The Legend of the Condor Heroes Chapter 12 – Part 4

Huang Rong said, “Just now I watched him break a pine tree with one palm. He’s already better than me.” Hong Qigong shook his head. “His skill’s no good, no good at all. He ought to have cut the tree clean through with one palm. Knocking it over all crooked and skew like that, what sort of lousy skill is that? That pine was as thin as a chopstick. No, more like a toothpick. He’s still a long way off.”

Huang Rong said, “But that palm of his, I couldn’t stop it already. It’s all your fault. When he starts bullying me, what am I going to do?”

Guo Jing broke in hastily. “I’d never bully you.”

Hong Qigong was doing his very best just then to keep in Huang Rong’s good books, so although he could hear she was twisting the argument, he had to go along with her. “Then what do you want?”

Huang Rong said, “Teach me a skill that beats his. Once you’ve taught me, I’ll go and cook for you.”

Hong Qigong said, “Good! He’s only learned one move, so how hard can it be to beat him? I’ll teach you a set called Carefree Wandering.¹” The words were hardly out of his mouth before he leapt into the air, his wide sleeves flying, springing east and west, his body as light and nimble as could be.

Huang Rong silently committed it to memory, and by the time Hong Qigong had finished the whole set, she had half of it. With his pointers and coaching, in under two shichen² she had learned all thirty-six moves of Carefree Wandering, six times six of them. Last of all she and Hong Qigong performed it together, side by side, one starting from the left and the other from the right, wheeling to and fro like a jade swallow and a great eagle in graceful flight. When the thirty-six moves were done they landed at the same moment and looked at each other and laughed, and Guo Jing cheered loudly.

Hong Qigong said to Guo Jing, “That girl is a hundred times cleverer than you.” Guo Jing scratched his head. “So many moves and variations, and she learned them in no time without forgetting any. How does she do it? I’d only just remembered the second move when I forgot the first.” Hong Qigong laughed heartily. “This Carefree Wandering isn’t for you. Even if you half killed yourself getting it by heart, there wouldn’t be a scrap of carefree about it when you used it. All frowns and misery and clumsy hands and feet, it would turn into Careworn Crawling.”

Guo Jing laughed. “Isn’t that the truth?”

Hong Qigong said, “Carefree Wandering is something I practised as a boy. I only shook it out to teach her because it fits the way her own martial arts go. It doesn’t really suit the way my martial learning goes now, and in more than ten years I haven’t used it once.” What he meant was plain enough: Carefree Wandering was nowhere near as powerful as the Eighteen Palms of Dragon Subduing.³

Far from minding, Huang Rong was glad to hear it. “Qigong,” she said, “I’ve beaten him again, so he’s bound to be unhappy. Teach him a few more moves.” Her own learning had only been a lure, to get Hong Qigong to teach Guo Jing more martial arts. If she had truly wanted to learn martial arts, she had a great and famous master in her own father, and a lifetime would not have exhausted what he could teach.

Hong Qigong said, “The silly boy is terribly slow. He hasn’t even got the hang of the one move I taught him just now. Bite off more than he can chew and he’ll choke on it. Just keep cooking me good dishes, and you’ll get your wish all right.”

Huang Rong smiled. “Very well, I’m off to buy the food.” Hong Qigong laughed heartily and went back to his room at the inn. Guo Jing stayed in the pine wood practising hard until it was dark.

That evening Huang Rong did indeed stir-fry a bowl of cabbage and steam a dish of bean curd for Hong Qigong. For the cabbage she used only the hearts, stir-fried raw in chicken fat with minced duck’s feet, which was nothing so very remarkable. But the bean curd was another matter entirely. First she split a ham open and scooped out twenty-four round holes. Then she pared the bean curd into twenty-four little balls, set one in each hole, tied the ham up again and steamed it. When it was done, all the savour of the ham had passed into the bean curd, and the ham itself was thrown away uneaten. Hong Qigong tasted it and, naturally, was utterly smitten. This steamed bean curd too had a name from a Tang poem, “Twenty-Four Bridges on a Moonlit Night”.⁴ Had Huang Rong not had her family’s Orchid Acupoint-Tracing Hand,⁵ her ten fingers deft and gentle, her force applied so lightly it seemed both there and not there, the tender bean curd would have crumbled at a touch, so how could she have pared it into twenty-four little balls? It was work as fine and as hard as carving characters on a grain of rice or an olive stone into a boat. Cutting the bean curd into cubes would have been easy enough, of course, but where in the world is there a square bright moon?

Guo Jing and Huang Rong had spent these past days roaming wherever the fancy took them, and at inns they had often shared a room, but now that they were with Hong Qigong they slept apart. Hong Qigong asked in surprise, “Aren’t you two a young married couple? Why don’t you share a room?” Huang Rong had been clowning and teasing with him all along, but at this she could not help blushing. “Qigong,” she said crossly, “if you talk nonsense again, I won’t cook for you tomorrow.”

Hong Qigong said in surprise, “What? Did I say something wrong?” Then he laughed. “I’m a muddled old fool. You’re plainly dressed as an unmarried girl, not a young wife. You two have pledged yourselves to each other in private, without your parents’ command or a matchmaker’s word, and you haven’t bowed to Heaven and Earth yet. No need to worry about that. Old Beggar will be your matchmaker. If your father won’t agree, Old Beggar will fight him for another seven days and seven nights, on and on without end, and pester him until he has to say yes.”

Huang Rong had long been worried about this very thing, afraid that her father would not like Guo Jing, and at these words her heart blossomed with joy. She thanked him over and over to nail the promise down, and put twice as much care into her cooking for him.

The next day, at first light, Guo Jing was already up and off to the pine wood to practise Proud Dragon Repents,⁶ the move from the Eighteen Palms of Dragon Subduing. He went through it twenty times and more and was drenched in sweat, and he was secretly pleased with his progress when he heard voices beyond the wood.

One man said, “Shifu, we must have covered thirty li⁷ or so on this stretch, mustn’t we?” Another said, “Your legs really have improved a little.” The voices sounded very familiar to Guo Jing. Four men came out at the edge of the wood, and the first of them, with white hair and a boy’s ruddy face, was none other than his great enemy, the Ginseng Old Eccentric, Liang Ziweng.⁸ Guo Jing groaned inwardly, turned and ran.

But Liang Ziweng had already seen clearly that it was him. “Where do you think you’re going?” he shouted. The three men behind him were his disciples, and seeing their shifu go after an enemy, they at once spread out and closed in from three sides. Guo Jing thought, Once I’m out of the wood and near the inn, I’ll be all right. He raced off. Liang Ziweng’s eldest disciple cut off his line of retreat. “On your knees, little thief!” he shouted, and using the great-strength Seizing Hand from beyond the Pass⁹ that his shifu had taught him, he clawed at Guo Jing’s chest. Guo Jing saw that he had put everything into the grab and left his chest and belly wide open, so he bent his left leg a little, curved his right arm inwards, traced a circle with his right palm and, with a whoosh, pushed outwards. It was Proud Dragon Repents, the move he had only just begun to learn. The man pulled his arm back from the grab to block the palm. There was a crack, his arm broke, and he flew a good six or seven feet and passed out. Guo Jing had held back more than half his strength in that move, and he had never expected it still to have such power. He stood stunned for a moment, then took to his heels again.

Liang Ziweng, startled and furious, sprang out of the wood and raced round ahead of him. Guo Jing had only just come out of the pines when he saw Liang Ziweng barring his way. In his alarm he crouched, bent his arm, traced the circle and pushed hard, once again Proud Dragon Repents. Liang Ziweng did not know the move, and seeing it come too fiercely to meet head on, he had no choice but to throw himself down and roll out of its way. Guo Jing at once ran for all he was worth.

By the time Liang Ziweng was up and after him again, Guo Jing was outside the inn, shouting at the top of his voice, “Rong-er, Rong-er, trouble, the villain who wants to drink my blood is after me!” Huang Rong put her head out, saw it was Liang Ziweng and thought, How did this old freak get here? Well, he’s come at just the right moment. I can try out the Carefree Wandering I’ve just learned. She called, “Jing gege, don’t be afraid of the old freak. You make the first move and I’ll help you. We’ll give him a hard time.”

Guo Jing thought, Rong-er doesn’t know how dangerous this old freak is. She makes it sound so easy. Hardly had the thought crossed his mind when Liang Ziweng was on him, coming so fiercely that Guo Jing had no choice but to push out another Proud Dragon Repents. Liang Ziweng twisted his body and swung his hips aside, darting clear, but the edge of Guo Jing’s palm caught his right arm in passing and left it burning with pain. He was secretly amazed. In a mere few months the boy’s martial arts had come on this far. It must be the python’s precious blood he had drunk. The more he thought about it the angrier he grew, and he sprang at him again. In fact, although the python’s precious blood did drive out parasites and ward off poison, it could not increase neili.¹⁰ Guo Jing’s great progress was entirely due to the guidance of that great master Hong Qigong.

Guo Jing met him again with Proud Dragon Repents. Once more Liang Ziweng had to leap away, and seeing that no other formidable move followed it, he lost some of his wariness. “Stupid boy,” he jeered, “is that the only move you know?” Sure enough, Guo Jing fell for it. “This one move is all I need, and you can’t stop it,” he cried, and stepped forward with another palm. Liang Ziweng leapt aside and sprang round to attack him from behind. Guo Jing turned his head, but before he could launch the move again, Liang Ziweng had slipped behind him and was punching at him. After three moves of this, Guo Jing could look after his front but not his back, and with no time to turn and push out Proud Dragon Repents, he was soon in a frantic muddle.

Huang Rong saw he was about to lose and called, “Jing gege, I’ll deal with him.” She flew out and landed between them, striking with her left palm and her right foot at once. Liang Ziweng drew back and brushed her aside with his fists, returning two moves. Guo Jing stepped back a couple of paces and watched them fight. Huang Rong had learned the marvellous palm technique of Carefree Wandering, but it was new and not yet practised, and in neili she was much too far behind him. Had she not been wearing the Soft Hedgehog Armour,¹¹ she would long since have been hit and hurt, and before she had got through all thirty-six moves of Carefree Wandering she was already flagging. Liang Ziweng’s two other disciples, holding up their injured eldest shixiong,¹² watched from the side, and as their shifu slowly gained the upper hand, they kept up a stream of shouts and cheers.

Guo Jing was about to rush in and take Liang Ziweng from the other side when Hong Qigong shouted from behind the window, “His next move is ‘Vicious Dog Blocks the Road’!”

Huang Rong was taken aback. She saw Liang Ziweng spread his legs into a horse stance and swing both fists level, exactly the move Vicious Tiger Blocks the Road, and she could not help laughing. She thought, So Qigong calls Vicious Tiger Blocks the Road Vicious Dog Blocks the Road. But how could he know it was coming? Then Hong Qigong shouted again, “Next is ‘Stinking Snake Fetches Water’!” Huang Rong knew it must be Azure Dragon Fetches Water, a move that thrusts the fist forward and leaves a gap at the back. The words were hardly out of Hong Qigong’s mouth before she had circled behind Liang Ziweng. Liang Ziweng made his move, and sure enough it was Azure Dragon Fetches Water, but Huang Rong had got into position first, turning guest into host, and was striking straight at the middle of his back. Had his martial arts not been so deep that he could change moves in the nick of time and fly off level, a foot or so above the ground, her fist would already have landed in his back.

He touched down on his toes and stood up, startled and furious. “What master is that?” he shouted at the window. “Why don’t you show yourself?” But there was only silence behind the window. He was astounded. He thought, How can this person know what moves I’m going to use?

With a great master behind her, Huang Rong had nothing to fear and went on the attack instead. Liang Ziweng unleashed one deadly move after another, and Huang Rong was in danger again. Hong Qigong shouted, “Don’t be afraid, he’s going to do ‘Rotten-Arse Monkey Climbs the Tree’!” Huang Rong burst out laughing, raised both fists high and brought them smashing down. Liang Ziweng was only halfway through Spirit Ape Climbs the Tree. He had meant to leap high and strike down from the air, but Huang Rong had forestalled him, and her fists were coming down on his head. If he went on leaping upwards, he would be pushing his own forehead into her fists, so he had to change moves at once. When every move you make is seen through before you make it, your life is normally in danger within two or three moves. Luckily his martial arts were far above Huang Rong’s, and in a crisis he could find a way out, so he was not hurt. After a few more moves he leapt clear of the fight and shouted, “If you won’t show yourself, friend, don’t blame me if I’m not gentle with this girl.” His fist technique changed abruptly, coming like a sudden squall of wind and rain, the next move arriving before the last was done. Huang Rong could not withstand it, and Hong Qigong had no time to call out the moves in advance.

Seeing Huang Rong’s fist technique falling into disorder as she dodged this way and that, Guo Jing rushed forward and struck at Liang Ziweng with Proud Dragon Repents.

Liang Ziweng pushed off with his right foot and flew backwards. “Jing gege,” said Huang Rong, “give him three more.” With that she turned and went into the inn.

Guo Jing set his stance and waited for Liang Ziweng to close in, and whatever move he used, Guo Jing met it halfway with Proud Dragon Repents. Liang Ziweng was angry and amused at once, and he cursed silently to himself, Back and forth, back and forth, the silly boy has only the one move. But for all that the silly boy knew only one move, and nothing on earth would make it two, the old freak could do nothing with him. The two of them stood more than ten feet apart, stuck for the moment. “Look out, silly boy!” Liang Ziweng shouted, and suddenly hurled himself forward. Guo Jing did just as before and pushed out his palm. But in mid-air Liang Ziweng twisted, flung up his right hand, and three Midnight Bone-Penetrating Nails¹³ came flying at him, high, middle and low. Guo Jing dodged hastily, and Liang Ziweng swept in, his hands quick as lightning, and seized him by the back of the neck. Horrified, Guo Jing drove his elbow back at his chest, but where it struck was soft and yielding, as if he had elbowed a heap of cotton wool.

Liang Ziweng was about to finish him off when Huang Rong shouted, “Old freak, do you see what this is?” Knowing how crafty she was, Liang Ziweng first gripped Guo Jing’s Jianjing acupoint¹⁴ with his right hand so that he could not move, and only then turned his head. She was walking slowly towards him with a bamboo staff in her hand, as green as jade. Liang Ziweng’s heart gave a violent jolt. “Guild…Guild Chief Hong¹⁵…”

“Why haven’t you let go yet?” Huang Rong shouted. When Hong Qigong had called out the moves he meant to make before he made them, Liang Ziweng had been alarmed and baffled, but it had not occurred to him who it might be. Now, suddenly seeing the green bamboo staff, he realised that the voice behind the window had indeed belonged to the man he feared most in all his life. Frightened out of his wits, he hastily let go of Guo Jing.

Huang Rong came closer, holding the staff in both hands, and shouted, “Qigong says that since he has already spoken, you have a nerve still running wild here. What makes you think you can?” Liang Ziweng fell to his knees. “I truly didn’t know Guild Chief Hong was here. Even if I had all the nerve in the world, I’d never dare offend Guild Chief Hong.”

Huang Rong was secretly amazed. She thought, This man is so formidable. Why is he so terrified just at the sound of Qigong’s name? And why does he call him Guild Chief Hong? Without letting anything show, she demanded, “And what do you deserve for this?” Liang Ziweng said, “I beg you, miss, put in a good word for me with Guild Chief Hong. Just say that Liang Ziweng knows his guilt and begs Guild Chief Hong to spare his life.”

Huang Rong said, “A good word won’t hurt, but several good words aren’t worth my while. And from now on you’re never to make trouble for the two of us again.” Liang Ziweng said, “This lowly one was ignorant before and gave you much offence. I beg you both to be magnanimous. Naturally I’ll never dare again.”

Huang Rong was very pleased with herself. With a little smile she took Guo Jing’s hand and went back into the inn. Hong Qigong had four big dishes in front of him and, cup in his left hand and chopsticks in his right, was eating with great relish. Huang Rong laughed. “Qigong, he’s kneeling out there and doesn’t dare move.”

Hong Qigong said, “Go and give him a beating to let off steam. He won’t dare hit back.”

Footnotes

1. 逍遥游拳法 — Xiāoyáoyóu Quánfǎ. Literally carefree-wandering fist method, after the first chapter of the Zhuangzi. A set of thirty-six fist and palm moves. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

2. 时辰 — shíchén. Traditional Chinese unit of time equal to two hours; the day was divided into twelve shichen. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

3. 降龙十八掌 — Xiánglóng Shíbā Zhǎng. Literally eighteen dragon-subduing palms. Hong Qigong’s palm technique. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

4. 二十四桥明月夜 — Èrshísì Qiáo Míngyuè Yè. Literally a moonlit night at the Twenty-Four Bridges. A line from a poem by the Tang poet Du Mu on Yangzhou. ↩

5. 兰花拂穴手 — Lánhuā Fú Xuè Shǒu. Huang Rong’s hereditary art of brushing the acupoints with the fingers, prized for being fast, accurate, strange and clear. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

6. 亢龙有悔 — Kàng Lóng Yǒu Huǐ. Literally the proud dragon has cause to repent. A move of the Eighteen Palms of Dragon Subduing, named from a line of the Book of Changes. ↩

7. 里 — lǐ. A traditional unit of distance, about 500 metres or one-third of a mile. ↩

8. 梁子翁 — Liáng Zǐwēng. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

9. 擒拿手 — Qínná Shǒu. Literally seizing hand. A method of seizing and locking the opponent’s joints. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

10. 内力 — nèilì. Literally internal force. The kinetic manifestation of cultivated qi. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

11. 软猬甲 — Ruǎnwèijiǎ. A vest set with tiny barbs, proof against blades and fists, treasured on Peach Blossom Island. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

12. 师兄 — shīxiōng. Male senior. Both apprenticed to the same shifu. Shī means teacher. Xiōng means older brother. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

13. 子午透骨钉 — Zǐwǔ Tòugǔ Dīng. A poisoned Bone-Penetrating Nail. 子午 is the midnight hour, by which its poison is said to take effect. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

14. 肩井穴 — Jiānjǐng Xué. Literally shoulder well acupoint. An acupoint at the top of the shoulder. ↩

15. 帮主 — bāngzhǔ. Literally guild master. The head of a guild. ↩