Chapter 014 “Come out and die, you dog1狗 东西 们 狗 gǒu dog; 东西 dōng xi thing; stuff; person; CL:個|个[ge4],件[jian4] 们 men plural marker for pronouns, and nouns referring to individuals The origin of the phrase is unclear and debated but it is considered an insult. Some may translate it as ‘bastards’ but I wanted to keep close to the original to highlight the phrase for when readers may come across it when MTLing or in other works that have no footnotes! things!”
Wei Jin did not reject his offer and whispered, “Stick close to me.”
Xie Chenyang had no internal force and was wounded, so he had been expecting his footsteps to be sloppy, making it easy for the patrolling Demonic Sect practitioners to spot him.
However, Wei Jin observed that his movements were well-controlled, making minimal noise, and with almost every one of his steps, he would only stand exactly where he had stepped before, merely one pace behind him. A flicker of appreciation emerged in his heart.
As expected of one who was a top disciple of the Sabre Sect with outstanding talent. Wei Jin would carry him every time when there was a need for light skills2 Lightness Skill (轻功 qīnggōng) – often left untranslated as “Qinggong”. The ability to lighten the body and move with great agility & swiftness. At high proficiency, practitioners of this skill can run across water, leap to the top of trees, or even glide through the air..
Xie Chenyang thought to himself that the Demonic Sect should really have built more walls.
Wei Jin: “I’ve explored the Demonic Sect at night a few times. I know where they are holding the regular heroes3A common way to refer to martial artists is “hero” in some novels the older generation will call younger ones “young hero” Xia (侠 xiá) – a Hero of the martial world. Righteous, skilled martial artists who follow their own moral code. They sometimes come into conflict with the law, especially in novels where society or the government is depicted as corrupt. — Immortalmountian in their dungeons, but I’m not certain if the captives from your Sabre Sect are imprisoned in the same place.”
He had scouted the Demonic Sect a few times because he had a close friend4亲友 Trad. 親友 qīn yǒu friends and relatives Relatives and friends, a Chinese word, is pronounced qīnyǒu, which means relatives and friends, close friends, and affectionate friendship. — Baidu who’d been captured by the Demonic Sect.
Having fully prepared, he should have been able to rescue his close friend straightforwardly.
But… his eyes furtively flicked over at Xie Chenyang. With the addition of the people from the fallen Sabre Sect, he was afraid that he would be in for a difficult battle.
If it was only his friend, he’d be able to whisk him away.
At the system’s reminder, Xie Chenyang considered this as well. “In a moment, I’ll draw the focus of the guards, and you can lead who you’re here for and my people away.”
Wei Jin coldly stated, “You can’t.” If they were to consider someone pulling focus, it should be him.
“Don’t underestimate me.” Xie Chenyang caught Wei Jin’s hand. Picking up a stone from the ground, he quickly scratched a rough map on the wall. “When we get to the prison, you hide first. Once I’ve managed to distract the guards, you can sneak in to free them, then cut through this wall, and escape this way.
With Wei Jin’s skills, he’d definitely be able to evade the few people that he would encounter on the way.
Wei Jin’s eyes wavered slightly. “How did you…” The Sabre Sect had only recently been captured by the Demonic Sect, and Xi Yang had definitely not been captive for very long, so how did he manage to be so knowledgeable about the Demonic Sect’s layout?
“I’ll explain everything later.” Xie Chenyang discarded the stone from his hand. “When the Demonic Sect attacked my Sabre Sect, they lost a lot of their people as well. Now, all of their important members are in the main courtyard celebrating their successes, far away from the cells.”
They’d never expect for someone to come and raid their prison right now.
“Xi Yang…”
Xie Chenyang’s bright eyes carried blatant ferocity. “Trust me. Tonight, I’m going to eliminate a portion of the Demonic Sect’s disciples to assuage the lingering souls of those murdered in my sect!”
Wei Jin: “…Good.”
They advanced once again.
The system was skeptical: “You don’t want me to fight on your behalf, do you? First of all, that’s not going to happen.”
Xie Chenyang: [Nah, in addition to the Sabre Sect’s sabre technique in my mind, there’s also a very impressive personal set of sabre techniques. It’s probably Xi Yang’s natural instincts manifesting, creating his own sabre techniques in a time of danger! I will definitely be able to clean up these Demonic Sect disciples!]
System: ”… ” This host is this strong? With both his spiritual power and memories sealed, he was still able to come up with an amazing set of sabre techniques? By not hiding things from the host before, and instead giving him limited answers to his questions when permitted, it surely had some foresight.
Wei Jin grasped Xie Chenyang’s waistband5Wuxia clothes don’t normally have a set time period, but they are usually based on Tang Dynasty clothes. With tight sleeves secured at the wrists, loose pants that are wrapped at the ankles, and topped with a overrobe that has the traditional side left-to-right collar and slits usually up to around the hips on the sides. This over robe is secured with fabric around the waist and sometimes decorated with an additional belt on top. Saying this so you remember that our MC is not wearing modern clothes and he was not just given a massive wedgie lol. at the back and carried him up the wall, murmuring, “The entrance to the dungeon is just ahead. There are at least a few tens of men here, and unlike the simple disciples who were guarding you before, all of these men have internal force, and their strength won’t be so weak.”
“Don’t worry.” Xie Chenyang tidied his waistband and then jumped down carrying his stolen sabre.
Under the moonlight, his long hair fluttered in the wind, and his raised sabre gleamed with a cold light. He raised his voice and loudly laughed a few times, ”Ha! Ha! Ha! Demonic Sect scoundrels, you dog things! Your grandfather6Follows along the lines of calling yourself someones ‘father/Laozi’ or ‘mother/Laoniang’. But puts yourself at a even higher status level. (Familial status is very important to Asian cultures) has come to settle the score with you!”
Wei Jin: “…” Silently and quickly jumped a couple of times and searched for a closer place to hide. From this spot, he was able to see Xie Chenyang clearly and would be able to very quickly move to support him when his strength ran out.
The Demonic Sect members keeping their distance suddenly focused their sights on Xie Chenyang.
“Is that him?”
“Who?”
“Ah, you didn’t follow along to our Great Battle with the famous Sabre Sect. That’s Xi Yang, the only son of the Master of the Sabre Sect and the Big Brother7大 师兄 大 dà big; huge; large; major; great; wide; deep; older (than); oldest; eldest; greatly; very much; (dialect) father; father’s elder or younger brother 师兄 shī xiōng senior male fellow student or apprentice; son (older than oneself) of one’s teacher “It is pronounced as “dà shī xiōng”, which means “big brother”, and has multiple meanings. … (2) Refers to a classmate who is older and more talented. ” —- Baidu of the Sabre Sect, ranking first amongst the younger generation.”
“Didn’t I hear that he was deprived of his internal force and became the caged bird of Hall Master Wei? How did he find his way here?”
“Who cares how he got here. Go, arrest him. He is just another waste now.”
Because they didn’t see him as dangerous, only three Demonic Sect practitioners came forward to capture him. Xie Chenyang placed his sabre before him and swept it horizontally as they approached. There was a bright flash of light. There were three miserable yelps as those three men fell down, their bodies divided in half.
“Kill him!” The one leading the group immediately ordered everyone to rush up.
Wei Jin raised his eyes, only to see that between Xie Chenyang’s wrist flips, his body danced along with the blade, an amazing sword qi slashed out, and wherever the sword qi8Sword-light (剑光 jiànguāng) – also translated as a Sword Ray. A dazzling, powerful energy attack released from the edge of a blade. Forming Swordlight generally requires a profound cultivation base and a deep mastery of swordsmanship. Sword Energy (剑气 jianqi) is basically the same as Swordlight. —-immortalmountain passed through, blood and flesh flew in all directions.
Wei Jin’s cold eyes flashed with amazement. To be without his inner force and yet still be this strong. If he still had his inner force, what would he look like then?
Xie Chenyang met his eyes and winked, delivering a flying kiss in the process.
Wei Jin: “…” Impetuous! His face turned frosty as he quickly moved towards the entrance of the dungeon.
Xie Chenyang raised his left hand and snatched another sabre. While his right hand’s sabre danced with the rigid-flexible saber technique that belonged to Xi Yang, his left hand’s sabre chopped and slashed naturally as he went along.
“How can he use different techniques with his left and right hands!”
“Didn’t you say that he has no internal force?! How does this sword qi look like it’s coming from an ordinary person!”
“Cut the nonsense! Two fists can’t beat four hands9” Two fists are no match for four hands” is a proverb, which means that the power of one person cannot withstand the power of many people, emphasizing the situation of being outnumbered.! He won’t be able to hold out much longer. Move in for me!”
The system watched the host’s double swords having fun, six to one, and thought: You guys have underestimated him… Immortals, even if it’s a simple stance, it’s not something you guys can fathom.
But, after all, he’s in a mortal body. The wheel of war might really be able to crush its host.
Wei Jin freed all of the orthodox heroes who were being held in the dungeon, including his own close friend and the disciples of the Sabre Sect.
He told them the best escape route that Xie Chenyang had told him and returned to the courtyard.
Under the moonlight, the two swords in Xie Chenyang’s hands were thrust into the ground, and he appeared to be drenched in blood as he struggled to remain standing with his hands braced on the hilts of the swords. With a field of Demonic Sect corpses lying all around him, at the sight of Wei Jin, he broke into a big smile. “I knew you’d come back.” Once Wei Jin reached him, Xie Chenyang let go of his grip and collapsed into his arms.
Wei Jin reached out to catch him, sensing that Xie Chenyang had lost consciousness; his expression tensed as he lifted him up and made for the escape route.
He quickly caught up with the group of escapees. As soon as the disciples of the Sabre Sect saw Xie Chenyang in his arms, they were all shocked.
“Eldest Senior Brother!”
“Young Master! What happened to him?”
“Young Master…”
“Stripped of internal force.” Wei Jin’s face was chilly and his voice was exceedingly cold. “Don’t delay. Hurry up and run.”
The Demonic Sect guards in the courtyard above the dungeon were dispatched as quickly as possible, and the handful of patrols encountered on the way were also eliminated. By the time the person Wei Wenbin had sent to deliver wine and dinner realized that something was wrong, it was too late.
~~~
After leaving the Demonic Sect’s territory, the heroes from the other sects took their leave.
“We will definitely remember the kindness of the Honorable Hero Wei and Young Sect Leader Xi and will repay you in the coming days!”
The disciples of the Sabre Sect looked at Wei Jin, who was still carrying Xie Chenyang as they traveled along. Among them, the direct disciple of the former Sect Leader, Xie Chenyang’s fellow senior disciple, Ling Yi, said, “Young Hero Wei, I should carry senior brother…”
“No need,” Wei Jin said aloofly. “You’re all injured. Hurry along, don’t delay.”
“But…”
“Senior Brother Ling, he’s right. The Demonic Sect’s people must have realized that we’ve escaped; it’s not advisable to delay.”
At this moment, a disciple complained in a low voice, “If he hadn’t gullibly trusted that traitor and raised a tiger10养虎为患 Trad. 養虎為患 yǎng hǔ wéi huàn lit. to nurture a tiger invites calamity fig. to indulge one’s enemy is asking for trouble (idiom), the Sabre Sect wouldn’t have been destroyed with the Sect Leader and Master and so many of our members…”
“Shut it!” Ling Yi angrily snapped. “When senior brother met Wei Wenbin, he was already the disciple of the Elder Blade Maker! Senior brother was also cheated, and now that he’s exhausted himself to save us, you’re still speaking nonsense like this?!”
Wei Jin stopped walking, his eyes sinister. “Whoever thinks there is something wrong with Xi Yang and doesn’t care to be saved by him, tell me and I’ll send you back to the Demonic Sect.”
All the disciples of Sabre Sect: “…”
After they had journeyed all night, they didn’t dare to enter the city, but instead went into the depths of the mountains to rest and traveled around the city.
The towns right outside the Demonic Sect’s boundaries were bound to have the Demonic Sect’s informants, and they couldn’t take any chances. The disciples who still had some strength left went out to look for game and water while the rest of the disciples rested in place.
Wei Jin sat on a slope and rested Xie Chenyang against his lap. His close friend, who’d been silent all the way, sat beside him. “You seem to be treating him differently.”
“Ah-Fo.11Ah-Fo’s name (阿佛) is the the same character for Buddah.” Wei Jin lowered his head and wiped the blood from Xie Chenyang’s face with his cuff, asking softly, “What do you know?”
Ah-Fo folded his hands, no sadness or joy in his eyes, but the corners of his lips raised slightly. “Your residence neighbors the Sabre Sect. I thought you would know.”
“I don’t.” Although he was diligently training on the mountain right behind the famous Sabre Sect, he had always disliked paying attention to external affairs, so for him to be unaware of what had exactly happened to the Sabre Sect was natural. By the time he heard about the Demonic Sect’s attack on the Sabre Sect and rushed over, there was only desolation left.
“I also overheard them in the jail.” Ah-Fo’s brows carried a feeling of compassion. “A hall master of the Demonic Sect blended into the Sabre Sect and even followed the Blade Forging Elder as his teacher. After that, he tricked the young master Xi Yang’s sincere nature and romanced him as a way of obtaining more privileges and learning about classified information, before working with the Demonic Sect from the inside, and felled the Sabre Sect.”
Wei Jin’s hand paused, then wiped away the blood at the corner of Xie Chenyang’s eye. Would such a strong person be deceived out of his true feelings?
Ah-Fo saw that he didn’t say anything and laughed. “Although Jianghu’s people don’t hold themselves bound by common conventions, isn’t it quite something for Xi Yang as a young hero not to fall at the hands of a woman, but at the hands of a man instead?”
Wei Jin glanced at him lightly. “Truthfully, it’s not funny.”
“It’s me who said the wrong thing.” Ah-Fo stood up. “I’m going to go see why it’s so troublesome for these famous sword disciples to find something for us to eat.”
Wei Jin wiped all the blood that could be cleaned from Xie Chenyang’s face, and due to the strength of his hands, there was a bit of redness showing from it. Wei Jin looked down at the dark discoloration staining the cuffs of his sleeve, recalling Xie Chenyang’s sudden call of “Ah Zhi” when they met earlier. His eyes turned grim.
Was he calling that Demonic Sect spy? Did they look similar?
His palm covered Xie Chenyang’s dan tian12丹田 dān tián pubic region; point two inches below the navel where one’s qi resides, and his voice was barely audible: “I hope that this time, you’ll learn from your mistakes.”
And don’t…blame yourself.
Edited: Krone
Proofread: Choux_choux
Links
Link to origin discussion for “Dog Thing” on Baiduhttps://baijiahao.baidu.com/s?id=1771709749898540901&wfr=spider&for=pc
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Wuxia terms
https://www.google.com/url?q=https://immortalmountain.wordpress.com/glossary/wuxia-xianxia-xuanhuan-terms/%23martialarts&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1724110629444253&usg=AOvVaw15Uom6y3a-bW_LWV77KDRu