Chapter 1 (1/2)
Eternal Life (永生) Ch. 1
coThe Ten Levels of the Mortal Realm
Dali Dynasty, Longyuan Province, within the largest clan, the Fang clan, mansion’s “Wanxiang Garden,” the early morning fog has yet to disperse yet a group of Fang clan children have already begun their morning exercises, and martial arts training.
[TL: Help me come up with English names?]
The master of the Fang Clan is the also the governor of Longyuan Province and follower of the Emperor of the Dali Dynasty. In the century prior, the ancestors of the Fang clan created the Yuhua Style considered to be the best Immortal style of the ten great schools.
[TL: Suggestions welcome for what 仙道 should be called, I was thinking something along the lines of immortal style]
Qianlongzaiyuan of the Longyuan Province was originally the capital of a former great dynasty. After the founding of the Dali Dynasty, the emperor originally wanted to make this place his capital, but because he considered the area to be too humid, he eventually gave up on that idea.
The emperor, who considered himself born of flames, conquered everything beneath the heavens. However, he decided that he found the water of Longyuan too restricting and finally decided to found his capital in the southern province of Lijing instead.
[TL: So the first sentence was weird as h.e.l.l so I winged it from what I a.s.sume the meaning to be]
Thus, the imperial court decided that the governance rights of the old capital be bestowed upon the Fang clan to show the court’s trust and affection towards the clan.
Therefore the Fang clan rose to prominence, their lands covering thousands of acres. Inside their courtyards contained an immeasurable number of gardens and bustled with people constantly coming in and going out. It was said that if one were to find himself/herself lost in the courtyards, one would never leave.
From inside the Fang clan’s mansion, one could discern the name of the garden, “Wanxiang Garden,” the all-encompa.s.sing garden. “Peng!” “Peng!” “Peng!” “Peng!”
[TL: 砰砰砰砰, I a.s.sume its just sounds]
The roaring of fists and the sounds of the displacement of air could be heard emanating from inside the garden where children were training; their movements very supple, and as ruthless as a tiger hunting sheep, as fierce as a lion attacking a bull, as agile as an eagle striking a rabbit, and as calm as a crane standing on a mountain. Specifically, the movements of their four limbs and spine, from the moment they began to move to the moment they stopped, were similar to five bows getting fully drawn. Their fists extended like arrows, swift as the wind, showing off their strong basic foundations.
Before too long, a pair of eyes could be seen behind a group of fake mountains in the distance, stealthily watching the actions done by the children.
Is someone was secretly learning the Fang clan’s martial arts? The owner of those eyes is a fifteen/sixteen year old youth with delicate facial features wearing a gray cloth cap as if he is a servant.
If not for last month’s discovery of the waterway which leads directly to this slit in the fake mountains, how would I be able to enter the inner courtyard and secretly learn martial arts? However, if I am found, death is the only road. But how could I, Fang Han Zong, accept being a servant forever? Fang Han carefully observed the movements of the Fang clan children, memorizing all of their movements in his head.
Surprisingly, Fang Han, a servant of the Fang clan was actually secretly learning the Fang clan’s martial arts!
Fang Han’s father was originally a bodyguard of the Fang clan, thus, as soon as Fang Han was born, he was considered a servant of the clan, as would be his descendants and the generations after. To think that a lowly servant would sneak into the inner courtyard and secretly learn his master’s original martial arts… this kind of action could only be described as reckless and unafraid of death.
“Coming!”
In the distant training ground, Fang Han could see a middle-aged man wearing a purple gown appear and stop. This man was nine chi1 tall, and walked very proudly and arrogantly, as if he was a tall mountain. Even with the great distance between the two, upon seeing the man, Fang Han felt oppressed and almost stopped breathing.
[TL:chi is the unit of measuring in ancient Chinese times/wiki/Chi_(unit)]
This man was one of the Fang clan’s masters, “Ju’ling Hand,” Fang Tong, the prestigious master who was renowned in both the north and south, and who had come to the Fang clan to teach the more advanced youth martial arts.
“Officer! There are nine at level eighteen, one Chengxiang, and nine local deputies! During practice, we split ourselves into ten realms. First level cultivating energy, second level practicing force, third level learning style, fourth level firm yet gentle, fifth level G.o.dly strength, sixth level controlling qi, seventh level inner strength, eighth level G.o.dly courage, ninth level spiritual expert, and tenth level G.o.dly transformation!
[TL: So this paragraph sucked… anyone have a translation for 丞相 or a better translation than deputy for 巡检?]
As soon as the man wearing the purple gown, “Ju’ling Hand” Fang Tong, appeared, the Fang clan children practicing in the courtyard all suddenly stopped their movements, standing upright like a pencil, awaiting his lecture.
Fang Han also stood still, straining his ears as hard as he could to try and listen as well.
“If one can train to the tenth realm of G.o.dly transformation, not even five horses can tear apart their body! Years ago, our Fang clan had an ancestor who was captured by an enemy general. They tried to execute him by using five horses to tear apart his body, but as soon as he used the entire might of his body, he pulled all five horses over, and flew away. This is the might of someone who reaches the tenth realm of G.o.dly transformation!”
The sound of “Ju’ling Hand” Fang Tong’s lecture covered the area, the powerfulness of his speech conveying the intensity of the story, and causing Fang Han’s ears to ache as if they were about to rip.