Book 13 Chapter 9 – Life Without Regret
Feeling Shen Luoyan’s soft, yet firm, silky breast pressing against his left arm, Kou Zhong’s heart was slightly swept away. Looking back, he exchanged a glance with Ba Fenghan, but did not see Shen Luoyan bringing any attendant. Surprised, he asked, “Why did Shen Junshi come alone? Your boyfriend Shiji did not have time to accompany you?”
At first Shen Luoyan looked at him with solemn and respectful expression, as if she was completely aloof toward the intimacy shown to her. After a quick glance toward Xu Ziling, who had his gaze fixed that the back of Song Shidao, who was walking in front of him, she smiled like a blooming flower, overflowing with seductive appearance, and said, “Just like you, I was one step late! Why don’t you go to Er Shaoye’s [second young master] wing? Jiejie will come later to have a heart-to-heart chat with you. Ay! Just get rid of these three masks! Are you going to do something shady?”
Releasing her lily-white hands, she stopped just before Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling stepped into the main hall.
Ba Fenghan continued walking until he was side-by-side with her; laughing indifferently, he said, “If you want to kill us, you must not miss tonight’s opportunity; otherwise you might not find another convenient time.”
A murderous intent flashed through Shen Luoyan’s eyes, but it vanished as quickly, although she did not say anything.
Man Qing Yuan was worthy to be called Luoyang’s most upscale pleasure house; the design was indeed unique and distinguished.
Wang Bo’s banquet was held in ‘Tingliu’ Pavilion [lit. listening to the remains], located behind the main hall.
On the east, west, north and south there were four three-story buildings forming a square, encircling a vast, about fifty-zhang wide, garden area in the middle.
Each floor on each building contained more than a dozen rooms, with the window of each room opened toward the garden, and in front of each window there was an individual balcony, so that the people in each room had full visibility of the garden below.
Compared to the buildings in the south, Man Qing Yuan was definitely more grand, more luxurious, and more beautiful. Especially compared to Jiangnan’s architecture, which emphasis was in simplicity and elegance, so much so that it tended to be plain, this complex’s exquisite architecture both in building and landscape was vastly different.
Tingliu Pavilion embodied the combined functionality of ‘partition’ and ‘see through’. It utilized some kind of enormous closed screen to cleverly bring about a feeling of ‘it was there, but not really there’. Although it relied mainly on the building itself to define its space, yet virtually it had the spirit of a garden, combining the interior and exterior as one entity in perfect harmony, with an artistic concept of creating an unlimited space out of the confinement of the limited space.
The side of the multi-story buildings facing the garden were interlinked with semi-corridor; not only it enforced the impression of the empty space of the garden, it also enforced the idea that in essence the four buildings were actually one.
Right in the middle of the garden there was a large fishpond. This even-more-open space strengthened the admiration of the guests.
The ground all around the fishpond was verdant with green grass and artificial brook; there was also a gravel path wound around the pond. From higher elevation the winding path and the verdant grass formed a beautiful pattern that warmed the heart and delighted the eye.
When the path met the brook, it became the arch of a small bridge, so that the entire garden never fell into monotonous and dull scenery.
Whether it was a performance or a duel, the people on the surrounding rooms would be able to watch simultaneously. It was obvious that Wang Bo knew how to choose a good place for his banquet.
The three followed Song Shidao climbing the stairs to a room on the top floor of the building on the north side. They already felt that tonight would be interesting, but they were also groaning inwardly, because under such circumstances, how could they make their move against Shangguan Long?
This moment all rooms on all three floors of the four buildings around the garden were brightly lit, plus there were palace lanterns hanging every few steps along the semi-corridor around the garden, making the entire garden as bright as day. With the noise of people talking and laughing, the atmosphere was boiling hot.
Song Shidao stopped in front of a certain door; looking up, he took a deep breath to calm himself down.
Kou Zhong, Xu Ziling and Ba Fenghan, three people also stopped behind him, waiting for him to speak.
Along the corridor richly attired beautiful courtesans and good-looking maid servants were going back and forth in and out of the rooms, like a lovely scene of blossoming plants swaying in the breeze, dazzling those who watched them. Seeing the four men, the women repeatedly sent coquettish glances, but clearly they were most interested in the handsome Song Shidao, because after putting on their masks, the other three were concealing their extraordinary good looks.
Nevertheless, Song Shidao was turning a blind eye to them. With a soft sigh he said, “I have never accepted the fact that Junchuo had died. How could the Heaven be so heartless, the spring flower has fallen before it wilted? I will definitely put that traitor Yuwen Huajin under my blade.”
The three did not expect Song Shidao to be so deep in love that momentarily they did not know what to say.
Song Shidao sighed and said, “San Mei [third (younger) sister did not wish to see Xiao Zhong, I have arranged another room nearby for her. Come!”
Stunned, Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling exchanged glances. It was only then did they know Song Yuzhi was coming as well.
Song Shidao downed a cup of strong wine in one gulp. Kou Zhong narrated in details the events leading to Fu Junchuo’s death.
In the other rooms, near and far, the sound of people talking and laughing, finger-guessing game and drinking contest, mixed with the sound of woodwind and string ensemble, so that Man Qing Yuan appeared to be burning with the fire of life.
Only in this room everybody’s expression was solemn. The good-looking maids and beautiful courtesans did not dare to come in and disturb them.
Ba Fenghan was the most awkward, because until now Song Shidao did not even ask his name.
Song Shidao only stared blankly at Kou Zhong refilling his cup on the table for the fifth time; he remained silent as if he was a stone carving without any life in it.
Kou Zhong reached out to peel his mask off, breathed a sigh of relief and said, “Wearing this ghost thingy is really uncomfortable.”
Xu Ziling and Ba Fenghan also felt that wearing a mask to conceal their face was of no use anymore, thereupon they also took their mask off.
As if he was completely oblivious of what they were doing, Song Shidao asked in heavy voice, “Did Junchuo ever mention me?”
Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling looked at each other; they were unable to respond.
Song Shidao smiled sadly, picked up the wine cup from the table, and rose up. Facing the garden under the platform, which looked like a roll of big painting, he shook his head and said with a sigh, “I don’t care how she treated me, but my love for her is just like a life without regret. Where is that small valley? After I kill Yuwen Huaji, I am going to build a cottage and live there, so she won’t be lonely.”
Xu Ziling felt as if the pit of his stomach was pressed down by a thousand-catty rock; with labored breathing he said dejectedly, “When we have time later, we’ll take Er Gongzi [second young master] there to visit Niang!”
Song Shidao shook his head, “No!” he said, “I want to go there alone. As long as you tell me the approximate location, I am sure I can find it.”
Clearing his throat, Kou Zhong said, “Telling Er Gongzi is not a problem. Hey! But can we talk about the condition first?”
Song Shidao was greatly surprised, “There is a condition on this?” he said, “No wonder San Mei did not like you.”
Kou Zhong was greatly embarrassed; he said, “I only wish that Er Gongzi would leave the matter of killing Yuwen Huaji to us, her two sons!”
Chapter 9- Part 2
Xu Ziling added with determination in his voice, “Just before her death, Niang urged us to train martial art well, so that we can take revenge for her.”
Song Shidao was silent for half a day. Finally he said dejectedly, “Very well! Based on your skill, with which you were able to kill Ren Shaoming, dealing with Yuwen Huaji shouldn’t be any problem.”
And then his eyes lit up with strange gleam. “Quickly tell me where your Niang’s grave is!” he urged.
Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling exchanged glances. And then, making up their mind, they stood up and whispered the location of the little valley in Song Shidao’s ear.
Finished listening, Song Shidao poured the wine in his cup into his mouth, laughed aloud, and cheerfully returned to his seat.
Dumbstruck, the three could only look at him in consternation.
Song Shidao acted as if Fu Junchuo basically had not died; moreover, she had married him and become his wife. He spoke lightly, “After our business here is done tonight, I am going there to accompany Junchuo.”
And then, turning to Ba Fenghan, he laughed pleasantly and said, “And could this gentleman be Ba Xiong? Based on what the Tujue people told me, you look like their description: strange and grand, imposing and heroic.”
Ba Fenghan was focusing his attention on the situation outside, people were going back and forth; hearing the question, he composed himself and replied indifferently, “Ol’ Ba also often feels that the Heaven did not treat me meagerly, because of my oath ‘life without surrender’ I am always able to pay back.”
‘Bang!’
Song Shidao had returned to his usual poise; he slapped the table and praised, “Life without surrender, well said! Xiao Zhong, pour the wine, let me offer Ba Xiongdi a toast.”
Kou Zhong quickly assumed his modest, honest and loyal demeanor, and poured wine for the two men. He tried hard to dilute the sad and difficult-to-comfort atmosphere a moment ago.
After staring silently at Song Shidao for half a day, Ba Fenghan laughed aloud and said, “I, Ba Fenghan, have always look down on respectable school and big clan’s people, believing firmly that all rich and powerful families are wastrels. But seeing Er Gongzi can have a passion as deep as the ocean for a woman that you only met once, and will never change as long as you live, thinking about my own painstaking pursuit of the way of the martial art, I can only have one word to describe my feeling toward Er Gongzi: admiration. This toast, I will make an exception, I am going to drink.”
Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling stared blankly at Ba Fenghan; it has been a long time since they saw his overbearing and flaunting-his-ability demeanor like this. A strange feeling rose up in their hearts.
Song Shidao was slightly startled, but then he laughed involuntarily and said, “Since the Heaven has not treated you meagerly, why should Ba Xiongdi be hostile at others who enjoy the same luck? This is actually the problem of ‘the heart’. Take me for example, as soon as I know where Junchuo is, I immediately feel that she is alive again in my heart; there is no more regret in my life. Come! Bottoms up!”
‘Ding!’
The wine cups clinked against each other. Both men drained the cup in one gulp.
A trace of blush flitted across Ba Fenghan’s snow-white-like-jade perfect face, which quickly vanished. His pair of tiger-eyes flashed brightly. After wiping the corner of his mouth with his sleeve, he coldly said, “Just consider this cup is to toast me on my challenge to Qu Ao.”
“What?” Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling blurted together.
Ba Fenghan’s pair of eyes flashed even brighter, filled with strong fighting spirit and confidence. Throwing his head back, he laughed aloud and said, “That day Qu Ao failed to kill me, it was the greatest mistake of his life. Because I have already figured out the cards in his hand; therefore, how could I miss this kind of golden opportunity?”
Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling were shocked; both thought that this was desperately serious.
Although Ba Fenghan was a rare genius of martial art, but with his limited experience, maturity, and power, he was still a distance away from Qu Ao, whose fame has spread outside the country for several decades.
After being kicked by Kou Zhong under the table, Xu Ziling hastily made a suggestion, “If Ba Xiong made your move, whether you win or you lose, tonight we can forget about getting Shangguan Long, that kid!”
Taken aback, Song Shidao said, “What gratitude and grudges does Luoyang Bang’s Shangguan Long have against you?”
Smiling wryly, Kou Zhong replied, “Is it not because of Niang’s meizi [younger sister] Yu Yi? Only by capturing Shangguan Long and beating him up will we be able to save her.”
Greatly shaken, Song Shidao said, “Junchuo has a meizi?”
Kou Zhong’s heart was moved; leaning closer, while radiant with delight, he said, “She looks a lot like Niang! Not in form, but in spirit. When Er Gongzi sees her, you will know what I mean.”
Frowning, Song Shidao said, “Why do you keep calling me Er Gongzi this and Er Gongzi that?”
Kou Zhong’s smile turned even more bitter; awkward, but honestly, he replied, “Are you saying that I ought to call you Song Shushu [uncle]? Then how am I supposed to call your San Mei?”
In that instant, the room fell silent, as if the time froze over. And then these several men roared in laughter at the same time, laughing so hard that tears fell from their eyes and they had to hold their belly with both hands.
Getting hold of himself, Kou Zhong reached out to pat Ba Fenghan’s wide shoulder and leaned closer to say, “Ol’ Ba, you have to be good and help us saving Yu Yi.”
Ba Fenghan sighed and said, “Whenever I make up my mind, I have never looked back. Under tonight’s circumstances, it is still possible to kill Shangguan Long, but there is no way we can capture him alive.”
Smiling, Song Shidao said, “If you have my help, the situation will be completely different; am I right?”
The three were dumbstruck, but then they nodded their head simultaneously.
Based on the Song Clan’s reputation and prestige, dealing with Shangguan Long was not out of the question.
If they could outsmart him by using strategy, naturally it would be much better than by using brute force.
‘Knock! Knock! Knock!’ Someone was knocking on their door.
A sweet-sounding male voice rang out, “Zaixia Qin Chuan; I wonder if Song Shidao Xiong is here?
Xu Ziling, Ba Fenghan and Kou Zhong looked at each other in shock.
Wasn’t Qin Chuan Shi Feixuan?
No wonder she was right outside the door but nobody detected her presence.
Surprised and unsure of what to do, Song Shidao replied, “The door is not bolted, Qin Xiong, please come in!”
Outside the door, Qin Chuan replied, “Xiaodi has a few questions; speaking over the door like this would be more convenient.”
Frowning, Song Shidao said, “Is it possible for Qin Xiong to introduce yourself? Otherwise please forgive Ol’ Song for refusing to answer questions over the door.”
Remaining tranquil and calm, Qin Chuan said, “People say that from the Song Clan, Song Shidao is the most outstanding hero with great aspirations. If you adhere rigidly to your status and refuse to talk over the door, Ol’ Qin has no choice but to admit failure and walk away to avoid any problem.”
Song Shidao laughed aloud and said, “Well said! Your argument against the ‘refusing to talk over the door’ certainly is reasonable. Speak up then!”
Xu Ziling, three persons, understood immediately. Shi Feixuan was playing her trick in selecting the future emperor.
Chapter 9- Part 3
Qin Chuan calmly said, “I just want to ask Song Xiong, what is the meaning of life?”
Song Shidao was stunned for half a day. Finally a pained smile appeared on the corner of his mouth; with forlorn expression he replied, “Before tonight, the meaning of life lay in whether one could spread out his aspiration to the greatest extend, to accomplish something that is profitable to mankind. But now I feel like life is but a dream, death is also a dream; in fact the whole life is just a big dream. All of us are living as if being drunk, and dying as if in a dream, drifting along in the sea of bitterness [Buddhist term], hard to extricate ourselves.”
Listening to this, Xu Ziling and the others could only shake their heads; they all thought that it would be strange indeed if Shi Feixuan would select Song Shidao.
Outside the door, Qin Chuan was silent for half a day, before letting out a light sigh and said, “Song Xiong’s words are indeed thought-provoking. But human came to this mortal life, if not for doing something on his own, then he must be doing something because he is required to. Which one is Song Xiong and why?”
Even Ba Fenghan showed admiration on his face.
Qin Chuan’s pointed question was incomparably remarkable.
Smiling ruefully, Song Shidao said, “Right now I just want to drink two cups of wine. How about Qin Xiong come in and have a toast with me?”
Qin Chuan replied indifferently, “I understand. Xiaodi’s taking my leave!”
With a leap Kou Zhong rushed toward the door and pulled it open. Sticking his head out, Qin Chuan’s shadow has already vanished. Quickly grabbing a pretty maid who happened to pass by and asked, “The man who had just stood outside the door, what did he look like?”
The pretty maid laughed tenderly and replied, “What man are you talking about?” Taking a glance at the other three men inside, her beautiful eyes immediately lit up. Trying to ingratiate herself, she said, “Would four Daye like to have maids serving you?”
Kou Zhong was not in the mood to flirt around with her; he smiled and said, “We are in the middle of secret meeting, no need!”
Ignoring her disappointed look, he simply closed the door. At a loss, he said, “How could it happen again?”
Frowning, Ba Fenghan said, “This might be some kind of brilliant transmitting-sound technique, using martial art skill to control the voice, bringing about the someone-outside-the-door effect. But she must be somewhere nearby too.”
Looking at Xu Ziling, Kou Zhong asked, “Ling Shao, did you feel anything?”
Thinking deeply, Xu Ziling said, “I did not have the slightest feeling.”
Ba Fenghan and Kou Zhong were shaken, “In that case …” they blurted out almost simultaneously, but also shut up immediately.
Puzzled, Song Shidao asked, “In that case what?”
Kou Zhong giggled and said, “Nothing! In that case it goes to show how formidable that Qin Chuan is, hence Xiao Ling did not feel anything.”
Xu Ziling naturally understood that Ba Fenghan and Kou Zhong were thinking that the Jade Annulus of the He Clan must not be on Shi Feixuan; otherwise he would have felt its presence. This fact was extremely important; it also indirectly confirmed that Wang Shichong had not lied.
Such an important treasure, yet she did not carry it with her; there must be a very unusual reason.
‘Qin Chuan’ has evoked the load in Song Shidao’s mind; after drinking two more cups of wine, he stood up and said, “Wang Bo won’t be here until xu hour [between 7-9 pm], we still have more than half a sichen before the banquet is officially begun. Do you guys want to call a few gorgeous hostesses to accompany you to while the time away?”
Kou Zhong and the others knew he was leaving, so they also stood up to send him off.
Xu Ziling said, “We just want to quietly drink our wine.”
Walking toward the door, Song Shidao nodded and said, “That would be good too. I am going next door to chat a little bit, and then I’ll come back to discuss with you our rescue plan.”
Ba Fenghan said, “Ol’ Ba has something I’d like to ask for guidance. Wang Bo is far away at Changbai, why did he suddenly come to Luoyang to hold a banquet here, and made arrangement for a duel between Fu Qian and Qu Ao, and even invited the tremendously popular Shang Xiufang to perform here?”
Frowning, Song Shidao said, “I am afraid nobody is too clear on this. Only after declaring his intention to give up striving for the world about half a year ago Wang Bo’s prestige in Jianghu rose rather than fell. Therefore, this time he issued hero invitation for the friends to come to Luoyang to watch the duel, to coincide with the Jade Annulus of He Clan’s matter. Hence no one wanted to miss this opportunity.”
And then he smiled and said, “I will drop in to say hello to Shangguan Long and snoop out the enemy. I will be back to report to three gentlemen.”
Turning to Kou Zhong, he said, “Just now it was San Mei who guessed correctly that the name ‘Renzhong’ was the ‘Zhong’ character; otherwise, in such a short period of time I would not have guessed that it was you.” [Translator’s note: the character Zhong仲 from Kou Zhong’s name is actually the character zhong中 (middle/center) with ren 人 radical.]
After Song Shidao left, the three sat down again.
Frowning, Ba Fenghan said, “This is very strange. Could it be that tonight is Yin Gui Pai’s plot? Because Qu Ao has always been in collusion with Yin Gui Pai, and moreover, this Man Qing Yuan belongs to Shangguan Long.”
Kou Zhong laughed and said, “If they could kill everybody who came to this banquet in one fell swoop, it would give Yin Gui Pai a lot of convenience. But this is very not likely, because even Wang Shichong in his own territory would not dare to do such folly.”
Xu Ziling guessed, “Maybe Yin Gui Pai has developed some kind of extremely formidable poison that even the top martial art masters would be taken in, and afterwards they would put all the blame on Wang Bo.”
Kou Zhong shook his head, “There is no such poison in the world,” he said, “In my opinion, Qu Ao came to the Central Plains this time with his grand ambition to use this as a pretext to establish his prestige, while eliminating Fu Qian, this thorn in his side. One move, two gains; what can you have against it?”
Ba Fenghan said, “In terms of name and talent, Qu Ao and Fu Qian, these two are almost the same! But I am not surprised that Zhong Shao made that mistake, because you did not know Fu Qian’s formidability. Wang Bo renouncing his plan to vie over the world, quite possibly it has something to do with him.”
Kou Zhong was taken aback. “You mean Fu Qian has a better chance than Qu Ao?” he asked.
“This is really hard to say,” Ba Fenghan replied, “But we have had confrontation with Qu Ao before; don’t you think that Qu Ao is not as formidable as we imagined him to be? While I was at the Western Regions, I heard that in recent years Qu Ao has been indulging himself in wine and women. You ought to remember that martial art is like rowing the boat upstream; if you stop moving forward, you fall back. Apparently this saying is not false.”
Exhaling a mouthful of cold air, Xu Ziling said, “He is doing less well than before, yet he is still that formidable. If he was not crazy about wine and women, wouldn’t we be finished early on?”
Ba Fenghan smiled and said, “After coming out of our mother’s womb, everybody must compete against others. Those who want to stand out among their peers must pay the price. But although it’s difficult to begin an undertaking, it is more difficult to preserve the accomplishments of previous generations. Country is like that, martial art is also like that.”
It was as if Kou Zhong did not even hear the exchange between the two; he suddenly spoke up, “If, under the impossibility of tonight’s circumstances, we managed to capture Shangguan Long, wouldn’t it be grand?”
Xu Ziling nodded and said, “There is nothing impossible in the world. The problem is that other than being an important figure in Yin Gui Pai, Shangguan Long’s men must be very strong as well. If we want to catch him alive, once we failed, next time don’t even think we will be able to repeat it. Therefore, without seventy, eighty-percent confidence, we should not act blindly without thinking.”
Kou Zhong said, “As long as he is alone, we have a chance; he can’t be as strong as Bian Bufu!”
Shaking his head, Ba Fenghan said, “Shangguan Long is a wily old fox, for sure. Otherwise he can’t possibly occupy such an important position in Yin Gui Pai. Even if Song Er Gongzi is willing to help us, we can’t expect to find him alone before we could make our move.”
Kou Zhong appeared as if he was thinking of something funny. He said gleefully, “When he is going to the latrine, he can’t possibly have a whole bunch of people heralding from the front and thronging from the rear, can he?”
The two men had to smile.
Laughing and scolding, Xu Ziling said, “First of all, you have to know when and where he is going. But this valuable intelligence is not easy to get. It could only work if we know his entire schedule. Hey!”
Knowing his superior ability and wisdom, the other two looked expectantly at him, wanting to hear what he thought.
With a bitter smile Xu Ziling and said, “Don’t look at me like that, I only grasped something vaguely, but not sure whether it would work.”
Ba Fenghan said, “Since we are unable to find any solution anyway, why don’t you tell us what you think?”
Xu Ziling said, “The reason we are targeting Shangguan Long is simply because of his relatively high position within the Yin Gui Pai, and thus he is privy of a lot of Yin Gui Pai’s classified information, so if necessary, we can trade him for Yu Yi. But if the problem is only to find out Yu Yi’s whereabouts, by catching Shangguan Long’s left and right hands man or someone like that, we might also obtain the same information, only it would be much easier.”
Recalling the tragic death of Bao Zhifu, three men, Kou Zhong’s eyes shone with strong murderous aura. He said, “As long as we are sure that Yu Yi did not fall into Yin Gui Pai’s hands, tonight I will challenge Shangguan Long and take his dog life.”
Ba Fenghan said, “Just hand over Qu Ao to me, will you?”
Knitting his brow, Xu Ziling said, “Making this matter a big deal will actually do us more harm than good. If either female demon Wan or Bian Bufu is disguising themselves as Shangguan Long’s subordinate and take up the challenge for him, would Zhong Shao still have such confidence?”
Kou Zhong laughed aloud and said, “With Shi Feixuan, this archenemy spying upon nearby, how could female demon Wan lightly show herself up? As for dealing with Bian Bufu, I, Kou Zhong, am not necessarily without any hope of victory.”
Ba Fenghan nodded and said, “This plan is indeed feasible. Bian Bufu has always been secretive, under this kind of circumstances he would certainly not show up his face.”
Severely shaken, Kou Zhong said, “I have an idea!”
He had just finished speaking, Song Yuzhi’s voice rang outside the door, “Kou Zhong, get the hell out of there!”