There are so many debates about Xiao Feng being a coward and taking the easier way out when he committed suicide at the end of Demi Gods & Semi Devils (Tian Long Ba Bu) to prevent the escalating war between Liao and Song.
The way I see it after reading the last chapters of TLBB again, XF was INDEED not a coward. In fact, he was a true hero. He sacrificed his life for the lives of millions and millions of Liao and Song citizens for many years to come
Considering the code of ethics and honor at the time, his final act is perhaps almost unsurpassable by any other Jin Yong main characters, but at the same time, tragic.
So...here it is... it's my attempt to translate the last chapter of Tian Long Ba Bu (from the first edition which has been translated to Indonesian by Gan K.L.).
Please note that the Indonesian version I have changed the original 50-chapters novel into 43 chapters. Either by shortening some passages in previous chapters or compiling them into larger chapters.
I have double-checked this chapter with the Chinese version, this is chapter 43 in the Indonesian version but it's chapter 50 in Chinese version.
All the character's names, places, techniques, terms, etc will be kept as they are, in Romanized Hokkienese. I will try to make references for the names in Mandarin Pinyin if I have time, but my main goal is to finish it. If any of you know both dialects, feel free to fill in and give me the pin yin names.
My translation will start from an attempt to rescue XF until the end of TLBB.
Have fun reading