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Thread: Chu LiuXiang: Legend of the Crescent Moon ( 新月传奇)

  1. #81
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    I am glad to see you back.

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    thank you foxs and missouri

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    Chapter 7 - Part 5


    She knew she could not use the tricks she normally applied to other men on this man. In front of this kind of man it is better to be honest.

    Therefore she only smiled and stayed silent. A smile seldom goes wrong and silence is golden.

    A smart woman always knows when to stop talking.

    The unfortunate thing was Chu Liuxiang had abundance experiences dealing with smart women and was clueless against unattractive and dull women instead.

    “If I did not misheard, miss has wanted to purchase this chest for 300,000 tales, am I right?
    Chu Liuxiang asked.

    “You are right.”

    “That’s great.” Chu Liuxiang continued, “Now this chest belongs to you.”

    Chu Liuxiang apparently wanted Yingzi to pay 300,000 tale for a pile of broken woods. Yingzi understood his intention but she also was not a weak woman who can be easily bullied.

    “This time I think you are the one who is mistaken, this chest is no longer mine, but yours.” Yingzi slightly accented voice gently resounded, “I heard that you proposed to pay 30 millions tael, did I hear it wrongly?”

    “You heard it right. But do you really think I have 30 millions tael with me? I hardly think so.”

    “So, let me restate it, I do not have 30 millions tael and hence my bid is invalid.” Chu Liuxiang smiled. “Therefore this chest is sold to you.”

    Yingzi was dumbfounded. She stared at Chu liuxiang full of admiration perhaps also with slight fear. However, she would not give up that fast.

    “On the other hand, I trust that miss have the 300,000 tael.” Chu Liuxiang said, “I believe 100%.”

    “I do have the money and I won’t regret parting with it.” Yingzi sighed, “Unfortunately, the chest is no longer here.”

    Chu Liuxiang pretended to be dismayed.

    “No longer here? How could it be?” He looked at the shattered pieces on the floor and said, “Isn’t this the chest? It definitely is not pork, is it?”

    “Of course it is a chest.” Aunt Hua suddenly opened her mouth and smiled sweetly, “A chest is a chest and pork meat is pork meat. Even though the meat has been minced and cooked, it is still pork meat. No one can deny the fact.”

    Chu Liuxiang laughed, “Aunt Hua is indeed smart, your words are totally right.”

    Yingzi also laughed, gently laughing, not a hint of anger was to be found at all.

    “Now, I can see clearly that it is indeed the chest I has purchased.” She looked totally content. “To be able to obtain such a splendid chest, it is really my good luck.”

    She handed out a piles of bank cheques and a bag of pearls and put them elegantly on the table.

    “The cheques amount to 135,000 tael and the pearls will even out the rest of the amount.”

    She subsequently bent down and slowly picked the pieces one by one. Carefully enclosed them into a wrapping clothes. Not one of the broken pieces was left on the floor. Then she bowed to everyone with poise.

    “I will excuse myself now.” Yingzi said, “Thank you for all of your largess, I will never forget it for the whole of my life.”

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Hu Tiehua kept drinking incessantly, but once Yingzi had gone, he slapped the table and said, “great! Really great! Now I know that in this world there are people who are so thick-skinned; so thick that they can unabashedly oppress a little girl in front of so many people.”

    Hu Tiehua stared at Chu Liuxiang with bulging eyes. He pulled up his sleeve in anger and said, “I ask you. Are you really that poor to the point that you have no more dignity? Why did you have to bully that girl? You make me lose my face, don’t you know that?”

    Hu Tiehua was really angry. This big mr. Hu could not tolerate this kind of things. All his life, because of this kind of injustice, he had fought with countless people. He wouldn’t care who was the person, he would definitely fight him, Chu Liuxiang was not an exception.

    Chu Liuxiang ignored him, he instead asked Xue Chuanxin, “” need a favour from you.”

    “What do you want me to do?”

    “I want you to take away this 300,000 tales.”

    Xue Chuanxin was fazed, he asked, “this is your money, why do you want to give it to me?”

    “That’s not my money; also not to be given to you.” Chu Liuxiang continued, “I only want you to divide the money to black bamboo pole and the family members of the murdered personnel of the ‘chang sheng’ agency.”

    Hu Tiehua was surprised. His anger which would erupt anytime soon suddenly turned cold. he was ready to fight but now the only person he wanted to hit was himself.

    “Black bamboo pole has done his duty and therefore entitled to his pay.” Chu Liuxiang sighed, “but I am afraid he may not want to accept the money. I fully understand people like him. They can be more stubborn than anyone else.”

    Xue Chuanxin was silent for a while and then coldly hissed, “you should not aske me to do this task. I am not suitable for it. all my life I only know to kill and to visit brothel. Not even once I have done something good.”

    His voice was still so complacent and cruel, and his gaze was still so sharp. “But for you, I will make an exception, just this once.”

    Hu tiehua started drinking again. Aunt Hua clapped and said, “Great! Extraordinary! What a splendid ending. Other than fragrant commander Chu, in this world you may not find the second person who may be able to do this great deed.”

    “Unfortunately, there is still a small thing that I do not understand.” She smiled even more sweetly, “that Japanese lady was witty and temperate. Furthermore, she was able to fork out a big sum of money which others may not be able to obtain for the rest of their lives. She gave you the money without even batting an eyelid. That lady, coming to as far as Jiangnan, definitely not only to by pieces of woods, right? so why didn’t you detain her for interrogation?

    “Because tonight there have been too many deaths. I do not want to add one more.”

    “She will die if you ask her questions?”

    “have to die.”

    “Why?”

    Chu Liuxiang smiled and said, “For example, if Shi Tianwang caught you and forced you to say who was the person who ordered you to kill him, would you be able to stay alive?”

    Aunt Hua could smile no more.


    Hu Tiehua slapped the table again. He shouted, “You, the one whose surname is Chu, why don’t you hit me as many times as you want? Don’t you know that the person I was disparaging was you? I even called you a turtle’s son (bastard).

    “Am I a turtle’s son?”

    “No, you are not.” Hu Tiehua had to admit, “I scolded the wrong person.”

    “Bacause you have accused a person wrongly, you must fell a strong compunction. If I hit you that will make you feel better.” Chu Liuxiang smiled, “Am I right?”

    Hu Tiehua glared at Chu Liuxiang and the guffawed, “you, old rotten bug, are not a good person at all! Since the first day I knew you, I already know you are a rake. But I also have to admit, there are times you are really a good person.”

    Aunt Hua was ready to go away but unfortunately Chu Liuxiang was looking at her, “Can I ask for you help?”

    Aunt Hua was abit shocked, “What can I help you with?”

    Chu Liuxiang heaved a sigh, “You are Hu Tiehua’s mother, so what I want you to do is only to prepare a transport for me.”

    It sounded like an ordinary request which can be done by average person. Aunt Hua felt relieved. She smiled and said, “What kind of transport?”

    “I want a carriage which is hand-crafted by an artisan. The carriage has to have a wide inner compartment, can move swiftly but still feel comfortable. Also please provide two jars of 20 years old ‘nuerhong’, seven types of fresh fruits, seven types of assorted candies, and seven types of wine snacks. All have to be of high quality and put inside a beautiful mealbox.”

    “Because I want to drink wine comfortably and sleep soundly.”

    Aunt Hua was still smilling but the smile looked bitter. But Chu Liuxiang had not finished yet, “I also need four horses which can run 40 km/hour to pull the carriage and a well-trained driver. For every 400km please supply new horses and driver. Please prepare this within two hours since I belive you can do it.”

    “And if I can’t?”

    Chu Liuxiang smiled and uttered, “Then I have to ask you, why do you need to silence me? and I will dig very deep.”

    Aunt Hua could not smile anymore.

    “When I wake up I want that I have reached a particular place and able to meet a particular person.” Chu Liuxiang continued, “You definitely know where is it and who the person is.”

    “What place?” Aunt Hua asked, “Who?”

    “Jade sword mountain village.” “Mr. Du.”

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    Chapter 8 - The Enigmatic Mr. Du


    At the mountain’s foot, the azalea flowers had started to bloom. From faraway, the lush mountain looked like a beautiful emerald jade cleansed by the spring’s rain. A couple of butterflies were swirling around the flowers. This quiet garden felt like an ethereal place.

    Chu Liuxiang sat cross-legged on top of an artificial rock in the house’s canopy. He almost couldn’t believe that he had arrived at the ‘Jade Sword’ mountain. Because not anyone could come here as he pleased, not even the most arrogance and conceited swordsmen would dare to leisurely trespass this place.

    For these last few years, the good name of the ‘Jade Sword’ mountain village had surpassed those of the three major clans and four big families from Jiangnan’s wulin.

    Now that he had actually arrived at this place, Chu Liuxiang could only see a picturesque spring’s scenery. No menacing aura, no tight securities around, nothing of these strenuous sort.

    Chu Liuxiang caressed his nose; he had to admit that the lord of the ‘Jade Sword’ mountain was an extraordinary person.


    Mr. Du was really an extraordinary person.

    He was an enigmatic person, out of blue he appeared in Jianghu, no one knew his background. Aside from a few of his confidantes, everything about him was practically unknown.

    But everyone knew. He didn’t have a menacing preternatural power. All of his underlings were first class swordsmen who had long retired from Jianghu. These people followed him as if they were his lovers who were madly in love with him. They would do anything for him and anytime they would have no qualm to lay down their lives for him.

    Who was this Mr. Du? What kind of power did he yield?


    Chu Liuxiang had been waiting for a long time. There was only him, no Hu Tiehua. That’s because Mr. Du had only granted Chu Liuxiang to have an audience with him.

    From the other end of the building, the sound of footsteps could be heard. Light and slow. A beautiful woman wearing a long dress walked toward Chu Liuxiang with elegance.

    She was not young and yet she didn’t wish to apply makeup to hide the crows’ feet under her eyes. Her beauty and elegant demeanor was similar to the white clouds which hovered next to the faraway mountain’s summit. Her eyes shone with aplomb that matched the sunlight.

    Chu Liuxiang was enchanted.

    He had never seen a woman like this. He could never have guessed that a woman could be this beautiful after she had way passed her prime age.

    “Fragrant Commander Chu.”

    She greeted Chu Liuxiang with a smile. Her voice was as elegant as her demeanor. “The rain stopped last night and today you are here. Right after the flowers had started to bloom. Unfortunately, fragrant commander Chu does not come to admire the blossoming flowers.”

    “I understand that Mr. Du seldom sees outsiders and today he has made an exception for me.” Chu Liuxiang tried not to look into her eyes. “I believe that Mr. Du is not someone who doesn’t keep his words.”

    “So do I.” She smiled. “Since you have seen her.”

    Chu Liuxiang lifted up his face and stared at her in consternation. He then asked, “You are Mr. Du?”

    “Yes, I am. Now you should have no doubt that I am a person who always keeps my promise, right?”

    On top of the polished wooden floor, there was an antediluvian table. Three to five camellia branches with fully bloomed flowers were inside a vitriolic vase placed on top of the table.

    Chu Liuxiang was not looking at the flowers.

    He was looking at the mysterious yet beautiful woman who was sitting in front of him. At this moment, even if he was able to muster all his willpower to not looking at the lady, he wouldn’t be able to shift his gaze from her.

    “I am fully aware that you are feeling confused. It is not uncommon for a lady to be called ‘Mr.’ in fact sometimes some men are called ‘Mdm.’.” Mr. Du continued, “A long time ago there was a blacksmith who was called ‘Mdm. Xu’.”

    Chu Liuxiang stared at her for a long time and then asked, “You seldom meet outsiders, is it because you don’t want people to know that you are a lady?”

    “Maybe.” Mr. Du smiled lightly. “Or perhaps I don’t want to be looked at like the way you look at me.”

    Chu Liuxiang didn’t smile, didn’t caress his nose. He blushed. If Hu Tiehua saw this, he would definitely be in great shock.

    To make Chu Liuxiang blushing was not an easy task, perhaps as difficult as pulling a camel through the needle’s eye.

    Fortunately Mr. Du changed the topic. “I also know that you are a busy person. This time you take your time to see me, is it regarding to the marriage between Shi Tianwang and Yujian princess?”

    “No.”

    Chu Liuxiang decided to show a bit his virility. He said, “Even if you wanted to marry 80 daughters to Shi Tianwang that has nothing to do with me.”

    “And what is it that has anything to do with you?”

    “I only want to help a friend to look for his daughter. A once-kidnapped-and-put-into-a-chest daughter.” Chu Liuxiang continued, “And I believe that she is here.”

    Outside, the spring’s breeze blew gently, darkness slowly encroached. Mr. Du looked at the white camellia in quietude. Her countenance was similar to that of the color of the flower’s petal, immaculately elegant yet pallid.

    The petals sloughed off one by one. Because of the flicking of her fingers the petals fly one by one, clouding Chu Liuxiang’s line of sight. Two of her fingers clipped a flower branch and trusting it toward Chu Liuxiang’s eyes.

    An Agility, an elegance and a cruelness which were indescribable. A cruelness that was nearing perfection. Under the sky, perhaps she was the only one who could perform this mirage.

    Even if his eyes were impaled, perhaps Chu Liuxiang would have no regret at all. Because he had seen this kind of woman and he had seen enough things in his life.


    Twenty peonies were drawn on this porcelain wine jar. Inside was the genuine twenty years old Huadiao wine. Hu Tiehua had finished drinking one jar and there was only one more jar left.

    “Why do you stop drinking?” Aunt Hua asked, “It is a rare occasion that you can drink this kind of wine.”

    “It is hard to find good wine but it is even harder to find a good friend.”

    Hu Tiehua took off his outer robe and then sat on a stone chair next to the stone table. “If the ‘rotten bug’ knew that I drink all the two jars of good wine, he would be angered to death. It is not interesting to see an old rotten bug turn into a dead rotten bug.”

    “Are you going to save a jar for him?”

    “Not only saving him the wine but also to accompany him to enjoy the wine. Even though he drinks wine faster than decanting the wine, I am not slow either.” Hu Tiehua smiled. “So when he has finished a jar of wine, I will at least have finished half of a jar.”

    Aunt Hua looked at him in a strange disposition; she then asked a question in a peculiar tone, “How do you know that Chu Liuxiang is going to come here?”

    “Why isn’t he going to come?”

    Hu Tiehua was slightly tipsy but after hearing this last question he suddenly sobered up again. He eyes were bulging.

    “I did things for you because I knew it’s for a good cause. If I couldn’t deliver the princess to Shi Tianwang’s place before fifth of fifth month, he will invade here. Even though you might be able to win over him, the bloods of your people will be enough to form a river!”

    Hu Tiehua yelled, “But if you dare to touch Chu Liuxiang, I will be the first to create a blood river here!”

    Aunt Hua was silent. She seldom stayed silent. Yet at his time she didn’t utter any sound. From a distance, the sound of zither could be heard and because of this sound she couldn’t speak for a moment.

    The sound of the zither was barely discernible, perhaps as unperceivable as the sound of blooming flowers.

    Do the flowers make sound when they bloom? And if they do, who could hear the sound? Do they also make sound when they fall?

    A falling flower makes no sound; neither does a ruptured intestine. (ruptured intestine is a Chinese phrase which means ‘an overwhelming sadness’)

    A sound might means no sound and no sound means there is sound, it is just that no one is able to hear it. The sound of a falling flower, sometimes isn’t it similar to the sound of a ruptured intestine?

    The sound of zither that ruptures the intestine. The white camellia with eight petals.
    One by one the petals molted. They danced in the air and finally fell onto the shiny wooden floor; fell next to Chu Liuxiang feet.

    The sword-like tree branch was almost arriving at Chu Liuxiang’s eyebrow. This thrust was the quintessence of swordplay; the pinnacle of the sword art, amorphous, callous. A thrust yet not a thrust.

    When you have reached a certain level, a sword that is not a sword can also be used to take another person’s life in a blink of an eye.

    Chu Liuxiang didn’t seem to understand this principle. He sat still even his eyes did not blink, seemingly clueless that this lank branch could take his life in less than a ‘chana’.

    It takes 60 ‘chana’ to flick your finger once. If this branch succeeded to impale Chu Liuxiang, he would have been dead 60 times in a period of one finger flicking.

    The sky was getting darker; the sound of zither was more and more saturnine.

    Aunt Hua stared at Hu Tiehua, out of blue she showed a gentleness that had never been seen before. “You are drunk. You drank alcoholic drink. You should know that well.”

    Wind blew and a flower fell.

    “Flower can bloom; it can also wither and fall. If there is time to bloom, then there is also time to fall; because a flower is a flower. It has to bloom and it has to fall as well. We human, are the same, the drunken one has to be drunk. The one who has to die, has to die.”

    Suddenly Hu Tiehua felt so intoxicated. He was not sure was it because of the zither’s sound or aunt Hua’s sound or the wine. He just knew that he was drunk at the time he must not be drunk.

    He could still hear aunt Hua’s words, “Flowers bloom, flowers fall. People meet, people go. That’s destiny.”

    Her voice was full of helpless sadness. “Jianghu’s people are like the flowers, fame, fall, union and separation are sometimes beyond their control.”

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    Chapter 8 - Part 2

    One ‘chana’ is a very short amount of time. But within this short period of time, a person might turn into a speck of dust that will forever never return, just as a fallen flower could turn into fragrant mud.

    The night was getting darker, the gale blew away the flying flower petal, a million and a million of ‘chana’ had elapsed. The branch ‘sword’ was still a short distance from Chu Liuxiang’s eye. It had not reached its target!

    The wind blew again, sending the petals into the darkness of the night. The flower branch that could take Chu Liuxiang’s life anytime broke bit by bit in front of Chu Liuxiang’s eyes.

    This was not a miracle. This was the quintessence of experience and prowess of someone who had undergone countless precipices.

    When the camellia’s petals started to float away, its branch had been turned into dust by Chu Liuxiang’s inner power. Turned into something that has form yet powerless.

    Mr. Du’s face didn’t show any emotion. No trepidation or consternation at all. Because she knew that a sword has two sides. She can intimidate the opponent and likewise the opponent can do the same thing. And between the two of them there is only one thin line. If she was right then she’d win. On the other hand, if she lost she would have no regret whatsoever.

    “I lost!” Mr. Du said, “This is the first time I lost against a man.”

    Win or lose she had never lost her composure.

    “I have lost; you are free to do anything to me.”

    Chu Liuxiang stared at her silently, for a very long time, before he stood up and left in big strides.

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

    The flower garden was serene, the night was cooling.

    No one knew the exact moment when the darkness engulfed the whole thing. On the sky a crescent moon could be seen. Chu Liuxiang turned his head but Mr. Du had disappeared.

    The sound of the zither could still be heard. Gentle and heartrending. Suddenly the sound seemed to change into a fishhook which resembled the crescent moon and Chu Liuxiang was the fish.


    Why did Mr. Du want to kill him? Why did she disallow Chu Liuxiang to meet Jiao Lin’s daughter? What was the secret which lied within?

    He could see that Mr. Du had no ill intention toward him. But within a short moment she decided to kill him. And after she had lost she had no qualm to use her body to obstruct Chu Liuxiang.

    The long restrained lust of a middle age woman had been shown without any subtlety. The pain from losing was like a sharp knife, cutting open her aegis.

    Chu Liuxiang didn’t know how many times he had wanted to take off that woman clothes. That body inside that clothes, how long had it not been touched by the opposite gender?

    The tortuous body, soft, wan yet virgin-like sweet, full of the flaming desire of a middle age woman. Chu Liuxiang admitted he had had the lust for this woman since his very first glance at her.

    But everytime he wanted to reach for it, he had this guilty feeling and foreboding insinuated into his heart. Something that told him if he did it, he would regret it for the rest of his life.

    Why was that so? Was it because of the zither’s sound that reverberated inside his ears. Only now he knew for certain, it was because of that zither’s sound.

    The whispering sound of the zither, the same notes that was played over and over.

    He had heard this song before, inside the famous brothels alongside Qinhuai river and Yangzhou.

    The song had an appellation. “Crescent Moon.”

    A melodious song, like a scads of threads had begun to tie Chu Liuxiang tightly.

    Did the person who played the zither have a crescent moon on her body?

  6. #86
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    Thanks for another timely update.

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    Thanks very much.

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    Chapter 8 - Part 3




    The zither’s sound came from the second storey, behind the silk curtain a person’s shadow was seen swaying slightly under the flickering oil lamp.

    The door at the basement was not locked, as if it was waiting for someone to come and open it.

    Chu Liuxiang opened the door and went up to the second level.

    Spring breeze gently entered the room from the perforated silk curtain. This small room was full of flower scent.

    A beautiful girl wearing brocade finery was playing a zither under the shimmering light. She was the ‘crescent moon’ who was once put into a chest by someone.

    “You came as I’d guessed.”

    The sound of the zither stopped. She looked at Chu Liuxiang with coldness that is comparable to that of the crescent moon on the sky’s horizon.

    “You knew I will come?” Chu liuxiang asked.

    “Yes, of course I knew” She continued, “as long as you are still alive, you will definitely come.”

    The zither’s string was played lightly, “Fragrant hero Chu has always thought of himself as a romantic person. This song of mine you definitely know what song it is. The only thing I don’t understand is how you manage to stay alive this long.”

    Chu Liuxiang smiled bitterly, “This thing, I myself don’t know the reason. In order to prevent me from meeting you, many people used plethora of methods to try to kill me and even you yourself try to avoid me at all cost. So why do you lure me here now?”

    The crescent moon in the sky’s horizon was silent. The crescent moon under the dim light was wordless.


    Even though the light was not bright, Chu Liuxiang was still able to see her clearly.

    This was not the first time Chu Liuxiang saw her, but inside the inn’s room, inside the mysterious chest the only thing he focused on was the ‘crescent moon’ on her breast.

    Only now Chu Liuxiang really looked at her face. A pale face yet emanating indescribable charm and beauty. Her gaze was like the sunlight, full of confidence and determination.
    She really resembled a particular person.

    “Now I’ve understood.”

    Chu Liuxiang’s voice became hoarse, “You wanted me to come because you don’t want me to be with Mr. Du. That’s because you know what she is capable of doing. On the other hand, she allowed me to see you also because she understood you heart intention.”

    To be able to say this kind of thing overtly, sometimes can be rather hurtful. However, she even continued, “You are right, I knew her intention and she also knew my intention. Because she is my mother and I am the princess Yujian which she betrothed to Shi Tianwang.”

    Chu Liuxiang suddenly felt his heart turned very cold, he wanted to drink wine badly, but there was no wine.

    From a far, the sound of the thunderstorm could be heard. The crescent moon was covered by the dark could.

    Her voice was also sounded like it came from far inside the dark cloud. “The one Shi Tianwang wishes to marry is the emperor’s daughter, not the daughter of a vagrant warrior. I will marry Shi Tianwang, that is not only my mother’s will but it is also my own volition. Whoever wants to prevent this from happening, there will be people who will try to claim his life.”

    She asked coldly, “I wanted you to come, because I wanted to tell you about this. So have you understood?”

    “Yes.”

    “In that case, quickly go away. No need to see me anymore. I also don’t want to see you again for the rest of my life.”

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    at last after such a long wait......................................thanks s182t;

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    Chaapter 8 - Part 4


    Hu Tiehua dreamt he was flying.

    To be able to fly is a miracle. Flying here and there freely like a bird, crossing the hills, fly over the houses, fly over a river that seems can’t be crossed no matter how hard you try. And when you wake up, even though you are still sapped of strength, the feeling is still lingering in your heart; sweet, as sweet as a candy.

    Many people have had a similar dream when they were younger. Hu Tiehua was not an exception.

    It is just that when he woke up, he found that he was really flying.
    To be exact, he was not the one who flew; instead someone carried him with one hand while flying.

    The cold breeze assaulted his whole body and he felt terrible headache. It was still very dark, Hu Tiehua couldn’t see anything.

    Suddenly someone could be heard saying. “Thank God! Finally you wake up. It is really not easy to wake you up.”

    This person was of course Chu Liuxiang. When Hu Tiehua was drunk, the only person who could make him sober up was only Chu Liuxiang. To wake Hu Tiehua up was more difficult than to bring someone back to life.

    “What the hell” Hu Tiehua cursed, “You *******, I was sleeping soundly on the bed, why do you have to wake me up?”

    A drunk man can be considered a lucky person if he can sleep soundly until dusk. So it is not a wonder that he will throw a fit when he is woken up in the middle of the night.

    Chu Liuxiang had been drunk before and therefore understood this kind of feeling. Hence, he did not say anything when Hu Tiehua berated him.

    To be able to execrate Chu Liuxiang was something that was enjoyable. The thing that was not enjoyable was that after being scolded, this ‘*******’ flew even faster; very fast, faster than the combine speed of ten being –chased-by-a-fox rabbits.

    In the world no one could match that speed.

    Hu Tiehua finally had had enough. His voice became softer, no more cursing, he only asked with low voice, “What is it that you want?”

    “I don’t want anything.” Chu Liuxiang said, “I only want to find someone to accompany me sightseeing.”

    “Sightseeing?” Hu Tiehua started to screamed, “This is sightseeing?”

    His voice was like the voice of a dying person. “Mom! Oh my God! This thing can kill me. Why can’t you be like a normal person, just sit down and chit chat?”

    “Sure.”

    Although Chu Liuxiang sped forward like an arrow, he could also stop instantly. The place he stopped was under a tree on a flat grassy land. Hu Tiehua immediately lied down and only a hit from a big bat can make him sit straight.

    “Do you want to chit-chat or to sleep? Chu Liuxiang said, “Or we can continue doing sightseeing.”

    “Who wants to sleep? Only the bast*** wants to sleep.” Hu Tiehua immediately sat straight like he had been botched by a big wooden bat. “What do you want to talk about? Mr Du? Have you seen him? Have you seen Jiao Lin’s daughter?”

    “Yes, I have met all of them.”

    “What about the Miss Jiao, is she pretty?

    “Not only beautiful, she is also very intelligent.” Chu Liuxiang stared at the dark night sky. “Jiao Lin will never believe that he has such wonderful daughter.”

    “Then?”

    “Then I left.”

    “Why don’t you talk with her a little longer? Why the haste?”

    “I didn’t want to leave, she asked me to.”

    “She asked you to leave?” Hu Tiehua faked a sympathy, “Since when have you become so obedient?”

    “Since I have started to understand.”

    “What do you understand?”

    “All that needs to be understood, I have understood them, including some of the things I supposed to be ignorant of.”

    “These last few years, a number of areas along the south east coastline often suffered from the marauding pirates. The pirates were using guerilla warfare, hence their movement is hard to predict.”

    “The central government is not able to send large army to eradicate them because they won’t be able to afford the huge cost and also to move large army will cause instability. Furthermore, the pirates are not normal crooks so the regular soldiers may not be able to efficiently fight them.”

    “As an alternative the government sends a special envoy, taking the identity as a wulin’s member and then forms a team of warriors to destroy the pirates. This envoy has high power and assumes heavy responsibilities and therefore his secret identity has to be fully protected. However, he still needs to travel to different places and therefore at the very least people know him as someone who wields enormous influence.”

    “In order to rectify this, the government then contrived a reason to bestow him an award, which is to make his daughter the princess. Although it is done only in name, it is enough to make people respect them.”

    Hu Tiehua can’t stop himself from asking. “Have you known that the person in this story is Mr. Du all along?”

    “Yes.” Chu Liuxiang asked back, “But do you know who actually is Mr Du?

    “Who is he?

    “Mr. Du is Jiao Lin’s ex-wife, princess Yujian is Jiao Lin’s daughter

    Hu Tiehua’s hand started to caress his nose.
    Last edited by s182t; 10-29-11 at 02:25 AM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Laoren View Post
    at last after such a long wait......................................thanks s182t;
    sorry for the long wait and thank you for still reading

  12. #92
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    Welcome back, glad you are still interested in continuing. I haven't read it, but I will.

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    Hooray! More updates pls?

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    Chapter 8 - Part 5

    Chu Liuxiang continued, “Mr. Du is really an extraordinary woman, even though I do not understand how she managed to get close to the nobles after she left Jiao Lin, but for the government to engage her service for something this grand, she must be someone not to be trifled with.”

    “She successfully suppressed the pirates one by one until almost all the pirates are eliminated. Right this time, in the south east sea appeared a king of pirates who is much better than the purple whale clan leader Hai Kuotian. Hence the small amount of the almost extinct pirates started to throw their lot with him, Shi Tianwang.”

    “It is a double edged sword. For everything you gain there is something to be sacrificed. Mr. Du cleaned up the coastline from the pirates yet at the same time she made Shi Tianwang power in seas grows bigger.”

    “Right now Shi Tianwang power is too much for Mr. Du to retaliate against and in order to appease him she can only offer her daughter hand in marriage. A wise step under dire circumstances.”

    “I also understand this.” Hu Tiehua heaved a sigh. “That’s why I agreed to help in this matter.

    “However there are many who don’t want to understand, especially those hotheaded warriors. Even within Shi Tianwang subordinates, there will be discontented people.”

    “Why”

    “Because since a long time ago they have harbored the intention to pillage the land, so if Shi Tianwang marries princess Yujian, they have to bury their dream.” Chu Liuxiang said, “The Japanese pirates also want for Mr. Du and Shi Tianwang to fight each other so that both will suffer heavy losses and then they as the third party can benefit a lot from it. Therefore they will do anything to foil this marriage plan.”

    “Have you known all along that that Japanese woman is their lackey?”

    “Actually I have not understood all the details, but right know I can perceive a number of things. Mr. Du wants to kill me because she is afraid that I will unveil the secret identity of princess Yujian and in turn will thwart the plan. For the sake of her country, princess Yujian voluntarily sacrifices herself. And once you have understood this logic what can you do anymore?”

    “So when she asked you to leave, you had no choice but to leave?”

    “Right, she asked me to leave, and I left. Even if she didn’t ask me to leave, I would also leave.”

    “Is it because you don’t want to get involved in this matter anymore? Also you don’t care about her anymore?”

    “How do you want me to care about her?” Chu Liuxiang bitterly smiled, “Do you expect me to marry her in place of Shi Tianwang?”

    Hu Tiehua glared at Chu Liuxiang and sighed, “You are so lousy now. In the past, even though you encountered an impasse, or you were against much more powerful opponent than you, you would still fight, now you are only a timid turtle.”

    Chu Liuxiang was not offended even a bit. He said, “Luckily you are still the same you, and therefore will still keep your spoken promise.”

    “Of course I will never take back my word.” Hu Tiehua spoke loudly, “You don’t need to care for me, if you want to go just go!”

    “Before I go, can we drink a few cups first?” Chu Liuxiang’s smile had a hint of sadness in it.

    “Luckily I know a few good wine houses nearby.”


    The two of them had drunk a lot. Sitting on the roof, one jar of wine for each of them, they gulped down the wine right from the jar.

    Usually, Hu Tiehua talked more than anyone else especially when he was drinking. But today he only drank without saying anything.

    He seemed to be indolent to speak to a person like Chu Liuxiang. On the other hand, Chu Liuxiang showed great joy, he talked incessantly.

    Hu Tiehua listened to him with no expression on his face, until a very long time then he asked, “Have you finished talking?”

    “Not yet.”

    “What more do you want to talk about?”

    Chu Liuxiang chinned up and drank a few gulps of wine. He then spoke with weird tone, “I want to tell you about one thing, one thing that can be understood by others, and this thing I have never told you before.”

    “Everyone knows that we are close friend, everyone thinks that I have treated you very nicely. Your problem has always been cleaned up by me. But, only I who understand that the real situation is not like this.”

    Chu Liuxiang again drank a few gulps and this time even faster.

    “In reality, you treat me better; you often give way to me. If there is good food, pretty lady, you won’t vie with me. If the two of us do something earthshaking, I am the one who is extolled and become famous, even though you had also risked your life.”

    “You always recluse yourself away, go to an isolated wine house, be with any woman you can lay your hand on and force yourself to be madly in love with her.”

    Hu Tiehua drank as fast as he could.

    “You did that because I am Chu Liuxiang. How can Hu Tiehua share Chu Liuxiang’s limelight? Only Chu Liuxiang deserved to stand out.”

    Chu Liuxiang glared at Hu Tiehua, “But now I have to tell you. You are wrong! Totally wrong! His voice was getting louder and louder, “Now you have to know, Hu Tiehua is not inferior to Chu Liuxiang! Without Chu Liuxiang, Hu Tiehua’s problem can also be solved by him alone. He can keep living and live even better compared to when he’s with Chu Liuxiang.”

    Chu Liuxiang was getting even more emotional, “If you don’t understand this, you are not a human; you are a pig, a dead pig!”

    The wine jar had been emptied.

    Hu Tiehua suddenly sprang up, threw away the jar as far as possible. He swore, “Bullshit! All your words are fart! Hundreds times smellier than the stray dog’s fart!”

    Even though he scolded aggressively but his eyes were watery, “Now I also want to tell you something, if you think that I do not understand your fart, you are wrong!”

    “You understand?” Chu Liuxiang coldly smiled, “Really?”

    “If I did not understand, who else can understand? You purposely show insouciant attitude because you want to deceive me, you want to risk your life alone to fight Shi Tianwang!”

    Hu Tiehua clasped his hands tightly and while holding back his tears he hissed, “Are you going to admit that or not? If you don’t want to admit it, I will kill you with these fists of mine.”

    Chu Liuxiang stood up, threw the jar, made a fist and screamed, “Even if I want to do that, that has nothing to do with you! That is my business; you stick to your own business. You have no right to tell me what to do!.

    Both were angry, both posed like they were going to have a big fight. Time slowly passed.
    No one knew when they’d already loosened up their clenched fists and held each other hand instead.

    “You are not a human; you are the tapeworm inside my intestine. If you were not, how is it possible that you know what I am going to do?”

    “Because I understand you.” Hu Tiehua boasted, “I know you even better than your own father.”

    After he had finished saying this sentence, Hu Tiehua guffawed, followed suit by Chu Liuxiang. Both laughed very hard. When they laughed, they laughed to their heart content, and when they drank, they drank to their heart content too. And when they went for deadly fight, they wouldn’t hesitate at all.

    “Alright, if you are going then I will also go. If anyone wants to take our lives, that won’t be easy.”

    “After they have taken your live, there is still mine. If they’ve taken mine, there is still yours. But who can claim both our lives?”

    “None!”


    End of Chapter 8
    Last edited by s182t; 11-01-11 at 03:38 AM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by foxs View Post
    Welcome back, glad you are still interested in continuing. I haven't read it, but I will.
    hi foxs, I see that you are still producing high quality translations with amazing speed
    Thank you for the kind support (again and again)^^
    but if i were you, i will just read the book itself because i don't think
    i am doing a good job with the translation (no, i am not being humble or fishing for compliment here )

    Quote Originally Posted by LuDongBin View Post
    Hooray! More updates pls?
    Thanks for reading

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    Thanks...for the update....u doing great with this translation.love it.

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    Chapter 9 Killing intent in the heavy rain


    The spring’s thunder roared again, followed by a heavy rain.

    The lightning flash raced one after another, seemingly wanted to tear apart the gloomy sky.

    The raindrops shined like glittering pearls, concatenated to form a silver curtain of light which slowly engulfed the dark night.

    It’s supposed to be the sunrise time, but only the lightning flash was there to illuminate the dark sky.

    Chu Liuxiang stood under the rain, enjoying the water droplets hitting his whole body. He had been idling for a long time, in the last two years, he had only been sipping tea, drinking wine, looking at the moon, admiring the snowy landscape or the beauty of the flowers, doing almost nothing at all.

    In the world there seemed to be nothing that could arouse his interest anymore to do something dangerous. Nobody could make his palms to sweat.

    But right at this time, there’s someone who could do so. The name of that person was Shi Tianwang, the invincible king of seven seas.

    When he was thinking about his powerful opponent, rapture surged in his heart and warmth permeated throughout his chest. Success or failure, win or lose, live or dead were immaterial.

    Taking risk was not his hobby; it was his nature, like the corpuscles that run through his arteries.

    The rain was getting heavier. Chu Liuxiang walked with big strides, out of the town following the small muddy pathway under the hillock.

    He purposely took that route, because he sensed heavy killing intent coming from that direction.

    He couldn’t see it, couldn’t smell it, also couldn’t touch it, but he just could feel it. His intuition was extremely accurate and sensitive.

    Rains can smear killing intent and therefore reducing its density. However, the killing intent Chu Liuxiang felt was even thicker inside that heavy rain

    That only meant that he was going to face an extremely unusual and fearful opponent; the one that watched his prey in darkness and waiting patiently for a golden chance to kill in one strike.

    He didn’t know who this adversary was; he also didn’t know why this person wanted to kill him. He only knew that once this person moves, the attack would be extremely deadly. He might not have the chance to parry that attack.

    Yet he didn’t feel intimidated or afraid, he even felt more invigorated.

    He waited for this person, just like a maiden longingly waiting for her lover for their first tryst.

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

    Chu liuxiang had started to go up the slope. Dark forest and large stones were on both sides. It was a good hiding place for a killer.

    The killing intent grew stronger, but the person he was waiting for was still nowhere to be seen.

    What was this killer waiting for?

    In this world there are people who were born to be killers.

    They are not human but beasts. In their innate nature they have the calmness of bear, ferociousness of wolf, agility of leopard and slyness of fox.

    Undoubtedly this person belonged to that group of people. He was still waiting, because he wanted to get the best chance possible.

    And Chu Liuxiang was giving him this opportunity.

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

    There is a short period of time in between the lightning and the thunder, Chu Liuxiang had calculated its time.

    Suddenly Chu Liuxiang slipped and right at this moment the lightning flashed and from the dense forest came another silver flash which slashed with unimaginable power toward Chu Liuxiang’s head.

    This was the slash of the sword that had never missed before and would always claim the opponent’s life.

    The slash seemed to amalgamate with the roaring of the spring’s thunder.

    But Chu Liuxiang did not really slip, he just pretended to slip. However, it is not easy to just pretending. In martial arts there are feint moves in order to trick your opponent, and in Chu Liuxiang’s slip, it contained airtight defense and a possibility to counterattack or to retreat.

    And that’s why the slash missed.

    The sky was darkening again and Chu Liuxiang again lost sight of this killer. However, the killer also lost sight of Chu Liuxiang.

    Although he was a Jounin (highest class) level of ninja who could do many things that others could not do, he still couldn’t locate Chu Liuxiang anymore.

    Because after evading that slash, Chu Liuxiang vanished into thin air like a magic trick.

    The lightning flashed again.

    Someone wearing black outfit and black mask stood in the rain, his eyes shone with peculiar cruelty; both his hands gripped a long sword tightly. The sword was a bit unusual due to the curve at the tip of the sword. He stood there without moving at all but his whole body was in full alert.

    Once Chu Liuxiang showed himself, he would immediately attack mercilessly.

    However Chu Liuxiang was nowhere to be seen.

    The lightning flashed again, once, twice, three times…

    This man still stood there without moving, still with the same pose.

    He actually couldn’t move and was afraid to move. Because now the table had been turned. The advantage he had earlier had been snatched away by his opponent. Now, the one waiting in the darkness for a chance to give a deadly strike was his opponent.

    Once he made even a slightest move, he would show opening for his enemy.

  18. #98
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    Nice translation there ... suspense .. suspense ...

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    Quote Originally Posted by LuDongBin View Post
    Nice translation there ... suspense .. suspense ...
    and to alleviate the suspense..


    Chapter 9 - Part 2

    That short duration was enough to decide the outcome; to determine whether he would live for another day or not. He simply could not take that risk.

    The rain became lighter, the sky was slowly brightening. He still stood there but his calm and cruel eyes started to waver.

    Because he had been enervated.

    Facing an opponent you couldn’t see, in a situation which was ever-changing, his mental and physical fitness were exhausted. It was even more sapping than swishing sword around.

    What was more frightening was that his confidence was about to collapse. He couldn’t take the pressure anymore. His eyes started to lose their glows, the sword was slowly moved up.

    Right at this moment, inside the dark forest, someone was shouting, “You are dead!”

    The voice sounded so melancholic, “If fragrant hero Chu was a person who likes to kill, you’d be dead by now. I could never imagine that Shunrai Isshi, Iga’s number one ninja who was unbeatable can be defeated this badly. Fragrant hero Chu has not attacked and yet you have lost in his hand. What a pity.”

    Shunrai Isshi knelt on the muddy ground; he took out a knife from his belt and stabbed his own guts.


    A lady with oil paper umbrella slowly sauntered out from the forest. The umbrella was shiny red, her clothes was ornamented with sakura pattern. She was Yingzi.

    The knife slashed from left to right, the blood spewed out like spring water.

    Yingzi didn’t look at that; she was smiling sweetly to the direction of a tree which was quite a distance away. She bowed politely, “Fragrant hero Chu, when the night has come and the lights have been lit, someone is waiting for you in Miss Qing’s abode in Wang Qing court. I really wish that you will go there, it is just that I don’t know whether you have the courage to go or not?


    Shiny crystal cups, beautiful seven-strings-zither, on the pink wall was a couplet written by an eminent artist.

    A short and skinny old man with white hair raised up the cup as a sign of respect to Chu Liuxiang. The movement was elegant and polite.

    “My name is Ishida Toshihiko. Even though I have lived almost all my life in a small country of Japan, I have long heard your revered name.” he continued, “This morning, I had the luck to see your profound skill. Without any movement, any shape, form or sound you defeated Isshi’s sword skill which had the power of spring’s thunder. Now, I can better understand the meaning behind the highest embodiment of martial arts which is overcoming movement without movement. It was an eye opener indeed.

    He was very old, his body looked very weak. His Chinese was rigid. However, for an old man from a foreign country, to be able to speak this level of mandarin, it really was not something that can be achieved easily.

    Only by listening to his words, Chu Liuxiang could already deduce that this old man had reached a high level of mastery in literature and martial arts.

    His glowing eyes revealed that underneath that weak exterior there was undying determination, self-assurance and pride.

    Chu Liuxiang smiled, “Mr. Ishida is really a congenial person, unfortunately I can’t say the same for me and furthermore I have an illness.”

    “Even Fragrant hero Chu can also fall sick. What kind of sickness?”

    “Headache, when I hear someone say something extremely polite, my head spins.”

    Ishida smiled. “In that case I am not going to beat around the bush anymore. Do you know who asked Yingzi to kill you?”

    “Yes. You did.”

    “Why did I do that?” Ishida answered his own question, “Because I wanted to know if you really have the kind of ability that many people have extolled.”

    “Why do you want to prove it?”

    “Because I want you to kill a person for me.”

    “Who is that person?”

    “Shi Tianwang.”

    “Why do you want to kill him?” Chu Liuxiang asked, “Why don’t you let him to fight us?”

    “I want him dead because of a personal reason.” He still spoke gently, “I have lived a considerably long life and the only wish I have left is that to see him die first.”

    He looked at Chu liuxiang with gleaming eyes, “Of course it is not easy to kill him.” He uttered, “Perhaps the only one who can do that is you. But I also know that it is not easy to ask you to do that.”

    He clapped his hands and Yingzi entered the room with a small box.

    “I knew she bought a chest priced at 300,000 taels. However I think that this box cost more than 300,000 taels.”

    He opened up the lid and inside was full of high quality pearls and jade.

    Chu Liuxiang took a breathe, “This box perhaps worth at least 1,5 million of taels. Even if I sold it to a fence it would still fetch 700 to 800 thousands of taels.”

    Ishida applauded, “You really have keen eyes. But I have a different way of putting a price tag.”

    “Enlighten me.”

    “I like to compare its price with human. I like to put price on human. I estimated that this box can buy 3000 maidens, can also buy a similar amount of warriors who will be willing to lay down their lives for me.”

    The pearls and the jade were glittering under the light. Even Chu Liuxiang was a little fazed by them.

    Ishida smiled while looking at him with squinty eyes. “Now this box is yours. And once you have finished the task another box with similar value will be yours as well.”

    Chu Liuxiang suddenly smiled, he clapped his hands, “Xiao Qing, where are you? Can you come in for a moment?”

    Of course Xiao Qing would enter.

    If she was not there, how could the placed named ‘Wang Qing’? If she was not there who wanted to go there anyway?

    In actuality Xiao Qing was not too pretty, she doesn’t have doe eyes and her mouth was not really small either. Furthermore, she was a little skinny.

    But she could make many people to not be able to forget about her. Because every single of those people felt that there was something special about her, something unusual that other women were not having.

    However, she of course had something in common with other women. Her eyes also glow in front of jewellery.

    The jewellery inside this box worth at least 1.5 millions of taels.” Chu Liuxiang asked, “If this old man will give this box to you in exchange of accompanying him to sleep for one night, will you do it?”

    “How could I refuse?”

    Xiao Qing’s voice was so melodious and soft, “It is my job, but even for us, we may not amass that much of money in the whole of our lives. And now I can get that in just one night. What ever you want me to do of course I will do it.” She sighed, “It is just too bad that tonight I am not free.”

    “Why?”

    Xiaoqing’s soft body leaned on Chu Liuxiang, with her fingers she delineated Chu Liuxiang’s nose and uttered, “Because tonight there is you and I want to keep you accompany.”

    Ishida’s countenance became pallid, because he understood Chu Liuxiang’s meaning.

    With his fingers, Chu Liuxiang pushed the box back to Ishida.

    “It seems that tonight you have lost the chance, either to find a woman to sleep with you or to find a person to risk his life for you.”

    Chu Liuxiang’s face was still affable and warm.

    “I suggest that you leave right away with this box.” Chu Liuxiang smiled, “Because I can guarantee that tomorrow you also do not stand a chance.”

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    Thumbs up

    Thanks for the quick update ....

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