大唐双龙传 [Da Tang Shuang Long Zhuan] by Huang Yi

[wangxiaohu]

Thanks foxs for the wonderful update...

[Jayariyin]

Thanks, foxs.

Happy New Year to everyone!

[SkyWalker]

Thanks foxs. Happy New Year!

[Lance23]

Thanks you foxs and happy new year!

[akolaw]

does not mean the person is round

not able to reunion/团圆 with one's love one (lover, family or friend)

[徐中銳]

Indeed, slim pickings.

does not mean the person is round

[foxs]

Xiaohu, Jaya, Sky, Lance, you are welcome, and I hope your New Year’s celebration was happy. Ysabel, I know you have not appeared here, but thanks for sharing in the other thread. Akolaw, thanks for the info. I will fix it on the unabridged thread. I have another Chu Liuxiang update tomorrow to close chapter 21, the last of my daily updates. Back to real life, people!

---

Being left alone, Xu Ziling was feeling relaxed and comfortable. He went to the public bathroom first to soak himself, and then, after stuffing his belly with a couple of wild fruits that he picked along the way, he sat cross-legged on the bed to meditate.

Recalling the encounter on the plank walkway, he felt lucky of having a new lease of life.

Originally he thought about going out to the street to find Shi Qingxuan’s fragrant footprints, however, remembering the street was so crowded that he was unable to move a single step, he had no choice but to dispel this idea. Besides, since she was not in the secluded forest of the small valley, Yang Xuyan would be pouncing an empty space. Therefore, she ought to be safe for the time being.

This beauty’s flute art was matchless under the heavens, her style was even more faintly indiscernible and hard to fathom, so that others would find it difficult to tell whether it was real or merely a fantasy.

He also thought about how earlier he already made up his mind not to come to this inn where Shi Feixuan wanted to meet him. Who would have thought that somehow Zheng Shiru steered his steps and confused his direction, and then the ghosts shoved the gods pushed, he ended up in this inn anyway. Evidently fate has a way to render him helpless to act independently.

After letting his thoughts ran wild for quite a moment, his mind gradually entered the the-thousand-thought-vanished realm of the Way [Dao/Tao]. The true qi within his body flowed naturally, the empty space inside expanded infinitely, the barely-there remaining internal injury quickly faded away.

After nobody knows how much time has passed, suddenly his heart was moved, and he regained his senses.

Then there was a soft knock on his door.

Shi Feixuan’s sweet, clear and melodious voice spoke tenderly outside the door, “Xu Xiong! Is it convenient for Feixuan to come in?”

Xu Ziling was greatly surprised. It had never occurred to him that Shi Feixuan would be willing to come into a man’s room, even if there was not the slightest bit of man-woman intimate contact. Hurriedly he jumped out of bed and pulled the door open.

Shi Feixuan, still wearing men’s clothing, was standing charmingly outside the door. Her deep and impenetrable beautiful eyes were flashing with strange light.

Xu Ziling retreated to the side and said, “Please come in.”

With light lotus steps, carrying the fresh and clean fragrance that was uniquely hers, Shi Feixuan came into the room. Sweeping the room with her eyes, she said with a smile, “This room is quite spacious, I hope it is to Xu Xiong’s satisfaction?”

Standing behind her, Xu Ziling said, “For someone who has slept in the wild, mountainous country for the past few months, this is like a luxurious mansion!”

Shi Feixuan let out an indifferent, “Oh?” and then, under Xu Ziling’s polite bidding she sat down on a chair by the table. Waiting for Xu Ziling to sit down properly opposite her, Shi Feixuan smiled sweetly and said, “When I booked this room for Ziling Xiong, I did not think that Ziling Xiong would really come. Who would have thought that Ziling Xiong is really willing to do me the honor? This is really beyond Feixuan’s expectation.”

Xu Ziling had to smile wryly in return and said, “Why would Miss think that I would not come?”

Shi Feixuan lightly shrugged her fragrant shoulders and said, “That’s just a subtle reaction that I sensed when a person came in contact with another person. Ziling Xiong made Feixuan feel that you are the kind of person who can cast anything that cause complications away and simply ignore them. I wonder if Feixuan has misjudged you?”

Laughing calmly, Xu Ziling said, “Miss praises me too much! I am far inferior to that servant boy who concocted pills of immortality; how could I have such ability?”

Shi Feixuan stared deep in his eyes with her beautiful gaze; she said, “Perhaps Xu Xiong don’t realize it yourself, but compared to the last time I saw Xu Xiong, your personality traits have changed; evidently you have had fortuitous meeting on the mountain.”

Neither confirming nor denying, Xu Ziling replied, “You can say there’s a little bit of that!”

No longer pursuing this matter, Shi Feixuan asked, “Has Ziling Xiong decided when you are going to set off toward the secluded forest of the small valley?”

Xu Ziling sat back comfortably in his chair and shook his head, “I am not going!” he replied.

Shi Feixuan was stunned, “Wasn’t it the purpose of Ziling Xiong’s trip this time?” she asked.

Being able to surprise Shi Feixuan, Xu Ziling felt wicked satisfaction in his heart, but then he was amused by his own childish thought. Meeting the opposite party’s shining-luminously spirited eyes, he responded indifferently, “Something came up, I need to change plan. May I ask how long will Miss Shi be here?”

Frowning, Shi Feixuan stared at him for quite a while. Suddenly she let out a bitter smile and said, “Turns out Ziling Xiong is still blaming Feixuan. Actually, Feixuan really have another important matter so that I was forced to part company with Ziling Xiong while rushing toward Chengdu. Originally I did not intend to explain, but now I will have to explain!”

A strange feeling welled up in Xu Ziling’s heart, but he could not tell what kind of feeling it was.

Averting her gaze, Shi Feixuan slightly raised her cicada head to look at the full moon hanging high in the night sky outside the window. She spoke smoothly, “Don’t think that Feixuan did not care about anything. Feixuan made an exception by booking this room for Ziling Xiong, it was for the sole purpose of expressing my regret. Feixuan often see myself like a solid rock in the stream. Although every moment every instant the water flows over the rock, it will only make the rock smoother, without leaving any traces at all. But people are not rocks, Feixuan also has feeling.”

Xu Ziling’s heart was shaken, he was speechless.

Shi Feixuan turned her gaze back to him, her countenance also returned to its usual tranquil, calm and composed expression. She said, “What I just said has already surpassed what Feixuan is accustomed to speak. This time Feixuan going down the mountain, setting my foot on the world of the living, naturally it was because I received a mission from my master. But there is also a hidden intention of entering the world for spiritual cultivation. The highest xinfa in the Jingzhai is that one must enter the world before one could cultivate virtue, not by building a cart behind closed doors at all.”

After staring blankly at her for half a day, Xu Ziling asked, “What xinfa is that? Aren’t both Buddhists and Taoists speak about the four elements are vanity [idiom: this world is an illusion], purification of defiling illusion, and letting things take their own course [Daoist doctrine of inaction]? Why do you have to mingle among the secular world and be bothered by trivial things to succeed?”

Shi Feixuan serenely replied, “Confucian school differentiates between single-benevolence for the body, double-benevolence for the world. Buddhism school also differentiates between Hinayana and Mahayana. ‘If I don’t go to hell, who will?’ is precisely the act of sacrifice. My humble Zhai’s [i.e. Ci Hang Jingzhai] ‘Ci Hang Sword Canon’ has a principle of ‘broken and then standing, crumbling and then rising up’. Evidently those who can’t stand the test and being sharpened on grindstone cannot become very capable person. My humble Zhai’s highest xinfa is known as ‘Jian Xin Tongming’ [the heart of the sword is brightly lit]. Among my worthy predecessors of successive generations, there has never been anyone who could cultivate virtue by ‘closing the door and defending oneself’. So much so that even on the second highest xinfa ‘Xin You Lingxi’ [mutual sensitivity of the heart], it was rare that anybody could master it; precisely because it is easy to break, but difficult to stand. Xiuxin Shibo actually had the highest prospect of climbing into the ‘Jian Xin Tongming’ level, but because of her relationship with Shi Zhixuan, she could only stop at the ‘Xin You Lingxi’ level. Yet she was an exception rather than the norm.”

Embarrassed, Xu Ziling said, “Does Miss imply that Xiaodi is one of the obstacles in Miss’s virtue cultivation? In that case I have the reason to be very proud.”

Shi Feixuan has never anticipated that Xu Ziling might blurt out this sentence. Giggling tenderly, she said, “Now you are a bit like Kou Zhong! No wonder the two of you could become brothers in hardship. Feixuan did not intentionally make that implication. By willing to stop at the inn to meet you to repay you, I just want to tell you that I am not as heartless as you thought.”

Xu Ziling did not dare to reveal the truth even more, but his mood was considerably better. He said, “I must have shown indignation that is hard to quell that Miss is compelled to waste your time to explain everything.”

Shi Feixuan nodded and said, “It should have a bit of influence. First, I asked you what happened on the way here, you responded evasively. And then, I asked you when you are going to the secluded forest of the small valley, you responded indifferently. The reason of your indignation must be me!”

Xu Ziling’s old face turned red; he said, “It was because I am afraid to be a vain lowly person that I feel some things are inconvenient to mention. It was not because I wanted to deliberately conceal it from you. Would Miss please forgive me?”

Emotionally moved, Shi Feixuan said, “Is it possible for you to tell me? Feixuan would never regard Ziling Xiong as a lowly person who sow discord between people.”

After slight hesitation, Xu Ziling said, “I was attacked by Hou Xibai on the plank walkway of the Great Mount Ba and nearly lost my life. What does Miss think of this?”

Shi Feixuan’s jet-black eyebrows were knitted together as she asked, “Did he really want to kill you?”

Recalling what happened at that time, Xu Ziling replied slowly, “I do have that feeling. But later on he acted like an old friend, saying that he must pretend like he simply had to kill me to force me to fight him for real. But when we fought, it was definitely a desperate fight, unlike a friendly contest to amuse ourselves.”

Smiling, Shi Feixuan said, “You are the kind of person that ordinarily stand aloof; only when chatting like this you are revealing your true temperament. The fact is, I am not the least bit surprised of him challenging you. Earlier he confided in me that he wanted to experience the ultimate art that you and Kou Zhong learned from the ‘Secret to Long Life’.”

Surprised, Xu Ziling said, “You still trust him that much.”

Shi Feixuan replied indifferently, “I can only say what I observed. If Hua Jian Pai can travel on the right track because of him, won’t it be an enormously good thing?”

How could Xu Ziling say anything after that? Originally, he wanted to tell her about Hou Xibai planning on ambushing him in Yangzhou, but now he had no choice but to swallow it back into his belly, and felt his interest dwindling very quickly.

Shi Feixuan spoke softly, “Toward him and toward Ziling Xiong, I do have a bit of different feeling; I am still wary toward him. Does Ziling Xiong understand?”

Xu Ziling’s heart was still cooling down, fast. He spoke slowly, “I might as well tell you this: just now I caught a graceful glimpse of Miss Shi in the city, but I did not have any chance to talk to her. That’s the reason I do not intend on going to the secluded forest of the small valley.”

Revealing a surprised look, Shi Feixuan was deep in thought for half a day. Suddenly she said, “Would Ziling Xiong be interested in going out with Feixuan to the city to see the Lantern Festival tonight?”

[wangxiaohu]

Thanks foxs....

[Ysabelkid]

Thanks foxs

[HPC7595]

Thanks foxs

[Jayariyin]

Thanks, foxs.

[LuDongBin]

Thks foxs.

[shirak]

Well, like Feixuan, I believe that HXB will eventually become a good guy, while YXY remains a bad guy, together with SZX.

I'm really curious as to SFX's skill level now, vis-a-vis BXX, and on a related note, Madam Dong Ming and Wanwan. On a unrelated note.....how does Song Que compare with ZYY too.

[Lance23]

Thank you foxs. So far it feels like HXB is likely a bad guy. Twice he tried to ambush XZL.

[spynet]

Thanks foxs!

[9Dragons]

This guy gets a qi boost, hotel reservation, and invitation to party at the festival by lovely ladies. How is he able to juggle when all three are more or less in town? Well, I suppose they all avoid each other like when the star interrupted their duel.

[Patudo]

Hey amigo, this is wuxia... in which the protagonist (or co-protagonist in this case) can have uberbabes like Wanwan falling violently for him just by being aloof and scholarly!

[Lance23]

Hey amigo, this is wuxia... in which the protagonist (or co-protagonist in this case) can have uberbabes like Wanwan falling violently for him just by being aloof and scholarly!

Lmao best comment I’ve read in awhile

[LuDongBin]

Thks foxs.

[KChill]

Glad to be back on SPC, seeing old acquaintances and reading another translation by Foxs. Thanks for keeping the faith!