English Novel : 7 Killers (From Chinese novel )

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Re: English Novel :7 Killers – Chapter 3

Unread post by novel » 28 Dec 2015 13:59

Chapter 3 – Yue’er shining on Changjie
Part 1

So the woman’s name was Hu Yue’er, and it turned out she and Liu Changjie were friends!

What was going on?

Could it be that they had been putting on an act the whole time?

Why would they put on such an act? And who were they acting for?

Hu Yue’er had stood up and, hand on her waist, gazed at Liu Changjie. “Let me ask you, if there really was a husband and wife who met a person like you, what would happen?”

The question seemed to stump Liu Changjie. He stared blankly for a while before finally responding, “I’m not a good person, but I really wouldn’t do something so unethical.”

“I didn’t say you,” said Hu Yue’er. “I said a person like you.”

Liu Changjie laughed bitterly. “Well then, I have no idea. I never thought about it.”

“The plan was thought up by you, wasn’t it?”

Liu Changjie’s expression suddenly became very serious. “It was all to convince Dragon Fifth that I’m a bastard. We can’t let him have any suspicions, so we have to be cautious at all times. He’s too powerful, and has spies everywhere.”

“But just now …”

“Just now one of his spies was here. The driver is definitely one of his men.”

“How do you know?”

“I could tellt.” He offered further explanation: “If that fellow was a real driver, as soon as he caught sight of two boxes of pure white silver, he would have been tempted beyond control. But, it seems that he is used to such things, and was completely unfazed.”

Hu Yue’er thought for a moment, and then laughed. “I’ve heard you had quite the enjoyable time recently.

With a bitter laugh, Liu Changjie said, “I got my nose broken, you think that was enjoyable?”

“As long as you can have the company of women every day, getting beaten up is worth it.”

Liu Changjie sighed. “Unfortunately, none of those women could measure up to you!”

“Stop trying to butter me up,” laughed Hu Yue’er. “You know you can’t pull a fast one on me. Until the matter is settled, you can forget about laying your hands on me.”

“Not even one hand?”

“No. Starting today, I sleep on the bed, you sleep on the floor. And if you even think about trying to secretly climb into the bed during the night, I’ll go tell Dragon Fifth all the details of your past.”

“You’re simply not human. You’re a demon!” [1]

“You’re just as bad, you womanizer.” [2] She laughed and gave him a wink. “Actually, you’re just a street, and I’m the moonlight. Moonlight can shine on millions of streets, so I guess I’m just born to mess with you.” [3]

He laughed. “I always thought it was strange that you were selected to be my assistant.”

She tilted her head. “Because I’m the daughter of ‘Power of Hu’ Patriarch Hu. And because I’m capable, clever, I understand everything, I know everything…”

“Because,” interrupted Liu Changjie, “you’re not just a crafty girl, you’re also sexy!” [4]

It was actually quite proper to call her crafty, considering her father was known as one of the craftiest people in Jianghu.

Just hearing the name “Power of Hu” would make most people tremble with consternation.

“I also think it’s strange,” she laughed coldly. “Why does my father always say that only you can take on Dragon Fifth? And why do I need to help you?”

“Because,” laughed Liu Changjie, “my martial arts are very powerful, I’m intelligent and capable, and I never brag or show off. But, almost no one in Jianghu has ever seen me. Furthermore, I have very few weaknesses, and lots of strengths. Clearly the old man wants me to be his son-in-law.”

Hu Yue’er glared at him. “Maybe it’s because you know how to shoot your mouth, and you’re also full of crap.”

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she couldn’t help but laugh loudly. But only a moment later her face was like stone. “Have you already met with Dragon Fifth?”

“Twice.”

“Then why didn’t you capture him? Why let such a good opportunity slip past?”

“If I was as stupid as you, and actually tried to do that, you’d be looking at a dead Liu Changjie right now.”

She laughed coldy. “Don’t you have really good martial arts? Don’t you count as one of the greatest masters under heaven? My father and his friends are constantly singing your praises. Patriarch Wang even treats you like his own son. What reason do you have to be afraid of other people?”

“I’m not afraid of other people,” he said solemnly. “I’m afraid of Dragon Fifth!”

She blinked. “Are his martial arts really as frightening as the legends say?”

“Maybe more frightening. I can only say that even counting the grandmasters of the Seven Great Sword Schools, no one exists in Jianghu who could withstand his 200 stances.”

“What about you?”

He didn’t respond. Instead he said, “Not to mention that he has the assistance of someone who is extremely frightening.”

“Lan Tianmeng?”

“That lion is already old,” he laughed, “and he’s been kept in a cage for too long. He can still bite, but his teeth aren’t as sharp as they used to be, and his spirit has been worn down.”

Hu Yue’er’s eyes turned up in thought. “It’s said that Dragon Fifth has a lion, a tiger, and a peacock working for him.”

“The lion is old, the black tiger has gone into retirement, and the peacock is beautiful but doesn’t bite.”

“So you’re not talking about them?”

“No.”

“Well, who then?”

“It’s a middle-aged man who wears a green robe and white stockings. He seems to follow rules like a flunky, but his martial arts are deep. Profoundly deep.”

“How could you tell?

“When the lion made his move against me, the power of his palm was shocking. It was so powerful that everything in the room was shaking. But the middle-aged man just stood calmly to the side. His clothes weren’t even moving.”

He continued to think. “When he poured wine for me, I looked at his hand. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a steady hand before. The wine pot he was holding was very heavy, and he seemed to be just randomly pouring, but he poured each cup perfectly, not spilling even a single drop.”

Hu Yue’er listened carefully and then sat for a while in contemplation. “Were you able to tell what kind of weapon he uses from looking at his hand?”

“I couldn’t. His hand didn’t have even a single mark on it to indicate that he practices martial arts.”

It doesn’t matter what kind of weapon a person uses, their hands would definitely develop calluses. Which in turn is not something easily concealed from a perceptive person.

“Could it be that he uses the other hand?” she muttered.

“Possibly.”

“Among the left-handed masters in the martial arts word, who is the best?”

Liu Changjie laughed. “That’s a question for you. Aren’t you the living record book of the masters of the martial arts world?”

**

It really was one of Hu Yue’er’s best skills.

She not only had a highly retentive memory, she also was extremely knowledgeable. This was probably due to the fact that her father was one of the most intelligent and well-known persons in Jianghu.

Regarding the history and stories of Jianghu, there was very little she didn’t know.

“As far as famous left-handed kung fu masters go, the most amazing is definitely Qin Huhua.”

“The Flower Protecting blade?” said Liu Changjie, surprised.

Hu Yue’er nodded. “It’s said that the first time he killed was when he was nine years old. It was the notorious Central Plains bandit, Tiger Peng.”

“Yes, I’ve heard the story.”

“He was already famous by the time he was thirteen years old. By seventeen, he’d already defeated everyone in the Central Plains, and was called the Central Plains Number One Blade. When he was thirty-one years of age, he took over leadership of the Kongtong Sect, and became the youngest grandmaster in the history of the Seven Great Sword Schools. By that time, it was said that he had defeated over 650 masters of the martial arts world.”

“There can’t be many people in Jianghu who have created more of a sensation than him,” exclaimed Liu Changjie.

“He became famous when he was young, and showed off his talents to the extreme. His skills were incredible, people couldn’t help but admire him.” Her eyes shone as she continued, “If only I’d been born a dozen or so years sooner, I definitely would have figured out a way to marry him.”

“Thankfully, you weren’t born a dozen or so years sooner, otherwise I would have to find him and challenge him to a fight to the death!”

Hu Yue’er rolled her eyes. “Unfortunately, the person you mentioned is definitely not him.”

“Oh.”

“How could someone as proud as him become somebody else’s lackey? In any case, he’s been missing for years, his whereabouts are completely unknown. Some people say that he traveled across the sea and became an immortal. Others say he died. But regardless of whether he’s living or dead, he definitely wouldn’t be pouring someone else’s wine for them.”

Liu Changjie let out a breath. “I really hope it isn’t him. I definitely don’t want to have that kind of opponent.”

His voice suddenly stopped.

In the same moment that his voice stopped, his body was pressed down onto Hu Yue’er.

**

It was impossible to see his movement; who would ever think that he had such ability?

Even Hu Yue’er would never have thought it possible.

Baring her teeth and struggling against him, she said, “You pervert, I’m telling you…”

Her voice suddenly stopped, as Liu Changjie’s mouth covered hers.

She could only emit sound from her nose. An experienced man knew the type of sound a woman would make in this situation.

It was a sound that, if a man heard it, all the bones in his body would become weak.

She was pushing him back, struggling, clearly wanting to hit him.

But her hands were being held down.

Her face was burning red, and her whole body was as hot as if it were on fire.

What other reaction would one expect from a healthy, mature woman being held down by a man she has feelings for?

However, at that exact moment, a banging sound rang out, and the door crashed open as someone kicked their way in.

A person charged in, carrying a horse-cutter sword in hand. [5] Surprisingly, it was the young carriage driver.

Part 2

Liu Changjie was still pressed down on Hu Yue’er’s body, although his lips had left hers.

The driver stood inside the bedroom door, staring at them icily.

His posture was stable, and he gripped his sword skillfully. Anyone could see that his sword skill was anything but weak.

In his callous eyes could be seen a mocking look. “I drove in a big circle outside,” he laughed. “And after all that time you still haven’t gotten her in bed? Seems like you really aren’t very good at handling women.”

Liu Changjie replied, “I’ve still got plenty of time left. I’m not a little boy like you, what’s the hurry?” It seemed as if he suddenly realized that he didn’t need to explain himself, and his face became very serious. “Why did you come back?”

The driver’s face was also serious. “To kill you!” he said.

Liu Changjie seemed shocked. “Why do you want to kill me?”

The driver laughed coldly. “I’ve been working for him for eighteen years, and I’ve been destitute the entire time. I can only afford the dirtiest brothels and most disgusting whores. I finally have a chance to hit it big. You have a problem with that?”

Liu Changjie knew who he worked for, but he deliberately asked, “Don’t tell me you’re also one of Dragon Fifth’s men?”

“If you were the least bit perceptive,” he responded stonily, “you would know what kind of person Peng Gang is.”

“You mean ‘Whirlwind Blade’ Peng Gang?”

“I never imagined you would know anything, let alone me.”

“The Five-tiger Gate-breaking Sword School’s highest ranking disciple relegated to driving others in a carriage! Isn’t that just too insulting?”

Peng Gang gripped his sword so hard that the veins in his hand began to pop out. His forehead pulsed as he gritted his teeth and said, “I will never again allow others to treat me like bird shit.”

“So, you plan to kill me, take the silver and the woman, and flee to some distant place?”

Peng Gang’s eyes fell on Hu Yue’er’s dainty, gasping mouth. His eyes seemed to shine with fire. “Any man would want to have a good time with a young widow like her.”

As soon as she heard the words “young widow,” Hu Yue’er called out, “You … what did you do with the man of the house?”

Peng Gang laughed maliciously. “For the kind of man who is so willing to sell his wife, dying eight times wouldn’t be enough. Don’t tell me you miss him?”

Before he even finished speaking, Hu Yue’er started weeping. It looked completely realistic.

Liu Changjie let out a breath, apparently unwilling to move away from her body. “This woman isn’t a goddess,” he muttered. “Penniless, willing to sell herself for a little silver, she’s really not worth it.”

“If you had any skill at all,” laughed Peng Gang, “you wouldn’t have been beaten half to death like a dog and hung from the eaves.”

“So you think you can beat me?”

“I know what’s going on. You got beaten up, then suddenly show up with all that silver!”

Liu Changjie sighed. “You really are just an ignorant kid who doesn’t know a damned thing. I really couldn’t bear to kill you.”

“Then you might as well let me kill you!” shouted Peng Gang.

His sword chopped forward, the first stance containing five movements. The Five-tiger Gate-breaking Sword was one of the martial world’s most sinister and feared sword techniques, and “Whirlwind Blade” Peng Gang’s speed was anything but slow.

Liu Changjie didn’t counterattack.

It seemed like he did make any move at all to avoid the blow, and yet Peng Gang’s sword somehow couldn’t touch him.

Hu Yue’er appeared to be so frightened that she couldn’t even cry, and had rolled into a ball in the corner of the bed.

Peng Gang’s move was very quick, and Liu Changjie was forced to retreat backwards toward the corner of the room. Suddenly the sword chopped up from below, seeming to come from three different directions, slicing rapidly toward the left side of Liu Changjie’s neck.

This was “Heaven and Earth Inverted,” one of the Five-tiger Gate-breaking Sword’s killing moves.

Liu Changjie could not retreat any further backwards. In an instant, his body had slid directly up the wall, all the way to the ceiling.

A dinging sound rang out, and sparks flew in all directions. Peng Gang had mistakenly assumed the move would result in a fatality. He had used all his strength, and could not pull back the sword, which embedded itself deeply into the wall.

He wrenched the sword free, but at that exact moment a hand crashed through the wall from outside and grabbed the blade of the sword.

The wall was made from bricks, but the hand moved through it as though it were soft clay. The fingers twisted gently, and sword, crafted from fine steel, snapped into two.

Peng Gang’s face lost its color, his body stiffened.

He was a worldly-wise person, but this type of martial arts he’d simply never heard of.

A cold voice rang out from the other side of the wall. “You were with Dragon Fifth for eighteen years, and you earned about seventy or eighty silver per month. But this man suddenly gets tens of thousands, and you think you know what’s going on. Is that right?”
Peng Gang’s face was ashen as he nodded.

The person outside obviously couldn’t see him nod, so Liu Changjie called out, “He says yes!”

“But, Mr. Liu was beaten up by Grandpa Lan and then made friends with Meng Fei. Anyone who calls Meng Fei a friend is an enemy of ours. How do you know where the silver came from?”

Peng Gang hesitated, and then finally responded, “I know that Meng Fei doesn’t have those kind of resources. Also, that day I saw the young master in Meng Fei’s village.”

“I never imagined that you were so intelligent,” responded the voice insipidly, “or that you paid such close attention to details.” Only someone who paid attention to detail would notice things that were invisible to others. “Unfortunately, you have done something extremely stupid.”

The source of the voice was outside, but it sounded as though it was directly next to Peng Gang’s ear. It continued, “Even though you’re perfectly aware that Liu Changjie is one of us, you still want to kill him?”

Peng Gang lowered his head. Sweat dripped down like rain. “I made a mistake.”

“Do you know what your mistake was?”

“I … I violated the family regulations!” As the words left his mouth, it seemed as though all the energy in his body had been depleted.

“Do you know what happens to people who violate the family regulations?”

Peng Gang’s face was twisted with fear. It seemed like two invisible hands were gripping his throat.

He suddenly turned, apparently making an effort to flee.

He clearly thought that the person outside couldn’t see.

But it was as if the hand itself had eyes.

The hand flicked, and the half-blade flew forward in a flash, embedding itself in Peng Gang’s back.

At that exact instant, four muscular men flew into the room. One of them carried a large burlap sack, into which he began stuffing Peng Gang’s body.

Another carried two boxes of silver, which he deposited onto the table.

The third carried an iron tool, which he immediately used to repair the door frame so recently destroyed by Peng Gang.

The fourth carried a batch of masonry clay. He immediately set to work patching the hole in the wall.

“I guarantee that you won’t be bothered again in the next seven days,” said the voice outside the wall. “But you had best remember, you aren’t really one of us. You have no connection to the Dragon family.”

The voice faded off into the distance.

The hole in the wall was patched, the door frame was repaired, the burlap sack was wrapped up. Not even a drop of blood could be seen on the ground.

During the entire time, the four large men hadn’t even glanced at Liu Changjie. And by the time the voice disappeared, so had they.

The room was quite again, as if nothing had happened at all.

These people were precise and efficient, beyond the imagination of most. But at this point, what was not beyond imagination was the fate of anyone who violated the regulations of Dragon Fifth’s family!

Part 3

Liu Changjie didn’t move, didn’t even open his mouth.

Neither did Hu Yue’er move, nor open her mouth.

The only sound that could be heard was that of rustling tree leaves, hens clucking, and dogs barking.

It was suddenly very hot inside the room. Liu Changjie slowly unclasped the front of his garment and then lay down on top of Hu Yue’er.

Surprisingly, she didn’t kick him away, but instead just stared at him with her large eyes.

It seems she finally understood how frightening Dragon Fifth truly was.

“They’re gone,” said Liu Changjie. “All gone.”

“These seven days, they really won’t come back?”

“That man doesn’t seem like the kind of person who speaks idly.”

“Do you know who he is?” asked Hu Yue’er. “Did you recognize the hand?”

The hand was a right hand, and on it was no vestige to indicate the person had martial arts training. However, anyone could see that if the owner of that hand wanted to kill someone, very few people in the world could offer any resistance.

“I hope I didn’t mistake what I saw.”

“You hope it’s the green-robed man?”

He nodded.

“Why?”

“Because if it is him, it means that sometimes he’s not with Dragon Fifth. When I make my move, I really hope he’s not there.”

“When are you going to make your move?” asked Hu Yue’er.

“I’ll wait until he completely trusts me,” replied Liu Changjie. “I’ll wait until he presents an opportunity.”

“You believe that day will come?”

“It will,” replied Liu Changjie resolutely.

Hu Yue’er sighed. “I’m afraid a lot of people will have died by the time that day comes.”

“You’re feeling bad about Stone?”

“Stone was an honest person,” she said sadly. “This was supposed to be his last assignment. When it was over, he was going to return to his hometown and start farming. He even bought some land already.”

Stone was the man who had been playing the role of her husband.

Liu Changjie listened quietly. “He shouldn’t have bought a house and land,” he said emotionlessly. “People like us are bound to meet death at some point along the road.”

“Yes, but he died so unfairly.” She closed her eyes. “His kung fu is just as good as that bastard Peng Gang’s. But when Peng Gang attacked, he couldn’t defend himself, otherwise he would have revealed our secret. Only … only by dying could he keep the secret safe.”

“He did what he had to do,” said Liu Changjie calmly. “That was his duty.”

Hu Yue’er’s eyes opened. “Are you saying he was supposed to die?”

Liu Changjie said nothing.

“Are you human or not!” she cried. “Do you have any heart in you at all? You … you ….”

As she spoke she seemed to get more and more mad, and then suddenly she kicked Liu Changjie off the bed and onto the floor.

Liu Changjie laughed. “If you think Stone was an honest person, then you’re wrong. And if you think he died at the hands of that bastard, then you’re even more wrong.”

He laid on the ground, looking just as comfortable as he had been on the bed. “Maybe he just let Peng Gang land a couple blows to make him think he was dead. If he really let himself get killed by that runt bastard in just one blow, then he shouldn’t be called Stone, he should be called Tofu.”

Hu Yue’er seemed suspicious. “You really think he’s alive?”

“Do you know how important this assignment is? Do you know how much time we spent planning it? If Stone was as honest as you imagine, how could he participate?”

Hu Yue’er laughed. “I don’t know about other people, I just know that you are definitely not an honest person.”

“Uh…”

Hu Yue’er bit down on her lip. “You know, even if you heard someone outside earlier, you didn’t need to do what you did. You were just taking advantage of the situation.”

Liu Changjie laughed. “You’re half right.”

“You mean you had other intentions?”

After a while, he said, “I just wanted you to understand that if I really wanted to force myself on you, there’s really nothing you could do about it.”

Hu Yue’er rolled her eyes. “Don’t tell me … you don’t want to?”

“Don’t tell me you want me to try again?”

She started to blush, and began gnawing on her lip again. “You wouldn’t dare!”

Liu Changjie laughed again.

Suddenly, he flew onto the bed, pressing down onto Hu Yue’er.

She gasped. “You really are a pervert!”

“But this time you intentionally seduced me. I know that you…”

Before he could finish, he suddenly flew out of the bed, slammed into the wall, and fell onto the floor, clutching his stomach. His face was pale white.

Hu Yue’er looked at him. “Yes, I was seducing you on purpose. Because I wanted you to understand that if I’m not willing, there’s really nothing you could do about it.”

Liu Changjie twisted his waist. It looked like he was hurt so bad that he couldn’t even speak. Sweat dripped down his forehead.

Regret suddenly flashed in Hu Yue’er’s eyes. “But,” she said softly, “it’s like you already said before. Until this assignment is finished, I … I …”

She said nothing more, and she didn’t need to. Even an idiot should be able to understand what she was getting at.

And yet it seemed that Liu Changjie didn’t understand.

He slowly reclined, lying down on the floor. Whereas before his face had been friendly and happy, now it was filled with sorrow and misery.

He said nothing. He just lay there silently for a very long time.

Hu Yue’er’s heart was soft. With a calm face, she said, “I know I kicked you, but you don’t have to lie on the floor like a child and refuse to get up.”

He kept his silence.

“Are you really mad at me?” she asked. “Or are you just thinking?”

He sighed softly. “I was just thinking that you’re father will definitely find a great man for you. Someone who doesn’t do what we do, someone who isn’t constantly courting death. We …”

Hu Yue’er’s expression suddenly changed. “What is that supposed to mean?”

Liu Changjie laughed emptily. “It doesn’t mean anything. I just hope that you can grow old together happily, and eventually forget about me.”

Hu Yue’er’s face was white as a ghost. “Why are you talking like this? Didn’t you understand what I was talking about just now?”

“I understood,” he said with a sigh. “It’s just, I don’t think I can wait until that day.”

“Why?” she asked.

“The day I accepted this assignment,” he said dully, “I also accepted that I would die. Even if I have the chance to kill Dragon Fifth, I … I will never have a chance to see you again.”

His eyes stared at nothing, and a mournful expression filled his face.

Hu Yue’er looked at him, and from the expression on her face, it seemed that there must be needles stabbing through her heart.

Liu Changjie couldn’t help but laugh again. “Regardless of anything else, if I’m able to exchange my life for Dragon Fifth’s, it will be worth it. I’m a nobody, really. No family. No …”

Hu Yue’er didn’t let him finish.

She threw herself onto him, her soft, tender lips covering his….

The wind blew harder outside. [6]

**

The moon was out, and the moonlight shown in through the window onto Hu Yue’er’s face. Her face was slightly flushed.

Liu Changjie glanced at her furtively, his eyes filled with joy.

Hu Yue’er gazed at the moon. Suddenly, she spoke. “I know you tricked me.”

“I tricked you?”

Once again, she bit down on her lip. “You deliberately said all that stuff to soften me up. You … you just took the opportunity to bully me. I obviously know you’re not a good person, and yet somehow I let myself be fooled by you.”

As she spoke, tears rolled out out. It was at this time in a girl’s life when she was the weakest, and the most likely to weep.

Liu Changjie let her cry, waiting for her calm down before sighing and saying, “Now I know why you’re sad. You’re sad because my death is not certain.”

Hu Yue’er didn’t want to defend herself, but couldn’t help it. “You know full well that’s not what I meant.”

“If you knew I was going to die, wouldn’t you feel a little better?”

“But you’re not going to die,” she replied immediately. “You already said that you would wait until you are sure you can succeed before making your move. If you know you can succeed, who could possibly stop you?”

“If I’m not going to die, and the assignment will be completed, and you’ll marry me in the end, then why are you so upset?”

Hu Yue’er seemed stumped.

She suddenly realized that Liu Changjie’s laugh was repulsive—but not completely repulsively. It was a little bit cute as well.

She looked at him and sighed softly. “I know that you’re feeling pretty pleased with yourself right now. Because you know that I’m going to be much more obedient from now on, since we have no choice but to get married. But if you’re not obedient, then I’ll make you sleep on the ground instead of with me.”

Her lips were next to his ears. “Now do you understand?” she said softly.

“I understand. But,” he laughed, “there’s another thing I’m not clear about.”

“What’s that?”

He laughed bitterly. “At this point I’m not sure if it’s me who fooled you, or you who fooled me.”

Regardless of who fooled who, this kind of trickery would be welcomed by most people.

The days passed happily. The only sad thing was how quickly the days went by.

Seven days seemed to pass like the blink of an eye, and suddenly they had arrived at the last night.

It was the last night, and you would think it would be the sweetest.

Hu Yue’er was dressed up nicely, sitting in the living room. Normally, they would be laying in bed at this time.

Liu Changjie was looking at her. It seemed that he had been studying her for quite some while. Finally, he said, “Okay, what did I do to offend you?”

“Nothing.”

“Are you sick?”

“No.”

“Then what’s wrong?”

“I just don’t want to become a widow before I’m even married, that’s all.”

“There is no one who wants you to be a widow.”

“Yes there is.”

“Who.”

“You.” Her face was blank as she continued coldly, “These seven days, any time I want to talk about serious issues, you just talk nonsense. If things continue on like this, I will definitely be a widow very soon.”

Liu Changjie sighed. “Serious issues don’t need to be discussed with your mouth. You solve them with your hands.”

“And what are you planning to do to solve them?”

“So you’re acting like this tonight because you want to have a discussion?”

“If we don’t discuss it tonight, I’m afraid we won’t ever have another chance.”

Liu Changjie let out a sigh. “Alright. If you want to talk, let’s talk.”

“Dragon Fifth wants you to steal a box from Madam Lovesickness?”

“Yes.”

“And did you agree?”

“Yes.”

“Because you want to have a chance to get close to Dragon Fifth. In order to get that chance, you need to earn his trust. And to earn his trust, you have to do this important thing for him.”

“Do you have a better plan?”

“I don’t.” She sighed. “These past few years, we know that a lot of crimes have been perpetrated by Dragon Fifth, but we haven’t been able to find a scrap of evidence.”

“Even if you got your hands on some evidence, you might not be able to get your hands on him.”

“So, we needed to call in the cavalry.”

“And your cavalry is me.”

“Therefore, if you want to get your hands on him, you first need to get your hands on evidence of his crimes.”

“Therefore, I definitely have to help him.”

“Are you confident you can do it?” she asked.

“A little,” he replied.

“In one hour, you can kill the seven guards outside, then lift the 1,000 pound iron gate, open the three secret doors, and flee to a place where Madam Lovesickness can’t find you?”

“I said that I’m a little bit confident, not that I’m completely confident.”

“Do you know what kind of people those seven guards are?”

“I don’t.”

“What do you know about their martial arts?”

“Nothing.”

“You don’t know anything, and you say you’re only a little bit confident. Isn’t this deliberately setting me up to be a widow?”

Liu Changjie laughed. “Even though I don’t know about their martial arts, I do know that you’re going to tell me.”

Hu Yue’er didn’t seem to be amused. “Why the hell do you think I would know anything about their martial arts?”

Liu Changjie smiled. “Because you’re smart and capable, and know pretty much everything that goes on in Jianghu. Also, these past several days, you haven’t slept very well. You’ve definitely been putting a lot of thought into it.”

Her face was blank, but in her eyes could be seen a little bit of warmth. “So,” she said softly, “you do have a bit of a conscience after all. You finally realize how hard I’ve been working.”

Liu Changjie walked forward and seized her waist. “I know that you treat me well,” he said gently. “And so…”

Before he could finish, Hu Yue’er shoved him away. “So, you should sit down like a good boy,” she said coldly. “Listen carefully while I tell you about the martial arts of those seven men. Think of a good way to deal with them, come back to me alive and don’t turn me into a widow!”

Liu Changjie had no choice but to sit down. “You really know who the seven people are?” he asked with a bitter laugh.

“In recent years, the number of people in Jianghu who have been forced into fugitive status could number one or two hundred. But among them, many are either too weak in martial arts or too old for Madam Lovesickness to even glance at.”

“And certainly a lot in that group have died.”

Hu Yue’er nodded. “So, I’ve thought about it a lot, and I’ve come to the conclusion that the number of people Madam Lovesickness could have taken in numbers about thirteen at the most. Among those, there are seven who are the most likely candidates.”

“How the hell did you figure that out?”

“Because these seven not only covet riches, they also fear death. Only men who fear death would be willing to be a woman’s lackey.”

Liu Changjie laughed bitterly. “I don’t fear death, and yet I’ve already become your lackey.”

She stared at him. “Do you want to know about the seven men, or not?”

“Yes, I do.”

Hu Yue’er continued, “Have you ever heard of someone called “Little Fifth Omniscient?”

“You mean the Deflowering Bandit?”

“Fifth Omniscient” was one of the demons of the Jiangnan Temple of Licentiousness. So it made sense that “Little Fifth Omniscient” and the Deflowering Bandit were one and the same.

“Even though he is not one of the Five Gates’ worst sexual predators, his Qing Gong [7] and Palm techniques are not bad. The most dangerous thing about him are his three concealed poison weapons, especially his Barkcloth Tree poison, it’s extremely potent.” [8]

“I heard he’s a member of the Tang Family from Sichuan. Their poisoned weapon kung fu is definitely the real deal.”

The Tang clan from Sichuan and their concealed poison weapons were well known in Jianghu. In their three hundred year history, few people in Jianghu had been willing to provoke them, and they were also not reluctant to offend others. The Tang Clan family regulations were very strict and well known.

“Little Fifth Omniscient” Tang Qing was definitely a member of the Tang Clan, but perhaps the worst representative of the family. If he was really relying on help from Madam Lovesickness, it must be because he was worried that the Tang Clan would try to apprehend him and punish him according to their family regulations.

“Among those seven men, you especially need to be careful of his concealed poisoned weapons. I think that before facing him, you should go to Sichuan and get the antidote to their poison.”

“Sadly,” said Liu Changjie with a bitter laugh, “I’m afraid even if I want it, I can’t have it. It’s not like they sell it.”

“Then you have to take care of him first; don’t give him a chance to use his poison on you.”

Liu Changjie nodded. “Don’t worry. I know that getting Tang Clan poison powder on your skin is extremely painful.”

“For safety’s sake, you should wear very thick clothes. I know you don’t like the heat, but heat never killed anyone.”

“I’ll definitely wear a thick, cotton jacket.”

Hu Yue’er finally seemed satisfied. She continued, “Among the seven, his kung fu is not the best.”

“Whose is?”

“Three of them have very powerful kung fu. One is ‘Ghost Meteor’ Shan Yifei, another is ‘Soul Seducing’ Zhao, and another is ‘Iron Monk.’”

Liu Changjie’s brow furrowed. He had clearly heard all three of these names before.

“Iron Monk is especially dangerous,” continued Hu Yue’er. “He used to be one of the Eight Great Shaolin disciples, and it’s said that he practices Virgin Kung Fu. [9] He’s not obsessed with money or with sex, but with killing people. The methods he uses are so inhuman that he ended up being expelled by Shaolin.”

“Maybe he developed mental problems from practicing Virgin Kung Fu, and that’s why he developed a taste for indiscriminate killing.”

“Even if he does have mental problems, he doesn’t have any problems with his kung fu. Reportedly, his Thirteen Heroes Skill has reached the level that his body is impervious to blades.” [10]

Liu Changjie laughed. “Maybe because he’s killed so many people, he himself has started to fear death. And because he fears dying, he decided to practice this kind of blade-resisting kung fu.”

“There have been a lot of supposedly invincible people that have died under your hand, so you’re not concerned about him at all, are you?”

“Precisely correct,” laughed Liu Changjie.

Hu Yue’er stared at him and the sighed. “Actually, what I’m really worried about is not them.”

“Who, then?”

“It’s a woman.”

Women are always worried about other women.

“You mean one of the seven is actually a woman?” asked Liu Changjie.

“Yes, one is a woman.”

“What kind of woman is she?”

“She’s a fake woman.”

“Real women can’t entice me,” laughed Liu Changjie, “and you’re worried about fake women?”

“It’s because she’s fake that I’m worried.”

“Why?”

“You’ve seen lots of normal women, but as for this type of fake woman, I guarantee you’ve never seen the likes of her before.”

Liu Changjie’s eyes narrowed. He was interested in women in general, whether real or fake.

Hu Yue’er stared at him obliquely. “I know you,” she said coldly. “As long as there is a pretty woman, no matter real or not, you couldn’t help but be tempted.”

“Ah.”

“And if you get tempted, you’ll be dead.”

“So you want me to not look at her?”

“I want you to kill her the instant you see her.”

“It seemed like just now you wanted me to go after Tang Qing first.”

“Correct.”

“You want me to kill two people at the same time?”

“Two won’t be enough.”

Liu Changjie laughed again, but this time it was devoid of mirth.

Hu Yue’er continued, “There’s one more among the seven who doesn’t count as human.”

“If he’s not human, what is he?” he laughed bitterly.

“A wild dog.”

He frowned. “Invincible Li the Mastiff?”

Hu Yue’er nodded. “Because he’s a wild dog, he’s very hard to kill. Even if you chop a sword right into his head, you couldn’t say for sure that he still wouldn’t be able to turn around and bite you.”

“Getting bitten by a wild dog hurts just as much as poison.”

“So when you attack, you have chop his head clean off, that way he won’t have any chance to counterattack.”

“So it seems I need to kill three people at once.”

“Three isn’t too many.”

“It’s a pity I only have two hands,” he sighed.

“You have feet too.”

He laughed. “You want me to use my left hand to kill Tang Qing, my right hand to kill the wild dog, and a foot to kill the woman?”

“Like I said, you can’t give them any openings. I know it won’t be easy to kill three people in one shot, unless you get extremely lucky.”

“You just wait and see how lucky I can be.”

“Okay,” she said. “Great!”

Liu Chagjie closed his eyes. “How did I ever become so lucky?”

Hu Yue’er smiled sweetly. “Your luck started improving the day you met me.” She suddenly changed the subject. “Have you ever heard of a type of hidden weapon that can be shot out from your shoes?”

“I believe I have,” he replied.

“And, do you wear shoes?”

“I believe I do.”

“Good, then you’re set.”

“I’m set?”

“I just happen to own that type of weapon, and you just happen to wear shoes.”

Few people have the skill to evade hidden weapons shot from shoes.

Hu Yu’er continued, “You move very quickly; if you have a weapon concealed in your shoe, killing three people at the same time won’t be too difficult.”

“Unfortunately, I’ve only ever heard of that weapon. And only one time.”

“You’ll be able to see it almost immediately.”

“Oh? Where is it?”

“It should be on the way here already.”

“You sent for someone to bring it?”

“As soon as I realized those three people were involved, I sent for it.”

“You left the house?”

“I didn’t leave, but a message sent by me left.”

Liu Changjie stared at her.

He wasn’t stupid, but he couldn’t for the life of him think how Hu Yue’er had been able to send out a message.

Hu Yue’er said, “I know this place is under surveillance by Dragon Fifth. But, no matter how powerful he is, he won’t prevent people from eating.

Liu Changjie still didn’t understand. What did eating have to do with it?

Hu Yue’er continued. “In order to eat, you have to cook. And in order to cook, you need to light a fire…”

Finally Liu Changjie understood. “If you light a fire, there will be smoke.”

“You aren’t so stupid after all,” she said sweetly.

Using smoke to send messages was an ancient method, and a reliable one.

Hu Yue’er fixed her eyes on Liu Changjie. Her gaze was as steady as granite, her voice as tender as the spring rain: “As long as you have a plan, and understand the method, any object will obey your commands, and do things for you. Even smoke leaving through the chimney can speak for you.”

Part 4

The night was dark and quiet. From far away could be heard the yipping of dogs.

Hu Yue’er said, “Other than the hidden weapon, you will also need a sword capable of cutting off a person’s head in one blow.”

“Is the sword on its way?”

“For the sword, just ask Dragon Fifth. Of the thirteen most famous blades in Jianghu, he has at least seven of them.”

Liu Changjie stared at her, at her chest, and said, “Do you have any other orders for me?”

“No”

“Then can we get in bed and go to sleep?”

“You can.”

“And you?”

She sighed. “I should start preparing to die.”

Shocked, Liu Changjie replied, “Prepare to die?”

“After you leave, Dragon Fifth definitely won’t let me go free. Even if he trusts you not to divulge any secrets, he still won’t leave any witnesses behind.”

Liu Changjie finally understood. “Whoever he sends here to kill you, you can’t offer any resistance, because you’re supposed to be the wife of a farmer.”

Hu Yue’er nodded and the laughed. “I might as well die by your hand.”

“Die by my hand? You want me to kill you?”

“You couldn’t bring yourself to do it?”

He laughed bitterly. “Do you think I’m also a wild dog who bites people?”

“I know you aren’t,” she responded sweetly. “And I also know you couldn’t bring yourself to kill me. But…” She laughed mysteriously. “There are many ways to kill people, and many ways to be killed.”

Liu Changjie didn’t press further.

He didn’t completely understand what she was getting at. Furthermore, he heard the sound of approaching footfalls.

The footsteps had reached the outer courtyard, and moments later, there was a knocking at the door.

“Who is it?”

“It’s me.” It was the voice of a woman, young and pleasing to the ear. “I’m here to deliver eggs.”

“Oh, it’s Ah De,” said Hu Yue’er. “You’re so anxious just to deliver a few eggs?”

“I was passing by,” she replied. “Tonight I have to go into the village to get someone.”

“Get someone? Who?”

“The old devil left yesterday morning for the village and never came back. I heard that he’s been whoring it up the whole time. This time I really…”

She stopped talking.

After she entered the room, she caught site of Liu Changjie. She seemed surprised.

Liu Changjie was looking at her.

She was young, firm, and plump, like a ripe persimmon, fragrant and soft.

Hu Yue’er had already closed the door. She looked back at Liu Changjie and laughed. “What do you think of her?”

“Very good.”

“You want to sleep with her tonight?”

“Yes.”

He really did.

The clothes the woman wore were very thin, so much so that you could see her nipples beneath the cloth, hardening.

Did she want the same thing?

Hu Yue’er smiled. “You can take off your clothes now.

Ah De bit her lip, and then without hesitation slipped out of her clothes.

She did it very quickly.

Hu Yue’er also stripped off her clothes, just as fast.

They were both beautiful women, both young, with long, straight legs.

Liu Changjie looked at them both, and his heart sank.

He suddenly understood what Hu Yue’er had said moments ago.

“There are many ways to kill people, and many ways to be killed.”

As it turns out, she had already prepared to have this woman substitute for her in death.

Their physiques were similar, their faces as well. With a little bit of makeup, Dragon Fifth’s subordinates would never be able to tell the difference.

In truth, they wouldn’t pay very close attention to the wife of a farmer. They would only know that they were being sent to kill a woman. If this woman looked the same as the first one, they wouldn’t be able to tell.

Hu Yue’er had already begun to put on Ah De’s garments. Looking at Liu Changjie out of the corner of her eye, she said, “What are you looking at her for? Aren’t you going to carry her to the bed?”

Ah De’s face was flushed.

She clearly didn’t know the true role she was to play; she only knew that she was supposed to switch places with a woman, and accompany a man.

The man wasn’t the scary type. She clearly wanted Hu Yue’er to leave as quickly as possible.

Hu Yue’er was ready to leave. Giggling, she suddenly spun around and struck Ah De in the chest with her palm.

Ah De’s mouth opened, but nothing came out. Not sound, not blood. Because Hu Yue’er had already stuffed one of the eggs she had just delivered into her mouth…

Liu Changjie watched her fall to the ground, feeling as though someone had stuffed an egg into his mouth as well. His tongue had a bitter and fishy taste on it.

Hu Yue’er sighed. “The original plan was to leave her here with you for a while, then have you kill her.”

He was quiet for a long time. After a while, he quietly said, “Why did you suddenly change your mind?”

“Because I couldn’t stand the expression on your face just now when you were looking at her.”

“Ah.”

Hu Yue’er bit her lip. “One look at her, it seemed like you couldn’t wait to get your hand up her skirt.”

He let out a breath. “It doesn’t really matter. She was going to die sooner or later. When there is a matter as important as what we are doing, there will always be people who die along the way.”

“I just hope that whoever Dragon Fifth sends to get you isn’t a woman.”

“If it’s a woman, are you going to kill her?”

Hu Yue’er slowly put all of the eggs onto the table, emptying the basket.

On her face was a strange expression. After a while she said, “I know I’m not the first woman you’ve been with, but I really hope that I’m the last.”

**

Some of the eggs were empty, and inside were hidden several pieces of copper machinery. When assembled together, they formed a very delicate hidden weapon, the type that could be concealed inside one’s shoe.

If one exerted the right amount of pressure with the toe, poisoned needles would fly out. The poison was like that from the fangs of a green bamboo snake, the needles as sharp as a bee’s stinger.

And like the heart of a woman!

“I won’t sit,” said Hu Yue’er. “I need to get back to the town.” Carrying the empty basket, she left, smiling proudly, and then laughing happily.

The darkness outside was very deep.

__________

(1) In Chinese when you say that someone “isn’t human” or isn’t a person, it’s pretty insulting.
(2) He literally says that she is a “living ghost” 活鬼. After that she calls him a womanizer, using the word 色鬼, which literally translated is “colored ghost,” but means lecher, womanizer, pervert. This little banter using the character for “ghost” is pretty clever.
(3) This part is funny because her name Yue’er 月儿 contains the character for moon. And don’t forget that his name Changjie长街 literally means “long street.”
(4) The direct translation would be: (“Because,” interrupted Liu Changjie, “you’re not just a little fox, you’re also a fox spirit.” It was actually quite proper to call her a little fox, considering her father was the oldest old fox in Jianghu.) Calling a person a fox in this way implies that they are crafty, thus I translated it as crafty. Also, I’m sure most people are familiar with fox spirits in Chinese mythology. In this case, he’s not calling her a literal fox spirit, he’s just saying that she is pretty, because fox spirits tend to be super hot. Another reason why this whole passage is funny, is because she makes a big deal about her father’s nickname “Power of Hu.” In Chinese it’s “hu li.” The word for fox is also “hu li” so it’s a cute play on words.
(5) Here is the type of sword that the driver is wielding: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pudao
(6) I omitted a which to me really didn’t make sense, and sort of took away from the flow of the story in English. Right after it says “the wind outside blew harder” there is an additional line in Chinese that says “the mother hen just laid a nest full of eggs…” In Chinese it implies that they are sleeping together I think, but in English it just seems silly.
(7) Qing Gong is the martial arts ability to make your body light, move very quickly, and also fly
(8) The name of the poison in Chinese is 见血封喉. This is a type of tree that is actually poisonous, and was used in ancient China to coat poisoned arrows. As for the English translation, there are a handful of names for this tree, but I picked the most simple and descriptive.
(9) Virgin Kung Fu is a real Shaolin art. Here is an excerpt from an article about it: Tongzigong, or Virgin Kung Fu, is one of the most spectacular forms of Shaolin kung fu, and yet it has no direct fighting applications. It is a fundamental building block of Shaolin practice, and yet it is too extreme for most practitioners to even begin to attempt. It is one of Shaolin’s deepest meditation techniques, and yet it is the centerpiece act in almost every Shaolin theatrical show that toured the globe over the last two decades. To achieve its highest levels, tongzigong must be practiced rigorously before the body is fully matured. Once the bones are set, mastery of this discipline is unattainable. The body must be molded as it grows. Tongzi means child, boy or virgin. Gong means work. It’s actually the same character as kung in kung fu (功夫), which literally means skill, art, labor or effort. To the untrained eye, tongzigong is a spectacle of contortionism, a real show-stopper on stage. But for Shaolin practitioners, tongzigong is far more than just a circus act. Within tongzigong lies an internal cultivation that is key to the very essence of all Shaolin kung fu.
(10) What I translated as “Thirteen Heroes Skill” is 十三太保横练, or literally Thirteen High Officials Cross-training? Like Virgin Kung Fu, it is a real Shaolin art. Here is an article in Chinese about it http://baike.baidu.com/link?url=Tc13…thMAwDYUyx1VPa


novel
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Re: English Novel :7 Killers – Chapter 4

Unread post by novel » 28 Dec 2015 14:00

Chapter 4 – Inhuman people

Part 1

It was very late at night.

Liu Changjie sat in the simple living room. A very long time had passed already, and not a sound could be heard in the night.

He had taken the body of the woman and put it on the bed. Then he had taken all the quilts in the house and placed them on top of her, as if she was afraid of catching cold.

After that, he went around and lit all the lamps in the house, even the lamps in the kitchen.

He wasn’t afraid of death, and he wasn’t afraid of the dark. But in his heart he carried an indescribable hatred for both of them, and always wished to push them as far away as possible.

Now he sat thinking, trying to wrap his mind around the whole matter, from head to tail.

He was a quiet person, not very well known, to the point that even he was unsure of the extent of his own strength and ability.

He had never tested himself, had never even thought to.

But “Power of Hu” Patriarch Hu had discovered him, the same way one might discover a pearl inside of a clam.

Patriarch Hu not only had sharp eyes, he had a mind with no equal.

He never misjudged people, never misjudged anything—in fact he had never made a single error in judgment.

Even though he had never worn the official headdress of a government official, had never eaten a meal provided by the government, he was without a doubt the most famous investigator alive. The chief constables of every administrative district and every prefecture virtually worshipped him.

There was not a case in the world that he couldn’t crack; as long as he was alive, there was not a single underworld criminal who could evade justice.

But sadly, even the fastest sword will eventually become dull; no matter how powerful the person, they will eventually become sick and old.

He had finally grown old and contracted rheumatism, could barely walk without the support of others.

In the two or three years after becoming ill, he had stayed in Beijing. In that time, several hundred serious crimes had been committed—three hundred thirty-two to be exact.

Among those over three hundred serious cases, not one had been solved.

But leaving these cases unsolved was unacceptable. Among the victims were members of the nobility and high government officials, famous figures of the martial world, well-known and aristocratic families, and even the royal family itself.

Patriarch Hu’s legs were crippled, but he was not blind.

He knew that all of these crimes were committed by one person, and he also knew that only one person could solve them.

The criminal was none other than Dragon Fifth, and the hero could be none other than Liu Changjie.

Everyone trusted his judgment in this matter.

And it was in this way that the quiet and unassuming Liu Changjie suddenly became a legend.

**

Currently, Liu Changjie wasn’t sure if he had gotten lucky, or extremely unlucky.

Even now, he still didn’t completely understand what Patriarch Hu really thought of him.

It seemed that he would never be able to understand that crafty old fox, and he would never understand his daughter, either.

He thought back to a year or so before, when he’d become friends with a man named Wang Nan. One day, Wang Nan had suddenly suggested that they go visit Patriarch Hu. Three months later, Patriarch Hu gave him this task, this burden. It wasn’t until this very night that he realized how heavy the burden really was.

So what now?

Was it really possible for him, in only one hour, to kill Tang Qing, Shan Yifei, Soul Enticing Lao Zhao, Iron Monk, Li the Mastiff and the woman? Could he really reach the mysterious wooden box? Could he really get his hands on Dragon Fifth?

Only if he knew the answers to these questions, could he be truly confident.

But lately, what really caused him anxiety was Hu Yue’er.

What kind of woman was she? How did she actually treat him?

Only he knew the answer to that question. After all, he was just a person, made of flesh and blood like everyone else. He wasn’t an emotionless rock.

It was very, very late, but sunrise was still a long way off.

What would tomorrow bring? What type of person would Dragon Fifth send to accompany him?

He sighed, wishing that he could just sit in the chair for the rest of the night and forget about all these troublesome thoughts.

But at that moment, he suddenly heard a strange sound, like a light rain hitting the roof.

Then there was a boom, and the entire house burst into flames. It was as if house were made of paper; it was clearly impossible to extinguish the fire.

There was no way Liu Changjie would be killed by a fire.

If you put him in an actual furnace, he still might be able to get out.

Even though the house was not a furnace, it burned like one. Everything was on fire, and nothing was visible other than the flames.

And yet, Liu Changjie was able to escape.

He dashed into the kitchen, grabbed an enormous jar of water, and poured it over his body. Almost before the water could soak his clothes, he was outside.

His reaction time was faster than most people could fathom, and fewer people could imagine how fast his body moved.

Other than the burning building, the night was peaceful.

In the courtyard grew several patches of yellow-flowering plants. In the flickering light of the flames, the flowers seemed especially tender and beautiful.

Standing there was a young woman in yellow clothing, holding a yellow flower in her hand. She looked at Liu Changjie and chuckled.

Outside the courtyard was a horse and carriage. The horse’s eyes were covered, so it was unaffected by the frightening inferno.

The yellow-robed girl flew like a swallow to the carriage and opened the door. She looked back at him and smiled.

She didn’t say a single word.

Liu Changjie also said nothing.

He entered the carriage and sat.

**

The flames burned unceasingly, but Liu Changjie was further and further away from them.

The carriage sped along urgently, having long disappeared into the deep night.

It was a dark night.

Liu Changjie wasn’t afraid of the dark, but in his heart he carried an indescribable hatred and disgust for it…

Part 2

New. From socks to inner garment to outer robe, everything was brand new.

Even the bathtub was brand new.

The carriage had just stopped inside the courtyard of a house, and Liu Changjie had followed the young woman inside. Waiting inside a room was a bathtub.

The water was neither cold nor hot.

The young woman pointed at the basin; Liu Changjie stripped off his clothes and climbed in.

She didn’t say a single word.

Neither did he ask a single question.

After he was finished washing, scrubbed dry, and ready to don fresh clothes, the young woman suddenly returned. She was followed by two people carrying another brand new wooden wash basin. It was full of water, the temperature of which was neither hot nor cold.

The young woman pointed at it, and Liu Changjie looked into her eyes. After a moment, he climbed in, and began washing himself thoroughly, as if he hadn’t bathed in the past three months.

He was not the type of man who believed that water would sap his vitality. In actuality, he really enjoyed bathing.

He also wasn’t the type of man who spoke out of turn. If others weren’t willing to talk, he usually didn’t ask questions.

But after the woman for a fourth time called in attendants with new water to bathe in, he couldn’t suppress his frustration any longer.

His body had been scrubbed until it was as bright as a freshly peeled carrot.

The young woman once again pointed at the water, indicating for him to wash again.

He looked at her and then suddenly laughed.

She laughed with him for a while.

“Is there dog shit on my body?” asked Liu Changjie.

She laughed loudly. “No.”

“Is there cat shit?

“Not that either.”

“Then what is there?”

She rolled her eyes, her round face reddening.

There was absolutely nothing on his body.

“I’ve already bathed three times,” said Liu Changjie. “Even if there was dog shit on my body, it’s long gone.”

The young woman nodded, her face red. She was old enough to be embarrassed by a naked man.

“Why do I have to bathe again?”

“I don’t know.”

Shocked, he replied, “You don’t know?”

“All I know,” she responded, “Is that whoever meets the lady of this house, they must thoroughly wash from head to toe. Five times.”

**

So, Liu Changjie bathed five times.

He donned a fresh set of clothes, and as he followed the young woman to meet “the lady,” he suddenly realized that bathing five times in a row wasn’t that bad after all.

His whole body felt relaxed, and walking down the long, glass-like corridor, it felt like he was gliding through the clouds.

At the end of the corridor was a doorway, over which hung a curtain fashioned from pearls.

The narrow door itself was unlocked, and on the other side was a spacious room with white walls and glossy wooden floors. The only decorations were a table, a chair, and a bronze mirror.

Standing in front of the mirror admiring herself was a tall, slender woman wearing apricot-colored robes.

Liu Changjie could see the reflection of her face in the mirror.

It was impossible to deny that her face was beautiful, so beautiful that it could only be described as perfect.

This level of beauty was otherworldly, like that of a celestial being in a painting.

It was a level of beauty that most people would not be willing to approach, only admire from afar.

So Liu Changjie stood as far away as possible.

She looked at him in the mirror, but she didn’t turn her head. She just coldy asked, “You are Liu Changjie?”

“I am.”

“I am Kong. Kong Lanjun.” [1]

Her voice was beautiful, but carried a feeling of indescribable indifference and conceit. It was as if she had long decided that whoever heard her voice would be unable to hold back their shock upon hearing her name.

Liu Changjie did not appear to be the least bit shocked.

Kong Lanjun laughed coldly. “I’ve never laid eyes on you before, but I already know what kind of person you are.”

“Oh?”

“Dragon Fifth said that you are very interesting, as are your money-spending methods.”

“He spoke correctly.”

“Lan Tianmeng said your bones are strong, that you can take a beating.”

“He also spoke correctly.”

“But all the women who’ve met you used the same word to describe you.”

“Oh? What word?”

“Inhuman.”

“They also spoke correctly.”

“An inhuman man who lays eyes on me should die!”

“I didn’t ask to come see you,” replied Liu Changjie. “You sent for me!”

Kong Lanjun’s face whitened. “I sent for you only because I made a promise to Dragon Fifth. Otherwise you would already be dead.”

“What was your promise to Dragon Fifth?”

“I promised him to take you to see someone. Other than that, you and I have absolutely no relationship. So, you had better behave yourself. I know your reputation with women. If you treat me the way you treat other women, you’ll meet a quick end.”

“I understand.”

She laughed coldly. “You’d better understand.”

“But there are two things I hope you understand.”

“What?”

“First, I have no desire at all to have any sort of relationship with you.”

Kong Lanjun’s face was as white as death.

“Second,” he continued, “even though I’ve never laid eyes on you before, I already know what kind of person you are.”

“What kind of person am I?” she asked, unable to hold back her words.

“You think you are a beautiful peacock, and that everyone in the world should admire you; but the only person you admire is yourself.”

Kong Lanjun’s face couldn’t become any whiter. She spun around and stared at him, her eyes flaming.

Liu Changjie calmly went on, “You sent for me because of Dragon Fifth. I was willing to come because of Dragon Fifth. There is absolutely no other relationship between us. Except …”

“Except what?”

“You really shouldn’t have started that fire!”

“I shouldn’t have?”

“If the fire had killed me, how could you take me to meet who I’m supposed to meet?”

She laughed. “If the fire had killed you, then you clearly wouldn’t have deserved to meet her.”

“Who is this person?”

“Qiu Hengbo.”

“Madam Autumn?”

She nodded. “Autumn Lovesickness.”

“You’re going to take me to see her?”

“I’m her friend. And only I can enter the Autumn Mansion.” [2]

“You’re her friend, and she is yours, but you’re helping Dragon Fifth?”

“Among women,” she said coldly, “there is no such thing as true friendship.”

“Actually, considering the type of person you are, you only have one real friend; yourself.”

This time Kong Lanjun didn’t appear to be angry. “In any case, I’m better than her,” she said calmly.

“Oh?”

“She even views herself as an enemy.”

“And yet, she allows you to visit the Autumn Mansion?”

A venomous look suddenly sprang into her eyes. “She lets me visit because she enjoys watching me suffer. She loves to torment me.”

Words like hatred or enmity could not begin to describe the look on her face.

Between these two mysterious, beautiful and callous women, there appeared to be some unimaginable relationship.

Liu Changjie looked at her, and suddenly laughed. “Ok, you go, then.”

“You…”

“I don’t feel like accompanying you, and I don’t really need to see her, anyway.”

“Unfortunately, you must.”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t know the location of her secret cave. I can only get you into the Autumn Mansion. The cave, you’ll have to find yourself.”

Liu Changjie’s heart sank.

Hearing this news, he suddenly realized that the whole matter was going to be even more difficult and complicated than he thought.

Kong Lanjun’s eyes lit up.

Only when seeing people suffer would her eyes light up. She loved seeing people suffer.

Liu Changjie finally let out a long breath. “Madam Autumn allows you to visit, but only because she likes to torment you. How do you know that she’ll allow me to be there?”

“Because she understands me, and she knows what I like. She knows that I especially like to be waited upon by men. So every time I go, I bring a manservant with me.”

“I’m not your servant.”

“Yes, you are.”

She stared at him, a strange expression filling her eyes.

Liu Changjie stared back at her.

The stared at each other for a long time, until finally Liu Changjie let out a long breath and said, “Yes, I am.”

“You are my servant?”

“Yes.”

“From today on, you will follow me like a dog. If I call you, you will come.”

“Yes.”

“If I want you to do something, you will do it.”

“Yes.”

“Whatever you do for me, you must be very careful. Don’t let your dirty hands touch me. If your right hand touches me, I’ll cut it off. If your arm brushes against me, I’ll cut the whole arm off.”

“Yes.” His face was expressionless, devoid of anger or pain.

Kong Lanjun stared at him for a long time. Then she sighed lightly. “It seems you really aren’t human.”

Part 3

Qixia Mountain. [3]

The mountain was beautiful. The mountain’s name was also beautiful.

After passing the stately Wind Forest Temple, and crossing the Rainbow Spanning Bridge, under which floated a host of lotus plants, one could catch sight of the beauty of Qixia Mountain.

In the evening wind, the faint sound of singing could be heard:

“Those evading the heat of summer return from the cool spring,

“The cool evening sky is filled with boundless brocaded clouds,

“A fragrant breeze blows through the amorous canal,

“They stroll across the soaring bridge, on their way to purchase a boat.”

The voice was mysterious and beautiful, and the lotuses were even more beautiful, but neither could compare to the beauty of the sun as it slowly sank over the mountains.

On the other side of the mountain, about halfway up, past the languid nests of clouds, the mountain topography became treacherous. Travelers rarely came to this area, and yet there could be seen a magnificent, newly-constructed inn.

The inn was not very large, but was splendidly constructed. The paint had just dried, and two carpenters were just now hanging a sign above the main entrance, the name of the inn written in golden characters. Opposite of the inn were two peaks that towered up at opposing angles like crossed swords, the most dangerous area on the mountain.

Standing beneath an ancient cypress tree on the mountain peak, wearing a thin, long-sleeved silk garment, was Kong Lanjun. She stood there for a long time and then pointed at the inn. “What do you think of it?” she asked.

“The building was built wrong,” said Liu Changjie. “The location is wrong.”

“Oh?”

“How can an inn in this area attract customers? It will probably go out of business within three months.”

“Your worry is unnecessary. I guarantee you that by daybreak tomorrow, the inn won’t be here.”

“Can it fly?”

“No.”

“If it can’t fly, how can it disappear?”

“If people build an inn, people can tear it down.”

“Don’t tell me that someone is going to tear down the inn by tomorrow morning…”

“That’s correct.”

Liu Changjie was mystified. “Why tear down a brand new inn?”

“Because this inn was especially built just to be torn down.”

Liu Changjie was even more confused.

People buy property to construct buildings. They construct buildings to live in, to do business, to keep mistresses. All these things were normal.

But he had never heard of someone constructing a building specifically to be torn down.

“You don’t understand?” asked Kong Lanjun.

“I definitely don’t understand.”

She laughed coldly. “So it turns out there are things you don’t understand.”

She obviously didn’t want to explain the mystery, so Liu Changjie refrained from asking further questions.

He only knew that Kong Lanjun had brought him here for a reason other than irritating him.

She definitely had a purpose.

So there was little point in asking questions, sooner or later she would tell him.

Liu Changjie had faith in his own judgement.

As the sun set in the west, the dim light of night slowly enveloped the mountains.

The brilliant lights in the inn had long since been lit. On the rugged mountain road, there suddenly could be seen a group of people.

The group contained both men and women. The men were dressed as waiters or kitchen staff; the women were young and pretty, wearing seductive garments.

Kong Lanjun said, “Do you know what these people are here for?”

“To tear down the building?”

“These kind of people couldn’t tear down a building if they had three days and three nights.”

Liu Changjie had to admit that even though tearing down a building was easier than building one, it did require a certain level of skill.

“Can you tell what these women do?” asked Kong Lanjun.

Liu Changjie could obviously tell. “What they do is not very noble, but has a very long history.”

It was definitely an ancient profession, one of womankind’s earliest methods of earning money.

Kong Lanjun laughed coldly. “I know you like to look at these type of women, so you’d better take a look now.”

“Are you saying that by tomorrow morning, these people will all disappear?”

“A building is constructed to be torn down. People live in preparation to die.”

“You brought me here to see this building destroyed, and these people die?”

“I brought you here to see the people who will tear down the building.”

“Who are they?”

“Seven people who will die by your hand.”

Liu Changjie finally understood. “They’re all coming here tonight?”

“Yes.”

“So the building was constructed by Madam Autumn, specifically for them to destroy?”

“Yes.”

Even though he now understood, he couldn’t help but ask, “Why?”

“Because Qiu Hengbo understands men, and especially these type of men. If you lock men like this up in a cave for a long time, they’ll eventually lose it and go crazy. So every once in a while, she lets them go out to blow off some steam.”

Liu Changjie couldn’t help but let out a sigh.

He could imagine what things would look like after they came. He didn’t even need to see it with his own eyes.

He felt sorry for the women. He would rather face seven ravenous wild beasts than have dealings with those seven people.

Kong Lanjun looked at him out of the corner of her eye. “Don’t feel compassion for them,” she said coldly. “One bit of carelessness, you will die much more miserably than them.”

Liu Changjie was quiet for a long time. Finally, he asked, “If they are coming here, who is protecting the cave?”

“Qiu Hengbo herself.”

“Qiu Hengbo by herself is more frightening that the seven of them all together?”

“I really don’t know exactly what her martial arts are like. I just know that I don’t ever want to find out. So I can only watch from here, not take any action to alert them. Even if I killed them all right now, it would be useless.”

Kong Lanjun nodded. “You need to watch very carefully. When people are blowing off steam, especially when tearing down a building, they will definitely use all of their most powerful kung fu.”

“And afterwards?”

“Afterwards we go back and wait.”

“Wait for what?”

“Wait until tomorrow afternoon. Then we head towards the Autumn Mansion.”

“And after we get to the Autumn Mansion, I have to think of a way to find the secret room.”

“Yes. And you must do it within half a day.”

“Can’t we just follow the seven when they go back?”

“No.”

Liu Changjie didn’t say anything more.

He was the type of person who never said something that didn’t need to be said.

The mountains were illuminated with bright lamplight, but where Liu Changjie and Kong Lanjun stood it was dark. Above them in the darkness of the heavens, a few stars had begun to peek out.

The dim starlight shone on Kong Lanjun’s face.

She really was a beautiful woman.

The color of the night was also beautiful.

Liu Changjie found a rock and sat down, then gazed at her, seemingly entranced.

“Did I tell you to sit down?” said Kong Lanjun.

“No.”

“If I didn’t tell you to sit, then you should be standing.”

He stood up again.

“The food box I told you to bring. Do you have it?” [4]

“Yes.”

“Bring it out.”

The box was square, and built from fine lacquered wood from Fuzhou. It was extremely delicate.

“Open it for me,” said Kong Lanjun.

The interior of the box was decorated with white silk padding. Inside were four appetizer dishes, a tray of bamboo shoot mantou, and a pot of wine. [5]

The wine was the famous Hang Zhou “Virtuous Distillery” wine, and the four dishes were fish with vinegar, pickled chicken, Wuxi duck with soy sauce, and pork on the bone.

“Pour me some wine,” said Kong Lanjun.

Liu Chagjie lifted the wine pot with both hands and poured a cup. He suddenly realized that he himself was quite hungry.

Unfortunately, there was only one cup and one set of chopsticks. He could only stand by her side and watch her eat.

Kong Lanjun drank two cups of wine, and took a bite from each dish. Then she frowned and put down the chopsticks. “Throw it out.”

“Throw it out? Throw what out?”

“All of it.”

“But, why?”

“Because I’m done eating.”

“ I’m still hungry.”

“Someone like you, you can go three or four days without eating. You won’t die.”

“If there are still things to eat, why go hungry?”

“Because you’re not allowed to touch things that have been eaten by me,” she responded coldly.

He looked at her for a long time. “I can’t touch your body either, correct?”

“Correct.”

“Has anyone ever touched your body?”

Her face darkened. “That’s my businesses. You have no right to ask.”

“But you have the right to ask about my business?”

“Correct.”

“You tell me to stand, I stand. You tell me to look, I look.”

“Correct.”

“You tell me not to follow someone, I don’t follow them. You tell me not to touch you, I don’t touch you.”

“Correct.”

Liu Changjie looked at her for a while. Then he laughed.

“When I tell you not to laugh,” said Kong Lanjun coldly, “You don’t laugh.”

“Because I’m your servant?”

“It seems you finally understand.”

“Unfortunately, there’s something I still don’t understand.”

“What’s that?”

“I’m also a person. And when I do things, I like to do it my way. For example…”

“For example, what?”

“If I feel like drinking wine, I drink wine.”

He suddenly grabbed the pot of wine, tilted his head back and drank.

Kong Lanjun’s face was pale, and she laughed harshly. “It seems you really do want to die.”

Liu Changjie laughed. “I definitely don’t want to die. What I do want to do is touch you.”

“You wouldn’t dare!” she cried furiously.

“I wouldn’t?”

His hand suddenly shot out toward her body.

Kong Lanjun’s reaction wasn’t slow. After all, the “Peacock Immortal” was one of the most famous female masters in the martial world.

She certainly had justification to be so arrogant.

As soon as Liu Changjie’s hands moved, her own arms tilted up, ten fingers extended like razor-sharp swords. They shot like lightning toward Liu Changjie’s wrists.

Her movement was quick, and the stance flexible. Hidden within the move were countless variations.

Sadly, she didn’t have the chance to use even one variation.

In a single moment, Liu Changjie’s movement seemed to change countless times. His hands twisted and turned from unimaginable directions, and suddenly Kong Lanjun’s wrists were pinned down.

Kong Lanjun had never imagined that someone’s hands could move in this way. Increasingly alarmed, she tried to think of a way out. Suddenly, she felt her body being flipped into the air, and the next thing she knew, she was being pressed down onto the rock by Liu Changjie.

With a leisurely tone in his voice, he said, “Can you guess what I’m thinking of doing right now?”

She couldn’t guess.

In her wildest dreams she couldn’t guess.

“Right now,” he said, “I really want to pull your pants down and spank your ass.”

Her voice was hoarse and filled with fear. “You … you wouldn’t dare.”

She really didn’t think he would dare do such a thing. She never dreamed that a man would really dare to treat her in such a way.”

But unfortunately, she had forgotten the words she herself had uttered: “This man is really inhuman.”

Three slapping sounds rang out as Liu Changjie spanked her butt three times.

He didn’t strike hard, but Kong Lanjun felt like she couldn’t move.

He laughed. “Actually, there’s a few other things I could do right now, but I’ve already lost interest.”

He raised his head to the heavens and laughed heartily, then swaggered off, not even giving her a second glance.

Kong Lanjun ground her teeth. Tears streaming down her face, she suddenly jumped to her feet and cried, “Liu Changjie, you beast, I will kill you one day! You … you are simply inhuman.”

He didn’t turn his head. “I really am inhuman,” he said calmly.

__________

(1) The character Kong 孔 in Kong Lanjun 孔兰君 is the same character as from the word peacock 孔雀, so Liu Changjie’s peacock metaphor is very apt.
(2) What I’m translating as Autumn Mansion implies a building located in the mountains.
(3) The Chinese name of the mountains is 栖霞山. 栖 qi means to perch or sit on something. 霞 xia means red evening clouds. So the literal translation would be something like Perching Red Evening Clouds Mountains. In any case, the name sounds nice in Chinese. And it seems to be a real place. http://goo.gl/bQVPrx
(4) This type of box has multiple tiers to contain different foods. Here’s some pictures of the type of box: http://goo.gl/AOZLYL
(5) The word I’m translating as appetizer is 下酒菜 xia jiu cai. It literally means “dishes that go with alcohol.” I think appetizer is an appropriate translation.

novel
Silver Member
Posts: 405
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Re: English Novel : 7 Killers - chapter 5

Unread post by novel » 28 Dec 2015 14:01

Chapter 5 – Lovesickness will make you grow old

Part 1

The lamps in the inn shone brilliantly.

Two of the waiters who had just arrived were arranging chopsticks at one of the tables, and the seven finely dressed young women were sitting in a row of chairs. Some were whispering amongst themselves, others were sitting quietly, thinking.

The men who were coming to tear down the building had not yet arrived, but Liu Changjie had.

Kong Lanjun had told him not to act rashly, and not to come to this place.

Yet he came anyway.

He was the type of person who did things his own way.

As he entered the inn, everyone seemed to be frozen in shock—this was not who they were waiting for.

Other than those people, no one else should have arrived.

Liu Changjie seemed not to notice. He swaggered in and sat at the table the waiters had just set. “Bring me three cold appetizers, four hot dishes, and five bottles of ‘Jia Fan.’”

“Jia Fan” was a famous brand of wine in Hangzhou. Experienced drinkers said that the flavor was even more satisfying than “Ku Niang” wine. [1]

The waiters stood by, panic-stricken, unsure whether or not to pour wine.

This was not an ordinary inn, but Liu Changjie treated it as if it were. With a smile, he beckoned at the seven young women and said, “Come over here, all of you. A man drinking without a woman to accompany him is like a plate of food with no salt.”

The young women looked at him, and he looked at them. They seemed too terrified to even move.

“I’m not a man-eating tiger,” said Liu Changjie. “What are you afraid of? Come on over.”

Just then, laughter rang out, delicate, like the sound of silver bells. And then a charming voice could be heard, “I’m here!”

When the laughter started, it appeared to be coming from very far away. But by the time the voice had finished speaking, its owner had already arrived. She flew in like a gust of wind, and sat down next to Liu Changjie.

She was a woman, and a very beautiful woman at that. Not just beautiful, but entrancing, especially her two eyes, which had the ability to charm a person to their bones.

If you looked at this person from all sides, you would say that from head to toe she was a woman, every inch.

Liu Changjie looked at her and laughed. “I want to drink with women!” he said.

She laughed charmingly. “Cant’ you see that I’m a woman?”

“You don’t look like one.”

“How could I convince you I’m a woman?”

“Take off all your clothes, then we’ll see.”

Her expression changed and she giggled.

Suddenly, someone outside spoke. “It looks like our friend here has a lot of experience with women. He can’t be fooled by a fake woman.”

By the time these two sentences were uttered, there were five more people in the room.

One of them had a pale white face, and was dressed in expensive garments. Clean shaven, with wrinkles in the corners of his eyes, it was a middle aged man who obviously was “Little Fifth Omniscient” Tang Qing.

The huge, towering monk was clearly Iron Monk.

“Ghost Meteor” Shan Yifei and “Soul Enticing” Lao Zhao were both sickly and old in appearance, looking like thirty percent ghost and seventy percent killers.

What Liu Changjie could never have anticipated was that Li the Mastiff was actually a refined, gentle-looking young man. Except that his face was covered in scars, and he was missing half an ear.

Hu Yue’er had guessed correctly on all counts.

But Liu Changjie suddenly thought of something—she had only described six people, not seven.

And right now, there were only six.

Who was the other person?

Why hadn’t Hu Yue’er mentioned him?

And why wasn’t he here?

Five of the people wore no smile on their face. Only Tang Qing was smiling, and he was clearly the person who had just spoken.

Liu Changjie laughed. “Your Excellency’s experience with women clearly is not any less than mine.”

“You know me?” asked Tang Qing.

“If I didn’t know your Excellency, how else could I know that you have a lot of experience with women?”

Tang Qing’s expression changed. With a stern voice, he said, “You came here looking for me?”

“I came here to drink,” replied Liu Changjie.

“You specifically came here to drink?”

“That’s right.”

“There are thousands of places to drink in the world, why would you pick this place?”

“Because I like this place. It’s new, and I’m a fickle person.” [2]

Suddenly, the Iron Monk spoke out: “It just so happens that I really don’t like fickle people.”

“What do you like?” asked Liu Changjie.

“I like killing people. And I especially like killing fickle people such as yourself.”

The Iron Monk had ferocious looking eyebrows and fierce eyes. His face was filled with hatred, and his eyes seethed with murderous intent. They were extremely frightening in appearance.

Liu Changjie just laughed. “So you definitely want to kill me.”

“You guessed correctly.”

“Then why haven’t you come over here to try?”

The Iron Monk was already moving forward.

His whole body appeared to be sculpted from steel, and his carriage as he walked was like that of a gorilla.

His footsteps were heavy and stable, and every step he took left footprints behind in the floor.

The Iron Monk’s external power was clearly exceptional. As for his Thirteen Heroes Skill, who could say whether or not it had reached the level that his body was impervious to blades?

Liu Changjie had nothing in his hands, not even a kitchen knife.

Tang Qing watched him the same way he might look at a corpse.

The gorgeously dressed young women were shaking in terror.

The joints in Iron Monk’s body made cracking sounds as he took four steps forward.

It appeared as if he was preparing all his kung fu to attack, and that this attack could clearly not be defended against.

But before he could attack, the refined and gentle-looking young man suddenly lunged toward Liu Changjie.

His eyes were blood red, and he opened his mouth to reveal a set of ghastly white teeth. He really did appear to be a wild dog, unable to refrain from ripping out Liu Changjie’s throat.

It seemed like Liu Changjie didn’t even notice him.

In a flash, he was looming over Liu Changjie’s body, his two hands grasping toward Liu Changjie’s throat.

And then strange snapping sound could be heard.

Liu Changjie was still sitting there motionless.

Li the Mastiff was also motionless. His two hands gripped Liu Changjie’s neck. Except, his own head was twisted at a strange angle, and his eyes bulged from their sockets. A strange expression covered his face.

Moments later, blood exploded from his mouth.

The blood didn’t splash onto Liu Changjie

Liu Changjie’s body suddenly slid away like a fish, away from the woman and Li the Mastiff.

Li the Mastiff toppled over onto the woman.

The woman didn’t move out of the way. Instead, she fell with him to the ground. She also had a bizarre expression on her face. Her eyes bulged from her face like those of a dead fish.

Two faces looked at each other, two sets of eyes stared at each other. They fell to the ground, motionless.

Two bodies, already growing cold and stiff.

Tang Qing’s face was ashen. He knew they were dead.

And yet, he had never seen Liu Changjie move a finger.

No one had seen Liu Changjie move.

It was as if he didn’t need to move a muscle to kill people.

The Iron Monk had stopped walking. Blue veins pulsed in his forehead, and cold sweat dripped down his face.

He liked to kill people, so he understood killing.

And because of that, he was even more frightened than the others.

Liu Changjie let out a long sigh. “I said I don’t like to kill people. I just want to drink.”

Tang Qing said, “But you just did kill people, two of them.”

“That’s because they wanted to kill me. And I didn’t want to die, because dead people can’t drink.”

“Soul Enticing” Lao Zhao suddenly said, “Okay! Let’s drink. I’ll drink with you.”

He placed a pot of wine down onto the table.

He first poured himself a cup, and then poured one for Liu Changjie. “To you!” he said.

He downed it in one gulp.

The two cups had been poured from one pot.

Liu Changjie looked at the cup in front of him and laughed. “I didn’t come here to drink just one cup.”

Soul Enticing Lao Zhao responded, “After you drink this cup, you can have another.”

“If I drink this cup, I’ll never have a chance to drink a second.”

Soul Enticing Lao Zhao laughed coldly. “Don’t tell me you think the wine is poisoned?”

“Originally there was no poison in the wine. But there was poison on your pinky fingernail.”

Soul Enticing Lao Zhao’s face twisted.

When he had poured the cup of wine for Liu Changjie, he had dipped his pinky fingernail in just a bit. His movement was nimble and dexterous, and impossible for others to see.

And yet Liu Changjie knew.

Liu Changjie looked at him and smiled. “The wine you drank originally didn’t have poison in it either.”

“And now?” he asked.

“You should be able to tell whether or not there’s poison in it.”

Soul Enticing Lao Zhao’s face suddenly darkened. He jumped up. “When did you make your move?” he shouted hoarsely. “When did you put the poison in?”

“I knew you would want to drink from these cups, so when you went to get the wine, I put the poison in the cups. How I did it was very simple, even you could pull it off.”

Soul Enticing Lao Zhao didn’t open his mouth again. It seemed as if an invisible rope was tightening around his neck.

His breathing stopped, and he fell to the ground, his body convulsing.

Liu Changjie sighed. “I don’t like killing people, but I was willing to kill three people just now. And yet the people who do like killing are just standing there motionless.”

The Iron Monk said nothing. He just turned and dashed out of the room.

Hu Yue’er had been correct.

People who like killing are the ones who are most afraid of death.

Liu Changjie had also been correct.

Because the monk was afraid to die, he had practiced a type of kung fu that could make his body impervious to blades.

But as soon as he met someone who didn’t need blades to take the lives of others, he fled faster than anyone.

Ghost Meteor fled just as quickly.

Actually, the speed of his retreat really was like that of a meteor.

Tang Qing didn’t leave.

Liu Changjie looked at him and laughed. “Does your Excellency also want to come have a try?”

Tang Qing laughed. “Like you, I hate killing people. And like you, I came here to drink.”

“Good.”

“Like you, I have a lot of experience with women, and like you I am a fickle person.”

“Great!”

“So, we’re birds of a feather! Let’s have some drinks and chat. We can be friends.” Smiling, he walked over and sat down. “After all, there are wine and women here.”

“There’s definitely sufficient wine for us two.”

Tang Qing laughed. “And there are sufficient women, as well.”

“The women aren’t sufficient,” replied Liu Changjie.

“Not sufficient?”

“Even though there are enough women, they just aren’t pretty enough.”

Tang Qing laughed loudly. “So, it turns out your Excellency’s way of looking at things is a bit more refined than mine.”

“Actually, these women aren’t really ugly, it’s just that they can’t really make you sick with love.” [3]

The smile on Tang Qing’s face suddenly froze. He looked at Liu Changjie in amazement. He appeared even more shocked than when he had just observed Liu Changjie kill the others.

He finally understood Liu Changjie’s purpose, but he still could not believe any person would have this amount of guts.

Liu Changjie began tapping a cup with a chopstick, and slowly sang: “It’s said that you should never be sick with love, because lovesickness will make you grow old

“But after you consider it over and over again, you realize that lovesickness really is better, lovesickness really is better…”

Tang Qing took in a deep breath, and then forced out a laugh. “So, your Excellency specifically came to this place to look for lovesickness?”

Liu Changjie sighed. “What in the world is better than lovesickness?”

“Nothing,” replied Tang Qing.

“Definitely nothing.”

Tang Qing’s eyes turned up in thought, and then he smiled eerily. “Your humble self also knows a song. I’d like to sing it for your Excellency.”

Liu Changjie let out a breath. “Listening to men sing is boring, unless it’s your own singing. But, if you really want to sing, go ahead.”

Tang Qing began singing, “It’s said that you should never be sick with love, because lovesickness will make you grow old,

“If you grow old, you will eventually die, and dying is never good.”

Liu Changjie shook his head firmly. “Not very good.”

Tang Qing said, “Maybe my singing voice isn’t very good, but the words are true.”

Liu Changjie had to agree. “Correct. The truth never sounds good.”

“If your Excellency wants to find lovesickness, you’ll not only grow old, you’ll grow old exceptionally quick. Which means you will die sooner.”

“Are you afraid of death?”

“Who in the world isn’t afraid of death?”

“Me.” He stared at Tang Qing, and continued coldly, “Because you are afraid of death, and I am not, you will take me there.”

Tang Qing continued to play dumb. “Take you where?”

“To find lovesickness.”

Tang Qing forced himself to smile. “And what if I can’t find it?”

“Then you will never grow old,” replied Liu Changjie evenly.

Tang Qing couldn’t force himself to smile any more.

He understood Liu Changjie’s meaning—only dead people don’t grow old.

Liu Changjie continued to stare at him. “They say that you guard a mountain cave for her. Since you’re here, then she’s definitely guarding the cave herself. So, you’ll definitely be able to find her.”

Tang Qing wanted to deny that he understood what Liu Changjie was saying, but couldn’t.

“Do you want to die?” asked Liu Changjie.

Tang Qing shook his head.

Liu Changjie drank a glass of wine. “Then what do you want?”

“I want you to die!”

He suddenly flew up into the air, spinning; at the same time a vortex of sand shot toward Liu Changjie. [4]

This was the Tang Clan “Bark Cloth Tree” poison sand.

Surprisingly, Liu Changjie made no move to evade. Instead, he opened his mouth, out of which shot a shining spray; it was the wine he had just gulped down.

In an instant, every single granule of sand, each smaller than a sesame seed, was blown back and embedded into the freshly painted wall. [5]

Tang Qing’s face fell. He never imagined that someone could have this shocking ability.

Liu Changjie smiled. “This wine is called Fishing Hook Wine, but sometimes it’s also called ‘Worry-sweeping Broom.’ And sometimes it can be used to sweep away poison sand.”

Tang Qing laughed bitterly. “I never imagined that drinking wine could have so many benefits.”

“Yes. You really should drink more.”

“I’ll drink.”

“Dead people can’t drink.”

“I know.”

“So, now what are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking I should take you there immediately.”

Liu Changjie laughed. “I picked you because I could tell you are an intelligent person. I only have dealings with intelligent people.”

Tang Qing sighed. “And because of you, intelligent people are often faced with vexation.” [6]

“Having vexation is better than not having vexation.”

“Why is that?”

“Because in this world, the only people who don’t experience vexation are the dead.”

**

Lovesickness is a vexation, and so it makes people old.

But if you think about it for a moment, really think about it, you will understand that if a person can experience lovesickness, it’s better than not being able to experience lovesickness…

Part 2

Where there are mountains, there are mountain caves.

Some mountain caves are large, some mountain caves are small; some mountain caves are beautiful, some mountain caves are treacherous; some mountain caves are like a nostril that everyone can see, some mountain caves are like the navel of a fair maiden, which even though everyone knows exists, has never been seen.

This mountain cave was more mysterious than the navel of a virgin.

After traveling through seven mountain passes, and climbing six treacherous slopes, they arrived at a cliff.

The cliff was immense, so much so that the bottom could not be seen.

Across from them was another precipice, about fifteen or twenty feet away. The two cliffs faced each other, and far above, only a sliver of sky could be seen.

Tang Qing at long last let out a long breath. “We’re here,” he said.

“Where are we?” asked Liu Changjie.

Tang Qing pointed at the cliff on the opposite side. “You should be able to see it.”

Liu Changjie obviously had already caught sight of it. The opposing cliff face was as bare as if it had been carved out with a sword. There, amidst a wild growth of wisteria, was the black mouth of a cave.

White clouds wafted to and fro, and eagles could be seen soaring about.

Even though Liu Changjie could see the cave, he wasn’t sure how to get there.

Tang Qing suddenly asked, “Have you read the poem “Call of the Waterfowl” from the Book of Odes?” [7]

“No, I haven’t.”

“The idea behind the poem is that there is a fair maiden standing at an estuary. On the other side is a horny prince. Even though he can see her, he has no way to reach her, no matter how hard he wants to. This cave is like that fair maiden.” [8]

“And I’m the prince?”

“You only asked me to bring you here, and so I have.”

“I never imagined that you were an educated man.”

Tang Qing laughed. “I wouldn’t dare claim to be.”

Liu Changjie glanced at the treacherous cliff face. “If an educated man fell down this cliff,” he said coolly, “I wonder if he would die the same as an uneducated man?”

Tang Qing tried to laugh, but couldn’t. He couldn’t even speak. Suddenly, he squatted down and twisted a piece of nearby rock. A wire cable shot forth, at the head of which was a steel awl.

A dinging sound rang out as the awl imbedded itself into the opposite cliff face, just below the cave mouth, forming an extremely narrow bridge.

Tang Qing bowed and said, “Please, after you.”

“I would rather the educated man go first.”

Tang Qing’s face lost its color. “You want me to go with you?”

“Yes, and I want you in front. If we fall to our deaths, you can fall first.”

With a long face, Tang Qing replied, “If Madam Lovesickness finds out that I brought you here, I’m dead.”

“That’s better than falling to your death right now. Life is a treasure. Being able to live even one moment longer is good. And who knows, maybe I can think of a way to keep you alive.”

“Really?” asked Tang Qing.

“I’m an uneducated person. The word of an uneducated person is generally dependable.”

Tang Qing let out a long sigh, and then laughed. “As it turns out, reading a lot of books isn’t such a good thing after all.”

Part 3

The wire was slippery, and the mountain wind blew violently. They walked across, knowing that with one slight misstep they would plummet down.

And if they fell, they would become flat meatcakes.

Luckily, the distance between the two cliffs was not great. As soon as they stepped forth onto the cable, they heard a friendly voice from inside: “Close your eyes as you enter. I’m bathing!”

**

The entrance to the cave was deep. From the outside it appeared pitch black, but as they walked in, they could see that it was illuminated by lamps.

The pink-colored lamplight was soft and entrancing.

The voice was even more soft and entrancing than the lamplight.

Liu Changjie didn’t close his eyes. In fact, it would have been strange if he had.

As he walked forward, his eyes widened, as if he had just entered a fairyland. Except, this cave was more beautiful than a fairyland.

In the middle of cave was a cistern formed by a hot spring, encircled by a balustrade of white wood.

There was a woman in the cistern, only her head visible above the surface of the water.

Black hair floated like storm clouds, further drawing attention to the woman’s face. It was a like a spring flower, and her skin was extremely smooth.

Sadly, the water was not clear.

Liu Changjie let out a breath. He knew that what was beneath the water was even more amazing.

Madam Lovesickness’s radiant, enchanting eyes really were like undulating ripples on the limpid waters of an autumn pond. [9] She was staring at him with those eyes, seeming to be smiling without smiling, both happy and angry. Her voice was as beautiful as the call of a mountain oriole.

“Didn’t I tell you to close your eyes?” she asked.

“You did,” replied Liu Changjie.

“Your eyes don’t appear to be closed.”

Liu Changjie sighed. “I’ve braved countless dangers, narrowly escaped from death, all just to be able to lay eyes on you. At long last, I’m finally here, how could I possibly close my eyes?”

“But I’m taking a bath at the moment.”

He laughed. “After I heard you were taking a bath, I was even less willing to close my eyes.”

Madam Lovesickness let out another breath. “It seems you are not only disobedient, you’re also dishonest.”

“Everything I said was completely honest.”

“Aren’t you afraid that I might dig out your eyes?”

“I’m not afraid of you chopping off my head, much less digging out my eyes.”

“You’re not afraid of death?”

“Fear death? Why fear death? The world is like an inn, and people are like customers. What happiness is there in life, what fear is there in death?”

“So, it turns out you’re an educated man,” she said in her beautiful voice.

He smiled. “The ancients said, ‘if a man in the morning hears the right way, he can die in the evening without regret.’ As long as I am able to see the Madam, I’m just as willing to die.” [10]

She looked at him seductively. “Haven’t you already seen me?”

“I yearned for day and night, and finally my desire is fulfilled.”

“So that means you’re ready to die now.”

“Not yet.”

“You haven’t seen enough yet?”

He laughed. “I haven’t. In fact there are quite a few places I still haven’t seen at all yet.”

Madam Lovesickness stared at him, a look on her face that made it seem she didn’t understand.

He stared at her, looking as if he wished his eyesight could penetrate the water. “What I can see now is only a small part. The most important part, I can’t see.”

“How much do you want to see?”

“All of it.”

It seemed as if Madam Lovesickness’s face was reddening. “You’re quite ambitious!”

“Men who aren’t ambitious don’t count as true men.”

She bit her lip. “If I really let you see, who’s to say you wouldn’t have further ambitions?”

He laughed. “Who says I don’t already?”

Her two captivating [11] eyes stared at him, unblinking. “You don’t really count as a good-looking man.”

“Of course I’m not.”

“But, you’re different from most other men.”

He laughed again. “Maybe in more way than one.”

“I like men who are out of the ordinary,” she said softly.

“Every woman under heaven likes men who are out of the ordinary.”

“Leave,” she said, suddenly.

Liu Changjie didn’t move.

He knew that she wasn’t talking to him, she was talking to Tang Qing.

Tang Qing left immediately, his eyes still closed. He had never opened them.

Liu Changjie laughed. “It looks like he’s an obedient man.”

“He doesn’t dare to be disobedient.”

“So, if he leaves, I definitely have to stay.”

“Women don’t like men who are too obedient, but you…”

She looked at Liu Changjie out of the corner of her eye, her look as smooth as silk. “You’re just standing there like a simpleton, are you willing to do anything else?”

He didn’t say anything in response.

He used actions as a response.

Women also don’t like men who don’t take action.

He suddenly walked to the edge the cistern, throwing off his shoes.

Madam Lovesickness’s eyes widened, as in shock. “You dare come in?”

Liu Changjie had already begun throwing off other items of clothing

“You obviously know who I am, aren’t you afraid I’ll kill you?”

He didn’t say anything; he was in too much of a hurry.

“Can’t you tell there is a special quality to this water?” she asked.

Apparently, he didn’t.

After all, he wasn’t looking at the water. His gaze was fixed on Madam Lovesickness’s eyes.

“There’s a special drug dissolved into the water,” she said. “Other than me, anyone who enters will die.”

He had already jumped in.”

There was a splash, and water flew everywhere.

“It seems you really aren’t afraid of death.” She sighed again. “Many men have said they were willing to die for me, but the men who were really ready to do so, other than you, you …”

She didn’t say anything more; she couldn’t.

Because she couldn’t exhale.

**

There is only one method to defeat a woman.

And Liu Changjie used the correct method.

People don’t necessarily smile when they are most happy, and they don’t necessarily moan only when they are pain.

At this point, the moaning had ceased, and all that remained was panting; rapturous panting.

Surging ripples of water finally subsided into calmness.

“People talk about ‘heaven-like libido,’” panted Madam Lovesickness, “but your libido is larger than the heavens.” [12]

Liu Changjie closed his eyes, lacking the energy to speak.

“Actually,” continued Madam Lovesickness, “I know that you didn’t just come here for me. You have some other goal.”

Women usually like to talk, and at this time they usually have more energy than the man.

So, she continued. “But for some reason, I decided not to kill you.”

Liu Changjie suddenly laughed. “I know why. Because I am not an ordinary man.”

She sighed, unwilling to argue.

“So, the water wasn’t poisoned,” said Liu Changjie.

Madam Lovesickness didn’t deny it. “There are plenty of ways to kill you if I want to.”

“If a woman wants a man dead, there definitely are lots of ways to do it.”

“Therefore, you’d best tell me why you really came here. Immediately.”

“You mean you’re already thinking of killing me?”

“Only new men can be considered out of the ordinary,” she said levelly.

“So I’m already not new?”

“Women are the same as men,” she said in a sweet voice. “We also are fickle.”

Liu Changjie sighed lightly. “But you forgot something.”

“Oh?”

“Some men are like women, in that, if they want a woman to die, they can find lots of ways to do it.”

“Well, it depends,” she said ingratiatingly, “on what type of woman the man was dealing with.”

“Any kind of woman.”

She laughed even more haughtily. “Even a woman like me?”

“As for you, I probably would only use one method. If it was effective, then I wouldn’t need to think about other ways.”

“Then why don’t you give it a shot?”

“I already did,” he replied.

She laughed even harder. “And was it effective?”

“Of course!”

“What method was it?”

“The water didn’t have poison in it before,” he said in a relaxed tone. “But now it does.”

Her voice suddenly became stiff. “You…” she whispered.

“I already took the antidote, of course.”

“When did you put the poison in?” she asked, seeming unconvinced.

“The poison was hidden under my fingernail. When I jumped in, it dissolved into the water.”

“And the antidote…”

“I took it when I was taking my clothes off. I know that a man taking his clothes off is not a pretty sight, and that women generally don’t want to watch.”

Emotions flickered across her face. Suddenly, she slid toward Liu Changjie like a fish, her ten fingers extended, clawing toward his larynx.

And that was when she found out that Liu Changjie wasn’t lying—she suddenly felt her body grow soft, her hands weak. All her energy seemed to have disappeared without a trace.

Liu Changjie grabbed her hand gently. “Men are also fickle,” he said softly. “You’re already not so new, so you’d better be a good girl.”

Her face was draining of color. “You … you really want to kill me?”

He sighed. “I don’t want to …” [13]

Even before he finished speaking, he had sealed three of the acupuncture points on her large, firm chest.

**

Everything else was relatively simple.

The hidden door was located behind a large Persian felt that hung on the cave wall. The thousand-pound door wasn’t actually one thousand pounds, and wasn’t that difficult to open.

Liu Changjie’s hands really were incredibly dexterous. [14]

Tang Qing had disappeared without a trace, but the cable bridge was still there.

Another person might think that they had struck it very lucky, but Liu Changjie was not that type of person.

“If a person’s method is correct, things will go smoothly, no matter what difficulty they encounter.”

His methods definitely were out of the ordinary.

The inn that had been built to be destroyed was still there. Of the people sent to destroy it, three were dead and three had fled.

There are many such situations under heaven; foolproof plans that go awry and impossible tasks that are unexpectedly accomplished.

There really is no distinct line between success and failure, so one should not take matters too seriously.

The lamps in the inn were still lit, and the people inside were still waiting.

The sky was still dark, and until it was light, they dared not leave.

Carrying a small sandalwood box wrapped up in cloth, Liu Changjie strolled in.

“So it turns he didn’t die after all; he actually returned.”

The girls’ eyes were wide as they looked at him; they could see that he was clearly a very capable person.

There was wine on the table.

Liu Changjie sat down and made himself comfortable. Now really was an appropriate time to be comfortable and have a drink.

He was thinking of pouring himself a drink, but before he could, the girl with the largest eyes of them all approached. She seemed to be the most intelligent of them all as well. Her hips swayed as she walked over, smiling sweetly. “How is lovesickness?”

“Good. Very good”

She smiled enchantingly and took in a deep breath, causing her chest to stick out. “My name is Satisfy. I’m also good.” [15]

He laughed. “You do look good. But sadly, although you might be able to satisfy me, I wouldn’t be able to satisfy you.”

“Why?” she asked, with a seductive glance.

“Because what I have wrapped up in this bundle is neither gold nor jewels.”

Satisfy didn’t seem to be disappointed. She continued to smile bewitchingly. “What I want isn’t gold or jewels. What I want is you.”

“Unfortunately,” said another voice, “he has already been bought by another.” [16]

The voice came from outside. Satisfy turned her head and saw a beautiful woman, as ethereal as an orchid, as proud as a peacock. She walked in from the darkness.

Kong Lanjun had also come.

In her presence, Satisfy suddenly felt like she looked like a chicken. She let out a soft breath and quietly said, “Who would have that that there were men in our line of work, and that they could be bought.”

Liu Changjie also sighed. “I do a pretty good job, although maybe not as good as you.”

She smiled sweetly. “But, I really like you. One day when you’re free, I’ll buy you for a few days.” She chuckled and pinched Liu Changjie’s cheek. Then she gathered the other girls together to leave. “It looks like there’s no business here. Let’s go back and get some rest.”

Liu Changjie’s eyes followed them as they left, looking a little disappointed.

Kong Lanjun had already sat down and was staring at him. “You can’t bear to part with them?” she asked coldly.

He let out a breath. “I’m a very sentimental person.”

She ground her teeth. “You really are inhuman,” she said venomously.

“Luckily, a lot of women actually like inhuman men.”

“Those women are also inhuman.”

“What about you?”

She let out a light breath. “It seems I’m quickly becoming inhuman,” she said softly.

In a moment, her entire countenance changed, from that of a proud peacock, to that of a gentle dove.

It seemed Liu Changjie had used the correct method to deal with her as well.

Some women are like hard-shelled nuts. You need to use a hammer to break them open.

Right now she looked like a hart nut that had been cracked open to reveal a tender and supple heart.

Looking at her, Liu Changjie felt like he had won a great conquest, and there is nothing that can make a person happier than this type of feeling.

And then, he suddenly seemed to soften.

After you have conquered a woman, there’s no need for the hammer any more. He reached out his hand and took hold of hers. “Actually,” he said, “I know that you that you treated me well.”

She lowered her head. “You … you really believe that?”

“I also know that you had a good plan.”

“But … but you didn’t do anything according to my plan.”

“Because I’m an impetuous person. I usually like to use a more direct method.”

She lifted her head and stared at him, her beautiful eyes swirling with concern.

“But, I really think your way was just too dangerous.”

He laughed. “It doesn’t matter now, the matter is handled already.”

Her eyes shone. “Really?”

“Yes.”

“You have the item already?”

He pointed at the bundle on the table.

Kong Lanjun looked at him, exuding both affection and admiration. Seemingly unable to hold back her emotions, she grasped his two hands and placed them on her face. “Now I know, you’re not just a real man, you’re an amazing man.”

Liu Changjie was even more happy than before. Upon hearing words like this, any man would be just as happy.

He couldn’t help but smile. “Actually, I’m not that amazing, it’s just…”

He didn’t complete the sentence, and he probably never would.

Because at that moment, Kong Lanjun suddenly grabbed him with both hands, digging her fingertips into his wrists. She flipped him up and tossed him, using an advanced Mongolian wresting technique.

She flipped his body over like a dead fish and slammed him face-first onto the table.

Her hand sped down his spine, sealing all of the acupuncture points. She laughed coldly. “You obviously aren’t amazing at all, you’re just a cocky rabid dog!”

Liu Changjie was speechless.

“Do you really think I would be won over by that kind of method?” She was still laughing coldly. “Mark my words, you screwed up! It doesn’t matter who strikes me, I will pay them back tenfold.”

Her hand laid hold of a wooden plank and she began slamming it down onto his butt. Over and over she hit him, not holding back in the least bit, thirty times in total.

He could do nothing but wait, wait until she finished the beating.

“This time I’m just teaching you a lesson,” she said. “From now on, don’t underestimate women!” She grabbed the bundle from the table. “I’ll take this. I just hope that your luck isn’t too bad, and that Qiu Hengbo, Tang Qing and the others don’t come back looking for you.”

How bitter to see the meal you so carefully prepared suddenly being eaten by the mouth of another.

Who could imagine the feeling in Liu Changjie’s heart as her voice faded into the distance?

It’s not that he was incapable of speaking, but what was there that he could say?

Women … Ai …

Liu Changjie sighed, suddenly coming to the realization that one should not offend a woman.

Unfortunately, he had offended a lot of women.

He couldn’t even bear to think about what would happen if Madam Lovesick really did come looking for him.

Let alone Shan Yifei, Iron Monk, Tang Qing …

Each and every one of them would certainly have plenty of ways to torment him.

He could only lay there on the table waiting. At this point he didn’t look like a rabid dog, he looked like a dead dog.

It was hard to say how much time passed. It seemed like millions of years.

The sun had long since risen.

Luckily, the waiters and the girls had left, otherwise he would have to stand up and beat his head against the wall until he died.

__________

(1) The characters for Jia Fan are 加饭 which literally means “add rice.” And Ku Niang is 苦酿. The first charcter “ku” means bitter, and the second “niang” is a verb meaning to brew, ferment, or make alcohol.
(2) What I’m translating as “fickle” is actually a pretty cool Chinese expression 喜新厌旧 which means “to like the new and hate the old.”
(3) At this point in the story, there is a lot of wordplay revolving around the use of the Chinese word 相思 which can be translated as “languish with lovesickness, pin with love, yearn for someone’s love, to yearn, to pine for, to be lovesick, lovesickness.” These same two characters make up the name of Madam Lovesickness 相思夫人. In order to make the English sound right, I’ll adjust how I translate it, but the original Chinese is all the same word.
(4) Sometimes the action doesn’t translate well into English. Here is the literal translation: “He suddenly flew into the air, his body spinning, and a sheet of flying sand, carrying a gust of wind, shot spinning toward Liu Changjie.” I left out the “gust of wind” part because I couldn’t think of a way to make it flow well in English.
(5) Here again I sacrifice some of the Chinese to make a better (in my opinion) English translation. Here is the literal translation: “In an instant, the sand which blotted out the heavens was spun away, and was sprinkled onto the freshly painted wall, a thousand granules of sand smaller than sesame seeds, were all embedded into the wall.” The Chinese is pretty cool, but the literal translation sounds weird in English so … I did my best.
(6) In the Chinese, I think he’s actually implying that because Liu Changjie only deals with intelligent people, intelligent people therefore face vexation. But, I couldn’t think of how to express this implication using English, thus my translation.
(7) The Book of Odes is one of the five classics of the Confucian canon. Here is more information: http://goo.gl/C2Id5
(8) The poem is relatively famous, and is about a fair maiden and a virtuous young man. In his explanation, Tang Qing changes the meaning of the poem. He adds the word 好色 to describe the man, which makes him sound perverted. For a deviant like Tang Qing, it seems really appropriate for him to do this. Here is a link to a (pretty bad) English translation of the poem that I found: http://goo.gl/zcSHVx. Thanks to LuDongBin for a link to another translation of the poem: http://goo.gl/aULYZ4 . If anybody knows of a link to a better translation of the title, or a better translation of the poem itself, please let me know.
(9) This part contains a sort of play on words of Madam Lovesickness’s different names and nicknames. It describes her eyes as 明媚如秋水横波的眼睛. I’m translating 明媚 ming mei as “radiant, enchanting.” After that is a four-character adjective phrase. The first part of the phrase is 秋水 qiu shui, which means “limpid autumn waters.” This is what I earlier shortened into “Autumn” in her nickname “Madam Autumn.” The next two characters are 横波 heng bo which the dictionary says is “transverse wave” and I’m translating as “undulating ripples,” which I think imparts the meaning and flavor better. These two characters are also her given name, Hengbo. So, he uses the different parts of her name and nickname to describe her eyes. It’s pretty cool.
(10) This is a quote from the Analects of Confucius. The original Chinese is really hard to understand, unless you have studied that stuff. The English translation is actually much more clear than the original. Here are two external links: http://goo.gl/iffPXq and http://goo.gl/y6HC9h
(11) The expression is 勾魂摄魄. The literal translation would be “soul-captivating, spirit-assimilating.” He uses a common and clever way of splitting up one word 魂魄 which means soul, and then adding two other characters which basically have the same meaning, to create a cool expression.
(12) This is a pretty literal translation. She uses an idiom 色胆包天 which means that one’s sexual desire encompasses the heavens.
(13) This is a place where my translation differs a bit from the literal Chinese. Here, she says 你真的忍心杀我 and he replies 我实在不忍心. The word they both use 忍心 means to have the heart to do something, or to be heard hearted enough to do something. But to me it wouldn’t flow well to have her, with her (potentially) dying breath say, “are you really so hard-hearted as to kill me,” or “do you really have the heart to kill me,” and then he replies “I am not that heardhearted.” Thus, my translation choice.
(14) The adjective he uses to describe Liu Changjie’s hands is the same one used to describe Gongsun Miao’s.
(15) Her name is 如意 which basically means “to fulfill one’s wishes or desires.” A good name for a prostitute I guess…
(16) What I’m translated as “bought” is 包下来, which is the situation where a rich guy basically pays for a prostitute to be his permanent mistress for a period of time.


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