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Thread: A Happy Hero

  1. #641
    Senior Member Hoju!'s Avatar
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    Chapter 44 continued....
    --------------------------------------------------

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

    The sky would be light soon.

    Inside that curtain, things had just quieted down. Another long while passed and then Guo DaLu’s voice could be heard as it said quietly, “Do you know what I’m thinking about right now?”

    Yan Qi: “Mm.” Her voice was like the twittering of a sparrow. No one would be able to hear very clearly what she was saying.

    Guo DaLu: “I have been thinking about a lot of very strange matters, but what I am actually thinking the most about is a nice pork shank, roasted until it’s red and tender.”

    A “pfft” slipped from Yan Qi and she giggled, “Can’t you say that you are thinking about me?”

    Guo DaLu: “Nope. Cannot.”

    Yan Qi: “You cannot?”

    “Because I’m scared I’ll swallow you in one gulp.” He heaved a sigh. “You, this wife of mine, were not easy to get at all. If I was to gulp you down, then I’d have nothing left.”

    Yan Qi: “Well, if this one is gone, isn’t it the perfect opportunity to go find another?”

    Guo DaLu: “Find who?”

    Yan Qi: “For example… Sour Plum Soup.”

    Guo DaLu answered slowly, “Won’t work. She is too sour, and plus, the one she fancies is you.” He suddenly chuckled. “I finally know now, that day, when you would not have her, why she was not the slightest bit angry… That day, you must have told her that you are just like her, you are a girl.”

    Yan Qi: “If I was a man, I would take her.”

    Guo DaLu: “Why is it that all along, you were not willing to tell me that you are a girl?”

    Yan Qi: “Who told you to be a blind man? Other people could tell; it’s just you who couldn’t.”

    Guo DaLu: “The secret you wanted to tell me was this one?”

    Yan Qi: “Mm.”

    Guo DaLu: “Why did you have to wait until I was near death before you were willing to tell me?”

    “Because… because I was scared you would not want me…” Before she had finished her sentence, it sounded as if something had suddenly covered her lips. After a long time, gasping lightly, she scolded, “Let’s chat properly. You are not allowed to move about anymore.”

    Guo DaLu: “Alright. I won’t move. But why would you be afraid that I would not want you? Don’t you know that, even if I could have everyone else in the world in exchange for you, I still would not trade?”

    Yan Qi: “Honest?”

    Guo DaLu: “Of course it’s true.”

    Yan Qi: “What if you could trade for Shui RouQing?”

    With a sigh, Guo DaLu answered, “Shui RouQing truly is a very good woman, and on top of that, she is very pitiable. Unfortunately, my heart was already fully occupied by you alone a long time ago and has no room for any other person.”

    A squeak could be heard from Yan Qi. Inside that embroidered curtain, it suddenly grew silent for another long while. It seemed like something was obstructing both their mouths now. After quite some time again, Guo DaLu exhaled another sigh and said, “I know you did that to test whether I am loyal to you.”

    Chewing on her lip, Yan Qi confirmed, “If you had been willing to stay there in that place, then you could have given up on any hope of seeing me again in this lifetime.”

    Guo DaLu: “But, after I arrived here, why did you not let me see you?”

    Yan Qi: “Because there were other people who wanted to test you, to see whether you are smart enough and brave enough, to see whether your heart is kind enough and whether you are worthy enough to be my Papa’s son-in-law.”

    Guo DaLu: “So they wanted to see whether I was smart enough to find the secret of this house and whether I had enough courage to go to the Dragon King Temple.”

    Yan Qi: “At Dragon King Temple, if you had even dared to have the bad idea of touching my little cousin [orig. biao mei; younger (female) cousin] or if you had not been willing to take her home first, even if you found this place, you still would not have seen me.”

    Exhaling, Guo DaLu said, “Luckily, I am a smart, brave, good person…”

    Yan Qi giggled and interrupted, “Otherwise, how could you marry me, such a good wife?”

    “Only now have I realized that we really are a match made in heaven,” Guo DaLu sighed.

    Yan Qi: “You only realized now?”

    Guo DaLu grinned, “Because I only just realized that the skin on our faces are both thick.”



    Only now did this room really feel like a newlyweds’ room, and, in fact, was sweeter and more beautiful than the newlyweds’ room of your imagination.

    They deserved to enjoy it. Because their love could withstand testing. It really had not been easy for them to reach this day.



    A diamond must go through polishing before it can give off its brilliance.

    Love and friendship are also the same.

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


    Love and friendship that are unable to withstand testing are like a flower made of paper, which neither has the brilliant color and fragrance of a flower nor will ever bear fruit.

    The trees had borne fruit. Although spring had left and was far away by now, the season of harvest was quickly approaching.

    Yan Qi sat beneath a tree. Taking the large straw hat off her head and using it as a fan, she mumbled, “Such hot weather. I bet Wang Laoda must be even less inclined to move.”

    Guo DaLu was gazing off at some distant place. “I wonder what he and Xiao Lin were doing during this time.”

    Yan Qi: “Don’t worry. They definitely are not lonely. Especially Xiao Lin.”

    Guo DaLu: “Why?”

    Yan Qi giggled sweetly. “Have you forgotten about that flower vendor-girl?”

    Guo DaLu starting laughing as well, and then immediately, he heard that clear sound of singing:

    "Little young miss daybreak arises,
    Carrying a flower basket to the market.
    Passing through the main street, walking through the alleyway,
    ‘Flowers for sale, flowers for sale,’ her voice a-crying…”


    Of course, that singing was not coming from that young girl. The one singing was Yan Qi. She waved the straw hat lightly and sang in drawn out tones, causing the people who were walking along the road to turn their heads and stare wide-eyed at her.

    Grinning, Guo DaLu reminded her, “Don’t forget what clothes you are wearing right now.”

    She was still dressed up as a man, but the sound of her singing was clear like that of an oriole leaving the valley. Laughing in response, she told him, “Doesn’t matter. In any case, even if I don’t sing, people can still tell that I am a woman. For a woman to actually be able to disguise herself so that she looks like a man is not an easy thing to do.”

    Guo DaLu: “What about you before?”

    Yan Qi: “It was different before.”

    Guo DaLu: “What was different?”

    Yan Qi laughed, “Before, I was relatively dirty… awfully dirty. Everyone thinks that women should always be cleaner than men.”

    Guo Dalu: “And in reality?”

    With a glare at him, Yan Qi answered, “In reality, women have always been cleaner than men.”
    Last edited by Hoju!; 08-26-08 at 03:35 PM. Reason: changed from 'woman' to 'women' in a couple of places

  2. #642
    Senior Member Wanlie Tong's Avatar
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    This is more of the type of banter you would expect between YQ & GDL. Thanks Hoju. I hope you had a great trip.

  3. #643
    Senior Member Hoju!'s Avatar
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    Thank you, Wanlie. Weddings are always busy, but it was really beautiful.



    Chapter 44 continued.....
    --------------------------------------------------

    With a glare at him, Yan Qi answered, “In reality, women have always been cleaner than men.”



    This road was the road back to Wealthy Manor.

    They had not forgotten about their friends. They wanted to share their own joys with their friends.

    “If Wang Laoda and Xiao Lin know that we… we are already husband and wife, they will definitely be very happy.”

    “I wonder if Xiao Lin will be jealous.”

    After finishing this sentence, he started to run. Yan Qi chased after him.

    They were not travelling in a carriage or riding horses. Along the way, they had laughed and ran and chased like two children. Doesn’t happiness always cause people to become youthful? When they grew tired from running, they would sit in the shade of a tree, buy a lao bing [tortilla-like flat cake made of flour], and eat it as lunch. Even a tasteless, hard flat cake, when savoured on their lips, was sweet.

    Surprisingly, Guo DaLu had not had any wine to drink for several days except for that day before they had left, when NanGong Chou had held a farewell dinner in honor of his daughter and son-in-law. Not only did NanGong Chou make an exception and drink half a cup himself, he had also wanted all of them to drink away heartily. And so, they had all become drunk.

    Smiling lightly, Yan Qi explained, “Even though my Papa cannot drink himself, he really enjoys watching other people drink.”

    “His capacity for wine must not have been bad in the past, then,” Guo DaLu grinned.

    Yan Qi: “Not just ‘not bad.’ Ten Guo DaLus combined may not have been able to beat him in drinking.”

    Guo DaLu: “Ha!”

    Yan Qi: “What is ‘ha’ supposed to mean?”

    Guo DaLu: “ ‘Ha’ means that, not only am I unwilling to give in to that idea, I also don’t believe you.”

    “But sadly, he is old now and his old injury has relapsed so that he has been lying on the bed and unable to move for many years already. Otherwise, it would have been a wonder if he did not fill you up with wine until you were crawling drunkenly around on the floor.” As her father’s ailment was brought up, she could not stop the expression of sorrow from showing in her eyes.

    Sighing softly, Guo DaLu said, “He really is a very remarkable person. I never expected him to allow us to leave.”

    Yan Qi: “Why?”

    Guo DaLu: “Because… because he really is so lonely. If it had been anyone else in his place, that person would have insisted that we stay and keep him company.”

    Yan Qi: “But he is different. He has never wanted people to be miserable because of him. No matter how unbearable something may be, he would still rather endure it alone.” Her eyes were glowing again with a brilliance, and it was evident that it was because she was proud to have such a father.

    Exhaling a lengthy breath, Guo DaLu remarked, “To be honest, I had never thought that he would be such a person.”

    Yan Qi: “What kind of person did you used to think he would be like?”

    “You know,” Guo DaLu answered slowly, “how terrifying the tales and rumours of jianghu make him out to be.”

    Yan Qi: “And now?”

    Guo DaLu heaved another sigh. “Only now do I realize that what’s truly terrifying are those rumours of jianghu, and yet, he could actually put up with them for so many years. Just based on this point alone, there is no one else who can compare to him.”

    Yan Qi pointed out dejectedly, “Perhaps it is because he has no choice but to bear it.”

    Guo DaLu: “Luckily he still has friends. I see the faithfulness and friendship that Divine Hunchback and the others have for him, and I cannot help feeling happy and touched for him.”

    Yan Qi was silent for quite some time before asking out of the blue, “Do you know how they used to treat him?’

    Guo DaLu shook his head.

    “They, too, had once had the sole intent of killing him,” she explained, “but after several fights of life and death, they discovered as well that he was not the type of person described in those tales. They were also moved by his moral character and, as a result, became his friends.” She smiled, a smile that was very forlorn, yet also somewhat proud, and carried on, “Golden Arhat was even willing to betray Shaolin for him and become a traitor that could never again see the light of day.”

    Guo DaLu: “It is these types of awesome relationships and feelings that distinguish humans from animals.”

    Yan Qi: “And the awesomeness of these feelings can only be demonstrated in life and death and adversity.



    What they said is correct. Only in times of life and death or adversity can a person’s greatness be revealed.

    The price that had been paid by NanGong Chou to win Divine Huncback and the other people’s friendships must have been one of incredible pain and likely was something that was unimaginable to others. How else could people have seen the greatness of moral character, unless, in a moment of life or death, he had sacrificed himself to save others? And why else would they be willing to sacrifice everything for him now?

    Of course, there must be a story behind all of this, one that could shake someone to the core or cause tears of sorrow to be shed. There is no need to tell this story anymore, though. That is because the story we should be telling right now is one that makes people happy. The world has enough sad stories already.

    It has too many.

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


    Not dusk, but already close to dusk.

    The sun may have descended into the west already, but the gravel road was still very warm and hot to touch.

    Under the shade of a tree up ahead, there was a ragged and haggard-looking woman [orig. fu ren; means ‘married woman’] holding the hand of one child and carrying another child on her back. Her head was lowered and one hand was stretched out to beg from passersby.

    Guo DaLu immediately walked over, fished out a small piece of silver, and placed it in her hand. He never passed over a single beggar. Even if all he had left was this piece of silver, without even needing to stop and consider, he would still give it away. Yan Qi was looking at him, her tender gaze expressing silent praise. It was clear that she was proud she had such a husband.

    The woman mumbled words of thanks from her lips. Just as she was about to tuck the silver piece away in the front of her garments, she lifted her head and accidentally caught a glimpse of Guo DaLu. In an instant, a frightening change that is impossible to describe occurred on that thin, wan face. Her pair of lifeless, bloodshot eyes immediately bulged out like those of a dead fish, as if a knife had suddenly stabbed into her heart.

    Guo DaLu had actually still been smiling lightly, but the smile gradually froze over, and on his face, there was an appalled expression. “It’s you?!” he exclaimed.
    Last edited by Hoju!; 08-28-08 at 10:37 AM. Reason: My morning proof-read. =P

  4. #644
    Senior Member patricia n's Avatar
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    umm...did guo sire a child without knowing?
    if you have the time and enthusiasm, please join in on the new and fabulous wuxia rpg fic /rpg discussion. (<--- click here)

  5. #645
    Moderator Ren Wo Xing's Avatar
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    It's the woman he fell in love with who ran away on his marriage day!
    Read the latest chapters of Coiling Dragon at Wuxia World!

  6. #646
    Senior Member Hoju!'s Avatar
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    weird... double-posted.

  7. #647
    Senior Member Han Solo's Avatar
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    Not fair, so much ah..
    suspence makes my heart beat
    so fast and crazy.
    Wuxiapedia

    Quote Originally Posted by bliss
    I think they're probably at the same level as or one level below Ah Qing, which is about the level of a 2nd or 3rd generation Quan Zhen disciple.
    Troll Control

  8. #648
    Senior Member Guo Xiang ( :'s Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ren Wo Xing View Post
    It's the woman he fell in love with who ran away on his marriage day!
    That's what I think too.
    And Han your post is almost a haiku!
    "I'd call you a genius... but I'm in the room."
    -Doctor Who

  9. #649
    Senior Member Hoju!'s Avatar
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    Chapter 44 continued.....
    --------------------------------------------------

    “It’s you?!” he exclaimed.

    The woman covered her face with her hands immediately and cried, “You go away! I don’t know you.”

    The look on Guo DaLu’s face had changed from shock to pity. Heaving a long sigh, he asked, “How did you become like this?”

    The woman retorted, “That is my business. It has nothing to do with you.” With much difficulty, she was able to get ahold of herself, but her whole body was still shaking like a candle’s flame in the wind.

    Guo DaLu shifted his gaze down to the two children, whose development seemed to be stunted and whose faces were covered in nasal mucus. “They are the children you had with him?” he asked sadly. “Where is he?”

    The woman was trembling, and at last, she could restrain herself no longer and began crying loudly. Covering her face, she wept bitterly, “He lied to me. He swindled me of my savings and ran off with another woman, but he left me with these two kids [orig. nie zhong, which is a much stronger (negative) word that means ‘seed or result of sin/evil/misdeeds]. Why must my fate be so bitter? Why?”

    Nobody could answer that for her, only herself. Did she not bring these tragic, painful experiences onto herself?

    Guo DaLu sighed, not certain what he should say. Yan Qi slowly walked over to him and without a word, took his hand in hers, letting him know that, no matter what it was they encountered, she would still stand with him on his side and always trust him just the same.

    Out of the things a woman can give a man, what could make a man more grateful to her than this sort of trust and understanding?

    Guo DaLu guessed, “You know who she?”

    Yan Qi nodded. When it comes to the man she loves, a woman seems to naturally possess a remarkably keen sixth sense. She had already sensed long ago that there was a very unusual relationship between her own husband and this woman, and after listening to their words, she had no doubts at all. Clearly, this was the woman who had once deceived and abandoned Guo DaLu.

    Exhaling another lengthy sigh, Guo DaLu said, “I really had never imagined that I would see her here and even more so, had never thought that she would become like this.”

    “Since she is your friend, you should do your best to help her,” Yan Qi told him tenderly.

    The woman suddenly ceased the sound of her crying. Lifting up her head, she glared at Yan Qi and demanded, “Who are you?”

    Yan Qi’s eyes were gentle and serene as she replied, “I am his wife.”

    A strange sort of transformation overcame this woman’s face again. Turning her head to stare at Guo DaLu, she asked in astonishment, “You’re married?”

    “Yes,” Guo DaLu answered.

    The woman looked at him, then at Yan Qi. A malicious type of jealousy suddenly appeared in her eyes, and without warning, she grabbed onto Guo DaLu’s collar while she yelled, “You originally should have married me. How could you go and marry someone else?”

    Guo DaLu stood there immobile and his face was white as paper. He honestly did not know what to do in such a situation.

    Yan Qi squeezed his hand even tighter. With her eyes fixed intently on the woman, she reminded, “It is you who left him. It was not him who did not want you. You should remember the things that happened between you in the past.”

    The woman’s eyes grew even more spiteful. Laughing wickedly, she retorted, “What should I remember? All I remember is that he once told me he would forever only love me, and besides me, he would never marry any other woman.” She put on another sorrowful look, as if tears were going to flow again, and made the corner of her lips quiver. Raising her voice, she wailed, “But he deceived me, deceived this cruel-fated woman. All of you, please come and judge who is right and who is wrong…” Passersby on the road had started to encircle them, and they glared at Guo DaLu with contempt and loathing. Guo DaLu’s ashen face had now turned to bright red and beads of sweat had formed on it.

    Yan Qi’s expression was still unperturbed, though, and in an indifferent tone, she countered, “He did not deceive you. He has never deceived you. But sadly, you are not that same person you once were. You, yourself, should understand this.”

    The woman shouted and jumped about. “I don’t understand anything. I don’t want to live anymore… Even if I die, I am going to die together with this heartless man.” She put her head down and charged forward into Guo DaLu. Then she lay on the ground and refused to get up.

    Anyone who came across such an unreasonable woman, one who shifted the blame to others and made such a scene, would have no way of dealing with her either. Guo DaLu simply did not know what to do. All he wished was that he could find a crack in the ground and burrow himself into it.

    Yan Qi hesitated, then suddenly pulled out a gold necklace. Holding it up in front of the woman and handing it over to her, she asked, “Do you recognize this?”

    The woman’s eyes grew wide, and she was taken aback for a while before she declared loudly, “Of course I recognize it. This was mine originally.”

    “That is why I am returning it to you now,” Yan Qi stated. “My only wish is that you will know that, in order to keep this necklace, he was willing to endure hunger and accusations and even scorn from his friends. Why would he do that? I’m sure you are able to figure out the answer to that.”

    The woman stared at that gold necklace, the look of hatred slowly transforming into one of shame. She was, after all, a human being.

    Humans. More or less, they will always have some human nature in them.

    Yan Qi continued, “Once you trade in this gold necklace, you should have enough to start a small business and raise your children well. I am certain you will meet a good man in the future. As long as you do not lie to others, people will not lie to you either.”

    The woman’s body had started to tremble again. Turning her head, she looked over at her children. The children’s faces were covered in fright, and their mouths were opened wide as if they wanted to cry but were so scared that they did not dare cry out loud.

    “Do not forget that you are a mother,” Yan Qi told her in a kind voice. “You should think about your child. He is going to be grown up one day, and you should make him proud to have a mother like you.”

    The woman was shaking. All of a sudden, she threw herself facedown on the ground and began sobbing. “Heaven… Heaven, why did you allow me to see him? Why?” she wept.

    No one could provide an answer for this either; only she could.

    The type of seed that you sow is what you are going to reap. If what you plant are sand and stones, then you should never hope that they will blossom and become beautiful flowers.



    Dusk.

    The setting sun had already transformed from dazzling to serene.

    It was apparent that Guo DaLu’s mood was just as low and heavy as the look on his face. Yan Qi did not speak, did not disturb him. She knew that everyone has times when they need to be quiet and alone with themselves. This is also something that a woman who is a wife needs to understand.

    It was not known how much time passed before Guo DaLu finally asked quietly, “When did you go to redeem the gold necklace back? Why didn’t you tell me?”

    With a chuckle, Yan Qi replied, “Because I never did redeem it.”

    Guo DaLu: “You didn’t?”

    Yan Qi: “The gold necklace I gave her just now is not your necklace.”

    Surprised, Guo DaLu blurted, “It’s not?”

    Smiling, Yan Qi explained, “It was the wedding gift that Sister MeiLan gave to me in private.”

    Guo DaLu: “Then why did you take it out? Why did you do that?”

    Yan Qi laughed, “Because I am a woman as well. I should understand women much better than you.”

    Guo DaLu: “You’re saying that when she saw that gold necklace, she remembered that how I treated her before was not bad, and that is why she let me off the hook?”

    Her lips curled up slightly in a giggle. “All gold necklaces look about the same. Even you could not tell the difference, much less her.” Her laughter was very cheerful. The necklace was merely a symbol that represented those experiences of the past. Now, though, neither of them was even able to differentiate that necklace from others. Clearly, the love and hate of their past had all faded from their memories. Regardless of how understanding a woman may be, she still would not want her husband to keep the things from former days in his heart.

    Guo DaLu countered, “But when she saw me, that should have been enough to make her think of everything from before…”

    “She was treating you that way,” Yan Qi interrupted, “not because of things from the past but because of jealousy.”

    “Jealousy?” Guo DaLu repeated.

    “And it is not because she is jealous of you; she’s jealous of me. She looked at her own life, then looked at ours in comparison, and she regretted even more what she did.” Yan Qi heaved a sigh before carrying on, “When a person views herself with a hateful regret, it is not uncommon that she will start holding an abnormal hatred for other people, and she will wish that everyone else in the world will have to endure pain just like her.”

    Sighing as well, Guo DaLu added, “That’s why she wanted to break us up.”

    Yan Qi: “She hates you only because she knows that she can never again have you.”

    Guo DaLu: “But why is it that, when she saw the gold necklace, things suddenly changed again?”

    ”Because the gold necklace is different from you.” Smiling charmingly, she explained, “Not only is a gold necklace more attractive to look at than you, she also knew for certain that she could possess it.”

    “Is it because the gold necklace was already in her hands?” Guo DaLu asked.

    Yan Qi laughed, “Correct answer!”



    Indeed, in this world, only women can understand women.

    Women have always believed only in the things that they are already holding in their hand. Even if she knew that there were still another one hundred gold necklaces that she could take away with her, she still would not have been willing to trade the one in her hand for those ones.

    And there are not many women who are willing to give her own necklace to her husband’s previous love. Only the most intelligent women would be willing. She only needed to use one gold necklace, and in exchange, she gained her husband’s trust and gratitude as well as her own lifetime of happiness.



    Guo DaLu gazed intently at his own wife. Overcome with emotion, he took ahold of her hand and said tenderly, “Thank you.”

    Yan Qi batted her eyes and giggled, “Thank me?....... Thank you for that gold necklace of mine?”

    Guo DaLu shook his head. “You should know what I am thanking you for.”

    Indeed, Yan Qi did know. What he was grateful for was, of course, not that necklace but her understanding and considerateness. These things were much more valuable than all the gold necklaces added together.

    A wife who knows how to be understanding and considerate will forever be a man’s greatest blessing and wealth.

    But it will also forever only be the luckiest of men who can have this.



    End of Chapter 44

    --------------------------------------------------
    Only 2 more chapters to go.....

  10. #650
    Senior Member Guo Xiang ( :'s Avatar
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    Yay Yan Qi!
    "I'd call you a genius... but I'm in the room."
    -Doctor Who

  11. #651
    Senior Member patricia n's Avatar
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    interesting. among the gu long translations that i've read, this is the only one that shows a really blissful marriage (for the protagonist). yan qi is sooooo smart.
    if you have the time and enthusiasm, please join in on the new and fabulous wuxia rpg fic /rpg discussion. (<--- click here)

  12. #652
    Senior Member Hoju!'s Avatar
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    --------------------------------------------------
    Chapter 45 – Lover? Enemy?
    --------------------------------------------------

    Are there really people in the world who are born lucky? Perhaps there are, but in any case, I have not seen one yet.

    I, of course, have seen many lucky people, but their luck all came because they had used their intelligence, determination, and courage to exchange for it. Luck is just like a lao bing [tortilla-like flat cake made of flour]. It must be kneaded with force, fried in oil, and baked in fire. It definitely will not just fall from the sky.

    A lucky person is just like a new bride – no matter where she goes, people will give a couple more glances in her direction. Regardless of how ordinary a person she is, the instant she is a bride, it is as if she suddenly has become special.



    The three of them – Wang Dong, Lin TaiPing, and Hong NiangZi – were standing in a row, gawking at Yan Qi, eyeing her from her head down to her toe and then from her toe back up to her head.

    Yan Qi’s face had grown red from all their stares, looking like a freshly picked hawthorn fruit and so red it was burning. She could not help lowering her head as she protested, “It is not as if you don’t know me. What are you staring at me for?”

    Hong NiangZi answered sweetly, “But you are 3600 times more attractive to look at than before.”

    Yan Qi’s cheeks coloured an even deeper shade. “But I am still me. That point has not changed.”

    “You have changed,” Wang Dong disagreed.

    Yan Qi asked, “How have I changed?”

    Lin TaiPing rushed in to answer, “Before, you were our friend, but now you have become our sao zi [sister-in-law]. Before, you were Yan Qi, but now you have become Mrs. Guo. Isn’t this change significant enough?”

    Nibbling on her lip, Yan Qi protested, “I am still Yan Qi, still your friend.”

    Hong NiangZi giggled, “But at the very least, this Yan Qi is a lot cleaner than before.”

    Guo DaLu could not stop himself from jumping in. “Correct answer! She bathes everyday now.” He had just finished saying this and then Hong NiangZi was already bent over at the waist in laughter.

    Yan Qi threw a deadly glare at him, her face flushed. “Will you just shut-up and say a few less words? No one thinks you’re a mute.”

    More laughter slipped out from Hong NiangZi. “If he really was able to make himself say less, then he would not be Guo DaLu.”

    Guo DaLu gave a couple of dry coughs. Then, puffing out his chest, he said, “Really, I have changed too. Why aren’t you guys looking at me?”

    Frowning, Wang Dong asked, “How have you changed? How come I can’t see anything?”

    “Haven’t I changed to become a little more attractive-looking?” Guo DaLu argued.

    Wang Dong looked him up and down a few times before shaking his head and answering, “I can’t tell.”

    Guo DaLu: “At the very least, I am a little cleaner than before too.”

    Hong NiangZi suppressed her mirth to inquire, “You bathe everyday now, too?”

    Guo DaLu: "Of course. I…”

    This time, before the words had even come off his lips, Hong NiangZi was already doubled over in laughter again.

    Yan Qi hurriedly interrupted and asked loudly, “Why is it that this place seems like it is short one person?”

    Lin TaiPing jumped in to respond. “Who?”

    Batting her lids, Yan Qi grinned, “Of course that day-break-arises-carries-a-flower-basket-to-the-market girl.”

    “Of course we cannot be without this person,” Hong NiangZi answered with a smile.

    Yan Qi: “Where is she?”

    Hong NiangZi: “Off to the market again, but this time she is not carrying a flower basket but actually a shopping basket – because our Lin Dashao [Young Master Lin] suddenly wanted to eat that new product at the market, stir-fried spinach and bean curd.”

    Yan Qi was stifling her giggles also now. With a deliberate sigh, she remarked, “Who would have thought that, at such a young age, she would already know so well how to be kind and considerate of other people’s needs.”

    “People who are naturally kind and considerate will, regardless of age, always be kind and considerate,” Hong NiangZi pointed out. Peeking at Lin TaiPing from the corner of her eye, she added, “They’re just like people who naturally seem to have good fortune. What do you say? Yes?”

    Lin TaiPing’s face had also turned scarlet now, and he suddenly yelled loudly, “Could you two just be quiet and say a few less words too? I won’t think you are mute either.”

    Guo DaLu replied for them in a nonchalant tone, “Can’t. If they were able to say a little less, they wouldn’t be women.”

    Wang Dong: “Correct answer.”



    The glow of sunset on the clouds filled the sky.

    Drifting in again on the evening wind was the melodius, silvery sound of singing:

    “Little young miss daybreak arises,
    Carrying a flower basket to the market…”


    Yan Qi exchanged a look with HongNiangzi, and she could not help chuckling, “Little young miss has come back from the market.”

    Laughing also, Hong NiangZi reminded, “And, her flower basket is also packed full with green vegetables and bean curd.”

    A clear and ringing voice like a silver bell was heard giggling as it chimed, “Not just spinach and bean curd. There is also wine.”

    Sure enough, the little young miss had returned, carrying a bamboo basket as she stood in the doorway. And sure enough, her right hand held a large pitcher of wine. She seemed not as bashful as before for her cheeks were only tinged with a slight hue of pink.

    Wang Dong: “Wine? What wine?”

    Smiling prettily, the little young miss answered, “Of course a wedding wine [orig. xi jiu; refers to wine drunk at a wedding feast or the wedding feast itself]. I saw them at the foot of the mountain, all loving and intimate, so right away, I knew that I should buy some wedding wine and bring it back.”

    Yan Qi blinked innocently at her. “Whose wedding wine is it? Ours? Or yours?”

    The little young miss let out a little squeak. Her face was blushing brightly as she ran away along the wall, all the way to the rear courtyard. Yan Qi and Hong NiangZi were chortling so hard they were both bent over at the waist.

    Lin TaiPing suddenly exhaled a sigh. “I really don’t get it,” he muttered. “Why do you guys always like to pick on simple and good-natured people?”

    Wang Dong: “Because simple and good-natured people are getting fewer and fewer. If we do not pick on them now, we won’t have that chance in the future.”



    This was not a conclusion.

    ********************
    Last edited by Hoju!; 09-02-08 at 03:30 PM. Reason: Testing something....
    一杯酒,一個朋友!
    --离歌笑

  13. #653
    Senior Member Hoju!'s Avatar
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    --------------------------------------------------
    Chapter 45 – Lover? Enemy?
    --------------------------------------------------

    Are there really people in the world who are born lucky? Perhaps there are, but in any case, I have not seen one yet.

    I, of course, have seen many lucky people, but their luck all came because they had used their intelligence, determination, and courage to exchange for it. Luck is just like a lao bing [tortilla-like flat cake made of flour]. It must be kneaded with force, fried in oil, and baked in fire. It definitely will not just fall from the sky.

    A lucky person is just like a new bride – no matter where she goes, people will give a couple more glances in her direction. Regardless of how ordinary a person she is, the instant she is a bride, it is as if she suddenly has become special.



    The three of them – Wang Dong, Lin TaiPing, and Hong NiangZi – were standing in a row, gawking at Yan Qi, eyeing her from her head down to her toe and then from her toe back up to her head.

    Yan Qi’s face had grown red from all their stares, looking like a freshly picked hawthorn fruit and so red it was burning. She could not help lowering her head as she protested, “It is not as if you don’t know me. What are you staring at me for?”

    Hong NiangZi answered sweetly, “But you are 3600 times more attractive to look at than before.”

    Yan Qi’s cheeks coloured an even deeper shade. “But I am still me. That point has not changed.”

    “You have changed,” Wang Dong disagreed.

    Yan Qi asked, “How have I changed?”

    Lin TaiPing rushed in to answer, “Before, you were our friend, but now you have become our sao zi [sister-in-law]. Before, you were Yan Qi, but now you have become Mrs. Guo. Isn’t this change significant enough?”

    Nibbling on her lip, Yan Qi protested, “I am still Yan Qi, still your friend.”

    Hong NiangZi giggled, “But at the very least, this Yan Qi is a lot cleaner than before.”

    Guo DaLu could not stop himself from jumping in. “Correct answer! She bathes everyday now.” He had just finished saying this and then Hong NiangZi was already bent over at the waist in laughter.

    Yan Qi threw a deadly glare at him, her face flushed. “Will you just shut-up and say a few less words? No one thinks you’re a mute.”

    More laughter slipped out from Hong NiangZi. “If he really was able to make himself say less, then he would not be Guo DaLu.”

    Guo DaLu gave a couple of dry coughs. Then, puffing out his chest, he said, “Really, I have changed too. Why aren’t you guys looking at me?”

    Frowning, Wang Dong asked, “How have you changed? How come I can’t see anything?”

    “Haven’t I changed to become a little more attractive-looking?” Guo DaLu argued.

    Wang Dong looked him up and down a few times before shaking his head and answering, “I can’t tell.”

    Guo DaLu: “At the very least, I am a little cleaner than before too.”

    Hong NiangZi suppressed her mirth to inquire, “You bathe everyday now, too?”

    Guo DaLu: "Of course. I…”

    This time, before the words had even come off his lips, Hong NiangZi was already doubled over in laughter again.

    Yan Qi hurriedly interrupted and asked loudly, “Why is it that this place seems like it is short one person?”

    Lin TaiPing jumped in to respond. “Who?”

    Batting her lids, Yan Qi grinned, “Of course that day-break-arises-carries-a-flower-basket-to-the-market girl.”

    “Of course we cannot be without this person,” Hong NiangZi answered with a smile.

    Yan Qi: “Where is she?”

    Hong NiangZi: “Off to the market again, but this time she is not carrying a flower basket but actually a shopping basket – because our Lin Dashao [Young Master Lin] suddenly wanted to eat that new product at the market, stir-fried spinach and bean curd.”

    Yan Qi was stifling her giggles also now. With a deliberate sigh, she remarked, “Who would have thought that, at such a young age, she would already know so well how to be kind and considerate of other people’s needs.”

    “People who are naturally kind and considerate will, regardless of age, always be kind and considerate,” Hong NiangZi pointed out. Peeking at Lin TaiPing from the corner of her eye, she added, “They’re just like people who naturally seem to have good fortune. What do you say? Yes?”

    Lin TaiPing’s face had also turned scarlet now, and he suddenly yelled loudly, “Could you two just be quiet and say a few less words too? I won’t think you are mute either.”

    Guo DaLu replied for them in a nonchalant tone, “Can’t. If they were able to say a little less, they wouldn’t be women.”

    Wang Dong: “Correct answer.”



    The glow of sunset on the clouds filled the sky.

    Drifting in again on the evening wind was the melodius, silvery sound of singing:

    “Little young miss daybreak arises,
    Carrying a flower basket to the market…”


    Yan Qi exchanged a look with HongNiangzi, and she could not help chuckling, “Little young miss has come back from the market.”

    Laughing also, Hong NiangZi reminded, “And, her flower basket is also packed full with green vegetables and bean curd.”

    A clear and ringing voice like a silver bell was heard giggling as it chimed, “Not just spinach and bean curd. There is also wine.”

    Sure enough, the little young miss had returned, carrying a bamboo basket as she stood in the doorway. And sure enough, her right hand held a large pitcher of wine. She seemed not as bashful as before for her cheeks were only tinged with a slight hue of pink.

    Wang Dong: “Wine? What wine?”

    Smiling prettily, the little young miss answered, “Of course a wedding wine [orig. xi jiu; refers to wine drunk at a wedding feast or the wedding feast itself]. I saw them at the foot of the mountain, all loving and intimate, so right away, I knew that I should buy some wedding wine and bring it back.”

    Yan Qi blinked innocently at her. “Whose wedding wine is it? Ours? Or yours?”

    The little young miss let out a little squeak. Her face was blushing brightly as she ran away along the wall, all the way to the rear courtyard. Yan Qi and Hong NiangZi were chortling so hard they were both bent over at the waist.

    Lin TaiPing suddenly exhaled a sigh. “I really don’t get it,” he muttered. “Why do you guys always like to pick on simple and good-natured people?”

    Wang Dong: “Because simple and good-natured people are getting fewer and fewer. If we do not pick on them now, we won’t have that chance in the future.”



    This was not a conclusion.

    ********************
    Last edited by Hoju!; 09-02-08 at 03:31 PM. Reason: Testing something
    一杯酒,一個朋友!
    --离歌笑

  14. #654
    Senior Member Guo Xiang ( :'s Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hoju! View Post
    Yan Qi blinked innocently at her. “Whose wedding wine is it? Ours? Or yours?”
    I laughed like Hong NiangZi at this part.
    Gu Long is a genius!
    Yay Yan Qi!
    Yay Hoju!
    "I'd call you a genius... but I'm in the room."
    -Doctor Who

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    Thank you Hoju! I hope there is a happy ending.

  16. #656
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    So the foursome becomes a sixsome. I would never have thought this to be the ending. I had imagined a more symmetrical ending.... the four guys leave one by one leaving only Wang Dong back in his bed to close the story.

    From the title of this chapter, it seems there is still more intrigue to come. I wonder who it is referring to..... suspense!
    Man is glue. You are man. How then can you step away from glue?

  17. #657
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    Oh my god! We are so close to the finish...!!

  18. #658
    Senior Member Hoju!'s Avatar
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    Yup, it's the home stretch now!



    Chapter 45 continued.....
    --------------------------------------------------

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


    A wedding celebration without wine is like a dish of food without salt. This saying of course, had been spoken by a very intelligent person, but unfortunately, he had forgotten to include the line that followed: A belly with wine in it will cause the head to hurt.

    The next morning when he arose, Guo DaLu’s head hurt terribly. Not surprisingly, he was not the first one out of bed – he had just discovered that sometimes, sleeping was not considered a waste of time.

    When he got up, Lin TaiPing and the young girl were already in the courtyard whispering away, but he could not tell what they were talking about. No matter what it was they were saying, though, they found it all very interesting and very happy. Even though the spring flowers had faded away now, the summer flowers were in full bloom. They were standing there in front of the flowering shrubs as the newly risen sun shone upon their blissful, happy faces. They, too, were like the sun, filled with brightness and hope. As Guo DaLu watched them, his headache seemed to ease slightly.

    Yan Qi walked out quietly and nestled herself against his side. One hand was twirling her long, black hair while her other arm had looped around his arm. Her eyes were also filled with happiness and bliss.

    In this space between heaven and earth, peace and tranquility were present. Life was truly worth treasuring.

    After a very long time had elapsed, Yan Qi finally asked softly, “What are you thinking about?”

    Guo DaLu: “I am thinking about two other people.”

    Yan Qi: “Who? Wang Dong and…”

    Nodding his head, he gave a sigh and said, “I was thinking and wondering how long we will have to wait before they will be affectionate like this too.”

    Yan Qi was gazing at her husband. A long, long time passed before she said gently, “Do you know why I love you?”

    Guo DaLu did not speak. He was waiting to hear. He liked hearing it.

    In a tender voice, she told him, “Because in your times of happiness, you are still able to think of your friends’ happiness. Because, at any time, you still will not forget about your friends.”

    Guo DaLu blinked at her. “You are wrong. Sometimes I will forget about them.”

    “What sort of times?” Yan Qi wondered.

    In a whisper, Guo DaLu replied, “Last night…” Before he could say it out, red had already flown into Yan Qi’s cheeks, and she grabbed up his hand and bit down hard on it.

    Lin TaiPing’s voice could be heard saying, “I never would have thought that our Guo Dasao [Sister-in-Law Guo] actually bites people too.” Those two had turned around at some unknown time and were now watching them with little smiles on their faces.

    Guo DaLu grinned, “You don’t understand. A man that has never been bit by a woman cannot be considered a man.”

    “Which country’s philosophy is that?” Lin TaiPing asked.

    Guo DaLu: “My country. But perhaps really soon you will be coming over to my country, too.”

    The young girl’s face had also turned crimson by now. With her head lowered, she said, “I’m going to go prepare breakfast…”

    Guo DaLu guffawed, “Prepare a little bit more. It’ll be good to use it to plug up our mouths.”



    It was now breakfast time.

    Beneath that deep blue dome of the heavens, milky-white smoke from cooking fires rose up all around. Turning his face upward, Guo DaLu muttered, “Why is this area suddenly so lively? Have there been lots of households that have moved here lately?”

    Lin TaiPing answered, “No.”

    Guo DaLu stared at the cooking smoke that was rising upward from the hillside. “If there are no people or families, where would the cooking smoke come from?”

    Lin TaiPing was also looking in the direction from where the smoke was rising up. “Just yesterday afternoon, I was strolling around over there. There wasn’t even a single family there.”

    Yan Qi mused, “Even if some people had moved here last night, there wouldn’t suddenly be so many families moving here all at once.”

    Lin TaiPing: “Plus, there are no places in the vicinity that are fit for people to live.”

    Yan Qi: “Except you can have also cooking fires when camping.”

    Guo DaLu: “Why would there suddenly be so many people coming here to start fires? Could they really have nothing better to do?”

    They heard someone say in an unhurried tone, “If you guys are just going to stay here and guess, you could guess until next year and it still won’t produce any results. Why don’t you just go have a look for yourselves?” Wang Dong walked in lazily from outside the door. There was still no trace of expression on his face.

    Guo DaLu was the first to go over and greet him as he rushed to ask, “You have already gone out and looked?”

    Wang Dong: “Mm.”

    Guo DaLu: “Where is the smoke coming from?”

    Wang Dong: “Fires.”

    Guo DaLu: “Who started the fires?”

    Wang Dong: “People.”

    Guo DaLu: “What kind of people?”

    Wang Dong: “The ones who have two legs.”

    Guo DaLu gave a sigh and with a cynical smile, realized, “It seems if I keep asking like this, I could be asking until next year and it still would not produce any results either. It’s better if I go look for myself.”

    “You should have gone out to look a long time ago,” Wang Dong pointed out.



    Behind Wealthy Manor was the ridge of the mountain, and there was no passable route through it.

    On the hillside in front of the manor, eight huge tents had unexpectedly been set-up in a single night. The tents were a very unusual shape. They looked a bit like the Mongolian yurts used by the herding people outside the passes but also a bit like the camp tents used by a marching army. In front of every tent, a fire had been started. Over the fire, a whole, plump goat was roasting, strung on an iron bar while it rotated slowly.

    A big man, stark naked from waist up, was taking some pre-blended seasonings and using a brush to spread them onto the goats. His motions were gentle and attentive, like a mother giving her first baby a bath.



    The smell of roasted meats was of course stronger than the fragrance of flowers.

    There was meat on the breakfast table too. They had just come back from a walk outside and should have been hungry. However, besides Guo DaLu, it seemed like everyone else did not have much of an appetite. Each one of them knew in his or her heart that those tents would not be set up here for no cause or reason. Since those people were able to put up eight tents of such enormous size in a single night without making any noise or sound, it was unlikely there was anything in the world they could not achieve.

    At last, Yan Qi let out a sigh and remarked, “It looks like trouble has arrived again for us.”

    A melancholy expression seemed to fill Hong NiangZi’s eyes. “And what is more, the troubles this time are not small.”
    一杯酒,一個朋友!
    --离歌笑

  19. #659
    Senior Member yeongwee's Avatar
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    Ha Ha, after all the happiness of the past few episodes, a little bit of trouble for the road...
    Man is glue. You are man. How then can you step away from glue?

  20. #660
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    Chapter 45 continued.....
    --------------------------------------------------

    “And what is more, the troubles this time are not small.”

    Yan Qi added, “But I wonder who was the one who stirred up the troubles this time.”

    “This time, it definitely was not me,” Guo DaLu immediately jumped in to say.

    Yan Qi: “Oh?”

    “I am not able to stir up such big trouble.” He suddenly chuckled, “I have always been a person whose little troubles are endless but whose big troubles are non-existent.”

    Yan Qi: “How do you know whether the troubles are big or small?”

    Guo DaLu: “Unless it was for something big, who would willingly set-up eight such gigantic tents in front of someone’s front door?”

    Yan Qi: “But up until this point in time, we still cannot tell what troubles they are.”

    Guo DaLu: “You can’t tell?”

    Yan Qi: “They have merely gone and put up some tents on that empty piece of land outside and roasted their own meats. They have not come over to provoke us.”

    Guo DaLu: “In your opinion, there is no trouble?”

    Yan Qi: “Mm.”

    Guo DaLu: “Just now, who was the one who said trouble had arrived.”

    Yan Qi: “Me.”

    Guo DaLu: “Why have you suddenly changed your mind?”

    Smiling sweetly, Yan Qi answered, “Because this place is too boring. I want to have a little spat with you.”

    Guo DaLu: “What if I said there is no trouble?”

    Yan Qi: “I would have said there is.”

    With a sigh and a bitter smile, Guo DaLu said, “From the looks of it, even if I did not want to bicker with you, it still would not be avoidable.”

    “Correct answer,” Yan Qi giggled.

    If a woman wants to have a squabble with her husband, in every ke [ancient division of time; 1 ke = 14.4 min], she could find eight opportunities to do so. But sometimes a squabble is not a bad thing. At the very least, it helps lighten up the mood of the people watching the bickering. That is why the instant they started arguing, people started to laugh.

    Hong NiangZi chuckled, “No matter what, at least those people have not sought us out yet. Why, then, should we look for things to worry about?”

    Alas, there was no need for them look for anything now for the worry had already come through their doorway. Someone had walked in slowly from outside the door.

    This person was very tall, very thin. On his body, he wore a very bizarre-colored long gown that was actually a miserable-looking green color. His complexion was also very gloomy, similar to his clothing. And his pair of eyes was dull and without light, like two endless caves, so that one could not differentiate between the pupils and the whites of his eyes. He was actually a blind man.

    However, his steps were very light. It was as if his feet had grown a pair of eyes on them so he never stepped on any stones and furthermore, would not fall into any holes. With his hands clasped behind his back, he slowly walked inside. Although the look on his face was gloomy, his manner appeared very relaxed.

    Unable to contain himself, Guo DaLu asked, “Sir, are you here to look for someone? Who are you looking for?”

    The green-gowned man seemed not to have heard him.

    Guo DaLu’s brows were knit together. “Could this person not only be blind but deaf as well?”

    In the flowerbed by the corner of the wall, the summer flowers were blooming brilliantly. The green-gowned walked along the flowerbed, then walked back again, all the while inhaling deeply. Although he could no longer use his eyes to admire the bright colors of the flowers, he could still use his nose to appreciate their fragrance. Perhaps what he could actually appreciate was more than what someone with eyes could.

    He walked back and forth along the flowerbed a total of two times without saying anything, and then, he slowly walked back outside.

    Guo DaLu could breathe easy again. “It appears this person was not really here to seek out trouble. He just came here to smell the fragrance of flowers.”

    Yan Qi pointed out, “How would he know this place has flowers?”

    Guo DaLu: “Naturally, his nose is more sensitive than ours.”

    Yan Qi: “But where did he come from?”

    Guo DaLu laughed, “I don’t know him. How would I know?”

    Wang Dong spoke suddenly. “I know.”

    Guo DaLu: “You know?”

    Wang Dong nodded.

    Guo DaLu: “So where do you say he came from?”

    Wang Dong: “From the tents.”

    Guo DaLu: “How do you know?”

    Wang Dong’s expression seemed to have grown very grim, and he answered slowly, “Because at this point in time, no other people could possibly get to this place. We also are not able to go anywhere.”

    Guo DaLu: “Why?”

    Wang Dong: “Because those eight tents have completely blocked off all accesses in and out.”

    The look on Guo DaLu’s face changed as he realized, “You are saying that they put up those eight tents outside for the purpose of not letting anyone come here and not allowing the people in here to go out?”

    Wang Dong did not open his mouth to speak again. His eyes were fixated on the flowerbed, and his expression had become even grimmer. Guo DaLu could not help turning his head back along with Wang Dong and casting a glance there also. Immediately, his expression changed also. The flowers that had been blooming perfectly fine before had now all unexpectedly wilted away. The captivatingly red flower petals had all suddenly turned black, and when the wind blew by, they fell to the ground, one petal after another.

    “What is going on here?” Guo DaLu exclaimed. “Is it poison released from that person a moment ago?”

    Wang Dong: “Hmph.”

    Guo DaLu: “Don’t tell me that person is a poisonous snake? All he needs to do is walk by a place and then all the flowers and grass will die of poisoning?”

    Wang Dong: “I’m afraid even a poisonous snake is not as poisonous as him.”

    Yan Qi remarked, “Yes. I had always thought that ‘No Opening Left Unentered’ Scarlet Serpent was the number one master of using poisons under all of heaven, but in comparison to this person, it appears he would still have been greatly inferior.”

    “Still greatly inferior?” Guo DaLu repeated. This question was not for Yan Qi; it was directed at Hong NiangZi.

    Sighing, Hong NiangZi replied, “Scarlet Serpent still needed the aid of other things in order to use poison. He would still need to put the poison in food or water and on weapons or concealed weapons, but this person can actually use his poisons and not even show a shadow. It is as if he can kill someone using poison in the space of a breath.”

    Guo DaLu did not continue to ask. If even Hong NiangZi said this person’s poisoning abilities were higher than Scarlet Serpent, it meant there was no more doubt about it.

    The questions now was, who was this person, and why would he come here and kill all their flowers with poison?

    Before there was an answer to the question, though, a second problem had arrived. From outside the door, another person had walked on in.
    一杯酒,一個朋友!
    --离歌笑

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