Chapter 13: Strange Disaster
Original novel written by Gu Long
Fan translation by Meh (Send an email)
Lin Shi Yin said, "So you agree?"
Li Xun Huan bit his teeth. "But don't you know that I've always liked to hurt people?"
He got up and said, "Good night."
Lin Shi Yin's said with a trembling voice, "Since you've already left, why come back again? We've been living so peacefully. Why... why come back and cause us trouble?"
Li Xun Huan needed all his energy to keep his mouth closed. Yet his lips still tremble.
Lin Shi Yin's voice suddenly became venomous. "Is it not enough that you've ruined my son? Do you have to ruin her too?"
Her face is just that pale, that beautiful. Her eyes filled with distress, with pain. She has never lost her composure in front of anyone else before.
Could all this be just for Lin Xian Er?
Li Xun Huan did not turn back.
He doesn't have the courage to turn back, to look at her.
He walked quickly down the stairs, then said calmly, "Actually, you didn't really have to plead with me. Because I don't like her one bit!"
Lin Shi Yin watched as he left. Her body suddenly lost all energy as she fell to the floor.
The pond has turned into ice. There's a bridge over the pond.
Li Xun Huan sat on the side of the bridge, staring aimlessly at the pond.
His heart just like this pond.
He could see light coming from Lin Xian Er's room far away. Is Lin Xian Er still waiting for him?
He knows that there's a reason why Lin Xian Er asked him to go. He also knows that if he goes, lots of interesting things will happen. Yet he still just sat there, staring at the candlelight far away.
He started to cough endlessly again.
Suddenly, he saw a shadow from that house. Li Xun Huan immediately gathered himself and flew over.
His steps are quick beyond description. Yet he by the time he got there, the shadow had already disappeared.
Li Xun Huan wondered to himself, 揇id I make a mistake?�
He opened the window, then said softly, 揗s. Lin.�
There抯 no response.
Li Xun Huan looked around. He saw wine spilled all over the floor. Then on the table, he saw a single plum flower!
The Plum Flower Bandit!
Could Lin Xian Er be in the hands of the Plum Flower Bandit?
Li Xun Huan picked up the wine cup, sweat came out of his palms.
At this instant, he heard a faint sound, and the candlelight immediately went out. Then came countless hidden weapons from all directions.
Yet of all the hidden weapons in the world, which can come close to Little Li抯 Dagger!
Li Xun Huan twisted his body, his hands already caught 18 weapons. The rest bounced off his foot.
He then heard a loud shout from outside.
揚lum Flower Bandit. You can抰 escape. Come out and die!�
揘o matter how good you are, we can still make you die a terrible death!�
揑 won抰 lie to you. Seventh Master Tian from Luo Yang is here. Plus Mr. Gong Sun, the Venerable Zhao, and Fourth Master Long.
Li Xun Huan shook his head, then said silently, 揟ian Qi* really did came.�
*[Tian Qi is Seventh Master Tian. 換i� means seven.]
Then he heard someone said, 揝ince you抮e here, why don抰 you come out?�
Li Xun Huan coughed lightly, then spoke with a thick voice, 揝ince you抮e all here, why don抰 you come in?�
People outside start to talk among themselves, 揕ooks like this guy wants to lure us into the room.�
Then one booming voice rose above the chatter. 揟he Plum Flower Bandit can only sneak around in the dark. Why would he have the guts to meet us?� Everyone else also immediately echoed this, trying to get the person inside to come out.
Then they heard, 揜ight, the Plum Flower Bandit does tend to sneak around, but what does that have to do with me?�
That booming voice then said, 揑f you抮e not the Plum Flower Bandit, then who are you?�
Another voice said, 揗r. Gong Sun, why bother to ask him? The venerable Zhao could not have been mistaken. This person must be the Plum Flower Bandit.�
Li Xun Huan suddenly burst out laughing. 揨hao Zheng Yi, I knew this was all your doing.� In the middle of the laugh, he shot out the window and into the crowd. Everyone took a step backward.
Then Long Xiao4 Yun said loudly, 揈veryone stop. This is my brother Li Xun Huan!�
Li Xun Huan looked immediately at Zhao Zheng Yi. He said with a smile, 揗r. Zhao really has great eyesight. If my hands and feet weren抰 so agile, I抦 afraid I抎 already be the Plum Flower Bandit抯 dead body double.�
Zhao Zheng Yi抯 face is pure green. He said coldly, 揝omeone hid here in the middle of the night. If I don抰 think that person is the Plum Flower Bandit, then who could it be? How could I know that you抮e suddenly no longer ill, then secretly came here.�
Li Xun Huan said calmly, 揑 don抰 have to secretly come here. I can go anywhere I want. Besides, How could the venerable Zhao know that the lady did not invite me here?�
Zhao Zheng Yi laughed. 揑 don抰 know what your relationship is with Ms. Lin. But everyone knows that Ms. Lin could not possibly come here tonight.�
揜eally?�
Zhao Zheng Yi said, 揑n order to avoid the Plum Flower Bandit, she moved out earlier today.�
Li Xun Huan said, 揑f that抯 the case, you can at least make sure you抳e got the right person before attacking.�
Zhao Zheng Yi said, 揑n order to beat people like the Plum Flower Bandit, one must take the initiative. Otherwise, we run the risk of him escaping.�
All his words are logical and righteous. They sound irrefutable.
Li Xun Huan laughed loudly. 揤ery nice 憈aking the initiative�. Looks like if I died today in your hands, I can only blame it on bad luck, and not you.�
Long Xiao4 Yun coughed twice, then forced a smile. 揑t抯 easy for one to make a mistake in the middle of the night. Besides...�
Zhao Zheng Yi then said coldly, 揃esides, maybe I didn抰 make a mistake.�
Li Xun Huan said, 揙h? So you抮e saying that I am the Plum Flower Bandit?�
Zhao Zheng Yi laughed. 揗aybe, maybe not. Everyone only knows that the Plum Flower Bandit抯 lightness kung fu is very good. His speed amazing. But whether his name is Zhang, or Li, no one knows.�
Li Xun Huan said, 揧ou抮e right. My lightness kung fu is certainly quite nice. My speed also decent. The time the Plum Flower Bandit reappeared is about the same time I came back. If I抦 not the Plum Flower Bandit, then something must be wrong.�
He chuckled. Then stared at Zhao Zheng Yi. 揧et if you抮e so certain that I抦 the Plum Flower Bandit, then why don抰 you capture me now?�
Zhao Zheng Yi said, 揑t doesn抰 matter when I capture you. Besides, I have Tian Qi and Muo Yun here. Do you really think you can escape?�
Long Xiao4 Yun抯 face turned pale. He said, 揅ome on. We抮e just joking around, right? Let抯 not be serious. I can promise everyone that he抯 not the Plum Flower Bandit.�
Zhao Zheng Yi said, 揘o one can joke about something like this. You two haven抰 seen each other in such a long time. How could you be so sure?�
Long Xiao4 Yun said, 揃ut... but I know what kind of person he is.�
One person suddenly said, 揧ou might know a person, but you don抰 know his heart. Fourth Master Long surely must抳e heard of this saying.�
This person is thin as a stick. His face shriveled, looking like ill old man. Yet his voice is crispy clear. This is the famous Gong Sun Muo Yun.�
Another person appeared behind him. This person looking like a rich young master. He chuckled and said, 揟hat抯 right. I, Tian Qi, has been a long time friend of Li Xun Huan. Yet when something like this happens, I can only set aside our friendship.�
Li Xun Huan said, 揂lthough I have many friends. Yet I don抰 think I抳e ever had a friend in such a high place as Tian Qi.�
Tian Qi抯 face changed. His eyes screamed murder.
Everyone in the martial world knows that when he wants to kill, he抣l immediately attack. Yet for some reason, he still just stood there.
Only to see Gong Sun Muo Yun, Zhao Zheng Yi, and Tian Qi all surrounding Li Xun Huan. All three look very serious.
Yet they could only stand there, staring at the dagger in Li Xun Huan抯 hand.
Li Xun Huan didn抰 even bother to look at them. He simply said, 揑 know all three are just itching to kill me now. By killing me, not only do you become incredibly rich and have a gorgeous woman, your name will remain famous for years to come.�
Zhao Zheng Yi said, 揗oney and women are not important. We抮e only killing your for justice in the martial world.�
Li Xun Huan laughed loudly. 揌ow righteous! How honorable! You really do live up to your nickname, venerable Zhao.�
He touched the tip of his dagger lightly, then said, 揝o why don抰 you come capture me?�
Zhao Zheng Yi stared intently at the dagger while remain quiet.
Li Xun Huan continued, 揙h. I know. Tian Qi抯 staff is without equal in the world. Mr. Zhao must be waiting for must be waiting for Tian Qi to go first. So how come Mr. Tian Qi is just standing there?�
Both of Tian Qi抯 hands remained behind him, as if he didn抰 hear a single word.
Li Xun Huan said, 揑s Mr. Tian Qi waiting for Mr. Gong Sun to go first? That抯 a good idea. Mr. Gong Sun抯 14 Cloud Fist has thousands of variations. Obviously, he should go first.�
Gong Sun Muo Yun also seemed to have turned deaf, not making a move.
Li Xun Huan laughed loudly into the air and said, 揟his is strange. All three wants to kill me. Yet none would make a move. I wonder why?�
Those three people really are patient. No matter how Li Xun Huan ridicule them, they still just stood there motionless.
Obviously, all three wanted to kill Li Xun Huan immediately. Yet Little Li抯 Flying Dagger never misses. As long as he has the dagger, who would dare move?�
Long Xiao4 Yun suddenly smiled. 揃rother, can抰 you see they抮e just kidding? Come, let抯 go drink some wine.�
He walked up to Li Xun Huan with a big smile. Then pulled on his wrist.
Li Xun Huan instantly became shocked, said with a trembled voice, 揃ig brother you...�
He wanted to escape from Long Xiao4 Yun抯 grab, but it抯 too late.
At this moment, only to hear a faint sound, Tian Qi抯 hands came out from his back, a short golden staff appeared, hitting Li Xun Huan directly on the leg.
Li Xun Huan抯 fist, even without his dagger, is among the best in the world. Yet because he was grabbed by Long Xiao Yun, he could not do anything.
After he dropped to his knees, Gong Sun Muo Yun immediately sealed seven pressure points on his back. Zhao Zheng Yi then followed with a kick, and Li Xun Huan fell back a few feet.
Long Xiao4 Yun jumped up and yelled, 揌ow could you do this to him? Release him.�
Zhao Zheng Yi said coldly, 揥e can抰 risk such a thing.�
Tian Qi said, 揑抦 sorry, Mr. Long.�
Gong Sun Muo Yun had already blocked Long Xiao4 Yun抯 path. Long Xiao4 Yun tried to attack, but Tian Qi抯 staff immediately paralyzed his legs.
Before he can do anything else, Zhao Zheng Yi sealed his pressure point.
As Long Xiao4 Yun dropped to the floor, he said. 揃rother Zhao. How could you...�
Zhao Zheng Yi said, 揂lthough we抮e brothers, justice in the martial world comes before friendship. Hopefully you抣l understand this, so you won抰 get dragged down by rotten people like him.�
Long Xiao4 Yun said, 揃ut he can抰 be the Plum Flower Bandit!�
Gong Sun Muo Yun said, 揊ourth Master, you have a good home and a good reputation. People like him aren抰 worth your sympathy.�
Long Xiao4 Yun said, 揑f you release him, I抣l hold myself accountable for everything.�
Zhao Zheng Yi said, 揥hat about your wife then? Your son? You would see them get dragged down with you?�
Long Xiao4 Yun抯 whole body shivered.
Li Xun Huan抯 dagger is still in his hand, but he抣l never have a chance to use it!
Would this true man, real hero, meet such a cruel ending like this?
Long Xiao4 Yun could not help but shed tears. He said, 揃rother, it抯 all because of me. I hurt you. Your big brother failed you.�
The hours before dawn are usually the darkest. Even all the light in the hall could mask the infinite darkness.
A group of people gathered outside the hall, chattering amongst themselves.
揟ian Qi really is awesome. Did you see how fast his staff was? Even if Fourth Master Long weren抰 there, I bet Li Xun Huan still could not block it.�
揃esides, he had Mr. Zhao and Mr. Gong Sun by him.�
揧ou抮e right. No wonder people say that the Venerable Zhao抯 feet are worth twenty thousand taels of gold. His kick was stunning.�
揧et what about Mr. Gong Sun抯 fist? If he didn抰 attack so quickly, I bet Li Xun Huan would not falter so quickly.�
揗r. Tian, Mr. Zhao, Mr. Gong Sun. Humph, Li Xun Huan really is unlucky to have met these three.�
揂lthough that抯 all true, but if it weren抰 for Fourth Master Long...�
揥hat about Fourth Master Long? Could he be more of a friend to Li Xun Huan?�
揊ourth Master Long really is a true friend. Li Xun Huan is incredibly lucky to have such a brother!�
Long Xiao4 Yun sat on a red wood chair in the hall. The last words seemed to have stuck in him like needles. His face full of sweat.
Only to see Li Xun Huan lying there on the floor, coughing endlessly again.
Long Xiao4 Yun shed a tear. 揃rother. It抯 all my fault. It抯 your bad luck that you抎 meet a friend like me. I... I ruined your life.�
Li Xun Huan did all he can to stop his cough. He forced a smile and said, 揃ig brother. I just want you to know one thing. If I were to live my life again, I抎 still be your best friend.�
Long Xiao Yun started to cry. 揃ut... if I weren抰 holding your hand, how could you... you...�
Li Xun Huan said sincerely, 揑 know whatever you do, it抯 for my benefit. I can only thank you.�
Long Xiao4 Yun said, 揥hy don抰 you just tell them that you抮e not the Plum Flower Bandit? Why do you..�
Li Xun Huan smiled. 揕ife and death are trivial stuffs. I抳e already lived a full life. Why do I care so much about dying? Why bother to bow down in front of these filthy, annoying people.�
Tian Qi was listening in on the whole conversation. He looked at them and clapped. 揤ery nice. Very nice!�
Gong Sun Muo Yun laughed coldly. 揌e knows that we would not let him go no matter what, so he can only ridicule us, making himself feel better before death.�
Li Xun Huan said calmly, 揧ou抮e right. At this point, I can only ask for death. Yet now that I no longer have my dagger, why do you still not kill me?�
Gong Sun Muo Yun抯 wrinkled face suddenly turned red.
Zhao Zheng Yi said loudly, 揑f we were to kill you now, words might spread around the martial world that we only wanted to kill you for our selfish needs. We need to fairly execute you!�
Li Xun Huan sighed. 揨hao Zheng Yi, I really do deeply admire you. Although your heart抯 absolutely disgusting, all your words are bright and righteous. And you can say them with a straight face.�
Tian Qi said with a laugh. 揗r. Li. You do have guts. If you really want to die so quickly, I have a plan.�
Li Xun Huan said, 揑 originally wanted to say something to you too. But I didn抰 want to stain my mouth.�
Tian Qi went on as if Li Xun Huan didn抰 say anything. 揑f you want to die a little quicker, just write down that you抮e guilty. Then we can provide you with a merciful death.�
Li Xun Huan didn抰 even have to think. 揊ine. I say it. You write it.�
Long Xiao4 Yun hurriedly said, 揃rother. You can do this!�
Li Xun Huan just ignored him. He kept on going. 揗y crimes are too numerous to speak. I pretend to be righteous when my heart抯 evil. I scheme for power, break other people抯 friendship, sneak attack on others, use devious methods when fighting, I have no integrity and did tons of horrendous things. Yet I still feel as if I抦 a true gentleman!�
Only to hear a loud sound, as Zhao Zheng Yi slapped him hard on the face!
Yet Li Xun Huan just smiled. 揘o matter. I抣l just pretend that I got bitten by a crazy dog.�
Zhao Zheng Yi said angrily, 揧ou b.a.s.t.a.r.d. Listen well. Even if I can抰 kill you yet, I can still make you wish that you were dead!�
Li Xun Huan still just laughed. 揑f I were afraid of you little filthy fake gentleman, I wouldn抰 be a true man. Just use whatever torturing method you want!�
Zhao Zheng Yi said. 揋ood!�
Long Xiao4 Yun simply shivered on his seat. He said, 揃rother. I抦 sorry. You might be a hero, but I抦 a coward. I...�
Li Xun Huan said, 揟his isn抰 your fault, big brother. If I had a son and a wife, I抎 do the same thing.�
At this time Zhao Zheng Yi had already grabbed hold of him, pulling his muscles hard. The pain is excruciating for anyone to endure, yet Li Xun Huan still just smiled.
At this time, someone said outside, 揗s. Lin, where did you come from? And who抯 this friend of yours?�
Only to see Lin Xian Er抯 clothing messed up, with parts torn, walking into the hall.
By her side is a youngster. Even on such a freezing day, he抯 just wearing a thin piece of clothing. Yet his shoulders are still straight. As if nothing in this world can make him bend!
Yet he抯 carrying a dead body.
Ah Fei!
Why is Ah Fei here?
Li Xun Huan抯 heart pounded, not knowing whether to be happy or shocked. Yet he suddenly turned away, not wanting Ah Fei to see him like this.
He doesn抰 want Ah Fei to do anything stupid for him.
Yet Ah Fei still saw him.
His cold face suddenly lightened up. Then marched towards Li Xun Huan. Zhao Zheng Yi did not block him, for he knows how skillful this youngster is.
But Gong Sun Muo Yun doesn抰 know this. He immediately blocked Ah Fei抯 path and said, 揥ho the h.e.l.l are you? What do you want to do?�
Ah Fei said, 揟o teach you a lesson!�
When he heard this, Gong Sun Muo Yun attacked.
Lin Xian Er only looked shockingly at Li Xun Huan, not caring about anyone else. As for Long Xiao4 Yun, he doesn抰 really want to do anything anymore.
Yet oddly enough, Ah Fei didn抰 even bother to dodge.
Only to hear a loud noise as Gong Sun Muo Yun抯 fist landed on Ah Fei抯 chest. Ah Fei didn抰 move an inch, yet Gong Sun Muo Yun was in such pain he bent down on his knees.
Ah Fei didn抰 even bother to look at him, instead walking up to Li Xun Huan and asked, 揑s he your friend?�
Li Xun Huan just smiled. 揇o you think I have a friend like him?�
At this time, Gong Sun Muo Yun attacked again. Suddenly, Ah Fei turned around, and with another loud thud, Gong Sun Muo Yun landed several feet away.
The crowd couldn抰 believe what they抮e seeing. No one would believe that the famous Cloud Fist would look like c.r.a.p in front of this youngster.
Only Tian Qi laughed loudly. 揊riend you are quite fast. The youngsters really is overtaking us old folks.�
He bowed and said. 揗y name is Tian Qi. What抯 your name. Maybe we can be friends.�
Ah Fei said, 揑 don抰 have a name. Nor do I care to have a friend like you.�
Other people抯 expressions changed, yet Tian Qi kept on smiling. 揢nfortunately, you抮e very bad at making friends.�
Ah Fei said, 揜eally?�
Tian Qi pointed at Li Xun Huan and said, 揑s he your friend?�
揧es.�
Tian Qi asked, 揇o you know who he is?�
揑 do.�
Tian Qi chuckled, 揇o you also know that he is the Plum Flower Bandit?�
Ah Fei raised his eyebrows. 揚lum Flower Bandit?�
Tian Qi said, 揟his really is hard to believe. But one has to accept the truth.�
Ah Fei stared at him, his stare penetrating his heart.
Ah Fei said coldly, 揌e抯 definitely is not the Plum Flower Bandit.�
揥hy?�
Ah Fei suddenly dropped the dead person on his shoulders. Then said, 揃ecause this is the real Plum Flower Bandit!�
The crowd could not help but starting to gather around the corpse.
This corpse is thin and dry. The knife wounds on his face made it hard to tell who he is.
Tian Qi laughed again. 揧ou抮e saying that this is the real Plum Flower Bandit?�
Ah Fei said, 揧es.�
Tian Qi said, 揧ou really are a youngster. Do you really think everyone抯 so gullible? Do you think we抣l believe you just by bringing some corpse and say it抯 the Plum Flower Bandit?�
Ah Fei said, 揑 never lie. And I never get tricked.�
Tian Qi said, 揑n that case, how can you prove it?�
Ah Fei said, 揓ust look at his mouth!�
Tian Qi laughed again. 揥hy should I look at his mouth. Can he talk or something?�
Everyone else also laughed along. Even if they didn抰 think it was very funny, they still laughed along because Tian Qi did.
Lin Xian Er suddenly came and said, 揑 know he抯 not lying. This person really is the Plum Flower Bandit.�
Tian Qi said, 揜eally? Did the corpse tell you?�
Lin Xian Er said, 揟hat抯 right. He told me himself.�
She didn抰 let anyone interrupt her before continuing. 揥hen Qin Zhong died, I can see he died from a very powerful hidden weapon. It抯 not too big a deal that he couldn抰 dodge this weapon. Yet there抯 something fishy if even a master like Wu Wen Tian couldn抰 dodge this hidden weapon. Now I know why.�
Tian Qi抯 eyes twitched. 揙h? So why?�
Lin Xian Er said, 揧es. The secret is in his mouth.�
She suddenly used a knife to open the corpse抯 mouth. There抯 a little barrow inside.
Lin Xian Er said, 揑t抯 only because the weapons came out when he was talking, that no one would guard against such an attack!�
Tian Qi said, 揑f he has this barrel in his mouth, how can he talk?�
Lin Xian Er said, 揟his is the secret within the secret. He doesn抰 need his mouth to talk. Because he can do so with his stomach. His mouth is for killing people!�
While what she said sound ludicrous, knowledgeable people like Tian Qi knows that such an ability does exist. Supposedly, it came from Persia, and was mainly used as circus tricks. Normally it sounds very weird. Yet if used by a true martial arts expert, the sound can obviously be much more realistic.
Lin Xian Er said, 揃efore Mr. Tian and others fight, where do you look at?�
Tian Qi said, 揙bviously at the opponent抯 body.�
Lin Xian Er asked, 揥hat part of the body?�
Tian Qi responded, 揝houlders and hands.�
Lin Xian Er smiled. 揝ee. That抯 my point. When experts fight, they never look at the opponent抯 mouth. Only when dogs fight do they worry about the opponent抯 mouth. Since people aren抰 like dogs, they never bite.
Everyone else chuckled. When a beauty such as Lin Xian Er say something like this, how could one not laugh along?
Yet Lin Xian Er immediately looked sullen, then said, 揧et the Plum Flower Bandit just happen to use his mouth as his weapon. The better the fighter, the easier it is to get tricked. Because a high level martial arts expert would never notice the opponent抯 mouth.
Tian Qi asked, 揝o how did you find out about this secret?�
Lin Xian Er said, 揑 only found out after he used the hidden weapons.�
Tian Qi chuckled. 揝o is our little friend a dog? He only likes to stare at other people抯 mouths?�