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Thread: A Happy Hero

  1. #261
    Senior Member Hoju!'s Avatar
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    --------------------------------------------------
    Chapter 18 – Lin TaiPing’s Secret
    --------------------------------------------------

    Guo DaLu further explained, “If she really is hiding because people are trying to track her down, then at least her actions should be more secretive. Yet every time I was at the pawnshop, I would see her everywhere, walking in and out. She did not seem like she afraid of people seeing her at all.”

    Yan Qi: “At the time, could you tell what type of person she was? Since people could not even tell who she was, why should she need to be afraid of being seen?”

    Guo DaLu: “You think that she did the same thing as Feng QiWu, that she altered her own appearance and disguised herself?”

    Yan Qi: “Feng QiWu is not the only person in jianghu who knows the art of disguises.”

    Guo DaLu: “Then how could Golden Lion and GunZi recognize her in one glance?”

    Yan Qi: “How do you know they recognized her when they saw her?”

    Guo DaLu: “If they hadn’t recognized her, why was it that they were so arrogant to HuoBoPi at first but then later became respectful?”

    Yan Qi blinked at him. “Well then, in your opinion, what do you think was going on?”

    Guo DaLu: “In my opinion, she and HuoBoPi must have some sort of special relationship; perhaps she is his old friend or perhaps she is his relative. Do you think that is reasonable?”

    Yan Qi: “Yes.”

    Guo DaLu beamed, “I never thought you would admit that my thinking is reasonable.”

    Yan Qi gave a little chuckle. “That is because that is what I was thinking in the first place.”

    Guo DaLu stopped for a moment. “If that is what you had been thinking, why did you argue with me just now?”

    Yan Qi: “Because I naturally like to disagree with you.”

    Guo DaLu gawked wide-eyed at him for a long time. “What if I said this snow is white?”

    Yan Qi giggled, “Then I would say it is black.”

    No matter how smart and capable you may be, there are times when you may come across your nemesis. No matter how great your abilities may be, the instant you meet your nemesis, you will not be able to use any of them. It seemed that Yan Qi was Guo DaLu’s nemesis; Guo DaLu was unable to do anything against him.

    Quite a long while passed before he suddenly let out a little laugh and remarked, “At least there is still one thing that you have to admit.”

    Yan Qi: “What is that?”

    Guo DaLu chuckled, “This time, HuoBoPi did not flay a single person’s skin.”

    Yan Qi disagreed, “You are wrong again.”

    With a sour smile, Guo DaLu sighed, “I am wrong again.”

    Yan Qi: “HuoBoPi flayed at least one person.”

    Guo DaLu: “Who?”

    Yan Qi: “Himself.”

    ********************


    Who was Lin TaiPing? Why were people willing to spend several thousand liang to find him? For what reason did they want to find him?

    Guo DaLu asked, “Why do you think these people want to find Lin TaiPing?” This time he had learned and was wiser. He did not first offer his opinion.

    Yan Qi mused, “What would make you willing to spend five, six thousand liang of silver to find someone?”

    Guo DaLu laughed and replied, “I would never do something like that.”

    Glaring at him, Yan Qi demanded, “What if I suddenly disappeared? Would you be willing to spend five or six thousand liang to find me?”

    Without needing to think, Guo DaLu answered immediately, “Of course I would. For you, even if I was told to pawn my own head, it would not matter.”

    Yan Qi’s eyes shone brightly. Only in times of great joy and great elation will one’s eyes shine.

    Guo DaLu carried on, “It is because we are really good friends, that is why I would be willing. However, Lin TaiPing is definitely not a friend of those two men. He would never befriend people like them.”

    Yan Qi nodded in agreement. “What if someone killed me? Would you also be willing to spend five thousand liang of silver to seek him out?”

    Guo DaLu: “Of course. Even if it meant putting my life on the line, I would still hunt that person down and avenge you.” He suddenly stopped and shook his head. “But Lin TaiPing for sure has never killed anyone. That look of pain that he had when he thought he had killed NanGong Chou absolutely could not have been an act.”

    Yan Qi speculated, “If someone stole five thousand liang of silver from you, certainly you would be willing to pay another five thousand liang to track that person down.”

    Guo DaLu: “But when Lin TaiPing arrived, he did not have a single coin on him. Furthermore, he just is not that type of person.”

    Letting out a little laugh, Yan Qi protested, “Now it’s not me trying to argue with you; you are the one who is arguing with me.”

    Guo DaLu giggled also. “That’s because I know that you do not really believe any of what you suggested.”

    Yan Qi gave a sigh. Smiling cynically, he said, “To be honest, I cannot think of any reason why they would want to find Lin TaiPing.”

    With a grin on his face, Guo DaLu said, “Even though we may not be able to think of anything, we can always ask. Do not forget that I have learned many interrogation techniques from GunZi.”

    The light was still aglow inside the house. They had not seen anyone enter or leave. They had been all set to go back in and ask for an explanation when the window opened unexpectedly. Someone was standing in the window beckoning with one hand. They were trying to figure out who this person was waving to when they heard, “It must be really chilly up there in the tree. Why don’t you two sirs come in and warm up by the fire?”



    The fire was roaring. It really was much more comfortable beside the fire than in the tree.

    The person who had signaled to them from the window a moment ago was now seated. This individual was neither the man with the knife scar nor the ferocious looking one-armed man. In fact, this person previously had not even been in the room. And it was unknown where the people who had been in the room had gone. Guo DaLu had not seen them come out or seen this individual go inside.

    There was only one point in all this that Guo DaLu could find consolation in: from head to toe and whatever angle you looked, this person was much more pleasant on the eyes than the previous two. Most importantly, this person was a woman.

    ********************
    Last edited by Hoju!; 02-05-08 at 11:09 AM.

  2. #262
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    So it's established that Lin TaiPing's departure was not related to robbing or killing. I suspect that this mysterious woman may have a special relationship with him. How many women have caused Guo DaLu grief so far? Wonder if Yan Qi counts... haha

  3. #263
    Senior Member fastclock's Avatar
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    Hoju, good job as always.

    Wuxia novels are always full of cliffhangers. That's part of the joy of reading it. Gu Long is pretty good at it. Huang Yi has mastered that as well.

    'Happy heroes' is certainly one of the must-read novels for any Gu Long's fan.

  4. #264
    Senior Member overjoy71's Avatar
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    Hahaha... another woman!! haha.. Thanks Hoju!

  5. #265
    Senior Member Hoju!'s Avatar
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    Happy Chinese New Year to everyone!



    Chapter 18 continued.....
    --------------------------------------------------

    ********************


    Everyone has their own unique method of categorizing women into several different classes. No matter what way you chose, though, this woman would be considered first class. Even though she no longer was young, she still was very beautiful and elegant. There are women in this world that can cause you to not pay attention to their age at all. She was one of them. Most beautiful women are very arrogant and unreasonable, and only a small number are an exception – she was an exception.

    What was unusual, though, was why would such a woman all of a sudden appear in this room? What was her relationship to the previous two men? And what connection did she have to this whole matter? Naturally, Guo DaLu wanted to ask, but he had not had the chance. Every time he wanted to ask, he found that he had already been addressed with a question. When such a woman asks you something, you have no choice but to first provide an answer to her.

    “My family name is Wei.” With a faint smile on her face, she inquired, “And you two sirs?” Her smile carried an effect where people could not refuse to answer her questions.

    Guo DaLu jumped in to be the first to answer. “My surname is Guo. His is Yan. Yan as in swallow [yan zi = a swallow (bird)].” Yan Qi threw a glower in his direction.

    Wei furen [* furen = madam] chimed in laughter, “I know all of Lin TaiPing’s friends. How come I had never seen the two of you before?”

    Guo DaLu had wanted to rush in to answer again, but he suddenly noticed Yan Qi’s eyes staring fiercely at him. He lowered his head and coughed drily. Yan Qi’s eyes finally shifted away from him and onto Madam Wei, and he responded in an offhand tone, “How do you know that we are Lin TaiPing’s friends?”

    Madam Wei reasoned, “The two of you braved the wind and snow to rush here from the pawnshop, and then you endured the wind and snow again as you waited outside for such a long time. Certainly, you were not doing all this for the pawnshop owner.

    Yan Qi: “Why not?”

    Madam Wei smiled charmingly and explained, “Dragons befriend dragons, and phoenixes befriend phoenixes. Friends of mice will also burrow tunnels. That type of person will make that same type of friends. I still am able to see this point.”

    Yan Qi blinked. “If that is the case, then you must also know Lin TaiPing?”

    Madam Wei nodded her head.

    Chuckling, Yan Qi corrected himself, “Actually, I should not have even asked that. You know all of his friends. Of course you are very familiar with Lin TaiPing.”

    Madam Wei smiled lightly. “We certainly can be considered quite familiar with each other.”

    Yan Qi: “The next time you see him, please ask him how he is for us and tell him that we miss him.”

    Madam Wei: “I would really like to see him also, which is why I specifically came to consult with you two sirs.”

    Yan Qi: “What would you like to consult?”

    Madam Wei: “I respectfully request you two sirs to tell me, where has he been these last couple of days?”

    Yan Qi put on a look of astonishment. “You are even closer to him than we are. How could you not know where he is?”

    With a little laugh, Madam Wei replied, “No matter how close friends may be, it is still very normal if they have not seen each other for a long time.”

    Yan Qi exhaled a lengthy sigh as he lamented, “And I was hoping to ask you to bring us to see him.”

    Madam Wei: “You also do not know where he is?”

    Yan Qi: “If even you do not know where he is, how could I know? I do not even know a single one of his friends.” He stood suddenly and, cupping his fist respectfully, said, “The time is late now. We must bid our farewell.”

    Madam Wei smiled faintly, “You two sirs must leave now? I will not see you out.” Surprisingly, she did not seem to have thoughts of trying to stop them and merely watched as they walked out.

    They had just stepped out of the inn when Guo DaLu could contain himself no longer and blurted, “I really admire you. You have a true skill.”

    Yan Qi: “What skill is that?”

    Guo DaLu: “Your untrue words sound exactly the same as if you were speaking ones that were true.”

    Glaring at him, Yan Qi retorted, “I really admire you too.”

    Guo DaLu: “What do you admire about me?”

    Yan Qi’s tone was icy as he answered, “There are not many people out there like you. The instant you see a woman, you will immediately forget your own birth date and eight characters [* used for astrological/horoscope purposes], and you will itch to recite your entire family tree to her.”

    Guo DaLu laughed and protested, “That is only because I saw that she does not look like a bad person.”

    Yan Qi smirked, “Do bad people have signs hanging on their faces?”

    Guo DaLu: “If she had bad intentions, why would she let us walk out the door as we pleased?”

    Laughing coldly, Yan Qi said, “What could she do if she didn’t let us leave? Do you think she has the ability to make us stay?”

    Guo DaLu sighed, “If you think that she is just an ordinary woman, then you are wrong.”

    Yan Qi: “Oh?”

    Guo DaLu: “She seemed to know very clearly our every move, every action. Based on this point alone, I can conclude that she undoubtedly is not an ordinary woman.”

    Yan Qi: “What things did she know?”

    Guo DaLu: “She knew that we are not locals here, that we were hiding in the tree…” All of a sudden, his voice broke off. He whispered, “Take a look at the pharmacy behind us.”

    Yan Qi: “I don’t need to look.”

    Guo DaLu: “You noticed, too, that someone is watching us?”

    Yan Qi’s smile was cold as he nodded in response.

  6. #266
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    "Do bad people have signs hanging on their faces?"

    Too funny! Sometimes I can't tell whether Guo DaLu is a fool or extremely intelligent. Thanks for the translations. Happy New Year!

  7. #267
    Senior Member overjoy71's Avatar
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    Hahaha.. I love some of these exchanges that YQ and GDL has.. Honestly, these two are made for each other.

  8. #268
    Senior Member Hoju!'s Avatar
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    Chapter 18 continued.....
    --------------------------------------------------

    Yan Qi’s smile was cold as he nodded in response.

    They had turned into a rather isolated street. The shops on this street closed relatively early, and there had been no one walking down it for a long time. The pharmacy had closed shop for the night long ago, yet standing behind a column in front of the doorway, frequently sticking out half a face to steal glances at them, was a slight and short figure dressed in black.

    Guo DaLu: “Has this person been following behind us the whole time?”

    Yan Qi: “I was aware of him the instant we stepped out of the inn. That’s why I purposely turned onto this street.” He gave a sarcastic smile and added, “Now you know why Madam Wei let us go so easily.”

    Guo DaLu: “Could it be that she already knew that we have been with Lin TaiPing, and she intentionally let us go, then told someone to follow us?”

    Yan Qi: “Mm.”

    Guo DaLu exhaled a long breath. “Her calculations were not bad, but it’s a pity she underestimated us just a little bit.”

    Yan Qi: “Did you think she views you as an amazing person?”

    Guo DaLu: “I may not have any amazing points, but if someone wants to shadow me, it will not be easy for him.”

    Yan Qi: “Oh?”

    Guo DaLu gave a wink and grinned, “People who want to follow me will at least have to take in some northwest wind.”

    On that street, there was only one shop that had not closed for the day. Regardless of what street you may be on, the last store to close will always be a restaurant or tavern. Yan Qi could not help bursting out in laughter as he teased, “I think it is not because you want to treat this person to a drink of northwest wind but rather, it is because you want to drink some wine.”

    Guo DaLu chortled, “I drink wine, he drinks northwest wind. Either way, we both get to drink.”



    Guo DaLu had a shortcoming when it came to drinking: if he did not drink until he was dead drunk like a pile of mud, he absolutely would not leave; if he did not drink until his wallet was emptied, he also definitely would not go. But if there was only one person in this world who could cure him of this illness, then that person would be Yan Qi. The gold necklace had been pawned for fifty liang. Half of that had been given to Wang Dong. This time, Guo DaLu did not take his half and drink it all away. As a matter of fact, when he walked out of the little tavern, he was relatively clear-headed and his vision was good enough that he could still see people.

    Sure enough, the figure in black was still standing behind that column in front of the pharmacy, drinking his northwest wind. Guo DaLu exhaled loudly and joked, “I should let him take in a bit more. He doesn’t seem to have had enough to drink.”

    Yan Qi reminded him disapprovingly, “But you have had enough. If you had kept going, even a three year old child could tail you.”

    Guo DaLu scowled at him. “Who said? He still would have no hope of catching up to me, even if I used only one leg to run, Do you believe it?”

    Yan Qi: “There’s only one thing that I believe.”

    Guo DaLu: “What is that?”

    Yan Qi: “Even if he can catch up to you, you can still blow him away.”

    Guo DaLu: “Blow him away? How would I blow?”

    Yan Qi: “The same way as how you ‘blow bull’ [*(slang) brag; blow your own horn].”

    Guo DaLu did not say anything. He suddenly lifted up one leg and took a leap forward. In that single leap, he had actually been able to jump two zhang [* 1 zhang = 3 1/3 metres].

    With a long sigh, Yan Qi shook his head and muttered, “Why is it that he always acts as if he will never grow up?”



    The sky was black; the road was white. In reality, the road was not white. What was white was the snow that had accumulated on it.

    Guo DaLu looked on both sides of him at the two rows of snow-covered, leafless trees running speedily backwards, as if they were flying. The trees, in actual fact, were not running. He was the one who was running, using his two legs. He was not worried that he could not lose the black-clothed figure behind him; rather, he was concerned that he would not be able to catch up to Yan Qi. When Yan Qi put his lightness kung fu to use, he really seemed like he had transformed into a swallow.

    Guo DaLu was starting to breathe heavily. Only now did Yan Qi gradually start to slow down. Glancing at Guo DaLu from the corner of his eye, he grinned and taunted, “You can’t take it anymore?”

    Guo DaLu blew out a lengthy breath. With a sour smile on his face, he wheezed, “I eat more than you and my body size is bigger than yours. Of course I cannot outrun you.” Yan Qi could devour his food ferociously when he was eating and his body size was not small either, yet he was still able to run swiftly. Guo DaLu defended, “I’m not a horse. I only have two legs.”

    Laughing at him, Yan Qi pointed out, “Didn’t you say that even if you only used one leg, other people would still have no hope of catching up to you?”

    Guo DaLu: “I was not talking about you.”

    Yan Qi’s eyes were twinkling. “But you think other people cannot?”

    Guo Dalu: “Obviously.”

    Out of the blue, Yan Qi gave a sigh as he advised, “Why don’t you turn your head and take a look?”

    As Guo DaLu looked back, he was astounded. He had suddenly discovered that there was someone else on the road. The road was white; the person was black. The black-clothed figure that had been hiding behind the column in front of the pharmacy just a little while ago had, to his surprise, hounded them all the way here. Guo DaLu was seized with shock for a long while. Finally, he commented, “I never would have believed that this fellow could run so fast, too.”

    Yan Qi: “Let’s not even talk about if you used only one leg. It seems that even if you had three legs, he would still be able to catch up to you just the same. Do you believe it?”

    Guo DaLu: “I believe it.”

    Yan Qi gazed at him, his eyes filled with laughter. Guo DaLu was a very lovable person indeed. The most lovable aspect about him was that he was willing to admit his own faults. As a result, regardless of how many faults he may have had, he was still a very lovable person.

    Yan Qi: “Since we cannot shake him off, we won’t be able to go back.”

    Guo DaLu: “That’s right.”

    Yan Qi: “If we aren’t going back, then where do we go?”

    Guo DaLu: “No place to go.” Winking at him, Guo DaLu asked with a smile, “Do you remember what you had said yourself a moment ago?”

    Yan Qi: “What did I say?”

    Guo DaLu reminded him,” You said, even if he could catch up to us, I could blow him away.”

    Yan Qi guffawed, “Do you really have such a great ability?”

    Guo DaLu: “Of course.”

    Yan Qi blinked and asked curiously, “What are you planning on using to blow him away?”

    Guo DaLu: “My fist.”

    He suddenly spun around and headed towards the person in black. The black-clothed figure stood in the middle of the road, eyes fixed on him. “This fellow is really staying patient.” Guo DaLu also stayed patient as he walked over unhurriedly. In his mind, he was calculating, should he move his mouth first or his fist?

    Then unexpectedly, the figure in black lost his patience. With a turn of the head, the person dashed away. Immediately, Guo DaLu also lost his patience and, kicking up his feet, chased after him. He realized very quickly that this black-clothed figure’s lightness kung fu was not below Yan Qi’s. Even if he did grow a third leg, he still would not be able to catch up. All he could do was shout, “Friend, please wait a moment. I have something to say.”

    The black-clothed figure suddenly whipped around and called mockingly, “You are right. I am extremely deaf. I cannot hear a single word that you say.” Apparently, the intention was to antagonize Guo DaLu. It was an easy feat for anyone to anger Guo DaLu; he had always been one who was easily angered. And once he was upset, he resolved that he must catch up.

    Initially, it had been the black-clothed figure chasing him, but now, he was pursing the figure instead. Yan Qi had no choice but to accompany him on his chase.

    Beside the road was a grove of barren trees covered in snow. From within the grove, lamplight could be seen. The black-clothed figure darted into the grove, then suddenly disappeared. The light still glowed. It was shining out from a house. The figure in black must have gone into that house.

    Guo DaLu was grinding his teeth as he fumed, “You wait for me outside. I’m going in to take a look.”

    Yan Qi did not say anything, nor did he try to restrain him. If Guo DaLu had set his mind on doing a task, no one would be able to hold him back. Even if he wanted to throw himself into the river, Yan Qi would have no choice but to jump in with him.

    Surprisingly, the door of this illuminated house was open. The light was shining out from the entrance as Guo DaLu rushed to the house. He had just reached the doorway when he suddenly stopped, stunned by what he saw. Inside, a fire was blazing. A person sat beside that fire. The fire was radiant; the person was beautiful.

    Madam Wei.

    She did not show any signs of surprise when she saw Guo DaLu. There was a faint smile on her lips as she spoke. ““It must be really chilly outside. Why don’t you come in and warm up by the fire?” It appeared that she had been awaiting their arrival.

    ********************

  9. #269
    Senior Member patricia n's Avatar
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    this madam wei is very interesting...i wonder how she is related to lin.

    anyhow, by this point into the story, is it safe to assume that everyone knows yan is a girl dressed up as a boy? in that case, i can wait until guo sees yan in all her glory as a hot girl!!!!
    if you have the time and enthusiasm, please join in on the new and fabulous wuxia rpg fic /rpg discussion. (<--- click here)

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    me too!
    and how different will it be from the situation of Guo of JinYong world

    thnx for the update Hoj!
    Rose blooms best near death
    You are in full bloom, Pal!

  11. #271
    Senior Member overjoy71's Avatar
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    Thanks Hoju!

  12. #272
    Senior Member Hoju!'s Avatar
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    Chapter 18 continued.....
    --------------------------------------------------

    ********************

    Besides Madam Wei, there was someone else in the house: a black-clothed figure. The instant Guo DaLu saw this person, his anger started rising again. Unable to contain himself, he charged over and barked, “Why were you tailing us all this time?”

    The black-clothed person blinked at him and countered, “Was it me tailing you? Or was it you tailing me?” Those eyes were startlingly bright.

    Guo DaLu snapped, “Of course it was you tailing me.”

    The black-clothed person laughed. “Do you know what place this is?”

    Guo DaLu: “No.”

    Black-clothed person: “Well then, let me tell you. This is my home.”

    Guo DaLu: “Your home?”

    The black-clothed person laughed again as he questioned, “If it really was me tailing you, how is it that I tailed you back to my own home?”

    Guo DaLu paused again. He suddenly realized that, not only did the eyes sparkle brightly, the smile of this individual was also very sweet. This black-clothed person was actually a girl dressed in black clothing. In addition, she was at most only sixteen or seventeen years old. Guo DaLu may have had lots of excuses and reasons to argue with her, but he was not able to make himself say any of them.

    Madam Wei offered, “Since you two sirs have already arrived here, then please sit. Please sit.” There were two chairs beside the fire.

    Yan Qi took a seat. He suddenly gave a smile as he remarked, “You seem to have known beforehand that we would be coming and have been waiting for us.”

    Madam Wei responded with a smile also. “You wanted to leave; I could not hold you back. You wanted to come; I also could not stop you.”

    Yan Qi asked her, “And what if we want to leave now?”

    Madam Wei answered, “I still would only have one sentence to say.”

    Yan Qi: “What sentence is that?”

    Madam Wei: “I will not see you out.”

    Yan Qi: “But then, you would still send this little meimei [* younger sister] to tail us.”

    The black-clothed young girl glowered as she retorted, “Who was tailing you? If you are allowed to walk on that road, why can’t I? You can come barging into my house as you please, so why can I not walk along the same road as you?”

    Yan Qi gave a cold laugh. “So it was merely a coincidence that you were on the same road as us.”

    Black-clothed young girl: “Absolutely correct.”

    Yan Qi: “Then that truly is a huge coincidence.”

    With an unconcerned smile on her face, Madam Wei told him, “Wait until you are a little bit older. Then, you will realize that this world has always been filled with many coincidences.”

    Yan Qi: “From the look of things then, you have already set your mind on finding Lin TaiPing through us.”

    Madam Wei laughed and replied, “Well, that would depend on whether you really know where he is.”

    Yan Qi: “And if we do know?”

    There was a faint smile on her face as Madam Wei answered, “As long as you know, then sooner or later, I will also know.”

    Turning towards Guo DaLu, Yan Qi suddenly winked and asked, “When a person’s legs are tied up with rope, is it still possible for her to tail people?”

    Guo DaLu: “It seems it would not be possible.”

    Yan Qi chuckled, “Correct answer.” From his sleeve, a rope suddenly materialized and sped towards the black-clothed young girl’s legs, winding around them. The rope was like a snake, swift and precise. It seemed as if it had grown eyes. Once the end of that rope left his hands, very few people could avoid it.

    But the girl in black did not need to dodge because the rope was already in Madam Wei’s hand. Her hand had reached out slowly. The rope’s momentum had been very fast, yet for some reason, it had somehow ended up in her hand.

    The expression on Yan Qi’s face changed. Only he knew what had happened. All he had felt was a strange force transmitting through the rope, shaking him so hard that even now, half his body felt numb. He had never believed that the there could be such terrifying internal energy in the world. Now he believed.

    Madam Wei smiled coolly. “Even if you really do manage to tie up her two legs, it still would be useless.”

    Yan Qi was silent for a long time. He finally exhaled a long sigh and resigned, “It truly would be useless.”

    Madam Wei: “You should at least bind up my legs first.”

    Yan Qi: “That is right.”

    Madam Wei laughed as she declared, “However, I can guarantee that there is absolutely no one in this world who can bind my legs.”

    Yan Qi: “And I absolutely believe that.” He suddenly snickered, “But, I also can guarantee something to you.”

    Madam Wei: “What is that?”

    Yan Qi: “Though I may not be able to tie up your legs, I can bind up another person’s legs. Once this person’s legs are bound, even if you have abilities as great as the heavens, you still would have no hope of chasing out Lin TaiPing’s location.”

    Madam Wei chortled, “And whose legs do you intend on binding?”

    Yan Qi: “My own.”

    No matter how pathetic a person may be, at the very least, he should still be able to tie his own legs. This point was unquestionable.

    Yan Qi secured his legs together. The ropes that he carried on him were not a small number. It seemed that he really liked using rope as a weapon.

    Astonished, Madam Wei was still for a long while before she broke into an amused smile. “True. That truly is a good idea. Even I must admit that it is a smart plan.”

    Yan Qi: “You flatter me.”

    Madam Wei: “Should you really decide to tie yourself up here, then it is true that I cannot chase Lin TaiPing’s whereabouts out of you.”

    Guo DaLu added, “I don’t need to tie my own legs. His legs are equivalent to my legs.”

    Madam Wei: “In that case, you also have made up your mind not to leave.”

    Guo DaLu: “It seems like it.”

    Madam Wei: “I had a plan to bind both of you up with ropes and force you to tell me where Lin TaiPing is. If you did not tell me, I would not release you.” Letting out a sigh, she smiled cynically and continued, “Who knew you would, in fact, decide to tie yourselves up?”

    Guo DaLu smirked, “This is called, ‘the first to make a move is the stronger.’

    Madam Wei: “It is a pity for you that the latter to make a move may not always meet with disaster. The ones who will end up meeting with disaster are still the two of you.”

    Guo DaLu: “Oh?”

    Madam Wei: “You cannot stay here for a lifetime.”

    Grinning, Guo DaLu argued, “You cannot say that for sure.” Glancing around in all four directions, he noted, “This place is warm and comfortable. At the very least, it is more comfortable than the rundown house that we are living in.”

    Madam Wei’s eyes flashed as she questioned sharply, “You live in a rundown house?”

    Guo DaLu: “Don’t bother trying to get us to leak information. There are many rundown houses in the world. If you want to search through them one by one, you’ll be searching until you are in your coffin and you still will not have finished.”

    With another sigh, Madam Wei said, “I just find that it is a bit unusual.”

    Guo DaLu: “What do you think is unusual?”

    Madam Wei: “Lin TaiPing has been pampered since childhood. How could he last in a rundown house?”

    Guo DaLu: “Because our rundown house has something in it that cannot be found elsewhere.”

    Madam Wei: “What do you have in your place?”

    Guo DaLu: “Friends.” So long as there were friends there, even a poorer or more rundown house would not bother them. This was because where there are friends, there is warmth and joy. In their eyes, if a place did not have friends, even if the floor was littered with piles of gold, it would still only be a prison constructed of gold.

    Madam Wei was silent for a long time until, at last, she exhaled lightly, “Though you may be somewhat strange, you appear to be people who are true friends.”

    Guo DaLu: “We, at least, would never betray our friend.”

    Madam Wei inquired, “Regardless of how long you will have to stay here, you will never betray your friend?”

    Guo DaLu nodded resolutely.

    Madam Wei smiled again. In an indifferent tone, she stated, “Fine. I would like to see how long you are willing to wait.”



    End of Chapter 18
    Last edited by Hoju!; 02-11-08 at 01:33 AM.

  13. #273
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    --------------------------------------------------
    Chapter 19 – A Hell of Darkness
    --------------------------------------------------

    Daybreak.

    The table was laden with many different dian xin [* dim sum, smaller snack-sized foods] and each one was delicious.

    Eating is not only a type of enjoyment, it is also an art. Madam Wei appreciated both the enjoyment and the art. When she ate, she did it slowly and attractively. No matter what it was she was eating, she was able to make others feel that she was indulging in something extremely delectable. Besides, these dian xin were, indeed, all scrumptious. And since their flavors were so delightful when eaten, their aromas definitely were also mouthwatering when they were inhaled.

    Guo DaLu could not help himself as he started to swallow his own saliva hungrily while trying to not be seen. As the tipsy effect of the alcohol faded, his belly seemed to feel famished especially quickly. The feeling you have when watching someone eat and drink extravagantly while your stomach is starving is worse than any possible punishment. Guo DaLu suddenly cried out, “The host is pigging out by herself while she makes the guests sit hungrily off to the side watching her. That does not seem the proper way to treat the guests.”

    Madam Wei nodded in agreement. “That truly is not the proper way to treat guests.” She then countered, “But are you my guests?”

    Guo DaLu mulled over that for a bit. Finally, he sighed and with a wry smile, admitted, “No.”

    Madam Wei: “Would you like to be my guests?”

    Guo DaLu: “No.”

    Madam Wei: “For what reason? For Lin TaiPing?”

    Guo DaLu breathed another long sigh of regret and lamented, “Alas, he is our friend!”

    Madam Wei: “You may indeed be loyal friends, but you are also fools.”

    Guo DaLu: “Oh?’

    Madam Wei: “Up until this point, you still have not asked me why I am looking for Lin TaiPing.”

    Guo DaLu: “There is no need to ask.”

    Madam Wei: “Why is that? Do you know whether my intentions are good or malicious? Perhaps the reason I am looking for him is just to give him some gifts.”

    Guo DaLu: “I only need to know one thing: if he does not want to see you, then we must not let you find him. It makes no difference whether your intentions are kind or malicious.”

    Madam Wei: “How do you know that he is not willing to see me?”

    Guo DaLu: “Because you are too anxious about finding him. It seems too much like you are harboring evil intentions. Otherwise, you should just let us go back to inform him and then tell him to come see you.”

    Madam Wei laughed, “Apparently you are not too foolish – just a little bit.”

    Guo DaLu: “Oh?”

    Madam Wei: “You may be concerned that I will pursue you in the shadows, but all that you need to do is not return home. You could still go to other places. Why would you need to tie yourself up here?”

    Guo DaLu considered what she said, then looked over at Yan Qi. “What she said seems to be quite logical. Why are we not going yet?”

    Madam Wei: “Because I am no longer letting you leave.”

    Guo DaLu protested, “You had said yourself that we could leave at any time we wished.”

    Madam Wei: “I have changed my mind.” She gave a little laugh and added, “You know that women can change their minds at any time.”

    Guo DaLu groaned, “Wouldn’t it be nice if you were not a woman?”

    Madam Wei: “What would be nice about it?”

    Guo DaLu’s eyes were fixed upon the shao mai dumplings and steamed dumplings that were in front of her. “If you were a man, we could at least be thick-skinned and seize the food from you by force.”

    A faint smile showed on her face as she challenged, “Why don’t you treat me as a man and give it a try?”

    Guo DaLu’s eyes glanced over at Yan Qi. Yan Qi blinked.

    Madam Wei goaded them again, “The two of you might as well come over together and try and steal it from me.”

    Yan Qi snorted, “The skin on my face is not as thick as his. I will let him fight himself.”

    Guo DaLu gave a sad sigh. “When a person is at a point of extreme hunger, he will have no choice but to be a little thick-skinned.” Unexpectedly, his body suddenly flew upwards and he threw himself at that table that was covered in dian xin. His ten fingers spread, curving menacingly like the talons of an eagle. He was using an extremely powerful stance of the Eagle Talon Skill called “Flying Eagle Catches the Rabbit.”

    To use a move like “Flying Eagle Catches the Rabbit” to snatch steamed dumplings seemed rather ridiculous, but when someone has reached utmost starvation, he is willing to do things that are even more ridiculous.

    Madam Wei complimented him, “Your Eagle Talon Skill is pretty good.” As her lips spoke these words in an indifferent tone, the chopsticks in her hand lightly stabbed forward. She was using chopsticks made of jadeite. Ordinarily, chopsticks such as these would break with just a little bump. The tips touched Guo DaLu’s middle finger lightly. The chopsticks did not snap.

    However, Guo DaLu’s body looked like it had snapped as he abruptly came plummeting down from midair. It appeared as if he would crash onto the dian xin-covered table. Madam Wei’s chopsticks unexpectedly changed direction and clamped onto his waistband as his entire body weight bore down on that pair of chopsticks that would snap with even a light bump. The chopsticks still did not snap. Madam Wei’s hand hung in air, using those chopsticks to hold him up like he was a dried shrimp.

    Yan Qi could only gawk in amazement.

    A small smile was seen on Madam Wei’s lips as she said, “Such a large dumpling should be enough for you to eat.” Before she had completed her sentence, Guo DaLu’s body was sent soaring in Yan Qi’s direction. Yan Qi tried to catch him but could not. Their two bodies collided, and they were both sent tumbling to the ground.

    A long time passed, yet Guo DaLu still could not climb back up onto his feet. With wide eyes, he stared at Madam Wei. It seemed like he was dumbstruck.

    Yan Qi spoke up, “Do you know the name of the martial art for the move she just used?”

    Guo DaLu shook his head.

    Yan Qi: “Since you know the Eagle Talon Skill, then you should also know that there is one stance in it called ‘Old Eagle Snatches the Chicken.’ ”

    Guo DaLu’s head nodded.

    Laughing, Yan Qi told him, “This move of hers is a variation of ‘Old Eagle Snatches the Chicken’ and is called ‘Chopsticks Clamp the Chicken.’ ”

    With a sigh, Guo DaLu complained, “So am I a chicken or a dumpling?”

    Yan Qi: “A dumpling with chicken meat filling.”

    Guo DaLu let out a little chuckle as well. “I did not realize that you knew so many things.”

    All of a sudden, his body was darting forward like an arrow. This time, he did not reach for the tabletop and instead, scurried under the table.

    Madam Wei had been listening to their dialogue with a smile on her face, as if what she was hearing was very entertaining. She had not anticipated that he would suddenly rush over while he was still speaking, and even more so, had not expected him to dash under the table. There was no dian xin under the table. Why would he dart under there? Did he want to pick up some bones? But dumplings do not have bones. Madam Wei could not help feeling slightly puzzled.

    Then, out of the blue, the dian xin on the table leapt into midair. With the palm of his hand, Guo DaLu had hit the bottom of the table, sending the dian xin seven, eight feet up into the air. Yan Qi gave a flick of his hand, and the rope that had been tied around his legs suddenly went flying outwards like a rainbow. In one quick coil like a serpent, seven or eight different types of dian xin were swept away by the rope. Guo DaLu had already darted out from under the table. As Yan Qi loosened his grip, three or four dian xin toppled down. Stretching out his hand, Guo DaLu caught two or three of them. At the same time, his jaws opened wide so that a tender shao mai dumpling made of glutinous rice fell square into his mouth.

    These few moves they had just used were not any remarkable martial art, but the coordination was so tight and masterful that it took one’s breath away to watch. Surprisingly, Madam Wei gave a regretful sigh and conceded, “After watching your display of martial arts, even if I let you eat some food, it was still worth it.”

    In two or three bites, Guo DaLu had swallowed the shao mai. Grinning, he said, “All things considered, this person still has a bit of her conscience.”

    As he started to gobble his second shao mai, Yan Qi had already devoured a baozi [*stuffed bun]. It had not been an easy feat to eat it, and so each little bit of flavor in his mouth seemed to be especially tasty. With a wide smile, he asked, “This baozi is really delicious. May I ask what was used as its filling?”

    Madam Wei smiled in return. “There were two types of fillings for the shao mai and baozi.”

    Guo DaLu: “Which two?”

    Madam Wei: “One of them is dried shrimp with fresh meat.”

    Guo DaLu: “And what is the other meat filling?”

    Madam Wei: “Rat meat. Poisoned rat meat.”



    Normally, meat from a rat was edible; however, consuming the meat from a poisoned rat could take a person’s life. The shao mai that Guo DaLu had just swallowed seemed to have gotten stuck at the top of throat and would not go down. He had wanted to ask which filling had been in the shao mai he had just eaten, but now, that was not necessary. His four limbs suddenly felt limp and his head grew dizzy. Looking over, he saw that Yan Qi’s face had become an ashen color and furthermore, was slowly turning black.

    Madam Wei was still smiling.

    Just when Guo DaLu was about to march over to her, she suddenly seemed to him to shift to a location far, far away. Her face was becoming increasingly blurry until gradually, he could see it no longer. All he could sense was Yan Qi rushing over and embracing him as he whispered in his ear, “Before I die, I have a secret that I must tell you.”

    Guo DaLu asked shakily, “What… what secret?”

    Yan Qi: “I…” He had not finished revealing his secret before he collapsed to the ground. But even if he had finished, Guo DaLu would not have heard anything.


    --------------------------------------------------
    Anyone want to guess what secret Yan Qi wanted to tell him?

  14. #274
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    --------------------------------------------------
    Anyone want to guess what secret Yan Qi wanted to tell him?

    That's a tough one!!

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    Quote Originally Posted by Hoju! View Post

    Anyone want to guess what secret Yan Qi wanted to tell him?

    "I'm gay and i want to be with u!"

    hahahaha
    naaaaawwwwww

    "I'm really a lady..." and she will end up being the prettiest lady so far in the book!!!

  16. #276
    Senior Member overjoy71's Avatar
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    Ok.. I won't go there... but I will maintain my stand!

    "I'm a girl!"

  17. #277
    Senior Member rati4u's Avatar
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    hehehe.......interesting! but if yan qi is a girl, then this beautiful friendship tone maintained in this novel will fade...anyways, i guess yan qi is a girl!

  18. #278
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hoju! View Post
    Anyone want to guess what secret Yan Qi wanted to tell him?
    hehe too obvious...but darn it. even if she said it, it would be pointless. i guess they both ate poisoned rat meat and the madam wei ate the shrimp filled dumpling. i really wonder if she is good or bad...maybe she's just unorthodox?
    if you have the time and enthusiasm, please join in on the new and fabulous wuxia rpg fic /rpg discussion. (<--- click here)

  19. #279
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    I am just curious, is it possible that Madam Wei is LTP's mom or something? Man she has high level of martial arts, which mean LTP's martial arts isn't too bad as well.

  20. #280
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    Finishing off the chapter....



    Chapter 19 continued.....
    --------------------------------------------------

    “Humans will die for riches; birds will perish for food.”

    This saying is not very correct. Some people do not care about money and valuables and would certainly not risk their lives for these, but yet, oftentimes, they will die for good food. Are you thinking that it is a real waste to die for that reason? Wait until you are weak and dizzy from starvation; perhaps you, too, would think that you would rather die.

    But why were they suffering from hunger? Friendship. Of course, this was all for their friend. “Those who die for their friends will certainly not go to hell.” However, if their friends were in hell already, it could be that they would rather join them there than go to heaven.

    ********************



    Since time immemorial, the only hardship is death. Indeed, death can be considered as the most terrifying thing. It means that you are finished, you have completely faded away. From this point on, there is no hope. Your physical body will rapidly decay. Your name will also very quickly be forgotten by people.

    What else in this world could be more frightening than death? If, after you die, you must go down to hell, then this definitely would be even more frightening. But what is hell really like? No one knows. Presumably, it would be very dark, dreadfully dark…



    Darkness. So dark that, not only could you not see other people, you also could not see yourself.

    Guo DaLu could not see himself. All he could sense was that his eyes were open. But what type of place was he in? Did it exist? He did not know at all.

    To “not know,” is a fear in itself – perhaps it is the greatest fear of all humanity. People fear death for the very reason that that they do not know what it is like to be dead.

    Guo DaLu could not help feeling frightened. He was so scared that he was nearly immobilized. Fear is something that mankind will never be able to conquer. A long time passed before Guo DaLu became aware that there seemed to be the sound of breathing next to him. But he could not be certain if it was a human breathing. In such deep darkness, it was impossible for anyone to have faith in his own judgment.

    Fortunately, he still had faith in one thing: since Yan Qi had been with him when he was alive, even if he was dead, Yan Qi would still stay with him. There are some friends that, in life or death, will never be separated. So Guo DaLu gathered his courage and asked, “Yan Qi… is that you?”

    Another long while went by before a feeble voice was heard from within the dark saying, “Is it Xiao Guo [Little Guo]?” At last, Guo DaLu could breathe a sigh of relief. As long as he had friends by his side, life or death did not matter.

    Guo DaLu: “Is this your hand?”

    The hand gave a little twitch, then immediately gripped tightly onto Guo DaLu’s hand. Yan Qi’s voice said weakly, “What place is this?”

    Guo DaLu: “I don’t know.”

    Yan Qi: “Are we still alive?”

    Sighing, Guo DaLu answered, “I don’t know.”

    Yan Qi also sighed. “So it seems, when you were alive, you were a muddleheaded person; now that you are dead, you are a muddleheaded ghost.”

    Guo DaLu laughed in response. His voice full of mirth, he countered, “And it seems, alive, you had to mock me; dead, you still have to mock me.”

    Yan Qi did not speak, and instead, grasped Guo DaLu’s hand even tighter. He normally was a very strong person, yet now, he suddenly seemed to become dependent on Guo DaLu. Perhaps he had always relied on Guo DaLu but had forced himself to keep that dependency in check. Only in times of real fear will a person’s true feelings surface.

    Guo DaLu was silent for a long period. He suddenly spoke, “Can you guess what I most want to know right now?”

    Yan Qi: “You want to know where this place is?”

    Guo DaLu: “Incorrect.”

    Yan Qi: “You want to know whether we are still alive?”

    Guo DaLu: “Also incorrect.”

    Yan Qi groaned, “I am not in the mood, at the moment, to guess what is on your mind. Just say it out yourself.”



    End of Chapter 19

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