembering our extraordinarily old friendship; An Long, you dont want to force me.

    Hou Xibai had never thought that Xie Hui would be this overbearing and tyrannical; he inwardly thought that if he were An Long, he would be at a loss to know what to do as well.

    Who would have thought that An Long heaved a deep sigh, nodded his head dejectedly, and said, I know that Er Dis [second (younger) brother] kindness to Ol An does not need to be mentioned, but this matter is related to San Di [third (younger) brother]. Moreover, it has direct relationship with the Xie Wang [demonic king] Shi Zhixuan. If Er Di is drawn into this matter because of an outsider, it is really not worth it.

    Xie Huis face showed that he was slightly moved; turning his head around, he looked at Hou Xibai.

    Inwardly Hou Xibai thanked the Heaven and thanked the Earth; raising his cupped fist, he spoke respectfully, Two gentlemen, Qianbei, have important matter to discuss, Wanbei certainly does not dare to remain here to disturb you. Please!

    With that, he slipped away.

    Cao Yinglong slowly rose; he finally discovered the Persian Beauty Lian Rou, who was standing against the wall, with a pondering-deeply expression on her face.

    Xu Zilings true qi within his body has circulated to its peak; as fast as lightning he swept Cao Yinglong away.

    The standing-against-the-wall Lian Rou spun around, raised her right hand, and shot a streak of white light toward Cao Yinglong, while rushing toward the exit at the same time. Her movements were fluid, as fast as lightning.

    If Xu Ziling did not guard against her at all, this moment he would have been caught off guard, and when rescuing Cao Yinglong, he would have been forced to move away from the exit.

    However, the attack was exactly what he wanted. Utilizing his ability to take a breath while sweeping high in the air, he produced a possibility amidst this impossible situation, by changing direction from going straight ahead to moving sideway, while sending out a finger energy at the same time to strike the white light.

    The most mischievous thing was that while he was soaring out and his right palm was blocking Lian Rous escape path, his mouth was crying out, Dont go!

    How could Lian Rou know that he had such ability to take a breath midair and change direction? Relying on her superior qinggong, she was also able to change direction midair, but definitely not like Xu Ziling, who was able not to reveal the slightest sign in his shenfa, who could change just as soon as he wanted to change. In her shock, she could only retreat in a flash.

    Ding!

    The white light was hit by the finger wind and was knocked against the wall. Turned out it was the dagger that Lian Rou used just now when she threatened to kill herself. While she was facing the wall, she stealthily pulled it out of its sheath on her thigh, and hid it in her hand.

    Cao Yinglong was a Jianghu veteran; as soon as he regained his consciousness, he swept over toward Xu Ziling.

    Success or failure would be decided in the blink of an eye.

    Creak!

    The lid opened, ready to welcome the escaping Lian Rou.

    The tip of Xu Zilings toes tapped the ground, he moved toward Cao Yinglong, stretched out one arm to grab his thick waist, and sent out a spiraling energy. The two men spun swiftly like a cyclone, and then taking the opportunity while the enemy had not grasped the situation inside the cellar, they flew toward the exit, and suddenly shot out of the wooden chest. Under Zhu Mei and the Tall and Short, two Generals blank stare, and before they found their voices to shout, they already broke through the roof and disappeared.

    The bright moon was hanging high in the sky.

    From somewhere in the distance, Hou Xibai flew over and called out, Follow me!

    Inside an ordinary house at the east side of the city, only after finished listening to Xu Zilings explanation did Cao Yinglong realize what happened to him. Naturally he shed tears of gratitude, and was even more remorseful of what he had done in the past.

    Hou Xibai flew in through the window and said, There shouldnt be anybody following us. And then he turned toward Cao Yinglong and asked, Cao Dangjia is all right?

    Evidently Cao Yinglong was still quite wary of him, he hung his head down. While blushing with shame to conceal the contradicting reaction in his heart, he sighed and said, I am now an ordinary man, Hou Gongzi should not call me that.

    Xu Ziling caught everything with his eyes, his heart was moved, recalling that because Cao Yinglong was very familiar with Shi Zhixuans conduct, he was unable to trust the person Shi Zhixuan selected as his disciple either, so inwardly Xu Ziling was on guard as well. However, without drawing support from Hou Xibais power, he could forget about rescuing Cao Yinglong this time.

    Signaling Xu Ziling with his eyes, Hou Xibai said, I am going outside to be on the lookout; if we want to slip away, it would be best to do it tonight.

    Finished speaking, he flew out the window.

    Although Xu Ziling did not trust Hou Xibai, he could not help feeling heartfelt appreciation toward his elegant demeanor and consideration toward other people.

    Cao Yinglong started, This time

    Xu Ziling cut him off, The most important thing right now is how Cao Xiong could avoid the enemies and go back to see your wife and daughter for the last time. Cao Xiong, whats your plan?

    Cao Yinglong dejectedly said, I have lost confidence; I no longer dare to have such a presumptuous wish.

    After muttering to himself irresolutely for half a day, Xu Ziling took out a mask that he had never used before from his bosom, and handed over to Cao Yinglong. He said, If you could shed your mortal body and exchange your bones to become another man, get rid of your usual walking gait and mannerism, perhaps you can still accomplish your wish.

    Taking the mask in his hands, Cao Yinglong examined it carefully. His body shook severely, while a ray of hope returned to his eyes. With amazement in his voice, he said, Unexpectedly there is such a fine work of art in the world. I guarantee that after putting it on, even the subtle changes of the muscles on my face will be seen through, so that nobody will doubt it.

    Xu Ziling spoke indifferently, This is Lu Miaozis refined work.

    From the masks he received from Lu Miaozi, he gave one to Ba Fenghan, and now, for righteousness sake, he gave another one to Cao Yinglong, hence he only had three masks remained: the Yue Shan, the scar face hero, and the dry, yellow-faced one.

    Cao Yinglong revealed a turns-out-it-was-from-Lu-Miaozis-hand, no-wonder-it-is-so-ghostly-crafted-divine-work sudden change in his demeanor; stuffing the mask into his bosom, he said in low voice, I am saved! But we must never let Hou Xibai know. Dont look at him now assuming an air of complete indifference toward me, I dare to bet my head that after this is over, he will come looking for me, and will use sinister means to get everything out of me.

    Xu Ziling nodded and said, Its always better to be a bit more careful.

    After discussing how they were going to get away, Cao Yinglong spoke in low voice, Not only by nature Shi Zhixuan is sinister, he also has enormous ambition. For example, he painstakingly groomed two disciples to accomplish his two greatest dreams: to unify Jianghu and to unify the demonic way. Therefore, this man Hou Xibai is not simple at all, you must never trust him.

    Frowning, Xu Ziling said, Since thats the case, why would Shi Zhixuan pit these two disciples against each other? They might massacre one another, furthermore, they might hinder each other.

    Cao Yinglong said, Shi Zhixuan is someone who is difficult to measure, not many people can really understand him. Just by looking at how he deliberately leave the Immortal Print Scroll in the secluded forest of the small valley instead of giving it directly to his two disciples, we know how unfathomable he is. In my opinion, it may be that he found it difficult to decide whom he should give it to. Thereupon he let them fight until you die, I live, to see who will be eliminated. In their conduct, the people of the demonic schools have never taken human emotions and morality into considerations.

    Listening to that, Xu Zilings heart grew cold. Seizing this opportunity, he asked, The Eight Major Martial Art Masters of the Demonic Way, aside from Zhu Yuyan, Shi Zhixuan, An Long, Pi Chen, Zuo Youxian and You Niaojuan, six persons, who are the other two?

    Cao Yinglong replied, Theres one that I know, which is the Eastern Tujue Xieli Khans Junshi Zhao Deyan. Within the demonic schools, this man has lofty status; he is revered as the Mo Shuai [Demonic Commander]. His demonic skill is extremely outstanding, barely second only to Zhu Yuyan and Shi Zhixuan. As for the last person, his identity is very mysterious. One time Shi Zhixuan inadvertently leaked out that this person was cultivating some kind of formidable gongfa in secret, but he did not say who.

    Finally Xu Ziling was able to ascertain the real identity of Zhao Deyan, whose martial art skill could properly approach Bi Xuans level. Inwardly he thought that no wonder he was able to make the wind and create the rain, to stir up the peoples from the outside to come into the Central Plains to create havoc.

    With a light gust of the wind, Hou Xibai returned through the window. We dont have much time, he urged, We still need to go to An Longs old shop to take advantage of the festivities.

    And then his countenance changed slightly, I wonder if gentlemen smell a whiff, which seems to be here but seems to be far away of fragrance? This is the first time that I caught this kind of fragrance. I already smelled it a while back, but I thought it was Lian Rous scent that was rubbed onto Cao Xiong. But this one does not disperse even after a while, obviously something is not right, I am afraid it might divulge our whereabouts.

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    Thanks foxs

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    Thanks foxs....

    problem with scent? no problem, like past experience with Dong Shuni... just submerge Cao Yinglong into a pool, then Ziling can absorb the scent into his palm, and both HXB and CYL hide underwater.... and HXB kiss CYL in the mouth to help him hide undetected, whil Ziling lure the enemies away.

    Problem solved.
    Last edited by wangxiaohu; 02-15-18 at 03:25 AM.

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    Thanks, foxs.

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    Happy New Year

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    Thanks, so far so good, and to you.

    Quote Originally Posted by akolaw View Post
    Happy New Year
    I know more than I can express in words, and the little I can express would not have been expressed, had I not known more. 弗拉基米爾弗拉基米羅維奇納博科夫

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    Default Book 24 Chapter 5 - Part 2

    Ysabel, Jaya, you are welcome. Xiaohu, I did not even remember that. Akolaw, thank you. Happy Lunar New Year to all of you.


    Cao Yinglong raised his left sleeve and sniffed, and his right sleeve and sniffed, but due to the great loss of his power, he couldnt smell any odor.

    But Xu Ziling was showing dread; he said, Luckily Hou Xiong is perceptive, otherwise we would fall victim of the yaonus trick. The scent ought to be coming from the hair. I wonder if Hou Xiong has any good suggestions.

    Hou Xibai said, At least until just now, the enemy has not followed the scent to this place. Actually, Rou yaonu does not need to hurry, she could not have imagined that coincidentally there was someone like me who has great experience with all kinds of fragrance nearby, hence she would carryout her scheme leisurely. There are many ways to get rid of the scent, however, since time is pressing, we could play some tricks on Cao Xiongs hair, I guarantee we will be able to cover the fragrance that the yaonu put in there.

    Xu Ziling quietly exchanged a glance with Cao Yinglong, and said, frank and straightforward, Hou Xiong, please do your trick.

    At the same time, he was crying, Formidable inwardly. It should be noted that with the current scent, Xu Ziling had to concentrate his mind before he was able to barely catch a little. To follow a trail relying on such a faint scent in the bustling evening brimming with all kinds of flowery fragrance, the smoke and the fire, was certainly easier said than done. Yet Hou Xibai was able to, justifiably, find a way to put some scent on Cao Yinglong, so that wherever Cao Yinglong went, Hou Xibai could easily follow his trails and catch up with him. At that time, no matter with what kind of method he was going to deal with Cao Yinglong, Xu Ziling would be forever in the dark.

    This moment, both Xu Ziling and Cao Yinglong were unclear whether the scent on Cao Yinglongs hair was put there by Lian Rou, or whether it was Hou Xibai himself doing his trick.

    From his bosom, Hou Xibai took out a small box. When he opened it, they saw a white powdery fragrant thing, which smelled like some kind of jasmine, with much stronger scent than the previous one, but there was also an indistinct hard-to-describe unusual scent in it.

    If he had used this strange fragrance straight from the start, Xu Ziling would definitely be suspicious.

    Hou Xibai muttered softly, If Cao Xiong has a hat, I could put a bit of this onto the hat, then the other scent will be completely covered. As long as you are traveling like this, the enemy would lose the means they are depending on to follow your trail.

    Xu Ziling and Cao Yinglong were stunned; they both wondered inwardly whether they were using Xiaoren [little/lowly person] mentality in measuring Hou Xibais noble belly?

    Reaching into his bosom, Cao Yinglong took out a hat, which he then put on his head. Hou Xibai casually took a pinch of the powdery stuff and sprinkled it on his hat. He said with a smile, I know Cao Xiong has a doubting heart toward Xiaodi, but I swear that I am absolutely not a despicable Xiaoren who take advantage of someone elses precarious situation. For Xiaodi right now, the most important thing is not to let the Immortal Print Scroll fall into Yang Xuyans hands. Otherwise, the first one to lose his life would be Xiaodi.

    Xu Ziling praised him inwardly; it was people like Hou Xibai, who know how to balance the pros and cons and consider the advantages and disadvantages, who could successfully accomplish great undertakings. He was doing his utmost to save Cao Yinglong, it would only be proper for Xu Ziling to do his utmost to help him in return.

    He was just hoping that Shi Feixuan did not misjudge him.

    In terms of speech and demeanor, Hou Xibai was talented, outstanding, distinguished and accomplished, confident and at ease, and scholarly. Even if he had to fight him in a life and death battle, it would still be difficult to loathe him.

    Xu Ziling was about to speak, suddenly he heard an unusual noise.

    Hou Xibai and Xu Ziling were alerted at the same time. It was when Cao Yinglong noticed their expression did he begin to understand that something was amiss.

    It was not a man-made noise, but some cat-like animal that was good at soaring and leaping; when it landed on the roof, it created a very subtle noise, brimming with a lithe and springy feeling.

    Hou Xibai and Xu Ziling had a sudden understanding at the same time; the enemy was relying on this animal with acute sense of smell to follow their trail to this place.

    The exotic animal swiftly circled around the roof overhead before leaping out of the courtyard.

    Hou Xibais heart was moved, he said, It loses the trail.

    Looking at the hat on Cao Yinglongs head, Xu Ziling said, We still have a chance to slip away.

    Laughing calmly, Hou Xibai said, We dont need to slip away. Come with me.

    The place they were staying was actually Hou Xibais study room. Hou Xibai moved one of the bookshelves away to reveal the entrance to yet another room. Unexpectedly it was a hidden sunroom where scrolls of painting were spread everywhere, but it was dry and clean and tidy.

    Hou Xibai had just returned the bookcase back to its original place to seal the entrance when there was a sound of rustling sleeves overhead. From the noise, it sounded like if there were not ten enemies, then there were at least seven or eight enemies.

    The three held their breath and quieted their qi, while inwardly were a bit tense.

    It was a case of he who comes is surely ill-intentioned, no-one well-meaning will come. The enemy was aware that there were martial art masters such as Xu and Hou, two men, around, yet they still dared to pursue to this place, hence they must have enough confidence that they would be able to deal with them.

    Moreover, because Cao Yinglong was involved, the two could not simply break the siege and escape, therefore, if they were discovered, the situation would be difficult to imagine.

    Hou Xibais move was definitely an extremely brilliant one; he was playing a mind game against the opponent.

    Anybody who was following the trail to track down a target, if the trail was suddenly cut off, there were only two possibilities. One was that the target was not hiding in the place they ought to hide; two was that the target has gotten rid of the clues being pursued. So now the enemy might search the house inside and outside, and because the scent inside the house has been concealed, the enemy might think that they were only passing through this place, or perhaps they already left.

    Hou Xibai and Xu Ziling completely focused their attention to listen attentively, ready to gain the initiative by striking first at any moment, killing the opponent as they were caught unprepared.

    A tender, soft, and sweet-sounding female voice on the roof said, This time Princess Rous Persian raccoon dog might have lost the trail.

    Stunned, Hou Xibai whispered, Thats really strange! Unexpectedly its Meiji Sina, one of the Four Big Chiefs of Ba Meng [Sichuan Alliance].

    Xu Zilings heart was moved; he immediately realized why Hou Xibai felt strange.

    The three major powers of Sichuan were Duzun Bao, Chuan Bang, and Ba Meng.

    Ba Meng was the alliance of local ethnic minorities, which was formed to counter the Han power, with the Qiang, Yao, Miao and Yi, four major ethnic groups as the core. The Four Big Chiefs were the Qiangs Hou Wang [monkey king] Feng Zhen, the Yaos Meiji [lit. beautiful woman/concubine] Sina, the Miaos Da Lao [lit. big old] Jue Luofeng, and the Yis Feng Jiang [wind general] Chuan Mouxun.

    It was not surprising for the Eastern Tujue to have relationship with the Sichuan Alliance, because in Sichuan Bashu, everybody wanted to get fat, and the Eastern Tujues Tong Xie Hu would not be an exception.

    The strange thing was, with the Meiji Sinas status, why would she personally track down Cao Yinglong? Where did his value lie?

    Another gloomy, old and decrepit male voice said, As long as Xu Ziling is still in Bashu, he wont escape our five-finger enclosure. Mengzhu [alliance master/leader] has promised that dead or alive, he will be sent to Guanzhong.

    The three looked at each other in astonishment; turned out they did not after Cao Yinglong, but Xu Ziling.

    From the tone of this mans voice, they could guess that evidently Ba Meng was leaning toward the Li Clan of Guanzhong, so much so that even the Western Tujue also had the intention of repairing their relationship with the Li Clan. Otherwise, they could not possibly notify the Ba Meng immediately to capture Xu Ziling as soon as they discovered him.

    There was no eternal enemy in politics.

    In the wake of the Li Clans continuously growing and changing power, it was difficult for the Li Clan and the Eastern Tujue to rekindle their former good relation.

    The Eastern Tujue has always been superior to the Western Tujue. In order to remedy this disadvantageous position, the Western Tujue could only draw support from the most powerful military group in the neighboring area, and the Li Clan was their only choice.

    In just these few words, Xu Ziling immediately grasped the tangled and complicated situation of Bashu today; he also knew that he was in a danger zone, and could lose his life any moment.

    Laughing tenderly, Lian Rou said, Da Gong [lit. big duke, or simply honorable gentleman] must be a bit more careful; Xu Ziling is well-known for his craftiness. Da Gong spoke with such confidence, if he is still able to slip away, others might laugh up their sleeve.

    Hou Xibai closed his eyes and muttered, Hearing the voice is just like seeing the person. The Persian beauty is indeed distinct.

    Just by looking at his enchanted-like expression, one would know that he was painting a picture of the Persian beauty with the raccoon dog in her arms as he imagined it in his mind.

    From what Lian Rou said, Xu Ziling knew that the one boasting shamelessly was the Miaos Da Lao Jue Luofeng; he thought that since there were Lian Rou, Sina and Jue Luofeng, three persons, the two of them could forget about taking Cao Yinglong breaking out through the window.

    Sina said, Strange! How come Xiao Li [little raccoon dog] chased to this place and suddenly could not continue chasing? Whose house is this? Must be a scholar or some elegant people. Were it not for neighboring people are out to enjoy the excitement of the Lantern Festival, we would not be able to get a clear picture in seeking our target.

    Lian Rou sighed and said, Just consider that kid lucky. Its no fun staying here, lets go.

    The sound of rustling sleeves went away.

    The three persons heaved a sigh of relief at the same time.

    Hou Xibai asked Cao Yinglong, Cao Xiong, where do you want us to take you?

    Cao Yinglong replied, As long as we can reach the Muxing Street at the north side of the city, I have confidence that I will be able to escape.

    Blowing out a mouthful of air, Hou Xibai delightedly said, Currently, the most difficult thing is leaving the city. If only inside the city, I guarantee we can do it.

    Turning toward Xu Ziling, he asked, After that, should we go to An Longs old shop at the south side of the city to try our luck?

    Xu Ziling smiled, Of course, he replied.

    Hou Xibai sighed and said, Ziling is indeed a true friend.

    Answering the call, Bu Tianzhi came into Kou Zhongs cabin. This man of wind and cloud [idiom: influential figure] whose prestige rose abruptly like a shooting star was staring blankly by the window, silently looking up at the full moon hanging high in the middle of the sky. It appeared that he had a load on his mind, or perhaps the beautiful scenery touched his heart deeply.

    His magnificent back, showing his broad shoulder and narrow waist, carried the as-steady-as-the-mountain imposing manner, creating fear and reverence in Bu Tianzhis heart, so that momentarily he did not dare to speak to disturb the peace, afraid that he might disrupt his train of thought.

    After a good while, Kou Zhong murmured quietly, as if he was speaking to himself, I want to take a trip to the Song Family of LingNan. Zhi Shu, please make the arrangement for me. After eliminating Shen Lun, I will immediately set out on my journey, while the rest may return to Peng Liang.

    Bu Tianzhi could feel the determination in his voice, he knew that it would be difficult for him to persuade Kou Zhong otherwise, hence he had no choice but to say, Let Zhi Shu accompany you then.

    Kou Zhong shook his head and said, I have another important matter I need to entrust to Zhi Shu.

    Slowly turning around, he handed the bamboo tube containing the treasure map that Cao Yinglong handed over to Xu Ziling, and then Xu Ziling passed on to him to Bu Tianzhis hands. After explaining everything clearly, he said, Zhi Shu must retrieve everything as quickly as possible, and then keep it in a secret yet convenient place so that it can be used any time. This can be considered an ill-gotten wealth, I do not want to use it to finance our military, I only hope to use it to rebuild the peoples homes.

    Full of appreciation, Bu Tianzhi said, Shao Shuais decision touched me very much.

    And then he could not help asking, Why does Shao Shuai appear to have a heavy load on your mind tonight?

    Kou Zhong looked up at the bright moon in the sky, and slyly said, My mood is much better now. Having Li Shimin as my adversary, what regret do I have in my life?

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    Thanks foxs

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    Foxs, thank you for this Lunar Year prize.

    Happy Lunar Year too for you and your family.
    Last edited by wangxiaohu; 02-17-18 at 10:29 AM.

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    Thanks, foxs.

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    Default Book 24 Chapter 6 - Part 1

    Ysabel, Jaya, you are welcome. Xiaohu, thank you. Hope your New Years celebration was happy.


    Book 24 Chapter 6 Simply Must Go

    The two sat in a noodle shop at the south market, cattycorner from An Longs old shop Long He Xing, specializing in wine.

    The noodle shop was not on business; it merely opened its middle door, while providing cakes spread over the table, free of charge for the crowd enjoying the Lantern Festival. At this time, the Lantern Festival was in full swing. A large group of Yi people, more than a hundred men and women, wearing full traditional ethnic apparel, were performing their singing and dancing on the street. The sound of drums and happy music warmed the air, attracting the people who were originally taking a rest inside the shop to go out to watch, cramming the wide street so that not one drop could trickle through, and thus making it more convenient for Xu Ziling and Hou Xibai, these two men, to sneak in from the courtyard through the back door.

    In passing, Hou Xibai picked up a piece of mooncake, which he bit and chewed a mouthful, and said, Tonights Lantern Festival is jointly hosted by Duzun Bao, Chuan Bang, and Ba Meng, three parties. On the surface it is for everybody to have fun together, but it is actually a show of their unity to the outsiders! This is a yun tui [lit. cloud leg] mooncake, very authentic; would Ziling Xiong like to try it?

    Xu Ziling picked a piece to sample it; sure enough, as it entered his mouth, it was crisp and crumbly, sweet and salty, the taste of ham was prominent, moist, but not greasy, it could be rated as best quality product. After nodding his head approvingly, he casually asked, But internally, are they really united?

    Staring at the crowd on the street, Hou Xibai replied, I am afraid only Feixuan would be able to tell for sure. But at the very least, the alliance of three powers benefits the people of Chengdu, the law and order here is the best in the Central Plains. Like tonight, nine out of ten houses are empty, yet there are no scoundrels committing a crime, because they knew that they will lose their lives afterwards for sure.

    More and more Xu Ziling felt that this man Hou Xibai was an enigma. He was dying to ask him why he wanted to kill Xu Ziling, yet although the words have arrived at his throat, in the end he could not spit it out, and had to stuff it back into his belly.

    Hou Xibais eyes seemed to be able to penetrate the heavy wall of people, straight into An Xing Long [sic, it was Long He Xing above]; spirited light shone from his eyes, he said, Tonight I was lucky to come across Ziling Xiong, otherwise I, Hou Xibai, lose my life in other peoples hands without knowing whats going on.

    Xu Ziling did not understand, How did it happen? he asked, Does your honorable master particularly care about and dote on Yang Xuyan?

    Smiling bitterly, Hou Xibai said, I wish I knew. Ziling Xiong, please do not blame Xiaodi for attempting to take your life twice in succession, simply because masters order is difficult to disobey. But now I started to guess that it must be Yang Xuyan using our schools token to falsely passing on Shi Shis order, and using the same method he tricked Qingxuan into coming to Chengdu, scheming to snatch the scroll and to murder. However, this matter has been leaked, so that even if he had gargantuan guts, he would not dare to touch Qingxuan.

    Although Xu Ziling still could not believe him completely, but since Hou Xibai was willing to explain, plus he admitted frankly that he did indeed try to kill him twice in a row, he felt a bit more comfortable; nodding his head, he said, Hou Xiong nearly took my life.

    Shaken, Hou Xibai said, That time at Yangzhou, turns out you really sensed I was hiding in ambush. This is really unbelievable.

    Xu Ziling smiled and said, Hou Xiong is indeed brilliant; you guessed this fact based on my response. But we dont have much time! How are we going to do this?

    Hou Xibai replied, The agreed time to leave is still about half an hour away, Xiaodi is thinking of affirming one thing first, does Ziling really have the intention of killing Yang Xuyan?

    Murderous intent flashed through Xu Zilings eyes, I cant find any reason not to kill him, he replied.

    Delighted, Hou Xibai said, Thats great. But it still depends on our luck, whether he is fated to lose his life or not. Toward Yang Xuyan, I knew nothing at all. But toward An Long, I have deep knowledge of his temperament. If he wanted to see you at certain time, you could only show up at that time, neither early nor late. Therefore, as long as we lie in wait for them in time, taking advantage the moment before Yang Xuyan come in to enter the shop, we might be able to kill him.

    Casting his glance outside the door, Xu Ziling saw the crowd cheering and applauding, the sound surging inside like tidal waves, yet in his heart he only saw Shi Qingxuans bright-moon-like jade countenance. He said, That will depend whether he is one of the crowd enjoying the bustling scenery.

    They could only wait in ambush for Yang Xuyan on the roof of the old shop. If Yang Xuyan entered the shop from the street, they might be waiting in vain.

    Shaken, Hou Xibai said, Thats not right! There are so many good places to meet, why would he pick a place bustling with noise and excitement where people are piling up? There must be a reason.

    Pondering deeply, Xu Ziling said, Could it be that that is the place where Yang Xuyan is going to meet Miss Shi?

    Hou Xibai stood up abruptly and said, Lets step outside to test the water, and then well decide on the countermeasure for dealing with this situation.

    Xu Ziling came to the threshold to peer outside. Hou Xibai came to a halt next to him and said in a low voice, A bit later we will probably meet Ba Meng people, Ziling Xiong may pretend to be someone named Chang Fei. This lord calls himself Da Ba Shan Ren [a man of great Mount Ba]. He has always been coming and going alone, but is actually well-known to be a handsome man, and just like Ziling, he does not like to use weapon. You are posing as him, it should be like a seamless heavenly clothes.

    Xu Ziling smiled and said, Than you for Hou Xiongs reminder. But I actually feel safer to disguise myself as a scar faced mountain man [or hermit]. Otherwise, when we meet Lian Rou, it will be a joke.

    Finished speaking, he turned his back, with an easy-drive-on-a-familiar-part he changed-shape-in-a-single-shake to become the scar faced hero.

    Watching this, Hou Xibai was dumbstruck. Turns out Ziling have this face-changing ability. I wonder how should I dress Ziling Xiong now? he asked.

    Xu Ziling responded indifferently, How about I follow your respected opinion?

    Hou Xibai cheerfully said, This mask has no flaw at all; it could be rated as best quality product of the present age, even the scar on your face looks amazingly real, it makes me remember a certain figure who had once gone on the rampage in the Yun Gui region [i.e. Yunnan and Guangxi]. In Jianghu, he was known as the Daoba Ke [lit. scar (from a knife would) guest/visitor], a character with resounding name about a dozen of years ago. He would not let off anybody who had a debt on him. Afterwards he seemed to be angering local schools and sects, and henceforth went into hiding and disappeared. How about Ziling Xiong become him, returning to Jianghu after a period of inactivity?

    The more he came in contact with Hou Xibai, the more Xu Ziling felt his outstanding charisma as he was talking cheerfully and wittily. Xu Ziling also could not stop his interest from being aroused. Astonished, he said, Hou Xiong seems to have extensive knowledge; I am full of admiration. I wonder what is this Daoba Xiongs surname and given name, and what kind of weapon he is good at?

    Hou Xibai said, Our Hua Jian Pai puts emphasis on roaming across the four seas, we go to a lot of places, hear a lot of hearsay and comeback stories. This is in answer to the aforementioned praise of having extensive knowledge. As for Daoba Kes name, it is very strange; he is called Gong Chenchun. Reportedly, he is adept in using more than a dozen different weapons with distinct characteristics. As for the actual fact, unless we encounter him in person and fight with him, there is no way we can verify it for sure.

    Xu Ziling mused that among Lu Miaozis wonderfully made masks, one was definitely made based on Yue Shans real appearance; who could say for sure that the others were not made based on actual person? Therefore, he said cheerfully, In that case, let Xiaodi temporarily become Gong Chenchun then. Ha! We should take advantage of this festive time!

    Chen Changlin entered the cabin. After he was seated properly, Kou Zhong asked, I want to know more about the Song Clans situation in Lingnan.

    Chen Changlin had just learned from Bu Tianzhi, who was just on his way out of the cabin, that Kou Zhong has made up his mind to visit the Song Family. Originally he wanted to persuade him to dispel the idea, but as he saw Kou Zhongs expression this moment, he knew that Kou Zhongs mind has been made up. He had no choice but to ask, Which aspect does Shao Shuai want to know?

    Leaning back into his chair, Kou Zhong stretched his limbs and said with a sigh, Since sleep seems to elude me, Changlin Xiong might as well tell me whatever you want to tell me, if something interests me, I may just inquire further.

    Chen Changlin sorted out the information he had in his head. After muttering to himself irresolutely for half a day, he began, I believe Shao Shuai wants to know the Song Familys standing in local politics and their position in Wulin?

    Kou Zhong laughed and said, Their position in Wulin ought to be clearly and easy to see. Southern martial art master whose name shakes the whole nation, other than the Heavenly Saber Song Que, who else will there be? Although Huang Gongcuo is brilliant, he had suffered defeat under Ning Daoqis hands. But until today, Song Que has not met his match. Tell me something else!

    Inwardly, naturally he was thinking the Ba Dao [overbearing saber] Yue Shan, who lost his lifetime fame for fighting prowess under Song Ques hands. And from Yue Shan his mind went to Xu Ziling. His days without Ling Shao by his side have been particularly difficult to bear; whenever he had a load in his mind, there was no one to confide to.

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    Thanks foxs... Wonder if Ba Fenghan will come back, so 4 of them can have adventure time together..
    Last edited by wangxiaohu; 02-19-18 at 02:03 AM.

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    Thanks foxs

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    Thanks foxs. Looking forward to the time that HXB and XZL meet Qingxuan again. Is that when she'll teach him Yue Shan's sabre skills?

    Also happy to see KZ going to meet the Song Family. I'm sure that it will be the gamechanger that finally warms Yuzhi towards him

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    Thanks, foxs.

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    Quote Originally Posted by foxs View Post
    Who would have thought that An Long heaved a deep sigh, nodded his head dejectedly, and said, I know that Er Dis [second (younger) brother] kindness to Ol An does not need to be mentioned, but this matter is related to San Di [third (younger) brother]. Moreover, it has direct relationship with the Xie Wang [demonic king] Shi Zhixuan. If Er Di is drawn into this matter because of an outsider, it is really not worth it.
    Hmm, can anyone refresh my memory? If An Long is Da Ge and Xie Hui is Er Di, then who is San Di?

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    Quote Originally Posted by shirak View Post
    Hmm, can anyone refresh my memory? If An Long is Da Ge and Xie Hui is Er Di, then who is San Di?
    As long as I recall, the third brother's name is not mentioned yet.

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    Default Book 24 Chapter 6 - Part 2

    Xiaohu, not in the near future. Ysabel, Jaya, you are welcome. Shirak, I guess well find out together.


    Chen Changlin nodded his agreement; he said, To understand the situation at Lingnan, we must first understand that it is the place where the Li [ethnic group] and the Han mingle together. The Li people are further divided into Wu Wu [two different characters] Liao, Xi Yuan Man, and Huang Dong Man, and other different ethnic groups, which, in the end, are known as Li Liao.

    Kou Zhong was confused; he mumbled, Trying to remember these names gives me headache, its easier to just call them Nan Man [lit. southern barbarians].

    Chen Changlin smiled and said, Whether we call them Li Liao or Nan Man, both names carry a derogatory tone. In fact, since the Qin and Han dynasties, Nan Man has been increasingly Sinicized, but they live in remote places, their dwellings are still some kind of the so-called pole and fence houses, made of bamboo and wood construction, the roof is made of reeds and paddy straws. It has two layers; the top is for people, the bottom for livestock. It can avoid malaria, as well as wild animals. Just from this, we could infer their way of life.

    Kou Zhong thought that if he could pass the night with Song Yuzhi in his arms in such a house where the people were on top and the livestock on the bottom, it would be a distinctive flavor.

    Chen Changlin continued, After the Sui wiped out the Chen [of Southern dynasties, 777-589], with the Song Clans approval, one after another the Li Liao from various regions of Lingnan realigned their allegiance to the Sui dynasty. Thereupon Yang Jian successively set up Nan Hai, Yi An, Zhu An, Jiao Zhi, and so on, twenty three counties, locally. He also agreed with Song Ques proposal to appoint Li Liao tribal chief and commander to govern the ethnic groups internal affairs; therefore, various tribal chiefs and commanders of Lingnan are grateful to Song Que.

    Sneering, Kou Zhong said, Yang Jian had no choice; if he did not use this governing-by-restrain method, I am afraid the Li Liao would have been rebelling early on.

    And then, furrowing his brows, he said, It does not matter how formidable Song Ques saber technique is, how enormous the Song Familys influence is, there will always be conflict of interest among the various Li Liao ethnic groups; how does the Song Family hold them up together?

    Chen Changling raised his thumb and said with a laugh, Many superficial changes, but no departure from the original stand. Precisely how Mencius advised the Liangs Hui Wang [king of Hui], King! There is no need to take advantage of the day, on the contrary, take advantage of the movement.

    Greatly interested, Kou Zhong said, Changlin Xiong, please dont leave Xiaodi hanging! Tell me quickly what is it?

    Chen Changlin laughed and said, The Song Familys two most powerful magic weapons are that they are in control of shipping business of the south and the commercial trading system linking the entire country. Not only that, Song Que is a man whose words worth a thousand gold; he purchases openly, he sells openly, paying particular attention about fair dealing. So when all Li tribal chiefs obtain benefit and become rich, nobody would not follow Song Que blindly. Therefore, no matter how Lin Shihong or Shen Faxing expanded their influence, they would never dare to even have half an idea of provoking the Song Family of Lingnan.

    Recalling the Silver Dragon Song Lus standing when dealing with various issues in Luoyang, Kou Zhong saw a lot of similarities in him. He asked, Arent they mainly in salt business?

    After muttering to himself irresolutely, Chen Changlin said, Salt is just one of them. The Song Family has been distributing all kinds of local products of Lingnans Li Liao to all parts of the Central Plains in a steady flow, while also transporting local necessities back into Lingnan. That is where they make their profit from. Some people believe that quite possibly Song Que is the richest man under the heavens. Although this opinion might not be accurate, it is not far from the truth either.

    Slapping the armrest, Kou Zhong said, Turns out the Song Family is the genuine Longyou Bang [roaming dragon gang, see Book 22 Chapter 3]; no wonder just from the tea leaves shape and flavor Song Shidao is able to write a book.

    Listening to that, Chen Changlin was bewildered, What kind of gang is Longyou Bang? he wondered aloud.

    After explaining it to him briefly, Kou Zhongs eyes shone as he asked, Lingnan has valuable products?

    Obviously Chen Changlin had a remarkable understanding of commercial trade of various places around the country. As if enumerating his family valuables, he said, For our Nanhai Jun, we have tortoiseshells, pearls, ivory, and Chinese eaglewood. Huang Gongcuos Zhuya [historic name for Hainan Island] produces spices, kapok, five-colored rattan, and all kinds of precious medicinal herbs. Lingnans ironware foundry is fairly developed. All are in the big business of making money.

    Kou Zhong happily said, I finally found a reason that I simply must go to Lingnan! We are in need of a reliable business partner like Song Que.

    Smiling wryly, Chen Changlin said, I thought that after Shao Shuai listened to me, you might dispel your intention to go!

    By the time Xu Ziling and Hou Xibai, the two difficult-to-distinguish-between-friend-and-foe partners, stepped into the crowd on the street, the song and dance just happened to end. Amidst the warm and lively shaking-the-heavens shouts and cheers, everybody was clamoring toward the public square, where the market was normally held, to watch the lantern decoration and spotlights. Everybody was in high spirit; in the twinkle of an eye the stream of people dispersed more than half off the street.

    Xu Ziling, in his guise as the scar-faced hero, cried inwardly, Heaven helps me! Leaning closer to Hou Xibai, he said, Although I have never seen Yang Xuyans real face, but this mans body shape and bearing are exceptional; as soon as Hou Xiong see him, you will know.

    Human life is beyond value, Hou Xibai said, Xiaodi will only make my move after you verify it. You are responsible for watching for Yang Xuyan, I am responsible for paying attention to the people from An Longs side.

    The two weaved right and left among the crowd as they crossed the vehicles and horses lane. Children holding lantern in their hands were running around on the street, adding a considerable vitality and liveliness to the Lantern Festival atmosphere. Seeing the street was filled with all kinds of people from all kinds of ethnicity enjoying the festival together, Xu Zilings heart grew warm; more and more he felt that peace and prosperity was a precious thing. At the same time, Hou Xibais remark about human life is beyond value made him think that if Hou Xibai was not a good and honest man by nature, then he must be an extremely evil man. Until now, he still believed Cao Yinglongs view that the disciple that Shi Zhixuan trained could not possibly be a good man, since it would be completely against the demonic schools code of conduct.

    This thought came into his mind, he asked, Hou Xiong values human life like that, I wonder what would your esteemed masters reaction be if he heard it?

    By this time they have reached the street where An Xing Long was located. An Longs old shop, just like any other shop, was opening its main gate, with cakes and culinary delicacy for the people to enjoy. Hanging inside was a row of more than a dozen of giant carousel lamps [lantern with carousel of paper horses, rotating under convection, used at Lantern Festival], affording a magnificent view, attracting not a few of the people to stop by to enjoy it.

    Because they also provided good wine to entertain the guests, the spacious shop was crowded with an unending stream of visitors, so that the outside of the shop was bustling with noise and excitement.

    Upon stepping across the threshold of the door, Hou Xibai withdrew his penetrating gaze with which he scanned the shop interior. He said, That is just Xu Xiongs misunderstanding of our humble Sect. Perhaps I can give you an analogy: Hua Jian Pai is Jianghus Zonghengjia[1], the emphasis is zongheng method [or method to move unhindered; see footnote], not relying on numbers, because in each generation it has only one disciple. The most important thing is to study and cultivate by knowledge and experience, by traveling around everywhere, and by being able to make nations and countries perish with no blood on the mens swords.

    It suddenly dawned on Xu Ziling that Shi Zhixuan assuming Pei Jus identity was precisely this not wasting/costing one soldier one pawn principle, bringing the Great Sui to its demise from the inside. If he were relying on military force alone, how long would it take him to accomplish this matter?

    He asked, Since thats the case, what kind of person is your esteemed master, actually?

    Hou Xibai halted his steps and looked around; he spoke in heavy voice, Sometimes I suspect that Shi Shi is a person with dual personalities, all because Hua Jian Pai and Bu Tian Ge, two sects martial art xinfa are polar opposite, each one goes to the extreme. For Bu Tian, capturing the heaven is not enough; hence they act on behalf of the heaven, by specializing in assassination and murder, the more chaotic the world the better, fetching the generals seizing the commanders, to regard the magnificent army with thousands of men and horses as nothing. Early on I already suspected that Yang Xuyan is Bu Tian Ge disciple, but I just received the confirmation from Xu Xiongs mouth! Bu Tian Ge pays no attention to comradeship; everything is just a tool for them, a vast difference from our Hua Jian Pais embracing the scriptures and the ways of the world, losing oneself in the white cloud. Ay! Its bad!

    Xu Zilings heart shivered; following Hou Xibais gaze, he saw a group of six, seven beautiful girls, with handsome and wonderful posture, beating a small drum tied onto their waist, walking toward them. They were wearing colorful attire of their specific ethnic group, matching their gorgeous appearances. The most eye-catching was that the two sleeves of the small-collared slanting lapel of their clothes were made of red, yellow, green, purple, and blue, five different color cloth put together. The hem of their skirts was embedded with precious stone, and the outside their long gown was covered with purple and red and deep blue inlaid with flowers sleeveless jacket. Long ribbon was tied on their waist; both ends of the ribbon had embroidery thread coiled together into flower and black decorative motif.

    Magnificent with many postures, as if the clouds tinged with sunset hues in the sky above became human, in the form of bright and beautiful, touching, pretty women and appeared in the mortal world.

    Their waist drums were even more carefully picked; the casing were made of mulberry wood, inlaid with precious stone and a variety of jade, the cover was made of python skin. Both hands were beating the drum alternately, the right hand struck the center of the drum, producing dong, strong tone; the left hand struck the edge of the drum, producing wu, weak tone. Sometimes both hands slapped the center of the drum or the edge of the drum together, producing drum roll, so there were dong ka dong wu, or perhaps dong dong dong dong, ka ka wu wu; many variations on the drumming method, evolving into unbelievably splendid and pleasant-to-listen-to drum music and wonderful rhythm.

    While Xu Ziling was still wondering why Hou Xibai groaned Its bad!, seven beautiful drummer girls already surrounded the two. They seemed to be cautious, yet happily beating their drums and dancing, attracting everybodys attention.

    Xu Ziling began to understand; if they were being entangled by this group of girls, how were they going to proceed with their operation to assassinate Yang Xuyan?

    One of the girls was slightly taller, her legs were particularly long, her smile was even more pleasant; for some reason she was able to make a deep, romantic, pushing-down-all-beauties impression in peoples heart. But there was hidden bitterness, secret grudges in her eyes, as she stuck close to Hou Xibais body. Obviously the two of them knew each other.

    Hou Xibai helplessly smiled wryly toward Xu Ziling. This moment, unless they soared into the air, there was no other way to free themselves from these girls.

    In this annoying moment, Xu Ziling suddenly saw Shi Qingxuan.

    [1] School of Diplomacy of the Warring States Period (475-221 BC), zongheng itself means vertically and horizontally/length and breadth/crisscross/able to move unhindered.

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    Thanks foxs.

    what is kapok? is it cotton?

    the story is getting more and more interesting.
    Last edited by wangxiaohu; 02-20-18 at 11:40 PM.

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