江湖路弯弯:Jianghu Road is Curved! Chapter 13

_{(translated by anniaxx)}

^{(edited by xia0xiao1mei)Art by: 伊吹五月}

 CHAPTER THIRTEEN

The Overflowing Fun of a Demoness

Gu Xi Ju is silent for a moment and feels something on his forehead twitching violently.

“……I can’t.” He sighs, pulls out his hand from Pang Wan’s palm, and pushes down those restless things on his forehead.

“Why can’t you?” Pang Wan stubbornly pulls on him, acting like a spoiled child, “Fight this once, just fight this once!”

Gu Xi Ju was planning to ignore her, but his sleeve was about to be ripped by her pulling, and could only turn to look at her, “Wan Wan, you have been with me for about two month, have you ever seen anyone come to provoke a fight or challenge me to a duel?”

“No.” Pang Wan lifts her little face and looks at him with eagerness, “You are the Supreme Chief of Wu Lin, naturally no one……”

“This is not the only reason.” Gu Xi Ju sighs——then sighs again. He feels that even if he adds up all the sighs of the past twenty six years of his life, it would still not exceed the amount within these last two months, “It’s because the people who dare to challenge me, must expect for the worst.”

He gazes at Pang Wan and gently says, “My rule is, never leaving anyone alive under my hand.”

—

Of the people who have heard him say this, seven are dead, and thirteen threw away their swords and ran for their life; but now Pang Wan just stares at him and makes a crispy “oh” sound.

—

Gu Xi Ju frowns, “Do you understand?”

Pang Wan presses her lips and smiles, nodding, “I do. Isn’t it just fighting to either result in your death or my extermination?” So what, back in the unorthodox sect, didn’t Nan Yi try to torture her to death every single time? She does not think Gu Xi Ju is scary at all.

“You have such great martial arts skills, yet I can’t fight with you, it’s truly a pity.” Her face shows abundant regret, “Maybe I could have gotten to a higher level while fighting you!”

So she is actually treating him as a training partner? Gu Xi Ju yet again could not resist sighing one more time.

—

Since having a duel with Gu Xi Ju is impossible, Pang Wan settles her mind and decides to peacefully be a maid at Gu Xi Ju’s side.

Her reputation is really widespread right now. Every person at Gu Xi Ju’s side now knows: Supreme Chief has found a girl whose martial art skills are high but of unknown origin. This girl is arrogant and overbearing, directly drove away Zhang Xiu Zhu, the outstanding representative of the Wu Dang clan.

“Do I count as a secluded master?” Pang Wan is extremely happy to hear people having discussions about her —— the  Mary Sue character framework is indeed magical, sometime it automatically creates a self-protection system to filter out the keywords that are unfriendly, so she only remembers the few words of: “martial art skills are high”, “of unknown origin”.

Gu Xi Ju does not respond. With his head down, he only flips the book in his hands.

“I say, you, the formidable Supreme Chief of Wu Lin, why is it that all you do other than practicing martial arts is just reading books?” Seeing him ignore her, Pang Wan becomes unhappy. She goes to stand next to him and starts judging, “You are so capable, you should……should……”

She could not continue to say more. In her impression, the male leads of the land of Mary Sue also just read books and practice martial arts, other than doing some basic studies every day. Things like political schemes and court tactics don’t suit his position as the Supreme Chief of Wu Lin, should she make him to do celestial training to become an immortal^[1]?

Yet she sees Gu Xi Ju lifting up his eyes from the book and quietly waiting for her to continue.

“I know!” Pang Wan’s eyes suddenly brighten and she makes a loud clap, “You should find someone to start a relationship with.”As the male lead, having a relationship with the female lead is the most serious task!

—

Gu Xi Ju gazes at her, smiling, “Who should I go find?”

Pang Wan hesitates for a second and carefully gives him a glance, “I heard that you like Fairy Sang Chan?”

Gu Xi Ju’s expression stagnates, then his complexion turns gloomy, “……unfortunately, I could not have what I long for no matter how I try.”

Pang Wan senses somewhere in her heart hurting as though being stabbed by a needle; however, she quickly cheers herself up again —— this answer was in her expectation anyways.

Seeing such an outstanding youth feeling dejected, Pang Wan truly believes that she should do something for him —— maybe, maybe after helping him to get his beloved lady, the Mary Sue pain in the bottom of her heart will heal.

 

“Have you ever thought, you are already this excellent, why Fairy Sang Chan still does not like you?” After thinking through everything clearly, Pang Wan is determined to say something.

——maybe she’s not good at other things, but she is definitely skilled at guessing the mind of Mary Sue female leads. An expert needs only to step forward, to know if the problem can be solved or not, as long as she is here to help Gu Xi Ju come up with plans and ideas, to know oneself and to know one’s opponent, how could such an all-powerful female lead like Sang Chan not be easily captured?  

“I have never understood her mind.” Gu Xi Ju shakes his head.

“Does she especially love a certain type of man? Like the beautiful and fragile type?” Pang Wan thinks maybe Sang Chan likes the bewitching type.

“Speaking of being beautiful and delicate, the Ninth Prince is above everyone else, yet he has never gained half a degree of her interest.” Gu Xi Ju continues to shake his head.

“Maybe she likes the smart, clever and scheming type?” Pang Wan now thinks maybe Sang Chan likes the guileful fox type?

“The palace master of Solitary Palace has the utmost intelligence in the world, seeing though numerous schemes, yet still not receiving her pity once.” Gu Xi Ju still shakes his head.

Pang Wan thinks in her heart: Ai-yo! Such word as “pity” is even used by Supreme Chief, senior Sang Chan, could it be that you are on a matriarchist story line?

“Then, maybe it’s not the man that’s not right, but your ways of expressing love is not right.” Pang Wan frowns and contemplates while strolling in the room, “Think about it, with so many people admiring her, Fairy would naturally think that the common type of love is insipid, maybe what she desires is a completely stunning legend?”

Gu Xi Ju is rendered completely stupefied by her overly flaunty words, he lifts his brows, “What do you mean by completely stunning?”

Pang Wan suddenly turns back and gives him a fierce grin —— hum-hum!

She walks to Gu Xi Ju’s side, picks up a cushion and smilingly hugs it in her arms.

“Chan Chan!” She suddenly yells, making a twisted and ferocious face at the cushion, “Chan Chan! You are mine! You can only be mine!” She makes the move to clutch the cushion, her eyes turning red and her voice becoming hoarse, “I don’t allow you to speak to other people, cannot smile at other people either! If you dare to smile at that person again, I will cut him into pieces! And as for you, I want to break your wings and imprison you forever by my side.” Next, she holds the cushion in her embrace again, gently murmuring, “Your goodness can only be shown to me! You belong to me alone forever! Chan Chan!”

—

“Did you see?” The following second, Pang Wan has already returned to normal; with her face not blushing and her breath not gasping, she throws the cushion to Gu Xi Ju, “Find time to practice.”

Gu Xi Ju is still shocked by her actions, hesitating, “……must be this intense?”

“No experience!” Pang Wan glances at him scornfully, “The stronger a woman the emptier her heart, she needs an even stronger man to impress and conquer her, only this way will she become a little while bunny and lies obediently by your side!”

Gu XI Ju’s face turns from green to white, then white to red; in the end he mutters, “Her personality is fierce. I am afraid this should not be used.”

Pang Wan sighs, saying internally to herself that he is such an unteachable loser, then she waves her hand and says, “Never mind, I still have one more sure-kill move, I’ll just teach it to you as well.”

—

As she says this, she lifts the cap of a teacup on the desk, touches the water and puts some drops in the corners of her eyes. She turns back with her whole face full of grief and anguish.

“Chan Chan, I know, there is already no place for worldly love in your heart. Even though I have already swore that I will marry no one else other than you in this life, I will definitely not alter any of your decisions. I am willing to die alone in loneliness for you, ah!” She sounds a scream and grabs the paperweight to act a fake thrust to her belly, then softly falls on the ground making an ‘about to die’ look, “Don’t, don’t ask me why I used my body to block the sword for you? Chan Chan, I only want to see you smile! Your happiness is my biggest wish! Farewell, my love!”

“This sure-kill move is called using retreat as an attack.” Pang Wan jumps up from the ground with no emotions on her face, “Even though girls who claim that they chase after freedom are afraid of confinement, their hearts are soft in the end. If you make her feel no pressure and show your persistent heart, see her even more important than your life, then you are almost there.”

Gu Xi Ju is dumbfounded by her excellent performance with outstanding singing and action. After being astounded for a while, he finally asks, “So I need to die before her? This……”

Pang Wan unhappily bends her lips and purposely winks her eyes in a mysterious manner, “It’s just one stab; you are so smart, control the angle and you won’t die!”

—

She starts to feel immense pride in her own outstanding performance.

Gu Xi Ju does not say anything. He just stares at her for a long time, a long long time.

Then he puts down the book in his hands and starts laughing. He is laughing so hard that his tears are almost coming out.

The guards by the front of the doors have not seen Supreme Chief laugh like this in a very long time, they exchange looks, wanting to peek inside but too afraid to do so.

—

“You don’t believe me?” Pang Wan sees Gu Xi Ju is not taking her words seriously; embarrassed and furious, she gets on him and clutches his collar, “All the girls in this world love these ways, but you do not believe me! How dare you not believe me?!”

Gu Xi Ju could not stop laughing. With his chest going up and down, he could only use his hands to block Pang Wan’s attacks, “Ay, stop messing, please stop messing.”

This is the scene that Bai Xiao Sheng sees when he enters—— the Supreme Chief who is usually majestic and full of manly spirit seems to be begging for mercy, and the little maid who is renowned for her bossiness and arrogance is right now on him, twisting her expression and raising her fists in a “female tiger” manner^[2].

“Ke ke.”

He really is too shocked, shocked to the point of accidentally revealing the coughs in his heart.

The two on the chair quickly separate. But Gu Xi Ju appears as usual, smiling at him: “How come you didn’t tell me you’re coming beforehand?”

The little maid is blushing crimson red, unable to tell if it is due to her anger or embarrassment. Without saluting, she gives him an angry stare and runs off.

—

“Lady Wan Wan is truly regarded with special attention from Supreme Chief.”

Bai Xiao Sheng says this meaningfully, right when Pang Wan was just about to step out the door.

Pang Wan’s footstep slips and she almost falls.

Gu Xi Ju does not say anything; he just lifts the corners of his lips and keeps smiling, keeps smiling.

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Translator’s Note: While I was reading this chapter on the original website, I saw the author leaving a comment at the end to respond to readers’ questions from the previous chapters. She said: “1. Gu Xi Ju is really not Pang Wan’s dad. 2. Which one of Pang Wan’s Mary Sue sure-kill moves do you prefer? “

Honestly, even though I have seen cliche scenes like the second one (the “Don’t ask me why I used my body to block the sword for you”one) for a thousand times in dramas and books, I still get touched every time I see it. I can’t help it~And apparently some “out of the box” readers have thought that Gu Xi Ju is perhaps Pang Wan’s dad, since he is much older. Hahaha~

Tell me which sure-kill move or male lead type do you like the best~And, don’t forget to leave a comment about what do you think.   —–^-^*Annie

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[1] This part is referring to C-novel’s common genres. Chinese novels can be grouped to three big categories: Ancient, Modern and Futuristic. The ancient C-novels have 6 most popular genres: Time-travel (ex. Bu Bu Jing Xin 步步惊心), historical (ex. Nirvana in Fire 琅琊榜), political/royal family (ex. Emperor’s Conquest 帝王业), Wu Xia/ Jiang Hu (ex. Jiang Hu Road is Curved~), Fantasy (ex. Journey of the Fierce Blade in Snow 雪中悍刀行), and Immortal (Journey of the Flower 花千骨). Of course, there are other smaller ones, such as Military, Matriarch, Piece of Life, etc.  Which is your favorite genre? >@<

[2] Female Tiger/母老虎/Mǔ lǎo hǔ: is a term that is often used to describe women who are shrewish and ferocious.