Book 3 Chapter 10 – The Fire of War on Lake Wei

While helping Xu Ziling massaging the pit of his stomach, Kou Zhong anxiously asked, “Are you really alright? That female [usually refers to female animal] is really ruthless; just because we were not interested in hanging around with her! Unexpectedly she considered it big grudges and animosity.”

“Can you lower your voice a little bit?” Xu Ziling said in low voice, “If she hears it we will be in trouble. Hey! Let me tell you something amazing. When the true qi in my body started to move, just a short while and I feel better already. If I transferred my qi a bit earlier, perhaps I could easily take her palm strike.”

Kou Zhong said, “In that case this palm strike can be considered something of a value, as long as you don’t die.” And then he remembered something and giggled, “Don’t just look at her as being mean, the fact is that she unconsciously fell in love with you. But because she is already betrothed, and you treated her as a worthless nobody, in her anger she wanted to attack you, hence she made her move and injured you.”

Xu Ziling was not amused, “Go to your Niang! Fall in love with me? This kind of love is not worth mentioning.”

The more Kou Zhong thought, the more he was convinced. He analyzed, “Even if one time you cursed her as a loose woman and had no feeling of shame, hence your offense is more serious than mine, but my treatment to her was not much better. Yet she only looked for you to vent her anger; this kind of girl’s mind is the most difficult to fathom. When you went to see her, that guy Shang Ming could not sit or stand still, his expression turned really weird.”

Xu Ziling seized this opportunity to change the subject, “In that case, that Shang Ming ought to be that evil woman Princess’ husband, who has not yet passed through a doorway [marry into a family, see Book 3 Chapter 9]. Ay! Even if the entire Dong Ming Pai people kneeled in front of me, I can’t possibly join their Sect. Men married into the women’s family, why would I want to do that?”

Kou Zhong laughed and giggled, “The biggest reason is that the women would take care of us.”

And then his expression turned serious as he said, “After we get to Weishan Lake tonight, Madame Dong Ming and that evil woman Princess will go see Li Shimin’s old dad. That will be the time we make our move to steal that thing. From here we climbed down the window, it will be as easy as lifting our hand.”

Meanwhile the scenery outside the window has changed, no longer steep banks and cliffs, but clear and crystalline river water, clumps of white cloud, the far-side bank continued on to open land as far as the eye can see. They have arrived at Weishan Lake.

The door was pushed open. The ugly maid walked in silently, sized Xu Ziling up a moment, and then with her hoarse voice and crude manner she asked, “Are you still in pain?”

Xu Ziling was touched by her concern; he was about to reply that it was not a big deal when Kou Zhong pinched him. Hastily he said, “I think after two days rest I should be alright. Thank you Jiejie for your concern.”

“Who cares about you?” the ugly maid coldly said, “It’s just that tonight Madame wants to eat dinner with you, so she sent me over to check on you! Since you are alright, then that’s it.” Finished speaking she turned around and left.

While the two boys were looking at each other in astonishment, there was a knock on the door, the beautiful maid Ruyin came from outside the door, “May I come in?”

Kou Zhong sprang up and pulled the door open. “Good Jiejie, please come in!” he greeted.

‘Pfft!’ Ruyin broke into tender laughter; she cast a sidelong glance toward Kou Zhong and gracefully walked in. Seeing Xu Ziling was sitting in a chair by the window, without any visible change in her countenance she said in amazement, “Madame is right, although on the surface you look badly injured, actually it is not serious at all.”

Xu Ziling could not bear lying to her; he nodded and said, “Just a bit painful!”

Ruyin came over and stretched out her gentle and soft hand to feel the temper