the wallet of kai lung-第54节

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times　each　hour　without　ceasing；　he　rose　to　his　feet　and　retraced　his



steps　to　the　boat　in　order　that　he　might　fill　his　water…skins　and



procure　a　further　supply　of　food。







With　a　complicated　emotion；　in　which　was　present　every　abandoned　and



disagreeable　thought　to　which　a　person　becomes　a　prey　in　moments　of



exceptional　mental　and　bodily　anguish；　he　perceived　as　soon　as　he



reached　the　edge　of　the　water　that　the　boat；　upon　which　he　was



confidently　relying　to　carry　him　back　when　all　else　failed；　had



disappeared　as　entirely　as　the　smoke　from　an　extinguished　opium　pipe。



At　this　sight　Yin　clearly　understood　the　meaning　of　Li…Kao's



unregarded　warning；　and　recognized　that　nothing　could　now　save　him



from　adding　his　incorruptible　parts　to　those　of　the　unfortunate　ones



whose　unhappy　fate　had；　seven　days　ago；　engaged　his　refined　pity。



Unaccountably　strengthened　in　body　by　the　indignation　which　possessed



him；　and　inspired　with　a　virtuous　repulsion　at　the　treacherous　manner



of　behaving　on　the　part　of　those　who　guided　his　destinies；　he　hastened



back　to　his　place　of　obeisance；　and　perceiving　that　the　habitually



placid　and　introspective　expression　on　the　dragon　face　had



imperceptibly　changed　into　one　of　offensive　cunning　and　unconcealed



contempt；　he　snatched　up　his　spear　and；　without　the　consideration　of　a



moment；　hurled　it　at　a　score　of　paces　distance　full　into　the　sacred



but　nevertheless　very　unprepossessing　face　before　him。







At　the　instant　when　the　presumptuous　weapon　touched　the　holy　stone　the



entire　intervening　space　between　the　earth　and　the　sky　was　filled　with



innumerable　flashes　of　forked　and　many…tongued　lightning；　so　that　the



island　had　the　appearance　of　being　the　scene　of　a　very　extensive　but



somewhat　badly…arranged　display　of　costly　fireworks。　At　the　same　time



the　thunder　rolled　among　the　clouds　and　beneath　the　sea　in　an



exceedingly　disconcerting　manner。　At　the　first　indication　of　these



celestial　movements　a　sudden　blindness　came　upon　Yin；　and　all　power　of



thought　or　movement　forsook　him；　nevertheless；　he　experienced　an



emotion　of　flight　through　the　air；　as　though　borne　upwards　upon　the



back　of　a　winged　creature。　When　this　emotion　ceased；　the　blindness



went　from　him　as　suddenly　and　entirely　as　if　a　cloth　had　been　pulled



away　from　his　eyes；　and　he　perceived　that　he　was　held　in　the　midst　of



a　boundless　space；　with　no　other　object　in　view　than　the　sacred　rock；



which　had　opened；　as　it　were；　revealing　a　mighty　throng　within；　at　the



sight　of　whom　Yin's　internal　organs　trembled　as　they　would　never　have



moved　at　ordinary　danger；　for　it　was　put　into　his　spirit　that　these　in



whose　presence　he　stood　were　the　sacred　Emperors　of　his　country　from



the　earliest　time　until　the　usurpation　of　the　Chinese　throne　by　the



devouring　Tartar　hordes　from　the　North。







As　Yin　gazed　in　fear…stricken　amazement；　a　knowledge　of　the　various



Pure　Ones　who　composed　the　assembly　came　upon　him。　He　understood　that



the　three　unclad　and　commanding　figures　which　stood　together　were　the



Emperors　of　the　Heaven；　Earth；　and　Man；　whose　reigns　covered　a　space



of　more　than　eighty　thousand　years；　commencing　from　the　time　when　the



world　began　its　span　of　existence。　Next　to　them　stood　one　wearing　a



robe　of　leopard…skin；　his　hand　resting　upon　a　staff　of　a　massive　club；



while　on　his　face　the　expression　of　tranquillity　which　marked　his



predecessors　had　changed　into　one　of　alert　wakefulness；　it　was　the



Emperor　of　Houses；　whose　reign　marked　the　opening　of　the　never…ending



strife　between　man　and　all　other　creatures。　By　his　side　stood　his



successor；　the　Emperor　of　Fire；　holding　in　his　right　hand　the　emblem



of　the　knotted　cord；　by　which　he　taught　man　to　cultivate　his　mental



faculties；　while　from　his　mouth　issued　smoke　and　flame；　signifying



that　by　the　introduction　of　fire　he　had　raised　his　subjects　to　a　state



of　civilized　life。







On　the　other　side　of　the　boundless　chamber　which　seemed　to　be



contained　within　the　rocks　were　Fou…Hy；　Tchang…Ki；　Tcheng…Nung；　and



Huang；　standing　or　reclining　together。　The　first　of　these　framed　the



calendar；　organized　property；　thought　out　the　eight　Essential



Diagrams；　encouraged　the　various　branches　of　hunting；　and　the　rearing



of　domestic　animals；　and　instituted　marriage。　From　his　couch　floated



melodious　sounds　in　remembrance　of　his　discovery　of　the　property　of



stringed　woods。　Tchang…Ki；　who　manifested　the　property　of　herbs　and



growing　plants；　wore　a　robe　signifying　his　attainments　by　means　of



embroidered　symbols。　His　hand　rested　on　the　head　of　the　dragon；　while



at　his　feet　flowed　a　bottomless　canal　of　the　purest　water。　The



discovery　of　written　letters　by　Tcheng…Nung；　and　his　ingenious　plan　of



grouping　them　after　the　manner　of　the　constellations　of　stars；　was



emblemized　in　a　similar　manner；　while　Huang；　or　the　Yellow　Emperor；



was　surrounded　by　ores　of　the　useful　and　precious　metals；　weapons　of



warfare；　written　books；　silks　and　articles　of　attire；　coined　money；



and　a　variety　of　objects；　all　testifying　to　his　ingenuity　and　inspired



energy。







These　illustrious　ones；　being　the　greatest；　were　the　first　to　take



Yin's　attention；　but　beyond　them　he　beheld　an　innumerable　concourse　of



Emperors　who　not　infrequently　outshone　their　majestic　predecessors　in



the　richness　of　their　apparel　and　the　magnificence　of　the　jewels　which



they　wore。　There　Yin　perceived　Hung…Hoang；　who　first　caused　the　chants



to　be　collected；　and　other　rulers　of　the　Tcheon　dynasty；　Yong…Tching；



who　compiled　the　Holy　Edict；　Thang　rulers　whose　line　is　rightly　called



〃the　golden〃；　from　the　unsurpassed　excellence　of　the　composed　verses



which　it　produced；　renowned　Emperors　of　the　versatile　Han　dynasty；



and；　standing　apart；　and　shunned　by　all；　the　malignant　and



narrow…minded　Tsing…Su…Hoang；　who　caused　the　Sacred　Books　to　be



burned。







Even　while　Yin　looked　and　wondered；　in　great　fear；　a　rolling　voice；



coming　from　one　who　sat　in　the　midst　of　all；　holding　in　his　right　hand



the　sun；　and　in　his　left　the　moon；　sounded　forth；　like　the　music　of



many　brass　instruments　playing　in　unison。　It　was　the　First　Man　who



spoke。







〃Yin；　son　of　Yat　Huang；　and　creature　of　the　Lower　Part；〃　he　said；



〃listen　well　to　the　words　I　speak；　for　brief　is　the　span　of　your



tarrying　in　the　Upper　Air；　nor　will　the　utterance　I　now　give　forth



ever　come　unto　your　ears　again；　either　on　the　earth；　or　when；　blindly



groping　in　the　Middle　Distance；　your　spirit　takes　its　nightly　flight。



They　who　are　gathered　around；　and　whose　voices　I　speak；　bid　me　say



this：　Although　immeasurably　above　you　in　all　matters；　both　of



knowledge　and　of　power；　yet　we　greet　you　as　one　who　is



well…intentioned；　and　inspired　with　honourable　ambition。　Had　you　been



content　to　entreat　and　despair；　as　did　all　the　feeble　and　incapable



ones　whose　white　bones　formed　your　pathway；　your　ultimate　fate　would



have　in　no　wise　differed　from　theirs。　But　inasmuch　as　you　held



yourself　valiantly；　and；　being　taken；　raised　an　instinctive　hand　in



return；　you　have　been　chosen；　for　the　day　to　mute　submission　has；　for



the　time　or　for　ever；　passed　away；　and　the　hour　is　when　China　shall　be



saved；　not　by　supplication；　but　by　the　spear。〃







〃A　state　of　things　which　would　have　been　highly　unnecessary　if　I　had



been　permitted　to　carry　out　my　intention　fully；　and　restore　man　to　his



prehistoric　simplicity；〃　interrupted　Tsin…Su…Hoang。　〃For　that　reason；



when　the　voice　of　the　assemblage　expresses　itself；　it　must　be



understood　that　it　represents　in　no　measure　the　views　of



Tsin…So…Hoang。〃







〃In　the　matter　of　what　has　gone　before；　and　that　which　will　follow



hereafter；〃　continued　the　Voice　dispassionately；　〃Yin；　the　son　of



Yat…Huang；　must　concede　that　it　is　in　no　part　the　utterance　of



Tsin…Su…HoangTsin…Su…Hoang　who　burned　the　Sacred　Books。〃







At　the　mention　of　the　name　and　offence　of　this　degraded　being　a　great



sound　went　up　from　the　entire　multitudea　universal　cry　of



execration；　not　greatly　dissimilar　from　that　which　may　be　frequently



heard　in　the　crowded　Temple　of　Impartiality　when　the　one　whose　duty　it



is　to　take　up；　at　a　venture；　the　folded　papers；　announces　that　the



sublime　Emperor；　or　some　mandarin　of　exalted　rank；　has　been　so



fortunate　as　to　hold　the　winning　number　in　the　Annual　State　Lottery。



So　vengeance…laden　and　mournful　was　the　combined　and　evidently



preconcerted　wail；　that　Yin　was　compelled　to　shield　his　ears　against



it；　yet　the　inconsiderable　Tsin…Su…Hoang；　on　whose　account　it