Book 52 Chapter 5 – Sand Gate Protector of the Law (1/2)
Book 52 Chapter 5 – Sand Gate Protector of the Law
Translator: Foxs' Wuxia
Kou Zhong and Ba Fenghan crouched on aat nearly ten House of Tang’s navy shi+ps frohly h alert, acting like they were ready to ency at any moment
Under the afternoon autuht quite an inti-warshi+ps-are-able-to-tze-and-Yellow-Rivers’out asaid, “Could it be that Li shi+min’s ability to prophecy with supernatural accuracy has reached this level that he kneeand thus dispatched his troops to intercept one step ahead?”
Sneering, Ba Fenghan said, “Who can intercept us? Oh! There’s another boat co looked at the western extre shadows of the sails, as e warshi+ps, with bows raised high and the sterns towering, were sailing along the river in this direction, under escort ofthe previous fleet of warshi+ps, slowly entering the Tongji canal
The huge warshi+ps were loaded full of soldiers and heavy ons, the hulls were extremely deep into the water
While the tere you look at aze at you, o shi+ps fully loaded with oods were continuously sailing over, also under escort of e-style s’s scalp went nuiant warshi+p S wryly, he said, “This is the water and land, a! Li shi+han calculated silently He sighed and said, “Your great plan of counterattack e/die in one’s bed at a ripe old age] at this point Li shi+min indeed can move troops like a deity, and he is able to seize keysoldiers could reach up to thirty-thousandthe city of Kaifeng, with its tight grip on the ay – as the co they can defend, unable to cope they can seal off the canal – they will be able to intercept any troops you are going to send up north Let me be frank with you, whether you can defend and keep Chenliu is still unknown The opponent is coainst the current, plus Li shi+ji is a fierce general, a veteran of a hundred battles, our situation is extre said, “I wonder if Li shi+ Dou Jiande too ht to continue to the east, to protect Niukouzhu [lit ox mouth islet, not sure if this is a city’s na, Heyin, and various cities To deal with Shao Shuai Ar the butcher’s cleaver?”
Shaking his head, Ba Fenghan said, “How could Li shi+min underestiy to deal with Dou Jiande”
Shaken, Kou Zhong said, “I understand now!”
“What is it?” Ba Fenghan asked in astonish spoke heavily, “I understand Li kid’s strategy in dealing with Dou Jiande Actually, last night, when he intercepted us, he already leaked out soht Dou Jiande Ay! Li kid surely has the aptitude to becoeneral He let Dou Jiande to cross the river to attack various cities east and west of Hulao As long as he acquires control over the Great River, while I ao up north, Dou Jiande’sdeeply into the ene the cities, it would be hard to avoid wear and tear At that time, the soldiers weary, the horses hard-pressed, plus Li shi+min will send his troops to outflank his rear and cut off the supply route, the soldiers’ heart is bound to be rattled, then Li shi+min will have the chance to destroy theed, Ba Fenghan said, “What do we do then? Do you want hed and said, “Dou Jiande now is so confident that nothing can enter his ears, especially if the advice ca him Ay! Let’s cross the river first and talk about it later! If we can’t keep Chenliu, and the Great Tang’s navy go down south along the canal straight to Jiangdu, ht be uprooted by Li shi+ji, then we ”
Ba Fenghan sprang up and said, “The ht away”
Xu Ziling climbed the mountain step by step, his heart was tranquil and in har class came down frolow, each toll of the bell sounded like an incantation providing food for thought, knocking straight into the bottoion of peace, assu that people inside and outside the Great Wall were believers in Buddhism who practice what they preach, then the land under heaven would be in peace and security, without any probleroup of demons, the two schools of Buddhist Way had no choice but to join hands to fight, to defend traditional values and drive out the devils
However, the struggle was really contrary to the ideal of the Buddhist School, hence the reason each generation of Ci Hang Jing Zhai selected thesuccessor to bear this heavy responsibility, so that the eate did not need to be drawn into the foul wind and bloody rain [idion of terror] of the dusty world [ did not have any effect on the peace and tranquility of the Jing Nian Chanzong at all If it were the Tujue people’s Wolf Ar to attack, naturally it would be another ether Therefore, the heavy responsibility on shi+ Feixuan’s shoulders, apart from to pursue happiness for all the people – was also to protect the sand gate [see footnote on the title chapter]
Ay! shi+ Feixuan!
Hoished it was like the last ti for his arrival inside the Jing [lit still/quiet] of the Chanyuan [Zen (Buddist) Courtyard], so that he could pour out the contradiction and pain in his heart to her as uidance to hier a day where he and she would see each other again This thought hasthe end of the stone steps, Xu Ziling ascended onto the ht at the plaza in front of the Hall of Great Strength [the athered at the law-plaza in front of the Copper Hall, the sound of their chanting the sutras and striking the wooden fish filled the at coate with his hands behind his back
A th and down the stone steps His spirit clear, his air elegant; he was precisely the Jing Nian Chanzong’s Zhuchi [ Dashi+ His expression serene, he had a smile on the corner of his ’s arrival
Xu Ziling tre, which he himself could not understand, welled up in his heart, a little bit like a wanderer who had left home to make his way in the world for h setback – went ho a full-of-sorroanting-to-cry kind of moodiness, so that he stopped and stood motionless, with a blank stare on his face
Liao Kong ca, and said with a s, are you well?” [Note: I know it should be translated as ‘how are you?’ You’ll see the reason in the next sentence]
Xu Ziling smiled wryly and replied, “Dashi+ is the one who’s really well, Xiaozi [this kid] has nothing to write ho virtue (or benevolence) to be narrated]”
Liao Kong chanted one of the , please co followed behind this extraordinary talent within this Zen school who could restore his youthfulness, circu into a Buddhist hall next to the plaza where the athered
The crowd ofprayer see’s presence, no one appeared to be paying any attention
Xu Ziling did not dare to disturb their tranquil harstone path, which was lined with ba, “Dashi+ seeht?”
Liao Kong, unhurriedly and at ease, replied, “You can say that A o, when I sat in meditation in the Zen roo to the ate], ould have thought that I encountered Ziling?”
After passing through the ain stepped into a paved pathith stone walls on both sides full of relief sculptures of Buddhist i the influence of the Buddhist path’s deep and peaceful unique atmosphere, which washed his heart and freed his enerated a far-away-fro let out a light sigh and said, “I a here to pay my respect to Dashi+ this time, it is with the hope that Dashi+ could pass on afailed the burden she entrusted to gle between Kou Zhong and Li shi+ chanted one of the le word of bla Yuan [Abbot courtyard], which was built on the edge of a cliff They passed through the door but did not enter, but stepped into another sravel path that led to another bah cliff outside the baaze into the distance toward the City of Luoyang on the flat, empty plain down belohere he stood still and stared
Xu Ziling, as if afraid to disturb hihtly to his side, the night wind, like a tide, was blowing, brushi+ng away the two ’s city lights had soht of decline
Liao Kong spoke indifferently, “Feixuan already guessed that that kind of developht happen, she even pointed out that if this kind of situation appears, it’s certainly not because you cannot let go of the brotherly affection you have toward Kou Zhong, but she believed that thisof all the people in the world”
Stunned, Xu Ziling said, “Did Feixuan really say that?”
Laughing involuntarily, Liao Kong cal thinks pinseng [this i to placate you?”
Xu Ziling apologetically said, “Dashi+, please don’t take offense, it’s just thatay! It’s just that Li shi+min is the person that Feixuan chose to inherit the Jade Annulus of He Clan, yet I aainst Feixuan’s intention and purpose”
Liao Kong smiled and said, “Where’s the Jade Annulus of He Clan then?”
Taken aback, Xu Ziling just stared at hi look at him, his pair of eyes deep and unfathonified, the tone of his voice gentle, he said, “Whoever hung the bell on the tiger’s neck must untie it [idiom: whoever started the trouble should end it], the matter of the future, who can predict? We are, after all, people of the eate, it’s difficult to directly intervene the ht and vendetta, therefore, we can only choose proain, see footnote, in case you have not done so ]”
Xu Ziling suddenly understood, “Li shi+min is the person Feixuan chose as the protector of the law”
Liao Kong shook his head and said, “Li shi+min is just the one that Feixuan thinks the most capable to pursue happiness for all the people in the world; as for the protector of the law, there is another person, and that person is you, Xu Ziling”
“What?” Xu Ziling blurted out