Chapter 22: The Plum Flower Bandit Reappears
Chapter 22: The Plum Flower Bandit Reappears
Original novel written by Gu Long
Fan translation by Meh (Send an email)
The lunch is over, the story is over, the people are leaving, as they left, everyone talked about the predicament Li Xun Huan抯 in.
Lin Xian Er kept looking at Ah Fei, who抯 deep in thought. None of the dishes on their table was touched.
After a while, the Pig-tailed girl put down her chopsticks and asked, 揋randpa, do you think Li Tan Hua is innocent?�
Old Man Sun said, 揈ven if I know he抯 innocent, what can I do?�
The Pig-tailed girl said, 揃ut what about his friends? Are none of them willing to help him either?�
Old Man Sun said, 揑f he were trapped elsewhere, then maybe someone would try to save him. But he抯 trapped at the Shaolin Temple. So I抦 afraid no one can save him.�
The Pig-tailed girl said, 揝o he抯 just going to die at Shaolin?�
Old Man Sun thought for a long time, then said, 揟here certainly is a way, except the chance of success is very small.�
When he heard this, Ah Fei抯 eyes brightened.
The Pig-tailed girl asked, 揥hat is it?�
Old Man Sun said, 揑f the real Plum Flower Bandit is still alive, and reappear, then Li Xun Huan is obviously absolved of all guilt. If he抯 not the Plum Flower Bandit, then he抎 have no reason to kill Reverend Xin Mei.�
The Pig-tailed girl sighed. 揟his possibility really is slim. Even if the Plum Flower Bandit is still alive, he obviously is hiding right now, waiting for them execute Li Xun Huan.�
Old Man Sun put his smoking pipe on the table. 揂re you finished with your noodles?�
The Pig-tailed girl said, 揑 was pretty hungry. But after hearing this story, I can抰 eat anything now.�
Old Man Sun said, 揑n that case, let抯 go. We can抰 save Li Tan Hua by sitting here anyway.�
As the Pig-tailed girl walked to the door, she glanced at Ah Fei again, as if saying, 揑f you just sit here, then how can you save him?�
After Lin Xian Er saw them leave, she chuckled coldly. 揥hat kind of people do you think these two people are?�
揥hat kind?�
Lin Xian Er said, 揃ased on his look, the old man抯 inner strength is very high. That little girl抯 steps are light and quick. Her lightness kung fu is at least as good as mine.�
揜eally?�
揑n my opinion, they抮e definitely not normal storytellers. They must have another reason for coming here.�
Lin Xian Er continued, 揟hey purposely tell this story to you, so you can go commit suicide.�
揝uicide?�
Lin Xian Er sighed. 揑f you knew that Li Xun Huan is trapped at Shaolin, then you抎 obviously try to save him. Yet how can you possibly take on the entire Shaolin Temple?�
Ah Fei is still deep in thought, not responding.
Lin Xian Er said, 揃esides, they might be lying. So you抣l get tricked.�
She suddenly held Ah Fei抯 hand, then said sweetly, 揈ven if they抮e telling the truth, that Li Xun Huan really is in trouble, if you go, you抣l only break Li Xun Huan抯 concentration. If those monks caught you, then he抎 try to save you. So you抎 be hurting him instead of helping.�
After some more thinking, Ah Fei said, 揧ou抮e right.�
Lin Xian Er said, 揝o you promise me you won抰 go to Shaolin?�
揧es.�
From the speed of his response, Lin Xian Er couldn抰 help but question his honesty of the answer.
When the two people got back to the hotel room, Ah Fei said, 揝ince we抮e not going to Shaolin, you should go back.�
揥hat about you?�
Ah Fei responded, 揑... I want to take a walk outside.�
Lin Xian Er suddenly grabbed his hand, her voice shaking. 揂re you going to pretend to be the Plum Flower Bandit?�
Ah Fei stared at the floor for a long time, then after a long sigh, said, 揧es.�
This 慪es� came out very strong, as if nothing can change his mind.
Lin Xian Er said, 揟hen... then why do you ask me to go back?�
Ah Fei said, 揃ecause this is my problem.�
Lin Xian Er said, 揧ou抮e problem is my problem.�
Ah Fei said, 揃ut Li Xun Huan is not your friend.�
Lin Xian Er responded, 揧our friend is my friend.�
Ah Fei抯 face is now filled with grat.i.tude, yet he did not speak.
Lin Xian Er said, 揝ince you value friendship so much, then why can抰 I? Although I抦 useless, but at least I can provide emotional support.�
Ah Fei suddenly held her hand tightly, still cannot speak, but his eyes, his expression, already spoke for him.
His silence spoke louder than any words can.
Lin Xian Er smiled sweetly. 揑f you抮e going to pretend to be the Plum Flower Bandit, then you抣l need someone to rob.�
揧ou抮e right.�
Lin Xian Er said, 揑t can抰 be anybody, right?�
Ah Fei said, 揙bviously, we need to find a rich family who抯 money was ill-gotten.�
Lin Xian Er抯 eyes rolled. 揑 have just the person.�
揥ho?�
Lin Xian Er said, 揟his person used to be a bandit. He stopped after when he turned fifty or so, but he still does some dirty dealings.�
Ah Fei said, 揇o you know his name?�
Lin Xian Er thought for a moment, then said, 揑 remember that it抯 Zhang Sheng Qi, but now he抯 called Zhang Yuan Wai, Zhang Da Shan*.�
*Note: Da Shan literally translates into 慴ig kindness�.
Ah Fei raised his eyebrows. 揂 big kind guy?�
Lin Xian Er said, 揌e抣l steal ten thousand taels of silver, then spend a hundred to fix roads. At night he抎 kill a hundred people, but in the daytime he抎 help the sick.
It抯 incredibly easy for bandits to become a kind person.�
Zhang Sheng Qi lies on his sofa, looking at the pot over the fire, brewing bird soup.
It抯 snowing outside again, but inside it抯 warm as the Spring.
He closed his eyes, wanting to take a nap. Suddenly, he heard a noise, as the pot rolled over and broke.
Shocked, he opened his eyes, a man in black appeared in front of him. No one knows where he came from.
Although Zhang Sheng Qi has retired for a while now, his kung fu is still in top shape, yelling loudly, 揚athetic little robber. How dare you come to my place!�
As he spoke, he got into fighting position, about to attack this man in black.
At this moment, a light appeared in front of him.
Zhang Sheng Qi did not see where it came from, or even what kind of weapon he used. Only that five blood marks appeared on his chest.
The Plum Flower Bandit has reappeared!
At tea parlors, bars, everyone talked about this among themselves.
Could it be that the killer of Zhang Sheng Qi is the real Plum Flower Bandit?
Who抯 his next target?
The rich people no longer could sleep again.
At dusk, a bell sounded in the monastery, monks with serious and cold faces one by one appeared in the rooml.
Their footsteps seemingly even lighter than usual, because for the past few days, their minds have been quite occupied.
On the top of Mt. Song*, the cold is even more brutal, snow fills the whole mountain, as a person walking up in a hurry. It抯 one of Shaolin抯 non-monk disciples, 慣he Hero of Nan Yang* Xiao Jing�.
*Note: Mt. Song is the mountain where Shaolin抯 located. Nan Yang抯 a city, but I have no idea where.
Xiao Jing抯 footsteps are also light, not making a noise as he touches the ground, yet just as he entered the courtyard, Reverend Xin Hu in the abbot抯 room yelled, 揥ho is it?�
Xiao Jing stopped outside, bent over, and said, 揝tudent Xiao Jing, I have something to report.�
There are only three people in the abbot抯 room. Xin Hu, Xin Jian, and Bai Xiao Sheng.
Xiao Jin doesn抰 dare to say too much useless stuffs. As he entered the room, he bowed again and said, 揟he Plum Flower Bandit has reappeared!�
Xiao Jing continued, 揟hree days ago, the former bandit Zhang Sheng Qi was suddenly killed, his valuables stolen. The only marks on his body is are blood marks of a plum on his chest.�
Xin Jian and Bai Xiao Sheng looked at each other, both looked extremely pale.
After who knows how long, Xian Hu sighed. 揘ow that the Plum Flower Bandit has reappeared, maybe Li Xun Huan wasn抰 lying after all.�
Bai Xiao Sheng looked at Xin Jian, did not speak.
Xin Jian walked slowly to the window, looking at the snow outside. 揃ut this might also proved that Li Xun Huan IS the Plum Flower Bandit!�
Xin Hu said, 揚lease explain.�
Xin Jian said, 揑f I were the Plum Flower Bandit, knowing someone is going to die for me, I抎 stay low for a while. Otherwise, wouldn抰 I have just saved Li Xun Huan?�
Bai Xiao Sheng nodded. 揧ou抮e right. The only reason for the Plum Flower Bandit to appear now is to clear Li Xun Huan of all crimes. If I were the Plum Flower Bandit, I would also never do this.�
Xin Hu said, 揑n that case, what are your suggestions?�
Xin Jian said, 揑f Li Xun Huan isn抰 the real Plum Flower Bandit, then his a.s.sociates wouldn抰 be doing this for him.�
Xin Hu also stood up and walked over to the window. 揥ho抯 guarding Li Xun Huan right now?�
Xin Jian said, 揑t抯 second brother抯 students Yi Rui and Yi Chen.�
Xin Hu said, 揟ell them to come here.�
When Yi Rui and Yi Chen got in the room, he didn抰 turn around, only asked, 揇id you send your fifth uncle his dinner?�
Yi Rui said, 揧es. But...�
Xin Hu asked, 揃ut what?�
Yi Rui said, 揑 followed the directions and put the food at the door. The quant.i.ty is the same as yesterday抯, twice as much as normal and another cup of water.�
Yi Chen added, 揑 carried the food basket, because I wanted to see what抯 going on inside, as I stepped back a bit, I saw Li Xun Huan take the basket, looked at it, and threw it back out again.�
揥hy?�
Yi Rui answered, 揃ecause he said the food抯 terrible, there抯 no wine, so he wouldn抰 eat.�
Xin Hu抯 filled with rage. 揥here does he think he is? A restaurant?�
Yi Rui and Yi Chen had been in the monastery for over ten years now. Never have they seen the abbot* actually getting mad before. The two didn抰 dare to look up.�
*Note: I don抰 think I抳e ever mentioned that Xin Hu is the abbot of Shaolin. It抯 rarely mentioned(he抯 mainly referred as reverend) in the book. But in the few instances it was mentioned, I sort of fudged on my translation because I didn抰 know what the head of a monastery is suppose to be called. Hehehe. ^_^
After a long time, when he calmed down, Xin Hu asked, 揥hat does he want to eat then?�
Yi Rui said, 揌e wrote a list and threw it out, and told us to follow his cooking directions. Any mistake and he抣l throw it out again.�
The list said:
Red Steamed Winter Bamboo
Mixed Vegetables Pot
Sour Vegetables with Mushrooms
Cooked Centerless Vegetable
To Fu with Mushrooms and Baby Bamboo
*Note: The above translation could anywhere be right on the money to totally off(I抎 bet on the latter). I don抰 even know how these dishes are cooked even in Chinese. And some of these vegetables probably don抰 even have an English name. O_O
In addition to the 4 dishes and one soup, he also wanted 1.5 kg of high quality Zhu Ye Qing(type of wine), as if Shaolin temple is a high quality Capital City vegetarian resturant.
No matter who sees this list wouldn抰 know whether to laugh of cry. But Xin Hu simply said calmly, 揓ust do as he says.�
Xin Jian immediately said, 揃ig brother you...�
Xin Hu cut him off, 揑f Li Xun Huan doesn抰 eat, neither can fifth brother. His health has been deteriorating the past year or so. He doesn抰 have the stamina to go without food for too long.�
Xin Jian looked at th floor. 揃ut if we do this, then wouldn抰 it prove that Li Xun Huan is controlling us?�
Xin Hu抯 eyes sparkled. 揑 already have a plan. So who cares if he gets his way for a couple of days.�
Ah Fei lied on the bed.
It抯 been four hours. He just lied there, not moving, as if his whole body turned into a stone.�
He simply waits.
Because by not moving, he can save his energy. He needs energy to get food, and need food to survive, to combat nature.
Several times, even the most cunning wild rabbits thought he was just a stone. Once, he was so weak and hungry he had no energy left. If that wild rabbits didn抰 jump on top of him, he might抳e died of hunger.
Another time he played dead for two days before a wild dog came to him.
This type of patience and endurance is not a natural talent, it came only after countless practice.
At first, he抯 not very good at it. He can抰 help but shrivel himself up. But now, he doesn抰 feel anything anymore. As long as he feels that there抯 no need to move, he won抰 move an inch.
When Lin Xian Er came back, she though he抯 already asleep.
Her clothing today is quite strange, a plain grey cloth, covering all parts of her body.
She went to get some information, and had gone for four hours.
As Ah Fei suddenly sat up, which really scared her. But then she smiled, 揝o you抮e just pretending to be asleep, wanting to scare me?�
Li Xian Er combed her hair, then bit her lips. 揧ou don抰 like me?�
Ah Fei shook his head.
Lin Xian Er innocently looked at him, then went over and kissed his cheeks. 揧ou抮e so good.�
Ah Fei stood up, and asked, 揧ou have news?�
She shook her head. 揝haolin has always been very cautious on matters. They must observe for a long time before taking action. They抎 rather not do something than to do something wrong.�
Ah Fei said, 揃ut it抯 been six days.�
Lin Xian Er said, 揗aybe they don抰 believe that the Plum Flower Bandit killed Zhang Sheng Qi, because the Plum Flower Bandit always does a string of crimes, not just one at a time.�
Ah Fei thought for a long time, then said, 揃ut they抣l have to believe sooner or later. I抣l make them believe.�
Lin Xian Er said, 揅ome with me. I抣l show you a place.�
揥here?�
揧our second victim.�
It抯 nighttime. The snow has melted. Their clothing has been changed, so no one noticed them.
Lin Xian Er suddenly pointed at the sign of a p.a.w.n shop. This is a big p.a.w.n shop, with a big sign that says 慡hen Ji p.a.w.n Shop�.
Ah Fei said, 揥hat抯 so special about this sign?�
Lin Xian Er did not respond, only pointed at another sign on a restaurant. 揕ook at this one.�
This restaurant抯 business is very good. Both floors are full of customers. The sign says 慡heng Ji Restaurant�.
Actually, every five or six shops on this street seems to have the 慡hen Ji� name. And they all seem to have great business.
Lin Xian Er said, 揂ll these are opened by Third Brother Shen.�
Ah Fei said, 揘ow where are we going?�
Lin Xian Er said, 揓ust follow me.�
Ah Fei doesn抰 like to ask too many questions anyway, so he didn抰 ask her to explain.
As they walked, she suddenly pointed to the sky. 揕ook, a shooting star.�
Ah Fei stayed silent for a while, then asked, 揇id you make a wish?�
Lin Xian Er said, 揂 shooting star always pa.s.ses by too quickly. No one has enough time to make a wish, unless he knows that the shooting star will appear. But who could know that? I think it抯 all a big lie.�
Ah Fei said, 揈ven so, it can still allow people to have dreams and hopes, and that抯 always good.�
Lin Xian Er said, 揑 never thought you抎 know about such superst.i.tion.�
Ah Fei stared into the distance, where the shooting star disappeared. His eyes showed much sadness, then said, 揑 knew this since I was a little kid.�
Lin Xian Er watched those eyes closely, then said soothingly, 揧ou remembered your mother, didn抰 you? Did she tell you about it?�
Ah Fei didn抰 respond, just walked ahead quickly.
Ah Fei originally thought he saw a huge mansion, but as he got closer, it seemed to have disappeared.
Lin Xian Er looked at the wall surrounding the place. 揟his is a tall wall. Could it be 40 feet?�
揟hat sounds about right.�
Lin Xian Er asked, 揇o you think you can jump over?�
Ah Fei said, 揘o one can jump that high. If you want to get in, I can think of another way.�
Lin Xian Er said, 揟his is Third Brother Shen抯 home.�
Ah Fei asked, 揑s he my second victim?�
Lin Xian Er said, 揑 know you don抰 want to hurt merchants. But there are many different kinds of merchants.�
揥hich kind is him?�
揟he worse, dirtiest kind.�
She smiled. 揟hink about it. How else can he open so many businesses in the city? Why else would he have such tall walls in his house?�
Ah Fei said, 揟here抯 nothing wrong with having tall walls. And there are no laws against having too many businesses.�
Lin Xian Er said, 揟he tall walls means that he抯 scared from doing all his crooked dealings. He has so many shops because he takes them from others?�
Lin Xian Er said, 揟he Shen family is very big and rich. Last generation it had five siblings. This generation, there are sixteen brothers. The sixteen brother opened forty some businesses.�
Ah Fei said, 揝o each one owns three or so. That抯 not a big deal.�
Lin Xian Er responded, 揃ut all of them belong to Third Brother Shen.�
揥hy?�