妖女不妖 : The Demoness Is Not Evil Chapter One (Part 2)

CHAPTER ONE (PART 2)

All the guards head out into the rain to look for food, and once again there are only the three of them in the temple.

Now that Shui Su Yun has sent all the guards away, she happily comes running up to Liu Feng’s side, “Hero Liu, go over there with me to shelter away from the rain, they have all gone now.”

“Here is good, in a while they will be back, the guards of Fei Ying Bao are all very capable, if lady Shui is afraid, why not ask that lady other there to join you.”

The lady mentioned, Qu Qing Yin, lifts her head and glances over at them.

“It is not like I know her, who knows if she is a good person.”

Qu Qing Yin slightly squint her eyes.

Liu Feng smiles, “That lady looks generous, she is not anyone bad.”

“I would rather believe in Hero Liu.”

“Since you believe me, I already said she is a good person, what are you still afraid of?”

“Well even if I’m willing, she may not be.”

“Then I shall go ask for you.”

He says and so he does, standing from his seat, he walks over to her, asking: “Will lady be willing to accompany lady Shui?”

Qu Qing Yin sits up straight on top of the platform, looking at him, she faintly speaks: “I’ve stopped being a good person a long time ago.”

“Hero Liu, see! Even she herself says she’s not a good person.” Shui Su Yun quickly grabs hold of the opportunity to reason.

Liu Feng laughs: “Normally, bad people typically wouldn’t say they’re bad, going by this logic, those who calls themselves a bad person, typically aren’t so bad at all.”

“That is where you are wrong. Bad people also have their own justification of what is bad, in that case, why wouldn’t bad people dare to admit it?”

“Lady……”

“I believe you and lady Shui over there have more in common, it’s late, right now I need to rest.”

At the side, Shui Su Yun angrily says: “You truly are an ill-mannered one, are you aware that Hero Liu is a reputable figure in the Jiang Hu? You actually dare to speak to him like this?!”

Qu Qing Yin dismissively states: “It is not like I know him.”

Liu Feng claps his hands, laughing, “Well said.”

“Hero Liu–“

He waves his hand, “She’s right. In this world there are many who do not know of me.”

Qu Qing Yin smiles, “You are considerably well aware of yourself and your own limitations.” ^[1]

“I am flattered.”

“Now can you go continue accompanying lady Shui, and let me take a good rest?

“But what to do?” Liu Feng lets out a little laugh, “I suddenly feel that speaking to lady you would be more meaningful.”

She remains calm and composed, “That’s easy.”

“How so?”

“You pay me money, then I shall allow you to stand here and speak to me, but I will not necessarily respond.”

“That truly is a good suggestion.”

“My suggestions are generally good.”

“But I have no money on me right now.”

“That really is a pity.”

Liu Feng persistently says, “But to pay lady to converse with me, I should have enough.”

She extends her hand out, “Give it.”

He places a gold ingot down, she inadvertently glances down at her hand, when the look in her eyes slightly changes.

Qu Qing Yin accepts the payment, and says: “Alright, you can say whatever you want now.”

Shui Su Yun watches on from the side, raging in anger, she points at her and says: “Have you gone crazy from deprivation? How could you just accept money from anyone? If news of this travels to the Jiang Hu, you wouldn’t even know if you died.”

Qu Qing Yin is unaffected by her words, “Jiang Hu people die in Jiang Hu. If I die then I died, is it possible for me to consider the meaning of my death at that point?”

“You……”

“I am simply speaking the truth.”

Liu Feng agrees, “She is indeed speaking the truth.”

Shui Su Yun looks at him, and then looks at her, within her big eyes, droplets of tears starts forming, annoyed, she stamps her feet, “Both of you are picking on me!”

Qu Qing Yin tilts her head at her, “Bad person picking on someone, isn’t that just a matter of course?”

Liu Feng nods, “Lady’s every word is indeed on point.”

“That is because in this world, words of truth are the best to say.”

“Makes sense.”

“Of course it makes sense.”

Shui Su Yun bites down on her bottom lip, spitefully glaring at Qu Qing Yin.

She faintly smiles, “There is no need for you to look at me like that, since you had already thought I am a bad person, to have me treating you like this, is it not normal? So right now you should not be feeling wronged, is that not right?”

Shui Su Yun is rendered absolutely speechless.

Liu Feng smiles knowingly, this lady really isn’t one to lose to others.

“You treating me like this, we Fei Ying Bao definitely won’t let you get away with it!”

Liu Feng’s eyes darken, looking as though he doesn’t agree with this course of action.

Qu Qing Yin sneers: “If people of Fei Ying Bao all do things your way, I believe the decline in business is but a matter of time, if it’s like that, then what’s there for me to be afraid of?”

Liu Feng lowers his head, averting his eyes down, the fan in his hand covering his mouth, just in time to hide his smile.

“You–“

“Lady Shui, we have spoke enough now, why don’t you return to your seat, just go wait for your guards to return with food, how’s that?”

“Hero Liu, let’s not speak to someone like that.” Shui Su Yun angrily says.

“But I have just spent some money, if I don’t converse with her is that not a waste?”

“Then I shall give you the money, you don’t need to speak to her now.”

Qu Qing Yin watches Liu Feng in amusement.

Liu Feng seriously speaks: “Lady Shui, you cannot say it like that, even if you give me the money, the money I spent has already been spent, this is a fact.”

“Even if you have wasted your money, it is better than speaking to someone like that.”

Qu Qing Yin nods in agreement, “She’s right, it is meaningless speaking to me.” She wasn’t planning to speak to begin with.

“The money I spent is real gold” ^[2]

“I’m definitely not going to return it to you.”

“That’s why it is only right that I speak to you lady, only then has this deal been conducted.”

“If that is what makes you happy.” She can no longer be bothered speaking to them anymore, she grabs her bag and lays her head on top of it, hoping to get some rest.

Liu Feng pretends he did not see this action of hers, doing as he pleases: “Say, do you think there are other people living within a ten li^[3] radius around here?”

Qu Qing Yin responds with an ‘en’ sound, how is she supposed to know this.

“But with such heavy rain, even if they can hunt for food, there isn’t any dry wood to roast it with.”

Shui Su Yun thought about it this time, urgently asking, “If that is so then they wouldn’t be able to get anything to eat?”

Liu Feng honestly speaks the true facts, “The hunted livestock cannot be roasted to eat, if they have to find some form of housing, who knows when they will get back?”

She looks at him pitifully, “But I’m so hungry.”

“Just wait, maybe they’ll be back very soon.”

“But didn’t you say, there’s no housing within ten li radius?”

“It is but a guess, maybe the situation isn’t so miserable.”

Shui Su Yun worriedly looks out, “They’ve been gone for half a day, how come they’re still not back?”

Qu Qing Yin throws in a comment, “It doesn’t seem to have been that long, you are just too impatient.”

Shui Su Yun replies: “You don’t speak to me, I don’t wish to bother with the likes of you.”

Qu Qing Yin purses her lips, thinking to herself, and he clearly doesn’t want to bother with you, yet you think I’m speaking out of hand, well you’re alone in this then.

Liu Feng shakes his head, looking helpless.

Having suffered several setbacks, Shui Su Yun loses the spirit to speak anymore, she alone, dully walks back to her spot and sits down, falling into a daze as she looks out.

Liu Feng does not leave, he leans against the platform, his left hand holding his right hand, both hands holding his fan as he supports his chin, he asks the person on top of the platform, “You really don’t intend to do anything?”

“Hero rescuing the beauty, that sort of thing is not suited for me.”

Liu Feng silently laughs, once again asking: “Then what is suited for you to do?”

“Right now all I want to do is sleep.”

“But you already accepted my money.”

“That is why I did not shoo you away.”

“You’re really planning to leave to me to speak alone?”

“Right now it is time for sleeping, must you be so energetic?”

He uses the fan to cover his mouth, letting out a little cough, “Lady sure doesn’t hold back your words.”

“Are we really familiar with one another?”

“……only met today.”

“Well since we’re not acquainted, then why should I show you any mercy?”

“I have yet to ask for lady’s name?”

“We’re not acquainted.” That was her reply.

Liu Feng could only smile, “It’s boring, I just wanted to start a conversation.”

“I have nothing to speak to you about.”

“Actually lady Shui isn’t the only one hungry, I’m a little hungry too.”

Qu Qing Yin finally lifts her head to face him, “I think you two have more in common to speak about.”

“Lady should watch your tongue.”

“You sure are hard to take care of. I don’t speak, you go on with your own monologue. I speak to you, yet you are reluctant.”

“Well it is hard making money.”

“That’s no lie.”

“It’s rare of lady to agree.”

“Why should I disagree with what’s right?”

“That is true.”

Qu Qing Yin covers her yawn with her hand, “From what I see those people from Fei Ying Bao wouldn’t be back for another hour and a half or so. You should go sleep first, once they return, if they manage to bring back food then you would definitely get a share.”

Liu Feng really wanted to knock her head with his fan, “Looks like you really are sleepy.”

“I was originally so.”

“In this situation you can still sleep?”

“What’s it to me? Since it’s got nothing to do with me, then why shouldn’t I be able to sleep?”

Liu Feng is knocked speechless by her, he could only say: “Then you go ahead and sleep.”

“En.” She drops her head onto her bag, then lifts it back up. This is strange, why is he still not leaving.

Liu Feng looks at the spot he was originally sat at, sighing, “It’s started leaking.”

Qu Qing Yin looks over, it is indeed so, “Lady Shui’s side is more spacious.”

“Those people would be back in a while.”

She laughs but says nothing.

He gave her a look, playing with his fan, he says: “Those who does business should have morals.”

Qu Qing Yin continues to laugh, laughing silently but merrily.

Liu Feng could not hold it in any longer and laughs along, this situation is indeed somewhat amusing, he cannot blame her for laughing.

Whilst the two of them laugh amongst themselves, a few guards from Fei Ying Bao returns, some empty handed, some with livestock, also some with wild fruits, none with any cooked food, this made Shui Su Yun extremely unpleased.

There’s livestock but with no dry wood to start a fire they’re useless, and those wild fruits are too sour, she might as well continue starving.

Liu Feng looks at the bag in Qu Qing Yin’s embrace, letting out a sigh, “Lady sure is resistant.” Would much rather starve herself than take out her food.

“I’m already used to being hungry anyway.”

Lightly hitting his fan onto his forehead, he silently sighs, she really is determined to not take out her food.

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[1] Qu Qing Yin actually uses a Chinese proverb here ‘自知之明’ (pronounced: zì zhī zhī míng) which roughly translates to – to have thorough knowledge of oneself; to know one’s limitations.

[2] The phrase for real money Liu Feng uses here is zhēn jīn bái yín / 真金白银 – money in its most physical form.

[3] Lǐ / 里 is a measuring unit for distance, it’s approximately half a kilometre

It’s difficult to translate Chinese proverbs/idioms. Some of the meanings are lost through translations, this is mostly due to the fact that these proverbs/idioms are comprised of four characters which makes them short and snappy whilst maintaining a poetic (? – if that’s the right description) flow when spoken. And I can say for sure that the flow just completely shatters when translated.

And by the way guys, if you happen to spot any spelling and grammar errors, please don’t hesitate to tell me. Just leave a comment below and I’ll make a quick edit ^_^