Flying Fox of the Snowy Mountain Chapter 4 – Part 1

Baoshu spoke: “Back then, this old monk had not yet taken vows. I practised as a bonesetter in a small market town in the countryside of Cangzhou, Zhili.¹ The people of Cangzhou were martial by custom. Most young men there knew a few fist moves and kicks. I worked as a trauma physician and had picked up a bit of martial skill myself. The town was remote, with only five or six hundred residents. I scraped a living from my medical practice, barely enough to feed myself, let alone take a wife and raise a family.

“That year, in the twelfth lunar month, I drank three bowls of cold noodle broth and turned in. I was dreaming I’d struck it rich and, bloody hell, was about to marry a beautiful wife, with pipes and drums, the whole works, when I heard a thunderous pounding at the door. Someone was battering it with all his strength.

“Outside, the north wind was howling. The fire in my kang had long gone out, and my quilt was thin. I had no desire to get up, and I was in no humour at having my good dream shattered. But the knocking grew louder, and someone shouted, ‘Doctor! Doctor!’ The man had an accent from west of the passes. He was not local. If I didn’t open up, he was about to break the door down. Not knowing what had happened, I threw on my coat and got up. I had barely slid the bolt when, bang, the door was forced open with such force that had I not dodged quick, it would have raised a great lump on my forehead. Damn it all! A flash of torchlight, and a man charged in holding a blazing torch, saying, ‘Doctor, come at once.’

“I said, ‘What’s the matter? Who might you be, sir?’ The man said, ‘Someone has fallen gravely ill!’ He did not answer my second question. With a wave of his left hand, he tossed a great ingot of silver onto the table with a clang. That ingot must have weighed twenty liang.² In the countryside, my fees were a few dozen or a few hundred cash. When had I ever seen someone toss down a twenty-liang ingot on the first knock? I was equal parts astonished and delighted. I pocketed the silver quickly, pulled on my shoes, and started dressing. The man kept urging me to hurry. As I dressed, I studied his face: rough-featured, bold, the look of a martial man, but his expression was troubled.

“He did not wait for me to fasten my buttons. One hand grabbed my medicine box, the other seized my arm, and off we went. I said, ‘Let me close the door.’ He said, ‘If anything gets stolen, I’ll pay you back for it.’ He dragged me along at a fast walk until we reached the Ping’an Inn,³ the only inn in the whole town, catering to donkey drivers and porters bound for Beijing. The place was large enough but dark and filthy. I wondered how a man so flush with silver could stoop to lodging here. The thought had barely formed when he had already pulled me into the main hall. Candles blazed brightly. Four or five men sat inside. The man who had brought me in called out, ‘The doctor’s here!’ Their faces lit up with relief. They ushered me into the east wing.

“The moment I stepped through the door, I nearly jumped. Four men lay side by side on the kang, each covered in blood. I told the man to bring the torch closer. All four were grievously wounded. One had a blade gash across his face, another had had half his arm hacked off. I asked, ‘How did they get like this? Bandits?’ The man snapped, ‘Tend to their wounds. You will be generously rewarded. But mind your own business and stop asking questions.’ I thought to myself, Tough bastards, damn them. But they all looked fierce, each armed to the teeth, so I dared not press further. I applied golden-trauma ointment to each of them, staunched the bleeding, and bandaged them up.

“The man said, ‘There are more this way.’ He led me to the west wing. Three more wounded men lay on the kang, each bearing fresh blade and weapon cuts. I dressed their wounds, stopped the bleeding, and gave them a calming draught to ease the pain. One by one, all seven fell asleep. The men who had brought me in saw that my medicines worked and grew more civil, no longer as savage as before. They had the inn help me rig up a bed from door planks in the east wing, so that if any patient’s condition worsened, I could treat him at once.

“I had slept until the cock crowed when the sound of hooves came from outside, galloping up to the inn. The group of men all rushed out to receive the newcomers. I pretended to sleep and watched through half-closed eyes. Two men entered. One was dressed as a beggar, with piercing, bright eyes. The other had delicate features and was still young. These two went to the kang to examine the wounded. The injured men struggled to sit up through their pain, treating the two with the utmost deference. I heard them address the beggar as Guild Chief Fan,⁴ and the young man as Young Master Tian.”⁵

Here Baoshu paused and said to Tian Qingwen,⁶ “The first time I met your honoured father, miss, you had not yet been born. Your father was a sharp man. The decisive, capable look he wore that morning is before my eyes even now.” Tian Qingwen’s eyes reddened, and she lowered her head.

Baoshu continued, “Among the men who were unhurt, one spoke in a low voice, ‘Guild Chief Fan, Young Master Tian, the Zhang brothers have been tailing that couple all the way from beyond the pass, and they have confirmed beyond doubt that the iron box is on the man.’”⁷

At the words ‘iron box,’ everyone exchanged glances. They all thought the same thing: Now we come to the heart of it.

Baoshu went on: “Guild Chief Fan nodded. The man continued, ‘We were all waiting at Tangguan Village⁸ to back them up, and we sent men to deliver a message to you two and to the Golden-Faced Buddha, Miao daxia.⁹ But the fellow saw through us. He blocked the road alone and said, “I have never had anything to do with any of you. Why are you following me? You are from the Miao, Fan, and Tian Families, aren’t you?” Big Brother Zhang said, “Then you know.” The fellow’s face darkened. He snatched Big Brother Zhang’s dao right out of his hand, snapped it in two, and threw it on the ground, saying, “I have no wish to take more lives. Be off with you!” Seeing how skilled the man was, we all charged at once. But Big Brother Zhang kicked at his wife’s swollen belly. The fellow flew into a rage and said, “I meant to spare you, yet you show such insolence!” He seized a dao and wounded seven of us in quick succession.’

“Young Master Tian said, ‘Did he say anything else?’ The man replied, ‘The fellow was about to wound more, when his wife called out from the cart, “Enough. Accumulate some merit for your unborn child!” The fellow laughed, bent the dao with both hands, and broke it in two.’ Young Master Tian glanced at Guild Chief Fan and asked, ‘You saw this clearly? He broke it with his bare hands?’ The man said, ‘Yes. This humble one was standing right beside him. Saw it with my own eyes.’ Young Master Tian hummed, raised his head, and fell into thought. Guild Chief Fan said, ‘Worthy brother, do not worry. Miao daxia will be more than a match for him.’

“The man said, ‘He is headed for Jiangnan and must pass this way. If you two stay here, he cannot escape.’ Guild Chief Fan and Young Master Tian looked grave. They conferred in low voices and slowly walked out.

“After they left, I pretended to wake and got up to change the seven patients’ dressings. I thought to myself: Who is this fellow? He certainly showed mercy. All seven wounds were serious, but not one struck a vital point.

“That evening, just as everyone was eating in the hall, a man came rushing in, shouting, ‘They’re here!’ The colour drained from everyone’s faces. They flung down their chopsticks and bowls, drew their weapons, and surged outside. I crept after them. I was frightened, yes, but I wanted to see the spectacle.

“On the main road, dust billowed. A large cart approached in the distance. Guild Chief Fan and Young Master Tian led the group forward to meet it. I trailed at the rear. The cart halted before them. Guild Chief Fan called out, ‘Surname Hu, come out!’ From behind the cart curtain, a voice said, ‘A beggar demanding handouts, is it? Very well. A copper coin for each of you!’ Yellow light flashed again and again, and one after another, the men cried out in pain and toppled to the ground. Guild Chief Fan and Young Master Tian had superior skill and did not fall, but each took a copper-coin dart to the wrist. Staff and jian alike went clattering to the earth. Young Master Tian cried, ‘Big Brother Fan, scatter!’

“Guild Chief Fan was astonishingly quick. He bent, snatched up his iron staff, and dashed to where the fallen men lay, trying to clear their acupoints. When I studied trauma medicine, my shifu taught me the thirty-six major acupoints of the human body, so I understood a little about acupoint-clearing. But though he kneaded and pressed and pinched, working like mad, the men on the ground did not stir a muscle. The man in the cart laughed, ‘Very good. One copper each is not enough. Another coin apiece!’ Another dozen or so copper coins flew out one after another, each striking an acupoint. At once the men could move their limbs again, and they scrambled to their feet.

“Young Master Tian braced his jian and shouted, ‘Hu, today we concede defeat. If you have the guts, do not run.’ The man in the cart said nothing. Then, with a soft hiss, a copper coin shot out from the cart and struck the very tip of his jian. A sharp clang, and the jian flew from his hand and buried itself in the earth. Young Master Tian raised his right hand, the one that had held the jian. Blood was seeping from the tiger’s mouth.

“His face changed. Seeing the enemy so formidable, he waved a hand, and he and Guild Chief Fan led the men in a retreat back to the inn. They hoisted the seven wounded onto their backs, mounted, and galloped south. Before leaving, Young Master Tian gave me another twenty liang of silver. Seeing his generosity, I thought, He must truly be a noble xia. Then I thought, The man in the cart must be a villain of the worst sort. Otherwise, how could a good man like Young Master Tian have made an enemy of him? I was about to go home when the cart rolled up to the inn gate and stopped. Curiosity got the better of me. I wanted to see what this villain looked like, so I hid behind the counter and watched the cart door.

“The curtain parted, and a big man stepped out. My word, a fearsome sight. A face black as lacquer, thick whiskers covering his cheeks, and his hair, instead of being braided into a queue, grew wild and shaggy, piled atop his head. The moment I saw him, I jumped. Damn it all, where did this demon crawl out from? I wanted nothing more than to get home, but strange to say, my eyes were fixed on him and I could not look away. I cursed inwardly: A ghost in broad daylight! Does this man practise some dark sorcery?

“Then I heard the man say, ‘Excuse me, innkeeper. Where can I find a doctor?’ The innkeeper pointed at me: ‘This is the doctor.’ I waved my hands frantically: ‘No, no…’ The man laughed, ‘Don’t be afraid. I won’t boil you and eat you.’ I stammered, ‘I… I…’ The man said, his face sombre, ‘If I were going to eat you, it would be raw.’ I was more terrified than ever. Then he burst into laughter. Only then did I realise he was joking. I thought, If you want to crack jokes, at least pick the right man, you bastard. Am I your court jester, you demon-faced brute? But though I thought it, not a single word left my mouth.

“The man said, ‘Innkeeper, give me two clean rooms. My wife is about to give birth. Find a midwife, quickly.’ He frowned. ‘The journey has disturbed the pregnancy. I fear it may be a difficult delivery. Doctor, please do not leave.’ The innkeeper, hearing that a woman was to give birth in his inn and soil the rooms, was naturally most unwilling. But seeing the man’s ferocious demeanour, he dared not say a word against it. Unfortunately, Old Granny Liu, the town’s midwife, had died a few days before. The innkeeper could only tell him the truth. The man’s expression grew even more terrifying. He drew out a great ingot of silver and tossed it on the table. ‘Innkeeper, trouble yourself to find one elsewhere. The sooner the better.’ I thought, How is it that everyone in this lot hands out twenty-liang ingots?

“The fearsome-looking man waited for the innkeeper to arrange the rooms, then helped a woman down from the cart. She was wrapped head to toe in a fur cloak, with only her face showing. As for this man and this woman, well, to put it in a way you’d understand, it was like Diao Chan marrying Zhang Fei, or the Goddess of Mercy wedding the Judge of the Dead. I was startled all over again by how beautiful she was, and I pondered: She must be some official’s daughter, forced to marry this demon. That’s it. He must have kidnapped her to be his bandit queen. Then a strange notion struck me: This lady and Young Master Tian are the real match. Perhaps the demon stole Young Master Tian’s wife, and that is why they are enemies.

“By midday, the lady was sweating and moaning in pain. The demon was frantic, wanting to search for a midwife himself, but she held his hand and would not let him leave. By the hour of Wei,¹⁰ the baby was coming and could wait no longer. The demon wanted me to deliver the child. Naturally I refused. Think about it. I, a grown man, delivering a baby for a woman? That would be a thousand-fold, ten-thousand-fold bad luck. Do that once, and you are cursed for life.

“The demon said, ‘Deliver the baby. Here are two hundred liang of silver. If you do not, that is also your choice.’ He struck the corner of the table with his palm and broke off a piece. I thought, My life matters more. Besides, two hundred liang! A trauma doctor would not earn that in ten years. What harm in one stroke of bad luck? So I delivered a fat, fair baby boy for the lady.

“The boy howled lustily. His face was covered in hair, his eyes wide open. He had a fearsome look from the moment of birth, truly like his father. He would grow up nine times out of ten to be a villain.

“The demon was overjoyed. True to his word, he handed me ten ingots of twenty liang each. The lady gave me an ingot of gold besides, worth eighty or ninety liang. The demon then brought out a tray of silver and gave everyone in the inn, from the innkeeper to the kitchen boy, ten liang each. That put everyone in rare spirits. The demon dragged us all to drink. Even the odd-job men and the sweeping boys were called to the table. Everyone called him Elder Master Hu. He said, ‘My surname is Hu. All my life, whenever I meet someone doing evil, I kill him on the spot with a single stroke of the dao. That is why I am called Hu Yidao.¹¹ Do not keep calling me Master this and Master that. I come from a poor family myself. I took a bit of money off tyrants and bullies, that is all. What kind of master does that make me? Just call me Big Brother Hu!’

“I had known all along he was no good man, and sure enough he said so himself. No one dared call him ‘Big Brother,’ but he insisted on it. Later, after everyone had drunk enough and their courage had grown, they were calling him Big Brother this and Big Brother that. That night he would not let me go home and made me drink with him. By the second watch,¹² everyone else had passed out drunk. Only I could hold my liquor, and I kept matching him bowl for bowl. The more he drank, the higher his spirits rose. He went into the room, brought out his son, dipped a finger in wine, and let the baby suck on it. The boy had been alive less than a day, yet instead of crying at the strong liquor, he licked away at it with relish. A born drunkard, that one.

“Just then, the sound of hooves came from the south, twenty or thirty horses galloping hard. In moments they were at the inn gate, and a pounding came at the door. The innkeeper was so drunk he could barely stand. He stumbled to open it. The door swung wide, and twenty or thirty men filed in, each armed. They lined up at the doorway in silence. Then one man stepped forward, sat down at a table, and untied a yellow cloth bundle from his back, placing it on the table. In the candlelight, the seven characters embroidered on the cloth in black silk thread were plain to see: ‘He Who Has Fought All Under Heaven and Found No Equal.’”¹³

Footnotes

1. 直隶沧州 – Zhílì Cāngzhōu. Cangzhou was a prefecture in Zhili Province (modern Hebei), renowned throughout the Qing for its martial traditions. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

2. 两 – liǎng. A unit of weight used for silver, approximately one-sixteenth of a jin. The exact mass varied by dynasty. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

3. 平安客店 – Píng’ān Kèdiàn. The Ping’an Inn. Lit. ‘Peaceful Inn.’ The only inn in the small market town. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

4. 范帮主 – Fàn Bāngzhǔ. Guild Chief Fan, head of the Xinghan Beggars’ Guild and of the Fan family. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

5. 田相公 – Tián Xiànggōng. Young Master Tian, i.e. Tian Guinong (田归农), head of the Tian Family. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

6. 田青文 – Tián Qīngwén. Daughter of Tian Guinong. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

7. 铁盒儿 – tiě hé’er. A small iron box, whose contents and provenance are central to the novel’s mystery. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

8. 唐官屯 – Tángguān Tún. Tangguan Village, a settlement near the inn on the road south. ↩

9. 金面佛 – Jīnmiàn Fó. The Golden-Faced Buddha, the jianghu epithet of Miao Renfeng. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

10. 未牌 – wèipái. The hour of Wei, roughly 1 to 3 pm; 牌 is the placard on which the hour was posted. The day was divided into twelve shichen, each named for one of the Earthly Branches. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

11. 胡一刀 – Hú Yīdāo. Hu Yidao, lit. ‘Hu One Slash,’ a legendary fighter from Liaodong. As he explains here, he kills any evildoer he meets with a single stroke of the dao. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

12. 更 – gēng. A watch of the night. The Chinese night was divided into five watches (更), each roughly two hours. The second watch (二更) is approximately 9–11 pm; the fifth watch (五更) is approximately 3–5 am. ↩

13. 打遍天下无敌手 – dǎ biàn tiānxià wú dí shǒu. ‘He Who Has Fought All Under Heaven and Found No Equal.’ The seven characters embroidered on Miao Renfeng’s yellow bundle-cloth. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩