CHAPTER 28: SHOCKED
The whole people inside the dormitory sensed the change in
Zhang Yang. He was much more silent, and spend all day without saying a word
besides reading and eating, and occasionally picking a thick notebook to take
some notes.
Of course, Zhang Yang’s changed behavior did not induce his
roommate’s attention. Although they felt this change, they didn’t bother
because they were accustomed to Zhang Yang’s habitually silent nature.
The most important thing was Zhang Yang’s roommate rarely
used to come to the dormitory. Most of them used to stay outside with their
girlfriend by renting a house and appeared in the dormitory only several times
a month.
Zhang Yang’s life was plain and regular.
Every morning, he went to the alley to guard the entrance, returned
at noon to eat lunch and go to the library afterwards. Each time he would take
some bread and water to eat while he was reading at the library and after the
library was closed at night he used to come back to the dormitory tp arrange
the residence booklet.
For more than a week, Zhang Yang almost every day
encountered Du Xue at the library and most of the time Du Xue would save a seat
for Zhang Yang but they practically never said a word. Wittingly or unwittingly, Zhang Yang used to
avoid Du Xue but the strange thing was that he never met any of Du Xue’s fellow
classmates in the library.
The old maid of the library was still working hard to tidy
up the books, the traces and notes left on the book by Zhang Yang were
carefully removed. Occasionally, the old professor would come to the library
merely to get disappointed to see that Zhang Yang didn’t even touch any book
with mathematical aspects, even when he put a few of his private collection of
books in the library, he failed to get Zhang Yang’s attention.
The dull day hides a metamorphosis from the chrysalis to the
butterfly, the gorgeous flapping wings need an evolutionary process.
Zhang Yang also felt his body was giving birth to a number
of changes, but he was uncertain of the changes because he was only reading the
book and had not learned the art of fighting, besides, those books were very
scarce inside the school.
Today was Zhang Yang’s seventh day at the alley as an
“entrance guard”. During these seven days, he spent most of his time inside the
alley channeling the streets and part of the time he used to stay at the
bookstore’s door. Occasionally the bookstore owner used to take a peek at the
alley’s entrance almost as if Zhang Yang was transparent.
“Starting today, you cannot read the information about the
alley.”
“Oh …”
The bookstore owner saw that Zhang Yang wasn’t being
attentive and unwilling to speak as that information was not important for him
because Zhang Yang had no longer used to look at those information just after
the third day.
This time, Zhang Yang’s mind was wandering, he was thinking
about where to begin, because in his world there was no genuine person with a
grasp of understanding of true martial arts, and the incomplete memory inside
his head was clearly of a real martial artist of existence.
Martial Arts!
It’s a familiar yet unfamiliar vocabulary.
In China, any average person can say a few words on martial
arts but a true knowledge of martial arts is precious and rare as phoenix
feathers and unicorn horns. Zhang Yang as a child grew up along with wuxia
novels in his bones, and had a deep fanaticism on martial arts but he was aware
that, it was Jin Yong’s fictional martial world, and in this world, there will
be no “Nin Yin Canon”.
“Lao Li, you said that the martial arts written in this book
is true, right?”
Zhang Yang suddenly asked Lao Li pointing to the books above
the shelves.
“Why do you ask?” Lao Li raised his head and glanced at
Zhang Yang.
“Never mind , I just thought, since a lot of books are
written, there should somewhat be real ingredients in the inside.” Zhang Yang
ferociously scratched his head as if he wanted to enlighten his mind with the
understanding of those advanced martial arts.
“Are you interested in Martial arts?”
“Do you know martial arts?”
Zhang Yang’s eyes sparkled with astonishment. The fortuitous
meeting between the adventures of martial arts inside the novel with Zhang
Yang’s mental association was extra ordinarily rich. Perhaps, this bookstore
owner was remaining under cover in the crowd among the experts. Suddenly, Zhang
Yang possessed a little bit of excitement.
The identity of the old man inside Xiao Yuan Xing’s
underground force seemed a bit interesting. Zhang Yang’s recent time was not in
vain because, some people with a bit of status frequently come to visit Lao Li.
It could be seen in those people’s eyes that they are very respectful of old
Li.
“No, I don’t.” Lao Li saw the excitement in Zhang Yang and
could not help but smile and shook his head.
“You don’t know?” Zhang Yang looked disappointed.
“No, I really don’t know.” Old Li nodded his head with
certainty.
“Hmm …” Zhang Yang involuntarily heaved a long sigh.
“You want to learn martial arts?” Lao Li couldn’t help but
have an interest in Zhang Yang’s expression.
“I do.”
“Why?”
“This … … you wont
understand.”
“………….” Old Li said smiling,” Although I do not know martial
arts completely, I still know a little about it.
“Really! You know?” Zhang Yang’s eyes lightened up.
“Well, what do you want to know? I’ll see if I can answer
you.” The old man was in a good mood today.
“Is it real that Kung Fu is as powerful as it is written in
the novels?”
“Hehe, certainly. The real Martial arts is said to be far
more powerful than in the world inside these books, but, in this world, only a
few people really understands Martial Arts. Therefore you cannot expect to
learn anything about true Martial Arts.” The old man laughed.
“Oh, can you tell me how powerful it is?”
“Well, I did not see it with my own eyes, hehe, it is said
that martial arts once reached to a certain degree where you even dodge a
bullet and that isn’t even the extreme level.”
“So powerful?” Zhang Yang looked at the old man with his
eyes wide open. To be able to dodge a bullet with martial arts, what incredible
concept is that? How can a person’s speed be faster than a bullet?
“Oh yeah, however, I did not see it with my own eyes. Well,
end of topic, this past week, are you familiar with the people inside the
alley?”
“Uh … I …. am ….”
As the old man changed the topic, Zhang Yang’s spirit
immediately disappeared and the whole person froze like a frosted cucumber.
“Speak.” The old man seemed to be dissatisfied with his
sluggish attitude.
“There’s nothing to say, the alley consists of 130 permanent
residents, 31 households on rent, the elderly and children accounting for the
majority with ninty six elders and 85 children, five young couples, thirteen
pair of single men and twenty seven
women. In addition, there are twenty nine foreign couples, most of them in the
vicinity of small business in the neighborhood and on the alley’s entrance,
there are often twelve people to sell vegetables, a couple of them mends shoes,
some sell fried cakes and others have their own business with total of twenty
seven people, however they move a lot, here and there …”
“….”
The old man had his mouth wide open as he stared blankly at
Zhang Yang.
“Moreover, you have to change the information too, in fact,
the population of households in rent has changed by six, the number of people
inside the whole alley has been increased by three but the resident population
has decreased by two. Well, this is my recent findings and I won't be staying for long so let Liu Biao see this ..., it'll be easier to him."
Zhang Yang said as he took out a folder from a black
plastic bag and put it on the table.
Thanks for the chapter.
ReplyDeletethanks for the chapter <3
ReplyDeleteSo slooooooow.. This is one of my favorite novels but the translation is so slow... Its not that im blaming you or something but I feel like crying when you release a chapter every 1-3 week..
ReplyDelete