The Legend of the Condor Heroes Chapter 20 – Part 1

The false Nine Yin Manual

When Hong Qigong and Guo Jing saw Ouyang Feng and his nephew lead Zhou Botong into the aft cabin, they went straight to the forward cabin to change. Four white-clad maids came to attend them. Hong Qigong said with a laugh, “This old beggar has never known such luxury.” He stripped himself stark naked, and one of the girls rubbed him down with a dry cloth. Guo Jing went red in the face and did not dare undress. Hong Qigong laughed. “What are you afraid of? Do you think they’ll eat you?” Two of the girls came forward to pull off his boots and untie his belt, but Guo Jing hastily pulled off his boots, socks and outer robe himself, slipped under the covers and changed into his underclothes. Hong Qigong roared with laughter, and the four maids giggled as well.

They had only just changed when two maids came in bearing trays of wine, dishes and plain rice. “Please, sirs, make what you can of this humble meal.” Hong Qigong waved them away, saying, “Off with you. This old beggar loses his appetite in the company of beautiful women.” The girls walked out laughing and pulled the cabin door shut behind them.

Hong Qigong lifted the wine and dishes to his nose and sniffed at them a few times, then said softly, “Better not eat these. Old Venom is full of tricks. The plain rice will do us no harm.” He pulled the stopper from the gourd on his back and gulped down two mouthfuls of his own wine, then he and Guo Jing each shovelled down three big bowls of rice, and they tipped the dishes away beneath the floorboards. Guo Jing said in a low voice, “I wonder what he wants Big Brother Zhou¹ to do.”

Hong Qigong said, “Nothing good, that’s certain. The Old Wild Child² is in serious trouble this time.”

The cabin door was slowly pushed open. A maid stepped to the threshold and said, “Old Zhou asks Master Guo to come to the aft cabin for a word.” Guo Jing glanced at his shifu, then followed the girl out through the door and along the port side towards the stern. The maid tapped three times on the aft cabin door, waited a moment, then pushed it open and said softly, “Master Guo is here.”

Guo Jing stepped into the cabin, and the door closed behind him. There was no one inside. He was just wondering at this when a small door on the left swung open and Ouyang Feng and his nephew walked in. Guo Jing said, “Where is Big Brother Zhou?” Ouyang Feng shut the small door behind him, strode forward two paces, reached out and seized Guo Jing’s left wrist at the pulse-gate.³ The grab was swift beyond measure, and Guo Jing never dreamed he would resort to violence without warning. His wrist was locked as though in an iron band, quite unable to move. Ouyang Ke slid an iron fan out of his sleeve and pressed its tip to a vital acupoint in the middle of Guo Jing’s back.

Guo Jing was utterly bewildered. He stood rooted where he was, with no idea what uncle and nephew meant by it. Ouyang Feng sneered, “The Old Wild Child lost a wager with me. I asked him to do something and he refused.” Guo Jing said, “Mm?” Ouyang Feng went on, “I told him to write out the Nine Yin Manual⁴ from memory and let me have a look at it, and the Old Wild Child went back on his word.” Guo Jing thought, Why would Big Brother Zhou ever pass the manual on to you? He asked, “Where is Big Brother Zhou?”

Ouyang Feng gave a cold laugh. “He said himself that if he would not do as I asked, he would jump into the sea and feed the sharks. Hmph. Say what you like, he is a man whose name rings loud, and that much he did not go back on.”

Guo Jing was horrified. He cried, “He… he…” He made to dash for the cabin door. Ouyang Feng’s grip tightened, and Guo Jing was brought up short. Ouyang Ke pressed a little harder, and the tip of the fan sent a numbing ache through the Zhiyang acupoint⁵ on Guo Jing’s back.

Ouyang Feng pointed at the paper, ink, brush and inkstone on the table. “In all the world today, you are the only one who knows the full text. Write it out, and be quick.” Guo Jing shook his head. Ouyang Ke said with a smile, “The wine and dishes you and the old beggar just ate were poisoned. Unless you take my uncle’s own antidote, the poison will strike in six shichen,⁶ and you will die like those sharks out in the sea. Write it out nicely and of course we will spare you and your shifu.” Guo Jing was secretly alarmed. He thought, If Shifu hadn’t been on his guard, they would have had us. He stared at Ouyang Feng and thought, You are a grandmaster of the martial arts, and you stoop to such vile tricks.

Seeing him sunk in thought and saying nothing, Ouyang Feng said, “You have the text fixed firmly in your memory. Writing it out costs you nothing at all, so why hesitate?” Guo Jing said sternly, “You took my sworn brother’s life, and my hatred for you runs as deep as the sea! If you want to kill me, kill me. If you think you can make me bow to you, you’re dreaming!”

Ouyang Feng grunted. “Good lad, you’ve got backbone! You’re not afraid to die. But won’t you even save your shifu’s life?”

Before Guo Jing could answer, a tremendous crash sounded from the cabin door behind him. Planks and splinters flew in all directions. Ouyang Feng turned his head and saw Hong Qigong with a wooden bucket in each hand, dashing two bucketfuls of seawater at them. Two columns of clear jade-green water came flying straight at him, with truly formidable force behind them. Ouyang Feng kicked off hard with both feet and leapt to the left, still dragging Guo Jing with him, his left hand still clamped on the pulse-gate at the boy’s wrist.

Two great slaps of water sounded and spray burst all over the cabin. Ouyang Ke gave a loud cry of alarm. Hong Qigong had him by the back of the collar and had hauled him across. Hong Qigong roared with laughter. “Old Venom, you try every trick there is to get the better of me, but Heaven never allows it!”

Seeing his nephew in Hong Qigong’s hands, Ouyang Feng at once laughed. “Seventh Brother, have you come to take the measure of my martial arts again? There will be time enough to fight once we are ashore.” Hong Qigong laughed. “What are you being so cosy with my disciple for? Holding his hand and not letting go.”

Ouyang Feng said, “I made a wager with the Old Wild Child and I won, didn’t I? You were the witness, yes? The Old Wild Child broke his promise, so I hold you accountable. Isn’t that right?” Hong Qigong nodded repeatedly. “Fair enough. Where is the Old Wild Child, then?” Sick at heart, Guo Jing broke in before anyone else could answer. “Big Brother Zhou, he… he made him jump into the sea, and he’s dead.”

Hong Qigong started. Still holding Ouyang Ke, he leapt out of the cabin and looked all around. In the darkness there was nothing but the rise and fall of the waves, and no sign of Zhou Botong.

Ouyang Feng led Guo Jing by the hand up onto the deck as well, then released him. “Worthy nephew Guo, your martial arts still have a long way to go! A man has only to reach out a hand and you are at his mercy. Go and train with your shifu for another ten years, and then come out and roam the jianghu.”⁷ Guo Jing’s thoughts were all on Zhou Botong, and he paid no heed to the jibe. He climbed the mast and looked out in every direction.

Hong Qigong hurled Ouyang Ke back towards Ouyang Feng and bellowed, “Old Venom, you drove the Old Wild Child to his death, and the Daoists of the Quanzhen Order⁸ will make you pay for it. Strong as you are, you may not hold out against all the Seven Zis of Quanzhen⁹ at once.” Before his body reached the deck, Ouyang Ke slapped down with his right hand and used the rebound to come upright. He cursed inwardly, Stinking beggar. Tomorrow at this hour the poison will strike you, and you’ll be crawling at my feet begging for mercy.

Ouyang Feng smiled faintly. “When that time comes, you won’t escape your share of it either, since you stood witness.” Hong Qigong said, “Good. When the time comes, I’ll take my Dog-Beating Staff¹⁰ to a dog in the water.” Ouyang Feng cupped his fists in salute and stepped into the cabin.

Guo Jing gazed out for a long while. There was neither moon nor star, and apart from the odd white crest on the waves, nothing at all to be seen. At last he had to come down to the deck, and he told his shifu how Ouyang Feng had tried to force him to write out the manual. Hong Qigong nodded and said nothing. He thought, Once Old Venom takes a thing in hand he never lets go. He won’t rest until he has the manual. He’ll fasten on my disciple now. Guo Jing remembered Zhou Botong’s death and wept aloud. Hong Qigong’s heart was heavy too. He could see the ship running fast to the west, and in another day they could hope to sight land. Afraid that Ouyang Feng would poison their food again, he went straight to the galley and carried off an armful of food by force. He and Guo Jing ate their fill, then lay down and were soon snoring.

Ouyang Feng and his nephew kept watch until the following afternoon. Eight or nine shichen had passed, and still there was no stir from Hong Qigong and his disciple. Now it was Ouyang Feng who began to worry. Perhaps the poison had struck and the two were too proud to cry out. Killing the old beggar suited him well enough, but if Guo Jing died, all was lost. He could never get the manual from Huang Yaoshi or the Quanzhen Order, and the Nine Yin Manual would be lost to the world for ever. He peered through a crack in the door and saw the two sitting calmly in conversation. Hong Qigong’s voice rang loud, his breath full and strong. Ouyang Feng thought, The old beggar must have been on his guard and never touched the poison. He had poisons aplenty, but to poison Hong Qigong and spare Guo Jing was another matter, and for the moment he could think of no good way to do it.

Hong Qigong was telling Guo Jing about the deeds of the Beggars’ Guild. Though its members lived by begging, he said, they upheld the code of xia¹¹ and stood up for what was right, relieving suffering and rescuing those in trouble, for the sake of the country and the people. In doing good they would yield to no one, yet whatever good they did, they did their best to keep it from being known. He went on to speak of the rules for choosing a successor to the Guild Chief. “It’s a pity you have no taste for being a beggar. A man of your character has no equal in our guild yet, and this Dog-Beating Staff of mine would go to no one but you.” He was in full flow when suddenly a sharp metallic tapping came from the cabin wall. Clang, clang, clang, clang. The sound of axe and chisel.

Hong Qigong sprang to his feet. “This is bad. The thieving dogs mean to sink the ship.” He darted to the cabin door and shouted to Guo Jing, “Quick, seize the little boat at the stern.” The words were barely out when there was a great boom, and an iron hammer smashed through the bulkhead. Then came a hissing rush, and what poured through the breach was not seawater but dozens of vipers.¹²

Hong Qigong swore with a laugh. “Old Venom’s attacking with snakes!” His right hand flicked out again and again, flinging steel needles. Dozens of vipers were pinned to the cabin planks, writhing and squeaking in pain, unable to slither another inch. Guo Jing thought, Rong-er can do the Sky-Blanketing Blossom Rain Needle Cast¹³ too, but she’s nowhere near as good as Shifu. Then dozens more vipers poured through the breach. Hong Qigong loosed his needles, and every one of the newcomers was pinned dead to the floor. But the wooden flute that guided them kept piping on, and the vipers’ heads bobbed and multiplied.

Hong Qigong’s blood was up. “Old Venom’s given me all these targets to practise on. Couldn’t be better.” He reached into his pouch and drew out another handful of steel needles, only to find the pouch nearly empty. His heart lurched. The snakes kept coming without end. He was still searching for a defence when two door panels crashed inward and a palm-wind struck at his back.

Guo Jing was standing beside his shifu. He felt the fierce palm-wind and, with no time to turn, brought his palms together and answered with a move of his own. The force bearing down on him was savage, and only by summoning every ounce of strength he had did he hold it off. Ouyang Feng gave a puzzled “Eh?”, a little surprised that the blow had not knocked him down, and stepped in with a backhanded chop. Guo Jing knew he could not block another blow head-on. His left palm led the strike aside while his right hand darted in at Ouyang Feng’s left flank. Ouyang Feng dared not overcommit the palm. He dropped his shoulder, drew the palm back and chopped down at Guo Jing’s wrist.

Guo Jing saw that his position was desperate. If Ouyang Feng held the cabin door, the vipers would pour in ceaselessly, and he and his shifu would be doomed. His left hand fought off every blow that came while his right attacked, move after move. Left parrying, right driving in, left guarding, right striking, he was using the art Zhou Botong had taught him. Ouyang Feng had never met a style that fought with left and right as two separate minds, and his hands and feet slowed in spite of himself, so that Guo Jing seized the initiative for several moves running. For real skill, two Guo Jings fighting him two against one would still have been no match for Ouyang Feng, but this art of his was so strange that it took him off guard, and within a few moves Guo Jing actually had the upper hand.

But the Western Venom Ouyang Feng had been famous for decades and was a grandmaster of the martial arts after all. A moment’s surprise, and he had found the answer. With a great croaking cry he thrust out both palms together. With his left hand alone Guo Jing could never hold them, and he was on the point of being driven back headlong, while behind him the swarm of snakes came hissing in.

Hong Qigong shouted, “Splendid, splendid! Old Venom, you can’t even beat my young disciple, so what are you playing the hero for?” He leapt into Flying Dragon in the Sky¹⁴ and sailed over both their heads. A flying kick sent Ouyang Ke, who stood in his way, head over heels, and he swung back with an elbow strike aimed at Ouyang Feng’s back. Ouyang Feng turned side-on to return the blow, and the force driving Guo Jing back melted away.

Guo Jing thought, Shifu and he are evenly matched in neili.¹⁵ His nephew is no match for me now, and besides, his injuries haven’t healed. Two against two, we’re bound to win. His spirits leapt, and his fists and feet came down on Ouyang Feng like a raging storm.

Even in the thick of the fight Hong Qigong kept an eye on every side, and he saw that a dozen or more vipers had slithered up behind Guo Jing. He shouted, “Jing-er, come out, quick!” His hands quickened, taking over the full weight of Ouyang Feng’s assault.

Ouyang Feng was hard-pressed from two sides. He turned side-on and let Guo Jing leave the cabin, and traded a few more moves with Hong Qigong. By now hundreds of vipers had slithered up onto the deck. Hong Qigong cursed, “Bringing beasts into a fight. Shameless.” But the snakes kept swarming, and even he felt a chill of alarm. Whirling the Dog-Beating Staff in his right hand, he killed a dozen or more of them, then pulled Guo Jing after him and ran for the mainmast.

Ouyang Feng thought, This is bad! Once those two are up the mast, there will be nothing I can do to them for a while. He raced over to stop them. Hong Qigong struck at him twice, his palms roaring like the wind, and Ouyang Feng met them with a sideways fist. Guo Jing was about to step in and help again.

Hong Qigong shouted, “Quick, up the mast.” Guo Jing said, “I’ll kill his nephew and avenge Big Brother Zhou.” Hong Qigong cried urgently, “Snakes! Snakes!” Guo Jing saw snakes moving in front of him and behind, to left and right, and he dared not fight on. He reached back and caught a Flying Swallow Silver Shuttle¹⁶ that Ouyang Ke had thrown, leapt more than ten feet into the air and wrapped his left arm round the mast. Hearing a hidden weapon whistle through the air behind him, he flung the shuttle he had caught straight back at it. There was a clang as the two silver shuttles met in mid-air, flew out over the side and dropped into the sea. Guo Jing climbed the mast hand over hand, and in moments he was halfway up.

Ouyang Feng knew Hong Qigong meant to go up the mast too, and he pressed him harder and harder. Hong Qigong still held him evenly, but he could not break away to climb. Guo Jing saw that the snakes had reached his shifu’s feet. Things were desperate. With a great shout he clamped the mast between his feet and slid straight down. Guo Jing had drunk a great deal of the vermilion python’s¹⁷ medicinal blood, and the medicine was so strong on him that the vipers smelt it and slithered away, not daring to come near him. That gave Hong Qigong his opening. He pushed off with his left foot, sprang into the air and kicked with his right at Ouyang Feng’s face. Guo Jing caught hold of the bamboo staff in his shifu’s hand and flung it upward with all his strength, and Hong Qigong went flying straight up. With a long laugh he caught the yardarm with his left hand and hung there in mid-air, above Guo Jing. Now the two had the high ground and a clear advantage.

Ouyang Feng saw that if he climbed up and attacked from below, he was sure to come off worse. He shouted, “Very well, we’ll see who lasts longer. Bring her about, head east!” The sails swung round and the ship ran east. Round the foot of the mainmast, wherever the eye fell, all was green, a dense, teeming mass of venomous snakes.

Footnotes

1. 大哥 — dàgē. Literally big brother. The address to an elder brother or an elder sworn brother. ↩

2. 老顽童 — lǎo wántóng. Literally old wild child. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

3. 脉门 — màimén. Literally pulse gate. The point on the inner wrist where the pulse is felt; a hard grip there robs an opponent of strength. ↩

4. 九阴真经 — Jiǔyīn Zhēnjīng. Literally true scripture of the nine yin. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

5. 至阳穴 — Zhìyáng Xué. Literally reaching yang point. An acupoint on the spine, below the seventh thoracic vertebra. ↩

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

7. 江湖 — jiānghú. Literally rivers and lakes. The world of martial artists, outside mainstream society. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

8. 全真教 — Quánzhēn Jiào. Literally complete truth order. Daoist martial-monastic order founded by Wang Chongyang, one of the most influential orthodox factions. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

9. 全真七子 — Quánzhēn Qīzǐ. Literally the seven zi of Quanzhen, zi being an honorific for a master. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

10. 打狗棒 — Dǎgǒu Bàng. The jade-green bamboo staff carried by the Guild Chief of the Beggars’ Guild as the token of his office. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

11. 侠 — xiá. A person adept in the martial arts who acts with chivalry and upholds the right. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

12. 蝮蛇 — fùshé. A highly venomous pit viper found throughout China. ↩

13. 满天花雨掷金针 — Mǎntiān Huāyǔ Zhì Jīnzhēn. Literally the whole sky a rain of blossoms, casting golden needles. A needle-throwing art Hong Qigong teaches Huang Rong, a dozen needles loosed at once. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

14. 飞龙在天 — Fēi Lóng Zài Tiān. Literally flying dragon in the sky, a line of the Book of Changes. A move of the Eighteen Palms of Dragon Subduing. ↩

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

16. 飞燕银梭 — Fēiyàn Yínsuō. Literally flying swallow silver shuttles. Shuttle-shaped silver darts thrown as hidden weapons. ↩

17. 朱红蟒蛇 — zhūhóng mǎngshé. Liang Ziweng’s great python, reared on medicinal herbs. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩