A Happy Hero

[Guo Xiang ( :]

No wonder LTP didn't want to marry her. If he made her mad she might try to kill him. -Guo Xiang ( :

[eliza bennet]

Thank you Hoju!

[rati4u]

Now, no one take this the wrong way.

hehehe...no matter in what angle a girl is seen, it is not wrong because basically girls are tempting...

hoju...three cheers and six hugs to you...

[aliderhamy]

I recon the main hero of the story will have the greatest martial arts of the group, watch and see.
hes just been modest all this time.

[.:mich:.]

I recon the main hero of the story will have the greatest martial arts of the group, watch and see.
hes just been modest all this time.

Ha..ha.. is this a SPOILER ?
Anyway, you might be right regarding the 'fat man' potentiality.

[davidY]

this is gu long.... i am guessing he will suddenly whip out his super skill that he has hidden for so long now or he could just be all talk either way it would be quite good

[Tracing Traveller]

Thanks Hoju, first of all. Have been reading this story for a while but haven't got a chance to thank you yet.

this is gu long.... i am guessing he will suddenly whip out his super skill that he has hidden for so long now or he could just be all talk either way it would be quite good

I don't think this would be the case if you're talking about Guo DaLu. He won't be Guo DaLu anymore if he can actually hide something, be it small or big. And this black-clothed guy seems to be quite tough and don't think Guo is his match. He needs outside help this time if he's to survive. Lin TaiPing should be able to handle it, I think, coz I see him as the best in terms of martial arts in the group despite lack of experience in jianghu due to his young age. Don't think even Wang Dong is better than him if they're in a fair fight even though GL never made direct comparison between them yet.

[Hoju!]

Chapter 37 continued.....
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The black-clothed man flew into the sky, and with a flip in the air, the sword was already out of its scabbard – a seven foot long sword, clear like the deep waters of autumn.

Out of nowhere, a “qiang” sound was heard. Then, this long sword like the autumn waters suddenly had another scabbard on it. The scabbard had come from beneath Guo DaLu’s robe. As the black-clothed man slid backwards, he had also dashed right after him. When the sword had come out of its scabbard, he had also pulled out his own scabbard from beneath the robe and, thrusting it forward, sheathed it onto the sword.

The sword was seven feet in length; this scabbard was only three feet seven inches. However, the black-clothed man’s sword was still encased by it and could no longer be put to use. His body continued to withdraw back because he had no choice but to retreat – Guo DaLu was gripping tightly onto the scabbard with both hands and pressing forward forcefully. If he did not let go of his long sword, then all he could do was allow himself to be shoved backwards. If he did release his hold, then it would be unavoidable that he would be struck in the chest by the hilt of his own sword. His body had been travelling backwards to begin with, and now, even if he wanted to change the direction his force was being applied and push out in front of him, it was already too late. And so, he really had no control over his own actions. As Guo DaLu pressed forward one foot, he could only move back one foot.

All that could be heard was a “bang” as his body was shoved backwards and struck the wall. Guo DaLu’s hands were still firmly grasping the scabbard, pinning him against the wall. At this time, he was not able to continue retreating, or more importantly, let go of his long sword – the instant he let go, the hilt would smack solidly into his chest.

This situation was set-up so ingeniously that unless someone saw it with their own eyes, they would not even be able visualize it.

Grinning, Guo DaLu asked, “You probably never even conceived of this move before?”

Through grit teeth, the black-clothed man spat, “What kind of kung fu is that?”

“This really cannot be considered any sort of real kung fu,” Guo DaLu admitted with a laugh, “because, aside from using it to deal with you, this skill would be completely useless on other people.” As if he was afraid the black-clothed man still did not understand, he explained further, “That is because, besides you, no one else in the world would use this method to unsheathe their sword.”

The black-clothed man’s voice was icy. “You specifically invented this move just to deal with me?”

Guo DaLu: “Correct answer.”

Black-clothed man: You had intended on keeping me here all along?”

Guo DaLu: “Really, there is nothing bad about staying here. At the very least, you are able to have a peaceful sleep every day.”

Black-clothed man: “Hmph!”

Guo DaLu: “All you have to do is promise me that you will stay here and then I will immediately release my grip.”

Black-clothed man: “Hmph!”

Guo DaLu: “What does ‘hmph’ mean?”

A cold sneer on his face, the black-clothed man retorted, “Even though I have no way of killing you right now, you are also powerless against me. The instant you loosen your hold, I will still be able to put you in a place of death.”

Guo DaLu: “Yes, that is not completely out of the question.”

Black-clothed man: “Therefore, you should give up on any ideas that you can intimidate me. Even if I am willing to agree to your terms, you must still let go first before we negotiate.”

Guo DaLu looked intently at him for a long time. With an unexpected little chuckle, he said, “Alright. I might as well trust you one more time. As long as you…” Before he could finish what he was going to say, he saw something suddenly bore out from the black-clothed man’s chest.

The short point of a sword.



The tip of the sword was dripping blood. As the black-clothed man stared down at the sword point, the expression in his eyes was exactly the same as the one that had been in Ghost Gentleman’s eyes before he died. Guo DaLu, too, was gazing at it as if in a daze. All that could be heard was a “ge ge” sound coming from the black-clothed man’s throat, like he wanted to speak but yet was not able to.

Guo DaLu let out a sudden loud shout, soared up into the air, and swept over the wall. Sure enough, that sword had first stabbed in through the wall’s exterior before piercing through the black-clothed man’s chest. The hilt was still stuck there on the outside of the wall.

But there was only the sword hilt. There was no person.

The wind was blowing again. The long grass growing on the mountain rippled like waves. But not even half a human shadow could be seen.

A strip of white silk was tied onto the hilt of the sword, dancing and undulating with the breeze.

Guo DaLu had wanted to go up and yank out the sword, but he suddenly noticed that written in ink that had soaked through fabric were seven characters:

“The imposter shall die.

– NanGong Chou"

[Guo Xiang ( :]

ANOTHER IMPOSTER?! Wow. That's all I have to say. I can't wait until the real guy shows up. I wonder what kind of aura he carries? YYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYY for A Happy Hero!
YYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYY for Hoju!
YYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYY for Wuxia!



-Guo Xiang

Whew. All this yaying has worn me out.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

[eliza bennet]

NanGong Chu has sure inspired impostors, but I think maybe this one could be Yan Qi impersonating an impostor

[Hoju!]

Chapter 37 continued.....
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The bloodstain on the sword tip had dried by now. The black-clothed man, however, still stood there with his head lowered, appearing as if he was deep in thought while gazing down at that sword point. The expression on his face was also identical to Ghost Gentleman’s when he died.

Yan Qi, Wang Dong, and Lin TaiPing stood in the corridor, staring at the corpse from a distance.

His arrival had been sudden; his death even more surprising. The most shocking point, though, was that he, too, was not NanGong Chou.

Guo DaLu stood next to him, his eyes fixed on that sword point. He also seemed to be lost in contemplation. Yan Qi walked quietly over to him and asked, “What are you thinking?”

Sighing, Guo DaLu answered, “I was thinking, if he is not NanGong Chou, why would he willingly be his scapegoat?”

Yan Qi: “What do you mean by scapegoat?”

Guo DaLu: “If he was not NanGong Chou, Yu LingLong would not have wanted to kill him, he would not have needed to take cover here, and now, he would not be dead here either.”

Yan Qi: “Are you feeling bad for him?”

Guo DaLu: “A bit.”

Yan Qi: “But I am only feeling sorry for NanGong Chou.”

Guo DaLu: “Why?”

Yan Qi: “It’s not even known how many people he has killed or how many evil deeds he has committed under NanGong Chou’s name and yet NanGong Chou may not even have any hint of all this. In reality, you should have said that NanGong Chou is his scapegoat, not the opposite.”

After mulling over this for a while, Guo DaLu nodded. “But no matter what, he was still my guest and he still died inside our courtyard.”

Yan Qi: “And as a result, you are still feeling bad for him?”

Guo DaLu: “There is still a little bit.”

Yan Qi: “If you had really released your grip a moment ago, do you think he would be feeling bad for you right now?”

Guo DaLu: “If I had let go, do you really think he would have seized that chance and killed me?”

Yan Qi: “You think he wouldn’t have?”

Guo DaLu: “Regardless of what you say, I still believe that human beings are human beings and will always have some sort of humanity in them. You may not be able to see it or touch it, but you absolutely must believe that it exists. Otherwise, what significance is there in being a person?”

Yan Qi’s eyes were on him. With a sudden sigh, he remarked, “I actually also hope that your perspective is more correct than mine...”

Tilting his head, Guo DaLu gazed deeply into the cloudy sky. He was silent for a long while. “Now I only hope for one thing,” he spoke up unexpectedly.

Yan Qi asked, “What are you hoping for?”

“I only hope that, one day, I can meet the real NanGong Chou and see what sort of person he really is…” His eyes seemed to shine as he mused, “I think, compared to any of the people we had previously seen, he must be much more mysterious and much more fearsome.”

But did this person, NanGong Chou, really exist in the world? No one knew; no one had ever seen him.



End of Chapter 37

[Hoju!]

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Chapter 38 – Where Has Spring Gone?
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Nobody knew NanGong Chou’s whereabouts, just like no one could know where spring would be going. But though spring may go, it will return at some point in time. NanGong Chou, however, was gone without any news of him.

Now, spring would be departing soon. The flowers in the courtyard were blooming even more colorfully, but alas, even the most beautiful flower cannot keep spring. The weather was gradually getting hotter. Although Wang Dong’s injuries were fully healed, he had become even lazier. He would lie all day in his bamboo chair, almost not even bothering to budge in the slightest bit. Except for that one day when they buried the black-clothed man…



That day had been close to Qing Ming Jie [see previous footnote [9]], but there was no soul-wrenching rain accompanying it. In fact, the weather was very nice. As they were returning from the gravesite, Wang Dong brought up the rear like he usually did.

Hong NiangZi had not come with them. She was nearly completely recovered from her injuries, yet she would still hole herself up in her room all day. Nowadays, it was not Wang Dong who was avoiding her but rather, it was her avoiding Wang Dong. A woman’s heart is always unfathomable so this was not unusual at all.

What was unusual, though, was that Guo DaLu also seemed to be avoiding Yan Qi of late. While Yan Qi and Lin TaiPing walked up ahead, he strolled languidly at the back with Wang Dong. When they were halfway back, Wang Dong found himself a shady spot beneath a tree, sat down, gave a big stretch, and let out a yawn. Guo DaLu, too, sat down after him, stretched, and let out two yawns. Wang Dong chuckled and, with a slight smile on his face, commented, “Lately, you seem to have become even lazier than me.”

“Who ever stipulated that only you are allowed to be the laziest person?” Guo DaLu responded. “Can I not be a bit lazier than you?”

Wang Dong: “No.”

Guo DaLu: “Why?”

Wang Dong: “Because, right now, you should be the one most vigourous one out of all of us.”

Guo DaLu: “Why is that?”

Wang Dong: “Do you still remember what Yan Qi said about you that day?”

Guo DaLu: “No. Why must I always remember what he says?” This guy was acting like he had just swallowed three tons of gunpowder and his belly was filled with explosives.

Wang Dong did not seem to mind. The smile was still on his face as he reminded, “He said that, out of the four of us, your martial art should actually be the worst.”

“You all have good shifus; I don’t,” Guo DaLu protested.

Wang Dong: “But since that day you fought the black-clothed man, he suddenly discovered that, though our martial arts are higher than yours, if we got into a real fight against you, perhaps none of us would actually be your match.”

His voice cold, Guo DaLu replied, “He may not even believe his own words.”

Wang Dong: “But I believe them because my opinion is the same as his.”

Guo DaLu: “Oh?”

Wang Dong: “Your martial arts may be inferior to ours, but in actual combat with people, you are able to adapt and act accordingly to the circumstances and control your opponent before he has his chance to act. To borrow from a clichéd saying: you are someone who has an amazing inborn gift, a rare talent for learning martial arts. And so…”

Guo DaLu: “And so, we should have a duel to confirm it, right?” There was still a strong explosive feel in his words.

Wang Dong ignored him again and continued smilingly, “And so you should cheer up and practice your martial arts diligently. If you could find a good shifu, maybe you might even become wulin’s number one martial master.”

Guo DaLu suddenly released a lengthy sigh. “Right now, I do not want to find a good shifu. I only want to find a good doctor.”

Wang Dong: “Why?”

Nibbling on his fingernail, Guo DaLu stammered, “Because… because I am sick.”

[rati4u]

wow...seems our hero is a master already...

[patricia n]

is our kung fu master sick because he thinks he's in love with a dude???? lol. thanks hoju, always looking forward to your updates.

[Guo Xiang ( :]

Yeah. That's probably right. Just like A Chinese Odyssey 2002 where Bully the Kid says he's a beast for stealing his sisters love Guo DaLu thinks he's a sicko for liking Yan Qi who he thinks is a man. At least I think the situation is somewhat similar.

-Guo Xiang

[eliza bennet]

What I don't understand is why no one is telling the truth? He proved to be trustworthy so many times, why should he be the only one who suffers?



Thank you Hoju!

[Guo Xiang ( :]

I don't understand who you mean doesn't tell the truth and who has proved trustworthy? Can you explain it please.

-Guo Xiang

[Hoju!]

Chapter 38 continued.....
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Nibbling on his fingernail, Guo DaLu stammered, “Because… because I am sick.”

The expression on Wang Dong’s face shifted rapidly as he asked, “You are sick? What sort of sickness?”

Guo DaLu: “A very strange sort.”

Wang Dong: “How come you never mentioned anything before?”

Guo DaLu: “Because I…… I cannot say it.” His entire face was covered in a look of pain. It did not seem at all as if he was joking. Wang Dong, though, did not press him further because he knew that the more insistently he asked, the more Guo DaLu would refuse to say anything at all. Sure enough, since he did not inquire anymore, Guo DaLu could not contain himself and asked, “Have you not noticed that I have changed a bit lately?”

Wang Dong brows were puckered as he agreed hesitantly, “Hmm… it appears you have a bit.”

“It’s because I am sick,” Guo DaLu sighed.

Wang Dong probed, “And do you know where your illness is located?”

Pointing at his own chest, Guo DaLu answered, “Right here.”

Wang Dong frowned, “You have a sickness of the heart?”

Guo DaLu’s expression grew even more pained.

Wang Dong: “There are many types of sicknesses of the heart. As far as I know, the most severe one is lovesickness – could it be that you are lovesick?”

Guo DaLu was sighing incessantly now.

Wang Dong laughed and pointed out, “Lovesickness is not something to be ashamed of. Why are you not willing to say it out loud? Maybe I could even be a matchmaker for you.”

Guo DaLu was clenching his teeth together forcefully. A long while passed and then suddenly, he grabbed Wang Dong by the shoulders. “Are you my good friend?”

Wang Dong: “Of course.”

Guo DaLu: “Good friends should guard each other’s secrets, right?”

Wang Dong: “Of course they should.”

Guo DaLu: “I have a secret that I have kept for a long time now, and if I don’t say it out, I’m afraid I will go crazy. But… but even though I want to say it, I am scared that you will laugh at me.”

Wang Dong: “You… don’t tell me that what you have is… is a sexually transmitted disease?”

Guo DaLu: “No.”

Wang Dong breathed a sigh of relief. “Then it’s all right. Feel free to say it. I will not laugh at you.”

Guo DaLu struggled in indecision for another half a day. At last, with a distressed look, he confessed, “There are also many types of lovesickness. The one I have, though, is the most shameful type.”

Wang Dong: “Why is it shameful? ‘A graceful and fair lady, the gentleman wishes to be with. Wish is unfulfilled, toss and turn he shall.’ This has always been a principle of Heaven and Earth. What is there to feel ashamed about?”

Guo DaLu: “But… but… my lovesickness is not for a woman.”

Wang Dong paused in surprise for a long moment before inquiring carefully, “Could your lovesickness be for a man?”

Guo DaLu nodded his head, looking nearly as if he was going to burst out into tears.

A look of terrible fear seemed to overcome Wang Dong’s face. Deliberately lowering his voice, he whispered, “It wouldn’t be me, would it?”

As Guo DaLu stared back at Wang Dong, he did not know whether he wanted to cry or laugh. All he could do was scowl as he retorted, “My sickness has not reached that stage of severity yet.”

Seemingly relieved, Wang Dong laughed, “As long as it is not me, everything is all right also.” Suddenly, his voice dropped again. “Is it Lin TaiPing?”

“You’ve seen a live ghost,” Guo DaLu snapped.

Wang Dong’s brow was wrinkled for a long time before he his countenance brightened and he said, “I understand now. The one you like is Yan Qi.”

Guo DaLu did not say anything.

In a laidback tone, Wang Dong said, “Really, I could see that a long time ago. You always like to be with him.”

His face pulled into a painful grimace, Guo DaLu replied, “Before, I did not really notice there was anything wrong. I just figured it was because we are very good friends. But then later… later…”

Wang Dong blinked. “What happened later?”

Guo DaLu: “Later… later something was not quite right.”

Wang Dong: “What was not right?”

Guo DaLu: “I cannot really say either what wasn’t right. Anyhow, as long as I am with him, there is something particularly different about my mood.

“How is it different?” Wang Dong pressed. He really was ‘smashing the earthenware pot to get to the bottom of it’ and was not willing to let go even a little bit.

Guo DaLu: “Different is just different… In any case… in any case, it’s just different.” Saying that was equivalent to not saying anything at all.

Wang Dong appeared as if he was not able to stop himself from breaking out into laughter, but in the end, he finally managed to contain it. Putting on a serious look, he comforted, “Really, that cannot be considered a shameful thing.”

“That’s not shameful enough?” Guo DaLu moaned. “A real man like me would actually…”

“You are not the first person with this sort of inclination,” Wang Dong pointed out. “ ‘Duan xiu fen tao.’ [literally, duan xiu means ‘cutting the sleeve’ and fen tao means ‘dividing peach’ [15]; saying refers to homosexuality.] Even our good old kings and emperors have had this pastime, and in fact, their stories have been told through the ages. In my opinion, you and him should just…”

Jumping to his feet, Guo DaLu glared furiously at Wang Dong and seethed, “So it turns out you actually are not my friend. I misjudged you.”

Wang Dong pulled him back. “Don’t get angry, don’t get angry. I was just trying to test you. Actually, I have noticed for a long time now that there is something not quite right about Yan Qi.”

Guo DaLu was taken aback by this. “What is it about him that is not quite right?”

It was not easy but Wang Dong managed to not burst out in mirth. Pulling his face into a serious look, he asked, “Have you not noticed that this person seems to have a rather bizarre [orig. word is xie, which carries meanings of evil, abnormal, heretic] air about him?”

Guo DaLu: “Bizarre air? What kind of bizarre air?”

Wang Dong: “Even though we are all such good friends, he still guards against us like he is guarding against thieves. When he goes to sleep, he always will first bolt up his doors and windows, right?”

Guo DaLu: “Yes.”

Wang Dong: “Every time he leaves here, he always does it by sneaking out, as if he is afraid we will tail him, right?”

Guo DaLu: “Yes.”

Wang Dong: “He seems like he never bathes, yet his body does not smell at all. The clothes he wears may be grimy and tattered, but his room is cleaner than anyone else’s here… What do you say? Aren’t all these points a little bizarre?”

Guo DaLu’s face seemed to have grown a little pale. “Are you trying to say that he is…”

Wang Dong cut him off, “I am not saying anything, nor am I saying that he is part of the demon cult.” All of a sudden, he broke into a fit of coughing because if he did not cough then, he was afraid he would start laughing.

Guo DaLu’s complexion grew even whiter while his lips repeated the same two words over and over again: “Demon cult… demon cult…”

After coughing for half a day, Wang Dong finally managed to hold back his laughter and spoke again, “I have merely heard that there are few husband-wife pairs in the demon cult that are a little unusual.”

Guo DaLu: “How are they unusual?”

Wang Dong: “These husband-wife couples, the husband is a man and the wife is a man also.”

Guo DaLu appeared as if he had just been struck out of nowhere by an arrow as his entire body leapt into the air. Clutching onto Wang Dong tightly, he rasped, “You… you have to help me out here.”


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[15] Cutting sleeve – Emperor Ai of the Han dynasty was reputed to have had a homosexual relationship with Dong Xian. Rather than awakening Dong Xian, who was sleeping on the emperor’s sleeve, Emperor Ai cut off his own sleeve so as not to disturb Dong. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dong_Xian
Dividing peach – Mizi Xia was one of the favoured (male) subjects of the ruler of Wei. One day, as they were walking through an orchard, Mizi Xia picked a peach and tasted it first. Upon finding it sweet, he gave the half-eaten peach to the ruler, who was delighted at Mizi Xia’s love that he thought first of him. Refer to first part of http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/pwh/china-gaytexts.html




eliza is referring to why people aren't telling Guo DaLu that Yan Qi is a girl? Perhaps Wang Dong and LTP don't think it's their place to say anything since it's YQ's not-so-secret secret. And maybe YQ feels girly-shy or there's even more to her secret than just that she's a girl.......?

[rati4u]

Quite a cliff-hanger...thanx dear hoju!

[yeongwee]

What I don't understand is why no one is telling the truth? He proved to be trustworthy so many times, why should he be the only one who suffers?

Why? For comic relief of course! This has got to be the funniest part of the story so far