Da Tang Shuang Long Zhuan

The Han River was as quiet as a ghost country, just like this incomparably solitary boat was the only thing remaining between the heaven and the earth.

Xu Ziling, Liang Zhi, Luo Fang, Wu Yan, four men, each one armed with a three-zhang pole in their hands, stood on the bow. Every time the boat was about to crash onto the dangerous pile of rocks strewn along the riverbank, four poles stuck together, changing the boat direction to safety.

The other team of warriors united in common effort to scull the boat and control the sail under Kou Zhong’s yelling and screaming, enjoying themselves amidst the extremely busy situation.

Shang Peng and Shang He finally went up the deck, preparing themselves to flee for their lives in case the boat capsized.

Shang Xiuxun was standing on the bridge, viciously staring at Kou Zhong, who was flustered at the helm. She said crossly, “Didn’t you brag about your expertise in steering skill? Something about ‘leave it to me’? Did you see this? If there is no one dedicated to help you, this boat would have been capsized ten times already.”

Smiling apologetically, Kou Zhong said, “Beautiful Shifu, please calm down, my experience is in sailing in the ocean; therefore, momentarily I am not used to this nine-bent thirteen-turn small river like this. Look!”

Shang Xiuxun looked forward, a bend rapidly approaching right ahead.

Kou Zhong shouted repeatedly, the boat made a sharp turn, and then smoothly entered a river section that was as straight as a ramrod, giving them a moving feeling like they had just climbing over an endlessly rugged mountain and set foot on verdant village on a level road.

Before their eyes the river section suddenly opened up to a wide panorama, light drizzle filled the sky. Everybody wiped their foreheads, and broke up in cheers. Even Shang Peng and Shang He showed a rarely seen happy expression as if relieved from a burden.

Kou Zhong sighed and said, “We finally finished our apprenticeship! In the future, whether vast body of water or gigantic ocean, big river or small creek, it will not confound me.”

With her back against him, facing the wind and the rain, Shang Xiuxun said indifferently, “What did you just call me?”

Kou Zhong was taken aback; after thinking for a moment he came to realize what she was asking about, “Ah! That is your nickname, ‘Beautiful Changzhu’. Although it is a bit long, but it is both easy to say and suits you well. Hee!” [Translator’s note: ‘Beautiful Changzhu’ has five characters (mei ren er chang zhu). Most nicknames were four characters or less.]

Shang Xiuxun said in a low voice, “You think I am really beautiful?”

Kou Zhong was greatly stunned; he asked in wonder, “Changzhu, do you really not know that you are as beautiful as an immortal, that you are absolutely stunning?”

Shrugging her shoulders, Shang Xiuxun replied, “Who has ever told me?”

For the first time Kou Zhong realized how lonely she was.

Her situation at the Ranch was similar to Yang Guang of the former Sui; nobody dared to tell him the truth. While it was plain as day that they were defeated in battle, he still thought that he was comparable to the Emperor of Qin, Han Wu.

Shang Xiuxun did not know her own beauty. The Ranch people naturally could make idle remarks about her appearance quietly, but nobody dared to declare it openly.

A bit bashful, Shang Xiuxun asked for advice, “Which part of me do you think beautiful?”

Kou Zhong sighed and said, “Your beauty is perfect. Xiao Ling and I love to watch your lovable disposition and wonderful manner when you are eating the most; whether you are biting lightly or chewing vigorously, you intoxicate people’s heart and mind.”

Shang Xiuxun turned her tender body around and said in delight, “You speak pleasant words, just like you make such good cakes.”

It was also the first time that Kou Zhong saw her like this; he could only stare at her without being able to speak even half a word.

Shang Xiuxun suddenly reverted back to her usual cold, indifferent way; she said, “There’s still about a sichen before we reach Jingling. If the enemy seal off the river with steel rope, what should we do?”

Another first for Kou Zhong; it was the first time that he felt Shang Xiuxun’s trust and reliance on him. He also felt that the distance between the two of them had been reduced significantly. He could not stop strange feeling from bubbling up in his heart.

In term of beauty, without question Shang Xiuxun was a level above Li Xiuning, but for some reason she could not touch his heart like Li Xiuning did.

There was no denying that this beautiful Ranch Master had a tremendous attractive force to him, but it was not strong enough to make him desperately cast everything, forget everything, to pursue her, to obtain her.

He would have to weigh the pros and the cons and find the balance, and adjust the distance between himself and her, because he did not wish to damage the delicate relationship between him and Song Yuzhi for her sake.

A bit impatient, Shang Xiuxun pursued, “What’s on your mind?”

With this rude awakening, Kou Zhong looked up to meet her flower-like jade-countenance and her expectant gaze. His heroic spirit greatly aroused, he said, “If I, Kou Zhong, come out to vie over the world, will Changzhu sell warhorses and equipment to me?”

Without even thinking, Shang Xiuxun frowned and said, “Of course I will help you! But you are so destitute, where would you get the money to buy horses from me? Even though I am the Changzhu, I still need to scrupulously abide by my ancestral way of doing business, I can’t do business at a loss, and I can’t be involved in disputes of the Jianghu.”

Kou Zhong replied in all earnestness, “Can Beautiful Changzhu at least suspend all trade? Give me three months, I will have enough gold and I will come to see you.”

Displeased, Shang Xiuxun said, “Let us talk about it after coming out of Jingling alive!”

Seeing she did not categorically deny his request, Kou Zhong was inwardly very happy.

This moment Shang Xiuxun turned her head around and saw Xu Ziling’s tall and straight, confident and at ease, back as he was talking with Luo Fang and Liang Zhi on the main deck. Her fragrant heart unexpectedly had a nagging feeling that she had done something wrong.

※ ※ ※

The sailboat continuously sped up, rushing farther downstream.

Under the continuous drizzle, they saw two warships standing side-by-side on the watercourse ahead, behind a strip of steel rope traversing the surface of the river.

Xu Ziling was now at the helm, Kou Zhong was now standing proudly at the bow, carrying a rather insufferably arrogant, overbearing air around him.

Shang Xiuxun and her men stood on the deck behind him. Everyone had a bow and arrow in their hands. Each arrowhead was wrapped in oilcloth, ready to be lighted with the stoves available all around them to become fire arrows.

Walking away from Kou Zhong, Shang Xiuxun asked, “Do you really have confidence?”

Kou Zhong was watching the flurry of the enemy’s activity from realizing that they were coming straight toward them. Hearing the question, he turned his head around, flashed a smile full of confidence at her, patted the Moon in the Well on his back, and said, “Don’t forget that this is a divine saber that can communicate with the spirits. I guarantee that no one would expect this move. Even if they personally see it, they won’t dare to believe their own eyes.”

After a short pause, he laughed aloud and said, “Did you see that? Right now they don’t even have time to raise the sail; we break through their barricade, straight toward Jingling, they would not even able to see our tail clearly. That would be interesting.”

Liang Zhi anxiously asked, “What if you fail to cut the steel rope?”

Kou Zhong shook his head, “Impossible!” he said, “I will definitely cut the steel rope.”

This moment they were only about seven zhang away from the steel rope blocking the river.

The situation on the two enemy ships more than twenty zhang away was clearly visible. The Jianghuai Army troops on the boats were already in battle position. Bows and catapults were strung, ready to shoot arrows and rocks.

But this was not the reason why the heart of the people on the boat was anxious.

Looking at the steel rope, which was as thick as a baby’s arm, everybody felt their scalp went numb, imagining the dreadful consequences if Kou Zhong failed and the boat crashed onto the rope.

Only Kou Zhong remained as calm as usual, as if he never thought there was a remote possibility that he might fail.

Four zhang, three zhang ...

With no breeze, Kou Zhong’s clothes fluttered, creating rustling noise.

A stream of invisible vortex of energy was surging around his body.

Xu Ziling, who was standing on the bridge manning the rudder, had his eyes gleaming with divine light; they were fixed on Kou Zhong, who was standing proudly at the bow like a deity descending into the mundane world. His heart was also filled with overflowing heroic spirit.

This steel rope represented one crucial step in the course of events in Kou Zhong’s endeavor in vying over the world.

If he was able to break through this obstacle and sail toward Jingling, the spirit of the troops in the city would definitely be greatly roused, their morale would be greatly boosted.

He even had indistinct feeling that if Kou Zhong was able to accomplish this magnificent feat, he would win over the Flying Horse Ranch people, from top to bottom, so that they would be in favor of supporting Kou Zhong in his great undertaking of hegemony over the world.

This saber strike must only succeed and could not fail.

Chapter 12 - Part 2

Not only would it display his astonishing power, the more important thing was that it would validate the accuracy of his judgement.

The enemy ships were beginning to hoist their sails.

Three zhang!

With a wild roar Kou Zhong soared into the air to pounce on the steel rope.

This was such an unexpected move that even the enemy was awed. Everybody stared with their eyes grew wide, and forgot to release the stones and the arrows.

Fiercely gnashing her silvery teeth, Shang Xiuxun shouted tenderly, “Light the arrows!”

Flying over the empty space, Kou Zhong pulled the Moon in the Well from its scabbard, and turned it into a sharp ray that violently chopped down in the steel rope below.

Right this moment, Kou Zhong seemed to transform into a totally different person than his usual self.

‘Dang!’

While the men from both sides were craning their neck to look down, the Moon in the Well turned into an arc of yellow light, like a streak of lightning struck the steel rope.

The steel rope seemed unable to withstand the saber strike; it suddenly snapped and fell into the river.

Shang Xiuxun shouted tenderly, “Release the arrows!”

Soaring into the sky, the fiery arrows illuminated the river course, separately raining down on the two enemy ships.

Flying Horse Ranch people’s morale was high; they were full of confidence and fighting spirit.

Like a swift running horse their boat sailed across the steel rope that was blocking the river, speedily glided downstream.

It was not until the arrows nearly arrived that the enemy appeared to be awakened from a dream; with rallying cry they returned fire.

Kou Zhong somersaulted in the air. As steady as Mount Tai he landed back to his original position at the bow of their boat, with aloofness as if he looked at the world in disdain.

The saber was back in its sheath.

This moment two huge rocks happened to fill the sky as they flew toward them.

Kou Zhong laughed aloud. Like a leopard he leaped and met the rocks head-on with his fists.

‘Bang! Bang!’

The rocks shattered into powder and rained down the river.

Kou Zhong was shaken by the impact as well; he dropped back onto the deck, right next to Shang Xiuxun.

Seeing his fists were covered in blood, Shang Xiuxun was aghast, “Are you all right?” she asked.

Kou Zhong was unable to crawl back up; his body appeared to have lost all its strength. But he was still laughing heartily and said, “That was fun! That was fun!”

‘Boom!’

The hull shook violently.

Without anybody able to stop it, a huge rock hit the port side deck. Immediately wood fragments splattered everywhere as the deck shattered.

The boat leaned to its side before finally leveled up again.

Xu Ziling thundered, “Brothers, we’re through!”

Everybody cheered.

Looking back, they saw the two enemy ships were on fire. Forget about pursuing, they were having a difficult time just to take care of themselves.