Sword Snow Stride Book 1 Chapter 23

Book 1 – White Horse Out of Liangzhou
Chapter 23 – Little Dog, Little Clay Figurine

One immortal finger cut the way of a big river?

Canglan River was the largest river within the Northern Liang territory. _{Translated by foxs}

Xu Fengnian sprayed the tea already in his mouth onto the face of the old immortal of the Taoist school sitting opposite him. The old Taoist priest who had been Wudang Zhangjiao [headmaster] for thirty years simply gently wiped it away, then he turned to glower at his Xiao Shidi [little martial (younger) brother] who talked too much. Xu Fengnian hurriedly muttered a few words of apology, but Wang Zhonglou was actually good-tempered; unconcerned, he continued drinking his tea. Xu Fengnian quietly sized up this number one man in Wudang, the middle of his forehead was suffused with red, like a raised eyebrow. Although he had crane hair, his appearance did not look old and frail.

Xu Fengnian suddenly remembered that in his early youth, he casually flipped through a Taoist heretical [orig. side door] ancient text called ‘San Qian Qixiang’ [Three Thousand Weathers] in the Ting Chao Ting. It mentioned that Wudang has some kind of abstruse inner power. [The following is indeed abstruse, I’ll try to translate it as best as I can:] Taishang [title of respect for Taoists] refined jade into liquid, it became pellet [pill] infant, circling through the five viscera [heart, liver, spleen, lungs and kidneys], and then linking up the four limbs of the body, it could transform red blood into white milk, change the appearance to be like that of a young man, the body is immune to cold and heat, it is said to be the beginning of entry into long-life realm.

This kind of occasional goose’s footprint in the snow [idiom: vestiges of the past, the fleeting nature of human life] texts, Xu Fengnian never took seriously, but when he heard about the two fingers with his own ears and saw the vaguely exposed Wang Zhonglou’s imposing airs with his own eyes, he could not but believe.

The old Taoist priest finished his tea and left. When Xu Fengnian saw Hong Xixiang still squatting on the side, staring blankly, he frowned and said, “Bull rider, you’re not leaving yet?” _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

Hong Xixiang muttered an ‘Oh’ and then walked slowly back to Little Lotus Peak, by ways of the three palaces [or temples (gong)] and six temples [Taoist monastery, platform, or overlook (guan)]. Countless Taoist priests, big and small, respectfully addressed him deferentially, Shishuzu, Taishang [see above] Shishuzu, which he all acknowledged. Some wanbei [junior, younger generation] who knew him well even stopped and chatted with him a few sentences.

Walking slowly to Dengxian Ya [Becoming Immortal Cliff], he found the Zhangjiao Shixiong [headmaster martial (older) brother] standing under the Gui Tuo Bei [Turtle and Camel Stele, see Chapter 15], Hong Xixiang quickened his pace and called out, Da [big] Wang Shixiong.

On the mountain, their generation was already the highest, unlike the Longhu Mountain, where above the headmaster there was still Zhenren whose age was breaking into a hundred, who closed the door and no longer paid attention to the matter of the dust, Wudang still had another Shixiong also surnamed Wang, the apex in using the sword. Usually Hong Xixiang called him Xiao [little] Wang Shixiong, he has been silently mastering the sword at the Great Lotus Peak for sixteen years.

Almost a head taller than Hong Xixiang, Wang Zhonglou turned around to see his sulky Xiao Shidi, he teased him, “The forbidden book that you hid was confiscated by your Chen Shixiong again?” _{Translated by foxs}

Hong Xixiang shook his head, he wanted to say something but then hesitated. Wang Zhonglou patted his Xiao Shidi on the shoulder and walked away under the moonlight.

Xu Fengnian practiced the rolling saber technique, there was no sequence [of movements in martial arts] at all, the most important thing was the angle and the path of the first saber strike, followed by continuous dozens, reaching a hundred, moves, moving in accordance to momentum of this one saber strike, how to send out the saber the fastest, while striving to complete it in one go, leaving no gaps.

Using the least effort to exert the fastest and most nimble saber strike. This was not Lao Kui’s private lesson, it was a simple and easy saber technique that Xu Fengnian figured out by himself, calling it a rolling saber was extremely fitting. Compared to what Wang Zhangjiao said about standing sword and walking sword, there seemed to be a slight difference.

He went back to the thatched cottage and lay down, it was a hard wooden board bed, as hard and stiff as Wudang Mountain. But contrary to what one might expect, Xu Fengnian had no ill-feeling about this, thanks to the fact that he and Lao Huang were accustomed to eating in the open air and sleeping outdoors in the desolate wilderness and mountain ranges.

On the table, other than an oil lamp, there were also two stacks of yellowed books, two sword manuals, one was ‘Zhai Yuan Jue’, and at the bottom was ‘Lu Shui Ting Jiazi Xi Jian Lu’ [see Chapter 22]. Xu Fengnian did not bring any sleeping clothes, so he might as well stay up late to read these books and mechanically memorized the contents. _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

Wudang xinfa formulas were widely circulated in Jianghu, but most were fake works. They were labeled with Yu Zhu Nei Gong [Jade Pillar Inner Power] title, and were still very popular. However, there was indeed some genuine goods at fair prices inferior-quality Yu Zhu Nei Gong that Jianghu figures were well acquainted with. On this side, Wudang Mountain never intentionally tried to snuff it out or block it, because Yu Zhu xinfa was brilliant, that was not fake, only it was just a yin fish of the yin yang fish [from Taiji diagram], one must also obtain the unique forging-physique technique imparted by Wudang Taoist priests day after day to complement it.

Xu Fengnian had no interest in sword manuals, and he did not find the ‘Zhao Yuan Jue’ useful. Only toward ‘Lu Shui Ting Jiazi Xi Jian Lu’, he liked it so much that he was reluctant to put it down. This book was the heart’s blood of a Wudang former generation’s ancestor, which he comprehended after sixty years of sword training, only the language was cryptic, not too easy to get his hands on it.

Xu Fengnian glanced at the first glimmer of light outside the window, he put down the ‘Jiazi Xi Jian Lu’, picked up the Xiudong Saber, and walked towards the White Elephant Pond. The closer he got, the sound of the waterfall hitting the rocks was getting more intense. The clear and cold water droplets assaulted his face. There was a large rock towering above the water in the middle of the pond. Xu Fengnian walked along the edge of the White Elephant Pond, he followed a blue flagstone path, and unexpectedly walked into the waterfall. Turned out this hanging elephant tusk waterfall’s suspended immortal peak was hollowed out by the Wudang ancestors’ supernaturally fine craft. Legend has it that there was a Zhenren ascended to heaven riding the rainbow from here, leaving an ancient sword in the pond. _{Translated by foxs}

Xu Fengnian stood still, only two arms’ length away from the white curtain of the waterfall. The clothes on his body gradually got wet.

Sparing no effort, Xu Fengnian slashed the saber horizontally.

The old Taoist priest cut off the river with two fingers, what happened if he sent out this saber strike with all his strength?

Xu Fengnian felt a burst of pain penetrating his bones. The Xiudong Saber had just come into contact with the waterfall that flowed down three thousand chi, immediately it flew off his hand, drew an awkward arc in the air, and fell to the ground. Xu Fengnian raised his hand to look, a big bloody cut already split his hand open.

Xu Fengnian grinned, he went to pick up the Xiudong Saber destined to have its reputation buried for a long time in his hand. Taking a deep breath, he slashed another saber strike, but the result was that Xiudong flew off his hand again. Xu Fengnian drew a mouthful of cold air, tore off a piece of fabric from his clothes, and wrapped it around his hand. He then sat on the ground and picked up the Xiudong Saber, no longer had the extravagant hope of one saber strike would slash across smoothly creating a small crack, he was just hoping that it would not fly off his hand.

He changed hand and use his left hand to send out another saber strike, which was even worse; both the saber and the person were thrown out. _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

He did not know since when, but the young Shishuzu was already in the cave, and was speaking in astonishment, “You are exactly the same as Chen Shixiong when he trained the sword in the past.”

Finding joy in pain, Xu Fengnian said, “All martial art masters are like this.”

Hong Xixiang spoke softly, “Only I heard that when Chen Shixiong reached your age, one sword strike he could cut a gap several cun wide.”

Xu Fengnian spoke in displeasure, “Help me to take a message to Wangfu. There is a Ba Hu’er Lian closing the passes over there, ask him to pick forty or fifty martial art study’s secret manual first, and then find somebody to take them up the mountain.”

Curious, Hong Xixiang asked, “What for?”

Xu Fengnian simply lowered his head and used his teeth to tie the cloth around the wound on his left hand, completely ignoring Hong Xixiang.

The young Shishuzu obediently went out to run errands for Shizi Dianxia. About one li out, there was a Ziyang Daoguan [purple sun Taoist temple], he was going to ask some juniors for help, since naturally the Shishuzu himself would not go down the mountain.

A few days later, a slender woman carrying a large and heavy bundle on her back was struggling hard to climb up the mountain. _{Translated by foxs}

What is the heaviest thing under the sun? Friendship? Loyalty and filial piety? Fart! The heaviest thing under the sun is books.

Jiang Ni sat on a step halfway up the mountain, her back was nearly broken. Several Taoist priests nearby who, all along, were staring at her beautiful body swaying and could tumble down the mountain any moment – were finally heaving a sigh of relief.

This extremely pretty young woman was escorted by Northern Liang armored horses up to the foot of the mountain, from there, she walked up the steps alone. At first, Wudang Taoist priests wanted to help, but they did not get any response from her. She merely maintained her cold pretty face. The Taoist priests had no choice but to cautiously and solemnly follow behind her, for fear that both she and her traveling bag would suffer calamity. A woman from Beiliang Wangfu, they simply could not afford to offend her.

Jiang Ni looked up at the endless mountain peaks, she muttered something to herself, but the Taoist priests could not hear. Those were all harsh words cursing Xu Fengnian for not having a good death, only compared to her stabbing the little straw man every day, these could be considered gentle. [Note: I know that the English word is ‘scarecrow’, but these are definitely not to scare any crows; think about Zhuge Liang’s straw men in the Three Kingdoms.]

Right now, if that wangbadan [s.o.b., lit. tortoise egg] Shizi Dianxia dared to stand in front of her, she absolutely, definitely, would pull out the Shenfu and die in such a way that he would also perish. _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

Jiang Ni rubbed her already very red shoulders, she gritted her teeth and slung the felt-like-a-thousand-jun heavy bundle over her shoulder again. In the colored glass world [Bhaiṣajyaguru, see last chapter] this was a standing-all-alone pitiful scene.

With nothing to do, Hong Xixiang was strolling around on the mountain. He happened to see this scene, so he rushed over to help. But before he could open his mouth, Jiang Ni already said something like, ‘A good dog won’t block the way’. The tone of her voice was weak, but her brows and eyes were like Bodhisattva glowering in anger. How could she look like the lowest servant girl in the king’s mansion?

Hong Xixiang smiled and said something like, ‘Let me show the way for Guniang.’

Seeing the thatched cottage, Jiang Ni was momentarily stunned.

Could this be the killing-with-a-thousand-sabers Shizi Dianxia’s sleeping quarters? Why did he not hop about and curse someone’s Niang, and kick the several thousand Wudang Mountain’s ox-nosed Taoist priests down the mountain?

She plopped her butts down on the ground, gasping for breath, feeling like she was really going to die.

Hong Xixiang was about to call out some warning, but Jiang Ni glowered at him that he had no choice but to swallow all his words back into his belly.

The young Shishuzu mused inwardly that the women brought out by Shizi Dianxia were definitely different. Perhaps just like his Da Shixiong’s candid and penetrating remark, because the women under the mountain were all tigresses? _{Translated by foxs}

Although his good intentions were dismissed as a donkey’s liver and lungs [fig. ill intent], Hong Xixiang still took the opportunity to pick up the traveling bag and brought it into the hut. This time Jiang Ni did not make any noise to lash out at him. She really did not have that kind of essence, spirit and qi anymore. Now her only wish was that she could just sit and sleep. As for the pain on her shoulders and back, it already became numb that she did not want to touch it.

Which pot does not open which pot[1]? Jiang Ni’s back was hit a few times with hard objects, the movement was not much. But for Jiang Ni at the moment, it was no different from pouring lard on a small fire, or spreading thick frost on light snow. The pain Jiang Ni suffered reached the extreme point that she sobbed and turned around. Looking up, she saw that hateful, disgusting, vile, and murderable stinky face. She didn’t know where she got the strength from, but she suddenly opened her mouth and bit down. She bit down on the bare-footed, holding the saber Shizi Dianxia’s calf.

Xu Fengnian took the scabbard and slapped; he slapped Jiang Ni on the cheek, slapping this princess of a vanquished nation without any trace of politeness. The force was just right, not light nor heavy, not enough to hurt her. Xu Fengnian frowned and cursed, “Are you a dog?”

Shame and anger outweighed the pain, Jiang Ni was unable to budge, she had no choice but to grab some dirt from the ground and throw it at Xu Fengnian.

Xu Fengnian did not get angry, he merely used Xiudong to swat the dirt back one by one. Jiang Ni instantly turned into a little clay figurine. [Note: the ‘ni’ of Jiang Ni’s name literally means ‘mud or clay’, so the literal translation of ‘little clay figurine’, here and in the chapter’s title, is ‘little mud/clay person’.]

“Xu Fengnian, you won’t die a good death!”

“Come, come, come, little pup Jiang Ni, bite me to death.”

“You are not human!” _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

“Ah, Jiang Ni, you look so full of life, and extremely cute now. If you have the ability, throw the Shenfu over, then I’ll consider you ruthless.”

“There will come a day when I’m going to stab you to death!”

“Now is a good time. I’m determined not to hit back. Why are you still sitting on the ground? Little pup Jiang Ni, you wouldn’t go so far as to ask me to put my neck on the Shenfu and slit my own throat, would you? This way of death is too tyrannical.”

One was sitting on the ground, the other was standing, one was crying and the other was laughing.

Who could imagine that these two young man and woman of similar age were the eldest princess of a vanquished nation and the eldest son of the King of Northern Liang?

Seeing this scene, the young Shishuzu felt that it was even more difficult to understand and to fully grasp than the Heavenly Book [obscure or illegible writing]; not knowing what to do, he said, “I’ll go ride the bull.”

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[1] The idiom “哪壶不开提哪壶 (nǎ hú bù kāi tí nǎ hú)” literally means ‘to pick the kettle that is not boiling.’ (To touch a soft spot) It is used to indicate that someone is saying or doing something that shouldn’t be mentioned in front of others, or that someone is bringing up a sensitive subject. (from https://www.echineselearning.com/blog/chinese-idiom-na-hu-bu-kai-ti-na-hu-to-touch-a-soft-spot)