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After Kou Zhong finished listening to Xu Ziling’s latest generation of lies he told Shang Xiuxun, Kou Zhong wiped the cold sweats from his forehead and said, “Fortunately I said I was in a hurry to go to the bathroom; otherwise the beautiful Changzhu might grab me and ask questions, and then we would have to jump down this ravine.”

Craning his neck to look down into the rapids at the bottom, he wondered aloud, “Based on our martial art skill, if we jump down, would we die or not?”

Xu Ziling smiled slightly without saying anything, but his eyes seemed to penetrate the deepest part of Kou Zhong’s heart.

Finally Kou Zhong surrendered, “Why didn’t you ask me what happened between Li Xiuning and me a moment ago?”

Xu Ziling sneered and said, “Didn’t you say that the martial art from the ‘Secret to Long Life’ has turned you more and more cold-hearted? You also said that for the sake of vying for the world, you would do anything by hook or by crook, and that you’d sacrifice everything you valued in your life? Since that is the case, do I still need to beg for an answer from you?”

Kou Zhong slapped his thigh and said with a sigh, “Ling Shao, this time you are wrong. The fact is that I am extremely vexed right now, because I could not help asking her if she was married to that muddled egg Chai Shao [Translator’s note: I feel that ‘muddled egg’ is funnier than scoundrel, [email protected] or @$$hole …]. Just think! Ling Shao! Supposing her answer was ‘I’m not married yet’, how would I handle her? I was fully aware that by asking that question I was spinning a cocoon around myself, yet I still asked her. Tell me, why did I do that?”

Xu Ziling’s response was tepid, “So what did she say?”

Grieved, Kou Zhong replied, “She said that although she has not officially married, but there’s not much difference with a married woman.”

Xu Ziling smiled wryly and said, “That is akin to saying that the one she loves is Chai Shao. That answer is indeed very difficult to bear, and also made me feel for the first time that you deserve sympathy. So what are you going to do? The moves you make in the battlefield of love will give you more headaches than the moves in the life and death’s confrontation, plus the battlefield of love will leave both sides wounded.”

Kou Zhong coolly said, “Hence the reason I turned grief and indignation into strength; I told her I did not care in the slightest, and I thanked her for giving me the taste of grief for losing my love. With great difficulty I resisted the intense urge to kiss her and stormed out of the door. With my back against her, I felt so much pain that my entire body went numb.”

Xu Ziling casually remarked, “So did you go to the latrine to hide while weeping in bitter tears?”

Stunned, Kou Zhong turned his head to stare at him, “Don’t you have any sympathy toward the poor me?” he asked.

Xu Ziling coldly replied, “Because the one deserving my sympathy is not you, but Li Xiuning.”

Kou Zhong had his eyes fixed on the cliff across the canyon; he mumbled as if he was talking to himself, “I was indeed a bit out of line, but at that time I really had a feeling that the more hurt her, the happier I would be. That was a completely out of control emotions, I know in my heart that I’m still holding tight on her.”

Xu Ziling sighed and said, “Thereupon you gave it your all in your attempt to, in a snap of your fingers, make her that she won’t be able to forget you. Isn’t that more cruel and ruthless to her?”

As if he was in delirious ravings Kou Zhong said, “Kill me now! I am in unbearable pain.”

Xu Ziling reached out to put his hand on his shoulder; he said with a wry smile, “I spoke without tact too much! Matters between men and women are like this, basically there is no logical explanation. Whoever has a bit stronger ‘divine power to protect the body’ will suffer less harm; upon inspection, looks to me that it’s very difficult for your ‘divine power to protect the body’ to meet a minimum standard.”

Kou Zhong said in astonishment, “You said you don’t have any tact, but now I just want to cry bitterly.”

The two boys ‘you look at me, I gaze at you’, and then a smile started to form at the corners of their mouths, followed by a chorus of laughter and difficult-to-discern bitter-sweet hot tears, which warmed their hearts, and enforced the mutual feeling of sincere friendship between the two brothers.

Gasping for breath, Xu Ziling patted Kou Zhong’s shoulder and said painfully, “Every time you lose your love, you are dragging me down and leaving me confused; therefore, I am the real victim here.”

Kou Zhong said with a wry smile, “Why is it that although I have suffered losing my love for the first time early on, the second time around is still unbearable? Not only that, it’s getting worse!”

Shrugging his shoulders, Xu Ziling said, “What’s so strange about that? It’s because your love to her was even deeper.”

Kou Zhong seemed to be fully recovered; he nonchalantly nodded his head and said, “What you said is not without reason; over time, dripping water can wear out hard rock, therefore, right now my heart must have hundreds of holes and thousands of cavities. This is called ‘the great method of dripping tears on the heart’; it’s a ‘different tune played with equal skill’ with Lu Miaozi’s ‘escaping one’, because Li Xiuning is precisely my ‘escaping one’. Even though Shang Xiuxun is half a notch superior to her, in my heart I only have her.”

And then he added, “The rice has already been cooked, there’s no more stopping. To conform to the Yijian Technique, what will our next step be?”

Xu Ziling calmed down; pondering deeply, he said, “We’ll have to find a way to identify that s1ut first.”

Kou Zhong sighed and said, “If only we could go door to door and knock.”

Knitting his brows, Xu Ziling said, “With your exceptional ears, eavesdropping within a radius of a hundred li should not be a difficult thing to do!”

Kou Zhong laughed despite of himself, “Real exaggeration!” he said, “Come on!”

One after another the two boys jumped down from the stonewall and strode away from the pavilion.

Arriving at the winding corridor, they were met by Xiao Juan’s slim and graceful figure. “I found you!” she called out cheerfully.

※ ※ ※

Shang Xiuxun was sitting upright and still on one side of the spacious study room, engrossed on a book she was holding with both hands, seemingly oblivious that Big Sister Fu has arrived, with the two boys right behind her.

Across the small garden outside was precisely the reception hall where Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling met her for the first time. At that time they had their spirit and soul upside down by this beauty’s charming and touching mannerism as she sampled their handicraft.

The fact was, in her heart, Shang Xiuxun hated herself.

Even she did not understand why she loved to see these two boys so much; perhaps because she was so lonely?

It was not an issue of how many people she had by her side; rather, it was an issue of her state of mind.

She was the only daughter of the former Ranch Master; since her childhood she had been cultivated to be the heir, hence with aloof and remote position, governing her subordinates was as natural as breathing. Everybody venerated her like a deity; only these two boys were the exception, although on the surface they were very respectful. Just by looking at the brazen and wild expression in their eyes when they looked at her, she knew that in their eyes, she was just a woman.

This has sparked a ripple in her heart, something that was fresh and unique.

Big Sister Fu reported, “Two Xiao Shifu are here.”

Kou Zhong took a few steps forward; holding his saber with both hands he presented it to her and said, “Treasured Saber is here!”

Seeing Kou Zhong pretending to be respectful and proper, “Pfft!” Shang Xiuxun burst out giggling, just like a blooming fresh flower, so that Big Sister Fu, who seldom saw her beautiful demeanor like this, was stunned.

Noticing the three people were staring at her, Shang Xiuxun strived to suppress her smile; with a wooden face she scolded in low voice, “How many treasured sabers are there in the world?”

Still in low voice she went on, “Fu’er, you may withdraw!”

Big Sister Fu was slightly stunned, and then she withdrew from the study room.

Shang Xiuxun put down the book on the small table by her side. From Kou Zhong’s hands she took the Moon in the Well; immediately her face showed astonishment. “I did not expect it to be this heavy,” she said in surprise.

Kou Zhong smiled apologetically and said, “This treasured saber is different from ordinary sabers.”

Frowning, Shang Xiuxun said, “Why are you standing so close?”

Embarrassed, Kou Zhong stepped back to Xu Ziling’s side. Only the latter knew that he really did not wish to part with the Moon in the Well.

With her left hand Shang Xiuxun held the scabbard, with her right hand she lightly grabbed the hilt, but her pretty eyes were fixed on the two boys. She said calmly, “Although this saber is unremarkable at all, plus it’s a bit rusty, but somehow when I went back, from time to time the sight of this saber appeared before my eyes, and I have some kind of unspeakable feeling toward it.”

Kou Zhong praised her wholeheartedly, “Changzhu indeed has a superior taste, unlike people with mediocre, superficial taste.”

Shang Xiuxun was already accustomed with the two boys’ conversational manner, which did not regard her as the Ranch Master. Glowering at him, she said, “Who wants you to flatter me?”

‘Ring!’

The Moon in the Well went out about half a chi from its scabbard.

Emotionally moved, Shang Xiuxun said, “I have never seen any blade more blunt and more dull, without any shine, than this one, yet I have never seen some kind of loftiness in a simple and unadorned, inelegant blade like this either.”

Her pretty eyes shot toward Kou Zhong, she said in a heavy voice, “How did you get this?”

Shrugging his shoulders, Kou Zhong replied, “It was my Ah Ye [(paternal) grandpa who gave it to Die, and Die gave it to me.”

Returning the saber to its scabbard, Shang Xiuxun muttered irresolutely, “I wonder what did that Old Man say about this saber?”

Kou Zhong was slightly stunned; now he remembered that that night he lied about carrying this saber to see Lu Miaozi and learn martial art from him, but Lu Miaozi basically has never seen this saber. However, naturally not answering was not an option, therefore, he replied respectfully, “Mr. Lu said that this saber was the personal weapon of the one saber expert of two hundred years ago, the ‘Saber Overlord’ Ling Shangren; I don’t know how it fell into my paternal grandfather’s hands?”

‘Ring!’

The Moon in the Well was pulled out of its scabbard by Shang Xiuxun’s delicate and beautiful lily-white hand; she drew with it about a dozen saber flowers in front of her, but there was no frightening yellow glow like when Kou Zhong was using it.

A bit disappointed, Shang Xiuxun held the saber still and examined it carefully. She was puzzled, “Is it really rust? But it does not look like rust stain; rather, it’s the texture of the metal specific to the saber’s body.”

Noticing that just like Xiao Xian, Shang Xiuxun did not bring out the saber’s unusual luster, Kou Zhong was even more convinced that he was the true master of this treasured saber. He said proudly, “This is a psychic treasured saber; my grandfather once said that one time a thief broke into our house, this saber unexpectedly let out incessant ringing to warn us!”

Listening to this even Xu Ziling was frowning, thinking that Kou Zhong went too far; but then again, only by doing that would they convince Shang Xiuxun that it was part of family legend.

Shang Xiuxun glowered at Kou Zhong and said, “You are bragging! Have you ever heard the saber ringing?”

Kou Zhong said with a wry smile, “Last time a thief came, it happened to be resting, so it did not ring.”

Shang Xiuxun was unable to hold back much longer, she burst into silver-bell like moving tender laughter, put the saber back into its scabbard, and tossed it back to Kou Zhong. She said, “Play a move or two, show me how much success you achieved from Shi Long.”

Kou Zhong held the saber across his chest, pulled it out of the scabbard, and hacked into the air several times, using ‘low hand’ moves and techniques unique to Shi Long’s martial school, with all the shortcomings displayed accurately and wonderfully.

Shang Xiuxun covered her laughing mouth and said, “Although your expression is of a martial art master’s, your technique is quite mediocre, ay! You paid money to learn the skill in vain.”

Pretending to refuse to concede, Kou Zhong said, “Please check this out, my move ‘stars fill the sky’!”

He moved the saber and brandished it wildly.

Seeing him going all-out until his face turned red and his ears hot, Shang Xiuxun laughed like a shaking stem of flower; she said, “If you continued like this, there is no need for the enemy to kill you, you would die of exhaustion!”

Kou Zhong awkwardly returned the saber to its sheath; panting, he said, “Sabers are used to attack the enemy; how could you not use any force?”

Shang Xiuxun no longer paid any attention to him; turning to Xu Ziling, she said, “And what is your expertise?”

Xu Ziling was just admiring her alluring, beautiful-beyond-human-comprehension, touching manner while she was laughing; hearing the question, it was as if he had just been awakened from a dream. “I am worse compared to Xiao Ning, please excuse me!”

Irritated, Shang Xiuxun said, “Looks like you disregard me as your Changzhu more and more. Don’t you know that what I say is an order?”

But then she smiled and said, “So be it! Avoiding displaying your disgrace to save face is a smart move.”

Suddenly rapid footsteps were heard in the distance, but coming fast toward them. The First Manager Liang Zhi’s voice was heard outside the door, “Subordinate has an urgent matter needs to be reported to Changzhu.”

Still smiling, Shang Xiuxun said, “Da Zhishi, please come in!”

The two boys hastily stepped aside.

Liang Zhi came over toward Shang Xiuxun’s seat in large strides. Bowing, he said, “Reporting to Changzhu: there are about 2000 enemies appear about thirty li from west side entrance of the Ranch, they look to be the vanguard regiment of the Four Big Bandits.”

Shang Xiuxun’s pretty eyes flashed with cold rays; she spoke cool-headedly, “Any movement outside the east side entrance?”

With solemn expression Liang Zhi replied, “There’s no report yet.”

Shang Xiuxun’s gaze fell onto the two boys; she spoke heavily, “You may return to your lodging house. If there is nothing important, do not walk around; understood?”

The two boys promptly acknowledged the order and withdrew from the room.

※ ※ ※

Closing the door to their room, Kou Zhong sat down by Xu Ziling’s side. “This does not make sense,” he said, “Anybody knows that Flying Horse Ranch is more difficult to break than any other fortified city; why would the Four Big Bandits abandon their stronghold and attack this place? There must be an intrigue here.”

“Could it be only a diversion?” Xu Ziling mused, “Their real target might be the nearby Dangyang or Yuan’an, or even farther down Jingling.”

Chapter 12 - Part 2

“That is more preposterous,” Kou Zhong said, “If I were the Four Big Bandits’ adviser, I would concentrate my force to attack one of those cities, to lure the Flying Horse Ranch to send rescue expedition, and then ambush them along the way; that would be the proper thing to do. Once their troops are dispersed, it would be strange indeed if the Ranch would not suffer total defeat.”

Suddenly he laughed aloud and said, “The theory that Lu Miaozi invented is best applied to the art of war; currently we are lacking this ‘escaping one’ from what we know about the Four Big Bandits’ plot. If we could find this precious one, then the enemy’s movement will be in place. Everything becomes reasonable and fair! His granny, what in the world is this precious ‘escaping one’?”

Knitted his brows, Xu Ziling said, “If that guy and the spy were sent by the Four Big Bandits, they would hatch their plots in the dark; there is no reason for them to attack with clear saber and clear spear like this. With regard to the Ranch’s topology, coordinated offensive from inside and outside won’t do much good either.”

Severely shaken, Kou Zhong said, “I get it!”

“You get what?” Xu Ziling happily asked.

“This must be the ‘luring the tiger from its mountain’ stratagem,” Kou Zhong said, “The wine lover’s heart is not in the cup, but on my sweetheart who does not love me, Li Xiuning.”

Xu Ziling’s tiger eyes flashed brightly, “You are right,” he nodded, “Because she saw Li Xiuning’s arrival during the day, the spy reported it to the outside ghost; the outside ghost then left sneakily. From this, we should know that this matter is related to the sweetheart in your dreams.”

A bright murderous intent appeared on Kou Zhong’s eyes; he snorted coldly and said, “The Four Big Bandits really don’t know what they are getting into, unexpectedly they have the guts to target Xiuning. Uh! Not right! What benefit could they gain by offending the Li Clan?”

“The benefits might be in many aspects,” Xu Ziling analyzed, “For instance, breaking the good relation between the Ranch and Li Clan; or perhaps generous rewards or support from Li Clan’s enemies, and so on. Has your brain been dulled by Li Xiuning?”

Kou Zhong embarrassedly replied, “Maybe a bit confused; but what can we do now?”

Xu Ziling said, “If I were the character inciting the Four Big Bandits behind the scene, naturally one alive Princess is more useful than one fragrant, worn-out jade, perished Princess.”

Lowering his voice, Kou Zhong said, “Could it be that the man behind the scene is Li Mi?”

Xu Ziling replied, “Li Mi, Yang Shichong [sic], and Xue Ju are highest in the suspects list. Just imagine that on one hand the Four Big Bandits are dragging the Ranch’s main force, on the other hand they are deploying their strongest martial art masters from the mountain area descending into the mountain city, with the spy providing support from the inside. Shall we tell Shang Xiuxun directly?”

“Who can tell how Shang Xiuxun would react?” Kou Zhong said, “Better leave it unsaid. Let us find the spy first, and then we’ll meet the incoming enemies head-on.”

Xu Ziling shook his head and said, “You’ll be in charge of the inside, I’ll concentrate on the outside. Only then will we have the golden opportunity of destroying the Four Big Bandits for a thousand years.”

Kou Zhong jumped in fright, “Can we do it the other way around? Let me take care of those four thieves’ heads.”

“The one in charge of the inside must work closely with Li Xiuning,” Xu Ziling countered, “Only you deserve it.”

With a pained expression Kou Zhong said, “Have a pity on me, this kid who lost his love!”

Xu Ziling laughed involuntarily, “Didn’t you want me to pursue Shang Xiuxun? Maybe this is an opportunity. When someday she realizes how much effort I spend on her behalf, perhaps she will be touched and will give herself to marry me!”

Naturally Kou Zhong knew that he was just joking and teasing him, but he also knew that there was no room for discussion. Gnashing his teeth, he said, “And you still call yourself my good Xiongdi? It’s so unfair that you trick me into the trap.”

Xu Ziling roared in laughter and said, “I am enabling Zhong Shao to display your prowess both on the battlefield of the heart and the battlefield of life and death; you ought to be grateful to me. Come on!”

Kou Zhong was stunned, “Where?” he asked.

Letting out a natural and unrestrained laugh, Xu Ziling said, “Why, to see our facilitator behind the scenes of course!”

※ ※ ※

After listening to the entire matter to the end, Lu Miaozi looked at the two boys up and down for half a day, sizing them up. And then rising to his full height, he walked over to a bookshelf, and stretched out his hand inside to operate some sort of mechanism.

‘Creak! Creak!’ A stone slab, about three chi by three chi square in the middle of the hall caved in, to become the topmost step of a series of steps leading down; it was indeed astonishing to behold.

This was the very first time that the two boys saw such an elaborate mechanism with their own eyes; they were dumbstruck.

“Get down!” Lu Miaozi ordered, and took the lead going down the stone steps.

The two boys excitedly followed him down the two-zhang deep flight of stairs.

At the bottom was a spacious cellar about three-zhang square. On one side were two big wooden crates, on another side ten elaborate wooden cases were arranged on small tables along the wall.

Hanging from the wall on all four sides were seven, eight kinds of strange-looking things that might be weapons.

Surprisingly enough, the air in the cellar was only slightly more stuffy than the room upstairs; evidently the room had an adequate ventilation system.

Lu Miaozi took a case from one the small tables and handed it over to Kou Zhong, saying, “If you really want to get the ‘Duke Yang’s Treasure’, you must read and study this book.”

Kou Zhong received the case and took a look. Carved on the surface of the case was ‘Mechanism Study’, three large characters [ji guan xue]. Greatly delighted, he said, “Mister really knows what’s in this kid’s heart.”

Lu Miaozi took three other cases at once and handed them to Xu Ziling; smiling wryly, he said, “After I am dead, you may open the cases and browse through what’s inside. Otherwise, if you tell me that after reading through one time you already understand it completely, I won’t die with closed eyes. Ha!”

Xu Ziling smiled sheepishly and looked down to read. Turned out they were the ‘Astronomy’ [lit. Heavenly Star Study], ‘Mathematics’, and ‘Architecture’, three books.

Pointing to the two cases with characters ‘Military Strategy’ and ‘Geography’ carved on them, Kou Zhong said, “Those two cases will also be very useful to me.”

Absent-mindedly, Lu Miaozi said, “Take it! Who told me to have such fate as meeting with you!”

Without any trace of politeness Kou Zhong took the wooden case. Were it not for Xu Ziling stopping him with his eyes, he might have opened the case and looked at the books inside.

Lu Miaozi walked over toward one of the big crates and plopped himself down. He patted the wooden crate, making a ‘Peng! Peng!’ sound, and with a wistful look on his face he said, “These are the gadgets I created thirty years ago. While wandering destitute in Jianghu for many years, they had made me countless glistening yellow gold. And now what’s left in the box are things I do not have the heart to sell. After I die, whatever you can use you may take away, but leave the rest to accompany me buried in this room!”

Pointing to an iron-rod sticking out from the corner, he said, “If you use your power to pull the iron rod down, this room will close in ten breaths, and nobody will be able to open it. Moreover, this room will descent ten more zhang, and will be my An Le Wo [reminder: Comfort Zone, the name of his house] after I die.”

Kou Zhong sighed and said, “Mr. Lu’s reputation is indeed well-deserved; merely this kind of brilliant construction and mechanism is enough to earn you the title of number one master craftsman since times immemorial.”

Lu Miaozi sobbed while shaking his head; with such an unbearable sorrow he said, “Life is like a dream, in just a snap of the fingers, we will return to dust, leaving only intertwining disgrace and regret. If I had the chance to start all over again, I would not have been interested in these playthings that make people addicted.”

And then, pointing to another chest he said, “In there you will find ten exquisitely made masks, which can make you change shape in a single shake and become another person. It was most convenient when I roamed the Jianghu. I guarantee that nobody can see through it. Tonight you can put the masks to good use.”

The two boys were greatly delighted, and were very excited as well.

Lu Miaozi seriously said, “No matter how exquisite and ingenious the device is, in the end it is still minor art. Relying on it opposite to cultivating upper-class martial art, it is really harmful and not beneficial; therefore, I do not encourage you to use them. These ten masks are the exception.”

Kou Zhong was emotionally moved, “Mister’s lesson is very good,” he said, “Just now I had greedy thought to find a way to transport everything out, but now of course I do not dare to disobey Mister’s instruction!”

Lu Miaozi fixed his gaze on him for a moment. He sighed and said, “Now I like you a little bit.”

Kou Zhong was stunned, “Turns out Mister did not have favorable impression toward me all along,” he said.

Lu Miaozi shook his head and said, “It’s not like that; it’s because I am quite proficient in the art of looking at people’s countenance. I noticed that your eyebrows rose up and your eyes sharp, your nose’s energetic look straight through your face and it is pointy; evidently you have great ambitions and not afraid to take a risk out of desperation. The good aspect is that you are the type of hero people of all ages admire. The bad aspect is that you are the type of dominating hegemon. Therefore, I always have thirty-percent wariness toward you.”

Kou Zhong smiled wryly and said, “Since Mister is adept in looking at people’s countenance, can’t you see that I do have good and honest heart?”

Xu Ziling blurted out laughing and said, “Such sickening words and yet it came out of your mouth; from this it can be clearly seen that your goodness is limited!”

Lu Miaozi also laughed involuntarily. Standing up, he took a pair of steel claws from a wall nearby, and gave each person one, saying, “This is a pair of ‘Flying Divine Escape’ [fei tian shen dun, lit. fly to heaven divine escape]. In those days I relied on these treasures to escape Zhu Yuyan’s hunt. They can be used separately, can catch and bore through any object; naturally only those with strong martial art skill can operate them easily. The steel ring on their tails can even extend as long as ten zhang of rare, precious ice silkworm thread. With your true qi, you can use the steel claw as nimbly as your hands, the silk thread can be long or short, but today I am not in the mood to elaborate, you must research it yourself!”

The two boys were pleased beyond their expectations; they expressed their gratitude promptly.

Lu Miaozi said, “You may leave the books here. After each of you pick your mask, you may take ‘Flying Divine Escape’ claws and join the excitement. Remember to come back here to recount to me the course of events you subdue the enemies and seize the victory.”

After exhaling a mouthful of air, he added, “I don’t know if it was the Li Clan’s good fortune or the Four Big Bandits’ lousy luck that they unexpectedly provoked you, these two guys.”