Da Tang Shuang Long Zhuan Volume 6 Chapter 10 part2

Greetings from Hamburg! Xu Xiong, I arrived only yesterday afternoon (long story, involving the passing of my beloved mother-in-law), but I could not post update. Had internet access, but some technical difficulties, partially because the laptop I am using right now is for my work place. Ysabel, Anh, Jaya, Drax, Lao Qianbei, Maniac, you are welcome. Sky, I just did not expect they would drift apart this early in the story, not even 10% yet. Anyway, here is the last of Chapter 10. And since I had some time translating during the long flight, I am giving you a bonus chapter.

You Qiuyan and the others were still scared of him from their earlier battle, plus You Gui and Ling Zhigao were hacked by him, and their wounds were still burning. Seeing him coming with such an awe-inspiring might, momentarily they panicked.

Flames soared to the sky.

Just by looking at the speed at with the blaze spread, one would know that kerosene must have been poured out onto the ship, thereupon the situation quickly got out of hand.

You Qiuyan screamed, "Kill him!”

Kou Zhong laughed aloud and jumped onto another ship. With a saber in his right hand and a torch in his left, he beat the swarming in Haisha Bang people that they would whine on for days; one after another they were thrown into the sea.

When You Qiuyan and the others were rushing toward Kou Zhong, they suddenly saw from another ship some distance away one fiery arrow after another were shot in succession toward the other ships. Flames immediately rose up from all around.

Meanwhile Kou Zhong had disappeared. You Qiuyan focused her attention to look, turned out it was Xu Ziling who released the arrows, the Haisha Bang people who were guarding the ship had already driven to the sea by him.

You Qiuyan shouted, "Quickly put out the fire!”

By this time, cutting the ropes was already useless, all the ships were entangled in a heap. The flame from the ship Kou Zhong burned had already spread onto nearby ships.

The shouts from the ships shook the heavens. The Haisha Bang people whether they should put out the fire first or to chase and intercept the enemy; it was a total chaos.

Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling jumped from one ship to the other, setting everything in their path on fire, creating havoc wantonly, but always avoiding the enemy's main force.

You Qiuyan and the others knew they should have split up to intercept the enemy, but recalling how formidable these two boys were, they were scared to face the enemy alone and thus could not guarantee their little lives. With no other choice they had to hunt down only Kou Zhong.

Night breeze blew, the fire was getting bigger.

More than ten ships were trapped in the sea of fire.

Suddenly Kou Zhong turned back to meet You Qiuyan and the others. The Hall Master of Yuhang Division, Leng Qiu bore the brunt. Hastily he brandished his staff to attack.

Kou Zhong's tiger-eyes flickered continuously, brandishing his saber he hacked backward; suddenly he broke through Leng Qiu' staff's line of defense. With one step forward he chopped at his left shoulder. Fortunately Leng Qiu could keep up with the helmsman, plus he really had real skill, so in his shock he swept the tail of his staff up to block, and took a step back at the same time.

Two sabers chopped down on Kou Zhong in an attempt to rescue Leng Qiu from danger.

Kou Zhong laughed aloud, but his saber continued to strike the tail of Leng Qiu's staff, and swiped through Leng Qiu's left arm before he retreated to the aft of the ship. Leng Qiu grunted in pain, his blood splashed and he pulled back.

A chill crept into everybody's heart, why did Kou Zhong seem to be more formidable than the last time they fought?

‘Dang!'

Kou Zhong parried the two sabers at the same time, lightning fast both his legs executed chain kicks, two Haisha Bang martial art masters, who normally went on the rampage in Yuhang, immediately spurted blood as they flew face-up backwards, so that You Qiuyan and the others panicked.

Holding the saber across his chest, Kou Zhong shouted, "All right! Today I do not wish to kill anymore. You want to kill us, we brothers burned your ships, we are even. Tell Han Gaitian and Shen Faxing to come to us! If you dare to pursue us, don't blame Laozi's saber for not showing mercy.”

The crowd was intimidated by his display of power, momentarily they only dared to make a show of charging, but nobody really dared to move forward.

In the battle a moment ago, the dead and wounded on their side numbered more than thirty men, a considerable loss; this moment the opponent had the addition of Xu Ziling. While their own strength was substantially reduced, who would dare to step forward to strike the tiger's whiskers?

Kou Zhong laughed aloud and soared into the sky. With two somersaults, he landed on a medium sized sailboat that Xu Ziling brought over.

Looking at the sailboat sailing away, You Qiuyan suddenly stomped her foot and pouted, "Still not putting out the fire? I am annoyed to death!”

The sailboat went full speed ahead, the two boys took turns singing loudly. They were extremely happy, as if all the unhappy incidents recently have been purged completely.

Kou Zhong laughed and said, "Haisha Bang is one of the eight-gang ten-societies. It ranks above Beautiful Shifu's Jukun Bang, yet we managed to put their face in a bag and slap their big mouth, we even burned a dozen of their ships.”

"Don't be so smug,” Xu Ziling said, "We had just tied a deep enmity with Jiangnan Army; we are going to see some hard days ahead in transporting our goods.”

Kou Zhong sat at the edge of the boat, watching Xu Ziling at the helms; he cheerfully said, "Isn't that our original intention? I dare say that since ancient times there never be martial art masters who fought day and night like us. Three months' experience worth more than other people's three years. If this continues, in ten months we will gain ten years' worth of skill. Ha! What a great deal!”

Xu Ziling laughed and said, "You, this kid, seem to be more excited the more you fight. But you are right, only from real combat experience we will learn good stuffs; at least seeing sabers and spears flying around we don't feel it is such a big deal.”

Kou Zhong just smiled but kept his opinion for himself. Unexpectedly he fell asleep. Without any option Xu Ziling had to prop his eyelids open, while steering the sailboat toward the brightening horizon where the sky and the water met.

Three days later, the two boys returned to their former haunts. Gently and cautiously they brought the boat to the shore and moored it well. Sitting on the beach, all sorts of feeling welled up in their hearts. The two boys were lost in their own respective thought; they both felt their excitement was driving them mad.

By the time the sun was about to sink into the ocean, Kou Zhong picked up a handful of sand. Watching the grain of sand trickling down from his fingers, he sighed and said, "Xiao Ling! Have you ever thought that we would have days like today? In the past we often boasted that we are martial art masters, while in fact we are well aware what kind of nine-schools-of-thought[1] character we are. Now we have truly become martial art masters, but so what? We are still unable to do anything to Yuwen Huaji.”

Xu Ziling laughed involuntarily, "Zhong Shao really knows how to talk that kind of talks,” he said, "There must be something else behind it. Say it!”

Kou Zhong shook his head and sighed, "Seems like in this world, you are the only one I can't fool,” he said, "All right! You want me to say it then I'll say it. What I mean is that the world is like a big pie [orig. flat bread], whoever has the ability, that person will get a slice. That ability represents strength and power. Once we have these two distinct things, we will be qualified to do the things that we like, whether it is for the benefit of thousands of people, or to settle gratitude and grudges; in short, without these things, there is no law. Even if I became Bi Xuan, and you became Ning Daoqi, killing Yuwen Huaji is still not an easy thing, perhaps we even have to pay it with our own little lives. Do you understand what I am talking about?”

Xu Ziling somberly said, "I was just thinking about how we spent every moving moment here in the past, yet you are thinking about vying over the world; aren't you afraid you will miss many wonderful things in life? Every day you are thinking about either killing other people or guarding against being killed by other people.”

Kou Zhong's big eyes lit up, "But those are the stimulating things, those are the exciting things. If I have nothing to do all day long, won't I suffocate myself to death? Previously I also thought about putting up with you a little bit, only doing conscientious thing and making profit unscrupulously, but the more I think about it, the more I feel it's not worth it. If you don't do the most exciting things, how could you live with yourself? Presently what the people all over the world need is one true master and liberator; if you have aspirations, how could you miss anything?”

Xu Ziling smiled wryly and said, "When all is said and done, what you want is for me to help you.”

Kou Zhong moved in front of him, dropping down on one knee, he reached out with both hands to grab Xu Ziling's shoulders. With eyes projecting deep emotions and passionate expression, he solemnly said, "No one in the world understands your ability, wisdom and spirit better than I do. With you, my good brother, helping me, other people can only retreat for three days' march [i.e. giving way in the face of superior strength].”

Xu Ziling reciprocated by reaching out to grab his broad shoulders; he spoke heavily, "Well said! No one in the world understands you better than I do as well. Only you, one person, can turn the entire world upside down. Basically you don't need my help.”

Kou Zhong dejectedly let his hands go and sat down on the sandy beach. He sighed and said, "How can I see you go?”

Xu Ziling reached out to wrap his arm around him tightly; he said in a low voice, "We've grown up. Each one of us have our own vision and goal in life, we are no longer Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling of the past. In the future you don't need to take the responsibility of avenging Niang, just go do what you need to do! The day you and I go our own ways will be the day I set out on my journey to assassinate Yuwen Huagu. If I cannot put my hand on the blade that will enter that wretched body, I can never find true peace in my heart.”

[1]Nine schools of thought, philosophical schools of the Spring and Autumn, and Warring States periods (770-220 BC): Confucians, Taoists, Yin and Yang, Legalists, Logicians, Mohists, Diplomats, Miscellaneous, Agriculturalists. Figuratively: mainstream, abysmal.

Chapter end