Da Tang Shuang Long Zhuan Volume 7 Chapter 11 part2

Like a swimming fish Kou Zhong slid sideways to evade. He laughed aloud and said, "My mistake was using the whip too early. If I can hack on you that you forget Laozi's whip, I would have a chance to fix you, this kid, up.”

Xu Ziling landed on the deck and solemnly said, "That is exactly the crucial point. If you could make Ren Shaoming to go all-out in warding off your attack, the whip would have a chance of success, because not even in his dream he would have thought that you would have another killer move.”

Scratching his head, Xiang Yushan said, "Even to my death I could not believe that Kou Dage has never used left hand saber before. Even more unbelievable you have never officially picked up a whip and used it to fight.”

After returning the saber to its owner, Kou Zhong walked over with a chuckle. He said, "General Xiang's guess is right; Beautiful Bangzhu ought to have the clearest understanding. In the past, at the beach where our boat crashed against the rock and capsized, day and night Xiao Ling and I trained our martial art, both using our right hand and left hand. When we are in the mood, wild vine also became our whip. Hence now naturally we can easily master the weapons.”

Xu Ziling added, "I have to admit that we rely mainly on the fantastic true qi from the ‘Secret to Long Life', which continuously flowing inside our bodies. Therefore, each part of our bodies can be easily controlled and has freedom of action, our training becomes half the work, twice the effect.”

Yun Yuzhen sighed in envy. She said, "It is still unbelievable. You don't realize how useless you were back then. Even with one hand tied behind my back, I would still be able to beat you that you fall face down to the left and tumble to the right.”

Kou Zhong changed the subject, "How much longer it is to Jiujiang? I am a bit impatient.”

Xiang Yushan answered, "Two Dage may go up your cabin, Xiaodi guesses we will arrive in about five sichen.”

Yun Yuzhen said with a laugh, "One side calls General Xiang, the other side uses Dage Xiaodi; in the ears of outsiders, your relationship with each other is really hard to understand.”

Kou Zhong laughed aloud and said, "What about you and I? One side calls Beautiful Shifu, the other side calls Kou Gongzi or Kou Xiaozi [kid]. What's the relationship between us?”

Yun Yuzhen cast him a stern look; she said crossly, "Who wants to talk nonsense with you?”

After casting charming eyes toward both Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling, her slim and graceful figure disappeared into her cabin.

At this time the sun was setting in the west, the sky over the Great River gradually turned grey. The big ship continued sailing speedily downstream to the east.

At the door of his cabin, Xu Ziling was about to enter to lie in his bed and cultivate his qi, but Kou Zhong pulled him forcefully toward his room next door. Wrapping his arm around Xu Ziling's shoulder, Kou Zhong took him to the window and said, "Xiao Ling, did you see the beautiful starry sky and the open country outside? The most touching thing is that it contains countless challenges and immeasurable changes.”

Xu Ziling laughed and said, "Whatever it is, just spit it out! Do you still have to talk in circle with me?”

Kou Zhong said, "I have a feeling that after last night, I truly think that I have become an adult, and I am eligible to have any beautiful woman in the world. The most wonderful thing is the power over others and the conquering feeling. Normally Beautiful Bangzhu assumed a cold, untouchable haughty manners, but in that moment if I, Zhong Shao want her alive she would be alive, if I want her dead she would die, or perhaps she would want to live and die.”

Xu Ziling shook his head and said, "In man-woman relationship, I do not have the desire to conquer the other side at all. I only feel that when the two lovers are in harmony with each other, when they advance to sexual intercourse [orig. the joy of fish in the water], both sides will go hand in hand to pursue and break new ground in some kind of beautiful, wonderful, and boundless realm. Therefore, I can only seek sweet dreams together with a woman that I really like.”

Kou Zhong mused, "In theory, I can accept your idealized way of thinking; but in reality I am incapable to break away from the pleasure of greatly spreading out my awe-inspiring conquest. Perhaps this is precisely the difference between you and me. Didn't you say that I am a leader who loves to issue order and be in command?”

After a short pause he patted Xu Ziling's shoulder and said with a wry smile, "Sometimes I really worry that you will turn into a vegetarian Buddhist monk.”

Xu Ziling roared in laughter. "Get lost!” he swore, "I just have not met a woman who can command my admiration!”

Kou Zhong sneered and said, "Shen Luoyan, Shan Wanjing, which one is not beautiful woman who has both first-class wit and charm? Yet your heart was not moved at all. Apart from you basically don't have any interest toward a woman, is there any other explanation?”

Xu Ziling elbowed Kou Zhong's flank so that the latter yelped in pain and had to release his arm wrapped around Xu Ziling's shoulder. Only then did Xu Ziling said indifferently, "The attractive thing about women, more important than their outward appearance is their inner essence and personality traits. Shen Luoyan's ambition is too great, plus she is as cunning as a fox; what could possibly attract me, Xu Ziling? Presently Shan Wanjing and us are like fire and water, so we must stop mentioning her. You used these two women as an example, I should really beat you up.”

With a bitter smile Kou Zhong rubbed his painful flank; he said, "I forgot that if we succeed in assassinating Ren Shaoming, most probably we will have another deep and unmeasurable formidable opponent, because that pair of evil monk and nun under Ren Shaoming's banner, or perhaps even Yin Gui Pai might dispatch their people to create trouble.”

Xu Ziling stared blankly for half a day. Finally he sighed and said, "This is the price of contending over the world. We are falling deeper and deeper into the trap, in the end, all around us there is no friend, only enemies.”

Kou Zhong breathed a deep sigh. He said slowly, "There is an even greater possibility that Ren Shaoming is a spy sent by Tiele King in secret mission to create trouble in the Central Earth; therefore, we may very well be offending two great powers from inside and outside. Are you afraid?”

Xu Ziling smiled and shook his head. He said lightly, "Without these challenges and pressures throughout this life, perhaps it would be difficult for us to pry into the pinnacle of the martial art way. The reason we can come this far is all thanks to every single one of those people who wanted to kill us.”

Chou hour that night [1-3am], the battle ship dropped anchor at a hidden jungle in a tributary of Yangtze River about ten li from Jiujiang. There was another ship, a freighter carrying grains, waiting at that dock. On board was Jukun Bang's Deputy Gang Leader Bu Tianzhi and the skilled workman Chen Laomou.

As soon as they boarded the cargo ship, Chen Laomou immediately started to work to alter the appearance of these four people.

First of all he changed Kou Zhong's appearance to that of a merchant with poor taste.

Immensely proud of himself, Chen Laomou said, "In disguising technique, the most critical application is to make others do not expect it, to create something that they cannot associate the new appearance with the old one, something that even an acquaintance will not see through it.”

Yun Yuzhen, Bu Tianzhi, Xiang Yushan and Xu Ziling who were watching nodded their heads in praise; their spirit rose up even more. Xu Ziling even gushed, "An imposing figure like Xiao Zhong here, any disguise he takes will always expose some hole. Only by disguising him as a fat man who moves slowly will conceal his disguise from other people's eyes and ears.”

Yun Yuzhen said, "Kou Zhong must remember that you are from Yuanling [county, Hunan], taking Yuan River route, entering the Great River, to do business in rice and grain. You are delivering goods to Jiujiang's merchant Xing Fa Long, who has a long-established reputation. Because the army needs provision, Lin Shihong's Chu Army can't possibly give you any trouble. Much less you do have a copy of Xing Fa Long's purchase order and formal customs clearance document.”

Looking at his reflection in the copper mirror, Kou Zhong asked Yun Yuzhen, who was standing by his side, "So what's my name?”

Bu Tianzhi, who was standing further down, replied on her behalf, "Kou Gongzi will be Gu An, who, with a little net worth loves to roam pleasure houses and wine shops, but you are rather stingy, hence you are not welcomed by those sisters who love gold.”

Kou Zhong smiled wryly and said, "Is it because you all are afraid that I will squander your money that you made me into such a loathsome character?”

Yun Yuzhen laughed tenderly while covering her mouth. A bit awkward, Xiang Yushan replied, "That is Yun Bangzhu's idea; she is afraid you might really wander around the pleasure house and thus spoil our proper business. Hey!”

Bu Tianzhi went on, "Xu Gongzi is your younger brother Gu Xiang, whom you always bully; he suffers enough from your pushing him to the east and to the west, your constant maltreatment of scolding and cursing him to your heart's content, but since his natural disposition is cowardly, he is angry, but not daring to speak up.”

Xiang Yushan added, "I am your family's accountant, your manager; all tedious works belong to me. My name is Gu Ning, your [paternal] cousin.”

"So who is Yun Bangzhu?” Kou Zhong asked.

Yun Yuzhen's pretty face blushed slightly as she said, "How about a young concubine you have just acquired?”

Kou Zhong roared in laughter. "I must be afraid someone might steal you away, therefore, even doing business out of town I must bring you along by my side. Ha! Don't forget that we must stay in one room, otherwise people will be suspicious.”

By this time Chen Laomou has finished dying the hair on his temples slightly white, making him looked like a forty-something man.

Xu Ziling sighed and said, "Chen Gong [honorable gentleman] is really talented. If Zhong Shao knew how to restrain the divine light in his eyes, nobody would be able to recognize him!”

The cargo ship shuddered slightly, it raised the anchor and set sail.

Early morning, the two ships arrived at Jiujiang.

Under the potbellied merchant Kou Zhong's supervision, the Jukun Bang people, who disguised themselves as porters, unloaded the goods onto mule carts, which were prepared well by Xing Fa Long. Xiang Yushan, who was disguised as an accountant, went with Xing Fa Long's man to the local water transportation office to file the document and take care of formalities. It was already noon when they all followed the goods into the city.

Surprisingly the city was thriving, but by looking at their appearance and clothing, one would know that they were either traveling merchants or Wulin figures.

Bu Tianzhi was very familiar with the situation here, he informed everybody in low voice, "These past few years Tieqi Hui amassed large quantities of money and goods by plundering and looting, therefore, outsiders are thronging in here, if not for doing business, then for joining the Chu Army. Apparently many people are optimistic about this alliance between Lin Shihong and Ren Shaoming.”

Looking out the window, Xu Ziling said, "Looks like these people are well-behaved.”

Bu Tianzhi laughed and said, "Because it is still daytime. At night those Jianghu people, either because of personal vendetta or self-interest, would go into hard-fighting; the casualties are not a few. As long as it did not affect the life of the common people inside the city, Tieqi Hui and the Chu Army adopted the ‘see no evil hear no evil' stand; but the fact is, it is really very difficult to manage anyway. Especially pleasure houses, wine shops and casinos; anybody who does not have a bit of weight [i.e. social standing] would not dare to venture out at night.”

Frowning, Kou Zhong asked, "Does Lin Shihong prohibit outsiders from entering the city?”

Xiang Yushan replied, "That would make Lin Shihong lose a lot of taxation area outside the city, plus a lot of Wulin characters are more-or-less connected to Tieqi Hui, or perhaps they know somebody in Tieqi Hui. Not to mention Tieqi Hui is extremely keen to take in new blood, hence the reason Jiu Jiang is so crowded.”

Like most cities in Jiangnan, transportation inside and outside Jiujiang relied mainly on water ways. The principal layout was cross-shaped main flagstone streets connecting four city gates, wide enough for eight horses to gallop side by side. Lanes and alleys were arranged in square grids crisscrossing the main streets, everything was clear and in good order.

Xing Fa Long was located at Sweet Green Jade Street, in the affluent part of the city. All houses along the street had their gates and multi-leveled buildings decorated with engraved roof tiles, the courtyards were lush with trees and flowers; it was a picture of serenity, without any trace of the fire of war.

River channels interweaved with the streets, the banks were lined with luxuriant trees, with weeping willows brushing the water; another beautiful scenery.

When the mule train pulled into the big warehouse behind Xing Fa Long's shop, everybody breathed a sigh of relief.

By the time they finished freshening up and taking a rest, it was already dusk. They all gathered in a small pavilion at the rear courtyard to eat and drink. Xing Fa Long's owner Niu Fangcai, who was actually Xiang Yushan's subordinate whom he had sent here, was a very competent man. He took this opportunity to report Jiujiang's situation to the party.

Hearing that Ren Shaoming would arrive the next day, Xiang Yushan said, "This time for the ceremony of forming the alliance, Lin Shihong and Ren Shaoming selected Jiujiang, obviously they want to show their fighting power to the world. I don't believe that various powers in the north are not concerned about it; those who are coming to wreck the alliance can't be just a few. Right now Jiujiang ought to be the place where dragons and snakes mingle, we must act with great care.”

Kou Zhong said, "Sometimes being too careful won't work. Tonight let us go to Chun Zai Lou [see previous chapter] first to scout the enemy territory, to see if we could exploit the environment over there to slaughter Ren Shaoming.”

Niu Fangcai brought out a scroll of painting. After Bu Tianzhi moved the bowls and the dishes away to make room on the table, he spread the scroll. To everybody's surprise, it was an aerial view drawing [orig. bird's eye view] of Chun Zai Lou; the drawing was very fine and detailed.

Niu Fangcai said, "Chun Zai Lou's building complex is divided into the front and rear courtyards. The front courtyard consists of three two-story buildings, which are separated by a network of overlapping winding corridors and rock garden and fishponds. It is used mainly to receive general visitors.”

Yun Yuzhen asked, "If Kou Gongzi and the others go there, could they be making merry in this area?”

Niu Fangcai nodded and said, "They should be. The rear courtyard is twice as big as the front one, it is full with trees and flowers, one of Jiujiang's top ten scenic spots, and is known as the Spring Garden. Ten buildings are arranged symmetrically, it is used mainly to receive VIP guests [orig. with head with face] and those who are willing to spend money. One of the buildings, also called Spring Garden, is for Ren Shaoming's exclusive use. It is the room he always go to whenever he is in Jiujiang.”

"My granny,” Kou Zhong exclaimed, "That's it.”

Xu Ziling said, "Uncle Niu is really resourceful, you managed to investigate Chun Zai Lou's situation very clearly.”

Kou Zhong said, "Based on Ren Shaoming's influence in here, he could have any woman he takes a fancy to be brought into his private residence; why did he let her staying there so that other people could also enjoy her sweet taste?”

Xiang Yushan said, "That is precisely Ren Shaoming's character. He will not let himself be preoccupied by any woman that it would negatively affect his great undertaking of vying over the world.”

Kou Zhong asked again, "You must have a spy in there, don't you? Otherwise, how could you know Chun Zai Lou's situation like the back of your hand?”

Xiang Yushan nodded. "Of course,” he replied, "We have had the intention to assassinate Ren Shaoming. It's just that we never had the opportunity!”

Xu Ziling said, "Ren Shaoming is obsessed with Huo Qi, is that also public knowledge [orig. the street aware the lanes hear]?”

Yun Yuzhen shook her head. "Quite the contrary,” she said, "This is a top secret information. Other than select people at Chun Zai Lou, nobody else knows.”

"That is even better,” Kou Zhong delightedly said, "Now who can take me to Chun Zai Lou?”

"Naturally it will be Xiaodi!” Xiang Yushan hurriedly replied.

"It would be better if General Xiang stay here,” Xu Ziling said, "We only need somebody to show us the way.”

Chapter end