Flying Fox of the Snowy Mountain Chapter 2 – Part 1

The party gazed up at the peak and could not help drawing a collective sharp breath, a coldness seizing them to the marrow. The peak was not especially tall, yet it stood among the surrounding mountains like a brush-tube set upright, sheer beyond belief, so steep that even an ape would have had trouble climbing it. They could not help half-doubting: “Even if a man of great skill could scale it, could anyone truly live atop such a summit?”

The old monk smiled faintly and led the way, turning two more hillsides before entering a great pine forest. Most of the pines within were several hundred years old, their branches intertwined, their crowns heavy with several feet of packed snow, so the forest floor was comparatively clear and easier walking. They walked the length of that pine forest for fully half a shichen¹ before emerging at the foot of the peak.

Seen from close range now, the peak was still more terrifying. They thought to themselves that even in summer it would be hard to climb. With the entire face covered in snow as it was now, anyone reckless enough to attempt the ascent would surely fall and be dashed to pieces.

A mountain wind swept past, driving the pine boughs together with a booming crash like an autumn tide arriving in the night. These men had roamed the jianghu² for years and witnessed no small number of great battles, yet standing here beneath that peak they felt fear steal over them despite themselves. The old monk drew a coloured firework from his robe, struck a huozhezi³ and lit it. With a soft hiss, the rocket shot skyward, trailing a ribbon of blue smoke that lingered long in the air.

They knew it for a signal, the kind used in the jianghu to carry messages, but one that flew this high and left smoke hanging this long was rare indeed. All eyes turned to the summit, watching for any sign.

After a moment a dark dot appeared at the peak’s crown and slid downward with startling speed. As it drew nearer it grew larger, and when it had descended halfway, they could make out an enormous bamboo basket slung from a bamboo cable. It was a lift for receiving guests, lowered from the summit.

The basket settled before them and stopped. The old monk said, “Three can sit in this basket. Let the two ladies go up first, and there is room for one gentleman more. Who will it be? This humble monk will not take advantage of the ladies, so I shan’t be going. Ha ha!” They all thought, The monk’s martial skill is considerable, yet his speech is shockingly coarse.

Tian Qingwen helped Zheng Sanniang into the basket, thinking: “If I go up first, Cao shige⁴ will surely take the chance to harm Zian. But if I ask Zian to come with me, I shall lose face before Shishu.” She beckoned to Cao Yunqi: “Shige, come up with me.” Cao Yunqi was so delighted he looked at Tao Zian with barely concealed triumph and stepped into the basket, sitting down beside Tian Qingwen. He tugged the bamboo cable and gave it several hard shakes.

The basket swayed and began rising towards the summit. The three of them felt as though they were riding the wind, soaring through cloud and mist, their stomachs hollow with unease. When the basket reached mid-peak, Tian Qingwen glanced down and saw that the people below had shrunk to dots. The peak, which had seemed no great height from afar, was in truth a wall of rock standing sheer, and truly lofty. Dizziness seized her at once, and she shut her eyes, not daring to look again.

After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the basket reached the summit and stopped. Cao Yunqi stepped out and helped the two women down. Beside the peak stood three enormous winches linked by bamboo cables. A dozen stout men worked the winches and sent the basket back down. It made several trips before the old monk and all the heroes had been brought to the top. Two grey-clad men stood beside the winches. They had ignored Cao Yunqi and the rest. Only when the monk arrived did they step forward and bow.

The old monk laughed, “This humble monk has brought a few friends to eat your master’s food for free without telling him. Ha!” A middle-aged man with a long neck and broad forehead bowed and said, “Since they are friends of Great Master Baoshu,⁵ our master will be most happy to welcome them.” They all thought, So the old monk is called Baoshu.

The man offered a full bow to the company and said, “Our master had business elsewhere and could not greet his honoured guests in person. I beg the heroes’ forgiveness.” Everyone returned the courtesy, each wondering: “This man lives on the summit of a snow-peaked mountain, yet wears thin clothing and shows no sign of cold. His neigong⁶ must be considerable. Yet by his manner of speech he is a servant. What manner of man must his master be?”

Baoshu’s expression showed faint surprise. “Your master is not at home? How can he go out at a time like this?” The man said, “Our master left seven days ago for Ningguta.⁷” Baoshu said, “Ningguta? What for?” The man glanced at Ruan Shizhong and the others, as if reluctant to say. Baoshu said, “Speak freely.” The man said, “My master said the enemy is formidable and feared that when the time came he could not hold out against him, so he hastened to Ningguta to invite Golden-Faced Buddha⁸ to come up the mountain and lend his fist.”

At the three words “Golden-Faced Buddha,” everyone started. This was a senior figure of the wulin,⁹ whose true name was Miao Renfeng.¹⁰ Beyond the epithet “Golden-Faced Buddha,” he had been known across the jianghu for twenty years by seven further characters: “He Who Has Fought All Under Heaven and Found No Equal.” Those seven characters had drawn him no shortage of bitter enemies and powerful foes, yet his martial skill was truly extraordinary. There was not a master of any school or style who had not lost to him in turn. For the past ten years he had vanished from sight, and the wulin heard no more of him. Some rumoured he had died of illness in the Western Regions, but no one had seen it with their own eyes, so it remained uncertain. Now, learning that he was not only alive but that the master of this place had gone to invite him up the mountain, everyone was at once astonished and vaguely uneasy.

For this Golden-Faced Buddha’s skill was matched only by his hatred of evil. Wherever some grave wickedness was done, if he heard of it he would come calling, and those who had done it suffered at the least the loss of a hand or foot, at the worst their lives; most could not escape. Every person in this party had done something, great or small, that weighed upon their conscience. At the name “Golden-Faced Buddha,” their hearts leapt with secret dread, each fearing that old wrongs would be brought to account.

Baoshu smiled faintly. “Your master is overly cautious. What skill can the Flying Fox of the Snowy Mountain¹¹ possess, to require such trouble?” The man said, “With the Great Master coming from afar to lend his strength, we had already counted on certain victory. But we have heard that the Flying Fox is indeed cunning beyond measure. Our master said it is best to be prepared. A few more hands to help means less chance of letting the Fox escape.” They all wondered, Just who is this Flying Fox of the Snowy Mountain? As Baoshu and the man talked, they led the way, passing several snow-laden pines. Ahead stood an enormous stone house, snow everywhere about it.

They entered the great gate and walked down a covered corridor to the front hall. The hall was vast, with a great charcoal brazier burning in each of the four corners. Hanging in the centre was a wooden couplet bearing twenty-two characters: “Before I came to Liaodong,¹² I boasted myself unmatched under heaven; By chance in Hebei,¹³ I at last believe heroes walk the earth.”

The upper inscription read: “For my honoured brother Ximeng to correct.”¹⁴ The lower inscription: “The presumptuous Miao Renfeng, ashamed of his former wild words, scrawled in drink.”¹⁵

These were rough men of the jianghu, and most could not make out what the couplet meant. It seemed that Miao Renfeng was in some measure ashamed of his own epithet. The twenty-two characters were written with a dragon’s sweep and a phoenix’s flight, cutting deep into the wood. They seemed to have been carved along the original brushstrokes. Between the couplet’s two panels, the central hanging showed a cluster of gorgeous peonies against a backdrop of snowy mountains.

Baoshu’s expression shifted slightly. “Your master is on very intimate terms with Golden-Faced Buddha, I see.” The long-necked man said, “Indeed. Our Manor Master¹⁶ and Miao daxia have been friends for many years.” Baoshu said, “Oh.”

Liu Yuanhe’s¹⁷ heart pounded harder. He thought, So I have come to the house of a friend of Miao Renfeng. My old life is nine parts gone. In an instant his palms were slick with cold sweat.

Everyone took their seats. The man had tea served and stood at the lower end to keep them company.

Baoshu said, “That Golden-Faced Buddha called himself ‘He Who Has Fought All Under Heaven and Found No Equal’ back in the day, which was far too arrogant. Looking at this couplet, he knows as much himself.” The long-necked man said, “No. Our master says that is Miao daxia being modest. In truth, were it not too cumbersome, one would have to add four more characters to that epithet: ‘Throughout All Ages.’” Baoshu snorted. “Heh! The sutras say that when the Buddha Shakyamuni came into the world, the moment he touched the ground he declared: ‘Above the heavens, below the heavens, I alone am the honoured one.’ That pairs well enough with ‘Throughout All Ages, He Who Has Fought All Under Heaven and Found No Equal,’ doesn’t it?”

Cao Yunqi, catching the sarcasm in his words, laughed loudly.

The long-necked man glared at him. “Would the honoured guest show some respect?” Cao Yunqi was taken aback. “What for?” The man said, “If Golden-Faced Buddha learned you were mocking him behind his back, I fear the honoured guest would find himself … inconvenienced.” Cao Yunqi said, “The way of martial arts is boundless. One must know that there is a heaven above the heaven, and a man above the man. He is flesh and blood like the rest of us. However great his skill, how can he claim the seven characters ‘He Who Has Fought All Under Heaven and Found No Equal’?” The man said, “This humble one is ignorant and sees little of the world. Our master says the claim holds, so I expect it does.”

Cao Yunqi heard the modest words but saw the most disrespectful bearing, and his anger flared. “I am the zhangmen¹⁸ of a school. How can I be insulted by a lowly servant such as you?” He sneered: “So apart from Golden-Faced Buddha, your master counts himself first under heaven? Heh. Ridiculous.” The man said, “There is nothing ridiculous about it.” He reached out and patted the back of the chair Cao Yunqi sat in, lightly. Cao Yunqi felt the chair jolt violently, and his body shot upward. He was holding a tea bowl in his hand, and taken by surprise, it slipped from his fingers and fell. It seemed certain to smash on the floor. But the man bent, caught the bowl, and said, “Careful, honoured guest.” Cao Yunqi’s face went crimson. He turned his head away and would not look at him. The man placed the bowl on the table, and barely a drop of tea had spilled.

Baoshu pretended not to have seen any of this. He said to the long-necked man: “Apart from Golden-Faced Buddha and myself, who else has your master invited to lend a hand?” The man said, “Before he left, our master told this humble one that Great Master Xuanmingzi of the Qingzang School,¹⁹ Daoist Elder²⁰ Lingqing of Kunlun Mountain,²¹ and Old Fist Master Jiang of the Wuji School of Henan²² would all be arriving on the mountain in the coming days. He told me to see to them well. That the Great Master arrived first of all shows great devotion. Our master will be most grateful when he learns of it.”

Baoshu had been invited by the master of this place and had assumed that once he arrived, even the most thorny affair would be swiftly resolved. He had not imagined that so many famous figures had also been called. Though he had met few of them in person, he knew them all by reputation. Not one was anything less than a first-rate master, and every one ranked above him in fame. Had he known so many were coming, he would sooner not have come at all, and as for Golden-Faced Buddha Miao Renfeng, the further he stayed away the better. That his host was not even at home to receive guests was a discourtesy, and he was displeased. “I am of little use, true, but once Golden-Faced Buddha arrives, is there anything that cannot be managed? Why invite others besides?” The man said, “Our master said he would take the chance to gather with the heroes. Guild Chief²³ Fan of the Xinghan Beggars’ Guild²⁴ is also coming.” Baoshu stiffened. “Chief Fan is coming too? Just how many helpers has this Flying Fox called in?” The man said, “We hear he calls for no helpers. He comes alone.”

Ruan Shizhong, Yin Ji, Tao Baisui and the rest had long years in the jianghu behind them. Hearing that the Flying Fox of the Snowy Mountain was coming alone, while the master here had laid out so many first-rank masters and still wished to fetch Golden-Faced Buddha and the Beggars’ Guild Chief besides, they all thought that even if the Flying Fox had three heads and six arms, there was no need to raise so great an army against him. Seeing the skill Baoshu had shown, he alone would likely suffice. And when it came time to fight, those of them already on the mountain would hardly stand by with folded arms. The host, it seemed, had not at first expected so many uninvited guests.

Among them all, Liu Yuanhe’s mind was in the greatest turmoil. The Xinghan Beggars’ Guild had always set itself against the tingchao.²⁵ To add the two characters “Xinghan” to the guild’s name showed clear anti-Qing intent. Just the previous month, Saihetu,²⁶ Commander of the Imperial Guard, had personally led eighteen elite danei²⁷ guards to seize Chief Fan and cast him into the Imperial Prison. The matter had been kept most secret, and very few in the jianghu knew of it. Liu Yuanhe was one of those eighteen. Today he had blundered heedlessly into the tiger’s den, and his prospects looked grim.

Baoshu noticed Liu Yuanhe’s colour change at the name of Chief Fan and asked, “Does Lord Liu²⁸ know Chief Fan?” Liu Yuanhe hastened to say, “I do not know him. I only know Chief Fan is a famous hero of the northern roads. In years past, bare-handed, he killed two fierce tigers with his ‘Dragon Claw Grasping Hand.’²⁹” Baoshu smiled faintly and turned away from him. He asked the long-necked man: “Just who is this Flying Fox of the Snowy Mountain, and what grudge does he bear against your master? Damn it all, what a troublesome business!” The man said, “Our master has said nothing about it. This humble one dares not ask.”

As they spoke, servants brought wine and food. Atop this snowy peak, the dishes were surprisingly fine and the wine excellent, well beyond what anyone had expected. The long-necked man said, “The master’s wife thanks you all for coming. Please drink a few cups more.” Everyone gave their thanks.

At the table, Cao Yunqi and Tao Zian glared at each other. Xiong Yuanxian and Zhou Yunyang ground their fists in readiness. Tao Baisui longed to lay his whip across Zheng Sanniang. Though they sat together at the same board, each nursed his own secret sickness. Only Baoshu ate and drank at ease, tearing at great chunks of meat and gulping wine by the bowlful, his mouth full of coarse and filthy talk. Where in all this was anything of a monk?

Several rounds of wine passed. A servant carried up a tray of steaming mantou. The company had been toiling all day and were long hungry. At the sight of the buns, every face brightened. They were reaching for them when suddenly a sharp hiss sounded from the sky. Everyone looked up. A rocket streaked across the heavens, climbing high and pausing for a breath before it burst. A shower of coloured sparks spread slowly apart, resolving into the faint shape of a fox with wings. Baoshu shoved back his chair and rose. “The Flying Fox of the Snowy Mountain has arrived.”

Every face changed. The long-necked man bowed to Baoshu. “Our master has not returned, and the enemy comes unannounced. Everything here depends upon the Great Master to direct.” Baoshu said, “Leave it to me. There is nothing to fear. Bring him up.” The man hesitated. “This snow-peak is a natural fortress. There is no way the Fox can climb it. I would ask the Great Master to go down and tell him our master is not home.” Baoshu said, “Winch him up. I will deal with him.” The man said, “I fear that once he reaches the summit, the Matriarch may be disturbed.” Baoshu’s face darkened. “You think I cannot deal with the Flying Fox?” The long-necked man hastily bowed again. “This humble one would not dare.” Baoshu said, “Just bring him up.” The man had no choice but to comply. He drew a servant aside and whispered a few words, presumably telling him to be on his guard and protect the Matriarch.

Baoshu saw it all and gave a cold smile but said nothing. He ordered the banquet cleared. The company scattered to their seats and drank tea. They had barely finished one cup when the long-necked man called out, “The guest arrives!” The two great doors swung open with a creak.

Everyone set down their cups and fixed their eyes on the entrance. Side by side through the doors came two young pages. They were of identical height, some thirteen or fourteen years of age, dressed in white sable coats. On the crown of each head, two little braids stood upright, bound with red silk, and on each boy’s back was slung a long jian.³⁰ Their brows and features were as if painted, refined and handsome. Strangest of all, their faces were exactly alike, without the slightest difference, except that the boy on the right carried his jian-hilt angling over his right shoulder, while the other’s hilt slanted over his left, and in his hands he held a visiting-card case.

At the sight of the two pages, everyone was startled, and at the same time relieved. They had expected the dread and murderous Flying Fox of the Snowy Mountain, and instead two children had walked in. As the pair drew nearer, they saw that on each braid was tied a bright pearl, four in all, each the size of a little finger’s joint and giving off a soft glow. Xiong Yuanxian was an escort captain, Tao Baisui had spent years in the greenwood,³¹ and both had a keen eye for treasures. At the sight of those four great pearls, their hearts gave a leap: “Those four pearls are worth a fortune. And the sable coats have not a single stray hair in either of them. That too is beyond rare. Even a family of vast wealth might not possess such things.”

The two pages approached Baoshu, who sat in the central seat, and bowed. The boy on the left held the card-case high. The long-necked man took it, opened it, and presented it before Baoshu. Inside was a card of bright red paper, and upon it, written in bold ink, a single line: “Your junior Hu Fei respectfully calls. For the Snowy Mountain gathering, he honours this day’s appointment at the hour of Wu.”³² The characters were vigorous and upright.

At the two characters “Hu Fei,” Baoshu’s mind stirred. “So the Flying Fox’s nickname is just his name reversed.” He nodded. “Has your master arrived?” The right-hand boy said, “My master says he will arrive precisely at the hour of Wu. Lest our honoured host wait too long, he has sent us ahead to present his card.” His voice was clear and bright, still untouched by a man’s change. Baoshu found the boys endearing and asked, “Are you twins?” The boy said, “We are.” He bowed and turned to leave. The long-necked man said, “Little brothers, stay a moment. Have some refreshment before you go.” The right-hand boy said, “Many thanks, Big Brother. Without our master’s leave, we dare not linger.” Tian Qingwen took some fruit from a plate and held it out to them with a smile. “Then have some fruit.” The left-hand boy accepted. “Many thanks, Miss.³³”

Cao Yunqi was jealous by nature, quick-tempered and fiery, unable to bear the slightest provocation. Seeing Tian Qingwen’s warm manner towards the two pages, a dark anger rose in him. He sneered: “Small children, and carrying long jians on your backs? Do you know swordsmanship, then?” The two boys looked at him in surprise. Together they said, “We do not.” Cao Yunqi barked: “Then why parade about with jians on your backs? Leave them with me.” He reached out with both hands to seize the hilts of their jians.

The two children had never imagined anyone would try to take their weapons, and Cao Yunqi’s strike was lightning-swift. Shua-shua. Before the onlookers’ eyes a flash of green light leapt, and two jians slid from their scabbards. He already held them both. Cao Yunqi laughed aloud. “You two little —” The fifth word never left his mouth. Both boys leapt as one. One shot out his left hand, the other his right, with such speed that they pressed down on Cao Yunqi’s neck. Both pushed forward at once. Cao Yunqi tried to defend, but his feet were hooked, one left, one right, by a simultaneous kick, and his body spun helpless through half a somersault before he crashed face-down to the floor with a pa.

Footnotes

1. 时辰 – shíchén. A traditional Chinese unit of time, equivalent to two hours. ↩

2. 江湖 – jiānghú. Lit. “rivers and lakes.” The itinerant world of martial artists and wanderers beyond settled society and official reach. ↩

3. 火折子 – huǒzhézi. A tinder tube: rolled paper or fibre treated with saltpetre, kept smouldering and revived with a puff of breath. ↩

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

5. 宝树 – Bǎoshù. “Precious Tree.” A Buddhist monk’s dharma name. ↩

6. 内功 – nèigōng. Internal cultivation; the training of one’s inner energy. ↩

7. 宁古塔 – Nínggǔtǎ. A remote region in northeastern Manchuria, used as a place of exile during the Qing dynasty. ↩

8. 金面佛 – Jīnmiàn Fó. “Golden-Faced Buddha.” The epithet of Miao Renfeng, a senior hero of the wulin. ↩

9. 武林 – wǔlín. The martial forest; the community of martial artists. ↩

10. 苗人凤 – Miáo Rénfèng. A legendary martial artist whose epithet is “Golden-Faced Buddha.” For twenty years he has been known as “He Who Has Fought All Under Heaven and Found No Equal.” ↩

11. 雪山飞狐 – Xuěshān Fēihú. “Flying Fox of the Snowy Mountain.” The epithet of the host’s awaited enemy. ↩

12. 辽东 – Liáodōng. The region east of the Liao River in Manchuria. ↩

13. 冀北 – Jìběi. Northern Hebei province. ↩

14. 希孟 – Xīmèng. The name by which the couplet addresses its recipient. ↩

15. 妄人苗人凤 – Wàngrén Miáo Rénfèng. “The presumptuous man Miao Renfeng.” Miao Renfeng’s self-deprecating signature. ↩

16. 庄主 – zhuāngzhǔ. Master of a manor. ↩

17. 刘元鹤 – Liú Yuánhè. A first-rank imperial guard of the capital. ↩

18. 掌门 – zhǎngmén. The head of a martial school. ↩

19. 青藏派 – Qīngzàng Pài. The Qingzang School, a martial school of the Qinghai-Tibet region. ↩

20. 道长 – dàozhǎng. Daoist Elder: the courtesy title a speaker offers a Daoist. ↩

21. 昆仑山 – Kūnlún Shān. The Kunlun Mountains, a legendary mountain range in western China. ↩

22. 无极门 – Wújí Mén. The Wuji School, a martial arts school of Henan. ↩

23. 帮主 – bāngzhǔ. Guild Chief. The head of a martial guild. ↩

24. 兴汉丐帮 – Xīnghàn Gàibāng. The Xinghan Beggars’ Guild. “Xinghan” means “Revive the Han,” indicating anti-Qing sentiment. ↩

25. 朝廷 – cháotíng. The imperial court. ↩

26. 赛赫图 – Sàihètú. Commander of the Imperial Guard under the Qing court. ↩

27. 大内 – dànèi. The Inner Palace; by extension, the imperial guard. ↩

28. 大人 – dàrén. A respectful form of address for an official or person of rank. ↩

29. 龙爪擒拿手 – Lóngzhuǎ Qínnáshǒu. “Dragon Claw Grasping Hand.” A grappling technique said to be powerful enough to kill tigers bare-handed. ↩

30. 剑 – jiàn. A straight, double-edged sword. ↩

31. 绿林 – lǜlín. Literally green forest, or greenwood. Term for outlaws and bandits who dwell in the wilds. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

32. 午时 – wǔshí. The hour of Wu, roughly 11 am to 1 pm. The day was divided into twelve shichen, each named for one of the Earthly Branches. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

33. 姑娘 – gūniang. A respectful term for a young woman. ↩