Magic Sword, Sentimental Flower (幻劍情花) - Yun Zhongyue

[whiteskwirl]

Chapter 4: Threats and Bribes
Part 1

Even ghosts are afraid of those more evil than them, the little guy had gotten a taste of his own medicine.

With his tendon pinched, half his body when numb and soft, it was really hard to bear.

The little guy shook his numb right hand, said bewildered, “You……you’re much stronger than the instructor at the military academy.”

“You praise me too highly.” Yiping smiled. “Are you ready to be reasonable? Speak up! I’m listening.”

“You……”

“You don’t like me around your sister, right? Don’t worry! I’m just about to take a shipment of products to Dongting, I won’t be back for probably two or three years.”

“You……You’re going off with Brother Gongsun’s enemies, you……”

“Oh! So you’re here about that matter,” Yiping suddenly realized. “You’re like a dog biting Lü Dongbin, you don’t recognize a kind-hearted person. You’re after the wrong person. Little Tyrant, I have a message for you to relay to your father when you go back, tell him those guys’ original motive was to stop your father from leaving the mountain, if they could have killed you all it would have been even better. They will return as long as they still live, unless your dad stays home and shuts hit doors to visitors.

“If your dad doesn’t leave the mountain then they will have achieved their goal, accordingly they wouldn’t come back and start trouble, the problem is they haven’t yet received a guarantee from your dad that he won’t leave the mountain, so they will definitely come back, and whoever they send next time probably won’t be so easy to handle.

“If your dad won’t give them that guarantee, then the only way to avoid implicating his whole family in this is to actively go after them and settle the score. This way all their attention will be focused on your father and they will use all their energy to deal with him, and they won’t come back here and cause trouble.”

“You……You seem to know a lot of things……”

“I don’t really know that much,” Yiping said politely. “As long as you understand this, it’s all right. Don’t forget to tell your dad, he must make a stand and call on the heroes of Hunan to help defend himself.

“People of questionable origin will have a very difficult time getting a footing in Hunan, hiding in your home will only invite disaster, and these disasters will keep coming one after another. Also, I don’t like you Wei family, you’d do well to not come to my home and cause trouble.”

“You……”

“You don’t like me, I avoid you, isn’t that enough?” Yiping resumed his earlier coldness and walked away with big strides.

The little guy was left standing there blankly, finally he hung his head, dejected, and went back home. He shouldn’t have been moving around with his back injury, plus now his elbow had been pinched, he finally realized Yiping wasn’t as trivial as he had imagined, acting against him was definitely not easy.

Two hours later, Wei Yunyi brought his little sister Chunchun to call on Uncle Zhuang.

Uncle Zhuang was vexed to have to tell them that Yiping had already left, heading down the Yangzi River on business to set up his own base, the boat by now was probable thirty li away!

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Yiping had went by boat, but it wasn’t to the lower reaches of the Yangzi. He had taken three hundred taels of silver with him for traveling expenses and had hired a boat to Mount Heng.

He had just returned from the jianghu and now he was going back, knowledgeable and widely-experienced, sharp in the ways of the jianghu. A day later he was in the mountain city ferreting out the whereabouts of Nine Extremes Deity.

His shifu Mystical Goblin had told him not to concern himself with Nine Extremes Deity Yu Hualong’s surprise attack on Zhurong Peak, but he wasn’t happy about it.

In any case he had no fixed motive this time roaming the jianghu all by himself, what was the difference, why not track those guys’ movements? If he had got the opportunity he could vent his spleen on them on behalf of his shifu, wouldn’t that be good either way?

Those people had already been gone several days, he had to pick up the pace to hurry after them.

At Mt. Heng City he had half-new little fishing boat, he handled both the oars himself, paddling day and night downstream.

The little fishing boat was much faster than a passenger boat, and he didn’t have to stop at every wharf and take on passengers or unload cargo, and he could transfer to other levels at night, it was much faster on the expanse of river than larger boats.

Yuezhou prefecture controlled the mouth of the waterway to Dongting, it was the most prosperous business ports, a famous historical city.

Passenger boats from Changsha prefecture were anchored around the west gate wharf. From over ten li away boats could see the three-storey 十-shaped Yueyang Tower over the west gate.[1] This famous tower had already been repaired many times, the last overhaul had taken place three years before.

The wharf was divided into two parts. The southern berths housed vessels from the nine tributaries of the Huguang area, while the northern berths received long-distance passenger ships from the Great River (Yangzi). Along Yan Hong embankment were moored wooden rafts.

The river berths and the civil and military water transport tax offices were at the northern wharf, friends of the jianghu all knew to avoid making trouble there, no good would come from it.

Passengers disembarked one after another. Although it was still early, everyone still vied to be first off.

Nine Extremes Deity carried a large bundle in his left hand, in his right he held his famous bamboo folding fan. Pressed among the throng of people he made his way lightly and quickly across the gangplank and onto the wharf where he let out a breath, then said to Evil Spirit Hu Tai who was with him, “It’s still early, do you want to go ahead and reserve a berth? Tomorrow we can leave earlier, we won’t have to linger at Yuezhou.”

Evil Spirit Hu Tai twitched his beard, said as he was walking, “What’s the hurry, being on a boat for several days is boring. Anyway that old Qiu didn’t die at my hand, but he’ll be laid up for a year or so, not able to use his martial arts. He’s a recluse, freak among freaks, has only enemies and no friends, he rarely accompanies anyone, so we needn’t worry that he’d send someone after us to get revenge. We could stay here two or three days and see if we can’t find some means to accumulate some wealth.”

“All right,” Nine Extremes Deity nodded. “Three Evils of the Mortal World are headed here by boat, they should be here tomorrow, they know Yuezhou well, we can talk it over with them when they arrive.”

As they talked they joined up with the mass of people headed toward the west gate.

A tall and strong man wearing dark blue stood not far off, standing with his hands behind his back looking dignified, all smiles, his tiger eyes fixed on them.

The two didn’t pay him any attention, assuming he was just waiting for someone. Actually, there were a lot of people waiting for someone else, people old and young, male and female called out to each other, who would pay any notice to some stranger?

They got close and the man suddenly roared with laughter, saying to Nine Extremes Deity, “You two just now getting here?”

Nine Extremes Deity was taken aback, reflexively turning his head back to check if the man might be addressing someone behind him.

The people behind him weren’t paying any attention, he wasn’t calling on any of them.

Nine Extremes Deity looked back at the man and humphed unhappily, “Are your eyes bad? Who are you talking to?”

“Talking to you,” the man said smilingly.

“Do we know each other?”

“Don’t we?”

“Lunatic! Idiot!” Nine Extremes Deity cursed. “You big-headed ghost, what nonsense are you spouting.”

“I’m not a lunatic, not am I an idiot,” the man said, still smiling. “My surname is Zhuang, given name Yiping, my nickname is……Eh! What was it?”

“Wandering Soul Wild Ghost,” Evil Spirit interjected sarcastically.[2]

“Right, you’re really smart,” Yiping said with pleasure. “My nickname is Wandering Soul Wild Ghost, thanks for reminding me.”

This guy is really a mentally damaged idiot,” Nine Extremes Deity said. “Let’s go, this guy’s bad luck.”

“Ha ha ha ha……” Yiping roared with laughter, holding his stomach.

The two sped off, not paying any attention to the self-proclaimed Wandering Soul Wild Ghost idiot.

The main west road heading south forked down another street, to the famous Bixiang Inn of Bixiang Lane, patronized by many friends of the jianghu, a place where people of all walks of life, good and evil, mingled.

Bixiang Inn’s proprietor was the renowned Flood Dragon of Dongting Zeng Ding[3], a dominate figure who was good friends with the Dongting Water Bandits chief Prince of Dongting Wang Haihua. The government was a bit at a loss at how to deal with such an influential figure, so anyone who ran afoul of the government could find safe haven at this inn.

The Dongting Water Bandits had had a prince for a long time and were well-established. This generation’s Prince of Dongting, Wang Haihua it was said was the most law-abiding.

Nine Extremes Deity and Evil Spirit Hu Tai got a room at Bixiang Inn.

Bixiang Inn not only offered food, but also had a tavern, which was situated in the very front of the inn and also did business with the outside.

Not long after noon the next day the Three Evils of the Mortal World arrived. Hundred Prohibitions Monk and Secluded Void Daoist shared a room, who says Buddhists and Daoists are incompatible?

The pretty-as-a-flower Cloud Skirt Immortal had her own room adjacent to Nine Extremes Deity and Evil Spirit.

After they had settled in, the five of them all met in the inn’s guest hall.

Nine Extremes Deity waved his folding fan lightly, and said serenely to the head of the Three Evils of the Mortal Word, Hundred Prohibitions Monk Wu Fei, “Master Wu Fei, are you all really planning to go to Sichuan?”

Hundred Prohibitions Monk exhaled a long breath and forced a smile, “Yes, Mystical Goblin may be dead of alive. If he’s not dead then I’ll have to lie low, even though I’m not really afraid of him.”

“Are you two headed to Nanjing?” Cloud Skirt Immortal asked. “Brother Yu, you’re the main one, if Mystical Goblin comes looking for revenge you’re probably the first one he will look for, I advise you to also go to a secluded, unfrequented place and lie low, what do you think?”

“The problem is my traveling expenses are low,” Nine Extremes Deity said. “Without enough money, isn’t lying low easier said than done? You three know Yuezhou like the back of your hand, can you help Brother Hu and I with some connections?”

“No problem,” Secluded Void Daoist clapped his chest. “This inn’s owner, Flood Dragon of Dongting has gone to Junshan to call on friends, when he gets back I’ll introduce you to him. If you’re talking about money, who knows better than Boss Zeng?”

“Then allow me to trouble you.”

A man suddenly strode into the hall, roaring with laughter. “If you’re looking for a way to make money, why not ask me, Wandering Soul Wild Ghost? It would be my pleasure.”

to be continued...

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Notes:
[1] Yueyang Tower
[2] The phrase “wandering soul, wild ghost” refers to someone without friends or family to depend on. Evil Spirit was being sarcastic, he didn’t actually know that was Yiping’s nickname.
[3] Flood Dragon, 蛟 or 蛟龍, is a mythical aquatic dragon-like creature.

[spynet]

Thanks whiteskwirl !

[whiteskwirl]

Chapter 4 continued...

Nine Extremes Deity cried out in surprise, “If this youngster isn’t crazy, then something is wrong with my eyes.”

“Brother, you’re talking nonsense, totally incoherent.” Yiping sat in a chair opposite. “I, Wandering Soul Wild Ghost, have been eagerly waiting for some well-known master-hands to arrive so I can fish in troubled waters and make a little money. It wasn’t easy waiting for you experts among experts, but to be taken as crazy, I guess I rejoiced too soon. I really have bad luck, even salt will draw maggots, alas!”

Secluded Void Daoist rolled his hawk eyes, asked, “Brother Yu, this young man’s speech is quite cryptic, what’s his background?”

“This guy calls himself Zhuang Yiping……” Nine Extremes Deity told about what happened when he got off the boat the day before. “Seems like he’s recklessly pursuing us.”

Hundred Prohibitions Monk suddenly stood up, said ferociously, “I’ll send him packing, release this soul from his suffering……”

Cloud Skirt Immortal extended her hand to stop him. With a charming smile she said, “Wait a minute, monk, I want to question him.”

Yiping smiled calmly. “You should question, otherwise you’ll end up capsized in a sewer.”

“You know us?” Cloud Skirt Immortal asked, smiling, her enchanting eyes unscrupulously looking him over.

“If I didn’t know the celebrated Three Evils of the Mortal World then there would be no need to muddle around among the jianghu! Nine Extremes Deity and Evil Spirit are even more infamous. I’ve muddled along among the jianghu for ten years, forget witnessing, what I’ve heard is already enough.”

“You have guts, you’re not afraid of us at all.”

“What’s there to be afraid of? I’m not a gentleman.” His face didn’t change, he didn’t care in the least, as if he sincerely took the fact that he wasn’t a gentleman as an honor. “Besides, I’ve come here to inform you about a means to wealth, you all wouldn’t drive out the God of Wealth, would you?”

“How do you know Yu and Hu lack travel expenses?”

“Of course they’re not really out of money, just running low! One or two-hundred taels of silver is not a little amount, the problem is these two are quite generous, they spend money freely, to engage their friends for help they will spend a large amount of treasure until their expenses exceed their income, so it’s hard to avoid needing to come up with a scheme to dredge up some more money to be put to use. Of course a little bit more money won’t hurt you, if someone wanted to drop some money on them, how could they refuse?”

“You’re right, those two really do like to spend money on their friends. You said you came about a plan to make money.”

“Yep.”

“Since you’ve roamed the jianghu for ten years, how have you been so well off all this time?”

“Well off? Give me a break, Miss.” His face had a self-mocking look. “A proud, but low-handed third-rate rascal like me, whose appears better than he is, how many days could I have had it well? Muddling for ten years, half the time I spent in jail eating prison rations. A few days ago when I was released from Wuchang Prison, that Hand That Props Up the Sky Uncle Lu, one of the Ten Great Constables of the World, gave me two strings of cash and a travel permit to travel through Henan and Guangzhou to return to my hometown, guess what he said?”

“Hand That Props Up the Sky’s words must have been uncomfortable. What did he say?”

“His thick rough finger, good at sealing acupoints, pointed right up to my nose, and thundered, using his hard, thick Hu-Guang accent, ‘Zhuang, bear in mind, if you don’t learn well, the next time you fall into my hands, I will flay your skin, you got it?’”

He mimicked Hand Props That Up the Sky’s accent well.

Wuchang Prefecture’s famous constable, Hand That Props Up the Sky Lu Zongguang, was known to all among the jianghu. That Lu Zongguang was really capable, men on the Dark Way were all feared him like a tiger. Two years earlier, Roving Monk Fayuan of the Six Freaks of the Jianghu created havoc in Ningguo prefecture and burned down Xingyuan Monastery, and butchered the monastery’s Dharma Protector of Sandalwood Shade, Squire Zhao’s family, twelve people in all, opening a new case.

The evil monk accidentally revealed himself on the way through Wuchang and was investigated by Lu Zongguang, who stabbed Roving Monk four times with a single sword, all by himself. If it were not for that fact that Roving Monk was not destined to die yet and managed to get away by falling into the Yangzi River, we might have to change the Six Freaks of the Jianghu to the Five Freaks.

Yiping’s imitation drew laughter from the crowd. Only one person didn’t laugh, Evil Spirit Hu Tai. This man had suffered Lu Zongguang before and so didn’t find it funny.

Subsequently the five fiendish demons regarded him with the utmost vigilance.

“If you fell into his hands again he might really flay you, that son of a ***** does what he says, he’s hard-hearted as iron.” Cloud Skirt Immortal seemed to be cautioning him. “Say something about this means to make money, Little Brother.”

“This matter is about a thousand taels of silver, a thousand taels is not really a lot.”

“It might not be a lot, but money is money.”

“Right, that lady is quite sensible.” His gaze fell on Nine Extremes Deity, “In the first place, you famous master-hands are really hard to serve. To uphold your reputations, since you can’t steal or rob, and blackmail would make you lose face, and you’re not willing to employ a few henchmen, incite them to steal, rob, raid, plunder…”

“What nonsense are you talking?” Nine Extremes Deity shouted unhappily.

“The truth is too unpleasant to hear,” he said mockingly. He changed the subject, “You all know the Yang Family at the foot of Mount Baqiu south of the city?”

“You mean Multiple Bear Arms Yang Xing?” Cloud Skirt Immortal asked.

“Yes, that’s him. Also, Iron Palm Roils the Clouds Mao Yixin of Changsha.”

“I hear that he is a very rich and influential man in the area, and has a lot of businesses in Changsha: firewood, rice, oil, salt, he has his hand in all these, he controls the seven necessities (firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea) with the prefectural city. As well as many other less respectable enterprises.” Nine Extremes Deity’s knowledge showed he wasn’t a layman.

“Right, that’s him.” Yiping slapped his thigh. “You could say that if you live in Changsha, all your food, clothing, shelter, and transportation, even hiring a woman to climb into bed with you, all has connections to some degree with Iron Palm Roils the Clouds.”

“You’re mouth ought to be washed out,” Cloud Skirt Immortal said with a faint smile. “Rogue! You’re too wanton in front of me.”

“My apologies, I didn’t mean to be, my tongue slipped,” he said, chuckling.

Actually, he already knew Cloud Skirt Immortal’s dirty business. She was a loose-girdled woman, her “Immortal” nickname was baseless. Many famed prostitutes liked to call themselves immortal or celestial, it was a common occurrence, not strange in the least.

“You’ve talked quite a while, yet haven’t yet mentioned your so-called plan to make money,” Nine Extremes Deity said coldly.

“That’s the main topic.” Yiping didn’t hold them in suspense any longer, “Right now there are two players, Changsha’s Iron Palm Roils the Clouds and Yuezhou’s Multiple Bear Arms. Their skills are not shabby, they’re both extraordinary talents in their areas. They have people and land, let’s talk about time and details. A month ago, Iron Palm Roils the Clouds had some contraband worth two-thousand five-hundred taels of silver which he shipped to Multiple Bear Arms on two boats that didn’t pay taxes, to sell in Wuchang.

“You all know that when big wigs like this make deals, brotherhood is like friendship, casual words are taken as solemn oaths, they don’t bother with contracts which are all the rage nowadays, so no contracts for these goods were drawn up. Multiple Bear Arms never received the two shipments of goods, they were swallowed up by his good friend. It’s not that he couldn’t accept the loss, he couldn’t accept losing this person, so he set his mind and denied that the goods had arrived, he rejected the whole thing.

“Five days ago, the two transport ships carrying the contraband were stopped and returned from Lizhou by Multiple Bear Arms. In order to save face he had to block the news of this and still refused to acknowledge it. Iron Palm Roils the Clouds is no lay Buddhist (meaning not a pacifist), but he didn’t dare launch a punitive expedition to Yuezhou, after all, even a mighty dragon doesn’t fight a snake in its own locale (even a powerful man cannot crush a local bully)!

“After several rounds of fruitless negotiations, Iron Palm Roils the Clouds was really angry and issued a proclamation offering 1500 taels of silver for the return of the contraband.”

“Damn it! If the ships have already returned, how could the goods still be onboard?” Nine Extremes Deity said contemptuously, “Iron Palm Roils the Clouds move was clumsy as ****.”

“Quite the contrary, if Multiple Bear Arms unloaded the goods and word got out then he could forget about being called Respectable Uncle! He has to wait for the rumors to die down and then with the utmost secrecy transport the goods to Wuchang, or send them far away through Nanjing, which would be more expensive.

“He’s a greedy person so there’s no need to worry that he would destroy the goods, otherwise he wouldn’t have brought them back from Lizhou, he could have just scuttled the ship there and saved the trouble.”

“So you want us to go find the ships?” Evil Spirit asked, clearly very interested. “The goods on these ships are of course worth more than 1500 taels.”

“Find the ships and then do what? Dongting Lake is eight-hundred li across of mist-covered waters, how would you find it? Beat gongs and sound drums to sound it out?” Yiping mocked, “Even if you find the ships, you’re not familiar with handling the government. Not only will you not be able to make it past them, you also couldn’t find buyers for the goods.”

“Then what’s your plan?” Nine Extremes Deity said, also interested.

“Once we’ve started we have to see it through, we have to get hold of Multiple Bear Arms.” Yiping made a gesture as if killing someone, “If he doesn’t hand over the ships, snap!”

“Uh……”

“Even if he’s not afraid to die, his wife and kids won’t be willing to let him die for the sake of two shipments of goods, unless his wife and kids are bad and want him to die so they could inherit the family property. Once we have the ships we call Iron Palm Roils the Clouds and tell him to bring 2000 taels to redeem them. He’ll most likely consent, based on your reputations how could he dare refuse to add 500 more?”

“Ha! That’s a great move,” Nine Extremes Deity said excitedly.

“Of course it’s great.” Yiping said proudly, “We’re not stealing, not robbing. Our actions among the jianghu will be perfectly justified in upholding justice, we’ll win fame and fortune.”

“Let me ask you,” Hundred Prohibitions Monk said, “Where did you get all this information?”

“Snakes have their paths, rats have theirs, of course my information comes from a reliable source, you can be sure of that. Actually, this matter is already not a secret, sound out the local bullies than they can tell you all about it. The question is whether or not we have the ability and the confidence to carry this out.”

“If we do, how much is your take?” Secluded Void Daoist asked, his expression changing slightly.

“Depends on the situation,” Yiping said. “Under normal circumstance, according to custom I would get one-third.”

“There’s five of us.”

“Oh? Aren’t you Three Evils of the Mortal World going to Sichuan?”

“We can handle this matter, then go, it won’t be too late.”

“Hmm……”

“You still want to split it three ways?” Secluded Void Daoist asked cynically.

“Of course I do.”

“You can have one-sixth, don’t argue if you know what’s good for you.”

“Uh……”

“If I kill you then you won’t get a single copper,” Secluded Void said menacingly, his hawk eyes flashing a murderous aura.

Yiping shuddered, then suddenly left his seat and dashed off.

Secluded Void Daoist was ready for him, he snorted coldly and in a flash was right behind Yiping, extending three fingers.

Yiping exited the hall, made a noise, paused, then resumed running wildly.

Three lines of subtle soft finger wind hit his three important vital points: the Spirit Tower point below the sixth vertebra, the Left Capital Gate point under the second, and the right Huang Gate point next to the fourth vertebra. These three acupoints belonged to the Governing Vessel meridian, the Gallbladder Channel of the Foot Shaoyang, and the Bladder Channel of the Foot Taiyang.

The Daoist’s acupoint skills were so good he could hit three points from three feet away, not only was he extremely accurate, his control of his finger wind was excellent.

“He’ll live for about an hour,” the Daoist said satisfied. “We must lose no time, we’ll go tonight to Yang Mansion under Mount Baqiu. I know that place well, Multiple Bear Arms’s hidden weapons are really sloppy.”

“Daoist.” Cloud Skirt Immortal hesitated, “Do you know if what that Zhuang guy said is for real?”

“Such a significant matter, how could it be fake?” Secluded Void Daoist asserted.

“Yes.” Nine Extremes Deity said offhand, “When we find Multiple Bear Arms and ask him, won’t we know? At that time if he denies it, we’ll have to take him to Changsha to verify with Iron Palm Roils the Clouds.”

“How can we stay long?”

“Miss Yuan, are you afraid of Mystical Goblin following us?” Evil Spirit laughed. “Don’t worry! He was hit by my Heart-Busting Palm, even if it didn’t kill him it would take off a few layers of ski, how could he have time to chase us?”

“Umm……All right, if he really does come after us, the five of us can fight him.” Cloud Skirt Immortal was finally re-assured.

Yiping escaped the courtyard and entered the third room, his own guest room, got a lamp, and took off his outer garments to inspect himself, and saw the three marks from the finger blasts. He examined them under the lamplight, smiled to himself, “That rotten Daoist’s finger blasts are really good, but at a distance of more than half a foot won’t threaten me at all, no wonder Shifu didn’t care about his Empyreal Wind Energy. I know how to deal with him.”

He changed into lighter, nightwalking clothes, blew out the lamp and went back out.

[Laoren]

Thanks whiteskwirl .

[whiteskwirl]

Thanks for reading, Laoren. Here is the rest of chapter 4.

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Chapter 4 continued...

Mount Baqiu, at the southwest corner of the city, it’s actually just a big hill, also called Baling or Tianyue.

In mythology, the ancient Houyi killed a snake at Dongting and its bones were like hills. The snake’s bones piled up to form the hill, so you can imagine how big the snake was.

Yuezhou by the Northern and Southern Dynasties was called Baling Prefecture. Now Yuezhou’s surrounding are still called Baling County, an allusion to Houyi killing the snake.

Multiple Bear Arms Yang family was nestled at the southern foothills of Baqiu, not far from the city wall, surrounded by verdant forests, a garden was the focus a the center of its vast courtyard.

It was already the end of the second watch and beginning of the third, five shadows flit like ghosts near the Yang residence’s west courtyard.

The entire residence was pitch-black, very few lanterns were lit, only the main hall was lit, light emitting from only the three big main doors and the large windows on both sides, it seemed there was still activity in the main hall.

The highly-skilled five shadows were bold, they didn’t pay any heed to Multiple Bear Arms, they jumped into the western courtyard, ascended the steps and entered the hall, into the western wing and through the doors separating the inner and outer courts to the main hall of the western wing, moving silently, not at all disturbing the people within the hall.

Looking in through western window at the huge main hall, they saw ten bright lamps blazing, three large doors opened, however there was only one person inside.

Hundred Prohibitions Monk crouched under the window, and whispered into Nine Extremes Deity’s ear beside him, “Brother Yu, it’s seems something is amiss, I don’t like the way this looks, Junior Yang hasn’t retired to bed in his main room, what is someone doing in the main hall?”

In the main large circular chair in the hall Multiple Bear Arms sat peacefully, brewing a pot of tea on the low table. There were four tea cups on the tray. He was leisurely sipping tea, there were no servants waiting on him.

Multiple Bear Arms was around forty years old, a burly physique. Wide forehead, long neck, bushy eyebrows and big eyes, his two arms seemed especially long. He was wearing a dark blue roomy gown, he was not wearing a weapon.

He poured the tea, lifted it to his nose to sniff, and inhaled the tea’s fragrance intensely, then took a tiny sip.

Suddenly, he raised his head, “I know you’re all here, why not come in for a chat? Come in! The doors are all open, you all are not of low status, you can come in through the middle door.”

The first one through, Nine Extremes Deity, lightly fanned shook his folding fan. “Yang Xing, I didn’t know you were endowed with foresight.”

Multiple Bear Arms roared with laughter, “It had nothing to do with foresight, actually five days ago I was told you would be coming here.”

“Who told?”

“I don’t know, but he sent someone to report it. Tonight, about an hour ago someone sent word, so I knew you all were coming.”

“Oh! An hour ago? Was it a young man surnamed Zhuang?”

“I don’t know, the person came and went without a trace, the guard didn’t see the person, so I specially invited the person who has been waiting for you for seven or eight days to come.”

All five entered and entered the hall.

“Someone has been waiting for us for seven or eight days?” Nine Extremes Deity face changed.

Outside the middle door, Spirit Calling Envoy Zhan Hong stood with his hands behind his back, laughing strangely. “I’ve been waiting in Yuezhou for seven or eight days, I thought you all wouldn’t come. Fortunately you all aren’t completely disbanded, you’re only missing the Twin Savages of the World.”

Behind Spirit Calling Envoy, not only were all the people there who were present that day on Zhurong Peak, but there were also a few strangers with them.

“Is that you?” Nine Extremes Deity said, surprised.

The screen doors on the left and right opened. Three people wearing dark blue entered.

The rear door’s curtain rustled, one after another from the hallway emerged five people dressed as Daoists. The one in the lead cut an imposing figure, ruddy-faced, exuding an out of the ordinary aura, around fifty years or so, in the prime of his life, with a precious sword tied around his waist, holding a horsetail whisk in his hand, and with a clear and sonorous voice said, “Benefactors. Pleased to meet you, I finally have the opportunity, the honor is all mine.”

The five people’s faces all sank.

Secluded Void Daoist drew in a cold breath, said anxiously and suspiciously, “Heavenly Positions Daoist, you, you’re here?”

His power among the jianghu was vast, the leader of the Mysterious Heavenly Fragrance Orthodox Cult, nicknamed Great Master Heavenly Positions Priest, who had many followers, was here, no wonder everyone’s face changed.

“Everyone, have a seat.” Heavenly Positions Priest assumed the role of host and sat down first. “I have to ask you all to tell me everything according to the facts about what happened with your meeting with Mystical Goblin on Zhurong Peak. Benefactor Nine Extremes Deity Yu, please tell everything.”

Nine Extremes Deity knew he couldn’t get away, his mind turned, made a show of sitting down, forced a smile, “Actually, there’s not much to tell. I dueled with him three times twenty years ago. The first time I didn’t win, the second time he didn’t lose, and the third time he was hit by Brother Evil Spirit Hu’s Heart-Busting Palm and ran off.

“His genuine talent is much greater than mine, he only agreed to fight with me to play with my mind, to make fun of me and humiliate me.”

He told of the joint attack, Evil Spirit Hu Tai followed up, “I still don’t understand how that old freak was able to hold out and manage to escape. But based on his expression when he ran off, he definitely had suffered a deathblow from me. If he’s not dead, he won’t last too many more days.”

“Really?” Heavenly Positions Priest laughed.

“Of course,” Evil Spirit Hu Tai forced himself to answer.

“Benefactor, your Heart Busting Palm, although a unique skill among the wulin, I fear it’s not enough to kill Mystical Goblin.” Heavenly Positions Priest smiled. “From what I understand, he and Immortal Among the Earth Generous Alchemist are good friends. When those two were young they both studied life cultivation techniques together. He taught the alchemist his secret, unparalleled in the world Cloud Bursting Eight Forms.

“In return, Generous Alchemist taught him some consummate secret skills of the Black Gate (a form of Daoist practice). I heard it was a kind of mystical innate breathing regulation practice. Mystical Goblin roved the world for forty years, and though perhaps not invincible, I’ve never heard of him being bested. Twenty years ago the Eight Demons and Six Masters surrounded him on the plank road at Chrysanthemum Post Station at Scattered Rock Wilderness Death Valley, but the fourteen consummate master-hands were not able to kill him. Though you seven are enough to rampage the world, but compared to the Eight Demons and Six Master, you’ll forgive me for saying, your chances are next to nothing. Benefactor Hu’s Heart Busting Palm succeeded in catching him off-guard, but to kill him is impossible. He will come find you all. Sooner or later you will find it difficult to escape him, you’d best not be happy too soon, he might already have his eyes on you.”

These words terrified Nine Extremes Deity and the others.

“I searched all over Zhurong Peak, but there was absolutely no trace of him.” Spirit Calling Envoy took the opportunity to sensationalize, “I was following ahead specially to invite him, of course he wouldn’t come find me for revenge. But you all, tsk tsk, Heaven knows what kinds of terrible things might arise in the days to come, you all should think about it.”

“So, I will point the way to a clearer path.” Heavenly Positions Priest showed his true colors, “I believe you all have heard of the infamous official Yan, and I are also not unfamiliar with Benefactor Mountain Uprooting Tripod Uplifting Huangfu.”

“I get it, you all are Mountain Uprooting’s men,” Nine Extremes Deity finally realized.

“I have received orders direct from Official Yan to undertake the task of enlisting the services of the outstanding figures of the world.” Heavenly Positions Priest said proudly, “Of the four high ranking officials of the world, Grand Secretary Yan’s strength is the most abundant, but Yan’s subordinates are recruiting innumerable specially skilled talented heroes, special talents who treat the wise courteously and cultivate the scholarly. If you all are willing to go with me to have an audience with him, you will certainly secure important positions. Even if Mystical Goblin has three heads and six arms he will be helpless to doing anything to you. You all will be as solid as Mt. Tai and will be able to sleep without worries.”

Nine Extremes Deity raised his eyes and looked around, his mind was clear, he said coldly, “Priest, do we have any other choice?”

“I’m afraid not,” Heavenly Positions Priest said plainly.

“If I turn around and leave……”

“You want to see and find out?” Heavenly Positions Priest said impolitely.

“You……”

The dispute between Benefactor Yang and Benefactor Mao of Changsha has already been cleared up and wiped out thanks to Benefactor Yang agreeing to pledge his loyalty Official Yan. Anyone who intervenes will have to pay a violent price.” Heavenly Positions Priest’s face darkened. “You all didn’t ask around beforehand and thought exceptionally well of yourselves and vainly thought to try your luck in coming here in the dead of night, what do you say we should do?”

“Who said we were intervening,” Evil Spirit said loudly.

“Someone informed against you, and sure enough you all came. You all are famed personages, there are many famous master-hands among the jianghu, don’t tell me you’re going to quibble to try to cover up your actions here tonight?” Spirit Calling Envoy was trying to hold them up.

“Even though you all agree to pledge loyalty to Official Yan, there are some conditions that have to be met.” Heavenly Positions Priest gradually tightened the reins, “No rules cannot create a neighborhood; your deserved positions of course must have some rules to safeguard them.”

“We haven’t yet said if we will pledge loyalty,” Nine Extremes Deity sneered.

“You will.” Heavenly Positions Priest spoke authoritatively, “There’s another thing you must all understand, which is I have already dispatched a group of men to search for Mystical Goblin’s whereabouts. If Mystical Goblin is also willing to pledge loyalty to Official Yan, then your enmity with him must be erased, you can’t continue to bear grudges and seek revenge. This is advantageous for you all, I expect you all won’t dispute that. Now, you all must make a decision, I await your reply.”

“We must make think this through, we can’t decide rashly,” Hundred Prohibitions Monk said. “Give us two or three days……”

“No can do! Tomorrow at noon you all must come here and take an oath to join us.” Heavenly Positions Priest said resolutely, “in the meantime if you all think about trying your luck at slipping away, you will be killed on sight.”

“We have twelve hours to decide.” Nine Extremes Deity stood, “Can we go now?”

“You all can go, you can walk right out the front doors out in the open.” Heavenly Positions Priest smiled.

“We take our leave.”

The five of them hung their heads and crestfallen, left the Yang family residence. The third watch was just about to end. It was pitch-black out on the street, cold and desolate.

Nine Extremes Deity’s steps were heavy, he heaved a long sigh, “Looks like the contract for out indentured servitude is already signed.”

Cloud Skirt Immortal, who had yet to give her opinion, coughed lightly, “Actually, pledging loyalty to them isn’t such a big deal.”

Hundred Prohibitions Monk snorted, said heavily, “What? You’re willing to give up your carefree life and accept being controlled and led by the nose?”

“As far as I know, there’s a lot of benefit to following them. Many hands provide great strength, with the government’s support at least we won’t have to worry about our enemies coming after us. Even Mystical Goblin, as daring as he is, wouldn’t dare follow us to exact his revenge. Furthermore, with too much money to spend there will be opportunities to seek our own fortunes. Official Yan, as everyone knows, is an influential and treacherous official who loves money as much as his own life. But he has a strong point, which is he doesn’t prohibit his subordinates from seeking profit.”

“So you’re not going to oppose taking the oath and joining them?” Nine Extremes Deity asked.

“Opposing them is a road to destruction, why would I oppose them?”

“But……to give one’s life to a treacherous official……”

“So what if he’s a treacherous official? Life is essential, Brother Yu.”

“We can slink off……”

“You want Mountain Uprooting Tripod Lifting Huangfu to send his henchmen after us? Besides, if that Daoist sorcerer wasn’t confident would he have given us twelve hours to think it over?”

“You think he will send people to follow us and keep watch?”

Nine Extremes Deity looked back doubtfully, “There’s no sound behind us, Ai……”

The street was narrow with one-storey tile-roofed houses on either side, no more than twenty feet high. He saw the last of them, Secluded Void Daoist, lightly and gracefully lift off the ground.

Walking three or four steps in front of the Secluded Void Daoist, Evil Spirit Hu Tai turned around at the sound and saw the Daoist’s head was almost level with the water-dripping eaves.

“Daoist, what’s the matter?” Evil Spirit Hu Tai called out.

Hundred Prohibitions Monk was experienced and knowledgeable, he cried, “He’s been pulled up, help him……”

Their reactions were quick, they all leapt up.

“Bang”, Hundred Prohibitions Monk’s head had just passed the tiled eaves when his bald head was hit with a tile and he fell down like a stone along with the smashed pieced of tile fluttering about.

Secluded Void Daoist also fell down, his neck pulled by a thick coarse hemp rope.

A long, deafening laugh and a dark figure crouching behind the tiles laughed and left, and in a flash vanished behind the ridge of the roof.

“Notify them, I’ll give chase.” Nine Extremes Deity ascended the tiles and called out, using his superb qinggong to chase wildly after the figure.

Evil Spirit Hu Tai climbed to the tiles and called out, “Brother Yu, don’t press him too hard, beware of an ambush……”

But the night was black like ink, the houses on both sides of the street were different heights, and they were uneven in front and rear, Nine Extremes Deity’s silhouette had already disappeared behind the ridge of the roof before them.

Below they heard Cloud Skirt Immortal call for help, “Hurry and help me, the monk’s head has been split open, he’s fainted!”

Evil Spirit had to jump down. In the dark Cloud Skirt Immortal was giving aid. He touched Hundred Prohibitions Monk, who felt like a dead fish, touched the blood, felt for the wound, said, “No worries, the skin is split open but it hasn’t reached the bone, it was cut open by a piece of tile.”

He applied some medicine to the monk to stop the blood, and the monk came to. He said groggily, “Who……Who attacked m……me”

“I don’t know.” Evil Spirit said, “Want to rip your clothes to bandage the wound? Your bald head is cut open in three places, I thought you were copper-headed and iron-armed?”

“Don’t be sarcastic, who would have thought someone was lying in ambush?” Hundred Prohibitions Monk felt around on the ground. “Quick, help me ironwood fish and purple gold fish mallet.”

Cloud Skirt Immortal helped the Daoist massage his neck, the Daoist’s hands and feet were limp and his body was weak, his throat and neck were badly injured. His windpipe was almost crushed. The ambusher had hid on the roof and had thrown down a rope noose and had hauled the Daoist up.

The Daoist had never expected this disaster, he had been completely caught off-guard. He had been lifted off his feet by the noose, losing his ability to move and was helpless to be killed, he hadn’t the strength to resist.

Nine Extremes Deity chased after the figure, ran down half the length of the street, the dark figure’s from high scurrying low body-movement skill seemed to be getting worse, he was slowing down.

“You can’t get away, stop!” Nine Extremes Deity called confidently. He had already drawn close to within five or six steps.

The dark figure suddenly jumped down, onto a back alley and began running.

Nine Extremes Deity became more incensed as he chased, soon he was almost to the point of being able to touch him, he was just about to reach out to grab the person when the figure suddenly squatted down and stuck out a leg.

Nine Extremes Deity cried out and was tripped to the ground. But his reactions were fast, his body and hands were nimble, as soon as he touched the ground he stopped his rolling progress, though his stance in doing so was not the prettiest.

The dark figure followed close, kicked him hard on the right collarbone. He couldn’t help but roll forward this time, the kick was quite powerful, that one kick made him see stars, and it felt like all his bones from head to foot were about to collapse. He lost his ability to regulate his qi, and he fainted away.

Drowsy, he only felt someone grab and lift him up by the chest. He didn’t have time to think before his belly was hit with three heavy punches, like someone was beating leather.

He fell again, and felt his stomach rise in his chest, his throat felt sweet and waves of pain came cascading over. He couldn’t see anything, he just groaned, “Don’t……Don’t hit……hit……”

He was lifted up by his hair and a familiar voice made his guts run cold, “Do you remember me? Your despicable son of a *****?”

“Mystical Goblin……” He called out weakly.

“You did a good deed.”

“You’re not dead, I……can’t lift……can’t lift my head for the rest of mu life……” He cried out madly, his right hand groping.

His right hand was chopped by a palm, the voice became more severe, “You still want to try your Gold Melting Palm against me? You damn piece of shit!”

“I……I,I……”

“Where did the Twin Savages of the World run off to?”

“I……I don’t know, we parted company in……in Changsha.”

“Why did you all come to Baqiu Yang family residence?”

“We fell……fell for a trap, we were looking for Multiple……Multiple Bear Arms to blackmail him, who knew that guy already……already was in cahoots with Mountain Uprooting Tripod Lifting Huangfu, al……almost lost our……lost our lives.” He told the truth obediently.

“Spirit Calling Envoy and his ilk, why are they looking for me?”

“They……They want you to join them.”

“Good thinking. Hmph! I bet you’re already one of them.”

“We……We……”

“I won’t ask about your all’s bullshit. You tell him, don’t come provoke me. He can be his treacherous official stooge, I’ll be my jianghu weirdo. If he thinks about trying to get me, I’ll leave his head and face covered with dust (leave someone dejected, will disappoint them). You too. This time I’ll let you go. Go far away from me. If you’re still not willing to give up, next time I will certainly break both of your dog legs.”

With a pop, his right leg was hit with a palm.

“Aiyo……” Nine Extremes Deity cried like a ghost, his leg hurt as if it were broken.

When he regained consciousness, there was no one around.

The one dressed as Mystical Goblin was Yiping. After leaving the inn he had went to the Yang family residence in Baqiu and had reported the arrival of Nine Extremes Deity and the others, then he went back and waited. He expected the Yang’s to gather master-hands around, and the give greedy ghosts would find it hard to accomplish their goals, he just happened midway to crush a defeated enemy.

From what Nine Extremes Deity had said, he finally knew why Spirit Calling Envoy had appeared on Zhurong Peak. He wasn’t interested in The villain Yan’s affairs, and he didn’t feel like inquiring about Mountain Uprooting Tripod Lifting Huangfu becoming an accomplice.

To the south of Hengzhou prefecture you could eat Haibei (Guangdong) salt. To the north was Villain Yan’s Liang-Huai (areas north and south of Huai River) salt districts. He needn’t worry that those flunkeys would act tyrannically in Hengzhou.

Nine Extremes Deity returned to the inn. Hundred Prohibitions Monk and the others were already there.

Of the five of them, three were rocked and injured, scared half to death. Evil Spirit heard the figure had been Mystical Goblin and he shook even more with fear and was fidgety.

“Tomorrow morning at dawn we will go to the Yang family residence and hide out.” Evil Spirit Hu Tai said hurriedly, “If I’m found by that old freak, I’m done for.”

“You think Heavenly Positions Priest can stop the old freak?” Cloud Skirt Immortal asked.

“The Daoist knows the old freak’s background, of course he has the ability to restrict him, otherwise why would he send Spirit Calling Envoy to follow him on Zhurong Peak?” Evil Spirit calmly analyzed the situation, “I’ve decided to follow Heavenly Positions Priest, what have you all decided?”

“We already have no way out, tomorrow we can talk it over.” Nine Extremes Deity said helplessly, “Let’s go, let’s take a break talk about it later.”

END CHAPTER 4

[Laoren]

Thanks whiteskwirl.

[whiteskwirl]

CHAPTER 5: LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT

They talked it over in Hundred Prohibitions Monk and Secluded Void Daoist’s room until deep into the night when they had to retire to bed, anyway the two injured ones didn’t need anyone to stay behind to look after them.

The first one to leave was Cloud Skirt Immortal, Nine Extremes Deity and Evil Spirit followed. So when Cloud Skirt Immortal shut the room to her door, Nine Extremes Deity and Evil Spirit had not yet reached their room.

Who would have guessed that their room had someone waiting for them. The lamp in the room was already lit. Nine Extremes Deity opened the door without a thought toward vigilance, sighed with distress and walked into the room, forgetting to look behind the door, abandoning the alertness a jianghu man ought to have.

Evil Spirit Hu Tai followed came in behind him, heard a light smashing sound, and didn’t have time to think, but saw Nine Extremes Deity fall forward.

“Must me your turn!” a familiar voice said.

Evil Spirit was astonished, without thinking he cried, “Mystical Goblin……”

He just raised his arms, his palms protecting his upper and lower body, but he didn’t expect a change underfoot. Behind the door a foot shot out and hooked, and he felt his ankle was going to snap, his footing was unstable.

He had not yet fallen down when his left ear was slapped like the force of a thousand-catty axe, making everything go black. He fell forward and lost consciousness.

Cloud Skirt Immortal heard it all from her neighboring room. She alertly opened the door and called out, “Who’s screaming? Eh!”

She saw the neighboring door was open, but there was no lamplight.

Cloud Skirt Immortal was an old hand in the jianghu, when she saw the door was open with no light on inside she knew it was unusual. When an old hand of the jianghu put up for the night in an inn, who wouldn’t close the door before blowing out the light? So she knew something was wrong.

She was a bit apprehensive, not daring to enter to take a look. She called anxiously, “Brother Yu, Brother Hu, are you all all right?”

No one responded. Her heart froze.

The room next to Nine Extremes Deity’s stirred, the creaked open and a figure poked out indistinctly, and said in a tender and lovely voice, “Late at night, you all making such a ruckus, are you not going to let people go to sleep?”

One listen and it was clear it was a young girl, so Cloud Skirt Immortal relaxed. All her life she probably never thought she would have to struggle to steel her nerves, but tonight was an exception.

“Little Miss,” she said, “there’s been an accident in the next room, could I trouble you to peek your head in and take a look?”

“How can you have no sense of priorities,” the girl said, “if there is a problem you should get the manager!”

There were no lanterns in the corridor, within the inn to ask a strange girl to look into another guest’s room was maybe unexpected, but it was certainly excessive. She really didn’t need the girl to go look, she was just taking advantage of the time to talk to steel her nerves, then she two two or three strides to Nine Extreme Deity’s entrance. Inside the lamps were all extinguished, there was absolutely no sound.

“Brother Yu, Brother Hu,” she said, holding her breath.

No response, the people inside must not be sleeping.

She knew it was bad, then she thought to take out a fire stick (tube made of bamboo with flammables inside. Lights up when shaken or blown).

A flame flashed. She went up next to the young girl, holding a medium-sized, finely constructed red copper precious fire stick that could be ignited with one blow.

The deep red flame’s luminosity was limited, but it was enough for her to see two people clearly laying down inside.

“Aiyo!” she cried in alarm, and she urgently rushed in.

The young girl also held a fire stick and entered, and calmly lit the oil lamp on the table.

Cloud Skirt Immortal was no longer afraid, at least now there was someone with her.

She felt Evil Spirit’s pulse and slapped his cheeks. All the while shouting urgently, “Wake up, Hu Tai, wake up……”

The young girl picked up the teapot and poured cold tea on Evil Spirit’s face.

Hu Tai woke up in panic, groggily said, “Who? Who……”

“It’s me.” Cloud Skirt Immortal put released Evil Spirit and went over to Nine Extremes Deity.

Nine Extremes Deity was lying facedown like a dead man.

“This person was knocked out in the back of the head by a small stone,” the young girl beside her said. She pointed to his jade pillow acupoint, which was swollen into a small bump. The hair was thin here, one look and one knew: “This person’s power control was really astonishing, an incredibly accurate, there are very few among the wulin who could do this in the dead of night.”

“This was that Mystical Goblin of the Six Freaks of the Jianghu’s doing.” Cloud Skirt Immortal helped massage Nine Extremes Deity while she spoke thoughtlessly.

“Oh! Mystical Goblin is still alive?” There was alarm in the girl’s tone.

Cloud Skirt Immortal was jolted. So this unfamiliar girl was from the wulin. She turned her head and looked up, saw a beautiful, refined and youthful face.

“How old are you?” Little Miss,” she couldn’t help but ask.

“Fifteen. You are……”

“My surname is Yuan. And you?”

“Me? Oh! At the moment my surname is Gao……”

“What nonsense is that? At the moment your surname is Gao? What does that mean?”

“I’m an orphan, abandoned on the side of the road before I was even one year old. In my hometown, a lot of female infants are abandoned in the wilderness, to be abandoned on the side of the road is already a kindness.”

The young girl spoke in a low, sad voice, “An old servant of the Gao family, Gao Zhong, brought me back to the house, the lady of the house took me in as a servant girl, so my surname is Gao. I have a common servant girl name: Xiaoju (Little Chrysanthemum).”

“You know acupoint skills, your martial arts must not be bad.”

“In the Gao family, no matter boy, girl, old, or young, if your martial arts is useless you’re not allowed to travel outside……”

“Aiya! You’re from the Gao family of Myriad Flower Mountain Village in Splendid Valley.” Cloud Skirt Immortal suddenly cried, “The Gao Family of Kuizhou is famous in the wulin.”

“A servant girl of the Gao family,” Gao Xiaoju corrected her. A servant girl of the Gao family and a member of the Gao family were different, a servant girl wasn’t qualified to be called a member of the Gao family.

As these two were talking, behind them Evil Spirit Hu Tai sat on the floor. He was just about completely awake now, he suddenly mournfully shouted, “My right arm! My right……right……arm……”

Cloud Skirt Immortal turned her head to look, her beautiful willow eyebrows knit, she said unhappily, “What are you carrying on about? Are you trying to wake up the entire inn? Isn’t your right arm growing fine right there on your shoulder?”

“The five main meridians are completely dead, Good lord! Who crippled my arm?” Evil Spirit wailed even more desolately.

“Eh! Do you remember what happened?”

“Ai! It was Mystical Goblin. Mystical Goblin, you old pig-dog, I……”

Gao Xiaoju strode toward the door with ladylike steps, shaking her head and sighing, “I heard Mystical Goblin never shows mercy, you’re lucky he just crippled your arm and didn’t kill you. Who told you all to go provoking that old freak?”

Nine Extremes Deity was also awake, he climbed to his feet awkwardly, “Not so bad, my arms and legs are fine, forget it.”

Gao Xiaoju had yet left the room when in the doorway stood Zhuang Yiping, grinning cheekily. He had changed into a dark blue robe and appeared handsome and distinguished, too bad that mischievous smile obscured his dignified and distinguished demeanor.

Yiping laughed, “Hee hee, there’s been a mishap, what calamity occurred here?”

Evil Spirit Hu Tai knew it was him with one look, an indescribable evil like a volcano erupting washed over him. Tonight they had fallen into a trap in going to the Yang family residence, and the root of it all was this guy Zhuang.

“You goddamn son of a *****!” Evil Spirit cursed. He rushed past Gao Xiaoju and shot out the palm of his good arm.

This palm was extremely swift and fierce, it was of course powerful as it contained his rage.

Yiping was no longer polite, he shot out his right palm and parried the move, his left palm snuck in and smacked Evil Spirit in the chest like lightning.

Evil Spirit flew back into the room, crying out in surprise, and his back collided with the just-about-to-exit Gao Xiaoju.

Gao Xiaoju was quick of eye and deft of hand, her left palm extended and caught Evil Spirit’s back. She twisted her body and pushed Evil Spirit off to the side. She went to the doorway and puckered her gorgeous little red lips at the still smiling Yiping, and angrily and annoyed, said, “How can you strike without regard for bystanders? SO unreasonable.”

“I’m terribly sorry.” He smiled oddly, bowed slightly, “Anyone with the Three Evils of the Mortal World you’re definitely not an ordinary junior of the wulin, the lady is no exception, in fact you’ve already proven you weren’t bothered at all by that collision.”

Gao Xiaoju was taken aback. She turned around and looked back, “You say they are the Three Evils of the Mortal World?”

“The other two Evils are in the next room, this Evil is Cloud Skirt Immortal Yuan Yuyan.” When he realized the girl wasn’t with Nine Extremes Deity and the others he dropped his playful expression and wore a serious face, “Those two wulin master-hands are even more famous.”

“Who are they?” Gao Xiaoju turned and asked, smiling.

Because his mischievous look had vanished, his dignified and distinguished elegant luster shined.

Gao Xiaoju stared blankly, and for no reason her powdered cheeks blushed, and her beautiful eyes changed, her pupils seemed to dilate, becoming darker, brighter, and deeper.

Yiping turned to look at her and she hurriedly averted her head.

“They are Nine Extremes Deity Yu Hualong and Evil Spirit Hu Tai.” Yiping paid no attention to her expression or reaction. “Their reputation is not lower than the Six Freaks of the Jianghu, what’s low is their character and wugong, they’re even scarier than the Six Freaks of the Jianghu.”

“I’ve heard of them.” Gao Xiaoju’s voice was very low, abnormally low, “I should go to avoid people gossiping.”

Cloud Skirt Immortal let go of the addle-brained Evil Spirit. She probably felt Gao Xiaoju’s words harmed her own self-respect, with a strained face she said, “The Three Evils of the Mortal World don’t want to stain the honor of the Gao Family of Myriad Flower Mountain Village. Besides, you’re just a servant girl of the Gao family, what are you putting on airs about?”

Gao Xiaoju raised her pretty brows and was just about to flare up when Yiping extended a hand to stop her, laughing, “Miss Gao, there’s no need to bicker. You’re definitely no match for her, don’t squabble with her, all right?”

His gentle tone had an irresistible effect on Gao Xiaoju.

Gao Xiaoju probably was just as amiable of a person, her anger immediately vanished, she lowered her head and smiled, “Actually I didn’t provoke her, she shouldn’t blame me.”

“Miss, you should go,” Yiping said softly.

Gao Xiaoju walked slowly to her own doorway, looked back, her pupils smiling, then hurriedly entered her room.

Yiping stared blankly, thought: that servant girl’s smile is really pretty.

Inside the room, Cloud Skirt Immortal was glaring at him. She said hatefully, “You dirty swine! You’ve caused us a lot of trouble.”

His face resumed its earlier flippancy. “Miss Yuan, you’;re betraying your own conscience, confounding black and white, making slanderous accusations. How have I caused you all trouble?”

“You incited us to go to the Yang family residence……”

“Hold it! Incite, that word, don’t you have it wrong?”

“You……”

“I only told you all about a way to make money, I never said what method to use to go about it. You greedy ghosts got the idea to swallow it all up for yourselves, if I had not gotten out of there quickly I would have been done for. Demons in the end are still demons, about as trustworthy as a snake or scorpion. You all feared the secret would get out so you hurried to be the first to act, without knowing yourself or your adversary, who’s to blame if you smack into a nail?”

“Did you know beforehand that Multiple Bear Arms was colluding with Mountain Uprooting Tripod Lifting Huangfu?”

“In all honesty, how could I know they were colluding?” Yiping denied it completely, in fact he really didn’t know.

Nine Extremes Deity cut in ferociously, gritting his teeth, “No matter what you say, you’re the chief culprit, if I don’t kill you my hate will never go away, I’ll kill you……”

His hand shot out as his words finished, his iron claw skill passing through his fingertips, “Cloud Dragon Displays Its Claws” lashing out to grab, the force of its blast astonishing.

Yiping estimated his opponent’s power and met the move with his own claw technique, his left claw extended, meeting his opponent’s claw without any misgivings. They both exerted themselves, ten fingers using all their strength to grab fiercely, their force shooting out at the same time.

“Crack!” Yiping’s right hand advanced at the same time, giving Nine Extremed Deity two slaps, backhand and forehand, to the side of the head, clear-cut and nimble and unhurried, without any temper.

“Ai……” Nine Extremes Deity screamed crazily, his upper body went back.

But his right hand was already caught by Yiping, he couldn’t pull away. His Iron Claw Skill had met Yiping’s even stronger, more solid hand, its grabbing power was unprecedented, his entire arm went numb, his palm felt like it would split open.

Yiping promptly loosened his grip and stepped forward.

“Boom”, Nine Extremes Deity fell to the floor, blood coming out his mouth, finding it difficult to open his eyes.

Cloud Skirt Immortal ran over, shocked, “You’re a fearful master-hand who’s been hiding his true talent!”

He laughed and slightly bowed in grandiose fashion, “The lady is too kind, thank you.”

“Your real title is……”

“Wandering Soul Wild Ghost Zhuang Yiping, my name is truly authentic.”

“You……”

“The lady appears to be the only uninjured person,” he said, grinning.

“You……You were sent by Heavenly Positions Priest to purposefully play tricks on us, weren’t you?”

“Heavenly Positions Priest?” Yiping wasn’t smiling, his expression imposing. “By your manner of speaking, Heavenly Fragrance Orthodox Cult Leader Heavenly Positions Priest was at the Yang family residence?”

“You really don’t know?”

“No.” He said seriously, “That Daoist sorcerer wasn’t there to sell knockout drops or abortion medicine, there must be some venomous scheme afoot.”

“He’s recruited men of talent for one of the Four Great Villains, Yan Maoqing. Multiple Bear Arms has already been bought by him.”

“So that’s how it is.” He started to go back. “You’re not too evil, I won’t punish you further.”

Of the five of them, only Cloud Skirt Immortal had not sustained some injury. Perhaps Yiping showed mercy and let her off because she was a woman.

Evil Spirit Hu Tai had the worst of it, his right arm was crippled. That right arm had once launched a surprise attack on Mystical Goblin, crippling it was a matter of course.

Because his right arm was cripples, Evil Spirit Hut Tai reaped benefit from misfortune.

The next day at noon they awkwardly reported to the Yang family residence. The result was Evil Spirit Hu Tai was expelled, Heavenly Positions Priest had no interest in someone with a crippled arm, a cripple was not useful, the villain Yan wanted first-rate master-hands.

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Not long after noon, the Bixiang Tavern next to the inn saw a large gathering.

Upstairs were private rooms, patronized by guests willing to spend the money to climb up there. There were two large rooms, a center eating hall that could seat twenty or so, to the side and rear were smaller halls separated by tall screens, some used beaded curtains.

The upstairs was nearly full with many guests, the fragrance of wine and food filled the nostrils, noise and racket filled the ears.

Yiping was seated in a secondary seat near a window, at the same table sat two other middle-aged guests. They called for four dishes and two jars of wine, they talked and chatted.

On Yiping’s side there were also four plates and two jars of wine. The center of the table was wide and spacious, they wouldn’t disturb each other.

There was a sound on the steps and a person came up, right arm hanging down, head drooped dejectedly, it was Evil Spirit at the entrance.

Not far to the left one of the four guests raised a hand and yelled, “Hey! Isn’t that Brother Hu? Come have a seat.”

Evil Spirit was drawn by the sound of being called, he forgot to size up the guests in the room. If he had seen it was Yiping it wouldn’t have been strange for him to slink off.

“Oh? So it’s Brother Tan Ying.” Evil Spirit rubbed his beard and went over to the four. “Long time no see, Brother Tan, have you been well?”

Tang Ying made room for him, moving toward his companion on the right, he said happily, “I’m getting along okay, thank you thank you. Here, let me introduce you.”

[Laoren]

Thanks whiteskwirl. Jiayou....

[whiteskwirl]

Thanks, Laoren. Here is part 2.

---

Chapter 5 continued...

His three companions were Six Fingers Ban He, Part the Land Wang Hu, and Black Eagle Li Jin, all were famous master-hands of the Dark Way within the jianghu.

This Tan Ying’s reputation was also resounding, he was also a black-hearted and cruel follower of the Dark Way. Three Hidden Hands Tan Ying, if you had roamed the jianghu for only a few days you must have heard of him, you would also be wary of him.

They exchanged pleasantries and Tan Ying called for the waiter to add more plates and cups, and after three rounds of drinks they dropped all formalities.

Tan Ying said, “Brother Hu, a few days ago I heard you had traveled to Jiangxi, what are you doing here in Yuezhou? Judging by your complexion I would say you’re not doing so well, what’s wrong with your right arm?”

“Ai! Don’t mention it.” Evil Spirit’s expression was extremely dejected, “I answered an invitation from Nine Extremes Deity, last year we began preparing to deal with our arch enemy Mystical Goblin Qiu Lei. In order to avoid Qiu’s suspicions, I purposefully went to Jiangxi and made an appearance while Brother Yu showed up in Henan.”

“Oh! Hasn’t Mystical Goblin been missing among the jianghu for over ten years? Did you all see him?”

“Not only did we see him, in fact……” Evil Spirit drained a cup of wine and grit his teeth, “I hit him with my Heart Busting Palm and he injured my right arm. Last night at the inn he came and went like a ghost, I’m mad as hell.”

“Heavens! That old freak was at this inn last night?”

“It’s completely true. Brother Yu, Hundred Prohibitions Monk, and Secluded Void Daoist all suffered heavy injuries. That damn old son of a *****, I fear there’s no one in the world who can handle him.”

“That old freak comes and goes like a divine dragon, ever-changing and full of tricks, his skills are incalculable, if you have some enmity with him you’re going to get the short end of it.” Three Hidden Hands said kindly, “In the future, Brother Hu, don’t go provoking him. Oh! You said Nine Extremes Deity is also here? Where are they?”

“They’ve all gone to the Yang family residence in Baqiu to seek refuge with Mountain Uprooting Tripod Lifting Huangfu.”

“Oh! Brother Hu, you’re not going?”

“Don’t mention it, my arm is no good, I was thrown out like a piece of garbage. I, Evil Spirit Hu Tai am finished!”

“If that’s so, then I can’t be any help,” Three Hidden Hands Tan Ying said sympathetically.

“What do you mean?” Evil Spirit asked.

“To tell you the truth, we all four of us working for Mountain Uprooting Tripod Lifting Huangfu.”

Three Hidden Hands forced a smile, “We were at Wuchang when we received an urgent message telling us to go to Yuezhou and wait for instructions. We traveled by land, day and night as fast as we could, we just arrived this morning. We’re waiting here for the higher authorities to come make contact with us. I was going to introduce you to our boss, but……Forget it, Brother Hu, what are your plans now?”

“Just put one foot in front of the other, perhaps I really ought to withdraw from the jianghu……Ai!”

Several men and women appeared at the entrance, drawing the attention of all the customers. All sound quickly ceased.

The person in the front was the dashing young master of the wulin Gongsun Yunchang, wearing a pale blue gown and a long sword, he exuded an extraordinary aura, looking elegant and handsome.

Just behind him the beautiful young woman wearing green made every pair of eyes in the place shine. At first glance she seemed to be a celestial maiden who had just walked out of a painting, beautiful to take your breath away, especially her deep, bright diamond eyes, incredibly enchanting.

Narrow short-sleeved spring shirt, waistcoat embroidered with a cloud and thunder pattern, a long skirt that dragged on the ground, and on the belt around her slender waist hung an ancient-looking resplendent long sword and hundred-treasures bag (travel bag for necessities) which looked to be delicately wrought which caused people’s imaginations to run wild.

Behind her was an old gray-haired person with a youthful face, as well as the refined beautiful servant girl Gao Xiaoju, who also wore a sword.

“Leader of the Three Heroines of the Wulin, Myriad Flower Mountain Village Heavenly Steed Soaring Across the Skies Master of the Valley Gao Jun’s precious daughter, Gao Yanlan,” Three Hidden Hands said in a low voice. “Valley Master Gao is one of the Four Hegemons of Wind and Rain, his three sons and one daughter are all outstanding.”

“Didn’t Mountain Uprooting Tripod Lifting Huangfu send an invitation to Valley Master Gao to come out down off his mountain?” Evil Spirit asked, but his attention was fixed on Gongsun Yunchang.

“Valley Master Gao refused, he’s already openly declared that Myriad Flower Mountain Village would not participate in any public or private disputes within the jianghu.”

The appearance of a beautiful woman had caused a disturbance, but once they had entered the side room the hubbub gradually died down and returned to normal.

Of the four guests, the only one to see Yiping was the servant girl Gao Xiaoju. As soon as the servant girl met eyes with Yiping she immediately blushed, dropped her head and smiled shyly.

Yiping’s dress today was particularly outstanding, a sky-blue gown overflowing with elegance, like that of an immortal, making him look refined and elegant. But compared with the heroic, haughty Gongsun Yunchang, he clearly lacked in heroic spirit.

The screen blocked their line of vision so the customers couldn’t see what was going on.

Evil Spirit’s gaze returned from the screen and fell on Three Hidden Hands’ face. “Strange, indeed a bit odd.”

Three Hidden Hands took a drink of wine, asked, “Brother Hu, what’s strange?”

“Isn’t Young Master Gongsun Mountain Uprooting Tripod Lifting Huangfu’s sworn enemy?” Evil Spirit said doubtfully.

“That’s right! That little bastard has banded together with a group of reckless exiles, these past two years they’ve tried to assassinate Official Yan five times, each time without success, and every time suffering heavy casualties. He himself has been wounded three times and had to run for his life.”

“You’re Mountain Uprooting’s subordinate.”

“Yes, My nominal title is squad leader, but I have no official status, my direct superior is Commander Pluck the Stars Luo Tianzhong.”

“That’s odd.” Evil Spirit said offhand, “You see your sworn enemy yet you remain indifferent, isn’t that strange?”

“There are things you don’t know, Brother Hu,” Three Hidden Hands said. With a mouthful of meat his words were garbled, “That little bastard’s swordsmanship is even more fearful than his son of a ***** father, Sword of Heaven and Earth Gongsun Zhou. And he’s observant as hell, his qinggong also stands out, he’s not easy to deal with. Commander Huangfu dispatched a person specially to deal with him, he’s forbid anyone else from acting rashly in order to avoid beating the grass to alert the snake (inadvertently alert an opponent). So I’m not worried about matters that don’t concern me, so we won’t provoke that arrogant little bastard.”

“Since last year when we pursued and attacked that old dog Retribution God Fan in Poyang, the superiors have given us four the cold shoulder, they never send us out to join in escorting Official Yan,” Six Fingers ban He said coldly. “We were sent to Wuchang to watch the salt warehouses, if we didn’t steal some salt and sell it on the sly to make a little extra money we’d really have to go back home and nibble cornbread.”

“What? You distinguished men of the Dark Way were sent to guard the salt warehouses?” Evil Spirit couldn’t help being astounded. “Was there some mistake with your attack on Retribution God?”

“Actually you can’t count it as a slip-up.”

Three Hidden Hands explained, “That time Cloud-Stroking Hand Huang Feihong was in charge. That son of a ***** was a famed pugilist of the Light Way, he blamed us for making off with something en route, secretly robbing a wealthy family. He complained to Commander Pluck the Stars and we made a counter-accusation against him, said he embezzled some untaxed salt in Huangzhou at the beginning of last year.

“So, we offended Inner Commander Hidden Dragon of the Hinterlands Zhang Jun. Cloud-Stroking Hand is Hidden Dragon of the Hinterlands’ cousin, so that’s why we’re not stuck in the cold palace like this.” (”Cold palace” is where disfavored concubines were banished; so they’re in limbo.)

“I see.” Evil Spirit Hu Tai suddenly said, “Seems like you being called here to Yuezhou must be for some important use.”

“Let’s hope so,” Three Hidden Hands said unsteadily.

“It really seems something big is about to go down in Yuezhou……Eh……” Evil Spirit’s words were stuck in his throat, his face sank, his gaze returned from Yiping in the distance, he immediately put everything down and stood up. “I just remembered something important, I have to go.”

He paid no attention to the stunned, confused four sitting at the table, Evil Spirit said he had to go and did, he hurriedly went down the stairs and slunk off.

Yiping hadn’t been paying attention to Evil Spirit Hu Tai. His eyes were focused on the side room Gao Yanlan had entered.

His heart was not on Gao Xiaoju. Though Gao Xiaoju was also extremely beautiful, but compared with the budding young beauty Gao Yanlan, she was certainly inferior, she lacked just the right amount of ripe beauty.

There are few men in the world who are unmoved by feminine charms.

A man who didn’t love beautiful women must have something wrong with him, his mind and body would need a detailed examination. Yiping was a normal, mentally and physically strong, ripe young man, it would be a lie to say he wasn’t aroused by the strikingly beautiful young lady Gao Yanlan.

He had wandered about the jianghu with Mystical Goblin for ten years, actually they weren’t charging about, Mystical Goblin didn’t poke his nose in others’ business, he just wanted to open Yiping’s eyes a bit, let him get some experience.

His daily martial arts practice was not casual, when he dropped to bed from fatigue he still dreamed of practicing martial arts, he suffered unspeakable misery, his energy always used up in practicing, how could he still have a mind to think of women?

Not until amply fed and clothed does one think of lust, only an idle person will wallow in female charms. To a person who works to the bone all day long, a bed is much more lovely than a woman, he will fall fast asleep as soon as he hits the bed. An exhausted person is unwilling to go look for a woman!

After Mystical Goblin let him go, though he continued to practice every day, no one was forcing him to practice diligently, so his mind relaxed! His time for indulging in flights of fancy increased.

No wonder he had become drunk on Gao Yanlan’s unsurpassed elegance, a fleeting glimpse of a beauty and an unprecedented mysterious force shook him to the core in mysterious waves.

Now and then he would think of the gentle like water, lovely young girl Wei Chunchun.

Chunchun was a completely different type of girl than Gao Yanlan, though Chunchun’s clear and pretty refinement no one could match. But he was a man of the jianghu, naturally he regarded heroines with particular fondness, feeling, and affinity.

Most importantly, he didn’t think well of the Wei family. Especially that Little Tyrant. As soon as he saw him he had an impulse to beat the little bastard.

Wei Chunchun’s image had already vanished from his heart.

Next to Gao Yanlan was the elegant, distinguished Young Master Gongsun Yunchang. But he wasn’t afraid of competition, just wait and see!

Sword of Heaven and Earth Gongsun Zhou was one of the Four Hegemons of Wind and Rain, the two families were on good terms with each other, which followed as a matter of course.

Gongsun Yunchang appearing beside Gao Yanlan as her escort was not at all surprising.

He secretly took care to wait for a good chance. He had fallen in love at first sight, the God of Love had quietly opened the door of his heart that had been sealed for a long time.

If the matter doesn’t concern you then getting involved will lead to chaos.

[whiteskwirl]

Chapter 5 continued...

Gongsun Yunchang was a cause of disasters, wherever he went some disaster occurred. Last time he was present at Southern Mountain Wei’s residence, and the entire family was nearly wiped out.

If Gao Yanlan didn’t part ways with Gongsun Yunchang, maybe anytime, anyplace she could be surrounded and attacked by Mountain Uprooting’s master-hands.

He was very worried for Gao Yanlan’s safety, there was a lot weighing on his mind, but he didn’t know what he should do.

He wanted to hear what they were talking about in there, but there was too much distance between them, and in the midst of this hubbub, listening was easier said than done.

Inside the room the guests were conversing happily.

Gongsun Yunchang was acting as host, he called for some light Dongting spring wine and several choice delicacies. There were two tables set up in the room, the old servant and Xiaoju naturally couldn’t sit at the same table, so the four sat two at each table.

There were three rounds of drinks, but Gao Yanlan didn’t really drink, she merely made a show of putting it to her lips. It was not lacking in proper etiquette for the precious daughter of a wealthy and influential family to not drink wine.

Gongsun Yunchang finished his second cup of wine and smiled, “If we hadn’t been staying at the same inn I fear I would have missed this opportunity to see you. The Three Heroines are widely known among the jianghu, you are honored as first among them, these past two years you’ve become famous overnight, everyone in the wulin respects you, I’ve long wanted to make your acquaintance but have not had the chance to do so. You travel all over the world with no fixed abode, drifting from place to place like smoke. And though I carry a sword to eliminate traitors, and have sworn to kill the traitor Huangfu, and would go through fire and water to see justice carried out, I have forgotten about matters such as love and friendship. Last year I went with my father to pay my respects to your father, and I heard you had gone on a long journey to the Eastern Great Mountain (Mt. Tai), it was not my good fortune to meet you. To have the chance to run into you here today is enough to console me for the rest of my life.”

Gao Yanlan gave a winsome smile, “I think we met once five or six years go, I remember it was at……”

“At Mt. Hua, on Dark Dragon Ridge.” Gongsun Yunchang stared at Gao Yanlan, “Back then you were an ugly tall, thin girl, a girl really does change a lot from childhood to adulthood, you’ve become like a celestial maiden. If old Uncle Gao Zhong were not here, how could I have recognized you?”

“Oh! Was I really as ugly as you say I was back then?” Gao Yanlan laughed, a sweet laugh, a moving laugh, the dimples on her left cheek were very very deep.

Gongsun Yunchang’s heart swayed, he watched her intensely.

“Well, answer me!” Gao Yanlan said.

Gongsun Yunchang calmed his mind, laughed, “I was only kidding, actually everyone knows you’re a beauty. And extremely audacious. I remember you ran three li up the most dangerous mountain ridge. Does the now most beautiful woman in the country still dare to climb a mountain to explore its deep recesses?”

“Occasionally I do.” Gao Yanlan was full of enthusiasm, “I was just planning to take a boat out on Dongting for half a month, then head up the river to Qingcheng. Are you interested?”

“I can keep you company,” He answered offhand. “I know Mt. Jun’s Bai Li, he has a pleasure boat you can borrow.”

“Oh! You have time to get away?”

“Why not?” Gongsun Yunchang heaved a deep sigh, “I really ought to rest for a few days. This time I went to Returning Goose Peak, I had wanted to invite Southern Mountain out of retirement, but I was pursued by Spirit Calling Envoy and his evil lot, and nearly brought harm to Southern Mountain and his family.”

“About your business, I’m really sorry!” Gao Yanlan looked apologetic, she said, “My father is certainly willing, but unable to help, he’s weary of the life of fighting, the glint and flash of cold steel. Last time when you and your father paid him a visit, but left empty-handed, he really felt ashamed.”

“But from what I understand, at the end of last year your father made a secret trip to Five Tiger Ridge to Little Hidden Mountain Village to meet with Northern Mountain Sword Hegemon Chang Zongyuan.”

Gongsun Yunchang poured wine for the lady. “Word spread among the wulin about Northern Mountain leaving the mountain to help Benefactor Wu. My father is Benefactor Wu’s strongest supporter, what’s the difference between your father helping Uncle Wu and helping my father?”

“My father indeed went to Little Hidden Mountain Village on Five Tiger Ridge.” Gao Yanlan said simply, “But from what I know he didn’t talk about joining hands with Master Chang to help Benefactor Wu, but to explain Crazy Lady Old Yang of the Six Freaks of the Jianghu charging into our valley and causing a ruckus. Northern Mountain Chang has feelings for Crazy Lady and mistakenly thought my father had maltreated her, so my father went to explain things. At that time my father actually didn’t fight Crazy Lady.”

“Have you heard whether or not Northern Mountain Chang is willing to come out of retirement?”

“From what my father said, Uncle Wu send people there three times to persuade him, but whether or not Master Chang was persuaded, I haven’t heard.”

“It’s just as well if he doesn’t,” Gongsun Yunchang said thoughtlessly.

“Do you know Master Chang’s good friend, Heaven and Earth Up His Sleeves Bai Xiaotian?”

“Of course I know him, he’s one of the Four Great Mysterious Eccentrics of the Jianghu, everyone in the wulin knows that there are very few who really know him.”

“I heard my dad say Heaven and Earth Up His Sleeves might already be hiding out with Uncle Wu to help him plot to eliminate the traitors of the nation, but I’m not sure if it’s really the case.”

“Really?” Gongsun Yunchang’s face changed. “In that case it’s only a matter of time before Northern Mountain Chang comes out of retirement to help Uncle Wu.”

“If Northern Mountain Chang really does come out of retirement than that will change the course of things for you all, you should be happy.”

“Yes, we really should toast to this news.” Gongsun Yunchang raised his cup, “Virtuous Sister, a toast. Tomorrow, I will go find Bai Li and borrow that boat so we can take a nice trip to Dongting and cast off for the moment these vexing matters of sword and sabre.”

The old servant Gao Zhong at the other table had immersed himself in drink, seemingly deaf-and-dumb, completely oblivious to everything else.

Xiaoju ate and unwittingly sized up Gongsun Yunchang.

Outside the room Zhuang Yiping was waiting anxiously, but ultimately he had to pay his bill and return to the inn.

There was an entrance hall between the inn and the tavern, convenient for guests at the inn to go to the tavern to eat.

It was nominally a hall, but it was not a place for guests to rest. The inn’s front desk area was broad and active, you could see all the activity of people entering the entrance hall.

When Gongsun Yunchang and Gao Yanlan and the servants passed through the entrance hall as they returned to the inn, Zhuang Yiping saw everything from his spot in the corner of the front desk area.

Soon, he appeared on the west main street.

About a dozen steps ahead of him to men clad in dark blue hurried along, suddenly turning north down an alley. The two men separated, one going ahead of the other.

The man in the lead was about forty years old or so, with a plain face, he looked amiable and honest, the kind that would take abuse from others without complaining.

The alley was worthy of its name, it was really small, the fire walls on either sized pressed in down the alley’s twist and turns, it was dark there even during the daytime. Occasionally you would see one or two people coming and going through a small dim door.

The man’s steps were urgent, he could distinctly hear the sound of footsteps behind him. He assumed it was his companion following twenty or thirty steps behind.

Ahead the way was blocked by a thick bamboo wall, it was a dead-end alley.

The man turned and looked behind him, but there was no one around, footsteps echoed not far away, his companion would likely be here soon.

In the corner there were a few bricks. The man picked one up and pounded out a string of signals. From another corner another man appeared.

“Wait for me, someone will send a signal,” the man who knocked on the wall said. He crouched down and sprang up to the tiling and disappeared behind the roof ridge.

The following man stared blankly and started forward.

Crossing the roof ridge there was a courtyard, neither large nor small. A person stood in the courtyard, who said to the man floating down, “Second Master just arrived, do you have important information?”

“Yes, Second Master is here, that’s perfect,” the man said hurriedly, then entered the building.

The man waiting in the courtyard followed him in.

This was a building for storing odds and ends, split into three rooms, the middle housed simple beds, stools, low tables, tables, all stacked up on the right and left sides.

There were three people inside.

Four including the man who had just leapt over the wall. The walls were only one layer of brick thick, so those inside could clearly hear him knocking on the wall from the other side, it was extremely ideal.

Second Master was a goateed dark-blue clothed priest’s robe wearing tall and thin man.

The man who entered saluted, and said respectfully, “I’ve received a message, time is of the essence so I came here to report.”

“You’ve worked hard, let me see it,” Second Master said.

The man made several gestures with his left hand, then said, “Brother Zhao needs to be replaced, seems someone was tailing us, Second Master do you want me to investigate who was tailing us?”

“All right, go rest for a bit, return to southern tower and take Brother Qian’s place keeping watch, no need to go to Bixiang Inn.”

“Yes sir, I’ll go, Brother Zhou is still keeping watch outside……”

Before he had finished speaking a man came straight in, it was the one outside keeping watch, Brother Zhou, who fell down in the middle of the room with a bang.

“Eh!” Second Master and two others exclaimed.

At the entrance stood Yiping with his hands behind his back, wearing a dark blue gown which rustled in the breeze. He laughed, “Using a dead-end alley to set up a communication station is not bad, but you still have to exit via the main road, it’s not the perfect condition.”

Second Master snorted and quickly raised his right hand and a blue ray shot out like lightning, three hidden weapons flew out from his palm one after another, whisting high, medium and low.

Yiping raised his left hand and flourished his large sleeve, his hand came out of the sleeve and brushed up and down, then he opened his palm and the three copper coins were piled up in his palm, they were Hongwu copper coins sharpened around the edges.

“Very pretty coin throwing technique.” Yiping smiled mildly, “I can return these to you, but only if you confess, otherwise……”

The man who had made the hand signals pounced forward, his hands touched the ground and his body slanted to the side as without warning he threw a flying dagger.

Yiping didn’t use the flying coins to counterattack, instead he extended two fingers on his right hand and caught the tip of the flying dagger, and with a shake of his hand threw it back.

The flying dagger spun twice, finally it was pointing forward. The man had just straightened up but was not yet standing stable when his right foot was nailed to the floor by the flying dagger.

“Ai……” The man yelled, and he squatted.

At the same instant Second Master took out the dagger he had concealed under his clothes and dashed out.

“Ching!” The first flying coin zipped through the air and was gone in a flash, wedging itself in Second Master’s right shoulder well acupoint.

“Clang!” His dagger dropped to the ground and Second Master shook as if he had been struck by lightning, but he still rushed outside. His right arm was already useless, but his left hand extended to grab the door frame to block anyone from rushing in.

Yiping just crossed the threshold and entered the room, he blocked Second Master’s left shoulder and pressed down, and his left shoulder well acupoint was immediately deadened.

“Ah……” Second Master cried out and fell down.

“You two are smart,” Yiping said to the two other men standing dumbly in shock. “Come here, I promise you won’t get hurt, come!”

The two men as if hypnotized came forward apprehensively.

Yiping pointed at two places and the two men laid down.

Soon, except for Second Master, the four men were all lying down.

The flying coin was embedded in Second Master’s right shoulder well, you could still see its sharp edge covered in blood. He had been placed on a long bench, his eyes wide like dead fish eyes as he grit his teeth in pain.

Yiping sat to the side holding a small tree branch in his hand. He pointed with it at the still-bleeding wound and said calmly, “Okay, now let’s talk. What I have plenty of is time, the two rooms in front are all empty, so if your buddies arrive I will know well in advance, so I’m going to question you one by one. Whoever tells a different story will suffer for it, you might even go see King Yama (Lord of the Underworld). Now we’ll start with you, are you willing to cooperate?”

“I’m already meat on a chopping board, it’s up to you,” Second Master said through clenched teeth.

“Good, good. What’s your full name?”

“I’m Tian Rengui, nicknamed Earth God of All Directions, ranked second……”

“Yo! So it’s the famed Second Master Tian of Hu-Guang. Excuse my lack of manners. Ooh! I get it.”

“You get what?”

“You don’t get to ask me, I ask you.”

Yiping’s right hand formed a gourd dipper and he waved it left and right, then up and down twice. “Tell me, what is this gesture? I understand many Dark Way hand gestures, but you Light Way heroes’ haphazard hand gestures I’m not quite familiar with. You better pray to Heaven your companions know them, otherwise it will be pretty inconvenient for you.”

“The first one is look for a boat, a medium-sized boat. The latter means two fast boats, small ones.”

“I see, a large boat is a shake, a small fast boat is float and sink.” He suddenly smiled, extended his first and middle fingers and cut up and down several times, then poked his thumb. “Brother Tian, what gesture is this?”

“The boatman must be a good swimmer.”

“And this one?”

Yiping’s left hand pressed down on his left shoulder, his forefinger touched it three times.

“The day after tomorrow you must have everything ready and prepared.”

“Brother Tian, what’s your relationship like with Sword of Heaven and Earth?” Yiping changed the topic. “I hope you won’t lie.”

“I don’t know Sword of Heaven and Earth,” Earth God of All Directions said bluntly.

“Really? Sword of Heaven and Earth’s son Young Master of the Wulin, you don’t know him either? You’re not lying to me?”

“Brother, how can a lowly figure like me make friends with the world’s most eminent Bodhisattva? You flatter me.”

“That’s odd, you all transmit messages for Young Master of the Wulin, yet say you don’t know him, you want me to believe that?”

“Brother, you must believe it. We received word to come to Yuezhou at the appointed time and away further instructions, every person has his assigned task, including me. I also don’t know the details.

“According to what Yang the Seventh said, he and Zhou the Fifth were assigned to Bixiang Inn to keep a lookout on one Gongsun Yunchang’s communication hand gestures, altogether there were three teams of six people in charge of this duty. As for Gongsun Yunchang’s background, not only were we not told, we’re also not allowed to ask.”

“Gongsun Yunchang is Number One Under Heaven Fortress’ Young Master.”

“I know, but I’ve never met him, I don’t know if he’s tall or short, I don’t concern myself with matters that don’t concern me. The more you know, the more opportunities you have to die.”

“Who’s in charge of you all in Yuezhou?”

“I don’t know that either.”

Earth God of All Directions gave a pained smile, “The one who commands us is a person named Ban Ziqiang, where that’s his real name or not I don’t know. I have six people under me. I also don’t know their backgrounds very well, they all gathered at the appointed time, no one wanted to ask too many questions about each other. If you want to know you can seek them out one by one, probably you will find the one who is the leader.”

“How do I have time to go ask each one? Where is Ban Ziqiang hiding out at?”

“My news must be dispatched quickly, he’s staying on a boat outside Bixiang Inn. You can follow me, you might find him, he should be waiting on the boat to receive each party’s messages so he can sort them out and handle them.”

“I don’t feel like asking about your all’s bullshit.”

Yiping threw away the tree branch. “Bear with it for a bit, I’ll get you some medicine for that wound.”

Soon he was back at Bixiang Inn, his misgivings mounting.

It stood to reason that Earth God of All Direction’s and them’s organization was large and well-experienced, engineered by many talented men, and strong capable men had been called together to devise a strategy to secretly protect and assist Gongsun Yunchang.

Of course it wasn’t Sword of Heaven and Earth himself, his objective was too large, and he was keeping a close watch on Mountain Uprooting Tripod Lifting Huangfu. While waiting for the time to act during Official Yan’s inspection tour, he wouldn’t slip away to Yuezhou.

Then, there was a problem.

Gongsun Yunchang had went to Returning Goose Peak as a guest of Retired Scholar of Southern Mountain to persuade him to pick up his sword and come out of retirement to help fight, so why had no bodyguards appeared around him? Where were the people responsible for protecting him hiding out at?”

There was but one possibility: Gongsun Yunchang was afraid of causing a misunderstanding with Southern Mountain, so he didn’t bring his secret bodyguards with him.

As his doubts and suspicions piled up, his mind eventually relaxed a little. If there were secret bodyguards, at least there would be no serious threats to Miss Gao’s safety.

His mind was completely focused on Gao Yanlan, her love charms were powerful.

Maybe it was a coincidence that Gongsun Yunchang’s room was the same that Nine Extremes Deity and Evil Spirit had stayed in. In other words, next to Miss Gao.

The room on the other side of the lady was the old servant Gao Zhong’s room.

Yiping returned too late, from the inn assistant he learned that Gongsun Yunchang and Miss Gao had already checked out of the inn an hour before.

His heart jumped, he packed up and left the inn himself.

There were many shops along the street, from his inquiries with the shopkeepers along the street he learned what direction Miss Gao had went.

Soon, he exited Clear Marsh Gate.

On the outskirts south of the cit was a mountainous area. Two or three li out was the mountain facing Mount Baqiu, White Crane Mountain, and even farther out was Nine Turtle Mountain, and south of the mountain was Old Man Lake.

Nine Turtle Mountain was nine mountains linked together to form the shape of a turtle.

This area had a lot of villages close to the lake, most of the villagers were fishermen.

A small trail leads through Immortal Lü Pond, and before long the mountain descends and if you raise your eyes and look in the distance you can sea the vast mist-covered Dongting Lake, water the color of the sky.

On the west side is Mt. Pian which looks like a small skiff, and on top is Mute Lady Pagoda, exquisitely wrought and lovely. Thirty li outside Mt. Jun, floating on the mist-covered waters the sails of many ships are visible, set off by white clouds in their splendor.

Gongsun Yunchang and Miss Gao stood shoulder to shoulder enjoying the natural beauty of the lake. Nearby on the mountain a dark green dense forest was deep and tranquil.

END CHAPTER 5

[Laoren]

Thanks whiteskwirl for the 2 chapters.

[徐中銳]

Thanks very much, I only began last night. Because starting to read a new translation has become the hardest for me.

Will definitely support, patiently awaiting...

[I]Thanks for reading everyone, hope you're liking it. This part is the last for chapter one. Chapter two will begin shortly. I won't be able to post so quickly all the time, but I wanted to get the first chapter done because it is always the hardest for me for some reason.

[spynet]

Thanks whiteskwirl

[WesY2K]

Wow! Just got into Wuxia reading again and book 1 is almost done! Thank you so much.