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Thread: Bai Ma Xiao Xi Feng

  1. #61
    Senior Member junzi's Avatar
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    Li Wenxiu’s heart beat furiously. She had only learnt a bit of martial arts, and did not know whether this stroke was really usable. When she was young, she had learnt some martial arts from her parents. But after her parents died, she did not practice martial arts anymore, and forgot completely about them. As she faced these two fierce-looking bandits, she was well and truly terrified. The best thing she could do without dueling would be scaring them off, by making an empty show of strength. Loudly, she cried, “If you still do not flee, my master ‘One Finger Shakes Jiangnan’ will come out! His killing of people using poisoned needles is as easy as taking something out of a bag. You are really audacious to dare to set yourself against him!” These two bandits were common characters, and had vaguely heard of ‘One Finger Shakes Jiangnan’ many years ago. But since they had no connections with him, they did not put his name to heart. They glanced meaningfully at each other, and thought, “If we catch this girl as soon as possible so that she can be taken to First Master Huo and Second Master Chen, we will have done a huge service to them. Who cares if he shakes Jiangnan or Jiangbei?” Calling out in chorus, they leapt towards her from both the left and right sides.

    Li Wenxiu was stunned: “How shall I use this ‘Stars and Moon Vying for Splendour’ stroke, since they are both attacking me simultaneously?” Hua Hui had wholeheartedly taught her how to deliver strokes to hit the enemy’s acupoints, but had forgotten to teach her how to deal with them if both of them attacked her together. After all, when exchanging strokes with opponents, there would be a myriad changes in delivering the strokes. How much could one teach another in two to four hours? Li Wenxiu was in a frantic tangle, and leapt three chi (about 1.5 metres) to the right. The bandit surnamed Quan was standing on her right, and was the first to dash towards her. Without a single care, she swung both bottle gourds outwards. In her anxious state, she delivered the stroke ‘Stars and Moon Vying for Splendour’ only half-correctly. The left hammer did hit his Shang Qu Acupoint located on his chest, but the right hammer hit the blade of his long sabre. With a swish, the gourd was sliced open by the blade. Yellow sand flew everywhere.

    The one surnamed Song ran up, and had almost reached her. He did not expect that a large amount of yellow sand would fly out of the gourd. Some ten grians of sand went into his eyes, and raising his hands, he quickly rubbed his eyes. Li Wenxiu swung her hammer outwards again, but since the the right hammer had split, its power was lessened. It did hit his back, but not his Ling Tai Acupoint. But when this flying hammer weighing seven or eight jin made contact with his back, he stumbled. Without opening his eyes, he threw himself forwards and grabbed hold of Li Wenxiu’s shoulders. Li Wenxiu cried, “Aiyo!” Using her left hand, she hurriedly pushed him away. But in her flurry, she had forgotten that she still a poisoned needle in her hand. The push made the poisoned needle prick his belly. His arms stiffened, and he died.

    Although he had died, his arms still grasped her very tightly. Li Wenxiu struggled vigorously but was unable to shake him off. Hua Hui (I don’t know how come he suddenly appears here, maybe the text I got off the internet is inaccurate) sighed, “Stupid girl, when you were learning, you were excellent, but when you put it into practical use, you make a mess!” Lifting his leg, Hua Hui kicked him in the tailbone. The corpse loosened its grip, and fell backwards.

    Li Wenxiu had not recovered from her fright. She turned to look at the bandit surnamed Quan, and saw that he was lying straight on the ground. His eyes were open wide, and he was motionless. He had been killed after her sand-filled bottle gourd had hit one of his vital acupoints. Li Wenxiu had killed five people in succession in a single day. Although she had avenged her parents’ deaths and resisted evil, she still felt uneasy. Gazing at the two corpses sadly, she could not help but burst into tears.

  2. #62
    Senior Member junzi's Avatar
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    Hua Hui smiled, “Why are you crying? Isn’t the stroke ‘Stars and Moon Vying for Splendour’, which I taught you, excellent?” Li Wenxiu sobbed, “I…… I killed people again.” Hua Hui said, “What is killing a few little crooks worth? When I regain my martial arts skills, I will impart all of them to you. When you have mastered all of them, we’ll return to the Central Plains. Then, both master and disciple will control the pugilistic world, unrivalled by no one. Come, come to my house to take a rest and have a cup of hot tea or two.” As he spoke, he led her towards the back of the forest on the left side. After walking for about a li, they passed a row of white birches and arrived in front of a thatched cottage.

    Li Wenxiu followed him into the cottage. She saw that although it was sparsely furnished, it was clean and elegant. In the centre of the hall hung a pair of wooden couplets, and on each plank was carved seven characters. The first couplet read, “Bai shou xiang zhi you an jian.” The second couplet read, “Zhu men zao da xiao tan guan.” Ever since she came to the Muslim Region, she had never seen any couplets. Neither did anyone teach her how to read. But these fourteen characters were not difficult to recognise, and her mother had taught her these characters before.

    However, she did not understand their literary meaning, and muttered, “Bai shou xiang zhi you an jian……” Hua Hui asked, “Have you ever read this poem before?” Li Wenxiu answered, “I’ve never read it before. What are these fourteen characters describing?” Hua Hui was well versed in both the artistic and martial arts, and said, “These are two lines of a poem by Wang Wei. The first couplet says, if you have a bosom friend, and you’ve befriended him for you whole life and even when your hair has turned white, you must still never trust him, for he may try to harm you secretly. When he walks in front of you, you had better hold on to the hilt of your sword. The line before these two is “Ren qing fan fu shi bo lan” (the ups and downs of human relationships are like great waves). As for the line “Zhu men zao da xiao tan guan”, it means that your friend is proud of his successes and rising swiftly to fame. However, if you hope that he will promote or help you, you will only provoke him to ridicule you.”

    After Li Wenxiu met him, she saw that he was extremely suspicious and cautious of her. He had believed that she no intention of harming him only after she had removed the poisoned needles from his body. As she looked at this pair of couplets again, she thought that he must have been greatly harmed by someone sometime in his life, and this person was probably a bosom friend of his. That was why he reacted so furiously and suspiciously to everyone. But at this moment, it was inappropriate for her to prod further, so she went off to boil water for brewing tea.

    After drinking two cups of hot tea each, their spirits rose. Li Wenxiu said, “Master, I must return.” Hua Hui felt surprised, and an extremely disappointed expression appeared on his face. He said, “You’re leaving? You’re not going to learn martial arts from me?” Li Wenxiu answered, “No! I didn’t return home for the entire of last night, and Grandfather Ji must miss me terribly. After I tell him what happened, I’ll come back and learn martial arts from you.” Hua Hui flew into a sudden fury. His face swelled and turned red, and loudly he said, “If you do tell him, then don’t ever come back to see me.” Li Wenxiu was taken aback, and in a low voice she said, “Can’t I tell Grandfather Ji what happened? He…… he dotes extremely on me.” Hua Hui said, “You cannot tell anyone. Quick, take an oath, vowing that you will not tell anyone what happened today. Or else, I will not let you leave this hill……” Due to his burst of fury, the wounds on his back ached terribly. With a cry, he fainted.

    Li Wenxiu hurriedly helped him up, and sprinkled some clean water on his forehead. After a while, he gradually awoke. Amazed, he asked, “You haven’t left?” But Li Wenxiu asked, “Is your back very painful?” Hua Hui answered, “I feel better now. You said you wanted to return home, how come you haven’t left?” Li Wenxiu thought, “At most, Grandfather Ji will miss me in his heart. But Master has suffered serious injuries, and if I don’t take care of him carefully, he might die.” So she said, “Master is unwell, let me stay on for a few days to attend to you.” Hua Hui was overjoyed.

    That night, both of them slept in the thatched cottage. Li Wenxiu found some dried grass, and made a bed in the hall. As she slept, she woke up several times from her dreams with a start. Not only did she dream that she had been caught by bandits, she also dreamed that evil spirits, dripping with blood, demanded her to return their lives.

    When she got up the next morning, she saw that Hua Hui was in excellent spirits after resting a night. After breakfast, Hua Hui taught her martial arts, starting from the basic internal skills. He said, “You are already quite old, and it is a little late for you to start learning superior martial arts now. But the disciple is naturally intelligent, and the master is no ordinary person. A famous teacher accepting a brilliant pupil, what is there to be afraid of? In five years’ time, you’ll be invincible in the pugilistic world.” After practicing for seven or eight days, her skills improved quickly. The wounds on Hua Hui’s back also gradually healed. Only then did she bid farewell to her master, and rode the white horse home. But Hua Hui did not force her to take an oath this time. After she returned home, she did not tell Grandfather Ji what had happened. Instead, she said that she had lost her way in the great desert, and the more she walked, the farther she went. Fortunately, she met a group of camel riders, and thus did not die of thirst in the desert.

    From then onwards, after ten days or half a month, Li Wenxiu would go and stay with Hua Hui. She was extremely afraid that she would meet bandits again, so whenever she left home, she wore the clothes of a Kazak man. During these stays, Hua Hui devoted all his attention to teaching her martial arts. Li Wenxiu had nowhere to place her hopes in, so she invested all her heart and soul into learning martial arts. Indeed, it was a case of a famous teacher accepting a brilliant pupil, and she made extremely rapid progress.

    Two years passed. Hua Hui often praised, “With your present capability, you can now be considered one of the top pugilists in the pugilistic world. If you return to the Central Plains and display your skills, you’ll become famous instantly.” But Li Wenxiu did not want to return to the Central Plains at all; neither did she want to become a famous pugilist. But she wanted to avenge her parents’ deaths, and to prevent herself from being harmed by bandits when she met them again, she had to perfect her martial arts skills. Deep down in her heart, another thought urged her on: “If I master the skills, I can win Su Pu back.” But she did not dare to think too much of this thought. Every time she thought of it, she would blush. Even though she did not dare to think too much of it, this thought was still hidden deep in her heart. Thus, she spent less time in old man Ji’s house, and more time at her master’s. Old man Ji did ask her a couple of times about it, but she refused to tell him. He knew that she was stubborn since she was young, and would never turn back once she had made a decision, so he did not press her.
    Last edited by junzi; 05-03-07 at 07:11 AM.

  3. #63
    Senior Member junzi's Avatar
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    One day, Li Wenxiu rode her white horse towards home, from her teacher’s house. Halfway into the journey, she realised that the sky was suddenly overcast with red clouds. The weather in the desert was unpredictable, and the northerly wind blew increasingly strongly. It seemed as if a huge blizzard was about to occur. She urged the horse to gallop more swiftly, and saw the shepherds herding their flocks home hurriedly, and there was not a single bird in the skies.

    As she was about to reach home, she suddenly heard hoof beats, and a horse galloped towards her. Li Wenxiu felt slightly puzzled: “How come some people are leaving their homes, when there’s a blizzard coming?” As the horse galloped closer, she saw that the rider had a large red woolen cloak draped over her shoulders. It was a Kazak woman.

    At this time, Li Wenxiu’s eyesight had improved greatly from two years ago. From far away, she could see that this woman had a graceful figure and beautiful face. It was A’man. Li Wenxiu did not wish to meet her face-to-face, so she turned her horse around, she moved to the south of a little hill, and reined in her horse behind some trees. But she saw that A’man also rode towards the little hill. When she neared the hillside, she gave a whistle. Then an answering whistle came from the trees on the top of the little hill. A’man leapt off the horse, and a man ran towards her. They embraced each other, laughing heartily. The man said, “There’s a blizzard coming in the twinkling of an eye, why are you still out here?”

    A’man laughed, “Little fool, since you knew a blizzard was coming, why did you wait bravely for me here?” Su Pu laughed, “Our meeting here every day is more important than eating. Even if I have to battle enemies, I will still come here to wait for you.” They sat on the hill, shoulder to shoulder, whispering sweet nothings to each other. Several trees away, Li Wenxiu could not help but become lost in reverie. Sometimes their conversations were loud, and could be heard very clearly; other times they became soft, and not a word could be heard. Suddenly, their conversation came to some funny happening, and they chuckled loudly together.

    But even if they spoke very loudly, Li Wenxiu heard but paid no attention for she was not eavesdropping on their lovers’ prattle. It was as if she saw a little boy and a little girl before her eyes, sitting shoulder to shoulder on the grass like they were doing now. The little boy was Su Pu, but the little girl was herself. They were telling stories, but as to what stories they were, she had long forgotten, but the scene from ten years ago still appeared clearly before her eyes……

    Snowflakes as large as chicken feathers floated down, one by one, falling on all three horses, falling on all three people. Su Pu and A’man were deeply engrossed in their conversation, and did not take notice, while Li Wenxiu did not feel a thing. The snowflakes piled up on their heads, turning their hair white.

    Several decades later, when the hair of all three of them really turned white, would Su Pu and A’man be talking and laughing happily together, and Li Wenxiu still be lonely as ever? While she continued to remember someone, did that someone have no trace of her in his heart? Suddenly, the branches resounded with loud noise. Su Pu and A’man jumped up together, crying out, “Hailstones are falling! Let’s go home quickly!”

    When Li Wenxiu heard their crying, she was roused from her reverie. Hailstones as big as fingers hit her head, face and hands, causing her to feel much pain. She hurriedly pulled out a woolen rug from beneath the saddle, and placed it on her head before riding home.

    As she neared the front door of her house, she saw that two horses were tied to the pillars of the verandah. One of them was the horse A’man had ridden. Li Wenxiu was stunned: “What did they come to my house for?” At this time, the falling hailstones became bigger and bigger, so she led the white horse away, and entered the house from the back door. She heard Su Pu’s bright, clear voice say, “Old Uncle, the hailstorm is really heavy, so we’ll have to stay a little longer.” The old man Ji answered, “Normally, I wouldn’t be able to get you as guests. I’ll go and brew a pot of tea.” Ever since the bandits from Jinwei Protection Agency plundered these pastures, the Kazaks hated Hans extremely. Even though old man Ji had lived there for a long time, and the Kazaks were naturally hospitable, they did not resort to driving him out, but instead distanced themselves from him. If there wasn’t a joyous occasion, they would not buy wine from him; if their sick livestock could not be cured, they would not ask him to treat them. Su Pu and A’man’s tents had by then relocated far away. If not for finding a place to shelter from the hailstorm, ten years could pass without them even coming to his house.

    The old man Ji walked to the stove, and saw that Li Wenxiu’s face was very red, and was sitting there, spellbound. He said, “Ah, you’re ba……” She got up and covered his mouth with her hand, and whispered into his ear, “Don’t let them know that I’m here.” The old man Ji was perplexed, but nodded his head.

    After a while, the old man Ji took out sheep’s milk wine, junket and black tea to serve to his guests. Li Wenxiu sat by the fire, and could hear the vague sounds of Su Pu and A’man’s conversations coming from the hall. She was unable to control one thought at the bottom of her heart: “I want to see him, and say something to him.” But then she recalled Su Lu’ke’s scoldings and whippings. For ten years, the sound of the whippings had continuously rung in her mind.

  4. #64
    Junior Member chardonnay's Avatar
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    ooh, say something to him gurl !!! forget the beatings, he's all grown up!!! aman annoys me.

  5. #65
    Senior Member junzi's Avatar
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    Old man Ji returned to the stove, and handed her a bowl of hot tea mixed with cream. His eyes shone with affection for her. Both of them had lived together for ten years, and their relationship like a grandfather and his real granddaughter. They showed care and concern to each other, but neither really knew what the other what thinking at the bottom of his heart.

    After all, they were not biologically related, and thus did not have that natural connection between related flesh and blood.

    Li Wenxiu suddenly said in a low voice, “I’m not going to change my clothes, and will pretend to be a Kazak man who is seeking shelter from the hailstorm at your house. You mustn’t give away my disguise.” Without waiting for him to answer, she left by the back door. She led her horse through the heavy blizzard, and walked away, quietly. She walked on for about a li, before she mounted the horse. Turning around, she galloped towards the front door. In the midst of strong gales, she felt as if the dark clouds were going to compress her head. She had lived in the Muslim Region for twelve years but had never seen the sky such a strange colour, and felt afraid.

    She rode up to the door, and knocked on it. In the Kazak language, she said, “Excuse me, excuse me!” Old man Ji opened the door and came out, and also using the Kazak language, asked, “Brother, what is it?” Li Wenxiu answered, “This heavy blizzard is really terrible. Sir, may I seek shelter in your honourable abode?” Old man Ji replied, “Of course, of course! People away from home do not carry their houses on their persons. There are already two friends here seeking shelter from the hailstorm. Brother, please enter!” As she spoke, he let Li Wenxiu to enter, and asked, “Where is Brother planning to go later?” Li Wenxiu said, “I want to go to the Black Stone Wall, how far is it from here?” But she thought, “Grandfather Ji’s pretense is faultless.” Grandfather Ji pretended to be surprised, and said, “Aiyo, you want to go to the Black Stone Wall? The weather is so bad, you won’t be able to reach it today. Why don’t you stay here for one night, and leave only tomorrow. If you lose your way, that wouldn’t be a trifling matter.” Li Wenxiu said, “I’m sorry to impose on you.” She went into the hall, and shook the snow off her body. She saw Su Pu and A’man sitting together shoulder to shoulder, around a fire. Su Pu smiles, “Brother, we’re also here to shelter from the hailstorm too. Please come over here to warm yourself.” Li Wenxiu said, “Good, many thanks!” She went over and sat next to him. A’man greeted her with a smile. Su Pu had not seen her for eight to nine years. She had grown from a little girl to a young woman, and was also pretending to be a man, so how could Su Pu recognize her? Old man Ji presented her with food and drink. As she ate, she asked the three people their names. She introduced herself as Asituo, and said that she was a Kazak shepherd from more than two hundred li away.

    Su Pu looked out of the window to look at the colour of the sky. Actually, just by listening to the sounds of the earth-shaking winds, and without looking at the sky, one could know that it was unwise to leave. A’man said worriedly, “Do you think the house will be blown away by the wind?” Su Pu answered, “I’m more worried that the snowfall will be so heavy that the roof will be unable to stand it. I’ll climb up to the roof and sweep off the snow later.” A’man said, “Don’t let the wind blow you off.” Su Pu laughed, “The layer of snow covering the ground is so thick, even if I fall down, I won’t die.” Li Wenxiu’s hand trembled slightly as she held the bowl of tea. Her thoughts were muddles, and she did not know what to think. Her childhood friend sat next to her. Did he really not recognise her, or had he recognised her, but was pretending not to? Had he forgotten her completely, or did he still remember her but was not willing to let A’man know? Dusk gradually fell, and Li Wenxiu sat further away. Su Pu and A’man held hands, and whispered sweet nothings to each other. Others would find them meaningless, but lovers found them pleasing to the ears. The firelight flickered, lighting both their faces.

    Li Wenxiu sat beyond the edge of the firelight.

    Suddenly, she heard the sound of hooves treading on snow. A horse was coming towards this house. The layer of snow on the pastures was extremely thick, and the horse used a lot of strength to move its legs, and was unable to run swiftly.

    As the horse approached, even old man Ji heard it, and muttered, “Another one who wants to shelter from the hailstorm.” Su Pu and A’man did not seem to have heard, or perhaps they heard but ignored it. Holding each other’s hands, they leant on each other and whispered things.

  6. #66
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    *droool* ADDICTED! ADDICTED! Great translation, Junzi! Keep going!!!

    Aristyar

  7. #67
    Senior Member junzi's Avatar
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    Happy New Year everyone!!! May you enjoy a fruitful 2004.

    Anyway, school's starting tomorrow, which means I won't be posting updates as frequently as before. But I'll try my best to post updates regularly.

  8. #68
    Senior Member Melanie's Avatar
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    Happy New Year, everyone! Su Pu and A'man's "whispered sweet nothings" are beginning to annoy me tremendously. I mean, SPEAK UP IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY!!! Can't believe Jin Yong didn't give my poor Wenxiu another tall, handsome guy.

  9. #69
    Senior Member PinePine's Avatar
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    junzi:

    Good job w/ the translations!! Is this a one-piece short story, or are there chapters? If it has chapters, then how many are there and how far are you??

    Keep up the great work!

  10. #70
    Senior Member junzi's Avatar
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    It's a short story, with no chapters. I'm halfway through.

  11. #71
    Senior Member junzi's Avatar
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    Happy Lunar New Year everyone!

    An update, finally.

  12. #72
    Senior Member junzi's Avatar
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    After quite a while, the horse reached the front door. Then there was a rapping on the door. The rapping was extremely rude, and did not have the courtesy of someone seeking shelter. Old man Ji furrowed his brow, then went to open the door, only to see a tall, well-built man standing there. The man, who was bearded, wore a woollen coat, and a long sword hung at his waist. Loudly he said, “The hailstorm outside is really heavy, and my horse cannot move!” He spoke in broken Kazak. His bright eyes scrutinized everyone on the house. Old man Ji said, “Please come in. First, have a bowl of wine!” As he spoke, he handed a bowl of wine to him. That man finished the wine in one gulp. He sat next to the fire, and when he removed his outer coat, one could see a pair of shiny daggers stuck at his waist. One of the daggers had a golden hilt; the other, a silver one.

    When Li Wenxiu saw this pair of daggers, her heart lurched, and she felt as if there was an obstruction in her throat. Giddy, she thought, “Those are Mama’s daggers.” Although Li Wenxiu was very young when ‘Gold and Silver Little Swords Sanniangzi’ had died, but there was no mistake; she recognised this pair of daggers very clearly. She shot a sideways glance at the man, and recognised him. He was one of the three leaders who had led the men on a pursuit of her parents. After twelve years, her facial features and posture had completely changed, but when a thirty-something man to age twelve years, there would be hardly any physical changes. She was very afraid that he would recognise her, so she did not dare to look too frequently at him, and thought, “If not for this heavy snowstorm, I would not be able to see Su Pu or this bandit.” Old man Ji asked, “Where does Sir come from? You are going to a faraway place, aren’t you?” The man answered, “Yes, yes.” Then he poured another bowl of wine and drank it.

    At this time, there were five people sitting around the fire, so Su Pu could not continue whispering sweet nothings to A’man. He gazed at old man Ji for a moment, and suddenly said, “Old Uncle, I would to ask you about someone.” Old man Ji asked, “Who is it?” Su Pu answered, “It was a little Han girl with whom I used to play with frequently when I was young……” As he spoke, Li Wenxiu’s heart gave a sudden leap. She turned away, not daring to look at him. She heard Su Pu continue, “She was called A’xiu. Later, eight or nine years passed and I never saw her again. She lived with an old grandfather of Han descent. So that must’ve been you?” Old man Ji coughed several times, attempting to receive a signal from Li Wenxiu’s expressions. But Li Wenxiu had turned her head away. He did not know how to answer, and muttered “Um, um” non-committally.

    Su Pu continued, “She could sing extremely well, and some said she sang better than the Tianling birds. But for the past few years, I have not heard her singing. Does she still live with you?” Old man Ji was very embarrassed, and said, “No, no! She isn’t…… she isn’t here anymore……” Li Wenxiu interrupted, “I also knew the Han girl that you speak of. She has been dead for quite a few years now!” Su Pu was stunned, “Ah, she’s dead, how did she die?” Old man Ji glanced at Li Wenxiu, and said, “It was an illness…… an illness……” Tears glistened in his eyes, and he said, “I used to herd sheep with her when I was young. She sang many songs for me, and told me many stories. I hadn’t seen her for quite a few years, and I did not expect that she…… she had died.” Old man Ji sighed, “Ai, poor child.”

    Su Pu gazed into the flames, lost in thought for a moment, then said, “She said that her parents had been killed by evil people, and she came to this place, orphaned and helpless……” A’man asked, “This girl must’ve been very beautiful?” Su Pu answered, “I was very young at that time, and cannot remember now. I only remember that she sang songs very well, and told stories very well too……” The man with the daggers stuck at his waist suddenly said, “Are you talking about a little Han girl? Her parents were harmed, and she came here alone?” Su Pu replied, “Yes, did you know her too?” The man did not answer, but asked, “She rode a white horse, didn’t she?” Su Pu said, “Yes, so you’ve met her before.” The man stood up suddenly. To old man Ji, he demanded fiercely, “She died in this house of yours?” Old man Ji made an ambiguous response. The man asked, “Where are the things she left behind? Have you kept them carefully?” Old man Ji gave him a sideways glance, and asked, amazed, “What has this got to do with you?” The man answered, “That little girl stole an important object from me. I searched for her everywhere but to no avail, but I never expected that she had died……” Su Pu leapt up, and said loudly, “Don’t talk nonsense, why would A’xiu steal your things?” The man said, “What do you know?” Su Pu replied, “A’xiu has been with me since young, and she is a very very good girl, who would never steal someone else’s things.” The man tilted his mouth, making a scornful expression, and said, “But it so happened that she stole something from me.” Su Pu grabbed hold of the hilt of the sabre hanging at his waist, and shouted, “What is your name? I believe you’re not a Kazak, perhaps you are one of those Han bandits!”

    That man walked to the door, opened it and peered outside. Once the door was open, a blast of strong wind blew countless snowflakes inside. He saw that the snowstorm filled the entire area, and neither man nor horse would be able to move. He thought, “No one else will be coming here. I can easily defeat the woman, the old man, and the skinny youth in this house. But I will have to spend slightly more effort to defeat this strong youth.” But he was not too concerned about this, and said, “So what if I’m a Han? My surname is Chen, and my name is Dahai, and in the pugilistic world I am nicknamed Green Python Sword. Have you heard?”

    Su Pu did not understand these pugilistic customs of the Hans. Shaking his head, he said, “No, I’ve never heard. Are you a Han bandit?” Chen Dahai replied, “I’m a protection agent, and depend on defeating bandits for a living. So how could I be a bandit?” When Su Pu heard that he was not a bandit, the expression on his face immediately relaxed, and said, “You’re not a Han bandit, so everything is fine! I always said that there were good people among the Hans, but my father refused to believe me. You mustn’t say that A’xiu took your things ever again.”

    Li Wenxiu heard Su Pu defend her, and her heart stirred, “He did not forget me, did not forget me! He still treats me very well.” But she heard Chen Dahai continuously asking about the belongings that she had left behind, and felt puzzled, “I’ve never taken anything from him, whatever is he looking for?” Then she heard old man Ji ask, “What has Sir lost? That little girl was always honest, and I trusted her completely. She would never take another’s belongings.” Chen Dahai made a slight noise, and said, “It was a painting. Ordinary people would have no use for it, but because it was…… it was painted by my late father, so I must get that painting back. Since that little girl lived here before, did you ever see this painting?” Old man Ji inquired, “What kind of painting was it, depicting scenery or humans?” Chen Dahai said, “I believe it was…… was depicting scenery?” Su Pu smiled coldly and said, “You don’t even know what kind of painting it was, and still dare to accuse her of stealing it.” Chen Dahai flew into a great fury. With a swish, he pulled out the sword hanging from his waist, and yelled, “Little crook, are you tired of living? I can kill a whole lot of people and still not put it to heart.” Su Pu also pulled his sabre from his waist, and coldly said, “I’m afraid it isn’t that easy to kill a Kazak.” A’man cautioned, “Su Pu, don’t be ignorant like him.” After Su Pu heard what A’man said, he slowly placed his sabre back into its scabbard.
    Last edited by junzi; 03-24-04 at 11:05 AM.

  13. #73
    Senior Member fastclock's Avatar
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    Thank you.
    Enjoying the story so far.
    It's quite refreshing, because I have no knowledge of the story lines or the ending at all.

  14. #74
    Member jotaro's Avatar
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    This is cool. Thanks Junzi.

  15. #75
    Junior Member Quantum's Avatar
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    I have just read the threads...its the best story i heard or read so far
    BTW, i read up once that the people of Kazak are not full muslim (not true muslim) as people might say But hey this is not important

    And finally.... Thank you Junzi for posting the threads You've done a great job putting life in the translations.
    To live life like a dream is rare. To let it happen in reality is even more rare.

  16. #76
    Senior Member deathblade's Avatar
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    I have read quite a few fan translations and this is one of the best I've read. I can't wait for the next bit. Keep up the good work!

  17. #77
    Senior Member rabadi's Avatar
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    Hi junzi, I just started reading your translation today. Thanks for the translation.

    I just reached that part where Su Lu'ke lashed his whip to Li Wenxiu's face. Darn that man, bully a young girl like that

  18. #78
    Junior Member gigglypuff103's Avatar
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    Yes, this is such an engaging story, I can't wait until the next translation.

  19. #79
    Senior Member rabadi's Avatar
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    Hi junzi, hope everything is okay with school life, and hope you have more time to continue the translation. I can't hardly wait for what happens next to Li Wenxiu

  20. #80
    Senior Member junzi's Avatar
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    Thank you rabadi for your concern. School life is fine, but I'm really busy.

    Finally, an update! (Yes, I know it's quite short!)
    Last edited by junzi; 05-01-04 at 11:28 AM.

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