Here is the third and final part of the first chapter of The Silver Sword Grudge. There’s only one more chapter left in this short novel (or novella). It’s just a bit longer than this chapter.
Shu Mei was silent for some time, then suddenly sighed. “So why hasn’t your sword struck yet?”
“When facing me people always try to survive, no one tries to die, except you. Facing someone who’s talking and laughing like it’s nothing, helpless waiting to be executed, has extinguished all my murderous intent.”
“So then what are you going to do?”
“Wait, wait till your will collapses, wait till my murderous intent is reignited.”
“And if it doesn’t happen?”
“I haven’t thought that far yet…”
“Actually, you needn’t worry…” Shu Mei laughed sadly and suddenly let out a high-pitched cry!
Such an alarming sharp cry! Sun Yu’s silver sword involuntarily stabbed! The cry was cut off, the sword, clogging up her throat!
The muscles of Shu Mei’s face spasmed, but she was still smiling, a contented smile, so dreary.
Sun Yu was stunned. Gradually his hand holding the sword shivered, and then his body. Although he was masked, the change in his expression indiscernible, but his exposed eyes revealed his complex inner turmoil. He didn’t know if it was pity, admiration, or surprise.
The shivering sword came out of Shu Mei’s throat.
Shu Mei fell, still smiling. Sun Yu shivered even more and abruptly spun around and put his hands down on the table and lowered his head and started coughing as if he wanted to vomit. But in the end he didn’t vomit, he just felt nauseous.
The first time he killed someone he had felt the same way. Then a second time, a third time… His hands became more and more steady, his heart became more and more numb. He no longer felt anything when he killed, so even he felt it strange that right now on this day he felt sick killing someone, but why, why?
He couldn’t help but look over at Shu Mei.
In the pale yellow lamplight Shu Mei’s face was already deathly white. Red bandeau, blood pouring from her throat even redder. Blood still warm, her feelings likely not yet cold either.
“Were you wrong, was Pan Yu wrong, or was Xiang Zulou wrong?” Sun Yu heaved a long sigh and sat back down.
The sound of a sleeve snapping through the air outside the room arrived just in time.
Sun Yu, who had not yet settled into his seat, left the chair again. He knew that this time he had been wrong. Once Shu Mei hit the floor he ought to have left. On a still night like this, how could such a sharp cry not alert someone?
He left the chair, crouched down, and scurried over next to the door.
When it came to adapting to circumstances, he excelled at it. The snapping air sound came from the window, so even though he had come in through the window, he would not leave through the window. Though the lamp was still lit, if he blew it out it would just let them know someone was still inside the room. Because the lamp was still lit, if he stood up his shadow would have been cast on the window paper, so he had crouched down.
All of a sudden he had to deal with more people, but how many people was it?
The sound of rustling air got closer, followed by the sound of people calling out.
“Sister, what happened?”
Sun Yu of course wasn’t going to answer. As they called out he pushed up the bolt on the door.
The rustling of air was met at the same time with a rip and two people pounced in, one through the window, the other through the door.
At about the same time, Sun Yu was already half out the door and ran right into the one about to come in through the door.
Sun Yu was quick, but their eyes were not slow either.
“Who are you?” one of them shouted. The man’s right hand went to his waist and removed a Thunder God iron whip1 four spans and six fingerwidths long with thirteen nodes, making it look like a pagoda, and he bent his knees and flew up.
Sun Yu made no sound, not did he back away.
“Coming here masked in the dead of night, I assume you’re up to no good. Okay, first get a taste of my whip, then we’ll talk!” His cheerful talk exploded like a thunderclap and the whip arrived with him, a black sheen flashing violently, stabbing for Sun Yu!
Sun Yu seemed to be more supple than a willow catkin. Before the whip arrived, he fluttered out with the wind from the whip and fluttered over to a railing not far away.
The man didn’t slacken in the least but pursued closely toward the railing, and here came a second whip stroke.
He was fast alright, but Sun Yu was faster!
The whip fell and the railing splintered into pieces with a crash. If the whip had hit his body he would have been finished.
The man pulled back the whip and looked up to see Sun Yu hanging from the ornamented roofbeam. “Nice moves!” he couldn’t help but blurt out.
“Thunder Whip Cui Qun?”
“So you know me…”
Before he finished speaking, the person who had come in through the window had come around after being alerted by their shouting.
High cheekbones and lean cheeks, taller and thinner than Cui Qun, but he carried himself much more nimbly.
Two daggers were stuck in his belt on the left and right. He was barehanded and didn’t wait for his feet to be planted firmly.
“Watch out for these projectiles!” His hands whipped up and cold star points suddenly flew out from between the fingers of his seemingly empty hands.
The sharp piercing sound instantly broke the late night silence. Sun Yu at about the same time let go of the roofbeam and spun around in midair.
He had been more or less leaning against a pillar, so now he spun around to the other side of the pillar and once again grabbed the roofbeam, already on the other side of the pillar.
He dangled there as the projectiles hit, nailing into the pillar in unison, twelve fling arrows!2
The arrows entered the pillar a full fingerwidth deep in an interlocking crisscross pattern. Even someone like Sun Yu would have had a hard time dealing with them, and he never did anything unless he was sure of success, so he got out of the way instead.
He laughed. “Miracle Arrow Hands Yu Qian?”
It was indeed Yu Qian. He stopped and nodded. “I say, friend, who are you?”
“Sun Yu!”
“The Silver Sword Assassin!” Yu Qian and Cui Qun were both visibly moved. It’s true that a person’s reputation follows one like a tree’s shadow.
Cui Qun couldn’t help but grip his whip tighter, and Yu Qian’s hands unconsciously went to the handles of his left and right daggers. “Buddy Sun, I know what business you’re in, but I wonder who it is you’re after tonight?”
“Pan Yu and Shu Mei!”
“By the looks of it, Buddy Sun, you succeeded.”
Sun Yu just laughed.
Cui Qun laughed too, an angry laugh. “Sun, what kind of place do you think this is?”
“Whether a dragon’s pond or a tiger’s den, I am here come what may.”
“Nice answer! Then you just stay here!”
“I’m afraid you can’t detain me.”
“You wait and see if I can detain you or not!” Cui Qun was extremely furious. He raised his whip, set himself, and was about to pounce when Yu Qian off to the side called for him to halt.
“Hold it!” He turned to Sun Yu. “Buddy Sun is bold and decisive, I admire that, but there’s one thing I want to get clear.”
“Ask whatever you want to ask.”
“I hear that Buddy Sun kills not just out of fun, but is rather a matter of money. So I want to ask, who paid you this time?”
Sun Yu was silent.
“Buddy Sun, you’d better speak frankly, or else, heh!” Yu Qian used that fake laugh in place of his next words. His hands gripped the hilts of his left and right daggers.
Just then, the courtyard in front of the building lit up with lanterns. In the pale yellow lanternlight, the Xiang guards had their weapons out, waiting to act, plus a dozen or so people of the martial world of all types, some hanging back in the courtyard, some up on the rooftiles, likely all of them Xiang Zulou’s befriended heroes he normally hung out with.
Anyone able to befriend Xiang Zulou would certainly not be lacking in strength, plus Yu Qian and Cui Qun, even if Sun Yu wanted to kill his way out it would be hard to do so.
Yu Qian’s “or else, heh!” really did have some weight to it.
Sun Yu’s eyes twinkled from behind his facecloth. He suddenly laughed. “Speaking frankly I think would make it even worse.”
“But no matter what, it’s much better than not speaking at all.”
“Alright, then listen up.”
“Who was it?”
“Xiang Zulou!” Sun Yu said frankly.
Yu Qian was unexpectedly taken aback. Before he had time to do anything, Cui Qun next to him spat out, “Bullshit!” And he charged.
Sun Yu paid no attention.
Cui Qun was going to do something, but Yu Qian called him off again. Then he asked Sun Yu, “Buddy Sun, do you know who Pan Yu is?”
“Shu Mei’s older cousin.”
“And Shu Mei?”
“Xiang Zulou’s wife, your sister-in-law.”
“you know that?” Yu Qian looked puzzled.
“Of course I know.”
“Then…”
“If you’re not going to believe me, why ask?”
Yu Qian was silent. Cui Qun next to him couldn’t help but bellow, “Sun, tell me, what’s the reason for all of this?”
“Isn’t it obvious?”
“How is it obvious?”
“Go look inside the room.”
Before Sun Yu was finished, Cui Qun had entered the room, such a crude and rash fellow.
Yu Qian didn’t move, just stared at Sun Yu.
Just a short while later, Cui Qun came out from the room with an unsightly look on his face, mumbling to himself, “Male and female cousins, cousins my ass.”
Yu Qian heard that and frowned and was about to ask about it when Cui Qun waved a hand at Sun Yu.
“Sun, you can go.”
“Then, excuse me…” Sun Yu was about to fly off, but Cui Qun stopped him again.
“Wait. What happened to night it’s best you hurry up and forget about it. You’re a smart person, of course you know how to control your mouth.”
“That you can rest assured. I’ve always been least interested in talking, and I’ve always been quite forgetful.” Sun Yu’s eyes flashed. “So can I go now?”
“Wait!” Cui Qun stopped him again.
“Now what?”
“Where’s my big brother?”
“You know his uncle’s place?”
Cui Qun nodded.
“There’s a bridge nearby.”
“I know that bridge.”
“He’s on the bridge waiting for news.”
“Oh, I need to go report.”
“If you all go then of course there’s no need of me.”
“Of course we don’t need you. Right now it’s best if you get as far away as you can and don’t let me see you again.”
“I heard you have quite a temper.”
“Then what are you waiting for?”
Sun Yu laughed and sprang off, shooting up to the opposite roof like an arrow.
He really did have a mind to laugh. For him, this night had went quite smoothly, something really worth being happy about.
Of course he also knew that if Cui Qun had not been there to take over and Yu Qian had been in charge instead, then things wouldn’t have been so simple. All because Yu Qian was very smart, a person who loved to use his brain.
But even if he was the smartest, most brainy person, if he didn’t piece together what had happened clearly he would not be able to use his smart, not be able to use his brains.
So now he was just standing there staring.
He looked on as Sun Yu flitted up onto the roof more nimbly and gracefully than a swallow and vanished into the dark.
Yu Qian really couldn’t hold it in any longer. He stared at Cui Qun. “Third Bro, just what happened?”
“Second Bro if you want to know, why don’t you go inside and take a look. I’m sure that would be way easier than me explaining, and would spare me from getting angry.”
Yu Qian turned to the room with a puzzled look in his eyes, then finally walked over and went inside.
A little while later Yu Qian came back out, frowning even more, face looking even more unsightly, but his eyes remained calm.
“Strange.” He just spat out that one word then was silent.
“What’s strange about it, it’s all clear enough.” Cui Qun had a disapproving look on his face.
“Yes, it is clear, but…”
“But what?”
“Third Bro, I’m sure you’ve heard that family scandals cannot be spread.”
“I’ve not just heard it, I’ve heard it too many times.”
“Then just think about it, what kind of person is Big Bro, of what stature, that if something like that happened in his house do you think he would just get some unfamiliar professional killer to handle it?”
“Maybe Big Bro couldn’t bear to do it himself.”
“You know how Big Bro is, if you say he’s softhearted or that he couldn’t bear it, what a joke.”
“Then…” Cui Qun’s face began to change.
“Didn’t that Sun guy say Big Bro was at the bridge waiting for news?”
“That’s what he said.”
“That’s even more strange. The Xiang manor is full of crouching tigers and hidden dragons, Big Bro also boasted once that even with Sun’s ability, who could guarantee that he could come and go freely, that he could not alert anyone, that he could finish it that night, that he could report back that night. Alright, let’s say Sun Yu could do all of that, and Big Bro believed he could do it, at what time in what weather, in the late at night when it’s all quiet, cold wind and rain blowing, not convenient to go out anywhere, why would he be waiting at the bridge? Moreover, even if Big Bro had set the time, set the location…”
“How would Big Bro know that Pan Yu would for sure be at home and would be with Shu Mei?” Cui Qun suddenly smartened up.
“By the looks of it…” Yu Qian’s face was more unsightly. “I’m afraid…”
Cui Qun hastily asked, “Afraid what?”
Yu Qian didn’t answer, just turned around instructed the people in the courtyard, “Hurry up and get lanterns and horses ready, then guard the surroundings here carefully. No one’s allowed to take even half a foot up these stairs until the two of us get back.”
The men dispersed and got to work.
“Second Brother Yu!”
One of their jianghu friends over there couldn’t resist. “What do you need us to do?”
“If you all don’t mind trouble, might as well come along with us.”
“Second Brother Yu, what kind of talk is that, Big Brother Xiang treats us like brothers, never mind trouble, even if our lives were on the line and we were hacked with knives don’t even think of leaving us out.”
Such a rousing statement really moved Yu Qian to hear it. He cupped a hand over his fist in salute to them. “What you all just said, I will remember for the rest of my life.”
“Second Brother Yu, you’re being too ceremonious, but what actually happened?”
“Right now we can’t really say.”
“Does it have to do with Big Brother Xiang?”
As Yu Qian nodded, a group of people were already leading the horses over along with the lanterns. He and Cui Qun didn’t even wait to climb down the stairs, they just leapt up and over the railing and into the courtyard and jumped into the saddles.
Everyone took a horse and mounted up.
Twenty or so riders one behind the other galloped out of the Xiang manor. Frenzied hoofbeats broke through the deep night’s silence.
“I just hope Big Bro is at the bridge…” Yu Qian was in the lead, thinking only of finding Xiang Zulou and getting to the bottom of this.
The rain had long ago ceased, an endless dark enveloping the land and enveloping Yu Qian’s heart.
No starlight, no moonlight, only the round pale lanternlight undulating with the horses, swinging up and down, back and forth…
(End Chapter 1, to be continued in Chapter 2…)
Notes
- This is often translated as a truncheon or cudgel or rod, but the word actually used is whip 鞭. That’s because back in the day horse whips were sticklike and rigid, not flicky crops. So this weapon is made to resemble a horse whip. The original text just says Thunder God whip 雷神鞭. I added “iron” to hopefully make it a bit clearer for those who don’t read footnotes that this is not flexible Indiana Jones style whip.
- Fling arrows translates 甩手箭, which means hand-thrown arrows. These are smaller like darts of course, but the word used is arrow and not 鏢, which is the usual word for dart, so I went with arrow. In this context they can kinda be used interchangeably.