Laughing in the Wind Chapter 1 – Part 3

Lin Zhennan¹ smiled as he said, “Excellent, excellent! You’ve made progress every day this past month, and you managed four more moves today!”

He returned to his chair, saying as he filled his pipe with tobacco, “Pinger,² just so you know, there’s excellent news about our escort agency today.”

Lin Pingzhi³ took out the flint and steel to light his father’s pipe-kindling. He asked, “Did Father make another hefty deal?”

Lin Zhennan shook his head and said with a chuckle, “As long as our escort agency is built upon solid foundation, need we fret over attracting fat contracts? We should worry about being unable to handle things when big clients come knocking on the door.”

What we should worry about is being unable to handle major contracts when they come.” He took a long drag from his pipe before continuing, “Captain Zhang just sent word from Hunan⁴ that Head Priest Yu⁵ of Qingcheng School’s⁶ Pine Wind Temple⁷ on Qingcheng Mountain⁸ in Western Sichuan⁹ has accepted our gifts.”

When Lin Pingzhi heard the words “Western Sichuan” and “Head Priest Yu,” his heart skipped a beat. He managed to say, “Accepted our gifts?”

Lin Zhennan said, “I’ve rarely discussed matters of the escort agency with you before, not that you would have understood anyway. But you’re getting older now, and this heavy burden I carry will eventually pass to your shoulders. It’s time you start learning more about running the business.

“Child, our family has been in the escort business for three generations. Firstly, we have the formidable reputation your great-grandsire established, and secondly, our family’s hereditary martial arts is nothing to scoff at. That’s how we’ve become the preeminent escort agency south of the Great River.¹⁰

“When people of the jianghu hear the name Fuwei Escort Agency, all would give a thumbs up and say, ‘Such good fortune! Such might!’ In matters of the jianghu, reputation takes up two parts and martial ability counts for another two, but the remaining six parts depend on the favour of official and underworld connections.

“Think about it,” he continued, “our escort agency’s convoys are deployed over ten provinces. If we had to battle on every journey, how would we have enough lives to spare? Even if we won every fight, as the saying goes, ‘Kill a thousand enemies, lose eight hundred men.’ If our escorts were injured or killed, the compensation to their families alone would exceed our escort fees. What would be left of our family fortune?

“That’s why in our line of work, it is paramount that we have close connections and a wide network. Personal bonds are even more crucial than actual fighting skills.”

In the past, hearing his father mention that he would one day pass him the heavy burden of the escort agency would have excited him greatly, leading to endless discussion with his father. However, his mind was like fifteen buckets in the well, seven rising and eight falling,¹¹ fixated on the words “Western Sichuan” and “Head Priest Yu”.

Lin Zhennan took another puff of his pipe and said, “Your father’s martial arts ability naturally cannot surpass your great-grandfather’s, and may not even match your grandfather’s. However, when it comes to running an escort agency, I daresay I’ve surpassed them both. From Fujian all the south to Guangdong, and all the way north to Zhejiang and Jiangsu—your great-grandfather established our businesses in these four provinces.

“But the six provinces of Shandong, both sides of the lake,¹² Jiangxi, and Guangxi are forged from your father’s own hands. The secret to this? Truth be told, it’s simply down to the words: ‘Gather more friends, make fewer foes.’ Fuwei, Fuwei. The word ‘Fu’ comes before ‘Wei’—meaning prosperity matters more than might. Prosperity comes from the words, ‘gather more friends, make fewer foes’. If it’s changed to ‘Weifu’, it would become bullying and tyranny.¹³ Haha, haha!”

Lin Pingzhi joined in his father with a few forced laughs, but there was no joy in his laughter.

Oblivious to his son’s unease, Lin Zhennan continued, “The ancients say: ‘Having obtained Long, one yearns for Shu.’¹⁴ Your father says: ‘Having obtained E, one yearns for Shu.’ Our escort routes run westward from Fujian, through Jiangxi, Hunan, and stops at Hubei. Why shouldn’t we follow the river further westward into Sichuan?

“Sichuan is the Kingdom of Heaven, and is a truly prosperous place. Once we establish the routes through Sichuan, we can push northwards into Shaanxi and southwards to Yunnan and Guizhou. Our business would grow by at least three tenths.

“However, Sichuan is a land where tigers lurk and dragon hide.¹⁵ There are many formidable masters there. For Fuwei Escort Agency’s convoys to enter Sichuan, we must first establish relations with both Qingcheng School and Emei Order.¹⁶

“For the past three spings and autumns, I’ve been sending generous gifts to Qingcheng’s Pine Wind Temple and Emei’s Jinding Temple.¹⁷ Yet the respective leaders never accepted them.

“High Reverend¹⁸ Jinguang¹⁹ of Emei at least receives our messenger, offers a few words of gratitude, serves a vegetarian meal, before returning the gifts untouched. But Head Priest Yu of Pine Wind Temple is quite something else.

“Our escorts bearing gifts are halted halfway up the mountain. They are told that Head Priest Yu has sealed himself off for meditation and thus receives no visitors, and that the temple has everything it needs and accepts no gifts. Not only do our escort not even get an audience with High Priest Yu, they can’t even say if the temple gate faces north or south.

“They return every time fuming, saying that if it weren’t for my strict orders to remain respectful regardless of how rude a treatment they faced, their frustrations would have driven them to curse up a storm with all kinds of nasty, choice words. And probably have gotten into several major fights by now.”

At this point, he stood up with pride and said, “Who would have thought that this time, Head Priest Yu actually accepted our gifts and said he’s sending four disciples to Fujian to return the courtesy…”

Lin Pingzhi asked, “Four? Not two?”

Lin Zhennan replied, “Yes, four disciples! Think of the honour Head Priest Yu is showing Fuwei Escort Agency by making such a grand gesture! I’ve sent swift riders to notify our branches in Jiangxi, Hunan, and Hubei to host these four honored guests from Qingcheng School well.”

Lin Pingzhi suddenly asked, “Father, do Sichuan people always call others ‘bastard son of a tortoise’ and refer to themselves as ‘your master’?”

Lin Zhennan laughed, “Only the crude folk in Sichuan talk that way. Don’t crude people exist everywhere? Such people naturally speak coarsely. Just listen to how our scouts talk when they gamble—are those words any more pleasant? Why do you ask?”

Lin Pingzhi replied, “Nothing.”

Lin Zhennan said, “When these four Qingcheng disciples arrive, you must spend time and get to know them. Learn the bearing of disciples from prestigious schools. Befriending these four will benefit you to no end in days to come.”

Father and son chatted for a while longer. Lin Pingzhi remained undecided over whether to tell his father about him killing someone. Finally, he thought it better to tell his mother first before speaking to his father about it.

---

After dinner, the Lin family of three chatted in the rear hall. Lin Zhennan discussed with his wife about a suitable gift for her elder brother’s birthday in the start of the sixth moon. Finding something worthy of Luoyang’s Golden Dao King clan of was no easy task.

Just then, a commotion erupted outside the hall, followed by hurried footsteps rushing in. Lin Zhennan frowned and said, “How unruly!”

Three scouts ran in, with the foremost crying out in distress crying, “Chief… Chief Escort…”

Lin Zhennan bellowed, “What’s all this fuss about?”

Scout Chen Qi said, “Bai… Bai Er is dead.”

Lin Zhennan started and asked, “Who killed him? Did you gamble and get into a fight?”

He thought in annoyance: “These men who roam the jianghu are truly hard to control, always so eager to draw blades or raise fists. We’re in the provincial capital. A death would cause serious trouble.”

Chen Qi said, “No, no. Little Li went to the privy and found Bai Er lying in the vegetable garden beside it. There’s no mark on him, but his body was already ice cold. We don’t know how he died. Might have been some sudden illness.”

Lin Zhennan let out a breath, feeling instant relief. He said, “I’ll go take a look.”

He made his way to the vegetable garden immediately. Lin Pingzhi followed.

Over half a dozen escorts guards²⁰ and scouts had gathered in a circle in the garden. Seeing the Chief Escort, they stepped back. Lin Zhennan looked at Bai Er’s corpse and saw that someone had already removed his clothes and there were no sign of blood. He asked Captain Zhu stood beside him, “Any wounds?”

The escort captain replied, “A thorough check showed no sounds on his body, and it doesn’t look like its caused by poison.”

Lin Zhennan nodded and said, “Notify Mister Dong from Accounting to handle Bai Er’s funeral arrangements and send one hundred taels of silver to Bai Er’s family.”

The death of a scout from illness was no particular concern for Lin Zhennan. Turning to return the hall, he asked his son, “Didn’t Bai Er go hunting with you today?”

Lin Pingzhi replied, “He did. He was perfectly fine when we returned. I don’t know how he suddenly fell ill.”

Lin Zhennan said, “I see. Good fortune and misfortune often come without warning. I’ve been trying to establish our route into Sichuan for years and feared it would take at least a decade. Who would have expected Head Priest Yu to have a sudden change of heart and not only accept my gifts, but even sent four disciples on a long journey to return our courtesy.”

Lin Pingzhi said, “Father, while Qingcheng School is renowned in the wulin, the reputations of Fuwei Escort Agency and Father are equally formidable. Given that we send gifts to Sichuan every year, Head Priest Yu is merely returning the courtesy by sending men our way.”

Lin Zhennan laughed and said, “What do you know? Qingcheng and Emei of Sichuan province have been established for centuries and boast a wealth of talented disciples and are truly remarkable. Though they may not match Shaolin or Wudang, they certainly stand as equals of the Five Mountains Sword Schools²¹—Songshan, Taishan, Southern Hengshan, Huashan, and Northern Hengshan.

Your great-grandfather Lord Yuantu created the seventy-two moves of Bixie Swordplay Seventy-Two Moves Evil-Deflecting Sword Art[^pixie] that was once feared through the jianghu and was truly unmatched all of the realm. But when it passed to your grandfather’s hands its reputation fell short of Lord Yuantu’s.

“And, I’m afraid, your father, fell even further short. Our Lin family has had single heirs for three generations, without any martial brother. Just the two of us, father and son, we’re no match for their strength in numbers.”

Lin Pingzhi said, “When the heroes of our escort agency from the ten provinces gather together, are we no match for Shaolin, Wudang, Emei, Qingcheng, and the Five Mountains Sword Schools?”

Lin Zhennan laughed and said, “Child, it is harmless to say such things to your father, but if spoken outside and heard by others, it would instantly bring trouble. Our ten escort agency branches have eighty-four escort captains, each with their own skills. Together, we certainly wouldn’t lose to others. But what’s to gain from defeating others?

“As the saying goes, ‘Harmony brings wealth.’ We’re in the escort business, all the. more we should yield to others. By lowering ourselves and letting others claim superiority, we lose nothing.”

Suddenly, someone cried out, “Aiya, Captain Zheng is dead too!”

Father and son were both startled. Lin Pingzhi leapt from his chair, trembling as he said, “They’ve come for ven…”

Before the word “vengeance” left his lips, he clamped his mouth shut.

By then, Lin Zhennan was already at the hall entrance and did not noticing what his son was saying. Scout Chen Qi rushed in, shouting, “Chief… Chief Escort, terrible news! Captain Zheng… Captain Zheng has also succumbed… to that Sichuan ghost.”

Lin Zhennan’s face darkened as he bellowed, “What Sichuan ghost? Utter nonsense!”

Chen Qi stammered, “A-aye! That Sichuan ghost… That Sichuan fellow was fierce and unreasonable while alive, he’s bound to be even more terrible in death…”

He caught the Chief Escort’s furious glare and dared not continue, instead turned towards Lin Pingzhi with a pleading, frightful look.

Lin Zhennan said, “You say Captain Zheng is dead? Where’s his body? How did he die?”

Just then, several more escort guards and runners rushed into the hall. One of the guards frowned as he said said, “Brother Zheng died in the stables, like Bai Er, there’s not a mark on his body. No blood from the seven apertures,²² no bruising or swelling on his face. Perhaps… perhaps when we went hunting with Young Master earlier, we really ran into some… some malevolent spirit.”

Lin Zhennan snorted and said, “I’ve roamed the jianghu all my life and I’ve never seen any ghosts. Let’s have a look.”

Saying that, he headed to the stables. Captain Zheng was sprawled on the ground, his hands still clutching a saddle, seemingly to have collapsed while unsaddling a horse when. There were no signs of a struggle.

It was alreaady dark. Lin Zhennan instructed someone to hold a lantern while he personally undid Captain Zheng’s clothes, before conducting a meticulous examination. He even checked all the bones in his body, but he did not find a single wound and or a broken finger.

Lin Zhennan never believed in spirits and ghosts. Bai Er’s sudden death was one thing, but for Captain Zheng to die in the same way was highly suspicious. If it were the Black Death²³ or some plague, why were there no dark spots or red marks on the body?

Suspecting this incident was related to his son’s hunting expedition that day, he turned to Lin Pingzhi.

“The ones who went hunting with you today, other than Captain Zheng and Bai Er, was it Captain Shi and him?” He pointed at Chen Qi as he spoke.

Lin Pingzhi nodded. Lin Zhennan said, “You two follow me.”

He instructed a scout, “Tell Captain Shi to come to the east wing.”

When the three were in the east wing, Lin Zhennan asked his son, “What happened?”

Lin Pingzhi then recounted the events: how they had stopped at a small wine shop when returning from hunting; how two men from Sichuan had harassed the serving girl, leading to a verbal confrontation; how that escalated into a brawl when one of them grabbed his neck and demanded that he kowtow; how in his panic and anger, he drew the dagger from his boot and killed the man; and how they buried him in the vegetable garden, gave some silver to the old shop owner, and ordered his silence in return.

The more Lin Zhennan listened, the more concerned he grew. However, a death from a brawl with an outsider was not an earth-shattering matter.

He remained expressionless as he waited for his son to finish, then said in a low voice, “Did these two men mention which school or guild they belonged to?”

Lin Pingzhi said, “No!”

Lin Zhennan asked, “Was there anything unusual about their speech or behaviour?”

Lin Pingzhi replied, “I wouldn’t say it is something strange, but that Yu fellow—”

Before he could finish, Lin Zhennan interrupted, “The man you killed was surnamed Yu?”

Lin Pingzhi said, “Yes! I heard the other call him Brother Yu, though I’m not sure if it was renwei Yu or rence Yu. I couldn’t decipher it given their foreign accent.”

Lin Zhennan shook his head as he muttered to himself, “No, no. It can’t be such a coincidence. Head Priest Yu said he would send men, but there is no way they could’ve reached Fuzhou Prefecture so swiftly unless they grew wings.”

Lin Pingzhi tensed and asked, “Father, are you saying these two might be from Qingcheng School?”

Lin Zhennan gave no answer. Instead, he gestured as he asked, “When you used this Heaven-flipping Palms move against him, how did he counter it?”

Lin Pingzhi replied, “He didn’t. I landed a sound slap.”

Lin Zhennan laughed and said repeatedly, “Splendid! Splendid! Splendid!”

The chamber was filled with a tense, fearful atmosphere, but Lin Zhennan’s laughter made Lin Pingzhi could not help but join in and his heart lightened in an instant.

Lin Zhennan asked, “When you used this move, how did he strike back?”

Once more, he demonstrated the move as he spoke. Lin Pingzhi said, “I was furious then, so I can’t remember clearly, but I think he did this and I punched his chest.”

Lin Zhennan’s expression grew even more pleased, saying “Good, that’s how that move should be executed! If he was unable to counter even this move, there’s not way he was related to Head Priest of Pine Wind Temple from the renowned Qingcheng School.”

His repeated exclamations of “splendid” were not in praise of his son martial abilities, but rather in relief. There were countless people surnamed Yu in Sichuan province, and it was clear that the Yu fellow his son killed had limited martial arts skills, and thus would be unrelated to Qingcheng School.

He tapped his right middle finger repeatedly on the table and asked, “And how did he grab your head?”

Lin Pingzhi showed how he was immobilised by the grapple.

Chen Qi, having regained some courage, interjected, “When Bai Er tried to stab that fellow with his steel fork, a backward kick knocked the fork out of his hand and another sent him tumbling.”

Lin Zhennan’s heart jolted. He asked, “He knocked Bai Er down and disarmed him with a backward kick? How… how did he execute those kicks?”

Chen Qi said, “Something like this…”

He grabbed the back of a chair with both hands and kicked backwards with his right foot, hopped on one foot, then lashed out backwards with his left foot. His kicks were clumsy like a horse’s backward kicks.

Seeing how awkward the kicks were, Lin Pingzhi could not help but laugh and said, “Father, look…”

However, he caught himself when he noticed his father’s alarmed expression.

Lin Zhennan said, “These two backward kicks bear some resemblance to Qingcheng School’s feat, the Shadowless Phantom Kicks.’²⁴ Child, how exactly did he execute the kicks?”

Lin Pingzhi replied, “My head was in his grip then, so I couldn’t see his kicks.”

Lin Zhennan said, “Well, we’ll need to ask Captain Shi then.”

Walking out of the chamber, he called out, “Men! Where’s Captain Shi? Why hasn’t he come after being summoned for so long?”

Two scouts hurried over and reported that Escort Captain Shi was nowhere to be found.

Lin Zhennan paced back and forth in the flower hall,[^huating] thinking to himself, “If these two backward kicks were truly the Shadowless Phantom Kicks, then even if this man were not related to Head Priest Yu, he must have some connection to Qingcheng School. Who exactly was he? I must go see for myself.”

He said aloud, “Summon Captain Cui and Captain Ji!”

The two captains were known for their reliability and purdence, and were Lin Zhennan’s trusted men. Having witnessed Captain Zheng’s sudden death and Captain Shi’s disappearance, they had been waiting outside the hall for orders. Upon hearing Lin Zhennan’s summons, they entered immediately.

Lin Zhennan said, “We have a matter to attend to. The two Captains, son and Chen Qi—follow me.”

---

Footnotes

1. 林震南 – Lín Zhènnán. His name means Shaking the South. ↩

2. 儿 – ér. A term of endearment, especially for a child or lover. ↩

3. 林平之 – Lín Píngzhī. His name means Peacemaker. ↩

4. 湖南 – húnnán. A province in China. ↩

5. 余 – yú. A common Chinese surname. ↩

6. 青城派 – qīngchéngpài. A martial arts school based on Daoist teachings. See Wuxia Wiki ↩

7. 松风观 – sōngfēngguān. Literally pine wind Daoist temple. ↩

8. 青城山 – qīngchéngshān. A mountain in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, famous for its beautiful scenery and the Qingcheng Mountain Taoist Monastery. Considered one of the birthplaces of Daoism and one of the most important Daoist religious sites. See Wikipedia. ↩

9. 川西 – chuānxī. Western Sichuan. See Wikipedia. ↩

10. 大江 – dàjiāng. Another name for the Yangtze River. See Wikipedia. ↩

11. 十五只吊桶打水，七上八下 – shíwǔzhī diàotǒng dǎ shuǐ, qī shàng bā xià. The idiom is a clever wordplay that describes a well system where some buckets ascend while others are descending, meaning one’s mind is agitated like the well buckets rising and falling. The use of an odd number further emphasises the imbalance and restlessness. See Wiktionary. ↩

12. 两湖 – liǎnghú. The two provinces of Hunan and Hubei are literally south of lake and north of lake respectively, due to their location from the Dongting Lake. ↩

13. 作威作福 – zuòwēizuòfú. Literally making threats and enjoying favours. It is a word play of the words that make up the Fuwei name. ↩

14. 既得陇，复望蜀 – jìdélǒng, fùwàngshǔ. Literally, having obtained Long, one yearns for Shu. The idiom comes from the Book of Jin, attributed to Cao Cao from the Three Kingdoms, who said after conquering Longyou, he wants the territory of Shu. See Wiktionary. ↩

15. 卧虎藏龙 – wòhǔcánglóng. Literally, a tiger lies hidden and a dragon hides. The idiom is used to explain there are many hidden talented individuals. See Wiktionary. ↩

16. 峨眉派 – éméipài. A martial arts school based on Buddhism teachings on Emei Mountain. See Wuxia Wiki ↩

17. 金顶寺 – jīndǐngsì. Literally Golden Top temple. Emei Buddhist temple on Emei Mountain. See Wikipedia. ↩

18. 上人 – shàngrén. A respectful term for a high-ranking Buddhist monk. ↩

19. 静观 – jìngguān. Literally, quiet observation. ↩

20. 镖师 – biāoshī. Literally escort master. ↩

21. 五岳剑派 – wǔyuèjiànpài. The five famous sword schools in China. ↩

22. 七孔 – qīkǒng. Literally, seven orifices. The seven apertures refers to the eyes, ears, nostrils, and mouth. ↩

23. 瘟神 – wēnshén. Literally plague god. ↩

24. 无影幻腿 – wúyǐnghuàntuǐ. Literally, no shadow imaginary leg. A move from the Qingcheng School. See Wuxia Wiki ↩