Flying Fox of the Snowy Mountain Chapter 3 – Part 2

Cao Yunqi suddenly spoke, “We could slowly slide down the mountain peak...” He got only half the words out before realising it was foolish, and quickly fell silent. The mountain peak was sheer beyond description. They would not slide twenty or thirty feet before plunging to their deaths. The others stared at him, all thinking, “This man is a complete idiot.” Cao Yunqi saw the looks on their faces and could not help but blush crimson.

Miao Ruolan said, “If we are all doomed to starve in the end, we should at least know the reason. Great Master,¹ what feud does the Flying Fox of the Snowy Mountain have with us? What skills does he possess that make the master of this place so wary? And what does this iron box have to do with it?”

This question voiced what was on everyone’s mind. The heroes had risked their lives fighting for the iron box. Some had even died for it. Yet beyond knowing it contained a precious treasure, not one could explain why. Now they all turned to Baoshu, waiting for him to explain.

Baoshu said, “Very well. Since it has come to this, haste will not help. Let us speak openly and clearly, and perhaps together we can find a way down the mountain. But if we turn on each other and fight, we will only die the faster, and play straight into the Flying Fox’s hands.” The heroes clamoured their agreement and sat in a circle.

By now the cold on the mountain had grown sharper. Steward Yu ordered more wood added to the brazier. Everyone fell silent to hear Baoshu speak.

Baoshu lifted the lid of his covered bowl, took a sip of tea, and first praised, “Fine tea!” Only then did he say, “This is a long story. Shall we first examine the treasured dao in the box?” Everyone called out their approval. Baoshu handed the iron box to Cao Yunqi, saying, “You are the zhangmen² of the Northern Branch of Tianlong School.³ Please open it for all to see.”

Cao Yunqi remembered how Tao Zian had fired a short arrow from the box that killed a man. Fearing the box might contain more hidden weapons, he took it with both hands but did not dare lift the lid. Baoshu watched him with a grin, saying nothing.

The others saw the box was covered in rust, mottled and pitted, corroded into bumps and hollows. Plainly it was an antique of over a hundred years, yet it showed nothing remarkable.

Cao Yunqi thought, If I don’t dare open the box, won’t Tao Zian that thief despise me? Gritting his teeth, he reached out with his right hand to lift the lid. To his surprise, the lid did not move at all. He looked closely and saw no lock or clasp on the box. He could not understand why it would not open. He put more strength into both hands, but the iron box seemed cast from a single piece of iron and showed no sign of yielding.

Tian Qingwen saw his face turning red and knew the box must have some mechanism. Forcing it open would not only fail but might cause injury. She whispered, “Zhou shixiong,⁴ you open it.” Zhou Yunyang looked hesitant. “I… I don’t know how…” Tian Qingwen took the iron box from Cao Yunqi and placed it in Zhou Yunyang’s hands, saying softly, “I know you know how.” Zhou Yunyang glared at her, then set the box on the table. He placed his hand on the lid, but instead of lifting it upward, he lifted at each of the four corners in turn, three times, then pressed his thumb hard against the centre of the box’s base. With a click, the lid sprang open.

Ruan Shizhong and Cao Yunqi both shot him sideways glances, thinking, “How do you know how to open this box?” Then they turned back to look inside. Indeed, a short dao lay in its sheath. Cao Yunqi gave a soft “oh.” He had seen his shifu⁵ use this treasured dao years ago, and it had broken no small number of heroes’ weapons.

Baoshu reached out and picked up the short dao. Pointing to two lines of characters carved on the sheath, he said, “Please look, everyone.” The sheath was made of cowhide, edged with copper and iron, both covered in green patina and rust. It was an ordinary old dao. On the sheath were carved two lines of plain black characters:

Killing one man is like killing my father.
Violating one woman is like violating my mother.

These fourteen characters were simple and clear, yet they carried a heroic spirit and chivalrous purpose that leapt off the sheath.

Baoshu said, “Does anyone know the origin of these fourteen characters?” Everyone replied they did not. Baoshu said, “This is a military order left by the Storming King Li Zicheng.⁶ This dao is one of the military daos Li Zicheng used when he commanded an army of a million men and fought his way across a thousand li.⁷”

At these words, everyone rose from their seats and stared at the short dao in Baoshu’s palm, believing and disbelieving in equal measure. It had been over a hundred years since the Storming King, yet in the hearts of these greenwood heroes, his name still carried mighty weight. Baoshu said, “If you do not believe me, look at this side.” He turned the sheath over. On this side were carved the four characters “Upholding Heaven, Advocating Righteousness,” filled with cinnabar red. Beside these four characters was carved a pattern of two dragons fighting for a pearl. The pearl they fought over was a ruby. At first glance, it showed nothing special. Baoshu said, “The Storming King’s title was Grand Marshal Who Upholds Heaven and Advocates Righteousness.” Only then did the heroes believe.

Baoshu continued, “In those days, thirteen great heroes and twenty-four stronghold chiefs swore brotherhood and rose in revolt. They chose Gao Yingxiang as their Grand Marshal. In the ninth year of Chongzhen, Gao Yingxiang died in battle. Li Zicheng took over as leader and was later called the Storming King. He fought for over ten years and finally broke through to Beijing, establishing the Great Shun dynasty. The Chongzhen Emperor was driven to hang himself on Coal Hill.⁸ Had it not been for the traitor Wu Sangui, who sold the country and let the Qing troops through the pass, the empire would have belonged to the Li family. Never in all the ages has a greenwood hero been as glorious as the Storming King.” He sighed. “Alas, it is only pity that his great achievement turned to dust in an instant. In the seventeenth year of Chongzhen, the Storming King took Beijing in the third month. In the fourth month he went out to fight the Qing troops. By month’s end he was defeated and fled west. And so this splendid empire fell into the hands of the Manchu barbarians.”

Liu Yuanhe shot him a sharp look, thinking, “This monk is bold indeed, daring to speak such treason.”

Baoshu slowly returned the dao to the box and said, “When the Storming King fought his great battle against Wu Sangui, he was wounded by an arrow. He retreated from Beijing to Shanxi and Shaanxi. The Qing troops and Wu Sangui pursued him all the way. He retreated again to Henan and Huguang. His soldiers killed each other, and his followers scattered. At last he withdrew to Jiugong Mountain⁹ in Tongshan County, Wuchang Prefecture. The enemy surrounded him in force. Several times he tried to break out but could not. And so the hero reached his end.”

Miao Ruolan gazed at the military dao in the box, thinking of the Storming King’s heroic spirit in those bygone days. She could not help but feel herself carried away, then saddened when she thought of his defeat and death.

Baoshu said, “The Storming King had four bodyguards, each skilled in martial arts, who guarded him with loyal hearts all along. These four bodyguards bore the surnames Hu, Miao, Fan, and Tian. In the army they were known as Hu-Miao-Fan-Tian.”

When Yin Ji, Tian Qingwen and the others heard the four words “Hu-Miao-Fan-Tian,” they knew these four bodyguards must be deeply connected to the matter at hand. Tian Qingwen glanced sideways at Miao Ruolan. She saw her holding a poker, gently stirring the charcoal in the brazier, still lost in thought. The firelight cast a faint red glow across her jade-white cheek.

Baoshu raised his head and gazed at the ceiling. “These four great bodyguards followed the Storming King through life and death. They faced countless dangers and saved his life who could say how many times. The Storming King trusted them as his closest men. Of the four, the one surnamed Hu was the strongest in martial arts and the most capable. In the Storming King’s army he was called the ‘Flying Fox!’” At these words, everyone could not help but cry out in surprise.

Baoshu continued his story: “The Storming King was surrounded on Jiugong Mountain. The danger was extreme. Every messenger he sent down the mountain was caught and killed by the enemy at its foot. He had no choice but to send the three bodyguards surnamed Miao, Fan, and Tian to break through at night and seek help. The one surnamed Hu stayed behind to protect the Storming King. But when the three bodyguards Miao, Fan, and Tian returned with reinforcements to save him, the Storming King had already been killed.

“The three bodyguards wept bitterly. The one surnamed Fan would have cut his own throat there and then to follow his lord in death. But the other two said they must first avenge this blood-deep hatred. The three went around Jiugong Mountain enquiring into the details of the Storming King’s death. It seemed the bodyguard surnamed Hu might still be alive. The three thought this man’s martial arts were unmatched and his cunning beyond compare. With him to lead them, the Storming King’s vengeance could be accomplished. They set out separately to find where he had gone.

“What the old men of the wulin¹⁰ have passed down through the generations is this: because of this search, a great storm arose. Miao, Fan, and Tian later told their own sons the full details of what happened, and laid down a family rule that each generation must pass the story to their descendants, so that the sons and grandsons of the Miao, Fan, and Tian families would never forget this matter from age to age.”

As Baoshu spoke, he turned his eyes to Miao Ruolan. “This old monk is an outsider and knows only the broad outline. If Miss Miao would tell us, she could surely make it far clearer.” Everyone thought, So Miao Renfeng and his daughter are the descendants of that bodyguard surnamed Miao.

Miao Ruolan gazed into the brazier and said, “When I was seven, one evening I saw Father sharpening and washing his jian.¹¹ I told him I was afraid of blades and asked him to put it away. Father said this jian still had one more person to kill before it could be sheathed and never used again. I threw my arms around his neck and begged him not to kill anyone. So he told me a story.”

She went on: “He said that long, long ago, the common people were so poor they had no food to eat and no clothes to wear. They could only eat tree bark and grass roots. Later even the tree bark and grass roots were gone, and they had to eat mud. Many people starved to death. Mothers had no food and could not produce milk, so many babies died in their arms. Yet the government still demanded grain from the people, and the rich still forced the poor to pay their rent and debts. Those who could not pay were killed by the government or imprisoned by the rich. Father taught me a song, said to have been written by a young gentleman of that time, accomplished in letters and arms. Shall I recite it?”

Everyone cried, “Please do, Miss!”

Baoshu heard her say “a young gentleman accomplished in letters and arms” and knew she must mean Li Yan,¹² the great general under Li Zicheng. He listened as she recited:

Year after year the locusts and drought press on,
The crops are devoured, the harvests fail.
The price of rice soars several times over,
The common people have no livelihood anywhere.
Grass roots and leaves serve as food,
While babies wail and cry against each other.
Dust flies in the cooking pots, no smoke rises,
For days one cannot beg a single meal of congee.
The government sends tiger-officers to collect grain,
The great houses demand debts like wolves and jackals.
Pity those who cling to their last breath,
Their souls have already gone to the underworld.
Skeletons lie scattered across the land like hills,
Heavy karma makes the hunger-gate hard to pass.
Can one not shed a few lines of tears?
Each tear falls and becomes a spot of blood.

Now it was the middle of the Qianlong reign. Though they called it a peaceful and prosperous age, every year brought floods and droughts, and the common people in many places had hard lives. As Miao Ruolan recited each word and syllable, her voice precise and clear, filled with sorrow, the listeners thought of what they had seen and heard in the jianghu. All could not help but feel deeply moved.

Miao Ruolan said, “My father told me that in the end the common people could bear it no longer. At last a great hero arose and led them to fight all the way to Beijing. But alas, after this hero became emperor, he governed poorly and did not treat the people well. Some of his generals did not keep discipline and went so far as to harm the common folk, to rob the people of their wives, children, and belongings. So the common people turned against the hero. He thought the people’s hearts were with the young gentleman who had written the song, so he had him killed. After that, his own men fell into disorder. The great hero did not last long before he was done to death by a traitor.” Here she heaved a long sigh. After a while she continued, “His three bodyguards went to seek out the fourth bodyguard, to ask him for a plan to avenge the great hero.”

“By then the foreign race had become emperor. They hunted down the great hero’s friends everywhere. The three bodyguards could not stay in one place and had to disguise themselves. One disguised himself as a travelling physician selling medicine. One disguised himself as a beggar. The third, who was strongest, disguised himself as a porter. They and the fourth bodyguard were sworn brothers. For decades they had shared sweet and bitter together, closer than true brothers. They thought of him constantly. Yet after seven or eight years of searching, they had not a scrap of news. They believed he must have died in battle while protecting the great hero, and the three were deeply grieved.”

At this point the tone of her voice was like that of someone telling a story to a small child. The listeners guessed she was imitating her father’s manner from those long-ago days. They thought, Though the Golden-Faced Buddha has a ‘Buddha’ in his name, and is said to hate evil as fiercely as a foe and strike without mercy, yet to his daughter he is as gentle and tender as this. They listened as she went on,

“After a few more years, they decided to search for their sworn brother no longer. The three discussed it and agreed that the traitor who had caused the great hero’s death was now ennobled as a prince and living in luxury in Yunnan. They would go and assassinate him, to avenge the great hero and their sworn brother. So the three set out for Yunnan.”

Liu Yuanhe and Xiong Yuanxian exchanged a glance. They knew the traitor she spoke of was Wu Sangui, enfeoffed as Prince Who Pacifies the West.

Miao Ruolan went on: “When the three reached Kunming, they thoroughly surveyed the traitor’s residence front and back. On the evening of the fifth day of the third month, they took their weapons and hidden arms and scaled the wall. The great traitor’s defences were extremely tight. The three had barely entered when the guards discovered them. But the three were skilled in martial arts. Once the fight began, over twenty guards were killed or wounded and could not stop them. They broke through into the bedchamber. It seemed the great traitor had no escape, when suddenly a figure darted out and stood before him. The three looked and were shocked beyond measure. For this person was their sworn brother, whom they had sought for so many years. This man’s martial arts were superior to theirs. He protected the great traitor and would not let the three kill him. The three were both astonished and furious, and fought with him. Soon dozens more guards poured in from outside. The three were outnumbered and had no choice but to flee. But Grandpa Porter¹³ slipped up and was caught.”

“The great traitor questioned him in person. Grandpa Porter cursed him without restraint, cursing him for giving the Han people’s empire to the barbarians. The great traitor broke both his legs and threw him in prison. That sworn brother perhaps felt ashamed, and secretly went to the prison to release him. When Grandpa Porter met up again with Grandpa Physician and Grandpa Beggar, the three embraced and wept together. They never imagined their sworn brother would turn traitor and join the enemy. When they secretly enquired further, they discovered something even more hateful. It turned out that on that day when the three had broken out from Jiugong Mountain to seek help, the sworn brother had waited several days and seen no reinforcements. So he had killed the great hero with his own hands and surrendered to the enemy. The Qing emperor gave him a high office. Already he had risen to be provincial military commander under the great traitor.”

When the listeners heard this, their faces all changed colour. They had all heard that the Storming King was killed on Jiugong Mountain. Some said the common people killed him, some said the imperial army. None knew the murderer was his own trusted bodyguard.

Miao Ruolan sighed. “When the three had verified the truth, they were determined to settle accounts with him. Even at full strength the three would have been hard put to beat him, and now that Grandpa Porter was wounded, they were even less a match. Just as they hesitated, the sworn brother sent someone with a letter, inviting the three to drink wine by Dian Lake¹⁴ on the evening of the fifteenth of the third month.”

“The three knew he must have some trick in mind. But he knew exactly where they lived and what they did. In this place he held great power, and they could not escape even if they tried. Since it had come to this, even a dragon’s pool or tiger’s den they must enter. On that day, the three concealed weapons on their persons and went to the appointed place by Dian Lake. They saw he was already waiting there, alone, without guards or soldiers, dressed in a coarse blue cloth gown just as the four of them had worn in the army. The four bought cooked meat, roast chicken, and steamed buns from a small wineshop,¹⁵ and bought over ten jin¹⁶ of white wine. They took a boat onto Dian Lake to admire the moon and drink.”

“As the four drank, they spoke of the glorious deeds they had shared in the army. The three, hearing him not once mention the great hero’s name, held their tongues as well. But they watched him drink bowl after great bowl of wine. When the moon reached the zenith, he looked up at the sky and cried, ‘My three brothers! We have endured hardship together, faced death and returned to life. At last we meet again after long parting. How happy I am today!’”

Such a bold, untrammelled speech, coming from the lips of a gentle and refined young lady, seemed somewhat out of place. Yet the listeners were held by the tension beneath the story’s outward calm, and none took note.

They heard her continue: “Grandpa Physician could restrain himself no longer. He sneered: ‘You have become a high official, enjoying glory and riches. Naturally you are happy. Only I wonder how the Great King feels now?’ That great hero later became emperor, but the four bodyguards had always called him Great King.”

“The sworn brother sighed. ‘Alas, the Great King must be lonely indeed. Once affairs here are settled, I will show you three brothers where to go and pay respects to the Great King.’”

“The three heard this and each was filled with rage, thinking, ‘So! You still mean to kill us three and send us to the underworld to meet the Great King!’ Grandpa Porter thrust his hand into his robe to feel for his dao. Grandpa Physician gave him a look and, lifting the wine pot, poured a cup for the sworn brother. He said, ‘Since we parted on Jiugong Mountain, what became of the Great King in the end?’ The sworn brother’s brows rose. ‘I have invited my three brothers here today precisely to speak of this matter.’ Suddenly Grandpa Beggar pointed behind the sworn brother and cried, ‘Eh? Who’s that coming?’”

“The sworn brother turned to look. Grandpa Beggar and Grandpa Physician both drew their daos in an instant. One stroke cut off his right arm. The other struck his back and sank several inches deep. The sworn brother gave a great cry and turned his head. His left arm shot out and snatched both daos from the other two, hurling them into Dian Lake. His palm darted out and seized Grandpa Physician’s chest acupoint.¹⁷ His face turned pale as he roared, ‘We four swore brotherhood! Why… why do you ambush and wound me?’ Grandpa Physician, seized thus, could not move a muscle. Grandpa Porter raised his dao and shouted, ‘You killed the Great King, betrayed your lord to seek glory, and still have the face to speak of brotherhood?’”

“The sworn brother kicked out and sent the dao flying from his hand. Then he laughed loudly: ‘Good, good! Brotherhood indeed, brotherhood indeed.’ The three saw that even with one arm severed and a grave wound, he was still this formidable. All were struck dumb with shock. The sworn brother’s laughter ended, and suddenly tears fell from his eyes. ‘Alas, alas that my great undertaking has failed!’ He released Grandpa Physician. Grandpa Beggar, fearing he would strike again, threw a mighty punch that struck his chest full on. This blow used a heavy technique, with astonishing force. The sworn brother vomited a mouthful of blood. Then suddenly he raised his left palm and struck the side of the boat. Wood chips flew in all directions, and a chunk was torn from the boat’s edge. He said with a bitter smile: ‘Though I am gravely wounded, to kill you three would still be easy as turning my hand. But you are my good brothers. How could I bear it?’”

“The three fell back to the stern of the boat and stood side by side, guarding against a sudden attack. The sworn brother sighed, ‘What happens today must not be revealed. If my son learns of it, the three of you are no match for him. I shall cut my own throat, so that you will not bear the ill name of murdering a sworn brother.’ With that he drew his single dao and cut his throat. He fell forward. Grandpa Porter, unable to bear it, rushed forward to catch him, crying, ‘Big Brother!’ The sworn brother said, ‘Good brother, your brother is gone. The Great King’s military dao is of great consequence. He… the old lord was at Shimen Gorge…’ This sentence he did not finish. Blood flowed from his throat, and he died there in the boat.”

“The three gazed at his corpse, feeling both grief and relief. They saw that the dao he had used to cut his own throat bore fourteen carved characters. They recognised it as the great hero’s military dao.”

When the listeners heard this, their eyes all turned to the short dao in Baoshu’s hand. Suddenly Liu Yuanhe shook his head. “I do not believe it.”

Tao Baisui angrily cried, “What do you know?”

Liu Yuanhe said, “That Li Zicheng shed blood across a thousand li and killed as if mowing grass. How could he issue a military order with these fourteen characters?”

Everyone was taken aback and had no answer.

Footnotes

1. 大师 – dàshī. Great Master. A respectful form of address for a Buddhist monk. ↩

2. 掌门 – zhǎngmén. The head of a martial arts school. ↩

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

4. 师兄 – shīxiōng. Male senior fellow disciple. Both apprenticed to the same shifu. Shī means teacher. Xiōng means older brother. ↩

5. 师父 – shīfù. Teacher and lineage father. Shī means teacher. Fù means father. ↩

6. 李自成 – Lǐ Zìchéng (1606–1645). The rebel leader who overthrew the Ming Dynasty and briefly established the Great Shun dynasty before being defeated by the Qing. ↩

7. 里 – lǐ. A Chinese unit of distance, approximately 500 metres or one-third of a mile. ↩

8. 煤山 – Méi Shān. Also known as Jingshan Hill, where the last Ming emperor Chongzhen hanged himself in 1644. ↩

9. 九宫山 – Jiǔgōng Shān. Jiugong Mountain in Tongshan County, Hubei Province, where Li Zicheng made his last stand. ↩

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

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

12. 李岩 – Lǐ Yán. A legendary general under Li Zicheng, known for his learning and martial skill. ↩

13. 公公 – gōnggong. A child’s word for any old man. Miao Ruolan tells the story as her father told it to her when she was small, so the three bodyguards are Grandpa Porter, Grandpa Physician and Grandpa Beggar. ↩

14. 滇池 – Diān Chí. Dian Lake, a large lake near Kunming in Yunnan Province. ↩

15. 酒店 – jiǔdiàn. A wineshop, where wine and food were served. ↩

16. 斤 – jīn. A unit of weight, approximately 590 grams in the late Qing period. ↩

17. 穴 – xué. An acupoint, a vital point on the body used in martial arts and medicine. ↩