Here is the second part of chapter 4. Enjoy ~
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That night, the man chosen by Xíng Hài, Guì Zhì, as usual, was asked by Luán Niángzĭ to run an errand and left the building. He was already under the influence of Xíng Hài’s illusion spell. As he wandered through the dark mountains, he was naturally led deeper into them, where her house was located. In one of the rooms of her house, the one with the living doll, Xíng Hài waited for Guì Zhì’s visit. But her heart was elsewhere.
So, which part of Guì Zhì shall I use? She had nominated him but then she realized that he did not have any parts that were good enough to replace the near completed living doll’s. She thought he had beautiful fingers, but they were still inferior to the fingers of the living doll in front of her.
I wanted to have Shā Bózhēng’s legs…Hmmm, I guess I’ll have to wait for that until Luán Niángzĭ gets bored… Should I kill Guì Zhì and add him to my retinue of the dead… With these thoughts in mind, Xíng Hài waited for him.
But Xíng Hài waited and waited until she started to get suspicious.
“…so late.” She had waited for so long but Guì Zhì did not arrive. In the scrub surrounding the house hid her minions and kept watch. They should have reported an hour ago, that a person had entered her territory. He should have arrived a long time ago.
“LADY XÍNG HÀI! WILL YOU CUT ME UP AGAAAIN!”
Suddenly the living doll began to scream.
“PLEASE DON’T! WHEEERE IS IT THIS TIME! IS IT THE AAARM! IIIS IT HE FOOOT? I WILL NOT BE AAABLE TO TAKE CAAARE OF YOU, LADYYY XÍNG HÀI!”
“Hey, Shut up!” Xíng Hài yelled at it. “This time, I won’t cut anywhere. The one that comes today has no use at all,” she appeased the living doll. It was a living doll with a patched-up soul, over a long time it began to have this kind of attitude. Its obedience was good, but also somewhat annoying.
Tsk. It’s time to rebuild the soul. Xíng Hài mentally clicked her tongue.
“I see, that’s how it is.”
Suddenly, an aloof voice came from the other side of the door. Startled, Xíng Hài turned towards it. The door was opened slowly. Xíng Hài’s eyes widened at the sight of the person coming into the room.
“You are…!?”
It was the man with silver hair that she saw in the mansion during the day, Xuĕ Míng.
While looking around the room in a hatefully composed manner, Xuĕ Míng smoked a highly ornate kiseru.
“Well, well, this is a very tasteful room, isn’t it?” He spoke fearlessly as his gaze wandered across the body parts on the shelves.
“You! Why have you come? What happened to Guì Zhì?” Xíng Hài shouted but Xuĕ Míng remained unfazed.
“Guì Zhì? Ah, he passed out in the mountains. Going out in the middle of the night without being seen, I took the chance to follow him. But what a surprise. Who would have thought that Luán Niángzĭ’s friend, Xíng Hài, would be the rumoured demoness of Night’s Lament?” He said and turned his calm gaze to Xíng Hài.
“But now it makes sense. I thought it was strange that the number of men in the mansion was gradually decreasing. While there are certainly many who are abandoned by Luán Niángzĭ, some of them just disappear. I wondered where they had disappeared to, well, now I see, now I realize that they were working day and night as corpses of Night’s Lament’s demoness.”
Xíng Hài glared at him. “You, who the hell are you? You’re called Xuĕ Míng, but that’s a fake name, right?” She queried in a gruff voice. This man, even in the presence of a demon and a large number of dismembered bodies, his face did not change its colour. He couldn’t be just anyone.
“If I say my name is Lĭn Xuĕyā, would you understand?” Xuĕ Míng said without hesitation. A look of surprise flashed across Xíng Hài’s face.
“Lĭn Xuĕyā!? The ‘Thief of the Wind Dust’ Lĭn Xuĕyā!?”
She had heard about him before. He was a great thief whose name resounded throughout the land.
Bathing in moonlight without casting a shadow, walking on snow-covered paths without leaving footprints behind, deceiving even the logic of heaven and earth with wondrous schemes.
It was rumoured that once a treasure was targeted by this man, no matter how strong the iron ring of security, it couldn’t be protected.
“Thief of the Wind Dust! Why would the Thief of the Wind Dust come to this place? Why would you be in the Mansion of the Eight Celestials?”
“Well, there is no need to get so worked up.” Seemingly, even Xíng Hài’s raging voice was no more than a light breeze for Lĭn Xuĕyā.
“The Thief of the Wind Dust has appeared. Don’t you think it is decided what will happen?” He said, gracefully breathing out purple smoke.
“Stealing? There is nothing of worth in my house that you could steal.”
“Not here. At the Mansion of the Eight Celestials.”
“The mansion?” Then Xíng Hài came to an understanding.
“I see. In the mansion is a huge fortune that Luán Niángzĭ had accumulated from the tribute, the men gave her. So that’s what you’re aiming for.”
But Lĭn Xuĕyā hmmm’d and made a gesture of thinking.
“Wealth, huh? That’s fine too. But no, if I wanted to steal some money, I wouldn’t need to hide in the Mansion of the Eight Celestials. I would have taken it in one night. I, the Thief of the Wind Dust, am tired of stealing such trivial things since long ago. Rather than that, don’t you think there is an unparalleled treasure in the mansion?”
“An unparalleled treasure?” Xíng Hài looked at him suspiciously.
“It is Luán Niángzĭ” Lĭn Xuĕyā explained. “The most beautiful woman in the world. Indeed, she is as beautiful as people say she is. That is what I want. I want to steal her heart. I want to make this beautiful woman, whom all men are fascinated by, fall in love with me.”
Hearing this, Xíng Hài made a snorting noise, which eventually turned into a high-pitched laughter, bursting through her lips.
“What’s that, Thief of the Wind Dust! You’re making a big deal out of it, but in the end, you’re also one of the people who have been bewitched by Luán Niángzĭ’s charm.”
“Can’t I?”
“Hahaha, you can. I was just amazed. Luán Niángzĭ’s beauty is scary, enchanting even the world’s greatest thief.”
After laughing a lot Xíng Hài suddenly stopped. Instead, a dangerous expression appeared on her attractive face, like that of a poisonous snake.
“But what a pity. Now that you’ve seen this house, I’m not going to let you leave alive. If you’re going to hold a grudge, blame yourself for being too curious …”
An evil aura began to rise from her body. The corpses on the display shelves were twitching in response to it. The mutilated corpses, under the spell of necromancy, were ready to attack Lĭn Xuĕyā at the sound of Xíng Hài’s command.
“Wait, wait, wait.” Amid the thick demonic atmosphere, Lĭn Xuĕyā’s voice sounded truly carefree. “Don’t be hasty. I’ve come to make a deal with you.”
“A deal?”
“Indeed.”
“Ridiculous. Did you really think that I would accept a deal with a human being?”
“Really? Don’t you have a deal with Luán Niángzĭ, do you? Similarly, I am not the kind of virtuous person who would fear the demons and keep away from them. I don’t mind joining forces with demons if the interest is mutual.”
Xíng Hài fell silent and Lĭn Xuĕyā continued.
“It’s not a bad deal for you either. I don’t think it wouldn’t be too late to kill me, after you’ve heard everything I have to say.”
Xíng Hài looked warily at his calm face and pondered for a moment.
“You may say.” She said, but did not undo the spell she had placed on the corpses. If he showed the slightest hint of suspicious behaviour, she would order them to kill Lĭn Xuĕyā immediately. To regain his focus, Lĭn Xuĕyā took a puff on his pipe and began to talk.
“I want to make Luán Niángzĭ fall in love with me. That’s what I just said.”
“Yes. So, what’s the point?”
“I am saying that, originally, I would have used some tricks to bring her down, but dozens of the best men, selected from all over Dōng Lí, are staying in the mansion. In this regard she’s got a truly talented group of people. Simply said, there are many competitors.”
Xíng Hài snorted mockingly.
“So even the Thief of the Wind Dust is being intimidated on the way of love?”
“I would not say that I am … intimidated. It’s just that there are several people who might get in the way and it might be tricky to act freely. Well, even in this situation, if I wanted to, I could act, but if it’s an obstacle that can be removed, you are tempted to remove it completely, right?”
Having said all that, Lĭn Xuĕyā paused, blew out some purple smoke, and then changed the subject by saying, “Now, there is a steady flow of new men who are coming to the Mansion of the Eight Celestials. But strangely enough the mansion is never full. Do you know why that is?”
“It’s obvious. Isn’t it because Luán Niángzĭ’s favour fades and they are being discarded?”
“Exactly. Because they are going to be send to this place, send to you. But that is not all. There are times when her favour had not faded and yet they will be gone. Can you guess why this is so?”
Before Xíng Hài could reply he gave the answer.
“They are killed.”
Xíng Hài’s eyebrow twitched. Lĭn Xuĕyā was still smiling.
“It is a crucible of jealousy and rivalry, where men vie with each other for the attention of Luán Niángzĭ. Those who are too strongly favoured become the target of vindictiveness and are removed by assassination, poisoning and various other means. Like this, in the mansion, a person dies every month and there may be many more who have disappeared in secret.”
“Isn’t it nice and lively?”
To the demon Xíng Hài’s ears, the story of humans killing each other out of hatred sounded like a delightful funny tale. Lĭn Xuĕyā smiled in return and continued.
“Of course, Luán Niángzĭ knows that the men are secretly killing each other. But she doesn’t try to stop it. In fact, she seems to enjoy it. She believes that those who win these fights are the most passionate and devoted men. It is as if poisonous insects trapped in a cursed jar eat each other, until the most poisonous and deadly one is the last.”
“That woman thinks like that.”
“Now, in such a highly competitive environment, there are three people who are smart enough to overcome their rivals, and to fend off venomous jealousy. Additionally, having the looks and bedroom skills, they are able to stay in Luán Niángzĭ’s favour for a long time. In other word, these three are the last remaining and most poisonous bugs in the cursed jar.”
“I know. So, it’s those three?”
At Xíng Hài’s words Lĭn Xuĕyā nodded approvingly and listed three names.
“Zhū Yībào, Méi Shūmíng, Lán Gānbăo. There are dozens of men residing in the Mansion of the Eight Celestials. Even though the building covers a large area, it is too small to accommodate so many men. Therefore, ten men are forced to live crammed in one room. But in spite of this, there are those who are in Luán Niángzĭ’s favour and have been given private rooms. These are the three I just mentioned. Zhū Yībào, Méi Shūmíng, Lán Gānbăo – ‘The Room Owning Trio’ as they are called.”
Of course, Xíng Hài was aware of that. All of them were very handsome, and all of them were very scheming and difficult to get along with.
“First, Zhū Yībào.”
Lĭn Xuĕyā held up one finger. Xíng Hài remembered the fierce and strong man with the muscular beauty of a swift horse. A person from whose whole body one could literally smell the masculine aura he seemed to emit.
“He used to be one of the most famous spear wielders of the Jiānghu. He studied the martial arts of the Basan school and excelled in the art of the blade. But his good looks brought disaster. He became the object of affection of the wife of a merchant whom he escorted, or made even the head woman of a rival gang of thieves fall in love with him – though it is more likely that Yībào was the one seducing and raping the women — he has had his life threatened many times. But he is so powerful that he defeated all his opponents. It seems that some of the men at the mansion have been secretly strangled to death and dumped in the mountains by him. He is said to be a man of great vigour, and to have had intercourse with one woman after another for seven days straight, without running out of energy.”
When he was done talking about Yībào, Lĭn Xuĕyā held up a second finger.
“Next is Méi Shūmíng.”
A tall, thin man with the appearance of an intellectual beauty came to Xíng Hài’s mind. With skin as white as wax and vivid red lips, Shūmíng was like a white serpent, intelligent but with a seductive sex appeal.
“Shūmíng was the young master of one of the most prominent merchant families in the capital. Skilled in intrigue, who made his fortune by destroying competing merchant families one by one. It seems that even in the mansion, he uses schemes to pit the men against each other, to remove them. He is also renowned as a genuine philanderer, and when he lived in the capital, he had ten concubines living in his mansion, tasting all manners of decadent pleasures. It is said that his bedroom skills are superb, and that on one occasion, a woman who was over-zealous while lovemaking, literally rose to heaven – she died. It is rumoured that there is no one in Dōng Lí who can match him in sexual ability.”
Lĭn Xuĕyā raised a third finger.
“Finally, Lán Gānbăo.”
A young boy like a jewel, appearing like a girl in men’s clothing. Round eyes and peach-red cheeks, looking like the epitome of loveliness, but he was already over 20 years old.
“He is a man who was the favourite child of a pedophilic official. The story goes that Gānbăo seduced an official, who was dutiful and loved his wife, with his pretty appearance. With his great behind and his tongue skills he drove him mad on the road of homosexuality. When the official discovered the taste of beautiful boys through Gānbăo, he gathered many of them to serve him. But one by one these beautiful children died suddenly and for unknown reasons. Gānbăo used poison to kill, so that he would be the sole owner of the official’s favour. As the youngest son of a family of apothecaries, he is well versed in preparing poisons that will not reveal the cause of death. In the end, it wasn’t enough to just kill the beautiful boys, but he also poisoned the wife and the daughter, and even killed the official before he came to the Mansion of the Eight Celestials. A genuine poison obsessed person. It is not difficult to imagine that he is doing the exact same thing in the mansion.”
When he finished talking about the three handsome men, Lĭn Xuĕyā blew out smoke again.
“In other words, these three people. As far as the path of love is concerned, it’s the three room-owners, who can be called the three giants of Dōng Lí. They are my obstacle at the moment. It goes without saying that Luán Niángzĭ is very fond of them, and if I were to try to ensnare her, they would definitely try to prevent it.”
“So?”
Xíng Hài’s voice was chilly.
“I want those three to drop out of the race for Luán Niángzĭ. That’s why I need your help.”
“Do you want me to kill them?”
With a cold smile on her face, she easily said something terrible. Lĭn Xuĕyā made a little thoughtful gesture and said, “It would be easy to just kill them … but that’s not quite to my taste. I would like you to use your necromancy to drive them out of the mansion. Or I want Luán Niángzĭ to abandon them.”
“Why ask for my help? The Thief of the Wind Dust can’t get rid of three men by himself?”
Lĭn Xuĕyā hmmm’d and said with a troubled voice, “I am … it seems, being watched.”
“Being watched? By Luán Niángzĭ?”
“No. It’s that guy Hóu Zhuă.”
Xíng Hài remembered the ugly little man who peeped into the room at noon. He was being shouted at by Luán Niángzĭ but in the depths of his big eyes was a mysterious light like a demon fire.
“That man … I don’t know who he is, but he doesn’t seem ordinary. For some reason, he has been keeping an eye on my every move. I feel he will become dangerous if I slip up. That’s why I’ve decided to stay inactive and pretend I don’t know what’s going on. So, I want you to act instead of me.”
“Oh.”
After listening to Lĭn Xuĕyā’s words, Xíng Hài lifted a corner of her mouth.
“Is that all you have to say? The dead are getting impatient. If you’ve finished your story, I think it’s time I tore you to pieces … Alright?”
Her ghostly aura, which had temporarily weakened, got stronger again. The corpses on the shelves began to vibrate violently and looked as if they were about to leap out.
“Wait, wait.” Lĭn Xuĕyā tried to hold her back.
“No, I won’t wait any longer. I enjoyed your story. Bu no matter how much I listened, I couldn’t find anything that would benefit me in the slightest. It would be boring to hear any more about it. I’d rather hear your screams of despair.”
“Aren’t you an impatient one. Now we’re going to start talking about what’s in it for you, you know. Can’t you endure it just a bit longer? It’s hard to imagine a demon living for so long would have such a short temper.”
“You will regret your carelessness in talking so long to a short-tempered demon.”
In one swift movement, Xíng Hài raised her hand, ordering the dead to make a simultaneous attack. But –
“You’re not happy with Luán Niángzĭ, are you?” Lĭn Xuĕyā said. Xíng Hài’s raised hand stopped there.
“What?”
And to her, whose brow twisted, he quickly followed up with a string of sentences.
“From the Mansion of the Eight Celestials, you have been given handsome men to be used as parts of the living doll here. But nowadays Luán Niángzĭ doesn’t give you the man you want. That’s why you’re starting to get frustrated. Am I wrong?”
“Why, do you … Bastard! You’ve been listening to our conversation!”
“A thief’s habit.”
After shamelessly admitting, he continued.
“I will get Luán Niángzĭ’s heart. This means, I will turn the fickle heart of hers to me alone. No other men will be able to enter her sight, and she will be listening only to my words. What will the situation be if that happens? You will be able to choose freely from all the beautiful men in the Mansion of the Eight Celestials. Choosing the men with the parts you like and taking them home with you as you like, will not be a problem.”
“Make Luán Niángzĭ, the great whore only be interested in you? That is …”
“That is what I, The Thief of the Wind Dust will do.”
Lĭn Xuĕyā’s confidence was unbelievable. He looked at Xíng Hài, who growled and swallowed her words, with satisfaction, giving a broad smile.
“Well, you don’t have to believe that I can steal Luán Niángzĭ’s heart. But it would be a good idea to consider the outcome. Because if I do manage to steal it, you would be rewarded. A success would be most satisfactory and if I fail, it would be no loss to you. How is it?”
“…”
With a frown Xíng Hài pondered as she glared at Lĭn Xuĕyā’s cool-looking face. For a while Lĭn Xuĕyā silently waited for her response. Finally, her ghostly aura which had filled the room disappeared like a puff of smoke. The corpses, which had been vibrating like they were about to break the shelves, subsided and returned to their originally cold and unmoving state.
“Very well.” Xíng Hài said.
With a carefree smile blooming on his white face, Lĭn Xuĕyā theatrically put together his hands in a polite gesture.
“Thank you for your agreement.”
“Don’t get me wrong. I don’t think you’re capable of defeating Luán Niángzĭ, not in the slightest. I just want to see the look on your face turn from confidence to tears.” She said, lifted her eyes and made the expression of a cruel and merciless demon.
“But, you know what will happen if you fail to help me. Then I will tear out your guts and feed them to the dead.”
Any normal person would have pissed their pants from the horrible voice of the demoness, but Lĭn Xuĕyā was still unaffected and said, “Scary, scary. Then we must succeed at all costs. Well. At any rate, I look forward to working with you,” and held out his hand, asking for a handshake. When Xíng Hài did not react he smiled wrily.
“Now then …” He said and turned his line of sight towards the door. It should be time to wake up Guì Zhì who has passed out outside. He is going to catch a cold in this rain.”
“That man, what are you going to do about him? We can’t send him back to the mansion like this or they’ll get suspicious.”
“Well, what can we do? Are you going to make him part of your living doll? But you don’t want him, right? It would be a pity to kill him. Should we take him to the village and tell him ‘You have been abandoned by Luán Niángzĭ’? To make sure he never comes back to the Mansion of the Eight Celestials again …”
If he knew what would happen to men who were abandoned by Luán Niángzĭ, then that would be a very cruel thing to do. Haha … So this man is one of us too… Xíng Hài thought and chuckled to herself.
“Then, I wish you all the best — Xíng Hài.”
Finally, he called her in a familiar way and left the room.
And so began a strange conspiracy between two villains – The female demon from Night’s Lament and the great thief who was causing a stir in the Jiānghu. This conspiracy set off a wave of hair-raising events at the Mansion of the Eight Celestials.
This was the name of the first person to experience the mystery: Méi Shūmíng. The best in the art of lovemaking in Dōng Lí.
***
I translated the first names of the three as such:
Yībào = gentle leopard; Shūmíng = bright youth; Gānbăo = inferior jewel
As always, if you see any mistakes or words I used wrongly, you can tell me.
Setsuna's Translation 