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effort, but all along hasn’t been able to get these two factions to join together as one. Now, under Chief Hong, the Beggar Gang has four elders in all…”
“This I’ve heard teacher mention,” interjected Huang Rong. Because Hong Qigong was still in this world, she didn’t want to raise the issue of him having charged her with taking over the Chief’s position.
Lu Youjiao nodded his head. “I’m the fourth-ranked elder,” he continued. “All those three who were here just now are also elders.”
“I get it!” said Huang Rong. “You’re the head of the ‘Dirty Clothes’ faction, and they’re of the
‘Clean Clothes’ faction!”
“Eh? How did you know?” asked Guo Jing.
“Look how dirty Big Brother Lu’s clothes are!” said Huang Rong. “But the others’ clothes were really clean. Big Brother Lu, I reckon the ‘Dirty Clothes’ faction are no good; dressing so stinkily, so sloppily – it isn’t comfortable in the slightest! People in this faction of yours should wash their clothes more often. Wouldn’t that just make both factions the same?”
Lu Youjiao was furious. “You’re a little miss from a moneyed family,” he fumed. “Of course you’d be annoyed by stinking beggars!” With a stamp of a foot, he stood up. Guo Jing moved to apologise for the offence, but the angry Lu Youjiao just stormed off down the stairs, without even turning his head.
Huang Rong stuck out her tongue. “Jing gege,” she said, “I offended that Big Brother Lu. Don’t tell me off.”
Guo Jing just smiled.
Huang Rong added: “I was really worried just now.”
“Worried about what?” said Guo Jing.
Huang Rong had a serious expression. “Just worried he’d lift up his foot and give you a kick.
Wouldn’t that have been awful for you?”
“Why’d he kick me all of a sudden?” asked Guo Jing. “Even if you said something to offend him, there’s still no use kicking people.”
Huang Rong, pursing her lips with a slight smile, didn’t respond. Guo Jing just sat there in stupefaction, pondering uncomprehendingly.
Huang Rong sighed, and said: “Why don’t you think a little about what his name implies?”
Guo Jing had a sudden realisation. “So!” he shouted. “This is your roundabout way of calling me a dog!” He leaped up, motioning to tickle her as punishment. Huang Rong, giggling, dodged his outstretched hands.
End of Chapter 26.
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Chapter 27 – In front of the Xuanyuan Platform
Translated by Gimel Gimeno & Frans Soetomo
Four young beggars, each with an unsheathed blade were guarding at their sides.
Huang Rong turned her body around and was stunned. As it turned out, they were at the top of a small peak. In the moonlight she clearly saw lake water all around them.
There was a tall platform a dozen zhang’s away. The area around the platform was packed with row after row of hundreds of beggars.
While the two were joking around, there were footsteps coming from the staircase, the three old beggars who just went out with Yang Kang returned. They walk straight towards Guo Jing and Huang Rong’s table then bowed in respect. The middle beggar had fair skin and plump, his face was full of white beard. If his clothes were not full of patches, he would look like a rich and noble gentleman. He smiled before he even spoke; his face was gay and friendly, he said, “That beggar surnamed Lu has just secretly carried out his poisonous hand against the two of you. We did not like what we saw; therefore, we come here to help.”
Guo Jing and Huang Rong were startled, they asked, “What poisonous hand?”
That beggar asked, “That old beggar was not willing to dine with you, was he?”
Huang Rong shivered with fear, she asked, “Did he put poison in our food?”
The beggar sighed and said, “It is our Beggar Clan’s misfortune that we have such crafty traitor among us. This old beggar is highly skilled in using poison; as soon as his finger lightly flicked, the poison hidden in his finger nail would immediately mixed with the food and wine; even a deity would not suspect. Your poisoning is already deep; in an hour time nobody would be able to save your lives.”
Huang Rong did not believe what he said, she asked, “We do not have any enmity against him, why would he poison us?”
The beggar replied, “Most likely you two said something offensive to him. Please hurry and take this antidote, only then the two of you can be saved.” After speaking he took out a package of powdered medicine from his pocket and put it into two wine cups and poured the wine in then he implored Jing, Rong two people to drink it immediately.
Just a moment ago Huang Rong saw them went to see Yang Kang, she was suspicious. How could they take some medicine just like that based on what he just said? So she asked, “That gentleman surnamed Yang is our acquaintance. Could the three of you invite him to come and see us?”
“Of course,” that beggar replied, “But that traitorous disciple’s poison is too severe. You should take this antidote quickly, or otherwise it will be too late.”
Huang Rong said, “We are extremely grateful for your good intention. Would you please sit down and drink several cups with us? I often thought about the Beggar Clan’s eleventh Clan Leader single handedly battled a group of warriors at Beigu Mountain; using only a stick and his pair of palms to strike down the five tyrants of Luoyang; what a hero he was.”
During the time she and Guo Jing were together with Hong Qigong binding some woods to make a raft at MingXia [Bright Red Cloud] island, Hong Qigong would often tell her stories about some past major events within the Beggar Clan, so she would not be completely ignorant when she became the Clan Leader in the future. That Beggar Clan’s eleventh Clan Leader’s achievement was one of the stories she heard from Hong Qigong. When the three old beggars heard her suddenly talk about former Clan Leader they look at each other in astonishment, they were wondering how a youngster like her would know about such matter.
Huang Rong again said, “The Hong Bangzhu’s [Clan Leader] Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms have no equal under the heaven, I wonder how many stances have the three of you learned?”
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Ashamed look appeared on the three beggars’ faces; they had not learned even one stance from the Clan Leader’s Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms, they were inferior even from an eight-bag disciple Li Sheng who mastered one stance ‘Divine Dragon Swings its tail’.
Huang Rong continued, “That Lu Zhanglao [Elder Lu] who poisoned us just a moment ago; I think his skill is just ordinary. Last month the Western Poison Ouyang Feng invited me to drink three poisoned wine, now that was somewhat better. Why don’t you drink these two cups of poisoned wine yourselves?” She shoved the two cups with powdered medicine in front of the three beggars.
The three beggars’ countenances slightly changed; they knew she was purposely talking nonsense and was not willing to drink the medicine. The Elder with the rich man appearance smiled and said,
“Miss is suspicious, naturally we cannot force you. Only our good intention will be wasted. Let me just show one thing to convince Miss. Please take a look at my eyes; tell me if you see anything unusual.”
Guo Jing and Huang Rong looked at his eyes, only to see a pair of narrow eyes on the middle of a meaty fat face, like a pair of two slits on his face; but the eyeballs were glistening, they looked very clear and bright. “What’s so strange about his eyes?” Huang Rong wondered in her heart, “They look like a pair of sparkling pig eyes.”
That beggar continued, “You two look into my eyes, surely you may not lose your concentration.
Now you are feeling your eyelids are heavy, your minds are losing consciousness, your whole bodies are tired and weary; these are the signs of poisoning. Just close your eyes to sleep.” His voice was soothing and pleasing to the ears while intoxicating at the same time, making Guo Jing and Huang Rong felt really tired and sleepy; as if their strength was drained from their bodies.
Huang Rong slightly felt something was wrong; she tried to turn her head to avoid gazing at his eyes, but it seemed like she captivated by his eyes, she could not help looking back at him.
That beggar again said, “We are here by the lake side, the air is so cool and refreshing. You two should sleep soundly in this cool breeze. Sleep! Sleep! It is extremely comfortable. Sleep nicely!”
As he spoke, his voice sounded increasingly gentle, sweet, and soothing. Guo Jing and Huang Rong unconsciously yawned repeatedly, put their heads down on the table and fell fast asleep.
Without knowing how many hours had passed, two people finally woke up dazed and confused; cool breeze caressed their bodies, made them feel the chill in the air. Their ears faintly heard a noise similar the sound of waves of the ocean. Slowly they opened their eyes and saw a clear bright moon that just rose up behind the eastern side of the mountain amidst a cloudy fog.
Two people were very shocked. The sun was still high up when they were drinking wine at the front of the tavern at Yueyang, how come in a blink of an eye the sky had turned dark? Dazed and confused they tried to stand up, they were even more shocked to feel their hands and feet were bound by ropes. They tried to shout but their mouths were stuffed with cloths, pricking and hurting their tongues. Huang Rong knew it must be that white and fat beggar; but how he did it, she had no idea, for in that moment she could not think too much. She cast a sidelong glance and saw Guo Jing lying beside her, making an effort to struggle free; her anxiety was, for the most part, gone.