Laughing in the Wind Chapter 1 – Part 6
Translation by Jenxi Seow
Lin Zhennan1 said, “Call on friends for help! Aiding others in times of crisis is common practice among the wulin.”2
Madam Lin said, “We have many close friends, but few whose skills surpass ours. Those weaker than us would be of no use even if they came.”
Lin Zhennan said, “That is true enough, but more people means coming up with more ideas. Gathering some friends to deliberate together would still be beneficial.”
Madam Lin asked, “Very well, who do you suggest we invite?”
“We’ll start with those nearby. First, we shall summon capable fighters from our Armed Escort branches in Hangzhou3, Nanchang4, and Guangzhou5. Then, we’ll invite comrades from the wulin from the provinces of Min6, Zhe7, Yue8, and Gan,”9 Lin Zhennan said.
Madam Lin frowned. “To beg for aid so desperately would cause grave damage to the Fuwei Armed Escort’s10 reputation once word spreads in the jianghu.”11
Lin Zhennan suddenly asked, “My dear, you are thirty-nine years old this year, aren’t you?”
Madam Lin spat, “Bah! You ask about my age at a time like this? I was born in the Year of the Tiger—don’t you know my age?”
Lin Zhennan said, “I’ll dispatch invitations saying we’re celebrating your fortieth birthday…”
“Why add a year to my age all of a sudden?” Madam Lin protested, “Am I not already aging fast enough?”
Lin Zhennan shook his head and said, “When have you aged? You have not a single strand of white hair. When I say we’ll celebrate your birthday, no one will suspect anything if we invite friends and family. Once our guests arrive, we need only confide in private to those we trust, and the Armed Escort’s reputation will be unharmed.”
Madam Lin tilted her head and pondered for a moment, then said, “Very well, have it as you will. What of your gift for me?”
Lin Zhennan whispered in her ear, “A magnificent gift. We’ll have another chubby son next year!”
Madam Lin’s face flushed as she spat loudly, “Incorrigible fool, jesting so at a time like this!”
Lin Zhennan laughed heartily and walked toward the bookkeeper’s to have invitations written for their friends. In truth, his heart was heavy with worry. His jest was merely to ease his wife’s dread. He thought, Distant water cannot quench a nearby fire. Something’s bound to happen tonight. By the time our invited friends arrive, who knows whether the Fuwei Armed Escort will even still exist?
Approaching the bookkeeper’s door, he saw two male servants with their faces masks of sheer terror, stammering, “Es… Es… Escort Chief12… Terr… Terrible news.”
Lin Zhennan asked, “What is it?”
One of the servants said, “Bookkeeper Huang sent Lin Fu to buy coffins. He… he… collapsed and died after he had just stepped out and reached the corner of East Lane.”
Lin Zhennan said, “Is this so? Where is he?”
The servant replied, “He lies in the street.”
“Go and bring back his body,” Lin Zhennan said. He thought, The enemy dares to kill in the busy marketplace in broad daylight. Such audacity.
“Aye… aye…” The two servants said but they did not move. Lin Zhennan asked, “What is it?”
One of them said, “We beg the Escort Chief to come and have… have a look…”
Lin Zhennan knew something strange had happened again. With a snort, he strode toward the main gate and saw three escorts and five scouts staring out the door, their faces ashen with terror. Lin Zhennan asked, “What is it?”
Before any one could answer, he had understood. Fresh blood glistened on the stone slabs beyond the main gate, forming the large characters: “Death to any who take ten paces beyond the gate.”
About ten paces from the gate, there was a bloody line about an inch wide.
Lin Zhennan demanded, “When was this written? Did no one notice?”
An escort guard replied, “When Lin Fu died on East Lane and everyone rushed over to look. There was no one at the gate, so we know not who wrote it. What manner of jest is this!”
Lin Zhennan raised his voice and declared out loud, “I’ve grown tired of living and wish to see just how one who takes ten paces beyond the gate dies!”
He strode out of the gate.
Two escort guards cried out at once, “Escort Chief!”
Lin Zhennan waved his hand to dismiss them and continued forward, stepping over the bloody line. Seeing that the bloody characters and line were still wet, he scraped his foot across the six characters until they were a blur, then returned through the gate. To the three escorts he said, “This is just a means of intimidation. What is there to fear? Brothers, please make a trip to the coffin shop. Then head to Heavenly Peace Temple13 in the west of the city to engage monks to perform several days of rites to guide the departed souls and drive away this plague.”
The three escorts, having witnessed the Escort Chief cross the bloody line unscathed, agreed at once. They adjusted their weapons and walked out the gate side by side. Lin Zhennan watched them pass the blood line and round the street corner. He waited a while longer before returning inside.
He entered the bookkeeper’s and said to Bookkeeper Huang, “Master Huang, please write several invitations for my wife’s birthday celebration, inviting friends and family to come for a cup of longevity wine.”
Master Huang said, “Of course. Which day would it be?”
Suddenly rapid footsteps sounded and someone came rushing in. Lin Zhennan looked out and heard a thud as someone collapsed. He rushed toward the sound and found Captain Di, one of the three escort captains14 he had just dispatched to the coffin shop. His body was still twitching. Lin Zhennan lifted him, asking urgently, “Brother Di, what happened?”
Captain Di said, “They’re dead, I… I escaped.”
Lin Zhennan asked, “What did the enemy look like?”
Captain Di said, “I know… know not… know not…”
He shuddered once, then breathed his last.
Footnotes
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林震南 – Lín Zhènnán. His name meaning “Quells the South.” See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
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武林 – wǔlín. Literally martial forest. It refers to the martial arts community within the jianghu. These are people who practice martial arts. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
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杭州 – Hángzhōu. City in Zhejiang Province, capital of Zhejiang. See Wikipedia. ↩
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南昌 – Nánchāng. City in Jiangxi Province, capital of Jiangxi. See Wikipedia. ↩
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广州 – Guǎngzhōu. City in Guangdong Province, capital of Guangdong. See Wikipedia. ↩
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浙 – Zhè. Abbreviation for Zhejiang Province. See Wikipedia. ↩
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粤 – Yuè. Abbreviation for Guangdong Province. See Wikipedia. ↩
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赣 – Gàn. Abbreviation for Jiangxi Province. See Wikipedia. ↩
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福威镖局 – Fúwēi Biāo Jú. Fuwei is literally prosperity and might. An armed escort was a security company that guarded valuable goods and people in ancient China. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
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江湖 – jiānghú. The world of martial arts. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
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总镖头 – Zǒng Biāotóu. Literally overall escort head. The leader and chief of an armed escort agency. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
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天宁寺 – Tiānníng Sì. Literally Heavenly Peace Temple. ↩
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镖头 – Biāotóu. Literally head escort. Team leaders and middle management within armed escorts commanding teams. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩