Book 10 Chapter 3 – You Hoodwink Me, I Cheat You

Xu Ziling squatted by a brook. He washed his hands first, and then scooped the water with his hands and delightedly drank two mouthful of fresh water.

The refreshing creek water poured into his throat, greatly rejuvenating his mind and spirit, while not too far away the sound of killing and the hard battle was still heard, and on the other side the hoof beats sounded like a distant rumbling of a thunder. But in that instant everything seemed to be detached from him.

The three cuts on his arm, left shoulder and right leg still hurt a little bit, but the cuts were more or less healed; they no longer bled.

In his mind he still remembered vividly how under the enemy’s heavy siege he killed a lot of the enemy leaders. And then using the divine escape he easily got out of the siege by hanging from tree to tree.

The thieves’ forces were clearly more than several thousand strong, plus their martial art masters were as numerous as clouds, so that the Ranch’s fighters who met the enemy head-on were repeatedly caught in bitter struggle.

Right now, the only way he could help the Flying Horse Ranch to get out of this disaster was to find the location of the Four Big Bandits’ main force first, and then utilizing guerilla warfare he would kill their Commander-in-Chief. In this way he would completely frustrated enemy’s morale and disrupt their troop disposition.

His mind made up, Xu Ziling shot the divine escape and leaped to the top of a towering old tree by the creek, to survey the battlefield situation.

※ ※ ※

Chai Shao laughed coldly and said, “If Sire does not die, we will accompany you drinking hot tea and chatting!”

Reaching out to pull Li Xiuning’s lily-white hand, he quickly withdrew.

Watching that, Kou Zhong’s heart was burning with anger; he stood blankly on the spot, unaware that Li Gang and Dou Wei had also moved away.

“Release the arrows!” Chai Shao thundered.

Amidst the ‘swish, swish!’ noise, the Li Clan’s warriors on the eaves and in the garden pulled their bows and crossbows and shot arrows toward Kou Zhong.

Chai Shao also let go of Li Xiuning’s hand. Fast as lightning, his two arm-protectors shot toward Kou Zhong, carrying with them an extremely swift and fierce power.

Even if he were able to, it would still be very difficult for Kou Zhong to block this well-coordinated salvo of arrows with the Moon in the Well in his hand, to say nothing of he still had to deal with Chai Shao’s shooting arm-protector steel truncheons, which were suffused with powerful qi.

In that instant Kou Zhong regained his senses and soared straight up to the air just before the arrows penetrating his body. Li Xiuning cried out tenderly. The moment the arrows, darts and arm-protectors hit an empty space, her body followed her sword, tailing Kou Zhong to the air.

The sound of crossbows being reloaded echoed from all directions, indicating the second salvo of arrows was about to be launched.

Kou Zhong was unable to borrow more strength; he had nothing in the air he could use as a shield. At the same time he had to deal with Li Xiuning’s attack from below, while a concentrated arrows might come any time. Even Ning Daoqi, Bi Xuan and martial art masters their caliber would be at a loss to know what to do.

Nevertheless Kou Zhong remained calm without any fear. The divine escape in his left hand shot like lightning toward the peak of an old tree on his left. Just before Li Xiuning’s sword reached him, he changed direction sideways and disappeared into the distant darkness.

Watching this, Chai Shao and the others could only stare blankly, but nothing can be done.

※ ※ ※

Raising his qi, Xu Ziling sped along, and stopped only after going over a hill.

Many different trees were growing thickly at the foot of the hill, with a small river flowing gently in the middle. Far ahead he saw the small village that he saw earlier from the top of the cliff.

Just now when he was surveying the battlefield situation, he found out that the main force of the thieves scattering in all directions were all centered on this small village. Feeling strange, he decided to come over to look.

Currently the small village was as quiet as a ghost town, he did not feel anything unusual at all. After a short contemplation, he decided to run down the slope of the hill. But as he almost reached the village, suddenly an alarm went off in his heart; a feeling similar to when he felt someone was watching him from a boat docking by Yangtze River outside the city of Baling. He could not help feeling surprised.

Could it be that someone was hiding inside the house over there?

From time to time the sound of battle was still resounding from all directions, reminding him that the battle was still raging, and it was growing in intensity.

After taking a deep breath, filled with great confidence, Xu Ziling walked over to the gate of the biggest and tallest house in the village. Reaching out, he knocked the door three times.

‘Creak!’

The wooden door opened to the inside, while a sword swiftly and fiercely stabbed onto his chest.

This sword strike was not simple at all. It looked like just one strike, but it actually contained endless attacking attribute and countless changes and follow-up moves. The most formidable aspect was that while the tip of the sword was vibrating and shaking, it sent out seven, eight sword qi in succession, ‘Chi! Chi!’ continuously, enveloping all the vital acupoints around Xu Ziling’s chest and abdomen with suffocating power.

Xu Ziling had a feeling like the one he had when he was confronting Yang Xuyan, plus because he was in the open while the enemy was hidden, temporarily his eyes were filled with dots of sword tip, and his breathing could not flow freely.

When it looked like he was about to be injured by the sword, Xu Ziling’s slender hands suddenly shot up in front of his chest, his ten fingers opened up like a blooming flower, each finger carried a subtle change, and each moved gracefully beyond belief in different angle, to meet the sword tip in such a narrow space.

‘Ding! Ding! Dang! Dang!’

Amidst the continuous sweet sound like tinkling pearls on a jade tray, Xu Ziling neutralized the opponent’s swift and fierce sword move while standing steadfastly, without moving a single step.

‘Bang!’

The door closed again. But Xu Ziling was able to see the sword wielder was none other than Shang Xiuxun wearing tight warrior outfit.

Although he felt strange on why Shang Xiuxun was not in the battlefield leading her troops but stayed here instead, but Xu Ziling was relieved because this beautiful Ranch Master was still safe and sound.

While he was about to raise his voice to call, thunderous sound of hoof beats came from both ends of the village. Xu Ziling’s mind was churning at the speed of light; he flew back, leaped onto the roof of the building across the street, and lay prostrate motionless, calmly waiting for the upcoming change.

※ ※ ※

Leaving the Green Ring Courtyard, Kou Zhong leaped onto the top of a bell tower. He felt like crying, both from grieving and bitterness of his heart, which were extremely unbearable.

Previously he thought that he could get over Li Xiuning easily, but when he saw Li Xiuning obediently let Chai Shao pulled her tender lily-white hand, Kou Zhong realized what important place she occupied in his heart. Since she already had Chai Shao protecting the flower, why would she bother minding him, an outsider?

A breeze came, rippling the pond water, distorting the image of what was at the bottom of the pond.

Kou Zhong sighed. He made up his mind to no longer pay attention to Li Xiuning, as he flew toward the Castle’s wall. Apparently he decided to vent up his heartache and grievances on those hapless low-class bandits.

※ ※ ※

The hoof beats stopped suddenly.

The two groups of riders stopped at the entrances to the village and jumped down their horses. Most of them spread out to guard the exits, while only about twenty people boldly entered the village.

From his high vantage point, Xu Ziling looked down and saw that other than four men wearing white bands on their heads holding torches high above their heads, the rest of the people all dressed differently. All carried the air of martial art masters. Apparently they were the leaders of the thieves.

The four men taking the lead looked even more distinct. Most likely they were the Four Big Bandits, who ran amuck the Yangtze River region, whose terrifying names spread out in all directions. Their age appeared to range between thirty and forty years.

Xu Ziling could not help shuddering in fear, while thinking inwardly that no wonder Shang Xiuxun was hiding in here. Because of intelligence failure, they thought the incoming enemy was only one team several thousand strong, while the fact was that the Four Big Bandits were going on an all-out attack, with the objective of seizing the Flying Horse Ranch in one move. The strange thing was that in this time of turmoil and chaos of war, how did the Four Big Bandits obtain such a great magical power and find out that Shang Xiuxun was hiding in here?

The bandits stopped in the middle of the village. One of the four leaders laughed aloud and said, “I am Xiang Batian; Jianghu friends who love to joke bestowed me the title ‘not even a blade of grass grows’ as my nickname; all because they don’t understand me at all. The fact is that I am a man who loves and cherishes flowers; if Shang Changzhu don’t believe me, just try giving yourself to me for three days, I guarantee that you will be able to correct the notion of the gravely-mistaken people all over the world.”

The other thieves immediately roared in laughter; a laughter brimming with obscene overtone.

Xiang Batian’s profile and outward appearance really made others did not dare to give a compliment. He was a fat man, short in stature. Not only his body was short, his limbs were also sort and stubby. He had a pot belly, and a flat, gourd-shaped head that looked like it grew out directly from his fat shoulders.

But his eyes, which were so narrow that he appeared to be eternally squinting, were gleaming with demonical, unusual blue flashes, so that people would know that not only he was an expert in internal martial art, the path he took was that of the heretical school of martial arts.

In his hands he was holding a pair of flickering silvery light steel rings with sharp teeth on the edges, strengthening the impression that he was a dangerous and mysterious person.

Nobody knew how many people had died under his ‘Soul-snatching Tooth Ring’.

Chapter 3 - Part 2

Xu Ziling, who was lying low on the back of the roof slope, suddenly felt an overwhelming and intense murderous intention, which he himself did not understand. Upon further reflection, he realized that it was because of the verbal insults were directed to Shang Xiuxun.

Standing next to Xiang Batian was a thick and solid, sturdy man, with a criss-crossing pair of wolf-teeth clubs on his back, the flesh on his face grew without restraint, and a big wart grew on his forehead, which made him appeared uglier. The man laughed wildly and said, “Changzhu recklessly went out to battle, your defeat is guaranteed. But if you are willing to give yourself to serve us, to be our companion in bed, naturally everything can be discussed.” His talk was even more obscene.

The thieves roared in lewd laughter again, filled with arrogance.

Xu Ziling suddenly remembered that spy.

If there were no spies playing their tricks, how could the thieves know Shang Xiuxun’s whereabouts? They would not know the Flying Horse Ranch’s strength, and thus the Ranch would not take such a beating in such a short period of time.

However, as long as the Ranch was able to steadily defend the mouth of the gorge on both sides, they still could not be considered lost.

Another bandit leader laughed eerily and said, “One bed one companion. Fang Sandi’s [third (younger) brother] proposal is amazing. It’s just that Shang Changzhu is a virgin; even if in her heart she is a thousand times, then thousand times willing, but in the presence of so many people, naturally her tender face is blushing bashfully, so she is speechless! Don’t you think my, Mao Zao’s perception on women’s heart is thorough enough?”

This person’s figure was tall and thin, a picture of a bad demon scholar; he had a pair of double apostrophe thin moustache above his lips [orig. eight character (八) shaped], and a horsetail whisk stuck on his back. His attire was nondescript [lit. neither fish nor fowl]. Just by a single glance one would have been able to guess that he must be the ‘scorched earth for a thousand li’ Mao Zao, who ranked second among the Four Big Bandits.

The one who spoke earlier, the man with a wart on his forehead, the one he called the third brother, must be the ‘chicken and dogs won’t remain’, Fang Jianding.

The one Xu Ziling paid particular attention to was the only one who had not spoken yet, who ought to be the leader of the Four Big Bandits, ‘the ghosts weep the deities cry’, Cao Yinglong.

This person looked majestic; he had a pair of big ‘catching-the-wind’ ears, his forehead was covered in deep wrinkles, his cheekbones high, his cheeks sunken, his eyes appeared half-open half-closed, giving others deep impression. But his overall appearance was not as loathsome as the other three; he appeared a bit like an old pedant who does not like to talk.

In his left hand he held a spear forged entirely from refined steel; it appeared to weigh at least forty or fifty catties.

‘Ding!’

Xiang Batian raised both hands up and struck his pair of ‘Soul-snatching Tooth Ring’, creating a clear and crisp sound. The dozen or so of his men standing behind him immediately fanned out to do house-to-house search. Some even leaped onto the roof to act as a lookout.

For the next few moments, the continuous sound of doors breaking and windows shattering was heard. The murderous intention in Xu Ziling’s heart was rising as he quietly gathered his power.

※ ※ ※

With the aid of the divine escape, Kou Zhong dove through the Inner Castle, flying over the houses and leaped over the buildings, in the direction of the outer city wall. As he was passing the courtyard where he caught sight of Yuan’er and that outside ghost’s tryst the other night, he had an idea and turned toward it.

He faintly heard voices from the building, but saw no lantern light.

Kou Zhong crouched low in the courtyard. After going through a fierce battle of conflicting thoughts within himself, he still could not bear to let it go. Leaping onto a tree by the house, he looked in through the window.

From this angle, he was able to see Yuan’er’s lover [lit. male adulterer] from the other night and another man sitting on the chairs by the window, facing other people, who were out of his line of sight. But listening to the conversation, he determined that there were no less than ten people in that room.

With the lesson he learned last time, Kou Zhong knew that the lover’s skill was quite outstanding, so he hastily employed the inner breathing from the ‘Secret to Long Life’, while at the same time suppressing the brilliance of his eyes.

He heard someone said, “The most brilliant aspect of our entire operation this time is the coordinated attack from the inside and the outside, and thus catching them off-guard. Moreover, with Gongzi [young master] personally presiding over it in secret, we need not worry that the Flying Horse Ranch will not fall into our hands.”

The lover laughed aloud and said, “Chen Laoshi [lit. teacher] ought to stop flattering me. I, Li Tianfan, am merely a small fry who waves the banner and cheers from the side. The one holding the command flag is Shen Junshi [military strategist/advisor].”

Kou Zhong’s scalp went numb instantly; it was only then did he realize the seriousness of the situation.

Military Advisor Shen was, naturally, Shen Luoyan. Li Tianfan was Li Mi’s son, also Song Yuzhi’s betrothed. Just the fact that these two people were sitting in this meeting was a strong and powerful indicator that Li Mi did not spare any effort to seize the Flying Horse Ranch and deal with Li Xiuning at the same time.

Sure enough, Shen Luoyan’s warbling sweet voice came from inside, “Gongzi is too modest! Luoyan is ashamed and dare not accept the honor. Right now it’s only the hai hour [between 9-11pm], Shang Xiuxun has become the fish in Cao Mengzhu’s [alliance master/leader] net, we should also hear news from the Inner Castle.”

Li Tianfan sneered and said, “Shang Xiuxun has always been a lone flower admiring itself; she has no regards toward the people of the world. In terms of ability and wisdom, how could she match Shen Junshi? While we still have a bit of time, it would be best if Shen Junshi could give us more details on our coordinated operation.”

This man struck the right note, proving the adage that tiger father would not begot dog child; apparently he was a very capable leader.

Kou Zhong was seriously considering killing this son; if he succeeded, wouldn’t Song Yuzhi’s engagement be annulled immediately? Or else, if Li Mi succeeded in capturing Luoyang, Song Yuzhi would have to immediately marry into the Li family.

He already lost Li Xiuning; if Song Yuzhi was married to someone else, and the Song Clan and Li Mi became family, it would be a big blow to Kou Zhong, both in his public, as well as his private lives.

Thinking to this point, his heart was boiling, but his mind was still as cold as ice.

The most important thing right now was to get a feel of the strength of these people inside. Just one Shen Luoyan was already difficult to deal with, not to mention Li Tianfan, who was even more formidable. If he was not careful, he might even lose his life here.

Ay! If only Xiao Ling were here. Now he only wanted to be the knight in shining armor [orig. hero who rescues the beauty]. If he by any chance could win her heart, nothing could be more ideal than that.

※ ※ ※

‘Bang!’

The wooden door burst open.

A man burst into the house where Shang Xiuxun was hiding. Xu Ziling was storing up his power and waited. The moment the Four Big Bandits made some unusual move toward Shang Xiuxun, that would be the moment he would also make his move.

The Four Big Bandits looked shocked as they turned to look at both the front and rear doors of the house. Not because they heard any particular noise, but because there was no sound from the inside, not even footsteps.

This did not make any sense at all.

The man who entered the house was not an ordinary fighter. Even if the entire Flying Horse Ranch was inside the house, they could not possibly subdue him in just one move.

Xu Ziling was surprised as well; he forgot to make his move.

Cao Yinglong, who thus far has not spoken yet, suddenly said coldly, “Men! Smash the whole house to pieces for me!”

The crowd of bandits behind him thundered their acknowledgement and moved out immediately.

The martial art masters among the bandits, who were standing guard on the surrounding roofs, also had their attention focused in this place. They all held their torches high, so that the entire village was aglow.

Fang Jianding shouted harshly as he stepped out from among the crowd. Storming up the stone steps, with both palms he struck the wall next to the door.

At first the wall did not show anything unusual, but then the eaves above started to shake like in an earthquake, followed by the entire wall started to crumble and ruptured inward, slightly exposing the situation inside the hall, before it got covered by collapsing roof, the broken tiles and the rising dust.

The crowd of bandits broke in thunderous cheers and swarmed toward the house like a pack of hungry beasts sniffing the blood of their prey.

Witnessing Fang Jianding’s formidable palms, Xu Ziling thought that if he was using the pair of wolf-teeth clubs on his back, it would definitely a total annihilation [orig. sweeping away a thousand armies]. But this has aroused his fighting spirit even more.

This moment he heard gusts of wind from the building to his left. The martial art masters on the bandits’ side were swarming toward his hiding place. Xu Ziling sighed inwardly. Momentarily putting aside his intention of killing the bandits’ leaders, his gaze quickly scanned his surroundings, near and far, trying to find a new hiding place.

In a side garden of a house just outside the range of the torches’ light, he saw a small brick structure – approximately two zhang square – that looked like a shed where people put their junks. Quickly sliding down the roof, he went to hide in there.

The wooden door opened easily. Before he was able to see anything clearly, he heard a soft rumble of mechanism from the underground. But because of the incessant noise outside from the house coming down, the other noise was kind of drowned, so that he would not have to worry that the people outside would hear it.

Xu Ziling quickly closed the door. As expected, the room was filled with miscellaneous farming tools, but the middle of the room was empty. A slab of floor slowly sank down, exposing a dark and deep tunnel underneath.

Xu Ziling immediately remembered Lu Miaozi, the number one master craftsman under the heavens.

※ ※ ※

Shen Luoyan was about to speak when a bird cry was heard from a roof on a distance. Li Tianfan immediately said, “Li Xiuning has fallen into the trap, everything proceeds as planned.”

Kou Zhong knew that they received the signal Yuan’er transmitted from the Inner Castle; he could not help smiling wryly inwardly.

Could he really ignore Li Xiuning’s safety?

Let alone this matter had direct relation to his endeavor for hegemony over the land under the heavens!