Sword Snow Stride Book 1 Chapter 9

Book 1 – White Horse Out of Liangzhou
Chapter 9 – Blade in the Snow

After the Start of Winter [Li Dong, 19^th of the 24 solar terms, November 7 to 21], the Lesser Snow came [Xiao Xue, the 20^th of solar term, November 22 to December 6], but there was no snow during the Xiaoxue season. It was a great regret for Shizi Dianxia, who loved warm wine and reading forbidden books on snowy nights. _{Translated by foxs}

The arctic fox face has been staying on the first floor of Ting Chao Ting for half a month, and he was quite consumed by it. This perseverance made Xu Fengnian, who could not suffer any hardship, feel ashamed of his inferiority, but it did not prevent Xu Fengnian from seeking pleasure inside the king’s mansion.

The Queen of Flowers Yu Youwei settled down and lived in a secluded courtyard where cherry-apple and banana, two kinds of plants were implanted overnight. The white cat Wu Meiniang seemed very satisfied with the new nest and gained a little weight.

Xu Fengnian gave Yu Youwei the highest quality mink fur and the most exquisite food, but all along he did not come in person [imperial use: to copulate with a concubine] to stare at her rouge and fine jade again, deliberately distancing himself from her. That Lu Qiu’er [official salary ball (I believe it is a reference to Fatty Chu, Chapter 3)] was right, keeping people and raising eagles follow the same principle. Both had to be slowly regulated and trained; too fast, it would be easy to lose their aura, too slow, it would not be effective.

Everyone in the mansion knew that Shizi Dianxia loved to go boating alone to roam the lake. Every time he reached the middle of the lake, he would leave a few things behind. When the weather turned warm, he would dive into the lake, and only emerged to the surface after more than half a day. Probably it was because Shizi’s natural disposition was close to water. _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

Today, Xu Fengnian, in extremely refined and elegant attitude of mind, became a boatman again, he punted the boat to the middle of the lake. Muttering a few words to himself, he tied several pieces of well-wrapped steaming-hot roasted venison to a stone, and tossed it overboard.

Then he lay on the boat, enjoying the warm winter sunshine, and fell asleep. Half asleep and half awake, he heard a voice calling him. He sat up and looked, and there, standing in the pavilion on the shore was a slender woman in beautiful clothes with a luxurious red fur draped over her shoulders.

Nearby the familiar slender figure stood a few strangers. She was waving vigorously, Xu Fengnian was pleasantly surprised. He rowed the boat back and leaped toward the pavilion, resulting in him being hugged by the woman around his waist. Fragrant and beautiful lips nibbled and bit Xu Fengnian’s face. His face full of rouge and lips mark, Xu Fengnian called affectionately, ‘Jie’ [older sister].

Evidently, the only person in the world dared to tease Shizi Dianxia like this could only be Da Zhu Guo’s eldest daughter, Xu Zhihu.

The two siblings have been very close since childhood. Before she got married, the then twelve, thirteen years old Xu Fengnian was still dragged to share a bed with her. If it was said that in the world, the one most protective of Xu Fengnian was Beiliang Wang Xu Xiao, and Xu Longxiang was the most obedient to him, then Xu Zhihu was definitely the one who dotes on Xu Fengnian the most. _{Translated by foxs}

As soon as she received a letter from her Fu Wang [father king] saying that his younger brother had returned to the city, Xu Zhihu immediately [orig. the horse did not halt its hooves] rushed back to her parental home [of a wife], bringing along a group of heroic slaves and fierce servants.

With tears in her eyes, she pinched her little brother’s cheeks, stroked his head, rubbed his shoulders, and without any scruples at all slapped Xu Fengnian’s butt hard. Finally, like the bad habit she had grown accustomed to in the past, she felt up her brother’s crotch. Xu Fengnian said with a bitter face, “Jie, we are very good here, no need to check, there are outsiders. Who are these two gentlemen?”

In the pavilion, in addition to the maidservants and wet nurse who have been frightened by Xu Zhihu’s ruthless and eccentric style and have been trembling with fear all year round, there were also two outsiders, both were distinguished and accomplished and handsome. One was wearing dark green garment and wielding a sword, like a jade tree facing the wind. The other one was tall sturdy and majestic, with a righteous and awe-inspiring face.

Xu Zhihu smiled sweetly, she pointed and said with a tender laugh, “This is Cui Gongzi of the Cui Clan in Qinghe. His swordsmanship outstanding. On the way, Jiejie met unpleasing-to-the-eye roving bandit. It was Cui Gongzi who led his family troops to dispel them. This one is Zheng Gongzi, a traveling knight to uphold justice, an extremely rich and a famous hero in Guanzhong area. Both are Jiejie’s benefactors.” [Note: the word ‘hero’ here is ‘xia’ – brave and chivalrous, knight errant.]

The two men bowed and cupped their fists together and said, “Paying respect to Shizi Dianxia.” _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

Xu Fengnian smiled and said, “Since you are my Jiejie’s benefactors, you are also this Shizi’s benefactors. Do you have any martial arts techniques that you want to train? The library collection here is quite abundant, I’ll ask someone to bring out a few for you.”

Cui Gongzi, who had fresh and elegant appearance, showed a burning-with-enthusiasm expression in his eyes, but he covered it well and declined.

However, the knight-errant Zheng Gongzi was really lacking in interest.

Inwardly Xu Fengnian scolded, ‘pretentious’, and, ‘senseless’, but his face was still friendly, and he spoke a lot of polite, albeit insincere – words. Xu Zhihu did not find it boring. In any case, in her eyes, her younger brother was the most perfect. In the past, when they learned how to ride a horse and he fell flat on his face, the embarrassment was also in an extremely confident and at ease posture.

Xu Fengnian waved his hand to summon Jiang Ni, telling her to lead the two young masters on a tour of the king’s mansion. Then he dismissed all the servants, leaving only the siblings who had not seen each other for many years.

Without any trace of politeness, Xu Fengnian said, “Jie, this Cui Gongzi’s leather purse is not bad, but it seems to me his intention is not upright, he is the same as me. You must not be swindled of your money, or tricked into having sex. As for that stupid big guy, he is either really stupid, or profoundly shrewd, but definitely not a good bird [I commented in other translations that Chinese have certain fascination with ‘birds’]. You can just fool around with them, but don’t have any real feelings.”

Xu Zhihu stretched out a finger and tapped the space between Xu Fengnian’s eyebrows, she said with an enchanting smile, “Jiejie still need your, little kid’s counsel? Those things called men, Jie only need to give them a glance, I can tell whether the bird inside the crotch of his pants is big or small, good or bad.” _{Translated by foxs}

Xu Fengnian held Jiejie’s hand, picked up a yellow tangerine that was given as tribute, peeled it open, and Jie and Di [older sister and younger brother, respectively] each took half. Xu Fengnian tossed a strip into his mouth, with mischievous laughter he said:

“Jie’s upright posture seems to be a bit more well-rounded. That’s good. If you bore hardship and lost weight, I will go to Jiangnan Road and go on a killing spree [orig. opening wide the Buddhist monastic discipline against killing].”

Suddenly, without any warning to prepare other people, Xu Zhihu burst into tears. Xu Fengnian thought that over yonder, his Jiejie was bullied. Gnashing his teeth, he said, “Jie, tell me who made you unhappy, I will bring men to search their house and confiscate their possessions, and kill them all!”

Xu Zhihu wiped away her tears, it was only after a long time that she stopped crying. Pulling Xu Fengnian’s hand, she looked at the calluses on his palms and fingertips, and choked up again, “Jie knows that your travel these past three years was not easy. The old you, how could you be willing to swallow a whole section of sweet tangerine strips at one go? Even if Jiejie was willing to tear off the tangerine strips, you may not necessarily be willing to eat. _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

Jiejie has no worries about food and clothing, what hardship is there to bear? Even if I were a widow without any virtue whom others criticize behind my back, to Jiejie, it is nothing more than a scratch on an itch.

But you have been traveling for three years, have been on foot and wandered several thousand li, Jiejie can’t even imagine. What a cruel Die [Dad]! I want to settle the score with him! If he doesn’t love you, you come with Jiejie to Jiangnan Road. Over there, you will be richly provided, the girls are pretty.”

Xu Fengnian made a face, provoking Jiejie to laugh, before he himself roared in laughter and said, “Jie, I am not a kid anymore.”

Xu Zhihu pulled Xu Fengnian over, and pressed his head on her ample breasts that all men in Jiangnan Road were drooling over, she humphed and said, “Not a kid anymore, you can still sleep with Jie. Don’t try to escape tonight.”

Without the slightest hint of sincerity on his face, Xu Fengnian spoke shyly, “Jie, that is indecent [you shang feng hua, lit. there’s wounded wind and flower; a Chinese idiom, which means to corrupt or damage social customs and education. It refers to words and deeds that have a negative impact on social customs and education].”

Xu Zhihu twisted Didi’s ear, she threatened, “Believe it or not, I am going to publicize your heroic deeds of wetting the bed at the age of eight? Also, when you were twelve, you lay on the same bed with Jie, waking up early morning that time, didn’t your hand press on Jiejie right here? Hmm?!” _{Translated by foxs}

Xu Fengnian cast a sidelong glance at Jiejie’s breasts, wishing he could conjure up a hole in the ground and burrow into it; he said flatteringly, “Jie, Jie and Di, two persons should not massacre one another, right? Come, come, come, let me rub your shoulders.”

Enjoying Shizi Dianxia old hand’s technique in kneading, Xu Zhihu, who looked drunk with comfort, squinted her eyes and looked at the lake scenery, she said with a sigh, “You came back, and Huang Man’er left. I don’t know whether it was because I left, that yatou [girl/servant girl, used deprecatingly, but sometimes also as a term of endearment] came. Jie and Di, four persons never get together.”

Xu Fengnian asked, “Jie, soon it will be Daxue [Great Snow, 21^st of 24 solar terms, December 7 to 21], how about going to Wudang Shan to enjoy the colored glass world scenery?”

Xu Zhihu laughed in a relaxed manner, she said, “Since that without-heart-without-lungs [heartless] small-guts-ghost [coward] is seeking heavenly law, let him be alone for the rest of his life. I have no face and no skin to beg him. If you didn’t tell me, I would have forgotten that there is such a person.”

‘Oh’, Xu Fengnian said, he no longer picked a pot, no longer opened the pot he already picked.

Xu Zhihu fiercely kissed Xu Fengnian’s face, she spoke sweetly, “Jiejie have a small mind and a small vision, therefore, as long as I have you, Didi, all men in the world are vulgar things that are unbearable to look at.”

Xu Fengnian pretended to grieve for the spring and mourn for the autumn, he said, “It’s a pity that we are Jie and Di.” _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

Xu Zhihu twisted his ears, she laughed and cursed, “Disgusting.” [Orig. si yang, like dead, often used to describe someone who seems to hate but actually loves someone who brings pain to oneself but is unwilling to abandon them. It implies coquettishness.]

When a woman gets married, it’s like she spills water out.

There was heavy snow during the Daxue season.

No matter how nostalgic, the half-month reunion time passed by in a flash, Jiejie Xu Zhihu finally had to go back to Jiangnan Road. She said it was snowing, if she did not leave, she would really be reluctant to leave.

That day Xu Fengnian rode his horse to see her off for thirty li and rode back to the city alone.

Returning to the king’s mansion, in a bad mood, Xu Fengnian’s brains heated up, he called the maid servant Jiang Ni and his concubine-in-name only Yu Youwei to the lakeside pavilion to enjoy the snow.

The surface of the lake had long been frozen, but big heavy snow fall [lit. goose feather snow (idiom)] still refused to stop, leaving the mother earth a vast expanse of whiteness. Xu Fengnian shook his head, stood up, took a sip of warm wine to warm his stomach, and muttered something that no one knew the meaning behind it, like, “Lao Hu Kui [Old Lake Chief, see my note in previous chapter on ‘kui’], don’t freeze to death down there.” _{Translated by foxs}

Xu Fengnian turned to look at Ting Chao Ting across the lake. Bai Hu’er Lian had not shown his face for a long time. He was checking the vast martial arts scrolls inside, was he all right?

Finally he looked in the direction of Wudang Mountain, Xu Fengnian did not understand those martial artists who spent their whole lives diligently, never slacking in pursuing the great realm of martial art way. As for the lunatic who pursued the illusory and supreme heavenly law, he did not understand even more. In the past, if the young Taoist priest riding the Si[1] backwards was willing to nod, Jiejie would be happy.

Therefore, Xu Fengnian did not have the slightest bit of good impression toward the already-passed-on-for-a-thousand-years Wudang Mountain. Jiejie had a small mind, that guy’s was even smaller.

Xu Fengnian poured a cup of hot wine for Jiang Ni and handed it over, but she only laughed coldly in response.

She was a princess of a vanquished kingdom, that fact was not fake, so much so that Shifu said that she was a proud person bearing the destiny of the world. However, in Beiliang Wangfu, she was just a maidservant, so she must follow the compass and go with the set square [idiom: to follow rules rigidly] in food, clothing, housing and transportation, therefore, her clothes were thin and rustling. Shivering, her eyes were fixed on the wine mist several times. _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

With a mocking laughter, Xu Fengnian said, “You want to drink wine, I gave it to you but you don’t want it, yet you can’t take it yourself. You and I are both terribly tired. I am just a good-for-nothing licentious guy. If you have the ability, go assassinate Huangdi Bixia [His Majesty the Emperor], or my Die, that will work too. You are making life difficult for me, what kind of hero is that?”

Jiang Ni said coldly, “I am a weak woman, and I only have one Shenfu [see Chapter 3], I can only kill you. If I don’t kill you, whom should I kill?”

Xu Fengnian was unable to respond. He took a sip of wine, curled his lips and said, “You scoundrel, you are a perfect match for me.”

Jiang Ni simply closed her eyes to regain her composure.

Holding Wu Meiniang in her arms, Yu Youwei was very curious about the identity of this absolutely beautiful maidservant.

A streak of white rainbow swept out of the pavilion.

It fell into the lake not far from Ting Chao Ting.

Wearing white robe, Bai Hu’er Lian drew out two blades, Xiudong and Chunlei at the same time for the first time. _{Translated by foxs}

Xiudong saber was three chi and two cun long and weighed ten jin [catty] and nine taels. The master craftsman of this blade did not strive for sharpness with its edge, but instead as a culmination of all his accumulated skills, blunted the edge.

Chunlei Saber was two chi and four cun long and weighed only one jin and three taels. Its body purple, it could cut a hair blown toward its blade, it could easily split open heavy armor.

One Xiudong saber could sweep and swirl a thousand layers of snow.

It looked like all the heavy snow in the world was moving like a shadow, tilting toward a man in white robe speeding on the lake.

Majestic and vast.

One Chunlei saber, the blade was so cold that the ice chunks on the lake split and scattered into nearly a hundred streams of eye-catching and astonishing huge grooves.

The wind and snow blinding people’s eyes.

Just picking up a cucumber and nibbling on it, Xu Fengnian’s movements froze, he stared in wonder like looking at an immortal, looking straight at the one person and two blades in the middle of the lake filling the whole sky with snow.

Nibbling on raw cucumbers and corn was a habit slowly developed over the six thousand li of travel back and forth. To cater to Shizi Dianxia’s ‘tricky’ taste, they have prepared a lot of washed but unpeeled raw cucumbers and some sweet corn. Squandering this kind of plaything at this time of year was really not a small expense.

Jiang Ni whispered, “What a beautiful woman.” _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

Compared to the maidservant who had no power to kill or maim except for one Shenfu dagger, Yu Youwei, who has had cursory training in using swords and has spent some months and years in Shangyin Academy – had more ability to make discerning judgments. The elegant figure who made intrepid blade path in the middle of the lake was definitely the most elite swordsman. The scenery before her eyes was not inferior to seeing her Niang personally perform a sword dance when she was little.

Sweeping and swirling the snow, the white shadow moved forward. The two streams of saber qi crisscrossing without equal.

Xu Fengnian nibbled on a mouthful of cucumber, he said happily, “Now this is the air of a grandmaster.”

The wind and snow in the lake suddenly stopped, the short blade that has been returned to its sheath was thrown out, drawing a streak of profound arc in the air, and plunged into the snow in front of Xu Fengnian.

This year, during the heavy snow season, Bai Hu’er Lian gave up the Chunlei saber, and climbed to the second floor.

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[1] Si, lit. green ox, see Paonakata’s note in Introduction.