Book 46 - Chapter 2 – Bidding Farewell to Nightmare
Inside the quiet VIP guest lounge of the Da Xian Tang, where no one else could disturb them, Hu Xiaoxian and Xu Ziling sat across the table from each other. ‘Pfft!’ the former giggled, her beautiful eyes revealed a triumphant look, her demeanor relaxed, she said, “So, are you Xu Ziling, or Kou Zhong?” Translated by foxs
Xu Ziling was shocked inwardly, but he calmed down as quickly, because his guess was that the other side really did not want to expose his identity, so her question was just probing in nature. Knitting his brows, he said, “Whatever you want me to be, than I’ll be that person!”
Hu Xiaoxian shook her head and said with a laugh, “You still act dumb in front of this Guniang [Miss]? You can deceive others, but don’t even think that you can deceive me. Whether you dress up as Gong Chenchun or Yong Qin, I admit that your disguise is really authentic and amazing; you look like totally two different persons. However, your gambling style and manner actually betrayed you, so that I knew that you are not only Yong Qin, you are also Gong Chengchun, as well as that guy called Mo Wei or something, who greatly displayed his might at the imperial court. Since all three persons are you, then all three persons are not you. Quickly confess, are you really Xu Ziling or Kou Zhong? What are you doing back in Chang’an? Aren’t you afraid people might surround and catch you alive in a net?”
Xu Ziling groaned inwardly; he barely arrived in Chang’an, already his identity was exposed, first by Wanwan, and now by Hu Xiaoxian. How was he going to continue mingling in the city? He sighed and said, “Isn’t Hu Xiaojie a bit too trusting? If I were either Xu Ziling or Kou Zhong, in order to conceal my identity, I had no choice but to harden my heart and kill you to shut your mouth. Hu Xiaojie is not afraid?”
Hu Xiaoxian laughed tenderly, like a trembling sprig of flower; shaking her head, she said, “Not afraid! I really am not afraid! Because Xu Ziling and Kou Zhong have never been known as vicious and merciless men. Behave and be a bit tactful! Which one is Gexia?”
Dejected, Xu Ziling said, “I am Xu Ziling. Is Xiaojie satisfied? Fortunately, I came here just for a quick visit, I will immediately leave the city and forget about it.”
Annoyed, Hu Xiaoxian said, “Is Nujia that horrible? Even if you want to leave, you’ll have to wait until tomorrow morning when the city gate opens! Humph! A bunch of random talks and nonsense, treating me like this is the first day I am mingling in Jianghu. Quickly take off your mask for me, I hear Xu Ziling’s looks is scholarly, distinguished and accomplished, a famous attractive and intelligent langjun [there is no concise English equivalent; lit. my husband and master (archaic)/playboy of rich family].”
She played with him that Xu Ziling did not know whether to laugh or cry. Fortunately he sensed that she had no malice. Bracing himself, he gave in and pulled the mask, revealing his real face; smiling, he said, “Xiaojie’s evaluation, if you used it against Hou Xibai, it would be incomparably suitable. For me, Xu Ziling, the name does not correspond to reality, I am just a crude person.”
Staring fixedly at him, her beautiful eyes lit up; as if she did not hear what he said, she blissfully said, “Oh, Xu Ziling! Would you be Xiaoxian’s boyfriend? Just for a few days is fine!”
Xu Ziling was flabbergasted; such beauty with brazen words, unrestrained style, even Ji Qian was somewhat inferior. Smiling bitterly, he said, “Hu Xiaojie must not crack jokes!” Translated by foxs
Pursing her lips, Hu Xiaoxian laughed tenderly, she looked to be very proud of herself. Rolling her eyes at him, she said, “I want you to uphold justice and do me a favor; nujia is in extreme distress!”
Xu Ziling felt that things have taken a big turn for the better, naturally he did not dare to offend her. Following the tone of her voice, he asked, “What is troubling Xiaojie?”
Hu Xiaoxian revealed a worried look; sighing lightly, she said, “Precisely because I can’t find the ideal husband. Whose family’s young woman [Guniang] is not troubled by this? Hee … Nujia is joking. My real trouble is because some people think they are my ideal husband, but when I see him, my heart is disgusted. Can you think of a solution to this problem?”
Greatly astonished, Xu Ziling asked, “Who dares to force Hu Xiaojie to do something that you are unwilling to do?”
Acting like a little girl, Hu Xiaoxian put up her hand, and then counted one finger at a time, saying, “The first one is that [email protected] who thinks that his gambling technique is better than mine, that he has the most qualifications to be my Die’s son-in-law. Number two is Qi Wang Li Yuanji; the one proposing marriage is he. The third man is the most despicable; I thought he was showing special consideration to our Hu Family, who would have thought that unexpectedly it produced the opposite of the desired result. In addition to this, the fourth is my own Ol’ Die. Ay! But he is actually under pressure and has no choice; who told him to choose Chang’an as his territory, dreaming that in the future the Li Family would obtain the world, and then he could vigorously expand his gambling business? Tell me! Isn’t my situation right now on all sides, the song of Chu [idiom: surrounded by enemies, isolated and without help], without the freedom to act independently?”
Xu Ziling’s heart was moved, he said, “The third person who is forcing Xiaojie, is it Yin De Fei’s father Yin Zuwen?”
Hu Xiaoxian replied in amazement, “How did you do that? One guess and it’s right on target.”
Xu Ziling understood. This business of forcing Hu Xiaoxian to marry was precisely the reason he came this time to Chang’an to deal with Chi Shengchun. This was the Xiang Family’s wonder troop to expand their gambling business. It should be noted that the Xiang Family’s evil reputation has spread far and wide, the White Way Wulin could not tolerate them, so if the Li’s Tang unified the world, they certainly would wipe out the Xiang Family’s business. However, if the Xiang Family could, by way of marriage, merge the Great Immortal Hu Fo’s gambling business, they could be reincarnated into someone else’s body in a way that justifies the use of the term [i.e. legitimately], then under this situation they could greatly spread out their hands and feet, using another name and another kind of outer appearance to continue the Xiang Family’s enterprise.
Looking from this angle, Yin Zuwen and the Xiang Family ought to be colluding in secret; their support on Ming Tang Wo was just another evil intention.
“How can I help you?” Xu Ziling asked. Translated by foxs
Delighted, Hu Xiaoxian said, “I knew you are a hero who sees what is right and act courageously! Helping me is simple, as long as you can win the Six-Happiness Casino, that will do.”
“What?” Xu Ziling blurted out, “How is that possible?”
Pouting, Hu Xiaoxian said with a sneer, “What’s not possible? Chi Shengchun is violating a big taboo in running a casino, which is he himself is addicted to gambling; oftentimes he cannot help coming down to the arena himself, and his gambling is getting bigger and fiercer. It’s just that because nobody can beat him, so far he has not met any mishap. You, Xu Daxia have exquisite gambling technique, plus you are not afraid of his contemptible trick, this time he is meeting his nemesis!”
Frowning, Xu Ziling asked, “Did your Die agree to Li Yuanji’s marriage proposal?”
Hu Xiaoxian playfully said, “Nujia is against it! Naturally Die must stall for time, while spending a bit of lips and tongue to persuade me. Ay! Too bad we don’t have much time, next month Qi Wang is having a birthday banquet, Die must give Qi Wang an answer no matter what. If you don’t save me, Xiaoxian will have no choice but to kill myself.”
Xu Ziling was having a big headache; if he was not involved in an even bigger conspiracy to deal with Chi Shengchun, helping Hu Xiaoxian was not a problem. But now new branch grew out of a knot, and it was very difficult to explain to Hu Xiaoxian clearly. He had no choice but to say, “Hu Xiaojie, do you trust me?”
Her seductive appearance in full display, she cast him a glance and spoke coyly, “If you are Gong Chenchun, I will at most trust you half. But you are Xu Ziling, Xu Daxia! Naturally Xiaoxian trusts you. Furthermore, if you are willing to let Xiaoxian accompany you tonight, to win favor from you, I will be even more unswerving toward you. Oh, Xu Ziling, Xiaoxian admires you!”
Xu Ziling’s tender face turned red, he spoke in embarrassment, “Xiaojie, please do not make a joke on this kind of things. Tell me first, currently, between you and Chi Shengchun, what kind of relationship do you have? For example, do you deliberately pay no attention to him, or do you feign civility toward him?”
Sure enough, he managed to lead Hu Xiaoxian into another topic. Smiling sweetly, she said, “I am confusing him.”
“What?” Xu Ziling blurted out.
Like a sprig of flower trembling randomly, Hu Xiaoxian laughed and said, “Why make a fuss about nothing? I am the successor of the Da Xian Men’s [great immortal school] of this generation, skilled in deception, how could Chi Shengchun easily see through the real intention in my heart? The most wonderful is that Heaven never bars one’s way; I came across you, this destined love [in opera]. Hereafter I will completely listen to you, all right?”
Xu Ziling’s mind entering the Moon in the Well realm, he smiled and said, “If you really want to completely listen to me, I can make an oath to help you breaking away from Chi Shengchun’s clutch, but not by using your scheme, rather, my scheme.” Translated by foxs
In great delight, Hu Xiaoxian said, “What’s the scheme? Tell me, tell me.”
Laughing involuntarily, Xu Ziling said, “Hu Xiaojie seems to forget who’s listening to whom?”
“Pfft!” with an enchanting smile Hu Xiaoxian said, “I didn’t know you are so strict with the rules. Ah! You don’t want me to ask then I won’t ask. So how should the first chess piece be played?”
Xu Ziling responded indifferently, “First of all, you must keep the secret; regardless the circumstances, you must not reveal the relationship between you and me to the third person, otherwise Hu Xiaojie will have no choice but to give yourself to Chi Shengchun in marriage.”
Hu Xiaoxian smiled and said, “Xu Daxia’s warning is received! Don’t worry! This is more urgent for me than for you.”
Xu Ziling felt that he was starting to warm up to her, he was happy that she was good at understanding others, quick-witted, sharp, and skillful.
As if nothing had happened, Xu Ziling said, “I want you to confuse an unromantic man; as for who this man is, I will let you know later.”
Hu Xiaoxian adopted a cute, pitiful touching manner, putting the charming skill and wonderful method of the Da Xian Men in full display; she spoke in anger, “Do you think nujia is so stupid? That I really cannot think that your scheme has nothing to do with Xiaoxian’s major turning point of lifelong importance [especially marriage]?”
Shrugging his shoulders, Xu Ziling spoke calmly, “Of course it does. Because after Chi Shengchun, he will be the other man who will propose marriage to Da Xian, your Old Die.”
Emotionally moved, Hu Xiaoxian said, “I really begin to admire you.”
Xu Ziling’s pair of eyes emitted sharp expression, he calmly said, “Just now all your admiration was fake, am I right?”
Hu Xiaoxian sighed faintly and said, “Xu Ziling, you should know that our Da Xian Men’s first commandment is to guard against getting excited [or aroused to passion/fall in love]. Emotion may blind reason; it is called ‘black cloud concealing the sun’. Gambling technique is one kind of brilliant deception; psychology tactics are especially important. As long as the other side’s spirit and intelligence is deceived, then one hundred shots will result in one hundred hits. No matter how strong a man on the surface is, inevitably there will be a crack that can be exploited. For example, a man with excessive confidence, thinking that all the women in the world should fall head over heels because of him, attracted to him; I can exploit this weak point to make him suffer a big loss.”
Knitting his brows, Xu Ziling said, “The promise of yours to listen to all my instructions, that better be not fake. Otherwise, not only I won’t help you, I will treat you as an enemy.” Translated by foxs
Hu Xiaoxian cast him flirtatious sidelong glance; she coyly said, “I may deceive anybody else, but I won’t dare to deceive you! I have fully used my charming technique, with some fake elements in it, but also real elements in it, really want to find a stage, put on a comedy [idiom] to tangle you for a period of time, who would have thought that you have a heart of stone, and are not seduced at all? What’s not good in me?”
Not knowing whether to laugh or cry, Xu Ziling said, “Currently we are carrying out a big scam, the target is the entire Six-Happiness Casino. If you want to succeed, there’s only four-character sentence ‘zhong cheng he zuo’ [inner feelings sincere cooperation]; you must act according to my instructions, otherwise we’ll drop everything.”
Hu Xiaoxian stared at him for half a day, she spoke solemnly, “Since you are not interested in me, what’s in it for you?”
Xu Ziling responded indifferently, “Hu Xiaojie does not understand my, Xu Ziling’s personal character too much.”
Hu Xiaoxian lightly shook her cicada head, she spoke softly, “No! This is perhaps woman’s intuition. Ever since meeting you for the first time in Jiujiang, I always feel that you are a good man who attaches extreme importance to comradeship, now I feel that I can trust you without reservation even more. But there are also some worries, afraid that you are underestimating Chi Shengchun’s craftiness.”
Xu Ziling noticed that she went on a roundabout way, but in the end still took an indirect approach to find out about his plan. Laughing involuntarily, he said, “I give you three days to figure it out. After three days, I am coming to look for you.” Finished speaking, he rose up to his full height.
Hu Xiaoxian anxiously stood up; feigning anger coquettishly, she said, “I still have no idea about anything, what do you want me to figure out?”
Xu Ziling raised his finger and pointed it at her from a distance, twice, and then he smiled and said, “Hu Xiaojie seems to forget again who should listen to whom!”
Hu Xiaoxian dejectedly sat back down. Her elbow on the table, she propped her fragrant cheek with her hand, her pretty eyebrows tightly knitted, she spoke gloomily, “Very well! I will obediently listen; but at least you should tell me how to get in touch with you!”
Xu Ziling replied, “I will get in touch with you, not you get in touch with me.”
Smiling sweetly, Hu Xiaoxian said, “Very well! Xu Daxia! Is there any other instruction?”
Kou Zhong led the horse and stopped on the road, following Li Xiuning, Li Shentong and the others riding into the distance with his eyes, all sorts of feelings welled up in his heart.
Wuming dove down from the starry sky and landed on his shoulder. Kou Zhong reached out and gently stroked her feather. Heaving a sigh, he stepped down the horse and walked slowly in the direction of Luoyang. Translated by foxs
The affair between him and Li Xiuning, how it would end, this moment he did not dare to think, moreover, he did not want to think either.
On parting, the expression showing in Li Xiuning’s eyes could hook his soul out, could cut his liver and guts to pieces. Since he had chosen the path to go against her, their part would only diverge farther and farther away. Furthermore, the battle of Luoyang would be an open confrontation against Li Shimin, the elder brother that she respected and loved the most.
It’s finished!
Kou Zhong let out a shout, and then he spurred his horse to speed up. They rapidly disappeared in the boundless depth of the night.
Leaving the Ming Tang Wo, Xu Ziling stepped into the street. He took a deep breath to push away Hu Xiaoxian’s captivating beautiful image, which could bewitch any man and make him confused and disoriented, unable to recognize things – from the realm of his mind. Hu Xiaoxian was like Wanwan, able to exploit her beauty to the fullest, so that it was not easy for anybody to resist.
This moment he already changed back to the full-bearded Gong Chenchun, wandering along the street. When he passed the still-opened-for-business Rong Da Da Ya [glorious attainment big pawn (shop)], he could not help taking a couple more looks, and nearly wanted to come in to look for Ou Liangcai’s maternal uncle Chen Fu. But he quickly suppressed this impulse, thinking that it would be better if he came in contact with Li Jing first before coming back to look for him. Only when Chen Fu knew that he had Li Shimin’s full support behind his back would the other side cooperate with him without any misgivings. After going through so many things, he could not lightly trust anybody anymore.
Following his feet he strolled along the bank of Yong’an Canal, which was a big canal connected to the Wei River outside, north of the city. Under the sparse illumination of the specks of lantern lights along the bank, the torrent was flowing to the south. Under the glittering starry sky, the shadows of the boats and ships moored on the docks were dancing. Along both banks pedestrians were sparse. He could not help recalling the touching memory of going boating along the canal with Shen Luoyan and also remembering the situation in Liyang; he sighed in his heart.
Suddenly a small boat was gliding speedily from upstream. Xu Ziling casually glanced at it, immediately his scalp went numb, while murderous aura rushed forth in his heart, yet he knew that he definitely must not make his move. First of all, because there was a much greater chance of defeat than victory, while it would also reveal his identity.
The boat was steered toward the bank where Xu Ziling was standing; the man spoke softly, “Such a coincidence! Ziling, please get on board, what do you say?”
Unexpectedly, it was the top demonic lord of the generation, the ‘Demonic King’ Shi Zhixuan, whom even the number one martial art master of the demonic school, the ‘Empress Yin’ Zhu Yuyan would have to lose her life under his hands.
All his disguise, yet Shi Zhixuan was able to see through at first glance; what should he do? This moment, walking away was not right, but staying was not right even more. With no room to advance or retreat, he had no choice but to steel himself and leaped onto the stern of the boat and sat down facing him. Translated by foxs
Shi Zhixuan’s expression appeared to be normal, without the slightest sign of injury. His look was natural and composed, his eyes emitted amiable expression, as he gazed at him and said with a smile, “Actually, our meeting was not coincidental at all; I have been following you since you left Xibai’s residence, I just did not expect Ziling to go inside the casino. I wonder if you have been infected by Lei Jiuzhi?”
Xu Ziling felt his entire body turned cold, not only because Shi Zhixuan has been following his tracks yet his senses did not generate any reaction, but even more, because he could not figure out whether the Shi Zhixuan before his eyes was the evil demon who kill while chatting and laughing, of the affectionate man guilt-ridden throughout his life due to Bi Xiuxin’s death.
It was as if Xu Ziling’s spirited senses, like his martial art, were being crippled.
This was the most terrifying demonic power. Finally Shi Zhixuan’s demonic skill was advancing greatly. Perhaps it would be difficult to find anybody in the world who could control him. Not even the three great grandmasters. Because Shi Zhixuan completely belonged to their level, enough to make claims as an equal to any of them, or even surpass them.
Meeting his abstruse, unfathomable gaze, Xu Ziling spoke indifferently, “Did Qianbei just arrive in Chang’an, and determined to look for Xibai to settle the account, and now you change your mind to kill me?”
Shi Zhixuan blurted out laughing. His bearing was calm, relaxed, and pleasant to look at. Shaking his head, he said, “People say that even cruel tiger will not eat its own child; Xibai is just like half a child to me. Sometimes he is a bit naughty, but all along it’s not unforgivable, because the fault lies in me for oftentimes unable to be by his side to give him directions. However, this is also my way of training my successor; not only to give him personal freedom, but also hoping that he would have independent mind, not merely becoming another version of me, Shi Zhixuan. In this aspect, he has performed exceptionally well.”
Xu Ziling called for his Niang inwardly; not only Shi Zhixuan’s temperament has changed, his method has changed as well. The sharpness of his words already surpassed his Bu Si Yin Fa.
Smiling wryly, Xu Ziling said, “I would rather Qianbei is forthcoming like before, because I cannot decide whether you praise Xibai Xiong sincerely, or you are making sarcastic remark?”
Shi Zhixuan crossed the two oars and struck them against each other; he rowed the boar into the water of the Yong’an Canal, reflecting the lantern light on both sides. Light and shadow were smashed to pieces, the small boat glided off the bank, floating along the current downstream.
After staring fixedly at Xu Ziling for half a day, he smiled and said, “The past fifteen years have been like a long nightmare, and now I finally succeeded in waking up.”
And then his gaze turned toward the water, his face softened, and quickly revealed a pained expression, as he spoke in distress, “I am eating my own fruit [idiom: reaping what he has sown]! Who could be so stupid as to kill the sweetheart that he loved most dearly? These fifteen years were the price I had to pay for my own stupidity.”
Stunned, Xu Ziling looked at him, not daring to believe his own eyes. Was he dressing up as god, playing the devil [idiom: scamming], or the demonic qi inside the Demonic Emperor’s Relics, under the curing-ailment-with-poison situation, has transformed Shi Zhixuan into a ‘good person’ instead? Translated by foxs
He really did not know what to say. He no longer understood Shi Zhixuan, no longer able to grasp his inner world.
My Niang!
This was precisely the ‘Demonic King’ Shi Zhixuan without the slightest flaw.
Shi Zhixuan moved his gaze to look at the boundless starry sky, while at the same time he spoke gently, “Ziling, just go to You Lin Xiao Gu [the secluded forest in the small valley; I know it’s long overdue, but I believe it’s a place’s name, not just a description]! Let my daughter have a happy home. Please tell Qingxuan, over the years I have not visited her, it is because I do not dare to see her, I lack that kind of courage. Tell her, she and I belong to two different worlds, there is definitely no chance that these two worlds can meet, absolutely not. Ay!”
Xu Ziling’s heart and mind were severely shaken.
Feixuan was right; Shi Qingxuan was still Shi Zhixuan’s only flaw. Shi Zhixuan was afraid to see Shi Qingxuan, precisely because he knew that it was difficult for him to strike treacherously and kill her; furthermore, he was afraid to incur another fifteen years of terrifying nightmare, therefore, he was unwilling to commit another stupidity.
If he was allowed to see Shi Qingxuan, what would the consequences be?