Sword Snow Stride Book 1 Chapter 42

Book 1 – White Horse Out of Liangzhou
Chapter 42 – Exchanging Sabers in the Nether World, Drinking Wine in the World of the Living

Before Xu Fengnian went to Wudang, he thought that ranked number eleven in the top ten martial art masters would rank among the ten most formidable in the world in murdering and burning. Only after he went up the mountain did he realize that some of the real martial art masters were hidden in the mountains and forests, some did not even bother to be on the list, and some were deeply hidden and did not appear. Therefore, the old demon that Xu Xiao said was suppressed under Ting Chao Ting was a martial art master among those that could be counted on both hands, and he knew that once this big demon was released outside the pavilion, no one could stop him from making trouble. _{Translated by foxs}

Xu Fengnian considered carefully, perhaps only Lao Huang and the carrying-saber-at-the-bottom-of-the-lake Lao Kui added together would be able to do it. But Lao Huang was dead, his sword box was standing on the top of Wudi Cheng’s city gate, becoming a laughing stock. The white-haired Lao Kui was gone. With his temper, how could he be willing to be a lackey [lit. runner before a carriage] of Shizi Dianxia? Alone, how many jin, how many taels Xu Fengnian had that he would be able to subdue the monsters and conquer the demons?

Pulling his fingers and counting one by one those he has had personal encounter, Wudang Zhangjiao Wang Zhonglou definitely could be counted as one. Sword maniac Wang Xiaoping was more than half. Could the bull rider be counted as half? In the Wangfu, those who guard the pavilion most likely could only be counted less than half.

Xu Fengnian looked at Ting Chao Ting, guessing the identity and history of the old monster; he had no clue. He laughed and asked, “What other treasures are there in the Wangfu? Don’t hide them, tell me about them?” _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

Xu Xiao took a sip of yellow rice wine. Wiping his mouth, he said, “Simply none. It’s all the family property that I save bit by bit half my lifetime. Won’t that be enough for you to toss from side to side?”

Laughing mischievously, Xu Fengnian said, “No family heirlooms?”

Xu Xiao said dejectedly, “There is, but those things can only be given to you after I die. Without the mountain and river exhausted, with only four bare walls for a home [both are idioms: dead end and very poor, respectively], how could you move it out casually?”

Xu Fengnian spoke lightly, “It’s almost the New Year, let’s talk about something a bit more auspicious.”

Xu Xiao cast his gaze at the tranquil surface of the lake, he seemed to feel bored. He sprinkled a handful of bait, which brought out a brightly-colored scene of koi carps boiling over, and then he sighed with sorrow and said, “My body is not as good as before. When I was young, I ate three or four jin of beef to accompany the wine, I felt nothing. Roasting a whole lamb, I could eat half in one sitting. Now I can’t chew anymore, I feel sick to my stomach when I see greasy food.”

Xu Fengnian laughed and said, “Good people don’t live long, but disasters left behind for thousands of years. You, this kind of man that a lot of people pointed out as a big evil man, even if you can’t live to be a thousand years, a hundred years should not be a problem, right?”

Xu Xiao said nothing. _{Translated by foxs}

Xu Fengnian sat up straight, grabbed a handful of bait and prepared to throw it into the lake. The pavilion in the middle of the lake, because Xu Xiao had already gathered hundreds of swimming carps all around, as soon as Shizi Dianxia raised his hand, already there were hundreds of gluttonous koi leaped out of the lake.

In the past, when Xu Fengnian had nothing to do, he would grab several large boxes of bait and row the boat. That kind of carps hiding-the-sky-and-covering-the-earth scene was a most charming and gentle magnificent sight. Yesterday he took the Xiao Guniang having a great time playing in here. She was half scared and half amazed, and her expression was very lively and fascinating. As a result, in recent years, the white silk pants of Beiliang and Shizi Dianxia striving for queen of flowers and fighting over young courtesans, they have definitely brought humiliation to themselves. However, if they were lucky enough to enter Beiliang Wangfu, at most Xu Fengnian would give them a small box of bait, while oftentimes he would watch the show on the side, not participating at all.

At the end of the year, finished ringing the bells in Jiuhua Mountain and eating a so-so New Year’s Eve family dinner, Xu Fengnian came to Bajiao Yuan [Japanese banana garden, see Chapter 7]. Yu Youwei was sitting by the window, playing with Wu Meiniang. The white cat became fatter and fatter, like a snowball, extremely cute.

Xu Fengnian stretched out the Xiudong scabbard, and Wu Meiniang obediently hugged it. _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

Xu Fengnian picked up the cat a bit. Clicking his tongue, he said, “It should weigh ten jin. From now on, I will call her Wu Pangniang [fat lady surnamed Wu].”

Yu Youwei hugged the cute Wu Meiniang, she glowered at the insensitive [or unromantic] Shizi Dianxia.

After Xu Fengnian sat down, he took a piece of sweet-scented osmanthus cake and threw it into the air. He raised his head and it just fell into his mouth. This cake was steamed [inside bamboo basket] by Yu Youwei herself. It had a unique flavor. As soon as it was produced, it was well received and acclaimed by the Wangfu people, from top to bottom.

The Wangfu had hundreds of osmanthus trees in the palace. In the fall, when the weather was clear, she picked fresh osmanthus flowers, squeezed the juice, and gathered the residue to make bitter water. Using top quality honey, she soaked it, and carefully sealed it and stored it in the cellar. When the time has come to make the cake, she took the juice out.

The sweet-scented osmanthus cake melted in the mouth, soft and moist, and smooth when swallowed. Xu Fengnian liked this taste very much, and even when he looked at Yu Youwei, the expression showing in his eyes was a bit deep with meaning. At the receiving end of his gaze, she, who was no longer a queen of flowers, was no longer Yu Xuanji – was very nervous. Hugging Wu Meiniang tightly, in a moment of inattentiveness, her ample breasts were squeezed too much, most of the as-round-as-ball curve was quite captivating.

Xu Fengnian asked vaguely, “You can’t wait any longer?” _{Translated by foxs}

Yu Youwei raised her eyebrows, she merely made a soft nasal sound, “Huh?”

Xu Fengnian laughed and said, “I knew it.”

Yu Youwei was confused by Xu Fengnian’s talk, she asked, “Know what?”

Xu Fengnian’s body leaned towards her, beaming with smile, he said, “It’s getting late.”

Yu Youwei did not flush with excitement like a little girl, neither did she lose her head out of fear, she simply stroked Wu Meiniang’s head and spoke in a fine voice, “It hasn’t happened yet, but the entire Wutong Yuan finds me not pleasing to the eye. You can eat this sweet-scented osmanthus cake, but under the sweet-scented osmanthus tree I had to wear down and break the skin of my mouth before a yatou would come to me. If we spend the night there, wouldn’t Wu Meiniang and I be going to drink the northwest wind [idiom: cold and hungry]?”

Xu Fengnian laughed and said, “Was that yatou Lu Yi, or Huang Gua? I’ll talk to her when I am back.”

Yu Youwei chuckled, there was a dagger hidden in her smile, nevertheless she managed to stop herself from drawing the dagger from her back in time.

Xu Fengnian stretched out his hand to tap Yu Youwei’s forehead, his movement was tender and soft, he laughed and said, “Why are you angry with those xiao yatou? That is not good. Only a woman’s air can move people’s hearts.” _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

All of a sudden Yu Youwei was stunned.

Xu Fengnian stood up and stretched his limbs. Stuffing the remaining half a box of the cake that were lying neatly in the beautiful food case into his mouth, he walked away wielding the Xiudong Saber.

Last year, Laotianye [God/Heavens] was particularly stingy. There were two light snowfalls the whole winter, it was not very exciting.

Therefore, in the courtyard where Jiang Ni lived, there was only the smallest snowman in history.

Xu Fengnian entered the cold and cheerless courtyard, he cast a glance at the small and exquisite snowman. Fortunately, the head was still there.

Shizi Dianxia looked at it for a while, but naturally he couldn’t see a single flower, so he turned around and left.

Until now, Xu Fengnian was still unsure who he would take along roaming the Jianghu after the new year. Among the bodyguards and retinues, definitely there was no lack of choices, based on his status, taking a hundred cavalry to go out, surely there would not be too big of a problem. Xu Xiao would make appropriate arrangement without leaving too much of a matter of derision, plus Xu Xiao also arranged for several capable hawks and hounds raised inside the Wangfu, so that open and secret intersected. Any ordinary Jianghu figure wanting to assassinate would be like praying mantis trying to block a carriage, but if that was the case, Xu Fengnian, who was most afraid of death and had already suffered a lot of hardship, would still feel that it was not enough. _{Translated by foxs}

Bai Hu’er Lian? He might not be willing to leave Ting Chao Ting. The friendly relations between the two has always been like five taels of peaches in exchange of half a catty of plums. Helping with no cause, no reason, Xu Fengnian could not think of anything in Jianghu more attracting to Bai Hu’er Lian than the martial art secret books in the armory.

Would it be possible to really find that half-immortal and half-demon under the Ting Chao Ting?

Unconsciously Xu Fengnian walked under the ‘Kuiwei Xiong Jue’ [lit. tall and big imposing absolute] nine-dragon plaque [see Chapter 8], he jumped in fright.

The plaque bestowed by the late emperor’s artistic conception was not overbearing, but in Xu Fengnian’s opinion, those four characters were really … still four characters, an eyesore. _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

For no reason at all, he suddenly remembered his a-thousand-li-far-away Er Jie Xu Weixiong. Many times she was even more vindictive than Shizi Dianxia, but she was used to being penetrating in big things, and narrow-minded [lit. small belly, chicken’s gut (idiom)] in small things. For example, Xu Fengnian ought to call her Er Jie [second (older) sister], but she felt that it was ear-piercing. Since they were little, she insisted Xu Fengnian to call her Jie, so the Er character was eliminated.

Xu Fengnian did not know either what was the idea behind his Er Jie and Da Jie [eldest sister] fighting over this; being born earlier and born later, that was foreordained by heavens. Xu Fengnian and Xu Longxiang, older and younger brothers, the relationship between them was harmonious, but the relationship between Xu Zhihu and Xu Weixiong, older and younger sisters, was really so-so. The Meimei [younger sister] thought that Jiejie’s [older sister] style was dissolute, she was just a flower vase [fig. female employee considered to be just a pretty face (attractive but not very competent)]. In any case, Jiejie was the Jiejie, her magnanimity was a bit bigger, but she also loved to play a practical joke, by praising Xu Weixiong to her face that she was fish sink, goose alights [fig. female beauty captivating even the birds and beasts], hiding the moon, shaming the flowers [fig. female beauty exceeding even that of the natural world], capable of causing the downfall of a city or state [fig. (of a woman) devastatingly beautiful], especially her good handwriting …

A woman’s mind was deeper and more unfathomable than the way of heaven. He was convinced that the young Shishuzu on the mountain would fully agree with this.

Laughing at himself, Xu Fengnian said, “Going down the mountain, unexpectedly I missed that bull rider a little bit.”

Talking to himself, he laughed aloud and said, “Two days ago, I have someone delivering a box of forbidden erotic books up the mountain. I wonder if the bull rider was hung up and beaten by his Er Shixiong?”

“Xu Qigai [Beggar Xu], you are still senseless like this.” _{Translated by foxs}

Bai Hu’er Lian’s clear and cold voice floated out from the attic.

Xu Fengnian pushed the door open and entered in, he saw Bai Hu’er Lian standing under the white marble relief sculpture ‘Dun Huang Fei Xian’ [Flying Immortal Dun Huang, also Chapter 8] in the main hall.

Giddy, Xu Fengnian said, “This appellation, I haven’t heard for more than a year.”

Shizi Dianxia carried the Xiudong nimbly on his shoulder, while Bai Hu’er Lian had the plain and simple Chunlei hanging on his waist.

Bluntly, without any sign of shame, Xu Fengnian thought aloud, “Turns out we are an outstanding first-rate pair.”

Bai Hu’er Lian slowly turned his head, shifting his line of sight from the mural to Xu Fengnian, murderous intent grew without restraint.

Frustrated, Xu Fengnian said, “I am talking about Xiudong and Chunlei!”

No kidding, no matter how beautiful Bai Hu’er Lian was, Shizi Dianxia would never fall in love with a man.

Bai Hu’er Lian looked back at the sixty-four Dun Huang flying Apsara [Buddhist art], each was as tall as a real person, on their heads they were wearing either five-jeweled crowns, Taoist crowns, or had their hair in buns. They had beautiful bones and clear appearance, their brows and eyes carried a hint of smile. Their [female] upper bodies were exposed, with colorful ribbons draped over their shoulders, their hands held di [traverse flute], xiao [vertical flute], lusheng [reed-pipe wind instrument], pipa [Chinese lute], konghou [Chinese harp], all kinds of musical instruments. The mist was floating and swaying, fluttering with the immortals.

What a fairyland where a deluge of heavenly flowers filled the empty air. _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

Since he was very little, Shizi Dianxia, riding on Xu Xiao’s neck, was already aware of the conspicuously naked breasts of the flying Apsara. What would it be if this was not slender-bone-clear-wonder, what would it be if this was not extraordinary talent?! It’s just that as he grew up, the frequency became less and less. After all, Xu Zhihu liked to drag Xu Fengnian to sleep with her most, even until he was twelve or thirteen years old, she did not let him off. Xu Fengnian’s habit of sleeping while hugging her neck tightly and caressing her earlobes was developed by her.

Bai Hu’er Lian shifted a few steps aside, he stared at a flying Apsara at the top of the northwest corner. This immortal, whose arms were decorated with precious armlet, was holding a phoenix-headed konghou with both hands. After careful inspection, unexpectedly he could only see one eye.

Xu Fengnian did not take it seriously, only with lingering fear he said, “Xu Xiao said that there is an old monster being suppressed under the bottom floor of Ting Chao Ting. Bai Hu’er Lian, you need to be a bit more careful.” _{Translated by foxs}

Bai Hu’er Lian looked like he had a flash of realization, Chunlei came out of its sheath and struck the flying Apsara’s eye. Chunleu rebounded and returned to its sheath.

Only to see the flying Apsara did not move a single jot, but the other sixty-three flying Apsaras began to drift slowly.

A door appeared before the two men’s eyes.

Watching this, Xu Fengnian was dumbstruck; he muttered, “Is this painting the dragon and dot the eyes [adding the vital finishing touch]?”

Bai Hu’er Lian walked straight in.

Xu Fengnian wanted to pull him back, but he did not. Hesitating a moment, he followed into the pitch-black darkness. By the moonlight in the main hall, he could see a staircase leading underground.

Bai Hu’er Lian drew Chunlei out, using its clear blade to illuminate the path. Following his example, Xu Fengnian also pulled Xiudong Saber out.

By the time Xu Fengnian counted silently to sixty-three, the stairs gradually became brighter and clearer.

It was a big hall illuminated by four night pearls embedded on the four walls.

Like a tomb!

Memorial tablets!

Spread over the hall were the memorial tablets of Beiliang’s fallen generals!

No less than six hundred pieces. _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

Right in the middle of the big hall was a sogon grass mat where one could kneel and offer sacrifice in all directions.

The mat was not big enough to hide an even larger Yin Yang Yu Ba Zhen [yin and yang, fish eight formation] diagram.

Xu Fengnian looked at the memorial tablets one after another, only a few were familiar to him. They were all military generals with meritorious deed of the Northern Liang Army who died in the Spring and Autumn War that swept the world.

One general’s success, ten thousand withered bones.

This was just scholarly talk.

In here, this emotion, this scene, was the real nether world.

Bai Hu’er Lian completely had no fear, he simply asked, “Do you want to exchange Xiudong for Chunlei?”

Knowing inwardly that the turn of events was not too encouraging, Xu Fengnian shook his head and said, “I don’t want to.” _{Translated by foxs}

Obviously annoyed that Shizi Dianxia was not tactful, Bai Hu’er Lian’s red phoenix eyes narrowed tightly, firmly staring at Xu Fengnian, almost not much different than as if he was sizing up the memorial tablet.

Bai Hu’er Lian has already seen that at the present time, Chunlei was more suitable for Shizi Dianxia‘s saber training than Xiudong.

Xu Fengnian pretended not to see anything. As expected, there was a peerless martial art master that has been living in seclusion, suppressed for twenty years. Judging from Bai Hu’er Lian’s attitude, it was clear that his curiosity was aroused. Based on his temper, eight or nine out of ten, he wanted to go to investigate to the bottom of the matter. Xu Fengnian did not want to be a lamb in a tiger’s den. His second time wandering the Jianghu free and unfettered has still has not reached the exhausting-his-limited-abilities stage that he had to take risks out of desperation.

Bai Hu’er Lian knitted his eyebrows, for the first time ever, he compromised, “I want to go to the next level, but this is, after all, your home, so if you agree to me, in addition to exchanging the sabers with you, I will also agree to an additional condition.”

Without the slightest hesitation, Xu Fengnian said, “All right.”

Bai Hu’er Lian was even more direct and to the point, he immediately tossed the Chunlei to Xu Fengnian.

Xu Fengnian received Chunlei, but he was not in a hurry to hand over Xiudong to Bai Hu’er Lian, rather, he asked with serious expression, “Can I make the condition now?”

Bai Hu’er Lian nodded. _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

In deadly earnest, Xu Fengnian said, “The condition is that we don’t go down now! If you want to go back on your word, kill me first! Ah, no, just knock me out!”

Without-any-saber-in-his-hand, Bai Hu’er Lian’s pair of limpid autumn waters grew big as he stared at Shizi Dianxia holding the two sabers tightly.

Suddenly, Bai Hu’er Lian smiled.

If those Dun Huang flying Apsaras were compared to him at this moment, they would lose the immortals and Buddha’s aura.

Looking at him, Xu Fengnian stared silly, but still he did not dare to lower his guard.

Bai Hu’er Lian, which was spreading out his countenance and smiling happily in front of him for the first time, seemed to be angry. That’s right, like a woman putting on an attitude to be angry. He spoke slowly, “This time I consider you win, Xu Wulai [rascal].”

Xu Fengnian finally breathed a sigh of relief. The taste of the gates of hell spinning was really his Niang’s difficult to bear.

Bai Hu’er Lian stretched out his hand. _{Translated by foxs}

Xu Fengnian’s eyes were full of questions.

Bai Hu’er Lian said angrily, “Give me Xiudong! Go upstairs, when your guts grow a bit, we will go down!”

With blank expression, Xu Fengnian said, “Oh,” and threw the Xiudong Saber to Bai Hu’er Lian, he was a bit reluctant to let go. On Wudang Mountain, he was mutually dependent for life with this ‘xiao niangzi’ [little lady].

Returning upstairs together, Bai Hu’er Lian took the Xiudong to strike the flying Apsara’s eyeball again, the mural magically returned to its original state.

Having been let off lightly, Xu Fengnian was about to sneak away. He never thought that Bai Hu’er Lian was not angry at all, on the contrary, he simply spoke softly, “Drink with me.”

Xu Fengnian ran to Wutong Yuan and came back with two pots of fine wine.

The two persons sat on the edge of Ting Chao Ting’s Xiong Wei Taiji [lit. grand/magnificent stylobate]. Bai Hu’er Lian sat cross-legged, while Xu Fengnian’s feet were dangling outside the stylobate.

Bai Hu’er Lian poured a mouthful of wine and said, “Beiliang Wang is the man with the most lofty quality, the most ambitious and ruthless character that I have ever seen, but this one year, I still don’t understand, even if Xu Xiao carried out legalism[1] and the Way of the Hegemon, how could he become a one-person minister holding power over ten thousand men? Just now looking at that more than six hundred memorial tablets, I seem to understand a little. There are 600 men dead set on to throw away their life for you, yet you are just a straw bag, but also can bring might and good fortune to a prefecture. If these 600 men were heroes, willing to offer their life in sacrifice for you, what would you do? People around the world know that Beiliang Wang Xu Xiao started his career with 600 valiant riders, but now there are not many left, right? Probably they are all there.” _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

Xu Fengnian looked at the night sky.

Bai Hu’er Lian spoke softly, “With a Die like that, isn’t it very tiring?”

Xu Fengnian shook his head.

Bai Hu’er Lian shook the wine pot, he said with a sneer, “Your Die’s method, scheming, forbearance, are all at the front ranking in the present age, but you are a rascal.”

Smiling bitterly, Xu Fengnian said, “Just stop speaking sarcastically to me, this Caobao [straw bag], I did not use Xiudong to swindle you of Chunlei, did I? If you are unwilling, we could just exchange back.” _{Translated by foxs}

The corners of Bai Hu’er Lian mouth curved charmingly, he firmly poured another mouthful of wine. His drinking was so bold, he said, “Tell me, what are the conditions?”

Xu Fengnian spoke softly, “Forget it. If you want to go down, then just go down. When the moment comes, let me know and that should do it. I will ask Xu Xiao to arrange some manpower for you.”

Bai Hu’er Lian asked in suspicion, “Since when did you have a Bodhisattva’s heart?”

Laughing at himself, Xu Fengnian said, “I don’t have many friends to begin with; because of that Lingzhou Mu [governor of Lingzhou], who wholeheartedly wants to be a loyal minister, I lost one last year. No matter how you think of me, I will treat you as a friend.”

Bai Hu’er Lian’s face was without any emotion, he simply raised his head and drank.

One pot of wine, he quickly drank up so that not a drip of wine remained.

He stretched out his hand, indicating Xu Fengnian should drink.

Xu Fengnian shook the wine bottle in his hand, he laughed and said, “I’ve had enough. You want more?”

The slightly drunk Bai Hu’er Lian shouted loudly, “Bring it on!”

Xu Fengnian handed the pot over. _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

He was half pleasantly surprised, half annoyed. The pleasant surprise was that such a proud and arrogant Bai Hu’er Lian started to not bother about trifles toward him. Annoyed because it looked like Bai Hu’er Lian genuinely was not a girl.

Bai Hu’er Lian said something that almost made Xu Fengnian vomit blood, “It would be better if you were a woman, I would marry you.”

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[1] The Legalists believed that social harmony could only be attained through strong state control, and advocated for a system of rigidly applied punishments and rewards for specific behaviors.