Chapter 2: White Python River"s Fish Chief (1)

In the south of Gai Province City, the untamed White Python River was spraying out foam. Countless swirling eddies of all shapes and sizes and an endless number of untamed, neglected weeds from the great mountain were jumping and colliding. The deafening sound was like a lunatic piercing through the mountain and crossing over.

Along the thousand mile long White Python River, goose feathers sunk into the water. Except for thirty mile region south of Gai Province, the White Python River flowed into the mouth of the Grand Dragon River. The brutal, untamed major river seemed to exhaust all of its strength; in this location, the winds were calm and the tides were tranquil. It was more than a hundred mile stretch of peaceful jade waters.

The sky still not alit, the mouth of the White Python River were already dotted by the shadows of sails. At the river side, the three fish markets" fisherman set out early in the morning, paddling their families or renting their fishing boats on the river. The bustling work of nets and hooks came out.

At the first glimmering of light from the sky, between the side of the three fish markets, there was a jostling crowd at the richly-loaded fishing boat. On the bow of the ship, countless fisherman crouched down, cupping in their hands sea cups. Taking great mouthfuls, they drank the freshly-simmered fish soup prepared by their wives and called out in greetings amidst the coa.r.s.e atmosphere to their friends. In the distance atop the river, there were sounds of exclamations. Flecks of sail shadows quickly came over and even more fisherman returned.

Countless fishing boats crowded together, yet not a single fishing boat touched the sh.o.r.e. On the sh.o.r.e of the docks of the fishing market, within the concerning affairs of the Gai Province City n.o.ble houses, in every wine hall and grand restaurant stocking up, even to the extent of wearing gorgeous clothing made from damask-gauzed satin and drinking crude tea while putting on airs at the teahouse to senselessly pa.s.s the time. (1)

Within the three large residences at the edge of the fish market, dripping with sweat from head to toe, Chu Tian wore a pair of cowhide (2) swimming trunks, gasping for large mouthfuls of air, taking strange, measured paces step by step. At the side of his body, his palm was positioned oddly moving up and down. In his right hand, he held the handle of a two-and-half-foot long, exceptionally-heavy, eight-sided bronze sword. It"s entire body was ancient and gorgeous. Sword after sword swooshed out extremely slow.

With every swoosh of his sword, Chu Tian  seemed entirely like a sugarcane blender. From head to toe, he suddenly gave off a large swathe of perspiration. Drop by drop, the sweat unceasingly rolled off his bronze skin, pittering on the floor. On the training ground covered in yellow sand, the sweat left behind a clearly visible stain. In the morning breeze, it was soon quickly dried away.

"3599… 3600!" As the incomparably slow sword swooshed out, Chu Tian"s body stiffened in a flash and suddenly opened his mouth to shoot out a seventy-to-eighty meter long puff of arrow-like white gas. In the caress of the morning breeze, he forcibly congealed three breaths. Slowly, these breaths began to dissipate.

From his chest, the faint sound of a tiger could be heard. Chu Tian"s entire body suddenly shook.

"Hu!" The yellow sand beneath his foot swept out in all four directions for about seventy to eighty meters. On the ground, a more than a hundred meter diameter, distinct circle took form.

Flipping over his palm, he tightly fastened the eight-sided sword was on the cowhide arm guard on his right arm. Chu Tian moved to the well on the side of the martial training ground and drew a bucket of water, fiercely drenching his head.

Laboriously shaking his head, Chu Tian grit his teeth, with great effort forgetting the lingering remnants in his mind. Yesterday"s dream"s frightening scene: dripping blood, a broken body, and a beam of blade light falling down upon his head. Furthermore, that purple, square-faced big shot with a single arm and a firm air facing towards him and laughing menacingly.

"Almost eighteen years, what even is that demon?"  

The side door of the martial training ground opened and several thick-armed, bulky-legged, fierce-looking big shots could be seen. They wore azure-colored, st.u.r.dy garments that exposed their chests and drew back to expose black hair on their stomach. Carrying in their hands brooms and a long-handled bamboo strainer, they walked in. Towards Chu Tian"s polite gesture of half rising out of his seat, they wordlessly tidied the martial training ground. Taking the footprint-filled, sweat-soaked yellow sand, they levely swept it over like a whetstone.

Wiping dry the water stains on his body, Chu Tian grasped an azure-clothed long gown hanging by the side of the well and put it on. In his bunned hair, he took a whitish-pink hydrangea and stuck it in, grimacing as he viewed his reflection in the light of water well. With his brows like swords and his face tidied, there were several scars of varying lengths on his cheek that ultimately gave him a trace childishness.

Rather narcissistically towards his reflection, Chu Tian exclaimed, "Quite charming! How is it that my face is not white enough, yet it"s no wonder every time I go listen to the zither I nevertheless need to spend silver."

Two fierce-looking big shots came over and hefted over a cauldron. Packed within was White Python River"s Silverstrip fish, releasing a strong aroma of fish soup that a.s.sailed the nose. On the side of the soup pot, there was also more than ten rice cakes and half-cut millet pancakes soaking up the fish soup. By the iron pot, they were cooked to crisp, causing a fragrant and sweet flavor to hit the face.

Having just recently completed his morning routine, Chu Tian suddenly drew out his nose, directly sitting down at the side of the well railing. Shaking his chops, he gorged  himself upon the outer edges. Eating through in the manner of a destructive, rolling wind. More than half of the pot"s thick soup and five catties of rice pancakes all went into his belly. Chu Tian then lift his head and asked the two men, "Bro Dog and Bro Sparrow (3), last night, I didn"t hear the sound of them coming back?"

The two men half rose out of their chairs, then replied, "Brother Dog came back to deliver words. In the mountains, he discovered a den of Great Azure wolves. At that moment, his thoughts were to subdue them, reckoning he would not return for three to five days."

Awkwardly glancing at Chu Tian, the big shot carried a trace of envy and helplessness. His tone abruptly dropped by three pitches. "Brother Sparrow, he, last night the farm widow left the back door open for him, no?

Chu Tian was expressionlessly entranced; his whitish-pink hydrangea swayed a bit, then suddenly, with his face towards the sky, he let out a breath of air. Lowering his head, he took the bowl of fish soup and swept it up until there was none left into his belly. Chu Tian stood up and conveniently from the martial training ground"s weaponry rack took out eight identical wooden truncheons. Carrying them on his shoulder, he took great strides and walked out.

Seventeen to eighteen arms that could ride a horse, with clenched fist that could draw up a man, each and everyone were beefy and over eight feet, approximately nine feet. Their faces were fierce-looking, and their cheeks were covered with scars. It took only a single look to determine they were not pushovers, but strong men, carrying in their hands identical ironwood truncheons. Behind Chu Tian"s rear, gallantly and vigorously, they took great steps to leave the courtyard, following the limestone-bedded main road to the fish market"s pier.   

Along the side of the road, a good deal of people saw Chu Tian and formed a row. In the distance, they hurriedly bowed and offered their salutations. Incessantly, they loudly called out, "Chief Chu".

Along the path, Chu Tian cheerfully offered back his own salutations to the pa.s.ser-bys. From time to time, he would call out greetings.

"Ayo, Old Luotou, these two days, your two arms aren"t aching? How will you repair your fishing net? That"s enough! I still have that bottle of tiger bone-infused Wind Chasing wine. In a moment I"ll go there and pick it up!"

"Hey, Auntie Qian, is the sun-baked fish dried? I didn"t see your family"s younger sister. That"s right, ha! Gai Province City"s oil mill partner Little Zhao, his morality is first-cla.s.s and his sincerity will bear fruit. He doesn"t gamble and visit the brothel; he truly cares for his family. One of these days I"ll marry you two families?"

"Dog-entering Zhong Dagou, you mother-fricking still dare to come back? (4) These past two days, your mother nearly starved to death at home! Don"t run off; catch this guy for me. Last time I said if you went to Gai Province City again to gamble, I would break your leg!"

Just as a middle-aged man with hair like a newborn fawn and eyes like a rat from the street corner"s small road turned outward, he suddenly saw Chu Tian. Frightened from head to toe, he trembled and turned around to flee immediately. Urgently escaping, he slipped under his foot and banged onto the ground half dead. Not waiting, Zhong Dagou sprung up on his hind legs, but the two robust men behind Chu Tian had already arrived in front of him. With large feet like that of bear paws, they ruthlessly trampled on his back. Zhong Dagou shrieked out until his voice turned hoa.r.s.e. On the ground, his two hands in continuous disarray scratched and crawled, hollering at the top of his voice.

This sentence was a pain in the neck to translate. IDK if I got it 100%

Author puts down cow nose, but I"m pretty sure this is a flub. Pinyin for nose and leather are very similar.

A Gou and A Qiao. I thought this looked rough so I decided to just put it in english. It is somewhat difficult to express the A aspect in english. p.r.o.nounced "Ah"

This entire sentence is somewhat colloquial I believe. Hence the "mother-fricking"