Green Dragon Totem

[Translator"s Note: Happy Chinese New Year!!!

Because I"m celebrating Chinese New Year in real life, posting will be suspended for one week. Chapter 14 shall resume on 8 Feb 2019.

– LLS]

Sword-Forging Manor.

The lightning had destroyed the entire rear hall until there was practically nothing left, with the fire having been put out by the downpour, yet an acrid odour still pervaded the air.

Everyone stood stupefied at the veranda, with the sorrowful cries of the villa"s servants coming from all directions.

"The entire rear hall had collapsed, the people in service at the villa were mostly born in the family1, some had entire families all inside…"

The villa housekeeper stood trembling before Chen Haiping, giving a clamour before bawling: "The Old Madam, she, she was resting in the rear hall, we"d thought that once the rain stopped we"d go find a physician to pay a house call, but, but…"

Chen Haiping walked before the ruins as if sleepwalking, the charred roof beams and supports toppled over, bricks, furniture, and the surface of the brick bed had been split into flying fragments by the lightning, with the ground covered in large and small pieces of rubble and fragments.

That blow was certainly very fierce, with even the smell of blood being burnt dry in a flash, with the charred-black corpse buried deep within the ruins.

—who would have through that in the s.p.a.ce of a day, the entire Fu family from old to young would have unexpectedly died out, without even leaving a whole corpse!

"How could there be such a coincidence, could it be karma…" Behind him people were already whispering.

"That infant corpse, reportedly their family"s Young Mistress died in childbirth…"

"Struck to death by lightning, the ghost of an unjust death demanding someone"s life, Sword-Forging Manor hasn"t lacked in doing wicked deeds usually…"

"Shut up!" Zhou Yu turned around to rebuke: "Making such irresponsible remarks on matters of G.o.ds and demons, which sect is this unruly!"

A few young disciples immediately professed agreement without daring to say more, yet still exchanged mutual glances in unwillingness, the ideas which had yet to be spoken out obvious at a glance.

After lightning struck the back mountain villa, Jing Ling immediately ordered the subordinates of the Mysterious Demon School to search the precipice for Fu Wenjie"s trail, as well as inviting everyone back under the claim of escorting but in fact coercion. Although Chen Haiping had wanted to go down and find his cousin, yet he was also afraid that the Old Madam in the mountain villa would come to an accident, so in his helplessness he could only retire back to the manor, yet n.o.body had expected to meet with such grievous news on entering the door.

He gasped as he stood before the ruins, before he was suddenly pushed aside without the ability to reject: "Move away."

"…Miss Long?"

Xie Yun knelt down to the pile of charred wood, leaning down to search through it, and suddenly picked up a few bricks: "Are these the floor tiles of your house?"

"What?"

Xie Yun frowned and said: "I"m asking you, are these the floor tiles of your house?"

That floor tile still bore the remnants of a lotus pattern, and Chen Haiping said in bewilderment: "Yes, it"s laid on the floor of the villa"s inner hall, this…"

Jing Ling suddenly strode forward from behind, and with one move pressed down Xie Yun"s hand, as he lightly said: "Miss Long."

They looked at each other in these close quarters, and the rain which was already receding came down beside them, tiny water droplets clung to Xie Yun"s eyes and moved as he narrowed them, the outer corners of his eyes forming a sharp arc.

"You know the style of the Mysterious Demon School at work," Jing Ling gazed at him as he looked down from above, and said: "Do not meddle."

"……"

Jing Ling reached out a hand, as if wanting to brush Xie Yun"s dampened hair back behind his ear, but in the next moment Xie Yun raised a hand to stop him audibly.

"—do you know what is this?" Seeing the other"s gaze fall onto his forearm, Jing Ling pointed to the dark red old scar at the crook of his elbow with the vein, and asked.

"……"

"It"s you."

Xie Yun"s brow leapt lightly, as Jing Ling approached him, no lack of malice in his tone: "See, you usually pretend to be that kind of good person, and then forget what you did before with a turn of your head. How many times do I have to slash you to return this old debt?"

Xie Yun"s pupils contracted slightly, but Jing Ling did not continue speaking, only smiling as he turned around to leave the ruins, and waved an arm towards the Mysterious Demon School a.s.sa.s.sins surrounding everyone: "Men, invite everyone present to the front hall."

"I have important matters to discuss!"

Although the front hall of Sword-Forging Manor had been left untouched by the lightning and thunder, yet the servants of the Fu family were like birds bird startled by the mere tw.a.n.g of a bow, only hurriedly serving tea before they retreated distantly, as if afraid that a bolt of lightning would suddenly come down from the sky again, and bury everyone here.

Not only the servants, the disciples of the many famous sects of the martial-arts community were also filled with fear and trepidation, and occa.s.sionally someone would raise their heads to the beams, and shift towards the doors as much as possible.

Jing Ling was unconcerned, directly walking into the hall and sitting down, and the first thing he said looking down at everyone was:

"Sword-Forging Manor has died out, and the Mysterious Demon School is willing to take the place of the Fu family, and make the funeral arrangements."

All at once everyone rose in an uproar, as Chen Haiping said in anger: "What did you say? My cousin is not necessarily in dire straits, don"t speak nonsense!"

Beside him Zhou Yu agreed: "After daybreak we shall all go down the precipice to search for Master Xin Chao and the Young Master, we shall not just brush aside matters like this!"

"The grand Sword-Forging Manor, how could it just die out like this?"

"To conclude matters now may be too hasty!"

"Exactly!"

……

The entire hall echoed with agreements, and a moment later gradually went silent, as everyone seemed to react, gazing alertly at the Mysterious Demon School a.s.sa.s.sins currently surrounding the four quarters of the front hall as well as the corridor outside.

Jing Ling gazed at everyone with not a word or movement in reaction, until even the dropping of a needle could be heard in the surrounding silence, before he said in a drawn-out tone: "Are you done?"

"……"

"The Young Master tumbled off the precipice due to the servants" slip, and his life and death is yet to be confirmed, so everything points to disaster as a foregone conclusion."

Chen Haiping opened his mouth to say something, yet Jing Ling interrupted him: "Of course, we of the Mysterious Demon School would not stoop to the level where we would disappear people without a trace, thus I have already sent the disciples under our gate to search everywhere under the precipice. If we really do find a trace of the Young Master…"

He slowly smiled, revealing sharp white teeth.

Under the candlelight that cruel and headstrong hazy gaze, left everyone trembling in an instant.

"…we shall inform everyone."

Everyone in the front hall were suppressed by the profound meaning in those words and did not dare to speak, so it was quite a while before Zhou Yu weakly said: "Even if… even if the Young Master has already met some adversity, the Sword-Forging Manor still has the Chen family of Jiangnan as in-laws, and this nephew in the Eldest Young Master Chen, so how did things fall to the Mysterious Demon School to make the funeral arrangements?"

Zhou Yu was truly worthy of being called a representative disciple of the famed Qingcheng Sect, with his words going straight to the point.

"Oh, is that so?" Yet Jing Ling was composed, asking: "Between the cousin and the son-in-law, when discussing who would arrange funerals, which one is more qualified?"

Chen Haiping blurted out: "When did you become—" and then his words abruptly paused.

Jing Ling"s previous coerced proposal for Sword-Forging Manor to marry their Young Mistress, was actually because of this reason!

With matters already like this, the Mysterious Demon School"s heart of Sima Zhao2 had nothing to hide behind now. In the depth of night everyone exchanged looks of dismay, only hearing the crackling of the flames in the oil-lamps, as the atmosphere weighed down and made everyone feel suffocated.

"Alliance Master…" from unknown quarters came a voice as weak as a buzzing mosquito.

"The disaster of a family"s end, should originally have the Alliance Master appear personally to handle the aftermath…" another Qingcheng disciple timidly spoke out.

Zhou Yu"s expression started, and raised his voice: "Yes! The rules of the Jianghu has always had this, if any family was to face the disaster of extermination, it falls to the Master of the allied martial-arts community to step in, supervised by the elders of the prestigious righteous sects, to appropriately settle orphans and properties, and avenge the dead family! Although the Grand Martial a.s.sembly has yet to be held since the old Alliance Master pa.s.sed away, but—"

He had wanted to say that they could wait until after the Grand Martial a.s.sembly was conducted, and everyone has elected a new Alliance Master, then have the new Alliance Master step in to arrange the Fu family"s arrangements, yet he was coldly interrupted by Jing Ling:

"To whom the position of Alliance Master falls to, is at present unknown."

"If the Mysterious Demon School is to be ultimately elected as Alliance Master as scheduled, then would everybody have let the Fu family"s remains wait a month in vain?"

—a.s.sembling a Grand Martial a.s.sembly is to collaboratively discuss how to deal with the Mysterious Demon School, and he actually boasted so shamelessly his intention to seize the position of Alliance Master!

How arrogant, how audacious!

Everyone could no longer bear it, giving voice to berate one after another, and the front hall was immediately filled with toe clamour of many voices. Amongst these Zhou Yu"s voice was the loudest and most indignant, as he said: "The position of Alliance Master has always been a.s.sumed by the orthodox sects, when would it fall to the Mysterious Demon School? You too have a connection to Young Mistress Fu hanging herself, if you became the Alliance Master, who in the Jianghu would accept it!"

"Yes!"

"That"s correct!"

"We definitely won"t accept it!"

……

Jing Ling finally drew a breath, and lazily waved a hand.

—actually his movements were very languid, like a valiant cheetah before the hunt, playing down to lick its claws.

In the next moment the a.s.sa.s.sins of the Mysterious Demon School simultaneously drew their weapons, pouncing to accurately grab a few Qingcheng disciples besides Zhou Yu, and instantly dragged them out of the door!

"AAHHH—" "What is this, what is this?!" "Stop, stop!"

Zhou Yu drew his sword in rage: "The one surnamed Jing what are you trying?! My grand Qingcheng, with its brilliant prestige, the military glory of centuries would not allow you to so brazenly—"

Clang!

Chen Haiping flew over, his long sword ejected out, to be caught in his palm in mid-air, and at the moment of life and death he had blocked the slash from the a.s.sa.s.sin slashing down at Zhou Yu from behind!

"AH—!"

n.o.body had expected that the Mysterious Demon School would go as far as to truly deal killing blows, in an instant everyone in the front hall fell over themselves to scatter in retreat, the situation turning extremely chaotic, with the sounds of overturned tables coming in quick succession.

Zhou Yu was both surprised and furious: "Many thanks to Chen-xiong3, this…"

On the other side, Jing Ling had risen to stride down the main seat, turning his hand back to pluck out the two Soul-Stealing Hooks on his back.

Chen Haiping"s expression abruptly changed: "Watch out!"

His words had yet to conclude, as the Soul-Stealing Hooks flew across towards them, instantly chopping from left and right before the two!

Zhou Yu and Chen Haiping hurriedly parted, each meeting the enemy head-on, and two dong! dong! sounds echoed heavily, as Jing Ling"s dual hooks simultaneously caught the two people, with a terribly great strength of a thousand catties, which actually threw out the two men"s bodies in an instant.

With two clangs, Zhou Yu and Chen Haiping fell to the ground, and they did not even have time to gasp, as Jing Ling slashed forward in their faces like a monster, and the Soul-Stealing Hooks flashed out like spitting snakes to each lock onto their throats!

—Chen Haiping was known far and wife as the direct disciple of the Jiangnan Chen family, and was opined as the leading martial-arts star of the south. If one excluded the great martial-arts houses without account, he actually had a chance as the position of Alliance Master, and there was no need to doubt his martial-arts ability.

And Zhou Yu was the representative disciple of Qingcheng, and for a long time he had already honed his sect"s ultimate technique "Heavenly Shield Swordplay" to the point of perfection. A sect as large and prestigious as Qingcheng had centuries of martial glory, and was a place where new talents appeared constantly in large numbers, so what was there to say about Zhou Yu"s martial standard?

Yet right now, Jing Ling used two hooks and with only himself, actually beat these two to the point where they had no strength to retaliate, and could only constantly retreat to protect themselves with difficulty, in an instant the situation reached the point where they would be forced out of the front hall!

"You b.a.s.t.a.r.d—" Chen Haiping"s blood rushed, and within his palm flashed a faint white light, actually having moved all his true internal force, abruptly throwing himself forward like a bird of prey towards Jing Ling!

This blow was entirely without reservation, if Jing Ling could not bear it, he would certainly be thrown through the air to the front hall, and would suffer heavy injuries even if it did not tear off a layer of skin.

Yet if Jing Ling was able to bear it, judging by Chen Haiping"s charge, most probably he would be chopped into two by the Soul-Stealing Hooks directly chopping forward directly!

Zhou Yu blurted: "Chen-xiong!"

The two of them may not have partnered up before, yet at this moment it seemed as thought there was a meeting of minds, as that sound had barely ended, when he used his entire strength to hold down the hook on the left side, in his utmost attempt to divide Jing Ling"s attention.

—yet right at this time, two Mysterious Demon School a.s.sa.s.sins carried a stretcher wrapped in white cloth, hurrying in from the main gates to the front courtyard: "Report!"

"Young Master4 Jing, we"ve found Young Master Fu"s corpse under the precipice!"

Chen Haiping started, as his qi and blood reversed flows, and his heart broke.

A thread of cold and cruel contempt flashed in Jing Ling"s eyes, as he turned his hand back with the hook in hand, and chopped down—

The snow-white sharp inner edge of the Soul-Stealing Hook, in an instant pressed in on Chen Haiping"s neck.

Right at this flash of time, if Jing Ling tilted the blade up, he could gouge out Chen Haiping"s skull; if it leant down, it would cut through the chest, and would sever in a slant the body into two halves.

—all only depending on Jing Ling"s mood.

Chen Haiping"s pupils dilated, as his eyes clearly reflected the hand of Jing Ling which held the hook handle with his veins bulging out.

The hook"s body carried a cold killing intent as it stuck to his neck, just a bit more, and fresh blood would burst out and spread, rocketing up.

There was already nothing which could block the power of his whole body falling, and the clutches of death had already grabbed his neck—

Bang!

Chen Haiping only saw a flash before his eyes, as a snow-white shadow appeared out of thin air, with wide sleeves flying out, and like lightning it forcibly knocked him away!

Chen Haiping fell to the ground with a deafening crash, almost hardly daring to believe that he had escaped death by the skin of his teeth, and after he gave several gasps while shivering, only then did he look back.

"Miss, Miss Long?"

Xie Yun appeared out of the sky, the motions of his body extremely perfected and refined, yet unexpectedly clever as he "rubbed" into the small line-crack between Jing Ling"s arm and the Soul-Stealing Hook, and a dagger stabbed into the right side of Jing Ling"s chest!

This was simply horrifying speed and technique, if he had not personally seen it, probably viewing throughout the Jianghu no one would believe it.

With a m.u.f.fled dong, Jing Ling heavily knocked into the wall under a great impact, and then his hand slackened, and the Soul-Stealing Hooks clanged as they fell to the ground.

Xie Yun stuck close before him, the wrist wielding the dagger being caught in Jing Ling"s death grip, and no matter how much blood flowed out, the knife-point would not advance any more.

"…the second time now," Jing Ling gasped, his gaze indicating the old wound on his elbow and also his chest.

On his face which was handsome with a touch of viciousness, there was an expression akin to an injured wild beast of bloodl.u.s.t mixed with cruelty, and in this close distance, it seemed to chill people"s hearts.

"Adding this time, there are only two scars on my body, didn"t expect that they were all done by you…"

The knife-wielding hand of Xie Yun that he had caught did not move, but the other hand rose, raising a pointer finger to wiggle at him in ridicule.

"Wrong," he said.

Everyone in the courtyard was watching avidly, as Xie Yun"s frame suddenly gave light gurgling sounds, and then the legs lengthened, the shoulders broadened, the height abruptly expanded several inches, and even the fingers cracked as they rearranged, suddenly lengthening a little bit.

—the "Miss Long" who had been with everyone for so many days, had unexpectedly turned without warning into a handsome and grim young man!

"Im… impossible!" Zhou Yu blurted out with a shudder: "He… Exactly who is he…"

n.o.body was able to reply, even so much that n.o.body was able to recover from this huge shock.

Xie Yun gazed at Jing Ling, the two of them having apart only by a number of inches, so much that Jing Ling could feel his slightly damp hair hanging by his own side.

Then, he saw Xie Yun"s pink lips crook up slightly:

"There is still be a third time."

And then his hand exerted strength, blood burst forth in a hiss, and the dagger stabbed once again into the right side of Jing Ling"s chest.

Translator"s Notes Chapter 13: Funerals and families in Chinese culture

This chapter had nothing much to go on but a bridge, but here Jing Ling - extremely cruel a.s.sa.s.sin - is actually volunteering his sect to manage the final affairs of the Sword-Forging Manor. To do this, he even fights with Chen Haiping over the family of a fiancée who"s already dead.

A lot of what the Mysterious Demon School attempts here is an exercise in power - they do not respect the rules and etiquette of the Jianghu, and even if they do, they flagrantly break the rules to suit their own ends. Readers may thus be confused as to why he does this.

Let us clarify first that this is not done out of kindness. This is actually a political strategy - as the still-living fiancé-in-name of Fu Xiangrong, Jing Ling"s management of the Fu family mourning would affirm his connection through marriage, and gives him a nominal access to the rest of the Central Plains Jianghu. This is also an invasion, albeit in a non-martial sense.

- LLS

1 ZH: 家生子 - a term used to indicate the children born to the servants at the manors of n.o.bility. Supplementary reading about slavery in ancient China here.

2 司马昭之心 - this comes from 司马昭之心路人皆知 "Everyone on the street knows what"s on Sima Zhao"s mind", meaning that a person"s supposed hidden intention (in this case, usurping the throne) is so well known that it is not really hidden. It came from a quote by Cao Mao, fourth emperor of Wei, who launched an unsuccessful uprising against Sima Zhao to try to take back imperial power.

3 ZH: 兄 - "brother", a t.i.tle for men of relative equals to address each other as. The structure is (surname)-xiong.

4 ZH: 景少 - 少爷, refers to the young master of a house.

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