Flying Fox of the Snowy Mountain Chapter 7 – Part 4

“As soon as we arrived, Commander Sai told us that today he would introduce to the company a figure of great renown in the jianghu.¹ We hurriedly asked who it might be. Commander Sai only smiled and said nothing. Presently, when the banquet was laid out, he went into the inner hall and led out a man. His back was straight as a board, his stride supple and vigorous, and his eyes held a keen brilliance. He looked every inch a master of the wulin. His temples had greyed, yet his face remained handsome and refined. In his younger days he must have been quite the beauty. Commander Sai announced in a clear voice, 'Brothers, this is the zhangmen² of the Northern Branch of the Tianlong School,³ a man of great fame in the jianghu, Big Brother Tian Guinong!'

“We were all faintly startled. Everyone knew Tian Guinong’s name, though the Tianlong School had little dealings with the yamen, and we could not imagine what face Commander Sai had called upon to bring him here. During the drinking, each of us went in turn to toast him. Big Brother Tian was courteous in the extreme, speaking at length of friendship and fellowship, yet not a word about why he had come to the capital. Only after the feast, when Commander Sai invited us to the side room for tea, did the two of them reveal the full story.

“It turned out that Big Brother Tian, though living among common folk, possessed a heart loyal to the throne and devoted to the nation no less than any of us in government service.

“What had brought him to the capital was this: he wished to present the Emperor with a great treasure. And this great treasure was none other than the gold and jewels that the rebel Li Zicheng⁴ had plundered in Beijing. Big Brother Tian explained that there were two clues to finding this hoard, and the two must be joined together before the treasure could be located. The first clue was a military dao that had belonged to Li Zicheng, kept in the custody of the Tianlong School, which he carried on his person. The second clue was far harder to obtain, for it was a map showing the treasure’s location, passed down through generations in the Miao family, in the line of Miao Family Swordplay.⁵ With only the map and no dao, one would not know the key to finding the treasure. With only the dao and no map, one would not know where it lay. But if the two were united, retrieving the hoard would be as simple as reaching into a pouch.

“Though we served in the yamen, every one of us had risen from the jianghu, and at the words ‘Miao Family Swordplay’ we all thought the same thing: ‘That Golden-Faced Buddha⁶ Miao Renfeng,⁷ He Who Has Fought All Under Heaven and Found No Equal. How formidable he is! Who would dare provoke him?’ Big Brother Tian saw the troubled looks on our faces and smiled faintly. ‘If I had not already devised a plan to deal with Miao Renfeng,’ he said, ‘how would I dare to trouble so many gentlemen without due care?’ Commander Sai eagerly asked what the plan might be. Big Brother Tian then set forth a scheme, and as he spoke we all nodded in approval, crying out that it was a masterful stratagem. What that stratagem was, you shall learn in due course. There is no need to say more just now.

“The following day Big Brother Tian took his leave of the capital, and Commander Sai dispatched us to carry out the plan. Yet the more he turned the matter over, the more it troubled him. Big Brother Tian sought neither promotion nor riches, yet he was handing us such a handsome reward for no reason at all. Where in this world was there such a guileless benefactor? He suspected some hidden motive, and so sent several men out of the capital in secret to investigate. Not long after I left Beijing, I heard the news that Big Brother Tian had closed his gates and sealed his jian. I prepared a gift and went to offer my congratulations.

“When I met Big Brother Tian, he appeared greatly pleased, saying that an honoured guest at his door was more than he could have wished. Then, in a low voice, he asked me to do him a favour. Big Brother Yin, you must not be angry when you hear this, but what he wanted was for me to alert the yamen, trump up some charge against you, and have you clapped in gaol for a few years.”

Yin Ji started in alarm, the hair on his body bristling. His voice trembled as he said, “So that was the sort of man Tian shixiong⁸ truly was. I am fortunate that Lord Liu⁹ saw through the matter and stayed his hand. I shall surely repay this kindness handsomely.”

Liu Yuanhe laughed. “Think nothing of it, think nothing of it. At the time I asked him what grudge he bore against you, Big Brother Yin. He said there was no grudge at all. It was simply that by the rules of their Tianlong School, the Northern Branch zhangmen’s term of custody over the dao had expired, and that treasured dao, the pride of the School, must pass to the Southern Branch without delay. If it fell into your hands, Big Brother Yin, recovering it would mean no end of trouble.

“The reasoning was sound enough, yet my suspicions only deepened. I gave him neither acceptance nor refusal, hedging on all sides and watching coldly from the sidelines.

“After the banquet, I reasoned that Big Brother Tian would have to hand over the treasured dao and could not refuse, so I might as well do him a small service. If I concealed the dao in secret, he would have no way to deliver it, and even if Big Brother Yin was displeased, he would be powerless to act. This was a fine opportunity to earn merit and repay the Imperial grace. How could I let it pass? So I slipped quietly into Big Brother Tian’s room, meaning to search for the dao. But then I heard footsteps outside the door. It was Big Brother Tian returning. With matters so urgent, I had no choice but to hide under the bed.

“I heard Big Brother Tian enter the room, open a chest, and take out an iron box. Suddenly he cried out in alarm, ‘Eh? Where is the dao?’ The shock and terror in his voice was utterly real, not feigned in the least. It seemed the treasured dao had been stolen. At once he called his daughter to question her. Miss Tian knew nothing and was equally distressed. Before long, Big Brother Ruan arrived. The two shixiong fell to a bitter quarrel over the matter of appointing a new zhangmen, and it touched upon the scandal between Cao shixiong Cao Yunqi and Miss Tian. After a while, Big Brother Tian asked Big Brother Ruan to fetch Tao Zian, House Brother Tao. Big Brother Tian handed the iron box to House Brother Tao and ordered him to bury it beyond the pass. I heard every word from under the bed, and thought to myself, That fool Tao Zian has been taken for a ride this time.

“After House Brother Tao left, I lay under the bed and heard Big Brother Tian pounding the bedframe and sighing, muttering to himself, ‘That Hu Yidao,¹⁰ that Miao Renfeng!’ At the time I did not know who Hu Yidao was, and assumed Miao Renfeng had stolen his dao. In truth, Big Brother Tian had received a visiting card from Hu Fei,¹¹ the son of Hu Yidao, and knowing he could not escape death, he was greatly afraid. Yet at that very moment the treasured dao had gone missing, and he could neither flee nor fly away.

“Then Miss Tian came into the room and said, ‘Father, I have discovered where your treasured dao is.’ Big Brother Tian leapt up and cried, ‘Where?’ The young lady stepped closer and whispered, ‘Zhou shixiong stole it.’ Big Brother Tian said, ‘Truly? Where is he? Where is the dao?’ The young lady said, ‘I saw with my own eyes where he buried it.’ Big Brother Tian said, ‘Good. Go dig it up at once.’ The young lady said, ‘Father, I am about to do something. You must not be angry with me.’ Big Brother Tian asked, ‘What is it?’ The young lady said, ‘You go and call Zhou shixiong here. I will hide behind the door. Ask him whether he stole the treasured dao. If he admits it, I will drive a Poison Dragon Awl¹² into his back.’ I thought to myself, This young lady’s methods are ruthless indeed. I heard Big Brother Tian say, ‘I will simply break both his legs. There is no need to take his life.’ The young lady said, ‘If you do not agree, I will not fetch the dao for you.’ Big Brother Tian hesitated briefly, then said, ‘Very well. Go quickly and retrieve the dao, and you may deal with him as you see fit.’ And so the young lady turned and went out. At the time I did not know what grudge she bore against her shixiong. Only today, hearing House Brother Tao’s account, did I understand that Miss Tian meant to kill to silence a witness. Hah! What a piece of work! A young unmarried woman burying an illegitimate child. Is that the sort of thing one gets to see?”

By the time he reached this point, everyone turned to look at Zhou Yunyang. His face was the colour of iron, and his eyes blinked without cease.

Liu Yuanhe continued, “I lay flat under the bed, content to watch this murder play out. Besides, I still had to wait for that dao. And with Big Brother Tian awake and lying on the bed, how could I possibly slip out? I had not waited long when Miss Tian returned in haste, her voice shaking. ‘Father, he dug up the dao. I was too muddle-headed, a step too slow. He… he even…’ Big Brother Tian, horror-struck, asked, ‘He even what?’ Miss Tian had meant to say, ‘He dug up my child’s body as well!’ But how could she speak such words aloud? She stood frozen for a moment, then cried, ‘I will find him!’ and ran for the door. In her terror she stumbled and fell as she reached the threshold.

“I was stifling under the bed, the dao’s whereabouts unknown, and had meant to seize the chance to douse the candle and escape. But Big Brother Tian, seeing his daughter fall, only let out a long sigh and did not rise from the bed to help her. Miss Tian got to her feet, leaned against the doorframe to catch her breath, then left.

“Big Brother Tian got up, shut the doors and windows, and sat down in his chair. He placed his jian¹³ on the table, took up bow and arrows in his hands. His face was a grey-blue, and his expression betokened the deepest alarm and dread. My own heart was uneasy. If he discovered me, he might turn ruthless in an instant, and my martial arts were no match for his. I feared for my life.

“Big Brother Tian sat in the chair without the slightest movement, as though frozen stiff. Yet his eyes glittered with a sharp light, betraying a mind in fierce turmoil. All was deathly still. Only from far away came the faint sound of dogs barking, and then a nearer dog took up the cry. Suddenly the dog gave a single mournful yelp and fell silent, as though it had been killed with a single, swift blow. Big Brother Tian sprang to his feet, and at the same moment came several taps on the door. The sound had come with startling speed. The dog’s barking had been several hundred feet away, yet this person had killed the animal and reached the door in the space of a breath.

“Big Brother Tian said in a low, strained voice, ‘Hu Fei, you have come at last?’ The person outside the door replied, ‘Tian Guinong, do you recognise my voice?’ Big Brother Tian’s face grew still paler. He said in a trembling voice, ‘It is Miao… Miao daxia!’ The person outside said coldly, ‘Indeed, it is I.’ Big Brother Tian said, ‘Miao daxia, why have you come?’ The person outside said, ‘Hmph. I have brought you something.’ Big Brother Tian hesitated for a moment, then set down the bow and arrows and opened the door. A tall, thin man with a sallow complexion walked in.

“I peered at him carefully from under the bed and thought, This man is known as He Who Has Fought All Under Heaven and Found No Equal, the foremost figure in the jianghu of this age. Indeed, he carries authority without anger, his very bearing overawes. He held two objects in his hands, which he set upon the table, and said, ‘This is your treasured dao. This is your grandson, your daughter’s son.’ It turned out that the long bundle wrapped in cloth was a dead infant.

“Big Brother Tian’s body shook, and he slumped back in his chair. Miao daxia said, ‘Your disciple buried the dao behind your back. Your daughter buried her bastard child behind your back. I saw it all with my own eyes. Now I have dug them up and returned them to you.’ Big Brother Tian said, ‘I thank you. My… my house is unfortunate. I am ashamed to speak of it.’ Miao daxia’s eyes reddened suddenly, as though he might weep, but in the next instant his face was filled with a killing intent, and he spoke one character at a time: ‘How did she die?’”

A sharp clatter rang out. Miao Ruolan’s teacup had slipped from her fingers and shattered on the ground. She had been the picture of refined composure, yet hearing those words, she could not hold herself together. Qiner hurried forward with a handkerchief, wiping the spilled tea from her mistress and saying softly, “Young Mistress, go inside and rest. Do not listen any further.” Miao Ruolan said, “No. I want to hear him finish.”

Footnotes

1. 江湖 – jiānghú. Literally rivers and lakes. The itinerant world beyond settled society and official reach. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

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

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

4. 李自成 – Lǐ Zìchéng. The rebel leader who overthrew the Ming Dynasty in 1644 before the Qing seized power. His legendary treasure is the object of the hunt in this novel. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

5. 苗家剑 – Miáo Jiā Jiàn. The Miao Family Swordplay, the hereditary sword technique of the Miao family. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

6. 金面佛 – Jīn Miàn Fó. The Golden-Faced Buddha, Miao Renfeng’s epithet. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

7. 苗人凤 – Miáo Rénfèng. Miao Renfeng, known as the Golden-Faced Buddha, one of the four bodyguard descendants. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

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

9. 大人 – dàrén. A title of respect for an official or person of standing. ↩

10. 胡一刀 – Hú Yīdāo. Hu Yidao, the Black-faced Divine, Hu Fei’s father and one of the four bodyguards’ descendants. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

11. 胡斐 – Hú Fěi. Hu Fei, the Flying Fox of the Snowy Mountain, son of Hu Yidao. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

12. 毒龙锥 – Dú Lóng Zhuī. The Poison Dragon Awl, a lethal concealed weapon. ↩

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