Chapter 6 - Before the Duel
[originally translated by Chowbeng and edited by RWX]
Fu Hongxue
About 36-37 years old.
Characterised by his maid right foot and the sabre that never left his hand.
His martial arts don’t seem to be from a particular school or teacher. His self learned sabre is extrely quick and widely acknowledged as the martial world’s number one sabre.
His family background is unclear. He was said to be adopted from birth by the Devil Sect’s Princess Bai Feng, and thus well he is acquainted in all kinds of killing arts using poison. He had never married, and road the world without a ho.
His character is eccentric and callous, operating alone and associating with no one else.
Du Lei slowly pushed the paper with these data to the Thumb without any expressions.
Thumb asked, "Have you read these?"
Du Lei, "Hmm.."
Thumb sighed, "I know that you would not be satisfied, but that’s all the data we could dig out. And that’s as much as anyone know about Fu Hongxue."
Du Lei, "Very good."
Thumb blinked and lightly probed, "Are these of any help to you?"
Du Lei, "Not at all"
Thumb, "Not even one bit?"
Du Lei slowly nodded. He stood up, opened up a step and quickly sat down again. He said coldly, "Your data left out two things, the two most important points."
Thumb, "Oh.."
Du Lei, "He was cheated by a woman before, very badly cheated."
Thumb, "Who was this woman?"
Du Lei, "A whore called, Cui Nong"
Thumb sighed again, "I had always wondered why intelligent n are so easily cheated by whores."
Peacock suddenly butted in and sneered, "That’s because intelligent n would only like intelligent won and clever won are mostly whores."
Thumb shook his head and laughed, "I knew you hate won but would never guess that you hated them that much."
Du Lei sneered, "Looks like he was also cheated by a woman."
Peacock’s face changed colour, unexpectedly smiled and changed the topic, "What’s the second point?"
Du Lei, "He has a sickness"
Thumb, "What sickness?"
Du Lei, "Epilepsy."
Thumb’s eyes shone, "When his sickness acts up, he would foam in the mouth and roll on the ground?"
Du Lei, "Epilepsy has only one kind of effect."
Thumb wondered, "How could an insane cripple like him mastered the unparalleled sabre under the heavens."
Du Lei, "He has worked hard. It was said that he practiced his sabre at least eight hours everyday, starting from the age four to five, drawing his sabre at least 12000 tis a day."
Thumb laughed bitterly, "I can’t believe that you know more about him than us."
Du Lei softly said, "I know that much about each and every person in the Hall of Fa, because I had spent five whole months collecting their info and another five months researching their skills."
Thumb, "I am sure you had spent more ti on Fu Hongxue than anyone else."
Du Lei acknowledged that.
Thumb, "So what’s the result of your research?"
Du Lei, "His sabre had never left his hands, for at least the last twenty years that sabre is all he ever used. By now, that sabre had practically beco part of his body. He used that sabre, better and more easily than others used their own finger."
Thumb, "From what I know, that sabre isn’t really a good quality sabre."
Du Lei, "A sabre that can kill is a good sabre!"
For Fu Hongxue, that sabre is no longer just a sabre. The man and sabre had developed a link that others would not be able understand. Although Du Lei did not say that aloud, but Thumb had understood what he had ant.
Peacock was pondering all this ti, and suddenly said, "If we can take away his sabre..."
Du Lei, "Nobody can take away his sabre."
Peacock smiled, "There are always exceptions to every matter."
Du Lei, "There will be no exceptions in this case."
Peacock did not argue further but instead asked, "Usually, when would his sickness act up?"
Du Lei, "His sickness surfaces when he is suffering from extre anger or sorrow."
Peacock, "If you can strike when he is sick..."
Du Lei’s face darkened and coldly said, "What kind of person do you think I am?"
Peacock smiled again, "I also know you are not willing to do such things, but we could easily have others to do that. If we could get soone to anger him first, then..."
Du lei suddenly shot up, and coldly declared, "I only hope you understand one thing."
Peacock is listening, and so is the Thumb!
Du Lei, "This duel is between he and I alone, no matter who wins or loses, it has nothing do with anyone else."
Thumb suddenly injected, "Nothing to do with Gongzi as well?"
Du Lei’s hand on the scabbard tightened suddenly.
Thumb, "If you haven’t have forgotten Gongzi, then you should at least do one thing."
Du Lei could not help but to ask, "What is that?"
Thumb, "Let him wait, let him wait longer, till he is anxious and bothered before you go."
He smiled and continued, "This battle you win or lose, live or die, we don’t really care. But we are also not keen to collect your body."
....
Noon, the abandoned Ni Family Garden.
The sun’s rays are shinning on the hexagonal pavilion. Outside the pavilion, there is one man, one sabre!
A pitch black sabre!
Fu Hongxue slowly walked across the weeds-invaded alley, his hand clenching the sabre tightly.
Although the red paint on the railings were already peeling off, the pavilion was still standing proud in the mist of the greenery . Under the sun’s rays, it looked every bit of its forr glory.
This place certainly used to be splendid, but why had it fallen to such a desolate state?
A pair of swallows flew in and settled on the poplar tree outside the hexagonal pavilion, as though they were searching too for its forr glory.
It’s a pity that while the poplar tree was still the sa, the local scenery was all gone.
The swallows had flew back and fro, how many tis had they ca and how many tis had they left?
The poplar never asked.
The poplar had no words!
The poplar had no feelings.
Fu Hongxue suddenly felt a stinging pain in his heart.
He had long mastered the polar’s silence, but when could he ever mastered the polar’s ruthlessness!
Fu Hongxue stood there foolishly, as if forgetting where he was and where he’s from.
He did not think further, because he suddenly heard sobody’s laughter.
Laughter, clear and sweet like a golden oriole.
The sun had set and the grass had grown tall but there was no sign of the oriole.
The sounds of the golden oriole was in the tall grass.
From the tall grass, a girl suddenly stood up, looking at Fu Hongxue and laughing in a silly way.
Her laughter was beautiful, but more so was her person, her long raven hair as soft as silk.
She didn’t comb her hair and let her silky soft black hair fell free on her shoulders.
She didn’t wear any make-up either, just a long gown that fitted easily on her. It is neither silk or satin, but it lustred like her hair.
Fu Hongxue did not ask.
"I was laughing at you." She laughed even more sweetly. "You stood there, looking like a fool."
Fu Hongxue was silent.
"You wouldn’t even ask who I am?"
"Who are you?"
Fu Hongxue had asked, as he had originally intended to!
Who could have known that the mont he opened his mouth, that long-haired girl leaped up with a yell.
"I was waiting for you to ask just that." She leaped up with the ominousness of a provoked kitten. "Do you know who owns the land you are standing on? Who are you to swagger around like a lord?"
Fu Hongxue coolly watched her and waited for her to continued.
"This place belongs to the Ni family." Her finger pointing at her own nose, "I am 2nd Miss Ni, "I could chase you out any ti I pleased."
Fu Hongxue could only keep his mouth shut.
One hadn’t much to say when one was caught trespassing by the owner herself.
2nd Miss Ni stared at him maliciously with her pair of large eyes. She smile again, still as sweetly as before.
"However, I certainly would not chase you out, because..." She winked, "Because I like you."
Fu Hongxue could only listen.
You can choose not to fancy soone, but you can’t prevent others from fancying you.
But just as suddenly, this 2nd Miss Ni changed her mind, "I was actually lying when I said I like you." Sighing, "I didn’t chased you out, because I know I am not your match."
Fu Hongxue could not help but to ask, "So, you know ?"
"Of course!"
"What do you know?"
"I not only know about your martial arts, but your surna and na as well."
With her hands behind her back, she swaggered out of the long grass. Slanting her eyes, she sized up Fu Hongxue from top to bottom.
"Others all said that you are a freak, but I don’t find you strange in any way. In fact, you are rather good looking."
Fu Hongxue slowly turned and walked towards the hexagonal pavilion, "You are the only one left in this place?"
"So what if I am alone?" She rolled her eyeballs, "Don’t tell you still dare to bully ?"
"Usually, you don’t stay here?"
"Why would I stay in such an ghastly place by myself?"
Fu Hongxue suddenly turned and stared at her, "Why are you still here now?"
2nd Miss Ni exclaid,"This is my ho, I can co and go as I like. Why should I be under the orders of others?"
Fu Hongxue could only shut up yet again.
2nd Miss Ni stared at him intensely in a fierce looking manner. She then smiled again, "Actually, I shouldn’t have quarreled with you. If we start fighting now, how could we manage in the future?"
Future?
Do you know that there are so people without a future?
Fu Hongxue slowly stepped on to the stone dike and stared into an unseen distant location. Despite the sun’s rays, his face is still frightfully pale.
He only wished that Du Lei would be here soon.
She however still latched on to him, "I know you are Fu Hongxue, so you should at least ask for my na."
He did not ask, so she could only continued herself, "My na is Ni Hui, aning ’wise’." Without warning, she leaped up the railings, facing Fu Hongxue, "My father give this na, because I have been intelligent since childhood."
Fu Hongxue ignored her.
"You don’t believe ?" With her hands on her waist, her forehead nearly touching his nose, she said, "I not only know why you are here but also what type of people you are waiting for."
"Hmm.."
"You are certainly here for a life and death duel, I can tell from one look."
"Hmm.."
"You have a murderous aura."
What did this small slip of a girl know about murderous auras?
"I also know that the person you are waiting for is certainly Du Lei", Ni Hui said confidently. "Because within a few hundred li of this area, the only one who can match up with Fu Hongxue is Du Lei."
This girl indeed knew quite a bit.
Fu Hongxue looked her two lively eyes and coldly said, " Since you know, you should leave quickly."
Although his voice was cold, the emotion in his eyes wasn’t quite as cold. In fact, the outline of his eyes showed so hint of tenderness.
Ni Hui smiled again, gently, "Are you starting to care for ?"
Fu Hongxue imdiately lowered his face. "The reason I want you to go is that I don’t kill for others to watch."
Ni Hui curled her lips, "Even if you want gone, there is no real hurry. Du Lei wouldn’t be here that soon."
Fu Hongxue lifed his head, the sun was already in the middle of the sky.
Ni Hui, "He would let you wait, let you till wait you are agitated. When you are agitated, his chances would increased."
She smiled and continued, "This is also a kind of battle strategy, a man like you should had thought of it a long ti ago."
She shook her head, "No no, you wouldn’t have thought of it, you are a gentleman. I am, however not one, so I can teach you a thod that is used especially to deal with such villain."
What thod?
Fu Hongxue did not ask but did not refuse either.
Ni Hui, "He let you wait, you could also let him wait."
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
This is an ancient thod, an ancient thod is usually a very effective thod.
Ni Hui, "We could take a walk before coming back. We could even play two gas of chess, drink two cups of wine. Let him wait for you here, let him wait till he is anxious."
Fu Hongxue showed no reaction.
Ni Hui, "I could bring you to my family wine cellar. If we are lucky, we might even find a couple jars of maiden’s blush wine that was left when my aunt got married.
She was in high spirits. But he still did not show any reaction, so she reached out for his hand - the hand that held the sabre.
Nobody can touch that hand.
Her soft delicate fingers rely brushed his hand, but she could feel a strange and powerful vibration.
This powerful vibration actually sent her whole body flying away.
She was trying to remain standing but she couldn’t steady herself and finally she fell down, a heavy fall!
Although she didn’t cry, her eyes were already flushing red. With a choking voice, "I only wanted to make friends with you and help you with such a small matter. Why did you treat like this?"
She rubbed her nose and looked to cry any mont.
She looked just like a small, tiny girl, so pitiful and cute.
Fu Hongxue did not pay her any attention, did not look at her, not even one look. He however coolly said, "Get up, there are snakes in the grass."
Ni Hui felt even more wronged. "How could I stand up when all bones in my body were nearly broken just now?"
She used the hand that was rubbing her nose to rub her eyes, "I might as well be bitten to death by the venomous snake."
Fu Hongxue’s pale face still had no emotion, but he already started to walk to her.
He knew how much power he had used just now.
That strength did not co wholly from his hand. His hand was holding the sabre and the sabre too had its own strength.
In his hands, the sabre seed to have a life of its own.
With life, it has strength.
The power of life.
This kind of strength is powerful, almost as powerful as that kind of sword-qi that can cut through everything.
He indeed shouldn’t have used this sort of strength on her.
Ni Hui sat dejectedly upon the grass, with her face buried in her hands.
Her hands are white and small.
Fu Hongxue couldn’t help but to reach out and pull her up - naturally with the hand which is not holding his sabre.
She did not refuse or avoid him.
Her hand was soft and warm.
Fu Hongxue had not touch a girl’s hand for a long, long ti.
His control over his own lust is almost thorough and complete.
However, he is still a man. One who wasn’t too old, yet.
She obediently stood up, softly groaning. He was just about to support her, but her whole body unexpectedly fell into his embrace.
Her body was so warm, so soft.
He could feel his own heartbeat, and she of course could feel it too.
Oddly, at the sa ti he suddenly had another very unnatural sensation.
He suddenly felt a rush of a murderous aura.
At this very mont, she had pulled out a dagger. A seven inch dagger. The dagger stabbed at the weak point on the his armpit.
Her face was still that of a small, tiny girl, but her hands were as deadly as the venomous cobra.
Sadly, her stab still missed the mark.
Fu Hongxue’s body suddenly contracted, and the blade that was clearly aid for his flesh and blood rely grazed his skin.
In the sa mont when she realised that she had missed, she had already sprung up!
Just like the kind of venomous snake which could suddenly sprung up from the ground, the second she sprung up, she sorsaulted away.
One sorsault after another in mid-air resulting in her feet being on the eaves of the hexagonal pavilion.
With her feet firmly planted, she sent herself flying 50 feet away into the trees with another flip.
She had intended to flee further but Fu Hongxue didn’t give chase. So, she didn’t have to flee either. Amazingly, with just one foot on a thin tree branch, she could hurl abuse.
Her lightness skill was high, but her ability to hurl abuse was higher.
"Now I know why that woman in the past jilted you. It is because you are simply not a man. You are not only crippled in the leg, but crippled in the heart as well."
Her curses were not very vuglar, but every word was like a needle, piercing Fu Hongxue’s heart.
Fu Hongxue’s pale face suddenly had a kind of red blush, his hand was already holding tight.
He almost couldn’t help but to draw his sabre.
However, he didn’t move because he realised the pain in his heart wasn’t as intense as he had thought.
In the past, his pain was like a hot brand on livestocks, forever clear and fresh.
Her every smile, her every tear, every bit of emotion, every little lie was deeply etched in his heart.
He had always hidden it very well.
All until the mont he saw Mingyue Xin - all the deeply hidden painful mories, all ca alive in front of him.
No one could have imagined the pain he had borne then.
But unexpectedly to him, after that shocking hurt, his pain lessened. The unthinkable pain had beca more bearable.
The hurt of the heart is sotis like a festering wound. If you do not cut it out, it would rot even more; if you steeled your heart and cut it out, allowing the blood and pus to flow out, the wound might begin to heal.
When Fu Hongxue lifted his head again, he had completely recovered his composure.
Ni Hui was still on the tree branch, staring at him in surprise. He didn’t draw his sabre, but he softly said two words, "You. Leave!"
This ti Ni Hui obeyed. She left very quickly.
...
The sun had already moved to the west, and the hexagonal pavilion was already casting a shadow.
Fu Hongxue had not moved, not even his posture had changed.
The shadows grew longer and longer.
Fu Hongxue still did not move.
When the body is calm, the heart is also calm.
To a man who had long since grown accustod to solitary and loneliness, waiting was no longer a painful thing.
To draw his sabre for the very first ti, he had waited for seventeen years. However, that draw of his sabre was both aningless and unnecessary!
He waited seventeen years to kill a person, to avenge his parents.
But when he drew his sabre, he already discovered that he wasn’t a descendant of that family, and had nothing to do with that affair.
That was more than ironic.
No matter how you looked at it, this kind of irony was too cruel and malicious.
But he had accepted it, because he had no choice.
He had, henceforth, learned to endure.
If Du Lei could understand this point, perhaps he wouldn’t make him wait.
while you are making others wait, you are also waiting yourself!
In this world, many matters were like a double edge sword.
When you are trying to hurt others, many a tis you would end up hurting yourself the sa way. Sotis, you hurt yourself more than you hurt others!
Fu Hongxue softly breathed out, feeling totally calm.
The ti was already 15 minutes past 2 PM.
...
This dark gloomy house was at the end of a long, dark and gloomy street. The original owner was a sickly and stingy old man. It was said that only when his body started to sll was his corpse was discovered.
Peacock didn’t rent this house because he was stingy.
He had the ability to live in the best inns, but he preferred it here.
For him, the na "Peacock" was an irony.
His personality was definitely unlike that of the proud, gorgeous showbird. It was more like that of the bat which never saw the light of the day.
When Thumb entered, he was lying on that cold and hard wooden bed of his.
The only window of the house was also nailed shut, so it was really not unlike a bat’s cave.
Thumb sat down and exhaled. He could never understand why Peacock liked to live in this place.
Peacock did not even take a single look at him. Only when his breathing quieted down, did Peacock asked, "What about Du Lei?"
Thumb, "He is still waiting."
Peacock, "When we parted ways, it was exactly 2 PM."
He added, "How long is he prepared to let Fu Hongxue waited?"
Thumb, "I already told him to wait till at least 4 PM before setting off."
Peacock broke into an evil grin, "Standing in that ghastly place and waiting for four hours is certainly no joke."
Thumb however raised an eyebrown, "But I am worried about sothing."
Peacock, "What is that?"
Thumb, "Although Fu Hongxue is waiting, Du Lei himself is also waiting. I only worried that he might it more unbearable than Fu Hongxue."
Peacock softly said, "If he died under Fu Hongxue’s sabre, do you suffer any loss?"
Thumb, "No."
Peacock, "Then, there is nothing to worry about."
Thumb laughed and wiped off his sweat with his sleeves, "I have good news for you."
Peacock listened on.
Thumb, "Yan Nanfei is not only poisoned, but seriously as well.
Peacock, "Where did you get this piece of news?"
Thumb, "Bought it with five hundreds taels of silver."
Peacock’s eyes shined, "News that is worth five hundred taels is usually very reliable."
Thumb, "So, now we can go and kill him anyti."
Peacock, "Let’s go now."
The ti was exactly 15 minutes past 2 PM.
.....
Noon had long passed, and the sun’s rays were getting harsher and hotter. Spring had gradually tapered off, and the long sumr season would arrive soon.
Fu Hongxue disliked the sumr.
Sumr belonged to the children. During the day, they would frolick about naked in the ponds, roll in the grass, pick strawberries, and catch butterflies. During the night, they would sit under the lon shed, eating sweet lons chilled with well water. They would listen to the adults tell tall tales and trade gossip. They would catch a bag of fireflies, putting them into gauze pouches and exchanging them with young ladies and girls for a few pieces of candy.
The golden sumr, the golden childhood, a ti of everlasting joy and no pain.
However, Fu Hongxue never had a sumr that truly belonged to himself.
In his mories, sumrs were full of sweat and blood. Hiding in the hot woods, drawing the saber; under the hot desert sun, drawing the saber!
Drawing the sabre!
Again and again, the never ending draw!
This simple action had already transford into the most important part of his life.
When is the next ti he draw his sabre?
The sabre itself is death
When the sabre is drawn, death cos.
When he draw his sabre this ti, who would die?
Fu Hongxue lowered his head, gazing at the hand that held the sabre. The hand is cold, the hand is pale, the sabre pitch black.
At this mont, he heard the footstep of Du Lei.
The ti was exactly 45 minutes past 2 PM.
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