Chapter 80

Hu Xiaotian nodded. This suspension bridge sways even for people walking across, let alone the horses. Moreover, the underside of the bridge is made of planks linked together, with gaps of about a chi between each plank. If we forced these horses to cross, those horses ten have ** will be startled; if a horse's hoof fell into those gaps, the consequences would be unthinkable. The wisest course would be to leave the horses behind, but abandoning them in these remote mountains would surely make them tiger and wolf fodder. Although they are just livestock, after riding them all this way we've grown attached.

Alternatively we could treat "**" as a censored number and translate as "those horses ten have * will be startled"? No.

I'll keep "**" as is.

Thus translation: Hu Xiaotian nodded. The suspension bridge sways even when people walk on it, let alone horses; moreover, the bridge's underside is made of planks joined together, with gaps of about a chi between each plank. If we forced these horses across, they would surely be startled, and if a hoof fell into a gap, the consequences would be unthinkable. The most sensible thing is to leave the horses behind, but in these wild mountains, abandoning them would surely make them tiger and wolf fodder. Although they are just livestock, after riding them all the way we've grown fond of them.

gaps of about a chi

Now line 【2】.

Hu Xiaotian made a quick decision and said, "Hu Fo, Li Jin Hao, you two take the horses back!" He had originally planned for these servants to escort him to Qingyun and then return to the capital; now that they were already in Xichuan territory, they

Translate: Hu Xiaotian made a quick decision and said, "Hu Fo, Li Jin Hao, you two take the horses back!" He had originally planned for these servants to send him to Qingyun and then return to the capital; now that they were already in Xichuan territory, they had accomplished more than half of their mission. The reason he chose these two was that Hu Fo was the oldest, and Li Jin Hao's family still had an infant in swaddling; among the group, he had the most worries, and Hu Xiaotian's considerations were still very thorough.

made a quick decision and said

He had originally planned for these servants to send him to Qingyun and then return to the capital

now that they were already in Xichuan territory, they had accomplished more than half of their mission

The reason he chose these two was that Hu Fo was the oldest, and Li Jin Hao's family still had an infant in swaddling; among the group, he had the most worries

Hu Xiaotian's considerations were still very thorough

Translate: Hu Fo said, "Young master, the old master ordered us to escort you to Qingyun." Yet in his heart he felt overjoyed because of Hu Xiaotian's decision.

Young master, the old master, yet in his heart he felt overjoyed because of Hu Xiaotian's decision

Translate: Hu Xiaotian waved his hand and said, "No need, with Constable Murong accompanying us we can handle any situation; you following would be of no help." He spoke the truth.

Constable Murong

Translate: Liang Da Zhuang and Shao Yijiao felt envious, wondering why they weren't allowed to go along too. They really didn't want to cross that wobbly iron-chain bridge. Hu Xiaotian wasn't favoring them for their ability; it's just that there was a lot of luggage, and if all these servants left, he'd have to do everything himself. Liang Da Zhuang and Shao Yijiao are both tall and strong, with some brute strength, and we'll still need them to do some heavy work on the road ahead.

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Translate: They unloaded the luggage from the horses' backs, keeping it as light as possible, but still ended up with two large bundles, which naturally fell to Liang Da Zhuang and Shao Yijiao to carry. Murong Feiyan's belongings were few to begin with, and she couldn't be bothered to hand them over to anyone else; however, her black steed had been with her for two years, and they had formed a deep bond, so parting naturally brought some sadness.

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Translate: The little girl held a small blue-printed bundle in her hand, standing at the edge of the suspension bridge, quietly gazing at the opposite mountain peak, as if their affairs had nothing to do with her.

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Translate: After Hu Fo and Li Jin Hao had arranged the luggage, Hu Xiaotian told them to turn back down the mountain immediately; the sky was growing darker, and it looked like rain again, making the mountain path difficult, and with so many horses in tow, their return journey would be just as perilous.

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Translate: After they had left, Hu Xiaotian smiled and said, "Once you draw the bow, there's no turning back; if you want to become an official, you must cross this iron-chain bridge—who'll go first?"

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Translate: Shao Yijiao said, "I'll go first!" At the critical moment he still showed some courage.

Translate: Shao Yijiao shouldered his luggage and carefully stepped onto the suspension bridge; stepping on the planks made a creaking sound. At first it was fine, but when he reached the middle of the bridge, its sway grew larger and larger. Seeing this, Murong Feiyan frightenedly shut her eyes tight, and Hu Xiaotian, who had been watching her condition, smiled and said, "Don't worry, I'll go across with you!"

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Translate: Murong Feiyan said, "I'd better go back; I'm afraid I can't make it across this bridge."

Translate: Hu Xiaotian said, "If you go back, who will protect my safety?"

Translate: Murong Feiyan opened her eyes, putting on a bewildered expression: "Does your life or death have anything to do with me?"

Translate: Just as Shao Yijiao was about to reach the opposite side, Liang Da Zhuang also started onto the suspension bridge. This guy is tall and stout, and with the pack on his back he weighs about as much as two normal people; as soon as he stepped onto the bridge he began to sway, and his progress across looked rather awkward—he'd take a few steps, then stop, waiting for the bridge to stop swinging before daring to move again, taking twice as long as Shao Yijiao.

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Translate: At that moment the overcast sky was torn by a twisted bolt of lightning, and raindrops the size of soybeans came down suddenly with a muffled thunder. Hu Xiaotian shouted, "Hurry up, we can't delay—soon the rain will pour!"

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Translate: The little girl had already gone ahead onto the suspension bridge; though young, she was remarkably courageous, and her light steps quickly brought her to the middle.

Translate: Seeing Murong Feiyan still standing there unmoved, Hu Xiaotian had no choice but to walk over and whisper, "Feiyan, let's go together—I'll support you!"

Translate: Murong Feiyan bit her lip hard, steeled herself, and said, "You go ahead!"

Translate: Hu Xiaotian really felt a mix of laughter and tears—who would have thought that the ever-stronger-than-men Murong Feiyan would turn out to be afraid of heights? He stepped onto the suspension bridge, and Murong Feiyan followed timidly, matching his steps: he took a step, she followed a step. They had only gone about two zhang when the downpour fell like a bucket overturned, the wind grew much stronger, buffeting the bridge side to side. Murong Feiyan clung desperately to the side cables, her legs going weak, unable to move her feet.

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Translate: Hu Xiaotian looked up and saw that the little girl had already covered three-quarters of the distance. Turning back to Murong Feiyan, a flash of lightning across the sky illuminated her pretty face, making it look as pale as snow; her eyes were filled only with frightened helplessness, her hands gripping the bridge cables tightly, her delicate body trembling.

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Translate: Hu Xiaotian knew that Murong Feiyan's psychological fear couldn't be overcome in a moment; he shook his head, reached out, took her hand, and whispered softly, "Take it slow, step by step, keep your eyes on the planks below—don't you dare miss a step."

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Translate: Murong Feiyan looked at his determined gaze, then at her feet, finally mustered courage, and stepped forward.

Translate: Hu Xiaotian laughed, "It's fine, you're completely fine!" He placed one of Murong Feiyan's hands on his shoulder and led her slowly forward. The rain grew heavier, beating down so hard they could barely keep their eyes open; Hu Xiaotian faintly saw the small, blurry figure ahead still pressing on through the wind and rain.

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Translate: The bridge's sway suddenly increased greatly, though the wind wasn't noticeably stronger than before. Hu Xiaotian turned his head in surprise and saw a gray figure appear behind them; because the rain was too heavy, he couldn't make out the face, and assuming it was Hu Fo and Li Jin Hao returning, he shouted loudly, "Hu Fo, is that you?"

Translate: That figure strode onto the bridge against the wind and rain; a dazzling flash of lightning streaked across the sky, striking the gray figure, and the icy blade in his right hand, cold as autumn water, reflected the light. The dazzling electricity and the chilling blade-light intertwined, searing Hu Xiaotian's eyes. He instinctively shut his eyes, then quickly opened them again, and a sudden fear spread through his nerves to his whole body: "Watch out!"

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Translate: Murong Feiyan also sensed the approaching danger, her eyes widening as she abruptly turned around.

Translate: The gray figure had already rushed onto the bridge, planting his right foot on a plank, using the board's recoil to launch himself upward, crossing a distance of five zhang in an instant, his long blade cutting through the downpour and heading straight for Murong Feiyan's head.

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Translate: Murong Feiyan shouted fiercely, "Get back!" In that instant she forgot her fear; when danger strikes, one's focus narrows to the immediate. Because this enemy had appeared suddenly and launched an attack, Murong Feiyan momentarily forgot her fear of heights. Her delicate body spun on the half-chi-wide plank, she drew her long sword from her waist and held it horizontally before her head, blocking the gray-clad man's all-out strike. Clang! Sword and blade met, sending out countless sparks; two invisible forces collided at the point of contact, a powerful airflow burst outward from their centers like a wave, scattering raindrops. Murong Feiyan's disheveled hair was blown backward by the gust, and the plank beneath her feet, unable to withstand the impact, cracked with a snap. She stepped back just in time, planting herself on the rear plank, gripping the cable with one hand, her body swaying with the bridge.

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Translate: The gray-clad man's strike missed; he flipped backward and landed steadily on the plank. His gray robe billowed in the wind with a whoosh, snug against his body. His frame was thin and withered, his face nothing but skin over bone—at first glance he looked like a human skeleton.

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Translate: The bridge's sway was worst in the middle; Hu Xiaotian, frightened, grabbed the side cables. The little girl was nearly across when suddenly a black shape lunged at her from ahead—it was a black hawk, its dark wings beating, its golden talons aimed at her face.

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