大唐双龙传 [Da Tang Shuang Long Zhuan] by Huang Yi

[Laoren]

Thanks foxs. Ahhhhh...now we are going to see some fighting scenes. It has been ages since the last big fight.

[HPC7595]

Thanks foxs

[徐中銳]

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...

Very amusing

[SkyWalker]

Thanks for the update foxs. As for LXN&KZ, I have nothing further to elaborate on. For some reason I just find their moments together to be "uninteresting".

[foxs]

Ycb, Ysabel, Abhay, Jaya, HPC, you are welcome. DongBin, is that your way of bootlicking me? ;p Lao Qianbei, not yet, but you are right, big battle coming up. Xu Xiong, agree. Sky, I hate it when a girl (or a boy for that matter) says, ‘It’s not you, it’s me …’ Bottom line, she/he does not reciprocate the feeling. Just say it!

---

“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.”

END OF BOOK 9

[Ysabelkid]

Thanks foxs

[Jayariyin]

Thanks, foxs.

[HPC7595]

Thanks foxs

[Abhay]

Thanks Foxs.

[spynet]

Thanks foxs!

[LuDongBin]

Anything to encourage you to keep posting .. . There was a time when I could recover within 3 or 5 days from jet lag. These days it takes more than a week. Been there. Thks foxs for another chapter.

[Laoren]

Thanks foxs.

[foxs]

Ysabel, Jaya, HPC, Abhay, spy, Lao Qianbei, you are welcome. DongBin, yes, I know exactly what you mean. This time I arrived on Tuesday, and started working on Wednesday, so no time to recover. But after sleeping in on Saturday, I felt much better.

New book. Battle is in the air ...

---

Book 10 Chapter 1 – Separate Deployment

The atmosphere at the Flying Horse Ranch tensed up.

The sentry stations and lookout towers, which were normally unguarded, were now tightly guarded. All the able-bodied men in the entire Ranch marched out of the mountain city batch by batch, and reassembled at the pasture ready to head for the battlefield.

As soon as Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling slipped back into their room, before they even had any chance to sit down, Lan Gu already came and ordered them, “Changzhu’s strict order: unless under specific assignment, Inner Castle people are to stay in their respective courtyards. Violator will be dealt with in accordance with the house rules. Are you clear?”

Leaning by the door, Kou Zhong said to Lan Gu, who was standing outside the door, “We are at war or not, everybody still has to eat; therefore, Lan Gu came to deliver this strict order to us, isn’t it superfluous?”

Lan Gu did not expect that Kou Zhong would not give her any face at all, his expression did not show any concern for his superior; she was so angry that her thin face turned green as she said, “I am in charge in this village courtyard. If I want you two to stay her then you are not allowed to take one step out of the door; otherwise, don’t blame me for being discourteous.”

Giggling, Kou Zhong said, “Lan Gu, calm down. Just now the Housekeeper reported to Changzhu that the vanguard of Four Big Bandits’ allied armies appears in the vicinity; we were just talking with Changzhu about our living arrangement.”

Turning his head toward Xu Ziling, who was sitting in a chair, covering his mouth and snickering, he called out, “Xiao Jing’s memory is better than mine; what did Changzhu say again?”

Xu Ziling promptly put up a serious expression, and said flatly, “Changzhu told us not to worry. She ordered us to make more pastries to entertain Princess Ning and her entourage, and we must not be careless, because our Ranch’s grand reputation in negotiation and troops deployment depends on it.”

Lan Gu was tongue-tied, because she remembered that she has not made any new arrangement for their lodging; her anger subsided considerably. “Since you have Changzhu’s order, why are you still here?” she spoke haltingly.

The two boys thanked the Heaven in their hearts, and quickly slipped out toward the firewood shed.

※ ※ ※

Dusk.

Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling finished making pastries, put them in brocade box, and holding it with both hands they headed toward the Green Ring Courtyard where Li Xiuning stayed. Along the way they encountered several patrolling troops, but after some explanations, they did not have any trouble.

Green Ring Courtyard was a standalone courtyard surrounded by high walls on all four sides. The right side of the middle of the courtyard was dancing trees; the scenery was serene and seemed to be detached from the outside world.

The most distinguishing feature of this courtyard was that outside the entrance, there was a rock garden approximately ten zhang in diameter, the pouring water from which form a pond underneath with goldfish in it. There was also a long nine-bend bridge, more than ten zhang long, connecting this garden and the middle courtyard.

The long bridge weaved left and right among the rocks, much like a maze, and in the middle there was even a hexagonal pavilion; the layout was ingenious, making people sighed in admiration.

Xu Ziling noticed that Kou Zhong was silent the entire trip; he knew the conflict in Kou Zhong’s heart because of Li Xiuning, yet he also knew that in this kind of matter, nobody can lend a helping hand; therefore, he could only sigh in his heart.

Inside the hexagonal pavilion sat two fully armed men; looking at their clothes, the two boys knew that these men were part of Li Xiuning’s personal guards. Seeing the two boys, the two men asked in surprise, “Anything wrong?”

Kou Zhong explained the purpose of their visit. One of the men said in relief, “Just give it to us!”

Kou Zhong had already anticipated that this would happen; he smiled and said, “Earlier this morning, Princess Xiuning came to tour the kitchen, and instructed us, Xiao Ren, that after we make the pastries, she wanted us to explain how to make it. Would two Daye please make a report inside?”

The guard frowned and said, “Princess is receiving guests, plus this is not an urgent matter. We must report it first and see whether Princess can receive you or not later on. It would be better if you just give that thing to us.”

Without much choice the two boys put the pastries down, turned around and left.

Once they were out the guards’ vision, Xu Ziling wondered, “Who might be Li Xiuning’s guests?”

Kou Zhong smiled wryly and said, “I am sure they are Ranch people; for her, they are guests. Oh! Not good!”

The two boys remembered the spy at the same time.

Xu Ziling made a prompt decision, “We will immediately split up; remember to go back first to fetch your Moon in the Well.”

Kou Zhong pulled him back and said, “Outside, the enemy may attack and besiege us for ten days, half a month, the situation inside is more critical, how could you slip out and have fun this soon and leave me to suffer in here alone?”

Xu Ziling pushed him back and said, “If we are acting together, it will be easier for others to suspect us. Don’t forget that body shape and height can’t be changed. Besides, we want to train ourselves to assume personal responsibility to better prepare ourselves for the future. Do you understand?”

※ ※ ※

Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling changed into the night-walker outfits that Lu Miaozi supplied them earlier. After putting on the masks, they immediately changed into two completely different persons that they nearly could not recognize each other.

Xu Ziling turned into a thirty-something rough-looking man, with rough bronze face, full of pockmarks, plus saber scar about three cun long on his right cheek; a Jianghu big-bandit, who was used to kill and burn, persona. His face matched well with his tall and straight, sturdy built; so that his entire person exuded an indescribable coarse and wild aura.

Kou Zhong’s appearance was even weirder. Not only he had an aquiline nose, which was not too pleasant to look at, his face was covered in full beard; an arrogant, violent, tyrannical and wild persona. His age looked to be about ten years older than Xu Ziling’s new persona.

The two boys took turn looking into the copper mirror and both doubled-up in laughter.

Kou Zhong patted Xu Ziling’s shoulder and said, “Tonight we, the Two Eccentrics of Yangzhou, are deployed separately, to turn his mother’s heaven and earth upside down.” [Translator’s note: just want the readers to know that the same character (怪) was translated as ‘freaks’ in Eagle Shooting Hero (as in ‘Seven Freaks of Jiangnan’), but I feel that in this context the two boys were not exactly ‘freaks’.]

Xu Ziling nodded and said, “If anybody finds out that we are not here and inquire later, we must say that we went to Mr. Lu to learn his skill; are you clear?”

Hanging the Moon in the Well on his back, Kou Zhong replied, “In that case, we ought to rendezvous at Lu Miaozi’s place first to be absolutely safe. Come! The guy who does not have any yiqi [spirit of loyalty, code of brotherhood]!”

They jumped out the window.

Xu Ziling followed closely behind Kou Zhong, unleashing their night-walk skill, darting like a rabbit, crouching like a heron, subsequently passing several rows of buildings, until they finally reached a two-story building and crouched on its roof. “Why did you say I have no yiqi?” he whispered.

Staring at the general direction of the Green Ring Courtyard where Li Xiuning stayed, Kou Zhong said hatefully, “You said you have yiqi? The fun things you hogged for yourself, leaving me in here eating the northwest wind, waiting for the enemy to execute their plot like an idiot.”

At first Xu Ziling was smiling, but then he could not help laughing. “Who told you to become that romantic? The hero rescues the beauty; it’s yours exclusively. Remember to regroup at Mr. Lu’s place before daybreak. Please behave! Now if you’ll excuse me, Xiaodi is not able to accompany you!”

Raising his arms, like a lightning he soared into the night sky in the direction of the Castle’s wall.

Watching Xu Ziling disappearing into the distant darkness, Kou Zhong sighed helplessly and slid down onto a smaller building. With movements like a swimming fish, his ghost-like figure floated toward the Green Ring Courtyard.

The vortex of qi within his body grew and multiplied endlessly, making him appeared to have unlimited supply of explosive power. Evading several teams of patrolling guards, traversing the rock garden, he reached the foot of the courtyard wall.

Kou Zhong focused his mind and sent his power to his ears. Immediately an incomparably moving world of audio descended into his ears. The swimming fish moving their tails in the pond under the forest of rocks, the dancing leaves in the evening breeze, even any noise within the ten zhang radius around him: the breathing, the coughing; nothing escaped his eardrums. So much so that he startled himself, surprised that he had become more and more formidable.

If he could hide within the central zone of the Green Ring Courtyard, wouldn’t he be able to use his pair of ears to listen to most of what’s happening within the Courtyard?

But of course it would not be easy. Not only was Li Xiuning herself a martial art master within the Li Clan, her intelligent was also surpassed others. Under the current circumstances, she would have deployed her men to form a tight perimeter, which would prevent the enemy from breaking in.

And then there were Li Gang and Dou Wei who came with her; both were not easy to deal with. Once a misunderstanding arose, things could go bad real fast.

Thinking to this point, since he already had a good grasp of the situation on the other side of the wall, he drafted a plan to infiltrate the Courtyard.

[Ysabelkid]

Thanks foxs

[Laoren]

Thanks foxs. I prefer the 2 freaks of Yangzhou

[SkyWalker]

Thanks foxs! This part of the story is getting very interesting! Take care!

[Jayariyin]

Thanks, foxs.

[ycb5959]

Thanks foxs!

[徐中銳]

foxs, wishing you especially a good start to the week I trust you don't prefer translating either Kou or Xu's individual-adventure over the other...

[Abhay]

Thanks Foxs!