Chapter 109: A Familiar World (Part Five)
Translator: Etern, Kim_Guo
Wang Yun’s residence was enshrouded in evening mist. A river ran before the yard where Huang Xuan was living. In a moment, moonlight reflected on the surface of the river; in another moment, moonlight then was shaded by clouds. Behind the yard was a half acre lotus pond. Frogs sang in it now and then. Huang Xuan sneaked out in the dark with Rolin’s help.
The bamboo flute was heard from the pond, beautiful to Huang Xuan’s ears. Following the music, he came to a pavilion, on which was written its name, Peony Pavilion.
“It sounds familiar,” Huang Xuan was thinking when the music stopped. A woman sighed low, whose voice had a pure timbre, in harmony with the flute. Somehow, Huang Xuan sensed the sadness in the voice. He was touched. Another sigh, Huang Xuan felt his heart speed up. He walked across the flower bed, eager to see the woman clearly.
Clouds blocked the moonlight, frogs started to sing loudly as if they were objecting. The woman was saying something, but Huang Xuan couldn’t hear it clearly. He walked closer anxiously and heard her say, “If I can help you in any way, my husband, I would love to.” Huang Xuan was very disappointed. He hadn’t expected the woman with such a beautiful voice to be married. He felt as if he had lost something precious and was reluctant to stay anymore.
The moonlight was like silk penetrating clouds. Darkness covering pines, bamboos and lotus leaves, the winding path was dark in some places and light in others. Huang Xuan rushed over with a blank mind. The people in Wang Yun’s residence were all asleep. Huang Xuan led a horse out from the stable without care. He managed to climb on it and dashed away.
The stableman was awoken by the noise. He burst to the entrance of the stable and cried,”Gongzi, these horses all belong to Situ Wang. You can’t take the horse away.” Then, he struck the gong hanging at the entrance.
Huang Xuan was angry. He pulled the rein and gave the horse a lash. The stableman tried to give chase but was pushed aside by Rolin.
At this moment, the retainers had all stood at the entrance to stop Huang Xuan. Huang Xuan threw a bio-bomb onto a wall to make a way out and then ran out of the city.
He ran straight eastward all night long. Both he and the horse were very tired. He came to a stream to let the horse drink water. The water was clear and clean. Huang Xuan washed his face and thought of the soft voice again.
“Be careful of a tiger!” Rolin said while Huang Xuan was still recollecting.
Huang Xuan sat up quickly. The horse was startled and started to run anxiously. He sensed the tension in the wind and drew his pistol, which looked so small at this point. “Give me that 81-type pistol.
He had played with guns many times in his grandpa’s house, mostly the 81-type rifle made in China. Although Rolin had replaced most of the materials of the bullet with non-metal materials, a casket of bullets. So 50 bullets, would still cost at least 100,000 RMB, 2,000 RMB per shot, freight included. Most parts of the rifle had been refitted with Chinese catalpa, engineering plastics and resin to reduce energy consumption. It had also been restructured to adapt to the high-speed discharge of a bio-bomb. As to its combat effectiveness, the rifle was equivalent to an armored battalion. A tiger was just a piece of cake to it.
Gun stock on his shoulder, Huang Xuan stayed calm. Hearing the rustling from the woods, he turned down the resolution of the sighting lens. Two large creatures appeared in the lens, a tiger in front and a person behind. Huang Xuan couldn’t believe his eyes. “A person is chasing a tiger?!”
No time for thinking, he pulled the trigger. The bullet pierced through the tiger’s forehead and kept whirling in its head. The tiger tossed its back in pain. Huang Xuan blew some air at the muzzle of the rifle and thought, “If it were in the year 2000 after, I would have been put in jail and fined, but now I am a hero who has shot a tiger.”
He was still in his fantasy when a shadow walked out of the woods and, seeing the tiger lying on the ground, shouted angrily at Huang Xuan, “Why did you steal my prey?”
Huang Xuan pointed at himself in confusion and then the tiger. “Your prey?”
“I have chased it for more than 10 li. How could you shoot it? Now give it back to me?”
More than 10 li! It was unbelievable to Huang Xuan. He put his left hand on the rifle and asked politely, mocking the man’s tone, “May I have your name?”
“My surname is Dian, first name Wei. I am from Chenliu. You, give me my tiger.”
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