Chapter 39
The Ouyang Brothers were so eloquent and articulate earlier, but now that they saw Du Sha they can’t even speak a few words properly.
On seeing ‘Bloody Hands’ Du Sha’s icy looking face, Xiao Yu’er suddenly felt a surge of kindred spirit, and can’t help but laughingly ask, “Uncle Du, how are you?”
Du Sha replied, “Fine!”
He only took one look at Xiao Yu’er, but in this moment, the frosty look in his eyes seemed to have melted a little, but when this pair of eyes stared at the Ouyang Brothers, the icy look was even frostier.
He pulled open the carriage door, without saying anything, his other hand is already on Ouyang Dang’s face, to and fro, slapping more then twenty times, before he asked coldly, “Do you still recognize me?”
Ouyang Dang dare not make a single sound, and smilingly replied, “Little… Little Brother would not dare to…. to not recognize Big Brother Du.”
With a chilling smile, Du Sha gave a back slap, and pressed on his ‘Xu Pi’ point on his right knee, and similarly slapped Ouyang Ding as well. He turned around and said fiercely, “Come down!”
Ouyang Ding stammered, “Little… Little brother here can’t move my legs, how do I go down?”
Du Sha replied, “You can’t use your legs, then use your hands and climb down!”
The Ouyang Brothers cast a look at each other, and really crawled down obediently.
The carriage stopped outside a deserted mansion, and the carriage driver is already gone.
The few of them walked into the deserted mansion, and saw that in the dilapidated hall, there was a fire, and on top of the fire, something unknown was cooking in a pot. There were also a few clay jars, scattered around the floor in a mess, looking as if they contained ingredients for cooking.
Someone was squatting next to the fire, and it was the carriage driver. In such a hot day, he was sitting next to the fire and yet there is not a bead of perspiration on his head.
Du Jiao Jiao smiled, “Xiao Yu’er, you’re still not hurrying to go see your Uncle Li, he has been thinking of your everyday all these years, but I wonder if he was thinking of eating your flesh?”
Xiao Yu’er giggled, “Seems like, Uncle Li is angry about something?”
Li Da Zui couldn’t control himself and chuckled, pulling Xiao Yu’er hand and laughed, “I didn’t expect you little rascal to remember this sentence.”
Only now did the Ouyang Brothers crawl in, sighing, with ‘Bloody Hands’ Du Sha following coldly behind them. When they slowed in their crawl, he gave them a hard kick, and treated them worse than pigs.
Ha Ha’er laughed loudly, “These twenty years, it’s the first time that so many of our brothers are here together. What a rare occasion, we must celebrate.”
Du Jiao Jiao chuckled, “If others in Jiang Hu were to find out that we old friends have gathered again, I wonder what they will think?”
Ha Ha’er laughed, “I’m afraid that they will be so scared that their guts will break.”
Li Da Zui replied with a straight face, “The guts must never be broken, or else the meat will be so bitter it cannot be eaten.” Xiao Yu’er’s eyes rolled around, looking at these people, thinking of the times when he was growing up, and felt a surge of indescribable feeling in his heart.
These people may be evil, but in his eyes, each one of them has their adorable sides, and they are really so much more endearing than that hypocrite Jiang Be He.
Xiao Yu’er was feeling really happy, but once he thought that how each one of these people are like the plague. Now that they have resurfaced in Jiang Hu, there will be many people who are going to be unlucky, he can’t help feeling a little troubled.
He can’t just stand there looking, he must think of a way.
He heard Du Jiao Jiao say, “Now, we’re only left with Yin Lao Jiu. I wonder what have he bumped into, why is he not here yet?”
Ouyang Ding, who was sprawled on the floor, answered with a smile, “Little Brother here is ecstatic that we brothers are reunited again.”
Du Jiao Jiao commented, “That’s right, but you have cheated us of all our money, where else do we have the money to buy wine?”
Ouyang Ding replied, “If Sister Du let Little Brother here off, I will immediately go and look for that Lu person, and snatch the things back even if it cost me my life.”
He has not finished his words when Du Sha’s steel hooks are already hooked into his shoulder, and hung him up by the hook. Ouyang Ding could not take it any longer and screamed like a pig for slaughter, “Big Brother Bu, Little Brother here has never lied, please let me off.”
Du Sha asked coldly, “Where are the things? Speak!”
Ouyang Ding stammered, “It’s really…. really been taken by Lu Zhong Da…”
Du Sha’s fist pounded into his face once the word ‘Da’ was uttered, and a mouthful of fresh blood, together with three teeth, spurted out.
Although Xiao Yu’er knows that these Ouyang Brothers were worse than anyone else, but looking at them now, he could not bear to see them suffering. Just as he was going to think of a way to help them, Ouyang Ding had already screamed, “I’ll talk, I’ll talk. The things are still around, Lu Zhong Da did not even touch them. I was lying just now, please let me off.”
Xiao Yu’er sighed, and mumbled, “You knew you had to speak, why did you not say so earlier, or must you really wait until they use such methods against you? Then I cannot blame them for being ruthless.
Du Sha asked, “If the things are still around, where are they?”
Ouyang Ding replied, “If I tell you, will you still kill me?”
Ha Ha’er laughed, “Haha, we were originally like brothers, why would we kill you?”
Ouyang Dang commented, “This words should be spoken by Big Brother Du before my brother and I can rest at ease.”
‘Bloody Hands’ Du Sha may be vicious, but he has always kept his words, and has never told a lie. This point is well known by everyone in Jiang Hu.
Du Sha coldly replied, “After you tell us, we will definitely not take your life!”
Ouyang Ding heaved a long sigh, and said “The things are hidden in a cave at the peak of Turtle Hill…”
Ouyang Dang interrupted, “Little Brother here can draw a detailed map for you.”
After the map was drawn, everyone looked ecstatic, and four pairs of hands reached out at the same time. A sting of ‘pak’ sounds were heard, your hand hitting mine, my hand hitting yours, and four pairs of hand shrunk back… there’s only four pairs of hand, because ‘Bloody Hands’ Du Sha’s hand, besides for killing, will never be stretched out so easily.
Li Da Zui finally said loudly, “This map should be kept by Big Brother Du, or else I will not rest at ease.”
Suddenly a person spoke slowly, “That’s right, besides Big Brother Du, there is no one else who will put me at ease.”
Amidst the lingering words, a person had already appeared outside the window.
Ha Ha’er commented, “Ha ha, Yin Lao Jiu is truly a smart person, he waited until we have exhausted ourselves before coming in to take the pickings.”
Yin Jiu replied coldly, “You have exhausted yourselves, but did I not?”
Du Jiao Jiao smiled, “What effort have you exhausted? Unless you were hounded by a ghost and could not escape?”
Yin Jiu You said each word slowly, “I did meet a ghost.”
Yin Jiu You’s eyes landed on Xiao Yu’er, and suddenly smiled sadly, “Xiao Yu’er, make a guess what ghost was it?”
Xiao Yu’er rolled his eyes and laughed, “A ghost who can hound you is rare, but one that can scare you, there could be one…”
Du Jiao Jiao jumped up and asked hoarsely, “Could it be that you saw Yan Nan Tian?!”
Yin Jiu You smiled craftily, “If I met him, can I still come here? … I only saw him from afar, saw him riding on a horse, very much alive, and seems that he is in better shape than before.”
On hearing this, Xiao Yu’er was surprised and happy. Li Da Zui, Ha Ha’er, Bai Kai Xin and Du Jiao Jiao’s expressions all changed, especially Du Jiao Jiao, who rushed forward and asked, “He… He was going towards which direction?”
Once this sentence was spoken, the infamous ‘Ten Evils’ could not even sit down. Li Da Zui was the first to stand up and said, “This is not a place to stay for long, let us leave.”
Ha Ha’er added, “Naturally we must leave, I admire the person who will not leave.”
Ouyang Ding fluttered, “Please, take me away as well, I… I do not wish to see Yan Nan Tian too.”
The three words ‘Yan Nan Tian’ seem to have some magical effect, to be able to make these ruthless killers so restless and lost.
On seeing this, Xiao Yu’er was surprised, ecstatic and envious, and thought to himself “If a person can be like Yan Nan Tian, then he would not have lived his life in vain…. I thought that I was not too bad, but compared to him, who am I?”
But Yan Nan Tian is also human, what Yan Nan Tian can do, why can’t Jiang Xiao Yu do it, and in what way is Jiang Xiao Yu inferior to others?
For a moment, a million thoughts were churning in Xiao Yu’er’s mind, he suddenly felt downhearted, but suddenly felt warm blood rushing through his body, and his heroic spirit rose…
Suddenly he heard Ouyang Ding scream, and fresh blood spurted out. One of his arms and legs were already cut off by Du Jiao Jiao.
Ouyang Dang asked hoarsely, “Big Brother Du, you… you promised…. you…”
Du Jiao Jiao smiled, “Big Brother Du only promised not to take your life, but he did not promise anything else.”
As she spoke, she cut off one hand and one leg of Ouyang Dang, and poured a jarful of sugar all over the both of them.
Ouyang Dang shouted, “You… you might as well offer me a quick release, kill me!”
Du Jiao Jiao smiled, “Big Brother Du said not to kill you, how can I kill you!”
Ouyang Ding replied bitingly, “You… your heart is vicious, what a venomous method!”
Du Jiao Jiao chuckled, “You may say this now, but if I were to end up in your hands, I’m afraid you will be twice as vicious as me.” She walked out with a coquettish smile, without even turning back to take a look at them.
No one seems to hear the screams of the Ouyang brothers. By now, the sun is setting, it is now dusk.
Xiao Yu’er stood along in the setting sun. Du Jiao Jiao, Bai Kai Xin, Li Da Zui, Du Sha and Yin Jiu You have all left, and before they left, each of them spoke to Xiao Yu’er. But what exactly did they say, Xiao Yu’er did not really pay attention, he only knew that they are all going to Turtle Hill, and did not ask him along. Besides, Xiao Yu’er has no intention of following them, he only heard them say, “Be on your guard against Yan Nan Tian, and try to defeat Jiang Bie He. It’s inconvenient if you follow us, we will look for you again in future.”
Xiao Yu’er did not really listen to their words seriously, because since an unknown time, his whole mind seems to be filled with the words ‘Yan Nan Tian’.
“Yan Nan Tian, why can’t I learn to be like Yan Nan Tian? Why learn to be like Du Jiao Jiao, Li Da Zui…. When I hate someone… why can’t I be like Yan Nan Tian, and look for that person openly, and have a duel. Instead, I became like Du Jiao Jiao and Li Da Zui, and only know how to play tricks on him in secret!”
The screams of the Ouyang brothers, came drifting with the wind, and Xiao Yu’er suddenly turned around and dashed back towards the abandoned manor.
The Ouyang Brothers were lying in a pool of blood, and thousands and millions of ants were rushing from all directions in the abandoned manor towards them. The suffering that they were going through cannot be aptly described with any words.
They saw Xiao Yu’er coming, and shouted in fear, “Please, stab me, I’ll be grateful to you even in death.”
Xiao Yu’er sighed, and carried the two of them out. He found a well and washed the ants off the two of them.
The Ouyang brothers never imagined that he would save them. Four eyes looked at Xiao Yu’er, and in their eyes were full of surprise and gratefulness.
Xiao Yu’er mumbled, “I’ve suddenly become compassionate, are you feeling strange? Although I know that you are not good men, but to make you die slowly like that is a bit too much as well.”
Ouyang Ding stared at him, and said, “You… if you are willing to save me, I… will reward you handsomely.”
Xiao Yu’er laughed, “As long as you can live, I will certainly save you, but I don’t want your reward.”
Ouyang Ding looked at him, as if he had never seen him before, and suddenly said “The treasures are not hidden in Turtle Hill.”
He suddenly spoke this sentence, which stunned Xiao Yu’er.
That face of Ouyang Ding, which would make anyone who sees it be on their guard, again revealed a thread of sinister sneer, and he said bitingly, “The words that I spoke under those circumstances, everyone would not think that it would be false, right? This is just what I want them to think, how else would those evil ghosts be tricked by me!”
Xiao Yu’er replied, “At the most, they will just be making a wasted trip, it can’t really be considered being tricked.”
Ouyang Dang was in so much pain that his lips were quivering, but he still laughed loudly, “If my brother and I wants to trick them, it would be more than a wasted trip.”
Ouyang Ding grinned evilly, “Even if they can survive this trip, they would have left half their lives on Turtle Hill.”
Xiao Yu’er furrowed his brows and asked, “Why?”
Ouyang Dang smiled sinisterly, “The place that my brother and I told them, there is no treasure, but a devil. This devil has not revealed himself for many years, and never in their dreams would they think that he would be hiding in Turtle Hill.”
Ouyang Ding added, “Even if we died, they did not benefit as well. After seeing this devil, I’m afraid their suffering would be ten times worse than ours.”
Xiao Yu’er shook his head and smiled, “Since you were going to die, why do you still want to harm others?”
Ouyang Ding laughed loudly, “I knew that they would not let me off anyway, so I might as well suffer a little more, and drag them down with me. I, Ouyang Ding, must take advantage even if it costs me my life.”
Ouyang Dang laughed loudly as well, “The two lives of my brother and mine, in exchange for their five lives, this deal covers both my cost and my interest and I, Ouyang Dang, would rather die than be at a disadvantage.”
Looking at them writhing in pain and yet trying to laugh loudly, Xiao Yu’er felt goose bumps all over his body, and shaking his head in a bitter smile, he said, “You are not harming others because you knew you were going to die, rather, you won’t mind dying if you can harm others. Someone like the two of you is really rare.”
These two brothers who were trying their utmost to harm others, although they were laughing, but their laughter were getting weaker. Ouyang Dang rolled over to Ouyang Ding’s side, and asked, “Big Brother, are we really going to tell that lad where the treasures are hidden?”
Ouyang Ding replied, “This lad is born a bad person, after he got our treasures, he will surely harm even more people. After our death, to see this lad using our treasures to harm others, would also be a pleasure.”
Xiao Yu’er sighed, “Others said, when one is about to die, even their words would be benevolent. You are looking at death in the face, won’t you even say something nice?”
Ouyang Dang stammered, “We…. We were evil while alive, even in death…. we want to be evil ghosts.”
Ouyang Ding continued, “Let me tell you, the real place where the treasures are hidden, is at…. Han Kou City, Ba Bao Lane, at the end of the lane on the right side, inside the three small houses, the door is yellow in color.”
Ouyang Dang giggled, “They all thought that we would surely hide the treasures in some god forsaken secret cave, but would never expect that we would deliberately keep the treasures in a congested area, so that they would not think of this even in their dreams.”
Their words were also getting weaker, to the point that it was barely audible, and the blood from the wound gradually stopped flowing as well.
Xiao Yu’er suddenly laughed, “Very well, if the two of you want to become evil ghosts, then go be one, but don’t you forget, evil ghosts have to climb hills of knives, and be fried in oil, it won’t be a good experience.”
Ouyang Dang’s body suddenly shrunk into a ball, and he whispered, “I’m not an evil person, and I don’t want to be an evil ghost, I… I don’t want to go to hell.”
Xiao Yu’er asked, “Only now did you think of saying these words, isn’t it a little too late?”
Ouyang Dang wailed, “I beg of you, use our treasures and do some good deeds for us.”
Ouyang Ding agreed, “That’s right, that’s right, we have committed too many evil deeds, please help us atone for our mistakes.”
Xiao Yu’er shook his head and commented, “Weird, a lot of people think that they can atone for their mistakes with some stinking money, isn’t this a ludicrous thought? If that is really the case, won’t heaven be full of rich people, and will the poor have to go to hell.”
The Ouyang brothers wailed in unison, “We beg of you, help us!” The Ouyang brothers started shaking, and could not longer say anything, but could only nod their heads vigorously.
Xiao Yu’er shook his head and commented, “If we let all the evil people in the world take a look at the two of you now, I’m afraid there will be a lot less people who will commit evil deeds in future.”
With a sigh, he continued, “But no matter what, I will try for you. Although it is too late now for you to repent, but it is still a little better than not repenting even in death, so put your minds at ease and die.”
In everyone’s life, there will be a day that is especially memorable.
Naturally Xiao Yu’er would have such a day as well, and on this day, Xiao Yu’er suddenly realized many things… it’s not that he was totally unaware of these things in the past, just that he has never put much thought to them.
This day, for Xiao Yu’er, whose life has always been colorful, is also especially memorable. Because on this day, he experienced such sadness and disappointment that he has never felt before, and also experienced excitement and exhilaration that he has never felt before. If he was a child in the past, this day has made him a fully grown up.
Now, Xiao Yu’er washed his face clean, went into the boutique and changed into a set of blue clothes. Looking in the mirror, he felt extremely pleased with himself.
And so he looked for the biggest, busiest restaurant and had a satisfying meal. The Jiang Hu friends from all over the place were still in An Qing City and of the tens of tables on the upper level, more than half were occupied by heroes of the martial arts world.
With a feeling of appreciation, Xiao Yu’er looked at them take large mouthfuls of meat and drink large bowls of wine, and felt that these crude men actually have their adorable points.
He heard someone at the next table laughingly comment, “I guess Brother Ouyang will come to this Scholar Place tonight.”
That ‘Brother Ouyang’ laughed, “All thanks to Hero Jiang, who gave me an invitation as well, so I must come here for a drink tonight.”
He deliberately spoke loudly, and as expected, quite a number of people surrounding him turned to look at him, their looks filled with envy and jealousy.
On seeing this, Xiao Yu’er felt laughter and anger at the same time. Jiang Bie He actually has the cheek to invite guests, and those invited were actually proud that they are being invited. This really made Xiao Yu’er so angry his stomach could burst.
At another table near the window, someone suddenly exclaimed, “Hero Jiang is holding a feast tonight for Master Hua, but why have Master Hua left now? Could it be that he is not giving due respect to Hero Jiang?”
Another person commented, “The weather is fine today, the sky clear, I guess Master Hua is bringing his future wife out of the city for a walk right now, and not really leaving.”
A large carriage, coming from the East, with its bamboo curtain rolled up halfway at the window. The outline of a beautiful lady with jet black hair could be made out from the window.
Hua Wu Que, who appeared refined and handsome, his clothes white as snow, riding on a Thousand li horse with a brightly colored saddle and bridle was following next to the carriage, speaking and laughing softly with the person in the carriage.
Xiao Yu’er took a glance, and was almost thrown into a stupor again.
By now most of the people on the upper level of the restaurant had rushed to the window and looked down, unconsciously sighing with envy. Someone even greeted with a smile, “Master Hua, how are you?”
Hua Wu Que lifted his head, and smiled slightly.
The people in the restaurant were afraid that he would not see them, so all of them stuck out their heads as far as they could, while Xiao Yu’er was afraid that he would see him, and quickly shrunk his head back.
Only when Hua Wu Que’s carriage had passed, did the people in the restaurant returned to their seats. Xiao Yu’er was still sitting there in a daze, and suddenly mumbled to himself, “Hiding from him like this, how longer must I continue hiding, must I hide from him my whole life…” As soon as he thought of this, he suddenly stood up and rushed down the stairs.