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Thread: A Happy Hero

  1. #401
    Senior Member rati4u's Avatar
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    I really feel sad for her...gosh....she atlast got friends but has to leave them

  2. #402
    Senior Member eliza bennet's Avatar
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    I feel sad for her too, but at least she has a chance to repair all the bad things she had done (donating her wealth was a good start).

  3. #403
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    Chapter 26 continued.....
    --------------------------------------------------

    Before she could finish her words, she suddenly covered her face with her hands and dashed out wildly.

    Guo DaLu wanted to run over and stop her but Yan Qi blocked him. “Let her go,” he said in a sad voice.

    Guo DaLu: “Just let her leave like this?”

    Yan Qi’s voice seemed distant. “Leaving is not a bad thing. If she did not go, it would probably be even more painful for both of them.”

    Guo DaLu: “I am just afraid that she will… will…”

    Yan Qi: “Do not worry. She will definitely not do something like that.”

    Guo DaLu: “How do you know?”

    Yan Qi: “Because she knows now that Wang Laoda’s feelings for her were genuine. That is sufficient.”

    Guo DaLu: “Sufficient?”

    Yan Qi: “At least, that is sufficient enough to enable a woman to keep on living.” Tears spilled out of his eyes as he continued softly, “So long as, in a woman’s life, there was one man who was genuine to her, then her life was not lived in vain.”

    Guo DaLu was staring intently at him. A very, very long time elapsed. At last, he commented, “You seem to understand women very well.”

    Yan Qi turned his head away, his gaze shifting to something far off in the distance. The sky was a deep blue; the sunshine was splendidly brilliant. Beneath that deep blue sky, a streak of light purple smoke suddenly shot into the sky. Furrowing his brows together, he wondered, “Why would someone be setting off flares at this time?” As he turned around, he saw Wang Dong standing beneath the eaves and staring at the purple flare. The wind blew over in their direction, and the smoke dissipated with the wind.

    Guo DaLu: “As long as someone feels like it, flares can be set off at any time and any place. There is nothing the least bit strange.”

    Yan Qi appeared to be deep in thought as he murmured, “Is it similar to how kites can be flown at any time and any place?”

    Guo DaLu could not hear his words clearly and was about to ask him what he had been mumbling when, out of the nowhere, Wang Dong rushed up to him and demanded, “Where is she?” “She” obviously meant Hong NiangZi.

    “She left already,” Guo DaLu informed him, “because she feels that you…”

    In a sharp voice, Wang Dong cut him off. “When did she leave?”

    Guo DaLu: “Just now…” These two words had just left his lips when Wang Dong leapt up and soared through the air. In a flash, he had already swept over the wall. Guo DaLu snickered, “So, it turns out that he does have feelings for her. She didn’t need to leave.” His voice was filled with mirth as he shook his head and wondered, “Why do women like to be so oversensitive?”

    There was not even a hint of amusment on Yan Qi’s face. “Do you really think the flare was sent up into the sky just for fun?”

    Guo DaLu: “What other reason could there be?”

    Yan Qi sighed, “It seems that you really know nothing about the shady matters of jianghu.”

    Guo DaLu: “I never was a veteran of jianghu.”

    Yan Qi: “Let’s say you and I wanted to attack someone. You are staying guard up here and I am waiting at the foot of the mountain. When you get news of the person, what sort of method would you use to notify me?”

    Guo DaLu: “Won’t happen.”

    Yan Qi: “Won’t happen? What does that mean?”

    Guo DaLu: “It means that a situation like that would never occur.”

    Yan Qi: “Why?”

    Guo DaLu batted his eyes. “Because if you were waiting at the foot of the mountain, I would definitely be at the foot of the mountain too.”

    A tender look appeared in Yan Qi’s eyes, but his face was still pulled into frown. “We are talking about serious matters right now. Can you just answer with a few serious words?”

    Guo DaLu: “Yes.” He mulled over it for a while before he answered, “There is quite a distance between the top and foot of the mountain. Even if I shout and yell, you probably would not be able to hear me.”

    “Very smart, very smart,” Yan Qi scoffed, his voice filled with sarcasm. “You are absolutely brilliant.”

    Guo DaLu chuckled. He pondered a little longer before suggesting, “I could send someone to alert you.”

    Yan Qi: “What if there was no one else around?”

    Guo DaLu: “Then I would run down the mountain myself.”

    Yan Qi scowled and stared angrily at him. “What is your brain stuffed with? Straw? Or sticks?”

    Guo DaLu grinned back at him. “Aside from straw and sticks, my brain is also filled with thoughts of how to tease you until you are mad. I had always thought that the look you get on your face when you are mad is like a seventeen, eighteen year old girl.” Without giving Yan Qi a chance to open his mouth in response, he quickly added, “Of course I actually know what you are trying to say. You believe that flare is just like those kites; it is one of the signals used in jianghu as a method of communicating information.”

    Yan Qi was still glaring at him. Finally, after a quite some time passed, he gave a lengthy sigh. “One of these days, you are going to frustrate me to death.”

    At this moment, another purple flare suddenly shot up into the sky from somewhere at the foot of the mountain. Guo DaLu’s expression also grew serious. “In your opinion, somebody of jianghu has come to this place of ours?”

    Yan Qi: “And not just one.”

    Guo DaLu: “You believe that they are here for Hong NiangZi?”

    Yan Qi: “I do not know, but Wang Laoda must think so and that is why he rushed out.”

    Guo DaLu’s expression changed and he cried, “If that is the case, what are we still waiting here for?”

    Yan Qi: “Because I need to discuss something with you.”

    Guo DaLu: “What?”

    Yan Qi: “This time, could you not come with me and allow me to go by myself…”

    He had not finished what he was trying to say before Guo DaLu shook his head vehemently. “No.”

    Yan Qi knit his brow together. “If we all go, who will stay behind here with Xiao Lin [Little Lin]?” Naturally, they could not leave Lin TaiPing alone there. After the lesson they had learned from last time, no matter what the situation was now, they were all especially careful.

    In a quiet voice, Guo DaLu asked, “This time, could you let me go and you stay here?”

    Immediately, Yan Qi also shook his head. “No.”

    Guo DaLu: “Why?”

    Yan Qi’s tone all of a sudden softened. “In the first place, your injuries have not yet completely healed. On top of that, you stubbornly did not care about your life and did not bother waiting for your injuries to get better before sneaking down the mountain by yourself to drink wine.”

    Guo DaLu: “Who snuck down the mountain? Did I not bring some wine back…”

    Yan Qi’s face was firm as he interrupted, “No matter what, you are not able to fight anyone right now.”

    Guo DaLu: “Who said?”

    Yan Qi: “I said. Do you want to disagree with me?”

    Guo DaLu: “I…… I…..”

    Yan Qi: “If you are not convinced, then fight me first. How about that?”

    With a bitter little smile on his face, Guo DaLu spread his hands in surrender. “Who said I’m not convinced? I am terribly, extremely convinced.” He picked up the little table that the chessboard had been set on and muttered, “You hurry up and leave. I will go find Xiao Lin to play a game of chess with me. His poor chess skills [literally, ‘dog ***t chess’] are at about the same level as mine.”

    Yan Qi watched him as he left. His eyes became filled with an indescribable tenderness and gentleness, like the spring breeze that had just melted the ice and snow covering the earth.

    It was spring now. Spring should be the season that belongs to passionate young men and women. Spring is not a season for killing. It is only suitable for listening to the melodious chirping of birds or the sound of affectionate whisperings. It is definitely not fitting to hear cries of anguish. But right at that moment, he heard a cry of anguish – a dying person’s cry of anguish.

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

  4. #404
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    Awsome! =)

    you know whats great about this story? action/suspense/romance/comedy

    it has everything.. and in just the right proportions!!

    Thanks Hoju!

    oh yea, I handed in my assignment an hour early =)) yay!

  5. #405
    Senior Member eliza bennet's Avatar
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    Thank you Hoju

  6. #406
    Senior Member Shi-Potian's Avatar
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    another magnicent update which was highly enjoyable here again hoju! loving this novel my only gripe is that hong nianzi should have donated her wealth to wealthy manor nevermind the flood victims or w/e theyn were~~eagerly looking forward to your next update you are an absolute hero for translating not just 1 but 2 novels at the same time with constant updates on at least 1 ^_^

  7. #407
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    Chapter 26 continued....
    --------------------------------------------------

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

    There are some places on the earth where spring seems to arrive particularly late. Then, there are some places that seem as if it is forever spring. In truth, if you want to know whether spring has come yet, you need not look for new buds of green on the tips of branches or ask the wild ducks in the spring river. You only need to ask yourself. True spring is not found on green-covered branches or in the warm waters. The true spring is found inside your heart.



    Beneath a steel sabre, there is no spring. Nor is it in a pool of blood.

    A person lay in a pool of blood. His breathing had already ceased; that dying cry of anguish had broken off. A steel sabre was still clutched tightly in his hand – a sabre that shone bright as snow. So repulsive, so heavy!

    Nine people, nine sabres!

    The breeze was saturated with a stench of blood that made people want to heave. Spring had arrived already in this dark grove, but now, it seemed to have departed to some far away place again.

    Nine people, all tightly clenching sabres in their hands, surrounded Hong NiangZi. Nine fierce, burly men dressed in black, with malicious looks in their eyes. One was already lying facedown in a pool of blood. Hong NiangZi stared at them, the alluring smile of “Rescuer of the Poor and Needy” showing on her face again. With her slender finger, she pointed at the pool of blood and asked, “Which number was he?”

    Seven of the men grit their teeth tightly together. Only one of these men in black, the skinniest one, spat through his teeth, “Old Eight.”

    Hong NiangZi counted off on her fingers, “The first one who died seemed to be Old Six, then it was Old Two, Old Nine, Old Ten, plus now, Old Eight. Ai! Of the Thirteen Sabres, there are only eight left.”

    The man in black answered, “Correct. Five brothers of the Thirteen Sabres have already died by your hand.” A hoarse growl was emitted from his throat and he rasped, “But eight sabres are sufficient enough to chop you to a pulp.”

    Hong NiangZi laughed, her laughter like silver bells. Three of the eight men unconsciously retreated back a half a step. She chimed, “Beautiful women are best when they have a lively complexion that emits a fragrance. What a pity it would be to chop a beautiful woman like me, who has that lively complexion and
    beautiful fragrance, into a pulp?” Her gaze flitted over the faces of the three men
    who had backed away. Smiling enchantingly, she addressed them, “You know what sort of good stuff I have in my possession. Why didn’t you let your brothers know? You three are so selfish… Dead people cannot speak, but could it be that it is the same for you?” The three men’s faces changed, and they suddenly brandished their sabres and lunged forward.

    That tallest and skinniest black-clothed man growled lowly, “Stop!” It was evident that, of these thirteen sabres, he was the number one sabre. The instant his order left his mouth, the sabres immediately halted in midair.

    Hong NiangZi chortled charmingly, “See, everyone. I knew that your Zhao Laoda [biggest brother Zhao] would not have the heart to kill me. He may not be a person who is tender and protective to women, but he can still understand the difference between the good and bad of a woman.”

    Zhao Laoda’s face was hard. “You are very good. Indeed, I am reluctant about killing you because I do not want you to die too quickly.”

    Her eyes sparkled at him and her smile grew even more captivating as she said in a gentle voice, “Whatever time you would like me to die, then I will die at that time. You know that I would be willing to do anything for you.”

    Zhao Laoda: “Good. Very good.” Anyone who wants to be laoda cannot be a person of many words. The less one says, the more value his words will have. Zhao Laoda was not one who liked lots of words, and the words he spoke were short and effective. “You killed five of our brothers. We will slash you five times with our sabres and then, the debt will be considered settled.”

    Hong NiangZi batted her lashes. “Only five slashes?”

    Zhao Laoda: “Mm.”

    Hong NiangZi: “You do not even want to collect interest?”

    Zhao Laoda: “Mm.”

    Hong NiangZi sighed, “That cannot be considered an unfair exchange. I am very willing to accept it. Plus, right now there are eight of you against one of me, so even if I did not want to agree to it, I would still have to.”

    Zhao Laoda: “It is good that you realize this.”

    Hong NiangZi: “Although I understand it very clearly, there is one thing that is rather regrettable.”

    Zhao Laoda: “What is that?”

    Hong NiangZi: “I am afraid of pain.” She stared at those sabres in their hands, her face showing a very forlorn expression. “Such big sabres. It must hurt a lot if they slice down on your body.”

    Zhao Laoda: “Does not hurt.”

    Hong NiangZi: “It really does not hurt?”

    Zhao Laoda: “At the very least, the second slash will not hurt.”

    Hong NiangZi had a look that appeared as if she still did not comprehend what he was saying. “Do you guarantee?”

    Zhao Laoda: “I guarantee.”

    Hong NiangZi: “Of course I feel a lot more comfortable with your guarantee, but I still have one more condition.”

    Zhao Laoda: “Say it.”

    Hong NiangZi: “The first slash has to be from you.” With a pair of watery eyes, she gazed at Zhao Laoda and added, “Because I do not trust anyone else; I only trust you.”

    Zhao Laoda: “Fine.” He walked over towards her slowly. His footsteps were so heavy that you could nearly hear the sand and stones being crushed beneath his feet. The sabre still hung by his side. His hand was wide and thin; veins bulged out on the back of it. And then, he utilized one hundred percent of his strength.

  8. #408
    Senior Member rati4u's Avatar
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    eeeeeeeeekssss.......sudden twsit of action...i love it Hoju....so it is planned tht wang dong is gonna again be with her

  9. #409
    Senior Member eliza bennet's Avatar
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    Thank you so much Hoju

    This is really exciting, and these cliffhangers!!!!!

  10. #410
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    How do you slash a person without her feeling pain?
    a. slash her hair?
    b. chop off an arm and slash the dismembered limb?
    c. kill on the first slash?

  11. #411
    Senior Member Hoju!'s Avatar
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    And the answer to 9Dragons' question is....



    Chapter 26 continued.....
    --------------------------------------------------

    And then, he utilized one hundred percent of his strength.

    “The second slash will definitely not hurt.”

    Once this sabre chopped down on its target, it was not possible for anyone to have any feelings of pain – it was not possible for there to be any feeling left at all.

    Surprisingly, Hong NiangZi merely shut her eyes, her face still showing that faint smile that could melt souls. She chimed, “Come. Hurry!” There was a bright flash of light from the sabre, carrying with it the piercing sound of rushing wind as it came slicing down. Then unexpectedly, Hong NiangZi darted beneath that white light. Black silken strands flew up into the air against the flash of brightness. A large section of her hair had been sliced off.

    However, one of her hands had already grabbed onto and raised Zhao Laoda’s elbow while the other hand was pressing down on an acupoint beneath his ribs. Nobody could determine which acupoint that was, but anyone could tell that it was certainly a fatal acupoint. The look on every person’s face was as if they had been kicked in their stomachs.

    Hong NiangZi was still giggling, that awful sort of laughter. Like the sound of silver bells, she chortled, “Now you should realize why I insisted you had to be the one who made the first move. I knew that your hand would go weak because I had known all along that you have taken a fancy to me.”

    Zhao Laoda’s hand had not gone weak. His sabre attack had been extremely fast and very fierce. It was just that, as his sabre came down, he had been unthinking and left himself open in that spot beneath his blade. When facing a woman that had already closed her eyes in anticipation of death, it was difficult to avoid being a little careless. He had learned another lesson: “If you plan to kill, then, at all times, you should also guard against someone trying to kill you.” Naturally, this was not a pleasant thing. “If you plan to kill, you should be prepared to live a life of anxiety and suffering.”

    Zhao Laoda sighed. “What do you want?”

    Smiling, Hong NiangZi replied, “Nothing much. I merely want to discuss a business transaction with you.”

    Zhao Laoda: “What sort of business transaction?”

    Hong NiangZi: “Use your one life as an exchange for my life.”

    Zhao Laoda: “And how do you want to have this exchange?”

    Hong NiangZi let out another laugh. “Very simple. If I die, you will have no hope of living either.”

    Zhao Laoda: “What if I die?”

    With a sweet smile on her face, she answered, “If you die, of course I will not be able to live either, but how could I ever have the heart to let you die?”

    After considering for a moment, Zhao Laoda decided, “Fine.”

    Nobody had a chance to grasp what the actual meaning behind his “fine” was. All they saw was the sabre in his hand suddenly coming down again – at his own head.


    Hong NiangZi was an experienced person of the martial world. When a veteran of jianghu seizes and lifts up someone’s arm, he or she has undoubtedly taken into account the sabre in the hand of that person is no longer able to injure anyone. Hong NiangZi had calculated everything out very carefully, except she forgot one thing. Although the sabre in Zhao Laoda’s hand was not able to chop down on her, his arm was still able to bend so that it came down on himself. She had been solely focused on protecting her own life and had not remembered to protect the other person’s life. She had thought that everyone was the same as her, always regarding their own life as being more important than anything else. However, she had forgotten that, many times, people are willing to give up their lives for love or hatred. The power of love and hatred is often greater than anything else – so great that it was beyond anything she could imagine.



    Fresh blood sprayed everywhere.

    Dark red blood with bits of milky white flew out. Like drops of rain, it splattered onto Hong NiangZi’s face. Her eyelids were covered by the blinding red. All she saw were those eyes of Zhao Laoda, previously filled with rage and hatred, suddenly bulge out like a dead fish. And then, they were obscured by the blood.

    At once, outraged cries, like wild beasts that had fallen into traps, rose up around her. The shrill noise of the wind created by sabres cutting through the air came forcing down on her from all directions. She threw herself into the air and dodged as she tried to force her eyes open. But still, she could not even catch of glimpse of the sabres’ light; all she could see was the red glow of blood.

    She leapt up again. There was an unexpected cold sensation on her leg. It did not seem to be very painful, but the strength in her leg seemed to have disappeared suddenly. Her body immediately started to fall.

    She knew that this descent would send her down into an endless darkness, a place beyond redemption. Strangely, though, there was no fear in her heart, only a peculiar sort of grief. She suddenly thought of Wang Dong again. Where do a person’s thoughts turn right before his death? Perhaps no one can actually answer this question because under such circumstance, what each person thinks of will be different. She thought of Wang Dong, remembered his face that was cold as ice and his heart that was warm like fire. A faint smile appeared on her face, as if she felt that, so long as she was able to hear the sound of his laughter again, life or death did not matter.

    The crying sound was clear, like a hawk or crane in the heavens spiralling downwards. Hong NiangZi’s body was sinking downwards also. She felt herself unexpectedly relax, felt that she could let go of everything because now, all of it was unimportant. And so, she sank down like that, falling onto the ground, not even bothering to open her eyes.

    It was fortunate that she did not open her eyes. If they had been open, her heart may have shattered and her insides may have torn apart. The brilliant light of the sabres interwove and came slicing down on Hong NiangZi.

    All of a sudden, with a loud roar, someone soared down from the tops of the trees, charging into the light of the sabres. He seemed to have forgotten that he was made of flesh and blood and that sabres were used for killing. And just like that, he rushed into the middle of that light. A cry of alarm resonated out. “King of Eagles!”

  12. #412
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    some how its so peacefull listening to the thoughts of someone on the road to death.. I had a dream once, where i had died.. the feeling i had was very similar to wat was described... at first a feeling of grief that I am dying.. then all of a sudden just pure peace.. just a feeling where nothing matters at all.. all problems and worries were gone..

    Wang Dong the hero.. I'm happy for Hong NiangZi.. she has been given the chance to see what is important to her.. if WangDong doesnt take her back i bet she will become a Nun.. haha

    thanks Hoju! for a weekend update =)

  13. #413
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    1. Dont forget this is Gulong.
    2. A leopord dosent change its spots.
    3. Im williong to bet half my stack that shes using him.

  14. #414
    Senior Member rati4u's Avatar
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    i dont think so .... it is different from rest of GL's novels....it is really good one...

  15. #415
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    Chapter 26 continued.....
    --------------------------------------------------

    “King of Eagles!”

    “King of Eagles did not die!”

    Another person shouted angrily, “Then he will die now!”

    Naturally, there was a chance that Wang Dong was going to die. He understood this point very clearly. However, he also knew that, so long as he was still alive, no one would be allowed to take Hong NiangZi’s life in front of him. Using his body of flesh and blood as a shield in front of Hong NiangZi, he blocked those killing sabres. Though the sabres were sharp and heavy, he refused to draw back. This sort of courage was not only worthy of respect, it was also fearsome, very fearsome.

    When Yan Qi arrived, Wang Dong’s body was already covered in seven, eight sabre wounds. Blood streamed out from each gash. Normally, the courage of any other person would have flowed out along with the blood. His did not. As Yan Qi looked upon him, even though his heart did not shatter and his insides did not tear apart, his blood started rushing up into his head and throat. In that instant, he suddenly forgot about his own life.



    Where does courage come from? Sometimes, it arises because of honor; at times, it is because of hatred. Sometimes, it is for love; other times, it is for friends. Regardless of where the courage originates from, they all equally deserve to be respected and are equally admirable.

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

    Guo DaLu had come also. No matter what the reasons or what the situation was, he still would never allow his friends to fight with their lives while he stayed at home playing chess. It was a shame that, by the time he got there, the bloody battle had already come to an end. There were only nine sabres remaining on the ground. Some lay in a pool of blood while others were stabbed into trees. Some of the edges of the blades had curled; others had completely snapped.

    Wang Dong was caring for the wound on Hong NiangZi’s leg, having utterly forgotten about the injuries on his own body. Yan Qi watched them silently. It was uncertain whether that was happiness in his gaze or sorrow.

    Quietly, Guo DaLu walked over and whispered, “Where are they?”

    At the same time, Yan Qi asked him, “Where is he?”

    Guo DaLu: “Who are you asking about?”

    Yan Qi: “Xiao Lin.”

    Guo DaLu: “Of course I would never leave Xiao Lin in the house by himself.”

    Yan Qi: “You brought him along?”

    With a nod of his head, Guo DaLu answered, “He is sitting in that large tree over there.” Because of where the tree was situated, everything that happened where they were could be seen from atop that tree, but the people here could not see up into it.

    There are skills and techniques to hiding; it is actually an art. “At the proper time, find a proper place.” This is the essence of the entire meaning behind the two words, “to hide.”

    Guo DaLu: “I was asking about those people with the sabres.”

    Yan Qi: “They have all left.”

    Guo DaLu picked up a sabre from the ground, weighing it roughly in his hand, as he grinned, “No wonder they left their sabres behind. You really cannot run very quickly with such a heavy sabre in your hand.”

    Yan Qi: “Correct. That’s because they are not people who are known to flee.”

    Guo DaLu: “You know them?”

    Yan Qi: “Don’t know them, but I know of them. Thirteen Sabres is well-known both inside and outside the Central Plains.”

    Guo DaLu: “Well-known bandits?”

    Yan Qi: “Well-known as bold and unyielding men.”

    Guo DaLu: “But the bold and unyielding men have fled this time.”

    Yan Qi: “Are you thinking that they were afraid of dying?”

    Guo DaLu: “If they were not afraid, why would they run away?”

    Yan Qi gazed at Wang Dong. “What they feared was not death but was, in fact, a sort of courage that leaves people with no choice but to be afraid.” He continued slowly, “Maybe they were not actually afraid but rather, were touched… They are people, too. Each person has a chance of being touched by something at one point in time.”

    Guo DaLu was silent in thought for a while until he suddenly wondered, “How did they know Hong NiangZi was here?”

    Yan Qi: “The news that Cui MingFu and the others died here is already known by many people in jianghu.”

    With a sigh, Guo DaLu remarked, “News in jianghu spreads very quickly.”

    Yan Qi: “The ears of people belonging to jianghu have always been extremely sharp, let alone the fact that hatreds and enmities will cause a person’s ears to be even sharper.”

    Guo DaLu: “The enmity between them had been very deep?”

    Yan Qi: “Thirteen Sabres and Cui MingFu could actually have been considered associates, but Hong NiangZi betrayed them. One time, when they were being besieged by enemies, she actually…”

    Abruptly, Guo DaLu cut him off, “I do not care to hear about those types of dog-eat-dog matters.”

    Yan Qi: “Than what do you want to hear?”

    As Guo DaLu turned his gaze over to Wang Dong and Hong NiangZi, a gentle sort of radiance gradually showed in his eyes. “Right now, I just want to hear something that will make my heart happy or maybe a joyful type of news. For example…”

    Yan Qi looked at him, his eyes also softening as he asked quietly, “For example what?”

    Guo DaLu: “For example, news of spring.”

    Yan Qi’s tone grew even more tender. “You do not need to ask for news of spring anymore.”

    Guo DaLu: “Why?”

    Yan Qi: “Because spring has already arrived.”

    Guo DaLu blinked at him. “Already arrived?” he chuckled. “Where? How come I cannot see it?”

    Turning his head to look over at Wang Dong and Hong NiangZi, Yan Qi answered softly, “You should be able to see it. It is right in this place.”

    Guo DaLu’s voice became very gentle also. “You are right. It is in this place,” he agreed quietly. But what he was looking at was Yan Qi – Yan Qi’s eyes. He had suddenly discovered that spring was in Yan Qi’s eyes.



    End of Chapter 26

  16. #416
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    I just lost half my stack.
    thanks Hoju. losing never felt so good.

  17. #417
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    Quote Originally Posted by aliderhamy View Post
    I just lost half my stack.
    thanks Hoju. losing never felt so good.
    that half stack belongs to both me and Hoju ....any comments Hoju?

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    Wink

    Quote Originally Posted by Hoju! View Post
    Guo DaLu’s voice became very gentle also. “You are right. It is in this place,” he agreed quietly. But what he was looking at was Yan Qi – Yan Qi’s eyes. He had suddenly discovered that spring was in Yan Qi’s eyes.
    End of Chapter 26
    OK, Yan Qi must be a girl - there's no way spring appears in any guys eyes. We just don't do spring... almost any other season, yes. Spring? no.

  19. #419
    Senior Member Hoju!'s Avatar
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    LOL rati! I had to refrain from commenting since I am a little further ahead in the story than everyone else and that would give me an unfair advantage. Of course, if you would like to share your winnings.........
    So disrupt, what season are you doing?





    --------------------------------------------------
    Chapter 27 – A World of Gold
    --------------------------------------------------

    What sorts of people can be called ‘sick people’ [or a 'patient’]? This classification, like many other classifcations, has many different definitions. Some people will explain it as: a sick person is someone who has a sickness. Of course, this definition of ‘sick person’ is indisputable but it is still not completely correct. Sometimes, people do not have a sickness, but yet, they are still ‘sick people’. For example, someone who is injured, or someone who has been poisoned. Can you call them ‘sick persons’?

    No.

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

    It was still spring.

    The third month is precisely the heart of spring, when the grass is long and the oriole flies all around. The snow had all melted. The ground was covered in a blanket of green.

    Guo DaLu was standing beneath the shady green, engrossed in his own thoughts. He really was lost in thought because he did not even notice when Yan Qi strolled over to him. Yan Qi could have snuck up and given him a big startle, and in fact, he had actually wanted to. However, once he saw how he looked, he did not have the heart to do it. What sort of look did Guo DaLu have? A face that seemed as if he had not eaten well nor slept enough and that had gotten a lot thinner.

    Exhaling a little sigh, Yan Qi walked quietly over in front of him. A faint smile showed on his face. “Hey,” he asked softly, “what are you thinking about?”

    Guo DaLu lifted up his head to look at him, staring for a long time before he said unexpectedly, “Do you know what sorts of people are called ‘sick people’?”

    Yan Qi: “People who have a sickness.”

    Guo DaLu shook his head.

    Yan Qi: “Not correct?”

    Guo DaLu: “At least it is not completely correct.”

    Yan Qi: “What answer should I say in order to be completely correct?”

    Guo DaLu pondered for a moment before answering, “In a child’s eyes, so long as someone is lying on the bed unable to move, then that person is a sick person, yet someone like that does not necessarily have any sort of illness.”

    Yan Qi: “But you are not a child.”

    Sighing, Guo DaLu stated, “In my eyes, a sick person is merely someone who spends especially large amounts of money.”

    Yan Qi: “What sort of sentence is that?”

    Guo DaLu: “A true sentence.”

    What he said really were words of truth. Sick people may be unable to have drinks but they must have medicine. Moreover, not only must they take their medicines, they also have to consume a lot of bupin [natural supplements, usually very expensive] and these items were usually more expensive than wine.

    Naturally, Yan Qi knew that those words were true because right then, in their place, there were three sick people. Lin TaiPing’s injuries had not yet completely healed and now, there was HongNiangZi and Wang Dong as well. Yan Qi frowned at him. “Even if it is a true sentence, you still should not say something like that.”

    There was a bitter little smile on Guo DaLu’s lips. “I know I really should not say it, but I have to.”

    Yan Qi: “Why?”

    Guo DaLu: “Because, at this point in time, I am very quickly going to become a dead person.”

    Yan Qi: “Dead person?”

    A pile of stuff lay before Guo DaLu. That bitter smile was still on his face as he explained, “If things keep continuing on this way, in less than two days, I will have no choice but to throw myself into the river.” That pile in front of him was actually a stack of bills. Those bills were the sort that meant people were demanding payment from him. Yanking out a sheet of paper from the middle of the stack, he read, “Pure, high quality yan wo [*swallows nest; considered a delicacy and good for you], total weight five liang. Cost: fine silver, twelve liang even.” He hurled the paper to the ground, then sighed, “I can’t believe a nest made by some bird can actually be that expensive. If I had known, it would have been better if we turned into birds ourselves. That way, we could have avoided having all those pharmacy owners coming and pressuring for payments.”

    Yan Qi grinned, “You already are a bird – a dim-witted bird.”

    The sigh from Guo DaLu was even longer. “I bet even a dim-witted bird would not agree to manage the bills.”

    Yan Qi blinked. “Well, who told you to manage them?”

    Jabbing a finger at his own nose, Guo DaLu replied, “Me – the dim-witted bird.” It was true; he had said himself that he wanted to take care of the bills. Lin TaiPing, Hong NiangZi, and Wang Dong were all unable to move about. The only two left who could do anything were he and Yan Qi, but yet, the things that needed to be done were many.

    “So do you want to manage the household or the bills?” Yan Qi had asked him.

    Not even needing to think about the answer, Guo DaLu had immediately said, “Bills.” In his mind, he had felt that managing bills was much more pleasant than preparing medicines or making porridge for the sick. Only now did he realize that he was wrong, extremely wrong. Forcing a smile, he explained, “I had thought that there was nothing in the world that could be easier than dealing with bills.”

    “Oh?” Yan Qi blinked at him again.

    Guo DaLu: “Because in the previous months, we did not have any bills we needed to manage.”

    Yan Qi giggled, “Even if there were, they were just some nonsense bills.”

    Guo DaLu: “Exactly.” Sighing, he added, “Back then, when we had money, we would go eat and drink a bit, and when we did not have money, we would just restrain ourselves. Even if we did not eat or drink for the entire day, it still would not be a big deal.”

    Yan Qi: “And at the time, at least all of us would try to come up with plans to get money.”

    Guo DaLu: “But now, things are different.”

    Yan Qi nodded his head slowly. He, too, could not help sighing now as he agreed, “Things truly are different now.”

    The sick must not be allowed to go hungry and even moreso, they must take their medicines. And so, regardless of whether they had money or not, everyday, there was a fixed set of expenses that they could not avoid. Those expenses were not small either. However, there was not one person coming up with ideas to get money. Yan Qi was busy caring for the sick; Guo DaLu was desperately racking his brain for ways on how to buy things on credit.

    “I find one thing very odd, though,” Guo DaLu sighed.

    Yan Qi: “What is that?”

    Guo DaLu: “Although I have never muddled my way around jianghu before, I have heard more than a small number of stories about the heroes of jianghu. How come I never heard about any one of them having to worry about money?” He gave a cynical little chuckle before carrying on, “Those people seem to have bundle after bundle of money that they can pull out at any time. That money seems to just fall down from heaven.”

    Yan Qi contemplated his words for a minute, then remarked, “In the future, if someone tells our story, there will definitely be no mention of us worrying about money either.”

    Guo DaLu: “Why?”

    Yan Qi: “Because storytellers all seem to think that people do not like to hear stuff like that.”

    Guo DaLu: “But those are all facts.”

    Yan Qi: “Facts may be true, but there are not many people who dare to speak the truth.”

    Guo DaLu: “Why don’t they dare? What is there to fear?”

    Yan Qi: “They are scared people will not listen.”

    Guo DaLu: “Could all those storytellers be idiots? Don’t they understand that there will be people who like to listen to the truth?” He thought for a moment, then added, “Maybe you get a bigger kick out of those myth or legend-like stories, but true stories are definitely able to move people even more. Stories that have the ability to touch people’s hearts are the only ones that carry on forever.”

    Letting out a slight chuckle, Yan Qi advised, “It would be best if you saved these words for the storytellers to hear.”

    Guo DaLu: “You are uninterested?”

    Yan Qi: “Yup.”

    Guo DaLu: “What do you want to hear then?”

    Yan Qi: “The only thing I want to hear now is how much debt are we actually in?”

    Heaving a sigh, Guo DaLu replied, “Not much; it has not even reached ten thousand liang of silver yet.”



    In some people’s eyes, a debt of ten thousand liang was really not all that much. During the time that Guo DaLu had money, this debt would also not have been considered a large amount. The issue lies not in how large the debt is but rather, how much you have.

    Yan Qi: “These ten thousand liang worth of bills, are they all urgently in need of payment?”

    Guo DaLu: “The people demanding payment are already pressuring me so much that I am ready to throw myself into the river. Do you think it is urgent?”

    Yan Qi: “How much do we still have on hand at the moment?”

    “Quite a bit.” Guo DaLu sighed, “With another three coins, we will have pooled one liang.”

    Yan Qi stood there at a loss for words. The difference between ten thousand liang and one liang was 9,999 liang. Anyone could do this calculation. So, Yan Qi could only stare off in silence. After a long while, he let out a long sigh and commented, “I finally understand what it means to be poor.”

    Guo DaLu: “Only now do you understand?”

    Nodding, Yan Qi explained, “Because even though we did not have money before, we did not owe anyone any debts either so that could not really be considered as being poor.”

    “Right now, as long as I do not have to owe any more debts, I would be willing to crawl around on the ground for three days and three nights,” Guo DaLu moaned.

    Yan Qi: “Sadly, even if you crawled on all fours for three years, you still would not be able to crawl out ten thousand liang.”

    Guo DaLu: “I don’t need ten thousand liang. 9,999 liang will be sufficient.”

    Yan Qi: “The problem is, how are you going to get 9,999 liang?”

    With another sour smile, Guo DaLu said, “I have no idea.”

    Yan Qi: “Neither do I.”

    Blinking, Guo DaLu suggested, “Why can we not be thieves?

    Yan Qi: “Because we are not the types that are able to be thieves.”

    Guo Dalu: “What type of people can?”

    Yan Qi: “The inhuman types.”

    Guo DaLu: “Could we go steal from the rich and give to the poor?”

    Yan Qi: “No.”

    Guo DaLu: “Why not? People who steal from the rich and give to the poor cannot be considered thieves. At most, they are gallant bandits, heroes.”

    Yan Qi: “Who are you planning to rob?”

    Guo DaLu: “Those wealthy but heartless and dishonest businessmen or those corrupt officials who exploit the common people.”

    Yan Qi: “And after you are done with the robbing, who are the poor that you are going to provide aid to?”

    Guo DaLu: “Naturally, we would first rescue ourselves from our own crisis and relieve our own poverty.”

    “Then that is not being a hero; that is being a b**tard,” Yan Qi rebuked. He added, “It is because there are so many people who have these b**tard ideas that there are so many thieves in the world.” Perhaps the majority of the world’s thieves actually started with these self-deceiving notions.

    Guo DaLu thought over it for a minute before forcing a smile. “According to what you are saying, then, it appears that we only have one path left to take.”

    Yan Qi: “What path is that?”

    Guo DaLu: “Not paying.”

    Yan Qi: “Do you know what sort of people default on their debts?”

    Guo DaLu did know, and that is why he sighed again. “People who have no shame.”

    Yan Qi: “So are you able to do that?”

    Guo DaLu: “No.” Besides, even if he was able to bring himself to not pay the debts, Wang Dong and the others’ injuries had not healed yet, and they still needed to continue with their medicines and supplements. If you defaulted on your current debts, who would be willing to let you borrow from them again?



    End of Chapter 27
    Last edited by Hoju!; 04-30-08 at 11:40 PM.

  20. #420
    Senior Member eliza bennet's Avatar
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    Thank you Hoju

    Our heroes are in dire straights. Wouldn't it be nice if Yan Qi is actually super rich?

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