Da Tang Shuang Long Zhuan Volume 1 Chapter 8 part2

This time Fu Junchuo did not hold back at all, she carried them in wild rush toward the most desolate wilderness, without uttering a single word. By dawn they had reached a valley, where finally she set them down.

The two boys crawled up with weary waist and aching back, only to see Fu Junchuo dropped down and sat on the ground, her pretty face was deathly pale, without the slightest sign of life.

The two boys were so scared that their soul flew out and scattered away; they scrambled to her side and wailed, "Niang, you are hurt.”

Fu Junchuo revealed a trace of tender smile as she reached out to grab the two boys' shoulders, and disregarding any taboo between men and women, she pulled them down into her bosom, letting their heads resting on her breasts. With a voice full of tenderness she said, "My, Fu Junchuo, two good children, listen to me carefully. Yuwen Huaji has received serious injury, he must immediately seek treatment, before a year or a half, don't even think to recover. Therefore, in the end Niang has saved you!”

The two boys cried out together, "Niang, why don't you heal first?”

Fu Junchuo sadly shook her head and said, "Niang also wish very much to spend more time to train you to become men who are worthy of respect, to see you get married and have children. I never thought that although I have always hated Han people, but when I saw you I have completely forgotten my country's animosity and my family's hatred, and was most willing to have you as my children. Niang has just stabbed Yuwen Huaji with a deadly strike, but I also received his full-strength punch. His Mysterious Ice Energy is indeed a well-deserved reputation, plus Yuwen Huaji himself is the most outstanding martial art expert in his Clan under Yuwen Shang. With Niang's hopeless condition, even if Shifu personally took care of me, he could not save me. After Niang is dead, you may bury me here. Niang has always enjoyed solitude, later on you don't need to visit me.” [Translator's note: the last sentence refers to religious rites people pay respects to their dead ancestors.]

How could the two boys endure it? They burst into loud wailing while embracing Fu Junchuo with all their strength, until the front part of her gown was drenched with their tears.

Fu Junchuo maintained a serene expression; she said in tender voice, "Niang came all the way from Gaoli this time with bad intentions, my mission was to assassinate Yang Guang so that he can't send troops to Gaoli in the future; who would have thought that the martial art masters in the Palace are as numerous as the clouds. It was only relying on my qinggong [lightness skill] that both times I was able to escape. Consequently, I changed plan. Using the treasure I found from Duke Yang's treasure trove, I made appearance in Jianghu, inciting your Han people to massacre one another. But by chance I came across you.”

Right this moment the two boys were only concerned over Fu Junchuo's life and death, they were not the slightest bit interested in any Duke Yang's treasure-trove.

Fu Junchuo tenderly stroke their hair as she continued, "I went to Yangzhou to look for Shi Long, precisely because our informer within Yuwen Huaji's men reported that Yang Guang sent him to find Shi Long, hence I came to investigate. As a result I met my two well-behaved darlings. Alright, Niang cannot hold on much longer. I still have a lot to say, but recalling how the Heaven often mess with people, saying it is as good as not saying it. I don't know if it is because at the death door people become especially astute, but Niang suddenly have a feeling that in the future my two sons will not become mere ordinary men. You two must not let Niang down!”

The two boys looked up mournfully and cried in grief, "Niang! How could you leave us like this?”

Fu Junchuo suddenly called out, "Oh! That treasure-trove is in Yuema Bridge [lit. galloping horse] in the Capital …” Her voice suddenly ceased. Fu Junchuo, like a fallen jade or vanishing fragrance, in her youthful radiance, closed her eyes and passed away.

The two boys embraced the only family they had on earth, they wept until they lost consciousness.

Using the sword Fu Junchuo left behind, the two boys pared some trees to make planks, they managed to make an extremely simple and crude coffin. And then they buried Fu Junchuo in a clearing among the trees, with only her sword to accompany her.

They missed Fu Junchuo very much, while knowing that this deep enmity could not be avenged no matter what. In their inconsolable grief, their actions were a complete opposite of their normal state, they stayed all day next to the grave, and no longer interested in any rank, fame or fortune of the outside world. Even most talkative Kou Zhong suddenly became silent, he no longer talk.

Making primitive bow and arrow and spear, they caught fish in the river and hunted birds and beasts in the forest to allay their hunger. They even shed their clothes and together with their silver, bury it well. Just wearing shorts they lived a primitive life, devouring raw meat and fowl. Fortunately it was already the transition from spring to summer that in the south the weather was blisteringly hot, plus the two boys had healthy bodies so that they did not suffer any illness due to wind chill.

When night came they simply slept by the grave. They had the book ‘Secret to Long Life' hidden underneath the rock they used as the tombstone; neither one was interested in even touching it.

That night when Fu Junchuo taught them the essence of Nine Mysteries Skill, she has not taught them how to do it when Yuwen Huaji came. Hence presently they only knew the essence, the locations of the acupoints, and the posture that they should assume in meditation; as for how to start practicing, they did not have the slightest idea. On top of that, in their hearts they wished they were dead; how could they have any mood to train? So every day they passed their days in daze, scorched by the sun and drenched by the rain, as if they did not know and did not even feel it.

One particular night, there was a heavy rain. It was cold outside, the two of them huddled together, their hearts were filled with endless misery; recalling Fu Junchuo who was buried right next to them, they wept silently.

When the cold was getting really unbearable, Kou Zhong pushed Xu Ziling to sit up; with his teeth chattering he said, "If we continue like this, sooner or later we will get sick, how could we fulfill Niang's expectation then?”

In the past ten days or so, it was the first time that they talked.

Xu Ziling finally could not endure the cold; he clenched his teeth and asked, "What crafty idea do you have in mind?”

With a bitter smile Kou Zhong said, "If we did not bury Niang's sword, we could at least build a tree house.”

Xu Ziling replied, "Even if I have to freeze to death, I won't disturb Niang's peace.”

Kou Zhong nodded his agreement. "That's only natural,” he said, "But we'd better try practicing the meditation technique Niang taught us. Martial art master won't be affected by heat and cold.”

"How do we start?” Xu Ziling dejectedly said.

Kou Zhong was speechless. He reached out to hold Xu Ziling, and that was how they endured the cold together until daybreak.

When the sun came out, the two boys slowly recovered. However, misfortune does not come singly; they have caught almost all the big fish in the creek that barely any was left. Birds and beasts also seemed to realize that they were dangerous, so none left in the valley. With no alternative, the two eventually decided to hunt for food outside the valley.

Taking their bow and arrow, they stepped out of the valley, only to see clusters of wild flowers, luxuriant fragrant grass, hills and plains, and the quiet open sky above. As far as their eyes could see, they did not see a single sign of other human beings. In all directions they were surrounded by bluish-green, dense mountain range; they could not stop their spirit from being roused, the grief loading their mind was considerably lightened.

Following the foot of the mountain the two boys searched for traces of their prey. Soon they had the luck of hitting a wild rabbit. In high spirits they returned to the valley.

Because it was a blisteringly hot day, Xu Ziling went to have a dip in the creek. When he returned to the grave, he saw Kou Zhong unexpectedly took the book ‘Secret to Long Life' that was hidden underneath the tombstone out, and was reading it with rapt attention; he could not refrain from glaring at him. After all, if not for this ‘Secret to Long Life', Fu Junchuo would not have died under Yuwen Huaji's hands.

Kou Zhong beckoned him to come over. "Don't get angry at me,” he said, "I am simply following Niang's order, we must keep on living. Although these human figures are not any divine skill training method, at the very least it is a training instruction to prolong life. Although we can't figure out these ghost hunting-like characters on the drawings, we can at least follow the dotted lines on the diagrams to circulate our qi, according to the theory Niang taught us, and the positions of the channels and acupoints. If we can reap a bit of benefit, then we won't have to freeze to death.”

When Xu Ziling was about to argue, Kou Zhong suddenly threw the book to his face as if it was an ordinary, worthless book. Naturally Xu Ziling caught it. The opened page happened to show a picture of a human lying down. When he looked at the drawing in the past, because he did not know the Eight Extraordinary Channels, it was as if he was looking at a meaningless drawing. But as he looked at it now, he suddenly understood it much better. Unexpectedly his eyes were glued to the diagram, and he was deeply attracted to it.

Kou Zhong shouted, "The sixth diagram is the most useful. It is best if you don't look at other pictures first.”

Xu Ziling turned the pages, and found out that the picture he was looking at was the last diagram. Looking at the sixth picture, it did not seem to be any easier than the seventh diagram, so he simply ignored Kou Zhong and sat down to study the last diagram.

From that day onwards, other than hunting and sleeping, the two boys sat in meditation to practice following the diagram that they picked, living carefree without any worries in nature, thoroughly lived a primitive life.

Perhaps due to their single-mindedness in studying, the sorrow in their hearts was also vanishing with each passing day. Without even thinking about it, they have entered the ‘ten-thousand thoughts reduction' realm that was the requirement in the Nine Mysteries training.

Chapter end