Chapter 6
The Killer Star is Caught
On the public road, horse carriages and pedestrians in an endless stream.
Merciless Gold Sword escorted the prisoner cart, caring only about making time, never considering that there could be someone far behind, waiting for a time to strike and murder the Killer Star in the prisoner cart.
Far behind the prisoner cart was a horse carriage no longer new, showing signs of wear.
Carriages like this came and went frequently on the public roads. You could say there were too many to count. So ever since the carriage appeared behind the prisoner cart, it didn’t pique Merciless Gold Sword or his Brocade Swordsmen’s notice at all.
The carriage’s passengers were an elderly couple.
This elderly couple was none other than Dagger Within a Smile and Sister As You Wish!
Once the two of them had made up their mind at the inn they set to work at once, dressing up in disguise and hiring a carriage that very same night and set out on the road to catch up.
Despite the fact that they caught up with the prisoner cart the next day, the swordsmen had it too closely guarded, so they never found a good chance to attack.
But they were in no hurry.
They knew that in a few days, as long as nothing else happened, the swordsmen’s vigilance would naturally begin to slacken.
※ ※ ※
There was only one wineshop in the little town.1
Though there was only the one wineshop in the whole town, its business was not necessarily booming.
Because most travelers rarely wanted to stay in this little place overnight unless it was late and they’d already passed other lodgings. And the town’s few inns pretty much all served food and drink as well, so the wineshop’s main business came at noon, serving traveling merchants who’d come to stop and rest, and so they made just a meager profit.
However, be that as it may, today the wineshop was doing an unexpectedly good bit of business.
There were just two guests contributing to this business.
Two shabbily dressed middle-aged men.
When the two men entered, the proprietor, Second Pocky Zhang, almost couldn’t keep himself from spitting on the ground.
Customers like these he had seen too many of. A catty of wine, a few pieces of dried tofu (dougan), a couple plates of aniseed-flavored beans, and they’d take a long time drinking, and altogether only net a measly ten coppers.
But Second Pocky Zhang was mistaken this time.
The the men wore shabby clothes, the silver they pulled out was in the form of ingots, full and intact.
They didn’t order wine or food, just called out for food and drink to be brought and threw an ingot of silver on the table.
Second Pocky Zhang was a bit flustered. “Please, Sirs, forgive me… today… this little shop… has not done very much business… This silver… I don’t think… I don’t think I can make change…”
The short and skinny one said, “Who asked you to make change?”
The big and tall one said, “As long as us brothers get to eat our fill, this silver is all yours.”
The skinny one said, “We brothers have a lot more silver like this.”
The tall one said, “Even if you gave us small bits of silver we’d have no place to spend it.”
Second Pocky Zhang understood for the first time he’d run into a couple of oafs.
He quickly put on an obsequious smile and thanked them, then scooped up the ingot of silver in both hands and got busy heating the wine and serving the dishes.
And he went from calling them “Sir” to “Master”.
He knew that in dealing with oafs like these, the most essential key was to go along with whatever they said, smile more, say some flattering words, and everything would be fine, everyone would be happy.
The skinny one suddenly was suddenly dumbfounded and said, “Big Treasure, did you here what Pocky just called us?”
Big Treasure said, “I heard, he called us Master.”
Second Treasure seemed unconvinced. He blinked. “Are we masters?”
Big Treasure said, “He called us Master, of course we’re masters.”
Second Treasure said, “Then how come no one’s ever called us Master before?”
Big Treasure said, “We never had silver before!”
Second Treasure said, “You have to have silver to be a master?”
Big Treasure said, “Of course!”2
Second Treasure said, “What if we use up all our silver?”
Big Treasure scratched his head. “Then… Then… of course we’re not masters anymore… No silver… then how… can we be masters?”
Second Treasure said, “Too bad our silver is getting less and less the more we use it.”
Big Treasure said, “Yeah! It’s nice hearing someone call you Master. I wonder if after we run out of silver we can run into another Shen?”
Second Treasure took a drink and said, “Everyone says silver is hard to earn, but we brothers have had the easiest time earning it, look how relaxed this assignment has been. Without the least bit of effort we got a whole bag of shining white silver.”
Second Pocky Zhang had an idea, overhearing that. He thought: If oafs like these two can earn a bag of silver, am I, Second Pocky Zhang, just naturally destined to a miserable lot, inferior even to oafs like them? I ought to ask them what this is all about, see if I can stick my leg in and share in the profits and earn a tidy sum!
Thinking this, he went up to them all smiles. “What line of work are you two masters in?”
Big Treasure said, “You couldn’t do this work.”
Second Treasure said, “So it’s no use to ask.”
Second Pocky Zhang hurriedly smiled and said accommodatingly, “Of course, of course, how could a thing like me, Second Pocky Zhang, compare to you to masters? I was just making conversation, that’s all!”
Big Treasure nodded. “This matter we shouldn’t tell anyone, but since you keep calling us Master, we naturally feel awkward keeping it from you.”
Second Pocky Zhang lost no time bowing. “Master, you honor me!”
Big Treasure tossed his head back. “Second Treasure, you tell him, I want to drink some wine.”
Second Treasure said, “If we tell you, you can’t tell anyone else.”
Second Pocky Zhang said, “Of course.”
Second Treasure said, “It’s like this, we’ve been entrusted with the task of sending 4,000 taels of gold to a far far away place. The person who entrusted us with this gave us a bag of silver so we could buy wine on the road. You get all that?”
Second Pocky Zhang, eyes wide, said, “So… you two masters… are escorts for which agency?”
Second Treasure said to Big Treasure, “What’s an escort?”
Big Treasure said to Second Pocky Zhang, “What’s an escort?”3
Second Pocky Zhang found this curious and funny, he never imagined that these two wouldn’t even know what an escort was. Now he patiently explained the nature of escort agencies using easy to understand analogies.
Big Treasure listened to his explanation and slapped his thigh. “Right, right, we’re escorts!”
Second Treasure said, “He’s the big escort, I’m the second escort, and the 4,000 taels of gold are our goods to escort!”
Second Pocky Zhang had another idea. All smiles, he asked, “Masters, where are you keeping these 4,000 taels of gold?”
Big Treasure said, “Not on us.”
Second Treasure said, “We only have silver on us, no gold.”
Second Pocky Zhang said, “Masters, do you have other companions coming?”
Big Treasure said, “Already here.”
Second Treasure said, “Staying at the inn across the street.”
Big Treasure said, “That old man staying in the second room in the rear courtyard.”
Second Treasure said, “And an old woman.”
Big Treasure said, “Actually neither of them are old.”
Second Treasure said, “They’re pretending to be.”
Big Treasure said, “They think their disguise can fool us brothers, but actually we saw through their dirty trick a long time ago.”
Second Pocky Zhang was getting more confused the more he heard. Dumbfounded for a moment, he finally stammered, “You two… you two masters… mean that… someone has taken the 4,000 taels of gold you gave them and they’re trying to fool you and stealthily run off with it?”
Big Treasure said, “Right now we brothers don’t know if they want to run off with it.”
Second Treasure said, “What we know is that they are about to make fools of themselves.”
Big Treasure said, “This matter was entrusted to us, we’d never do it slapdash.”
Second Treasure said, “Just like when we do temp labor for people, we drink their wine, eat their meat, so we have to do the work well for them.”
Second Pocky Zhang suddenly said, “If you two are here drinking wine, how will you know if those guys quietly slip away from the inn?”
Big Treasure said, “After we’re done drinking we’ll go check on them.”
Second Treasure said, “Big Treasure’s in charge of the first half of the night, I’m in charge of the second half.”
Big Treasure said, “When it’s light out we’ll head out on the road.”
Second Treasure said, “Till we get to the destination.”
Second Pocky Zhang saw he wasn’t going to get anything else out of them, and he didn’t believe anyone would really give these buffoons 4,000 taels of gold, so his interest gradually waned. Just then, a customer happened into the shop, so he left and went to serve him.
The brothers drank for a while, then suddenly split up and one of them quietly left the wineshop.
The one who left was Big Treasure.
The customer who had just entered was a sallowfaced man in his thirties carrying an old wooden box. He looked like an itinerant doctor who roamed the jianghu selling medicine.
The man kept furtively watching the Twin Treasures of Yunmeng’s every move. Now he saw Big Treasure leave and he hurriedly paid his bill and followed him out the door.
※ ※ ※
Shen Wuhai suddenly wanted to drink wine.
The two swordsmen in charge of guarding him heard his request and just scoffed and looked at him out of the corner of their eye and casually walked away.
Shen Wuhai rolled his eyes and suddenly raised his voice, “Take me to see your steward, or ask your steward to come over here. He asked me some questions yesterday and I’m willing to answer them.”
The swordsman surnamed Jing looked at the other swordsman, surnamed Sun as if seeking the latter’s opinion.
Swordsman Sun snorted, “You believe that?”
Shen Wuhai smiled. “Grandson, come here, I want to ask you something.”4
Swordsman Sun spun around and fumed, “You tired of living, kid?”
Shen Wuhai, still smiling as before, said, “Why so angry, friend? I didn’t do anything to you. I want wine but have none to drink and want you to ask your steward over, but you just treat it as wind blowing past your ear.”
Swordsman Sun said, “Who are you calling Grandson?”
Shen Wuhai went, “Eh? What’s wrong with that? Friend, don’t you know that adding the suffix Zi to Sun makes it a respectful form of a address? For example, Kongzi, Mengzi, Zengzi, Xunzi, etc. Friend, isn’t your surname Sun?”5
Swordsman Sun was so mad his face was turning green, and his right hand reflexively went to the hilt of his sword.
Just then, Merciless Gold Sword suddenly appeared. His frigid face swept the room, then he asked coldly, “What’s all this fuss about?”
Swordsman Jing cut in, “This kid’s hollering saying he wants to drink wine. We didn’t answer him and he hollered to see the steward. Ole Sun saw he was being unruly and just reprimanded him a bit, but this kid goes crazy and keeps on kicking up a row nonstop, trying to get under Ole Sun’s skin.”
Merciless Gold Sword turned to Shen Wuhai in the prisoner’s cage. “You wanted to see this old fellow?”
Shen Wuhai said, “Yes.”
Merciless Gold Sword said, “What is it?”
Shen Wuhai coughed softly and said, “I have a few words I have to say, but I don’t want anyone to hear them except for you, Steward.”
Merciless Gold Sword turned to the two swordsmen and waved them away. “You all get out.”
Once the two swordsmen had withdrawn, Merciless Gold Sword said, “There’s no one here, what is it you want to say?”
Shen Wuhai coughed softly again. “Just now I really did ask them for wine to drink. That was because I suddenly thought of something that made me really unhappy.”
Merciless Gold Sword said, “What was it that suddenly made you unhappy?”
Shen Wuhai said, “I’ve always thought you were a very capable steward, if the Sword King Palace were to ever replace you with someone else…”
Merciless Gold Sword was taken aback. “Kid have you really gone mad? Who told you this old fellow was going to resign from his post as steward of the Sword King Palace?”
Shen Wuhai said calmly, “If the Sword King Palace wanted to switch stewards, I don’t think it would be as serious as you say.”
Merciless Gold Sword was taken aback again. “Kid, are you saying that the Sword King Palace is going to dismiss this old fellow?”
Shen Wuhai smiled. “They won’t?”
Merciless Gold Sword roared with laughter.
Shen Wuhai waited a moment. “Steward, are you done laughing?”
Merciless Gold Sword suddenly stopped laughing and immediately pulled a long face. “Let me tell you, kid, don’t bother trying to terrorize this old fellow. You must know, this old fellow is well-known for being ironfaced, impartial and incorruptible. No matter how glib your tongue is, kid, no matter what stirring arguments you give, don’t even think that this old fellow will be lenient with you!”
Shen Wuhai, undeterred, said, “Then, Steward, do you know what your worthy master’s true purpose is in sparing no expense to ensure that I am captured alive?”
Merciless Gold Sword said, “Of course it’s to interrogate you, kid, find out whose disciple you are, and find out why you’ve been killing people!”
Shen Wuhai said, “And if I refuse to confess even unto death?”
Merciless Gold Sword said, “No one can withstand the Sword King Palace’s five vicious tortures!”
Shen Wuhai said, laughing, “If I indicated my willingness to confess truthfully, but only on one tiny condition, do you think your worthy master would agree?”
Merciless Gold Sword said, “Our master has always shown good sense in his conduct. As long as your request is not excessive, he naturally will not refuse.”
Shen Wuhai said, “If I were to request that he immediately remove you, Steward Ai, from your post, do you think that would be excessive?”
Merciless Gold Sword was stunned and for a while could not respond.
Shen Wuhai smiled and said, “If your worthy master is truly as you say he is, a person who shows good sense, then I suspect he probably wouldn’t refuse.”
Merciless Gold Sword kept a straight face but still said nothing.
Shen Wuhai smiled again. “Regarding the Sword King Palace’s status within the martial world, if it could smoothly ferret out the Killer Star’s master and background, and my motive for my wanton slaughter over the past two years, and be able to explain it all to the martial world, that would be much more significant than dismissing and replacing a steward! Head Steward Ai, wouldn’t you agree?”
Merciless Gold Sword suddenly asked coldly, “When did this old fellow offend you, kid, that you would be so hard on this old fellow?”
Shen Wuhai laughed loudly. “That’s a very good question! I’ve been going round in circles all day and that’s precisely the final thing I’d like to say!”
Merciless Gold Sword, at a loss, said, “Then, kid, when do you feel this old fellow has treated you poorly?”
Shen Wuhai said, “I wouldn’t say you treated me poorly, but if we traded places, like now, I would definitely let me out, fill me with food and drink, give me a nice bed to rest on, till we set out on the road tomorrow, then put me back in the prisoner cage, because my vital acupoints are under control, plus there’s swordsmen taking turns guarding me. You’re not worried about me escaping…”
Notes
- Though it’s called a wineshop, 酒店, this term refers to restaurants and hotels as well, though in the context of wuxia novels hotels are usually just called inns 客棧. Here we’re dealing with an eatery. Just keep in mind when reading wuxia novels that wineshops do not just serve liquor, but food as well.
- Master here is 大爺, which literally means Big Daddy. This term can be a respectful term for an older man, the title of the master of the house, or the term of address for a big rich show off, as is the case here. I’d rather not use “master” because that word has so many other uses, but Big Daddy or the like doesn’t have the right tone in English. But it’s like how Alfred calls Batman Master Wayne. “Sir” above is 客官, literally “guest official”.
- Escort here translates 鏢頭. These are armed guards who escort goods from one place to another, similar to armored trucks nowadays delivering money to banks and stores and such. The word 鏢 biao, is tricky. It can refer to a dart, a throwing weapon resembling the head of s spear with a knife handle, though various other shapes and designs fall under this term as well, but all throwing weapons. However there is some question over the meaning of 鏢 in this context, some suggesting it means a logo, or symbol of the company, such as on the flag they always carried with them to show people who they were, others pointing out the similarity between this word and others that have to do with banking. You might see this translated in other translations as security agency or something similar. These companies sprang up in the Qing dynasty, though there is some evidence that they existed in the Ming dynasty, such as a mention that seems to refer to such a company in the classic novel Plum in the Golden Vase. Escort agencies are common in wuxia fiction, most famously in Bai Yu’s 1938 novel Twelve Coin Darts.
- Grandson, 孫子, uses the same word as the swordsman’s surname, Sun 孫.
- The pun here doesn’t translate, but it’s like I mentioned above. 孫子 is Sunzi, as in the author of The Art of War. Shen Wuhai added the Zi 子 suffix which means in the context he describes, master. So Mengzi is Mencius, or Master Meng. But Sunzi sounds exactly the same and uses the exact same characters as grandson.