Ch6. Ximen… ah ChuxueRaw Translation by: Proofreaders: – Editors: –
I went back to my room after having a dinner. I couldn’t help but thinking that the supernatural phenomenon in this world were really too much! Even that little devil could toss me half dead, and what about a millennium year old ghost Miss Daiyu? I really must make the best use of my time to make up for my weaknesses. Therefore I took out my traditional Chinese character dictionary from my bag, and put out the Niu School’s Past Record on Demon Subjugation beside it. I translated it word by word then reorganized it into the simplified character in a new note.
I originally thought that the records here were only boasting and fantasizing about spirit beings. There were records about Nine Tail Fox, Millennium Zombie King, Evil Undead and other evil spirits. However, after previously experiencing the little devil event, I was convinced that the records in this book should all be real events and experienced by real people. Then I decided that my duel with that little devil must be included in this “Niu Schools’ Past Records”. That was a thrilling duel! But of course I have to make myself looks good in this book; for example, “Shortly after I bit my finger, I drew the symbol of Great Star and a Phoenix symbol with my blood and drew a demon subjugation symbol in the air! With only one chant that little devil was so frightened and boom!”.Anyways, my future generations surely wouldn’t find out whether it was true or false either. I couldn’t help but wretchedly smile after thinking about it.
However, a voice interrupted my obscenity: “What are you laughing?” It’s Miss Daiyu voice.
I hurriedly stopped my wretched smiling face, and spoke seriously: “It’s nothing. I didn’t think that this book is very interesting. The seniors written in this book could make monsters; evil spirits and ghosts cried and called their mom and dad. Even they were kneeling in the ground and shouting: Father, don’t beat me, I’m your long lost son”.
Miss Daiyu took a glance at my traditional Chinese character dictionary on the table, as well as my simplified Chinese characters note, and nodded slightly and asked: “How can you provoke a ghost?”
Under her interrogation-like probing, I know that if I didn’t tell the truth, I would have invited a disaster for myself, and then I told her the whole story in full detail. Miss Daiyu nodded and said: “Originally it’s a resentful baby ghost, was that girl had an abortion before?”
Miss Daiyu comments made me unhappy, I really like Xiaohui, and she seem not that kind of cheap-casual girl to me, besides, she was very young, how could she had an abortion before?. Therefore I asked her in unhappy tone: “Why did you say so?”
Daiyu explained: “The ghost appearance took a shape and form just like the shape and looks from the last second before they died. However, it’s different with high leveled ghosts with magical skill, since they could change their appearance at will just like me. But the ghosts are divided into normal ghost and extra-ordinary ghost. Normal ghosts don’t have any magical skill, and after dying they could only wandering for 3 days before being transmitted to the Netherworld. However for extra-ordinary ghosts; they have no time limit; moreover they could practice cultivation technique. As for the resentful infants, they were the weakest existence of all. They died even before they were born, it could be miscarried, or died shortly after they born, or because abortion. If they were forcefully aborted, the resentful baby usually will haunt the mother; because they hate their mother. Therefore I guessed that your schoolmate could have had an abortion before. However whatever happened, I’ll ask that resentful baby ghost personally tomorrow”
I was shocked for a moment: “Personally? Miss Daiyu, you will actually act to help Xiaohui and get rid of that baby?”
“Well, although I’m now recovering from injury and reluctantly get involved. But if it’s only a resentful baby ghost, it’s easy to solve. Not to mention you didn’t solve it yourself. And if I don’t act you will not taking back that Shadowbane Sword and getting distracted from your cultivation”
As I heard that Miss Daiyu would help me, I was very relieved and said to myself that Xiaohui have been saved. But… …”Did Xiaohui really have had an abortion? I don’t know anything since we were apart for many years after all. d.a.m.n… I don’t want to think about this.” Then I asked to Daiyu: “Miss, then what kind of ghosts you are?”
Daiyu replied casually: “Just read and translate your Niu School’s Past Record on Demon Subjugation book. Open the 7th page and read the t.i.tle of 100 most powerful ghosts and evil spirits. It’s arranged in a descending rank from the most powerful to lowest successively. And I’m ranked at 35.”
“100 most formidable ghosts? And Daiyu is ranked at 35th? This Niu School is really too picky!” I looked for the ranking list started from 35th, and started to translate the information with the help of my traditional character dictionary and my simplified Chinese dictionary.
Mysterious Profound Demoness: The condition for this existence to come into being is extremely difficult, the dead must be a virgin female and has a huge resentment before dying. The body must be buried in a place filled with an extremely dense Yin energy. The coffin must be placed with the head heading to the east and feet to the west. If all conditions are met the dead has the probability to become a Mysterious Profound Demoness. Because she has great resentment when she was still alive this demoness kills any person indiscriminately! And once this demoness cultivation age pa.s.sed more than 9 jiazi (1 jiazi=60 years), her strength will increase greatly and may perhaps promoted to the first 20 rank. At that time she was flying and escaped from the ground after killing all people in a certain village, one must take advantage of her condition when she was in her period and… … … … … if you want to exterminate her.
(T/N: 玄阴魅姬: Xuán yīn mèi jī, lit: black/mysterious + cloudy/gloomy/shady/negative + charming/demon + woman/concubine. However I took the liberty to translate it to Mysterious Profound Demoness or Profound Black Demoness, I choose the first one since it sounds better and not too far from its meaning, either explicitly or implicitly. The last sentence is filled with … … …, it’s intentionally wrote by the author)
Someone has actually erased it! It seemed that old swindler must have erased this line. He didn’t want someone to know the method of how to deal with this ghost. Wow! One jiazi is 60 years, it means that 9 jiazi is 540 years; and Daiyu said that she has been dead for 1000 years, which means, that she actually has exceeded a cultivation of 9 jiazi! Her strength could now be compared to the first top 20 rankings! And then what kind of existence could make her severely injured?
I quickly asked Daiyu: “Miss, what kind of being that made you injured?” (T/N: 东西 Dōngxī : lit: stuff/thing or person, but I translate it to being here since it’s implicitly refers to other spiritual being)
Miss Daiyu said softly: “You don’t need to know now. Well, I’m leaving and I’ll call you up at 4 tomorrow morning”
“Wait, wait.” I stopped her: “Why do I have to use sandbags to learn Daoism?”
Daiyu replied: “To subdue ghosts and evil spirits need a strong physique, good agility and indomitable willpower. When you can carry 40 kg of sandbags and your step is so light as if you can fly, then I’ll start to teach you Daoist art” after finishing these words, she disappeared instantly.
I slipshod my school homework, and gave my full energy to this Niu School’s Past Records on Demon Subjugation book and translate it literally. This chronicles was just like a ghost story, but it also has detailed descriptions of certain ghosts’ characteristic, as well as its subduing method.
The book was very thick, and if I wanted a complete translation, it was estimated that it would take a year or so. I have translated two pages when I discovered that it was already 9:00 o’clock. I switched the light off and went to bed. I fixed the alarm to 3:00 AM; starting from tomorrow I will give a double efforts for the task given by Miss Daiyu. Therefore I needed to get up an hour in advance.
I was awakened by the alarm at 3 o’clock in the morning, and reluctantly got up. Took a simple washed up, got dressed up, tied my sandbags and jogging downstairs.
As a result of excessive exercise yesterday, my leg muscles were still very sore. But if I did not train and prepare myself for Daoist cultivation, that Miss Daiyu would not give another opportunity. Therefore I forced myself to run, though panting and dead tired. But although I felt so exhausted, I didn’t stop and just randomly walked for a while.
I didn’t know how long I have run when that female ghost suddenly appeared at my side, looking at me sweating profusely and said in satisfied tone: “Good, very good, as long as you are willing to work hard, soon you can be successful and start to learn. It seems that master didn’t choose a wrong person when he selected you to become his apprentice. However you cannot overexert your body like this since your body cannot afford it. If you trained like this you will collapse in a few days.”
My b.u.t.t was so heavy that I stopped, panting and watching Daiyu, but I couldn’t speak anything since I was so dead tired.
Daiyu comfortingly said: “Chill out, I just find something good and I will give you this elixir to help you mend and recover your body. Moreover, at six o’clock tonight, I’ll come to your school and help you solving that resentful baby ghost.” Then she once again disappeared without trace.
“d.a.m.n, when will I become that powerful?” I secretly mused.
Time quickly arrived in the evening.
This morning I really overexerting myself, running and walking for 10 km took a full 4 hours. Seeing that I was so dead tired and covered with sweat, Mom said that she wanted to take me to the mental hospital to check my mental health. I tried every means possible to persuade her until she finally believed that I really just exercising my body and not trying to commit suicide.
5:50, we left the school on time. But Miss Daiyu said that she would come at 6:00. So I made an excuse to Xiaohui to wait for me as I needed to pack my things and then I would escort her to her house.
Xiaohui said: “Xiaolong, you don’t need to trouble yourself, these days you always escorting me when I go home. I’m really embarra.s.sed, you don’t need to escort me now, I can go home myself”
I said: “Xiaohui, you don’t have to feel embarra.s.sed, it’s not your fault! You’re a girl, so still outside in the evening is very dangerous. And it makes me worried about you, besides our family residences are not too far, and we can talk about the old days while we are walking, it’s okay with me.” Then I pretended to pack some things to delay some time.
At the moment, Xia Chaoran went over to Xiaohui and said: “Zhou Huiqing, you are still here?
“Yes, I’m waiting for Xiaolong to go home together.” Xiaohui replied in a raised voice.
“Uh, take care on the way.” Xia Chaoran said and lightly smiled, and he turned at me “Xiaolong, you too.” He narrowed his eyes and left the cla.s.sroom.
Xiaohui said to me: “Xia Chaoran is really amazing, he has good grades, handsome looks and he also cares for other students.”
Her remarks about Xia Chaoran made me unhappy. “What the…? Is this great me not handsome enough?” A trace of impulse budding in my heart and arises spontaneously. “Xia Chaoran, if you continue chasing Xiaohui, I won’t let you succeed! And if you dare to threaten me, once I learn Daoism art, I’ll command some evil spirits to haunt you.”
Before long, Murong Daiyu suddenly appeared in front of me. I nodded slightly at her and spoke to Xiaohui: “I’ve finished packing, let’s go!”
……………………………………………
While we were walking on the road, I pretended that I have no other intention and asked: “Xiaohui do you often feel a cold chilling sensation?”
Xiaohui was surprised and asked: “How do you know?”
I casually made up an excuse: “I just read in the book that if a girl’s body is weak that it would happen. And when did you feel this kind of sensation for the first time?”
“It’s happening for a long time since I was a child, it usually occurred for several times every day, and when the cold sensation attacks, I could feel an inexplicable cold on my body.”
“Since she was a child? Xiaohui had been haunted for many years?” I was secretly surprised.
Murong Daiyu in my side gently said: “Ask her, whether his parents had also suffered from the same situation”. Xiaohui couldn’t hear Daiyu spoke to me. However I was certainly sure that if this female ghost suddenly appeared before her, she would have fainted already.
Xiaohui explained that her parents occasionally had the same situation as her.
For a little while there was some awkward silence between me and Xiaohui, which made me, looked for a new topic: “Xiaohui… ah… I read a book recently and it’s very interesting, there is anxīmén……ā jiù chuīxuě! Yes! Xīmén chuīxuě! It’s a martial arts cultivation master!” I was really startled and cold sweat poured out from all over my body. It’s because I just being deep in thought that I almost slipped my tongue and blurted out I have read Jin Ping Mei book.
(T/N:西门……阿就吹雪！对！西门吹雪！Xīmén……ā jiù chuīxuě! Ah! Xīmén chuīxuě, lit: West Gate… ah blowing snow, Correct! West gate blowing snow. Well, I had to leave this sentence as it is, since MC was pondering and almost slipped his tongue and misspelled the first character Jīn in 金瓶梅—Jīnpíngméi with 就 jiù and abruptly stopped when he almost speak about Jin Ping Mei book… d.a.m.n, it’s hard to explain this in English; I felt the implicit meanings but pretty much baffled how to describe it in English)
“Xiaolong, you’re actually loved to read martial arts novel!”
“Ah, hahaha, yeah, I like martial arts.” I quickly agreed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~end of Ch.6