Flying Fox of the Snowy Mountain Chapter 2 – Part 2

His snatching of the jians was fast, but his fall was even faster. Before the onlookers could recover from their surprise, the two boys lunged forward to reclaim the jians from his hands. How could Cao Yunqi be a weakling? Earlier he had been caught off guard, which was why he had fallen for their trick. The moment he hit the ground he sprang up again, both jians raised upright to scare the boys back. Unexpectedly, as the two boys leapt, somehow one hand from each had already hooked around his neck, pressing and catching with hands and feet in movements exactly as before. Cao Yunqi fell face-first once more.

The first fall could still be blamed on the boys catching him unawares, but this second was heavier still. He was the zhangmen¹ of the Tianlong School,² in the prime of youth and strength, while the two boys standing barely reached his chest. A second face-first fall. How could he save face? In his fury a killing intent arose. Before he had even risen, his left jian hung down while his right jian suddenly slashed horizontally, meaning to strike the two boys dead beneath his blade.

Tian Qingwen³ saw that this move was their school’s killing technique, “Erlang Bears the Mountain,”⁴ fierce and ruthless. Even a highly skilled martial artist would have found it hard to fend off for a time. Seeing these two jade-lovely children about to die a violent death, she hastily cried, “Shige, don’t use a killing move!”

Cao Yunqi swung his jian in a slash. Hearing Tian Qingwen’s cry, though he had always listened to this shimei’s⁵ words, the move was already delivered, and in his haste he could not retract his jian in time. He sank his wrist strength, thinking he would just leave a mark on the two brats’ chests and call it done. Little did he know, the boy on the left suddenly wriggled from under his armpit to the right while the boy on the right wriggled to the left. His slash hit nothing but air. He was about to withdraw and strike again when suddenly shadows flickered on both sides and the two small figures had pounced once more.

Cao Yunqi had already suffered twice, but his jians were extended outward and in an instant he could not draw them back for a thrust. Seeing this strange move coming again, still unable to block or dodge, he immediately released his grip on both jians and thrust his palms outward, roaring, “Go!” Each palm carried full force. If the edge of his palms so much as grazed the two boys, they would certainly be hurt. Suddenly shadows flickered and the two small figures vanished. He hastily spun around, only to see the boy on the left dart low to the right and the boy on the right dart low to the left. Before his eyes could adjust, their hands were pressing down on his neck once more.

In his desperation he forced strength through his waist and back, throwing himself violently backward to fling the two boys off behind him. The moment his momentum flew outward, he suddenly felt the two small hands on his neck let go. Startled, he knew it was bad. He hastily reined in his strength to stand straight, but it was too late. The two boys thrust out a left foot and a right foot, hooking forward behind his heels. Cao Yunqi had already overcommitted his own force and could barely stand. With the two boys tripping him forward on top of that, he cursed “Sons of bitches!” and went crashing onto his back. The fall left his spine feeling as if it would snap, his tailbone burning with pain. He tried to straighten and rise, but his waist could not muster strength and he fell backward again.

Zhou Yunyang⁶ rushed forward and reached out to help him up. The two boys had already seized the chance to pick up their jians. Cao Yunqi’s face was naturally a dark purple, but now it darkened to near-black with rage. He drew the jian at his waist and with a move called “White Rainbow Pierces the Sun,”⁷ thrust with a whoosh straight at the boy on the left. Zhou Yunyang, seeing his shixiong⁸ tumble three times in succession, knew that although the two boys were young they were far from easy opponents. With two of them on the other side, his stepping forward to help could hardly be called unfair. He followed with his own jian, thrusting at the boy on the right.

The boy on the left exchanged a glance with the boy on the right. Both raised their jians to parry, then suddenly leapt back three paces together. The boy on the left called, “Great monk,⁹ we were sent by our master to deliver a letter. We have not offended these two sirs. Why must there be a fight?” Baoshu smiled faintly and said, “These two gentlemen wish to test your skills. They bear no ill will. You may spar with them.” The boy on the left said, “Then we ask you gentlemen to instruct us.” Their twin jians rose and they engaged Cao and Zhou once more.

Every servant and maid in this manor knew martial arts. Hearing that the two child messengers from the opposing side were fighting in the hall, they flocked out to stand in the corridors and watch. They saw one boy holding his jian in his left hand, the other in his right. The two advanced and retreated, dodged and avoided, moving as though they were one person. Their twin jians attacked in an unbroken ring, close beyond measure. It was plain that since they had first learned the jian as children, they had practised this paired-jian technique. Remarkably, the boy on the left wielded the jian with his left hand every bit as deftly as the boy on the right did with his right. He must have been naturally left-handed.

Cao and Zhou, shixiong and shidi, changed their jian techniques one after another, yet they could never get the better of the two children. In the blink of an eye they had fought several dozen exchanges. Though Cao and Zhou showed no sign of defeat, they could not gain the slightest advantage.

Ruan Shizhong¹⁰ grew impatient. Studying the boys’ martial arts carefully, he saw it was nothing more than the Shaolin Order’s¹¹ Dharma Swordplay,¹² nothing out of the ordinary. They simply thrust or parried, alternating attack and defence in a crossed pattern. The attacker was free from worry behind, the defender had no thought of counterattack. Whether attacking or defending, each could commit fully. He reckoned that with his bare palms he could wrest the jians from the two children. Seeing his two shizhi¹³ unable to finish a long fight, the prestige of the Tianlong School’s Northern Branch tottering, he barked, “The two children are indeed formidable. Yunqi, Yunyang, step back. Let this old man play with them.”

The two, Cao and Zhou, heard their shishu’s¹⁴ call and responded, about to withdraw. Little did they know, the two boys’ jian strikes suddenly quickened. In an instant both jians were attacking moves. Cao and Zhou could only swing their jians to block. The two boys’ jian followed jian, unbroken and endless. They blocked the first strike but the second demanded blocking too. After a dozen moves they could not disengage.

Tian Qingwen thought to herself, Let me relieve the two shixiong and bring them down, then let Ruan shishu subdue these two little brats. Ruan shishu’s martial arts are fearsome. Naturally he will seize their four little pigtails the moment he strikes. She thrust her jian forward and called, “Shige,¹⁵ both of you, step down!” Seeing the boy on the left pressing Cao Yunqi with continuous attacks, she immediately swung her jian to parry one of his strikes. Little did she know, as the child launched his second move he struck at both targets at once, thrusting at Cao Yunqi’s eye corner and at Tian Qingwen’s left shoulder. Tian Qingwen could only defend. With this, not only could she not relieve her shixiong, she had entangled herself as well. Cao Yunqi grew angrier as he fought, thinking, Our Tianlong Northern Branch’s swordsmanship has always been renowned. Today with the three of us joining forces we still cannot beat two small children. If word spreads through the jianghu,¹⁶ where will the Tianlong Northern Branch’s face be? At this thought his strikes grew heavier.

The boy on the right, seeing his elder brother pressed, turned his jian back and thrust at Cao Yunqi. Cao Yunqi spun to parry, but the boy on the left had already launched his jian at Zhou Yunyang. In a flash the two had switched opponents. The switch was so swift, their footwork so exquisite, that the onlookers could not help but cry out in admiration.

Yin Ji¹⁷ said in a low voice, “Ruan shixiong, you’d better go up. Those three can’t win.” Ruan Shizhong nodded. He tucked the iron box into his sash and tightened it, then called, “Let me have a go.” With a leap he closed in beside the boy on the right, his left finger aiming at the boy’s shoulder at the Jugu acupoint,¹⁸ his right hand using the Great Seizing Hand¹⁹ to go straight for the jian. The others saw his footwork swift and his strikes fierce, and could not help worrying for the child. But then they saw a flash of steel. The jian tip of the boy on the left was pointing at Ruan Shizhong’s back.

Ruan Shizhong was bent on seizing the jian and thought the boy on the left was occupied by Zhou Yunyang, never expecting a sudden sneak attack. He only heard Tian Qingwen cry urgently, “Shishu, behind you!” Ruan Shizhong hastily dodged left. With a rip, the back of his robe was torn open. The boy on the left called, “This gentleman had best take care.” It seemed he was still inclined to show mercy.

Ruan Shizhong’s heart stirred with agitation, his face flushing past his ears. But he was a veteran of many battles. This setback had instead steadied his temper. No longer recklessly advancing, he unleashed the Great Seizing Hand method: lock, cross, seal, split. He sought flaws and exploited gaps to wrest the weapons from the boys’ hands. He had spent decades of bitter training on these bare palms, and unleashed they were extraordinary. Yet strangely, while Cao and Zhou had fought them, the boys had not gained the upper hand. Now with Ruan and Tian added, the fight remained evenly matched.

Yin Ji thought, The Northern and Southern branches share the same lineage, root and branch. If the Northern Branch loses its edge, the Southern Branch will have no glory either. Today, even if bystanders say we win by numbers, it is still better than losing. His jian left its scabbard with a move called “Meteor Chases the Moon.” Before he had stepped into the ring, his jian tip was already pointing at the chest of the boy on the left. The boy on the right called, “Here comes another!” He turned his jian horizontally back, aiming at Yin Ji’s wrist. Yin Ji started. These two children relieve and cover each other in an unbroken chain. They have truly trained to the peak of perfection. His wrist sank sharply, dodging the strike. Dodging was not difficult, but his attacking momentum toward the boy on the left was undone in the process.

In the great hall six long jians and a pair of bare palms fought with whistling winds. After several dozen exchanges the result was still neither victory nor defeat.

Tao Zian²⁰ saw Tian Qingwen’s face flushed, her sleeve raised several times to wipe sweat. He called, “Sister Qing,²¹ rest a while. Let me take your place.” He swung his dao²² and advanced. Cao Yunqi barked, “Who asked you to curry favour?” His jian blocked the thrust of the boy on the right while his left hand balled into a fist and punched straight at Tao Zian’s nose. Tao Zian laughed and slipped back three paces, circling behind the boy on the left. Though his backside was still wounded, his bladework²³ remained exquisite. But the boys’ swordsmanship was utterly bizarre. The more opponents they faced, the greater their power seemed to grow. Tao Zian had to guard against Cao Yunqi’s ambush while dealing with the boys’ unexpected jian strikes, and found himself hard-pressed and flustered.

Tao Baisui²⁴ slowly edged closer, steel whip raised to protect his son. Amidst flashes of dao and jian, Cao Yunqi suddenly slashed his jian diagonally at Tao Zian. Tao Baisui roared and swung his whip to block, then pressed forward against Cao Yunqi. The onlookers, seeing the battle’s shifts, marvelled inwardly.

When Ruan Shizhong had entered the fight, Xiong Yuanxian²⁵ had seen him tuck the iron box into his sash. He thought he might as well join the battle, fish in troubled waters, and seize his chance. Snatching the iron box or killing the Tao father and son for revenge, either would do. He called, “What a fine fracas! Liu shixiong, you and I should join in too!” Liu Yuanhe²⁶ had been in the same shimen²⁷ as Xiong Yuanxian since childhood, and they knew each other’s hearts. Hearing the call, he understood at once. Swinging his twin crutches, he closed in beside Ruan Shizhong.

How could the boy on the left imagine that so many opponents each had their own designs? Seeing Liu Yuanhe and Xiong Yuanxian join the fray, he struck first, launching his jian in direct attack at the two. Though the boys’ swordsmanship was superb, two small children against nine should by rights have been unable to avoid defeat. But the nine each harboured separate intentions. The moves they used were more often aimed at restraining and guarding against each other than at attacking the enemy.

Tian Qingwen saw that while Liu and Xiong’s hands fought the twin boys, their eyes kept darting toward the iron box at their shishu’s waist. She knew their intentions were foul and called, “Ruan shishu, watch the iron box!” Ruan Shizhong had fought without resolution for some time and was already deeply agitated. He thought, The nine of us grown men cannot beat down two children. Today we have truly lost all face. If the iron box is lost as well, it will be even harder to show our faces from now on. A moment’s carelessness, and he felt a gust of force sweep past his face. The boy on the right, having parried the twin jians of Cao Yunqi and Zhou Yunyang, had seized a gap to slash at him. Ruan Shizhong’s heart jolted. I’ve lost face either way. He dodged sideways, and with a turn of his wrist drew his jian. Of the nine, his martial arts were originally the foremost. He unleashed the Tianlong Swordplay in full, and the air rang with clangs as the weapons of Tao father and son, the fellow disciples Liu and Xiong, and the others were all knocked aside. Yin Ji guarded his own defences and retreated to the rear, seizing the chance to observe the Northern Branch’s swordsmanship secrets.

Ruan Shizhong saw the others gradually pull back, leaving several feet of space around him. His jian moved with greater freedom. Spirit lifted, he stepped forward two paces and with a move called “Reaching Claw from the Clouds,” slashed down fiercely at the head of the boy on the right. The move was exceptionally swift. The jian of the boy on the right was just crossing with Liu Yuanhe’s iron crutch when he saw the strike coming. He hastily ducked to dodge. With a swish, the bright pearl on his little pigtail was sliced in two by the sharp jian and fell to the ground.

Both boys changed expression at the same time. The boy on the right called, “Brother!” His little mouth quivered, as if about to cry.

Ruan Shizhong laughed loudly. Suddenly he saw white shadows flickering before his eyes. The two boys crossed and repositioned. With several clangs, the weapons of Zhou Yunyang and Xiong Yuanxian were severed. The two men, greatly alarmed, leapt out of the ring. They saw that each boy now held an additional dagger, gleaming dazzlingly. The boy on the left called, “We want him to pay for the pearl!” His right hand flipped the dagger. With two clangs, the jians in Cao Yunqi’s and Yin Ji’s hands were severed. The daggers, it turned out, were treasured blades that could cut through gold and jade. Cao Yunqi was a moment too slow retreating. With a rip, his left flank was slashed by the dagger, and his leather belt and jian sheath were cut into several pieces.

The boy on the right, jian in his right hand and dagger in his left, pressed in to attack Ruan Shizhong directly. Now with twin blades in hand, his swordplay was wholly transformed. Ruan Shizhong was both alarmed and enraged. For a time he could not make out the boy’s jian lines. All he felt was that whenever the dagger thrust toward him, a cold menace pressed in. He dared not meet it with his jian and could only keep retreating. The boy on the right ignored the others, pressing forward strike after strike.

The boy on the left, back pressed against his brother’s back, took on all the remaining enemies alone, leaving his brother to fight Ruan Shizhong single-handed. After several exchanges another length of Tao Baisui’s steel whip was sheared off. Liu Yuanhe and Tao Zian dared not press close, circling at a distance in a wandering fight. Yin Ji, Cao Yunqi, Zhou Yunyang, and Tian Qingwen, the four of them saw Ruan Shizhong driven to the corner of the room with no further room to retreat, and were deeply anxious. They wanted to rush forward to rescue him, but three of them had broken weapons, and none of them could get past the boy on the left.

Watching the boys’ swordplay from the side, Baoshu marvelled inwardly. At first, when the boys had fought Cao Yunqi and the others, their swordsmanship had seemed merely ordinary. But as the opponents multiplied, the power of the boys’ jians had grown in proportion. Now with the daggers revealed, the situation had suddenly transformed. The jian of the boy on the left flashed continuously, driving the opposing crowd into frantic disarray. In the blink of an eye, Tao Zian’s and Liu Yuanhe’s weapons were severed as well. Of the eight fighting the boy on the left, only Tian Qingwen still held an intact jian. This was plainly not because her skills were unique, but because the boy on the left, grateful for her gift of fruit, was holding back against her.

Ruan Shizhong, back against the wall corner, fought with desperate resolve. He saw the jian of the boy on the right thrust straight at his chest and responded with a move called “Soaring Dragon, Rising Phoenix.” This was a “washing” stance. A swordplay maxim runs, “High comes, wash; low comes, strike; inside comes, cover; outside comes, swipe; centre comes, thrust.” These five characters, wash, strike, cover, swipe, thrust, are the common essentials of every school’s swordsmanship. Ruan Shizhong saw the enemy jian thrust high and answered with the “wash” principle, which was correct enough. But as the twin jians crossed, he suddenly felt his wrist sink. His own jian was being pressed down by the enemy’s. Ruan Shizhong was delighted. Though your swordsmanship is fine, how can your wrist strength match mine? He channelled force and countered with an upward flick. The boy on the right drew back the jian in his right hand, and the dagger in his left suddenly swept out. With a clang, Ruan Shizhong’s jian was severed in two.

Ruan Shizhong was badly startled. He immediately hurled the broken half of his jian at the boy’s face. The boy on the right ducked to dodge, then thrust his jian left and right, sealing Ruan Shizhong in the corner of the room so that he could not escape. Yin Ji, Cao Yunqi, and Zhou Yunyang all cried out together and launched hidden weapons²⁸ in a volley. The boy on the left leapt high and low, his right hand waving continuously, catching more than a dozen Poison Dragon Awls²⁹ one after another. It turned out that the base of his dagger’s handle bore a small net pouch, designed specifically to catch enemies’ hidden weapons.

Ruan Shizhong the Seven-Star Hand³⁰ may have lost his weapon, but his bare-handed skills were still considerable. He was a veteran of the jianghu, and though beaten he did not lose his composure. He faced the enemy with a pair of bare palms, steady and composed. What he feared most was not the boy’s bizarre martial arts, but the dagger’s dazzling, lethal edge. If the tip so much as grazed his palm, he feared his hand would be severed on the spot. He dashed and dodged with all his strength, not daring to counterattack.

The boy on the right kept calling, “Pay for my pearl! Pay for my pearl!” Ruan Shizhong was a hundred and twenty per cent willing to pay for the pearl, but he had no pearl to pay with, and how could he save face besides?

Baoshu saw the situation growing awkward. If the stalemate continued a moment longer and the child truly lost his temper, a single dagger thrust would put a clear hole through Ruan Shizhong’s chest. He was a guest Baoshu himself had invited up the mountain. How could he let an opponent’s child servant bully him? But these two boys’ martial arts were most unusual. Taken individually, they were no match for Ruan Shizhong. They might not even equal Liu Yuanhe or Tao Baisui. Yet the moment they fought together, they grew stronger against stronger foes. If Baoshu stepped in himself and could not handle them, would he not be inviting humiliation?

Baoshu hesitated, undecided, and Ruan Shizhong’s plight grew still more wretched. His robes were torn to shreds, his face smeared with blood. His chest and arms bore long slashes from the jian of the boy on the right. Several times he was on the verge of crying out in surrender, but each time he forced himself to swallow it. The boy on the right kept calling, “Will you pay for my pearl or not?” The long-necked servant walked to Baoshu’s side and said in a low voice, “Great Master,³¹ please finish off these two little brats.” Baoshu murmured “Mm” and was still weighing the matter when suddenly, with a hiss, a blue flame shot skyward from beyond the peak. The long-necked servant knew it was the aid their master had arranged. His heart leapt with joy. The monk talked big at first, but now he hems and haws. Fortunately our master’s friends have arrived. He hastened out the door to release the basket and welcome the guest.

Footnotes

1. 掌门 – zhǎngmén. Head of a martial arts school. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

2. 天龙门 – Tiānlóng Mén. The Tianlong School, a martial arts school divided into Northern and Southern branches. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

3. 田青文 – Tián Qīngwén. Member of the Northern Branch of the Tianlong School, Cao Yunqi’s shimei. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

4. 二郎担山 – Èrláng Dān Shān. Lit. “Erlang Bears the Mountain.” A killing technique of the Tianlong School, named after the deity Erlang Shen who carried mountains on his shoulders. ↩

5. 师妹 – shīmèi. Female junior fellow disciple under the same shifu. Shī means teacher. Mèi means younger sister. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

6. 周云阳 – Zhōu Yúnyáng. Member of the Northern Branch of the Tianlong School, Cao Yunqi’s shidi. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

7. 白虹贯日 – Bái Hóng Guàn Rì. “White Rainbow Pierces the Sun.” A sword technique. ↩

8. 师兄 – shīxiōng. Male senior fellow disciple under the same shifu. Shī means teacher. Xiōng means older brother. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

9. 宝树 – Bǎoshù. A Buddhist monk of formidable martial skill. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

10. 阮士中 – Ruǎn Shìzhōng. Member of the Northern Branch of the Tianlong School, known as Seven-Star Hand. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

11. 少林派 – Shàolín Pài. The Shaolin Order. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

12. 达摩剑法 – Dámó Jiànfǎ. The Dharma Swordplay, a Shaolin sword style. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

13. 师侄 – shīzhí. Lineage nephew or niece. Disciple of one’s shixiong, shijie, shidi, or shimei. Shī means teacher. Zhí means nephew or niece. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

14. 师叔 – shīshū. Junior lineage uncle. The shidi or shimei of one’s shifu. Shī means teacher. Shū means father’s younger brother. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

15. 师哥 – shīgē. An elder fellow disciple; the colloquial counterpart of shixiong (哥 is the spoken word for an elder brother). ↩

16. 江湖 – jiānghú. Literally rivers and lakes. The itinerant world beyond settled society and official reach, holding not only martial artists but the trades that travel with them, including pedlars, physicians, fortune-tellers, entertainers, boatmen, beggars, outlaws and the like. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

17. 殷吉 – Yīn Jí. Member of the Southern Branch of the Tianlong School. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

18. 巨骨 – Jùgǔ. An acupoint on the shoulder. Striking this point can numb or disable the arm. ↩

19. 大擒拿手 – Dà Qínná Shǒu. The Great Seizing Hand, a grappling and weapon-seizing technique. ↩

20. 陶子安 – Táo Zǐ’ān. Son of Tao Baisui. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

21. 青妹 – Qīng Mèi. An affectionate address meaning “Sister Qing,” used by Tao Zian for Tian Qingwen. ↩

22. 刀 – dāo. A single-edged blade. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

23. 刀法 – dāofǎ. Bladework; the techniques and forms for wielding a dao. ↩

24. 陶百岁 – Táo Bǎisuì. Father of Tao Zian. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

25. 熊元献 – Xióng Yuánxiàn. Master of the Pingtong Armed Escort. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

26. 刘元鹤 – Liú Yuánhè. A martial artist who shares the same shimen as Xiong Yuanxian. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

27. 师门 – shīmén. The house of one’s shifu: the master, the fellow disciples, and the rules and obligations binding them. ↩

28. 暗器 – ànqì. Hidden weapons, such as darts, needles, or flying projectiles launched secretly in combat. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

29. 毒龙锥 – Dú Lóng Zhuī. The Poison Dragon Awl, a type of hidden weapon. ↩

30. 七星手 – Qīxīng Shǒu. Seven-Star Hand. Ruan Shizhong’s epithet, referring to his distinctive palm technique. ↩

31. 大师 – dàshī. A respectful address for a Buddhist monk, literally “great master.” ↩