Da Tang Shuang Long Zhuan Book 23 - Chapter 1 – Startling-the-Heaven Secret

Book 23 Chapter 1 – Startling-the-Heaven Secret

Xu Ziling silently stared at Cao Yinglong. It was quite half a day later that he said, “Cao Yinglong, you have always been vicious and merciless; dauntless and unafraid of death you intimidated Hubei, why do you suddenly become this greedy for life, afraid of death? Clearly there is deceit here. I won’t be fooled.”

Cao Yinglong revealed a hint of pained expression of someone whose ambitious and ruthless character had been cut short. “It’s not surprising that Xu Xiong has that notion. Even if someone had told me earlier that I, Cao Yinglong, would seek survival by negotiating with someone else, I would be the first one not to believe. Ay! Xu Xiong, is it possible for you to temporarily dismiss your men so that we could talk a little bit?”

Xu Ziling hesitated for a moment, but in the end he ordered his men to disperse some distance away, but still maintained the siege to guard against Cao Yinglong escaping. Then he jumped down his horse and walked over toward Cao Yinglong.

With his efficacious acute perception, Xu Ziling did not sense the opponent raising his qi and circulating his energy to restore his dramatic loss in true power.

This once-going-on-the-rampage bandit chief suddenly looked like he aged more than ten years in just a short period of time, exposing his mentally-and-physically-exhausted, weary state. With a wry smile, he said, “Just now when I saw Xu Xiong pierced Jianding’s back with a long stick, I had a feeling that Xu Xiong is the kind of person that will never be able to knock down the enemy’s dispirited heart. In that instant, myriads of thoughts flitted in my mind, just like I was suddenly awakened from a nightmare, feeling that my hands are reeking of blood, my sins grievous. Afterwards I feel like every hope is turning into dust, being alive is not as good as dead.”

Letting out a cold sneer, Xu Ziling said, “If being alive is really not as good as dead, you would not have negotiated your survival with Ol’ Xu!”

Cao Yinglong nodded and said, “I am not surprised that I am provoking Xu Xiong’s ridicule. The truth is that under that kind of circ.u.mstance, in my heart suddenly welled up an urge and longing, which I have tried to suppress for more than twenty years; I wish I could accomplish this desire, hence I am asking Xu Xiong to put me on a horse. If Xu Xiong is afraid of being cheated, I can disperse 90% of my own power first, retaining only a little bit for protection and self-defense. This way Xu Xiong won’t have fears of trouble in the rear, and will be able to save s.h.i.+ Qingxuan in time. If Xu Xiong still think that this is not feasible, please immediately take my life, I absolutely will not fight back.”

It was as if Cao Yinglong had become another person altogether; there was some kind of sincerity in his voice that evolved from the depth of his heart. This, plus the substance of his speech, made others unable to doubt his sincerity.

Yet the contradiction in Xu Ziling’s heart was exasperating.

Speaking about conduct, even if Cao Yinglong died ten thousand times, it would still be not enough to redeem his sins. Plus Xu Ziling had made up his mind early on; he swore that he would get rid of this big bandit chief. But for s.h.i.+ Qingxuan’s sake, should he make the deal?

Cao Yinglong calmly said, “If after listening to me Xu Xiong thinks it’s not worth it, or perhaps you sense that my words are not completely honest, you may make your move at any time to take my life. I will neither resist nor resent it.”

Astonished, Xu Ziling asked, “Cao Dangjia is really not afraid that whether I think you tell the truth or a lie I still take your life?”

Smiling bitterly, Cao Yinglong said, “If that’s the case, I can only blame myself for at the death’s door, I misjudge you, hence I will die with no complain.”

s.h.i.+ Qingxuan’s image floated in the lake of Xu Ziling’s heart. Whether it was a fantasy or a reality, he could not tell, as if he would never be able to pry into the complete picture of her jade countenance. An unspeakable feeling welling up in his heart, he nodded and said, “Very well! Ol’ Xu will listen with respectful attention.”

Cao Yinglong muttered to himself irresolutely for a moment. It was quite some time later that he spoke in lowered voice, “If I don’t tell the rise and fall of the terrain [idiom: the whole sequence of events] in details, it would be difficult to enter Xu Xiong’s confidence. Fortunately it is still a couple of sichen before dawn, we have enough time. Have Xu Xiong ever heard about Two Sects and Six Ways?”

Xu Ziling understood his meaning; if Cao Yinglong really destroyed 90% of his martial art skill, then he must flee far away from the danger zone before daybreak, and then concealing his ident.i.ty to avoid all his enemies who had hatred and desire for revenge and might pursue and search for him.

To say the least, Flying Horse Ranch people definitely would not let him go, and it would be difficult for Xu Ziling to stop them.

Xu Ziling replied, “I have only heard about the Eight Major Martial Art Masters of the Demonic Ways, but I have never heard about Two Sects and Six Ways. Yin Gui Pai ought to be one of the two sects, am I right?”

Cao Yinglong nodded and said, “Yin Gui Pai is indeed being regarded as the chief among the demonic schools, simply because they possess the demonic schools’ treasured book ‘Tian Mo Mi’ [demonic/devil’s secret], which, together with ‘Ci Hang Jian Dian’ [Sword Canon of Ci Hang (Jingzhai)], are the two supreme cla.s.sics of the demonic and upright, two ways. The former grew into the Two Sects and Six Ways, the latter are Ci Hang Jingzhai and Jing Nian Chanyuan.”

Stunned, Xu Ziling asked, “Is Cao Dangjia a demonic school’s man?”

Smiling ruefully, Cao Yinglong replied, “If I was not a demonic school’s man, how could I have any relations.h.i.+p with Yang Xuyan?”

Seeing a peculiar look flashed through Xu Ziling’s face, he hastily said, “Although my body belongs to the demonic school, in my heart I hate my school to the bones. Simply because after I grew up, purely by accident I discovered that when my revered master received me as his disciple in the past, unexpectedly he mercilessly murdered my father and mother, brothers and sisters, in the name of ‘severing karma with the secular world’, so that my heart was br.i.m.m.i.n.g with hatred, yet I was clearly helpless to rebel, so I could only vent my hatred and desire for revenge someplace else. Only today I am awakened; the past is like a nightmare.”

For the first time Xu Ziling felt a little bit of sympathy on him; he asked, “Who is your honorable master?”

Cao Yinglong’s eyes spouted flames of hatred; he spoke heavily, “He is the ‘Xie w.a.n.g’ [demonic king] s.h.i.+ Zhixuan, whom even Ci Hang Jingzhai is somewhat wary of!”

“s.h.i.+ Zhixuan!” Xu Ziling blurted, “Isn’t he s.h.i.+ Qingxuan’s biological father?”

Cao Yinglong looked up to the sky; for the sake of time, he changed the subject by saying, “In the past hundred years, the whole country is in rebellion, the demonic schools have emerged to meet a historic destiny by producing several outstanding characters. The most prominent would be Yin Hou [empress yin] Zhu Yuyan, Xie Di [demonic emperor] Xiang Yutian, and Xie w.a.n.g s.h.i.+ Zhixuan. In term of reputation, Zhu Yuyan is the most famous, but in term of strength, the other two are definitely not inferior to her.”

Xu Ziling blew out a mouthful of cold air; he said, “At the death’s door, Xiang Yutian recovered his innate sense of right and wrong. Since s.h.i.+ Zhixuan already had union with Bi Xiuxin, logically he should have mended his ways.”

Cao Yinglong revealed dread, mixed with despicable, condescending expression on his face. ‘Pei!’ he spat, and said, “s.h.i.+ Zhixuan’s innate character is evil. The fall of the Sui dynasty, and the world turned from being unified back to numerous and disorderly, he is the person who bore the greatest responsibility.”

Stunned, Xu Ziling said, “Unexpectedly there is such thing. What ability did s.h.i.+ Zhixuan have that he managed to topple the Great Sui?”

Gnas.h.i.+ng his teeth, Cao Yinglong said, “s.h.i.+ Zhixuan’s other ident.i.ty was Yang Guang’s most doted on and trusted minister Pei Ju, who was in charge of domestic and foreign commercial trade. Yang Guang sent out military expedition to Gaoli was precisely due to his instigation.”

Xu Ziling’s heart was severely shaken.

That day at Man Qing Yuan Xing Mofei mentioned this name to them [see Book 16 Chapter 5], saying that he wrote the ‘Maps and Notes on the Western Regions’ in three volumes, and an account on the profile of the forty-four states of the Western Region, which, at the end of the preface he wrote, from ‘Hun’ and so on will faint and be exterminated, which led to Yang Guang sending a large military expedition abroad. Fu Qian’s visit to the east this time was precisely to find him to settle the account. This man was an expert in espionage and conspiracy. In the Western Region he stirred the wind and stirred the rain, implicating the Tujue that they split up and attack each other, filling the plains with the dead and injured. It was also because Yang Guang sent out three military expeditions to Gaoli that led the rebellions springing up everywhere, which ended up in the demise of the empire.

Cao Yinglong hatefully said, “Yang Guang’s heartless and brutal regime, although it was related to his natural character, but were it not for s.h.i.+ Zhixuan pus.h.i.+ng the wave and adding to the billows, Yang Jian’s [first Sui emperor] strong and solid familial property would not have failed that quickly.”

Xu Ziling’s scalp went numb; he said, “By doing this, what good would that bring him?”

Cao Yinglong sighed and said, “The problem is that whether it was Emperor Wen or Emperor Yang, they all vigorously advocated Buddhism. Establis.h.i.+ng Buddhist temples across the whole nation, transcribing Buddhist scriptures, proclaiming the Buddhist doctrine, and so on, are like preaching the entire nation’s power, which to the demonic school’s belief system, acted in a way that defeats its purpose. How could s.h.i.+ Zhixuan tolerate them messing up with their demonic ways? In the final a.n.a.lysis, the battle between Ci Hang Jingzhai and the demonic schools is the battle over tradition.”

Listening to that, Xu Ziling was dumbstruck. Puzzled, he asked, “If they are really targeting Ci hang Jingzhai and Jing Nian Chanyuan, why not the sects of demonic school put their strength together, and wipe them out in one move? Why would they draw all the people into deep water and scorching fire? If they attracted foreign tribes to invade, wouldn’t it be the gains do not make up for the losses?”

Sneering, Cao Yinglong replied, “Demonic schools emphasize ‘without regard for others’ feelings, without regard for characters’. Those practicing the highest technique could even be ‘without regard for sons, without regard for grandsons’. Just like the Buddhists, they also look at life as a fleeting moment, illusory without ultimate meaning. It’s just that they are adopting bewildering method, not for the salvation of the people; rather, they see morality and etiquette as simply trifling matter, something that they can use to achieve their purpose, by hook or by crook, unfettered by any constraint.”

Xu Ziling sighed and said, “Cao Xiong’s former conduct and deeds indeed deeply represented the demonic schools’ objective.”

Cao Yinglong dejectedly said, “Because I was adept in the demonic schools’ influence, I only felt as if everything was as it should be by rights. Since Emperor Wu of the Han dynasty banned many schools of thought, and revered Confucianism as sole orthodoxy, the battle over tradition began, and the world started to have distinction between the righteous and the heretic. By the time demonic teaching ‘Han Yi Hu Shu’ [lit. Han (ethnic group) interpretation of Hu (barbarians/non-Han people) books] came from the east, things got more complicated so fast. For you, the strife for the world is a political battle; for us, this is a battle over tradition. While the other flourishes and grows, we sink and cannot rise. Even though right now my feeling is not the same as yesterday, toward those so-called Buddhism from the outside, I still feel deep pain and loathing. Humph! Buddhism is nothing more than evolution of demonic book, a fallacy of the demonic law, a cheat on the teaching of the ignorance. All those past sins, future karma, doctrine of Dana [Buddhist practice of giving], while hoping for ten thousand times the reward, holding a day of fasting, while hoping for a hundred days of grains, and thus the confused and the fools will have presumptuous demands of achievements and virtue. If they really want to achieve emptiness in ten thousand ways, why are they using greed and deceit even until now?”

It was the first time that Xu Ziling heard someone repelled Buddhism. Apparently this argument was hanging on the demonic school people’s mouth quite often, hence Cao Yinglong was able to spit it out like surging tide, or like the flowing water of the Yangtze River.

Cao Yinglong continued, “As for the desire to wipe out Ci Hang Jingzhai, it is easier said than done. Yin Gui Pai has always been b.u.t.ting head with Jingzhai, but all along has always been in the disadvantageous position. Moreover, Jingzhai has already surpa.s.sed ordinary religion, and has become the supreme holy land of the two houses, Buddhist and Taoist. Whoever attacks them openly might provoke intervention from martial art masters like the Taoist School’s Ning Daoqi, or perhaps the Buddhist School’s Four Sects’ [here the word is ‘zong’ – school/sect/ancestor/clan] holy monks, who, so far, have always disregarded the affairs of the human world.”

Listening to this, Xu Ziling’s hair stood up on its end. Emotionally moved, he asked, “Who are the Four Sects of the Buddhist School?”

Although he was dying to ask directly about s.h.i.+ Qingxuan, he could not help being attracted to Cao Yinglong’s explosive narrative of the demonic school’s internal affairs. It was only then did he understand why Cao Yinglong was so confident that he would consider this intelligence to be valuable to some extent, so much so that it would be enough to trade for his life.

Without they realizing it, it was only about half a sichen before daybreak. Xu Ziling’s mind has been fully absorbed in this Jianghu politics, which exceeded his expectation, but which was also closely related to the current struggle.

Cao Yinglong looked at the sky again, and then hurriedly replied, “The Four Sects are Tiantai Zong [lit. heaven’s platform, school of Buddhism], Sanlun Zong [Three Treatise], Huayan Zong [from dictionary: Chinese Buddhist school founded on the Buddhavatamsaka-mahavaipulya Sutra (Garland sutra)], and Chan Zong [Zen Buddhism]. The Abbotts [orig. Zhuchi, manager] are all senior [or holy] monks whose martial art skill has transcended beyond the mundane, arhat-like, and possess deep, rich cultivation through religious practice, who have never been drawn into any dispute in Wulin, as well as the vulgar world [Buddhist concept]. It is only natural that no one dares to provoke them. The only exception is s.h.i.+ Zhixuan. He had paid respect [i.e. take disciples.h.i.+p] to Sanlun Zong’s Jiaxiang [county, in Jining, Shandong] Das.h.i.+, Ji Zang, and Chan Zong Four Ancestors Daoxin Das.h.i.+ [not sure about this], one after another, stealing their skills. In the demonic schools, he also held two posts simultaneously as the Chief of two schools. Were it not for Jingzhai producing Bi Xiuxin, I am afraid that even if Ning Daoqi personally make his move, he might not be able to subdue him.”

Seeing Cao Yinglong was so cooperative, not hiding anything he knows, not stopping before he has said it through, Xu Ziling began to believe his sincerity that he has washed his heart and renewed his face, and so he started to be a bit anxious about his safety as well. Although his belly was full of questions, he did not dare to stray from the subject too far; hence he asked hastily, “So what does Yang Xuyan have to do with s.h.i.+ Qingxuan? Why does he want to harm s.h.i.+ Zhixuan’s daughter?”

Cao Yinglong replied, “Strictly speaking, Yang Xuyan cannot be considered a demonic school man at all. His only relations.h.i.+p with the demonic school came from s.h.i.+ Zhixuan.”

He paused a moment, as if he suddenly made up his mind, and then said, “Yang Xuyan is Yang Jian’s grandchild, the son of Yang Yong, the nephew of Yang Guang.”

Emotionally moved, Xu Ziling said, “So that’s how it is!”

Until now, they had never been able to unravel the mystery of Yang Xuyan’s ident.i.ty, since he seemed to take orders from Yang Guang, yet he also seemed to help outsiders in dealing with Yang Guang. But if he was indeed Yang Yong’s son, then Yang Guang, who was guilty of murdering his elder brother, the Crown Prince Yang Yong, and set himself up on the throne, was his personal, father-murderer, enemy.

Cao Yinglong continued, “s.h.i.+ Zhixuan secretly rescued Yang Xuyan, by using another child’s dead body as his subst.i.tute. Originally it was out of bad intention; he intended to disrupt the Sui politics by restoring Yang Xuyan to the throne. Who would have thought that things kind of got out of hand? Unexpectedly he discovered that whether in terms of character and apt.i.tude, Yang Xuyan actually has the qualifications to inherit his ultimate skill; hence he accepted him as his disciple, and taught him martial art. This matter, other than me, no one in the world knows; therefore, I shamelessly use this as my bargaining chip to Xu Xiong.”

And then he closed his eyes, his countenance turned white, the joints within his body produced faint crackling noises.

This was the first time that Xu Ziling witnessed the secret technique of the demonic school to disperse one’s power; inwardly he was sorrowful, but he knew he should not stop it from happening.

Cao Yinglong slowly said, “When s.h.i.+ Zhixuan realized that the chaos in the world has escaped from his control, also for some other reason that neither Yang Xuyan nor myself understood, he suddenly vanished without any trace. Originally I was unwilling to join hands with Zhu Can and Xiao Xian, but Yang Xuyan personally came to see me, persuading me to lay a trap against you, he also divulged the fact that s.h.i.+ Qingxuan has joined hands with you to deal with You Niaojuan and the others. If we did not immediately take care of you, perhaps s.h.i.+ Zhixuan might hide s.h.i.+ Qingxuan in secret, and implicate that she had handed over the demonic school’s manuals to you. Therefore, we must resolve this matter in the shortest time possible, using the two-p.r.o.nged approach: I would deal with you, and he would go to Sichuan to cheat the manuals from her hands. As for the details, even I am not too clear about it. All I know is that Yang Xuyan, this man’s innate tendency is evil just like s.h.i.+ Zhixuan, and he firmly believed that only by getting rid of s.h.i.+ Qingxuan will s.h.i.+ Zhixuan recover his ‘natural instinct’ to come out and help him obtain the world.”

While speaking the last sentence, all trace of blood has disappeared from his face, and he was gasping for breath constantly.

Xu Ziling was overwhelmed with grief; he reached out to pull this once tyrannizing, killing people like scything flax, extremely vicious man’s hands. On one hand, he was checking whether the dispersing-power process was real, on the other hand, he wanted to stop the process from continuing. Aghast, he said, “Yang Xuyan informed you about this crafty scheme many days ago, how could I still have time to stop him?”

Having obtained Xu Ziling’s true qi, Cao Yinglong’s face recovered its color. Sighing, he said, “s.h.i.+ Zhixuan’s only favor to me was that he imparted to me his demonic power. Now I have returned his power back to him, I do not owe him anything.”

Only after gasping for another breath did he address the question that Xu Ziling was dying to know, “For some reason, that kid has unexpectedly suffered internal injury, and has to hide for some time to recover before he could go to Sichuan to find s.h.i.+ Qingxuan. Therefore, if Xu Xiong leave immediately, there is a very good chance that you might be ahead of him and help s.h.i.+ Qingxuan neutralizing this problem.”

By this time any suspicion in Xu Ziling’s heart has vanished; letting go of his hands, he said, “Cao Xiong, what exactly is your unfulfilled wish?”

Smiling bitterly, Cao Yinglong replied, “Xu Xiong is indeed very smart, knowing that after dispersing my power, I can barely live for only about a year. But this wish, I can only rely on myself to fulfill it. Ay! This matter is complicated and not easy to express succinctly. The short version is that I have secretly betrayed my school by having a relations.h.i.+p with a woman and have a daughter with her. This time I am throwing everything away, I want to go back and see them, mother and daughter, for one more time, to tell them that I had other difficulties, and did not have any intention to abandon them.”

Hearing that, Xu Ziling was dumbstruck. If previously someone had told him that Cao Yinglong, who committed murder without batting an eye, unexpectedly harbored this kind of profound love toward his wife and daughter, he would not have believed it even if he was to be killed.

Xu Ziling knew there was not much time; pursing his lips, he whistled to call his mount, while asking, “What actually are Two Sects and Six Ways? What’s their relations.h.i.+p? s.h.i.+ Zhixuan held the chief positions of which two sects?”

Cao Yinglong gratefully took the horsewhip; he replied, “There are altogether six volumes of ‘Tianmo Mi’ [The Demon’s Secret], which spread out and grew into Two Sects and Six Ways. Each Sect has a style of their own, of which the Tianmo Shu [demonic method/technique] is the most formidable, and Dao Xin Zhong Mo Da Fa [demonic big method cultivated from the way of the heart] is the most weird. But after s.h.i.+ Zhixuan fused the highest xinfa of Hua Jian Pai and Bu Tian Ge [lit. mending-the-heaven pavilion] and founded the amazing power of ‘Bu Si Yin’ [lit. not dead (immortal) print/seal/mark], he raised his banner among the demonic schools that even Zhu Yuyan and Xiang Yutian must gasp with admiration.”

And then he added, “The Two Sects are Yin Gui Pai and Hua Jian Pai, the Six Ways are Xie Ji [extreme evil], Mie Qing [wiping-out feeling], Zhen Chuan [authentic tradition], Bu Tian [mending the heaven], Tian Lian [heavenly lotus], and Mo Xiang [devil appearance]. Among which, Zhen Chuan split out into two, which are Zu Zhen Chuan [authentic tradition of the ancestors] and Laojun Guan [Lao-tze (Taoist) Monastery].”

Cao Yinglong flipped over to mount the horse, and called out, “We part here; if we do not have time to meet again, Xu Xiong must, by all means, be careful of Yang Xuyan. In the future, he might become another s.h.i.+ Zhixuan.”

And then he leaned over and took a bamboo tube from his bosom, which he stuffed into Xu Ziling’s hand, before clamping the horse and left. The Shaoshuai Army separated to let him out of the encirclement.

Led by Kou Zhong and Shang Xiuxun, nearly a thousand Ranch’s warriors swarmed in like a clump of swift cloud, just as they caught sight of Cao Yinglong, who appeared to be a small dot on the prairie under the light of the beginning of dawn.

Shang Xiuxun looked suspiciously at the lone rider in the distance. When she got to Xu Ziling’s side, she asked, “Isn’t that Cao Yinglong?”

“It is indeed him!” Xu Ziling calmly replied.

“What?” Shang Xiuxun blurted out.

By this time Kou Zhong had urged his horse to ride by Xu Ziling’s other side. Reining the horse, his gaze moved from Cao Yinglong to the dead body on the ground, Fang Jianding, who still had the pomegranate stick sticking out of his back, but he did not say anything.

Shang Xiuxun’s countenance sank; she stared at Xu Ziling hatefully and said, “Why did you let him go?”

Xu Ziling looked down at the bamboo tube in his hand, he spoke indifferently, “He used secret pertaining to Yang Xuyan in exchange for half a year of his life, so that he can fulfill the wish of the past many years.”

Shang Xiuxun’s countenance changed, she said, “What kind of ‘thing’ Yang Xuyan is, that unexpectedly in Xu Ye’s eyes he is more important than the blood debt of thousands of our Ranch warriors?”

Kou Zhong hastily tried to smooth things over, he said, “Changzhu, please calm down. Ziling must have his own reasons.”

Shang Xiuxun’s face turned as cold as ice as she said, “Of course you are helping him! I am not mad, I just need a satisfactory explanation.”

By this time the sky gradually brightened. Although more than a thousand warriors gathered on the gra.s.sland, everybody was quiet out of fear, holding their breath and calming their qi.

Xu Ziling’s eyes met the round, open-wide apricot-eyes of Shang Xiuxun, whose face was deathly white. Smiling ruefully, he said, “I originally determined not to let Cao Yinglong leave this place alive, but because he exchanged information involving Xiaodi’s friend’s life or death, I just had to …”

“What friend?” Shang Xiuxun cut him off.

Xu Ziling answered honestly, “It’s s.h.i.+ Qingxuan. Have Changzhu ever heard her name?”

Shang Xiuxun was stunned; she stared blankly for a moment, and then the color started to disappear from her pretty face. Inwardly Kou Zhong cried, ‘Bad!’, but while he was at a loss of what to say, this beautiful Ranch Master screamed, “Turns out it is s.h.i.+ Qingxuan. No wonder Xu Ziling, you unexpectedly disregard our Ranch’s blood debt, and let this evil thief, who deserves to be cut a thousand times, to enter the ocean, to return to the mountain, and let him continue slaughtering ten thousand people. Just consider me misjudging you.”

And then she turned to Kou Zhong and fiercely said, “I am going after Cao Yinglong now, are you coming or not?”

Kou Zhong responded with difficulty, “Just now Ling Shao said that fellow Cao Yinglong only have half of his life, and that he won’t last more than half a year, hey!”

Shang Xiuxun spoke word-by-word, “I only asked you, are you coming or not?”

Kou Zhong dejectedly replied, “Whatever Ling Shao said is the same as what I, Kou kid, would say. Changzhu, please forgive me.”

Shang Xiuxun rushed her horse forward for a dozen or so paces, but then she turned back, swept her gaze around, her phoenix eyes contained a complicated expression as she nodded and said, “Good!” three times, before calling out tenderly, “All grat.i.tude and grudges between me and you, two boys, are hereby broken into two segments with a single cut. Hereafter we have nothing to do with each other. Brothers! Follow me, let’s go!”

Unexpectedly she no longer going after Cao Yinglong, instead, her horse flew back the way she came. All Ranch warriors had no choice but to follow behind her; they came like a tornado, they left like a tornado. In the blink of an eye they disappeared, leaving Xu and Kou, two boys, and more than a hundred Shaoshuai Army, who looked at each other without being able to say anything.

Kou Zhong leaped down from his horse, smiled wryly, and shook his head, “Jealous woman,” he said.

Xu Ziling helplessly said, “I’m sorry!”

Wrapping his arm around Xu Ziling’s shoulders, Kou Zhong said, “One lifetime, two brothers; why say such thing? We don’t have Flying Horse Ranch, then we don’t have Flying Horse Ranch. It’s not the end of the world.”

A warm feeling burst inside Xu Ziling’s heard. Stuffing the bamboo tube into Kou Zhong’s hand, he said in low voice, “Inside ought to be the map to the stolen goods that that thief has hidden; he was going to give it to Yang Xuyan. If you have time, you ought to take a look!”