I made the mistake of visiting the forum without logging in, and I immediately regretted it. The troll is back … He repeatedly criticizes what I have to offer here, this time blabbered without even take the time to verify - yet he keeps coming back to enjoy it. Was I wrong in saying that this person has no shame?
Xiaohu, s.h.i.+rak, Hungry, thanks for playing And the winner is … drumrolls … Anurman!
Book 26 Chapter 8 - Here We Part
Song Yuzhi accompanied Kou Zhong to the dock, where a small sailboat with its sail opened - was waiting respectfully. Along the way, Song Yuzhi did not even speak half a word.
Knowing her temper, Kou Zhong did not dare to provoke her. He sighed and said, "Here we part, I wonder if there will be days ahead I can see Zhizhi again. If I could not find the Duke Yang's Treasure in Guanzhong, I practically do not have any capital to strive for the world against that Li kid; then, per our agreement, you won't be allowed to marry me. Even if I really obtain the Duke Yang's Treasure, comparing my strength to that of Li kid's, I am still in the inferior position where there is more chance of defeat than victory. Because victory or defeat in the war is really not determined by the amount of wealth, otherwise, Yang Guang would have not lost the world."
Remaining calm, Song Yuzhi said, "You shouldn't have come. Things have come this far, what else can Yuzhi say?"
Smiling wryly, Kou Zhong said, "Things have come this far, Zhizhi still cannot speak a couple of caring words to me?"
Song Yuzhi cast her gaze onto the surging river; shaking her head, she said, "Die is fully aware that we must not do it for the sake of doing it. Hence the reason he is unwilling to dispatch troops directly to help you. The Li Clan's fame and power grows with each pa.s.sing day, while you are still being a fool who's been dreaming about the Duke Yang's treasure. All right! Supposing you really find the treasure, how are you going to transport those things out of the Li Clan's territory? Ah, Shao Shuai! How about becoming a bit more rational? Just consider me begging you!"
Kou Zhong's deep and low, but determined voice entered her ears; he spoke slowly, "Don't look at my loving to laugh, hee hee ha ha, and my thin skin, rascally appearance, my love to Zhizhi will not change as long as I live. Zhizhi may blame me that for the sake of striving over the world, I am abandoning you. While it is true that currently I have my feet deep in the mud and it's difficult to withdraw, but the real reason is that a man must set a lofty goal for himself, and then he would never regret that he forge ahead toward this goal, taking no account of success and failure, the gains and losses. The difference between Ziling and I is only in the goal. Besides, just look at the people around you! Is there one who is happy and contented? The only thing that we can do is to find joy in sorrows! To find something really interesting during the peacetime has never my, Kou Zhong's fate. Only the great time of startling-the-heaven-and-the-swelling-sea strive and struggle, fearing-whether-the-next-moment-will-be-my-demise will make me feel my own value and existence. Now, in my own inferior circ.u.mstances, all I can do is do the best I can. Contending for supremacy among two or three people in Jianghu no longer move me, only striving for victory among magnificent army with thousands of men and horses on the battlefield can turn me upside down. I was originally a man not having anything at all, so I am not afraid to become a man not having anything at all again. But as long as I know that Zhizhi's heart already turned towards me, Kou Zhong will not turn my back on this life."
Finished revealing the words from the bottom of his heart, Kou Zhong soared and flew toward the boat.
Finished listening to his seemingly heartless yet pa.s.sionate words of love, looking at his lofty, considering-himself-unexcelled-in-the-world magnificent figure from behind, Song Yuzhi's vision blurred up. But it was unclear whether it was because of glistening teardrops, or because of the reflection of the water.
She wanted to call him back to her side, but when the voice reached her throat, it stuck in the throat.
Parting this time, would there be a day that they see each other again?
Xu Ziling rushed out of the hall. Han Zenan, husband and wife, were carrying their son rus.h.i.+ng away from their cabin in panic along the corridor; he shouted hastily, "Han Xiong, don't go out, leave everything to me."
Stunned, the two looked back at him. Xu Ziling came to their side; reaching out, he lovingly patted Xiao Jie's face. He said to Lei Jiuzhi, who was rus.h.i.+ng over from behind, "Lei Xiong must not show your face either."
Han Zenan shook his head and said with a sigh, "Gong Xiong must not, by all means, get involved in this matter. Gong Xiong probably won't look at these two persons in your eyes, but the school and sect they are coming from is definitely not a small matter. After getting tangled with them, unless we fall dead, we can forget about pa.s.sing our days in peace and happiness."
Lei Jiuzhi caught up with everybody; he said, "One is the 'Evil Monk' Fa Nan, the other is the 'Amorous Nun' Chang Zhen; n.o.body knew their background."
This moment Fa Nan was shouting at them from outside the cabin, "Hong Xiaochang, even if you grew wings this time, you cannot fly away. If you won't come with us obediently, we will open up the oath [Buddhist monastic discipline] against taking lives."
Hong Xiaochang mournfully said, "Nan Ge [older brother] please take good care of yourself, please look after Jie'er," and then to Xu Ziling she said, "No word can describe my grat.i.tude for your great kindness. Gong Ye, please take them to a safe place."
Han Zenan clutched on Hong Xiaochang; his eyes br.i.m.m.i.n.g with tears, he said, "If you want to die, we'll die together. We will never separate."
Xiao Jie was staring blankly at his Die and Niang, completely bewildered. Obviously he did not know what was going on.
Remaining tranquil and calm, Xu Ziling spoke indifferently, "Han Xiong and madam sister-in-law, please set your heart at ease. Fa Nan and Chang Zhen are Zhu Yuyan's bandit hunting dogs; I am very clear about this. I know even more clearly what kind of trouble I am getting myself into. After taking care of them, I'll come back to discuss with Han Xiong and madam sister-in-law on what should we do next."
While Han Zenan, husband and wife, were still staring at him in disbelief, Xu Ziling casually borrowed the long sword in his hand, crossed over the cabin door, and stepped onto the deck.
He saw Lin Lang and more than a dozen of his men, all with weapons in their hands, were standing in confrontation with Chang Zhen and Fa Nan at the stern of the boat.
Seeing 'Gong Chenchun' came out to take charge of the general situation, Lin Lang heaved a sigh of relief and said, "Gong Ye, please uphold justice on our Wu Jiang Bang's behalf."
Immediately Xu Ziling's good impression on Lin Lang and his entire Wu Jiang Bang grew; no wonder an arrogant man like Hou Xibai praised Wu Jiang Bang's outstanding reputation. If Fa Nan and Chang Zhen were following Jianghu rules, using peaceful measures before using force by explaining the whole story to Lin Lang and indicating that they wanted to resolve grat.i.tude and grudges with Han Zenan, husband and wife, in private, then Lin Lang would definitely have no right to stop them. After all, Han Zenan, husband and wife, were just their customer, they were neither relatives nor friends.
But like what Fa Nan and Chang Zhen were doing right now, they were relying on force to charge onto the boat, regarding Wu Jiang Bang as nothing, and making so much noise about opening their oath against taking life; they had really violated Jianghu's big taboo.
Jianghu people spoke about 'face' the most; even if they knew that they were no match for the enemy, Lin Lang and the others simply must go on.
Fa Nan and Chang Zhen's eyes immediately turned toward Xu Ziling; both looked alert.
Xu Ziling spoke to Lin Lang in low voice, "Leave this matter entirely to me, Lin Xiangzhu must never attract trouble on yourself, quickly tell your brothers to withdraw their weapons."
Inwardly Lin Lang was very grateful. Evil Monk and Amorous Nun's stinky names have been spreading far and wide around the Chang Jiang region; they were well-known for being difficult to provoke. If there was any choice, n.o.body wanted to incur their hatred.
Hearing Xu Ziling, Lin Lang shouted, "Today's matter, our Wu Jiang Bang will not get involved. Put away your weapons."
Obeying the order, his men withdrew and gathered behind Xu Ziling to become spectators.
The 'Evil Monk' Fa Nan's huge, copper-bell-size eyes were flickering with ominous glint. He stared at Xu Ziling from head to toes, and then spoke with cold laugh, "Who are you? You want to take others' place in throwing away your life?"
The 'Amorous Nun' Chang Zhen cranked up her seductive appearance to its highest level; she laughed tenderly and said, "It must be because of that ugly scar that looks like a poisonous insect that women don't like him; therefore, he is tired of living!"
Xu Ziling took a step forward, laughed calmly, and said, "Less nonsense. If you have guts, don't run away with your tail between your legs."
Like a trembling stem of flower, Chang Zhen laughed, while throwing coquettish glances toward Fa Nan, and said, "s.h.i.+xiong, did you hear that shameless boast?"
Finished speaking, she spun around. The 'xiaohun caiyi' [lit. melting soul colorful clothes] draped over her body slowly rose like a clump of cloud, revealing her smooth, bare, cookie-dough white arms, putting her stirring-up-the-fire body, which was covered in tight warrior outfit, on full display. Combined with her bald head, it actually increased her seductive, l.u.s.t-attracting power.
Everybody knew that from head to toe, her entire body was practically a venomous sting, which must not be aggravated.
Fa Nan stomped the heavy steel staff in his hand on the deck, immediately wood fragments splashed, while a big crack appeared.
On the other dozen or so cargo and pa.s.senger s.h.i.+ps moored on the dock, everybody stopped their activities to watch the excitement from a safe distance.
Han Zenan and the others have also moved toward the cabin door; naturally they all worried for 'Gong Chenchun'. Compared with He Yi Pai's 'Tong Tian Laolao' Xia Miaoying and 'Mei Ji' Sina, although these two 'Evil Monk' and 'Amorous Nun' were more notorious, but there was still a considerable distance between them.
'Pow!
Chang Zhen continued spinning her body, flinging her 'xiaohun caiyi', while her delicate hands separately grabbing the collar and the hem of her skirt, and raised it to cover her erect b.r.e.a.s.t.s, saying, "Let Nujia accompany you playing for two strokes first!"
When speaking the last word, she suddenly turned into a clump of rosy clouds, flying at an angle toward Xu Ziling; it was both a strange and nice-looking spectacle.
Listening to her, everybody thought that she was going to deal with Xu Ziling alone; who would have thought that without saying anything further, Fa Nan sent out his staff to pound on the pit of Xu Ziling's stomach, in full display of his prowess.
The most formidable thing was that the clothes were flexible, while the staff was rigid; one was light, the other heavy, the two working together like seamless heavenly clothes.
Without even looking, the sword in Xu Ziling's right hand swiftly swooped up, while his left palm hacked down. In the eyes of the beholders, this move appeared to be simple, mediocre, without anything special. But to Chang Zhen and Fa Nan who were inside the range of this attack, it felt as if the opponent has already known and accurately grasped the angle and timing of their attack, and that even if they wanted to change their move, they could not deviate the slightest bit.
These two persons have worked together for more than twenty years, and have dealt with countless powerful enemies. Immediately they cried, 'Wonderful!' inwardly, while both concentrating the true power in their entire body, without leaving any spare power, trying to kill the enemy in just one move. They both thought that no matter how brilliant and strong this person was, he could not possibly match their combined strike with the power with nearly sixty years maturity.
Moreover, the two persons' attack of one hard, one soft was most difficult to block.
