ASHES OF TIME

In the years to come….I’ll be give the nickname:Malicious west.
Well,everyone can be very malicious….if you’ve ever been jealous of someone.
I don’t care how others think of me.
It’s just that I don’t want others to be happier than I.

But there are some people….who are just to proud to be jealous.
In the early days of my martial adventures.….I came to know a man.
He usually makes his appearance in the east.
Maybe that’s why in the years to come…..people will call him evil east.

The Five Goldens meet star Jupitar this year.There are famines everywhere.
Whenever there’re famines,people’ll have problems.
Proplems mean….business for me.
My name’s Oufang Feng.
I specialise in solving problems for others.

Buddy,you must be around forty. In forty years,you must come to hate someone…..someone who’d wronged you. Someone you wanted….to kill….yet didn’t care. Or you just didn’t bother.
Well,murder….Can be very simple matter.
I’ve thse friend who’s skilled in martial arts.He’s been a little low on money lately.Pay a reasonable fee and he will kill for you.
Think about it!
In fact,murder’s no easy job.One only risks it…..because one’s survival depends on it.
Having left White Camel Mountain….I came to this desert…..and started this killing business.

“Day 6,Insects awaker.”
Every year around this time,someone comes to drink with me.
He’s called Huang yaoshi.
A strange fellow.
He always comes from the east.
He’s been coming here for several years.
He brought me a gift this year.

A new acquaintance….recently gave me a bottle of wine.
The wine’s called “A happy-Go-Lucky Life”.
She said it takes away you memory of the past.
Sounded weird to me….What on earth is this wine?
She alse said man’s biggest problem….is that he ramembers.
How wonderful it’d be to forget the past! Everyday would be a new beginning.
Isn’t that great?
Well,this wine will meant for you. You wouldn’t mind….sharing it,would you?
I couldn’t bring myself to drink the magic wine.
I didn’d a single drop of it.
But it did seem to work on Huang….After drinking half a pot, he started to lose his memory.

Do you recall our first meeting?
No.
Well, why are you here then?
I don’t remember.
Why are you staring at the cage?
Looks familiar to me.

He was very drunk. He left very early the next morning.
I don’t know why he game me the magic wine.
I could see that he was upset.
Every year after visiting me.He’d always go to see someone.

A month later,huang went into the mountain….where one of his best friends lived.
He once stayed there for a quite some year….following his firend’s wedding.
Then one day,his friend left home and never returned.
Since then….Huang alse left and hadn’t returned until this time.

May I buy you a dirink?
I just want water tonight.
Have we met before?
More than that. You’ve been my very best friend…..but not any more now. What are you doing here?
A new acquaintance…..recently gave me a bottle of wine. The wine’s called “A Hppy-To-Lucky Life”. She said it takes you momery of the past. I had some and found it really worked. Want to try some?
Do you know the difference beteen drinking wine and water?
The more wine you dirnk, the warmer you get.
Water’ll only make you feel cold.
Will I find you here again?
No.
I’ve sworn that….if ever I run into this people again….I will kill him.
I filded to do that….because the last time I met him,I had almost gone blind.

Are you a man or a woman?
I’m the first daughter….of the famous Murong clan.
How dare you take to me like this? I’ll kill you just for that.
You drunk.

One must avoid disputes with others if one has a bad memory.
One must always remind oneself of the enemies one makes.
That night,Huang yaoshi almost lost his life because of that….

Every year there are certain peiods in which no one wants to die.
After Insects Awaking,business has been awful.
Only one customer came to me.

I want you to kill someone for me. Huang Yaoshi is his name.
He’s one of the most skilled swordsman around. It won’t be a easy job.
I’m willing to pay any price. There is only one condition. I must deliver the final blow. I want him to die an excruciating death.
What did he do to you?
Because….He dumped my sister.

He’s called Morong Yang,he claimed he belonged to the famous Murong Clan.
He be friended Huang Yaoshi at peach blossom land outside Gusu City a year ago.
That day,it’s written at lunar calendar.
Day 4,first Day of Spring.
The eastern breeze is no longer cold.
This implies a fresh start.
One night,Huang played a joke on him.

If you have a sister,I promise to marry her.
Promise?
Promise.
I’ll kill you….if you don’t keep you word.
I promise.

They made a appointment to meet his sisiter later.
But Huang failed to turn up.

Did my brother came to you?
You brother?Who is he?
He’s called Murong Yang.
The name rings a bell.
Did he ask you to kill for him?
I don’t recall that.
Mark my works.
I’ll kill if you accept his offer.
You brother is very generous.
I can’t afford to turn him down.
There are very few customerslike him these days.
If you reject him…..I’ll pay you double to compensate for you loss.
There is only one condition….I want you to kill someone for me ….my brother,Murong Yang.
Sibling rivaling?Very interesting!
You sure you hate you brother that much?
Yes.
He won’t let me be with Huang Yaoshi.
He thinks I belong to him.
Therefore he must die.

Has my sisiter been here?
Yes.
If you so mush so lay a hand on her.I’ll kill you.
You seen to care for her a lot.
She’s my only sibling.I must protect her.What did she want from you?
To kill someone for her….someone called Murong Yang.
Huang Yaoshi must be behind this.
I reckon that even without Huang she wants you dead.she wants to get away frow you.
I will never allow that….as long as I alive.

Did you talk to my brother?
He told you so?
Why didn’t you kill him?
I want the money up front.
It’s easy to kill you brother….beacause he has a weak spot.Do you know what is it?It’s you.I told him that….you want to kill him to test his reaction.Why is he against you and Huang? Is it because he loves you? And if he dose. How deeply?
He wants me to be with him forever.
He loves you very much then.
But I don’t love him! I love Huang. He must be heart-broken.
Who cares? I’m unhappy,too.why should I be alone in my misery? I want him to know what it’s like to lose the one you love.
How cruel. He may commit suicide.
Serve him right. Why should I told you all that? Yang once asked what’s the cruellest way to kill. It took me a long time….to figure out the answer. The cruellest way to kill a people….is to the people he loves most first. But I won’t do that. If you die, no one pays me. Right?

Someone is after my life.
Why do they have to kill you?
Because….I’m the woman HuangYaoshi lives. Don’t let them kill me.

Yin refused to leave that evening. To calm her down,I treated her to a few drinks. Afterwards she fall asleep

Wherer are you hiding my sister?
What makes you think that?
I know she was here. You’re the last person she saw before she disappeared.
She came one evening….said someone was after her life. But she left the next morning. I thought she must gone home.
My sister doesn’t have any enemies. Why should people be after her?
She said….it’s because she is Huang’s beloved.
Bullshit! If Huang loves her,why did he leave her alone?
Sometimes you won’t realise how deeply you are in love….with someone until you are separated frow her. Maybe that’s the case Huang and Yin.
No.
Why are you so sure?
Because he’s in love in another woman.

One always finds an excuse for failure. I finally reckoned that….Yin and Yang are two peoples in one. Behine these two identities was hidden someone with a wounded soul.

You’re drunk,Mr Murong.
Mr.? You’re made a mistake. I’m not the Mr. Murong,but the first daughter….of the famous Murong Clus. My name is Yin. Why are you anyway?
Don’t you remenber me?
You once promised to marry me. Of cause I remember you!
Did I?
You paased by Gusu City the other day. We drank together. You touched my face….and said you’d marry my sister if I had one. You knew I’m a woman in disguise. Why did you still say that?
A man can’t be serious when he’s drunk.
Because of you promise, I’ve been waiting for you. I asked you to take me along….but you refused. You said you couldn’t love two peoplesat the same time. Surely you loved Yin. Why did you fall in love with another woman.? Do you know I went to look for that woamn? Somaone told me that you loved her most. I dad wanted to kill her. But I didn’t in the end. Because I didn’t want to prove that she’s…. I asked you if I was the woman you love most…. I don’t want to know the answer anymore! If ever I ask you the same question again….prease don’t tell me the truth. A though it may not be the truth….please tell me you love me.

Time passed very slowly that night. I seemed to be talkingto two peoples simultaneously. In the end, I couldn’t tell Yin from Yang

Yin?
Yang?
Tell me who do you love most?
Is it you?

Someone once asked me the same question,I didn’t answer. Acting as Huang however….I found it’s not so hard to utter those three words.
That night….I fell someone touch me in my sleep.
I knew very well I wasn’t the person she wanted to touch. She was just imagining I was someone else. It’s the same for me.
Her hands was very soft….just like those of my brother’s wife….
From that day onwards,noone had ever seen Yin and Yang.
A few years later,a legent about a swordsman with a mysterious history….started to spread in the martial arts words. People said he likes to practice his swordplay on his own reflection. He called himself the Defeat-seeking Loner.
What do you want?
I want to avenge my younger brother.
What happened to him?
A group of swordsman passed by a few days ago. My brother unknowingly offended one of them. They slaughtered him. You can go to the local magistrate. They’re in the militia. The magistrate won’t dare to do a thing.
How much money do you have?
We are a poor family. All I have got are thesse eggs and my mule. I’ll give it to anyone who’d avenge my brother.
If you are seious….you must pay. No one’s going to take on those swordsman for a mule. There is prise for vengeance. If you won’t attractive, I’d have told you to forget it. Don’t mistake me, I’m not hinting anything. You should know….that you’re worth much more than a mule. I hope you’ll understand.
I’ll never do that. If money’s all you want…. I will wait here until someone who’d help me comes.

I don’t know if she really wanted to avenge her brother….or that she’d nothing better to do. Everybody holds onto something special….which may look like a waste to other people. But it’s life and death to her. Looking down from here….she reminds me of another person.
In the following nights, I had the same dream. I dreamed I saw the peach blossoms in my hometown.
I suddenly remembered….I hadn’t been back for a long time.

Something wrong with your eyes?
I’ve had eyesight ever since I was small. The docter said I’d turn to blind after 30.
How old are you?
Almost 30.
What do you want?
The peach blossoms bloom beautifully every spring in my hometown. I want to see them once more before I do blind. But I’m almost penniless now. They said you specialise in sloving problems for others. Can you lend me a hand?
One of my friends killed some horse thieves a few months ago. Their gang will soon be hereto avenge them. My friends has left. The villagers here are ready to put up a lee….to hire some swordsmen to fight them. They said there’s a samurai around here famous for his swordplay. Where’s he?
Why?
I want to find how good he is.

I shouldn’t fight you at all.
It’s too late to regrets.
How about saving an arm?
No , I want you lift.
You are mistaken me. I shouldn’t fight you because you’re not worth of been my opponent. I want to save you an arm. But you didn’t evenwant you life.

Can you help me?
Although down-and-out, he leads a very regular life. Everyday he’d come here to drink and eat his meals….and he’d leave at sunset

Why are you staring at the girl?
She reminds me of another woman.
You wife?
Why don’t you stay at her side if you love her that much?
Wonder when these horse thieves will be here?
Must be within the next few days.
The sooner the better. Don’t want to be late for the peach blossoms.

There is a time for flowers to bloom. But nobody knows when those thieves will arrive.
He waited at the village’s entrance everyday.The wait lasted longer and longer.
Though he lit a lamp everynight….I knew he couldn’d see anymore at night

Are you married?
Why?
You must love you wife very much.
I suppose you could say that.
Then why did you leave her alone?

 

（……）