Heroes Shed No Tears Chapter 18: Heroes Never Die(1/3)
Part 1
The second month, the twenty-seventh.
Outside of Chang’an, on a wild, desolate mountain.
There was still some time left before daybreak. A sheet of darkness covered both heaven and earth.
Beneath the light emanating from the scores of Kongming lanterns, the shadows of two people appeared like ghosts, accompanied by singing. One carried a pipa, the other, a bamboo flute.
The shadows were indistinct, the singing plaintive. Even in one’s peripheral vision it could be seen that these two were the same two who had been at Chang’an Restaurant that night. It was the white-haired old blind man, accompanied by the heartbreakingly pitiful young blind girl.
Why would they have suddenly appeared here? Did someone make special arrangements for them to come sing their sad melody?
“Beautiful hair combed and wrapped into a bun, makeup lightly applied to the face; Dark blue smoke and purple fog cover the gracefulness, catkins and gossamer strands float by with no set destination.”
It is not until the silkworms die, that they stop producing strands of silk.
It is not until the candles burn out, that they they cease to shed their tears.
The ardor and bravery in Zhu Meng’s face suddenly transformed into gossamer threads.
Because he had caught sight of someone.
Someone suddenly appeared from within the darkness, like the specter of a butterfly in a dream, her face covered with fine gauze, wearing a dancer’s outfit as sheer as a cicada’s wing.
The dancing outfit fluttered.
Zhu Meng shed no tears, because he had none.
Even his hot, righteous blood had run dry.
He knew it was not Die Wu, but her dancing had led him into the fantasy of a butterfly. It seemed to be real and not real. It seemed to be a fantasy and not a fantasy.
What was it: real or fantasy?
What if it was real? What if it was a fantasy? Life is so temporary, and emotions are so important; is there really a need to take things so seriously?
Let it go! Let everything go! Go with the butterfly. That is the best.
He knew that right now, anyone could draw a sword and lop off his head, but he didn’t care.
He was already prepared to give up everything.
But Sima Chaoqun wouldn’t allow him to. The song was still being sung, the dancer still danced. Sima Chaoqun pounced forward like a cat, ready to destroy the butterfly with its sharp claws.
The dancer did not try to flee, but instead stepped forward. She used an indescribably graceful dancing movement to move forward, sidestepping his attack. And then she suddenly whispered two words into his ear. No one could hear these two words, but everyone could see Sima Chaoqun’s reaction.
“Tong tong.”
These were the two words she had spoken. Two words that had no meaning at all.
“Tong tong.”
Anyone that heard these two words would have no reaction whatsoever. But to Sima Chaoqun, it seemed these two words were like lightning striking from mid-air.
In an instant, he became motionless. His limbs grew stiff, and his eyes filled with shock and dread. He took two involuntary steps backwards.
“Tong tong.”
The two words seemed to be some type of magical spell that in the twinkling of an eye had absorbed Sima Chaoqun’s soul.
How could this be?
Who was this unknown woman, this dancer who came from nowhere? How could these two seemingly completely meaningless words make Sima Chaoqun act in this way?
No one could offer an explanation. But, there was something else that could be seen by anyone.
—Sima Chaoqun and Zhu Meng were finished. Their heads could be taken by anyone at any time.
The blind, white-haired old man could see nothing, but the sound of his playing already contained a feeling of desolation and harshness.
There suddenly existed an impermeable killing air. Even the lamplight seemed to have become pallid and wretched. It shone on the pale faces of Sima and Zhu Meng, as well as the sword gripped in the hand of Gongsun Baojian.
His sword would soon unsheathe, and a head would soon fall to the ground. Within the wretched lamplight, something flashed. Within the flickering lamplight suddenly shone forth a radiance even more tragic than what had shone before.
It shone for a moment and then disappeared. A sword pierced a chest and then disappeared.
Gongsun Baojian’s sword was still sheathed. It had been knocked to the ground by another sword.
This new sword had not flown down from heaven, but had stabbed forth along with a flying person.
The person and the sword had appeared so quickly, it was as if they were one entity.
Had the sword stabbed forth with the flying person? Or had the person flown forth with the stabbing sword?
No one could distinguish this point; no one could see clearly what had happened.
But everyone could clearly see the person.
At first sight, it appeared to be a young version of Sima Chaoqun; dashing, tall, elegant, powerful. He wore a colorful, well-tailored set of clothing, cut from the finest cloth. His eyes shone with confidence.
At first sight, no one could possibly realize that this was the once down-and-out, nameless Jianghu swordsman, Gao Jianfei.
Part 2
The music had stopped. The dancing had stopped. The dancer lay curled up on the ground, as if unwilling to lift her head to see the blood of the dead.
Little Gao held his unsheathed sword. No traces of blood could be seen on the long, beautiful blade, only tear stains.
Gongsun Qi’er stared amazedly at this person and his sword. Even though he already held the rod in his hand in a spear-like attack position, he was not brave enough to strike.
Zhu Meng and Sima Chaoqun still stood there dumbly, as if they hadn’t seen anything.
Gongsun Qi’er suddenly shouted, “Where is everyone? Are you all dead? Why don’t you come out?”
From beyond the lights came a soft voice: “You’re right. All your men are dead. The people holding the lanterns now are mine.”
A person stepped out casually from the darkness. He was dressed magnificently, with a violet marten coat. He held his hands clasped behind his back.
Gongsun Qi’er’s facial expression changed. “Zhuo Donglai. It’s you.”
“Yes. Of course it’s me,” he said casually. “Only I would be able to use your own methods to deal with you. Zhu Meng’s men are all dead, and so are yours. The method you planned to use to kill people, I use to kill you.” He smiled. “You should know that I always do things extremely fairly.”
Gongsun Qi’er suddenly shot forward. His long rod stabbed toward Zhuo Donglai’s face like a red phoenix.
The staff flew forward. But it had already left his hands. He flipped backwards, flying into the air like a sparrow hawk, fleeing from the light toward the unseeable darkness. His reaction was very fast, his ability to adapt to the situation quite formidable. It was the essence and accumulation of a lifetime of experience in martial arts.
But sadly he was just a little bit too slow.
As soon as his body flitted into the air, he saw the dazzling aura of a sword flying up like a rainbow. In an instant, it was in front of him, the shocking coldness of the aura so bright that he couldn’t open his eyes.
By the time he was able to open his eyes, he could not see the sword aura any more. All he could see was a sword hilt, protruding from his chest.
Even as his body collapsed to the ground like a stone, he stared at the sword hilt in shock and terror. It was as if he couldn’t understand how a sword hilt could be protruding from his chest. And yet, he definitely knew where the blade of the sword was.
In his chest.
A flying sword, a deadly attack.
“Such a fast sword. Such a fast move!” Zhuo Donglai bowed and raised his clasped hands respectfully toward Little Gao. “Based merely on the might of this sword, you are already qualified to lead the Great Protection Agency.”
“Lead the Great Protection Agency?” It seemed has if Zhu Meng had just been pulled out of a dream. He slowly turned around, staring at Little Gao with eyes that seemed about to burst from his eye sockets.
“You lead the Great Protection Agency?”
Little Gao said nothing.
“Good. Very good, Gao Jianfei.” Zhu Meng laughed. “It seems you’re already gradually flying up.”
His laughter cracked. “If you’ve come to take the head off my neck, then by all means take it.” Zhu Meng laughed hoarsely. “I’ve wanted to give it to you all this time. More than anyone else.”
Xiao Gao didn’t laugh, and seemed to have no reaction whatsoever. In these few days, he had trained himself to become like a rock. His face was devoid of even the slightest expression.
“Why are you here?” shouted Zhu Meng. “What are you waiting for?”
“I’m in no hurry,” said Little Gao calmly. “Why are you? If I’m willing to wait, so should you.” He suddenly turned and faced Sima Chaoqun. “You should be even more aware what I’m waiting for.”
A long time passed, and then Sima Chaoqun raised his head. It was as if this was his first time seeing Little Gao, as if he had already forgotten everything and everyone.
More time passed. Finally, in a very strange tone of voice, he asked Little Gao, “What are you waiting for?”
“I’m waiting to settle accounts with you.”
“Good. Very good.” His voice seemed to be filled with an unspeakable sadness. “It’s time to settle accounts. What people owe me, what I owe people, it must all be settled.”
“Considering your current situation, I shouldn’t force you to make a move,” said Little Gao coldly. “But when you defeated me last time, my situation wasn’t much better.”
Sima Chaoqun suddenly laughed.
“I never blamed you, there’s no reason to say so much.”
“Hold on,” Zhu Meng suddenly shouted. “Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten our agreement?”
Sima Chaoqun’s face sank. “You’d best step back a bit. This is between me and Gao Jianfei. If anyone get between us, I will be forced to end my life.”
Zhuo Donglai let out a soft sigh. “When heroes reach the end of the road, they are still heroes. Clan Leader Zhu, you also are a hero of the age. You should understand him. Why let the reputation of another hero be dragged into the dust?”
He didn’t cast another glance at Zhu Meng, but instead walked forward and pulled the sword out of Gongsun Qi’er’s chest.
There was no blood on the sword, only tear stains. He gripped the blade of the sword between his thumb and forefinger and handed it hilt-first to Gao Jianfei.”
“Your sword.”
Little Gao didn’t take it.
“I know it’s my sword. But I also know that he has no sword.”
“He doesn’t. But you do.”
Little Gao laughed. “Correct. He doesn’t, but I do. It seems that’s the current situation.”
Zhuo Donglai calmly said, “There are many things in the world that end up like this.”
“I understand,” said Little Gao. “I completely understand.”
He finally reached out and took the sword.
In this moment, the smile disappeared from his face, replaced by a murderous look.
In that moment, he stabbed forward with the sword.
historical
The tip had been less than an inch from Zhuo Donglai’s chest, and was pointed straight at his heart. He had used his own hand to grip the blade and hand it over. This was a mistake that could not be made. People who made this type of mistake ended up dead.
Zhuo Donglai couldn’t be an exception.
Under these circumstances, he had no way to escape or defend himself.
Gao Jianfei had been waiting, waiting for just this type of opportunity.
His eyes were fixed on Zhuo Donglai’s face, because everything he had done had been in preparation for his split second.
The time when the tip of his sword would pierce Zhuo Donglai’s heart.
—In this split second, what was the expression on Zhuo Donglai’s face?
There was none. Because he had already predicted everything that could happen. His body moved backward.
The power of the sword did not cease, it continued to stab forward.
And he continued to move backward.
Power, unceasing energy, completely filled the sword.
He continued to retreat.
He still clasped the sword tip between his two fingers, and it was still the same distance from his chest.
Little Gao stopped.
Sweat drenched his clothes.
Zhuo Donglai looked at him coldly. In an exceedingly warm and quiet voice, he said, “You really went to a lot of trouble this time. It took a lot of scheming to gain this opportunity, a lot of effort. You did very well. I really should let you kill me.”
His voice contained no trace of sarcasm, because he was simply stating the facts.
“But you should know that killing someone like me isn’t an easy matter. I can’t let you succeed so easily. Otherwise, killing me would be meaningless.”
Gao Jianfei listened.
He only listened.
At the moment, everyone had no choice but to listen to Zhuo Donglai. Other than him, who was there that could say anything?
And then he said something that left everyone shocked.
“If you kill me, then your death is also certain. If your sword stabs me in the chest, then in that instant, your death is fixed. You might even die faster than me.”
Zhuo Donglai seldom told lies, but this time what he said was hard to believe.
Little Gao couldn’t hold back from asking: “You’re saying that if I stabbed you with my sword, my death would be faster than yours?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I know that in the world there are at least 5 types of hidden weapons that can truly seal the throat and kill someone in an instant. And there are at least three people in Jianghu who use those types of weapons.”
“Oh?”
“And the most important point of all is that I happen to know that one of those people is here, and one of those weapons is pointed straight at your back. If you stab me, it would be a very exciting moment, and you would be extremely proud of yourself. In that situation, it would be difficult for anyone to avoid being distracted. You’re no exception.”
This was a fact.
“At that moment when you were the most happy and proud, you would suddenly feel a prick on your back like the bite of an insect. Then you would fall down, and as you fell, your heart would stop, and you would be dead.”
Cold sweat poured down Little Gao’s back.
Zhuo Donglai casually continued, “But you can relax. Because I’m not dead, and for the moment you don’t dare to make a move. Because that person is like me, never willing to do anything unless 100% confident of success.”
“Who is this person?”
“If you want to know who it is, then you first need to realize three things.”
“What three things?”
“First, how did the Gongsun brothers gain foreknowledge? How did they find out five days ago that there would be such huge changes in the Great Protection Agency? How did they arrive here so promptly? Second, this dancer, her face covered in gauze... where did she come from? Just now, Sima Chaoqun was going to kill her to protect Zhu Meng. Why did he suddenly retreat after hearing her say two words? Why did he suddenly change?”
Little Gao couldn’t figure out either of these two things.
“Actually, these two matters are actually one in the same,” he said, providing somewhat of a hint. “Similar to the way that some rooms have two doors, but one key to open them.”
Little Gao laughed bitterly. “Unfortunately, I don’t have the key. And I don’t know where to find it.”
“Keys are usually held by living people. Dead people don’t need keys. But as for this key,” he said coolly, “it wouldn’t hurt to look on the body of a dead person.”
“Which dead person?”
“The Gongsun brothers have no gift of foreknowledge. For them to arrive promptly was because someone asked them to come. But,” he asked, “who is it that, five days ago, could possibly predict that the thirty years of friendship between Sima and I would be destroyed in an instant?” He answered his own question. “Only one person. Our falling out was because of one person.”
“A dead person?”
“Yes. This person should be dead,” said Zhuo Donglai. “She knew that after she died, Sima would not let me go. Because when she was alive, she had already placed a poisoned dagger between Sima and I.”
Little Gao’s eyes suddenly flickered, and he asked, “A woman could disguise another woman as herself. But could she really fool her own husband?”
“If she was alive, she couldn’t,” said Zhuo Donglai. “But after a few days of death, the situation would be different. After a person has been dead for a few days, the muscles become twisted and hard. The facial features change. And if she hung herself, the changes would be even greater, more horrible. Anyone would be fooled.”
Little Gao sighed. “If someone returns home to find that his wife and children had all died tragic deaths, he would most likely be unable to see anything clearly.”
One word at a time, Zhuo Donglai asked, “And if he suddenly found out his wife wasn’t dead, how might he change?”
“He would probably become a completely different person.” Little Gao let out another long sigh. “But why? How could a women be so cruel? How could she do something like this?”
“In the world there are some types of people who will do anything. It doesn’t matter if the person is a man or woman. You don’t understand, because you aren’t that type of person.”
“And you?” Little Gao asked Zhuo Donglai. “Are you that type of person?”
“I am.”
Part 3
Sima Chaoqun’s pale face completely lacked any color. Seeing him, Zhu Meng felt horrible.
The dancer, overwhelmed by emotion, still lay on the ground, as if she hadn’t heard a word Zhuo Donglai said.
Zhuo Donglai looked at her coldly. “Actually, I don’t blame you, because we both are the same type of person. You clearly knew long ago that there are three people in the Great Protection Agency who oppose me. And only those three could possibly deal with me. You conspired with them secretly, and that is how they could arrive so promptly.”
The dancer was speechless.
“You did everything to protect yourself,” continued Zhuo Donglai, “and for that, I wouldn’t hurt you. But sadly, you made a mistake.” His voice suddenly changed. He used his unique tone, one word at a time, to say, “No matter your reasons, you should not have treated Sima Chaoqun this way.”
Based on his outward appearance, Zhuo Donglai did not appear to be a brutal and vicious person. But when he spoke in this tone of voice, anyone listening would feel their hair stand on end, and would tremble with fear.
And the person who understood him the most was, of course, Sima Chaoqun.
Whenever he spoke in this tone to someone, it meant that person had been sentenced to death.
“Don’t touch her.”
Sima lurched forward, placing his body in front of the mysterious dancer. “Whatever she did,” he said harshly, “I don’t blame her. All these years, I never treated her well. Even if I die under her hand, I do not permit you to touch a hair on her head.”
Zhuo Donglai’s expression suddenly changed. His pupils constricted, and he shouted, “Watch out!”
But his warning was just a bit too late.
The dancer leaped up from the ground, crying coldly, “You must die. Die!”
Along with the shout, three shining stars shot forth, flying toward Sima’s back.
Zhuo Donglai used his left foot to hook Sima and pull him to the side, then struck Little Gao’s ribs with his right palm. His left hand, which still gripped the sword, wrenched backwards, and then the sword was in his right hand. These movements all occurred in a split second, so quickly that it seemed almost unbelievable.
And yet again, he was just a bit too late.
Sima had been pulled to the side, and two of the flying hidden weapons had been deflected, but the third was embedded into his left upper arm.
Zhuo Donglai did not take time to think. The sword in his hand shot forward. The sword aura glittered, slicing Sima’s arm clean off.
When a viper bites the hand, a brave man will lop it off.
Little Gao knew that the weapons would contain poison. This was the only way to prevent the spread of the poison, and to save Sima’s life.
But he had to ask himself—If he was Zhuo Donglai, would he be able to make such a decision so quickly?
The wind from the sword lifted the dancer’s gauze mask.
Wu Wan.
The mysterious dancer really was Wu Wan.
Part 4
The severed arm fell, blood spattered, but Sima Chaoqun still stood there, as straight as a javelin, towering like a giant.
The sword aura shone, seeking Wu Wan.
But Sima, using his remaining bare hand, grabbed hold of Zhuo Donglai’s sword.
“Don’t touch her,” he said, his voice miserable and hoarse. “I said, it doesn’t matter if I die or live, you can’t touch her.”
His arm had been severed, but not his spirit.
Zhuo Donglai’s sword was restrained by his spirit, and he could make no move.
“Wu Wan, I still don’t blame you,” said Sima. “Leave.”
Wu Wan looked at him, looked at her husband with an indescribable expression.
“Yes, I should leave,” she said softly. “I should already have left.”
But she didn’t leave.
Instead, she suddenly threw herself forward and embraced him, pressing her face against his severed shoulder, using her face to stop the blood from pouring out.
Flowing blood covered her face, and flowing tears.
“I chose the wrong path in life,” she said. “And I can’t make the same mistake again. This time I will not make the same mistake.”
She’d already chosen her path.
The only path.
Zhuo Donglai still held the sword.
Wu Wan suddenly gripped her husband forcefully and shoved herself forward toward the tip of the sword. The sword stabbed into her back, piercing her heart, and piercing Sima’s heart.
The treasured sword truly was incomparably sharp.
“Tong tong,” Wu Wan said in a whispered moan. “Tong tong, at long last we can die in the same year, the same month, the same day. Die together.”
This was the last thing she ever said.
“The sword is ruthless, the hero sheds no tears.”
Sima Chaoqun still stood there as straight as a javelin. He shed no tears.
Until death, he did not fall. Until death, he shed no tears.
Part 5
The tears of the hero had already transformed into righteous blood.
There was no blood on the sword, only some tear stains. But as of now, it seemed as if those mysterious tear stains had been dyed red by the blood of the hero.
Zhuo Donglai still held the sword, and he was looking at the tear stains.
He didn’t look at Sima, and didn’t look at Wu Wan.
His eyes were completely devoid of tears.
And yet, his eyes stared dumbly at the tear stains, as if they might contain some sort of mysterious and evil power, and that they were the source of all the misfortune that had occurred. A long time passed, and then he suddenly said, “Of the three people that came today, the truly fearsome were not the Gongsun brothers, but the third person.” His voice was ice cold. “This person really shouldn’t die, because he is extremely intelligent and very powerful. Very few people can compare to him when it comes to hidden weapons and face-changing ability. If he had quietly slipped away just now, I might have pretended not to notice, because I would most likely be able to make use of him later.”
“He didn’t leave?”
“No,” said Zhuo Donglai. “He knows that he made a mistake, and he knows that now I won’t let him leave.” He suddenly turned around and faced the blind, white-haired musician. One word at a time, he said, “Mr. Ji, you can’t possibly think I didn’t recognize you, do you?”
The white-haired musician had been standing just where the lamplight gave way to darkness. The light was dim, and his figure was also dim.
The young girl with the ponytail stood next to him, holding a pipa. Her pale-white face was filled with neither sadness nor terror. Perhaps it was because she could not see, or perhaps because she had already grown completely numb to everything.
The white-hair musician carried a flute in one hand. His other hand rested on the girl’s shoulder. No expression existed on his face.
“Mr. Ji,” said Zhuo Donglai. “Three flashes to rob life, two steps to change disguise, one strategy to deprive offspring. Mr. Ji, your face-changing ability is brilliant, and your methods are even more amazing.” [1]
The white-haired musician finally spoke. “You flatter me. Thank you, thank you.”
“Mr. Ji, you had Wu Wan dance Die Wu’s dance. In an instant, it destroyed the fighting spirit of Clan Leader Zhu Meng of the Lion clan and Sima Chaoqun. It was an incredible move.”
“Thank you, thank you.”
“The white-haired musician and his beautiful young granddaughter sing on the street to make a living. Who would take notice of a blind old man like that? So you disguised yourself as him and brought his granddaughter here with you. You covered up the faults in Wu Wan’s dancing with the blind man’s music, and used her dancing to capture everyone’s attention. In fact, no one would know anything about the old musician’s facial features, but you could never possibly match the desolate nature of his music. This point, everyone could hear. Except, under the circumstances, no one was paying attention.”
“You’re right,” admitted Mr. Ji. “That’s exactly what I was thinking.”
“Mr. Ji, you really are a rare talent. An amazing talent. I’ve always admired you.” And then Zhuo Donglai’s soft and polite voice suddenly changed. In his unique tone of voice he said, “But you really should not have given your Offspring Depriving needles to Wu Wan. That was truly a mistake.”
Mr. Ji sighed. In a very sad voice, he said, “I admit I was mistaken. Even though I never imagined that Wu Wan would use them on Sima, he did die because of it. I should have known that Mr. Zhuo would call me to account for it.”
“Perhaps because you thought it would only be deadly to someone else, you forgot that those needles were your best way to defend your own life.”
Mr. Ji had to acknowledge the truth of this. “No matter the situation, I shouldn’t have given the needle tube to someone else.” He sighed, and then, in a whisper-soft voice, said, “Luckily, I have several more tubes left.”
His voice was low, as if he was telling a deep secret to a trusted friend.
Zhuo Donglai surely must listen carefully to be able to hear.
Even as he listened, Mr. Ji’s Offspring Depriving needles shot forth. They flew from within the emptiness of his sleeves. Three tubes of needles were enough to cut off any route of escape for Zhuo Donglai.
One tube with three needles was enoug-->>
