The Legend of the Condor Heroes Chapter 22 – Part 2

Guo Jing watched the figures of Ouyang Feng and Huang Rong vanish into the darkness, then sat on the ground with his head in his hands, so furious that the tears almost burst from his eyes. Suddenly Hong Qigong¹ said, “My grandfather, my father, and I myself as a small boy, were all slaves under the Jin.² Hardship of this kind is nothing much.”

Guo Jing came to himself with a start. He thought, So Shifu was once a slave, and yet he went on to master peerless martial arts. Can I not bear one moment’s humiliation today? He struck a light and lit a bundle of pine branches, went round to the back of the hill, and set to work with the Eighteen Palms of Dragon Subduing,³ bringing down trunks as thick as the mouth of a bowl one after another. He knew that Huang Rong’s resourcefulness had no equal. Back at Prince Zhao’s Estate,⁴ surrounded by a whole pack of fiends, she had still got away, so even if she ran into trouble now, she would surely find her own way out. He gave his whole mind to felling trees.

But the Eighteen Palms of Dragon Subduing use up more strength than anything, and kept up for long enough they will wear down even a body of iron. In well under half a shichen⁵ he had brought down twenty-one pines, but at the twenty-second his arms were already aching as he circulated his neili.⁶ He struck with Dragon Appears in the Field, both palms together. The tree shook till its branches rattled, but the trunk only swayed once and did not break, and he felt a numbness in his chest. The force had not gone out through his palms but had rebounded on him. This was exactly what his shifu had warned him against again and again. The Eighteen Palms of Dragon Subduing are matchless in their ferocity, but a great reserve of strength must always be held back. If the force is misjudged and too little is held in reserve, the force that rebounds on oneself is just as matchlessly ferocious.

He was alarmed, and quickly sat down to compose himself and steady his breathing. Only after half a shichen of this did he strike again and bring the pine down, and when he went to carry on, his whole body was limp, his arms aching and his legs weak.

He knew that if he forced himself on he would not only fail to finish the task but would certainly do himself an internal injury, and with no dao or axe on this desert island, how was he to fell trees? He was still seventy-eight short of the hundred, so his legs were as good as lost. Then another thought struck him. His nephew’s legs were crushed, so he’s bound to hate me for having my arms and legs whole. Even if I make up the hundred tonight, tomorrow night he’ll want a thousand, and how could I ever finish those? I can’t beat him in a fight, and there’s no one on this desert island to help. He heaved a long sigh and thought, Even if this weren’t a desert island, who in the world could save me? Shifu has lost his martial arts and may not live, Rong-er’s father hates me to the bone, and the Seven Zis of Quanzhen⁷ and my six shifus are no match for the Western Venom.⁸ Unless… unless it were my sworn brother Zhou Botong,⁹ but he leapt into the sea and took his own life long ago.

The thought of Zhou Botong made him angrier still at Ouyang Feng. He thought, My old sworn brother knew the Nine Yin Manual¹⁰ inside out and invented the wonderful art of Ambidextrous Self-Combat,¹¹ and that man hounded him to his death. Then the words flashed through his mind, Ah! The Nine Yin Manual! Ambidextrous Self-Combat? It was like a bright star suddenly appearing on the horizon in the depths of a long night.

He thought, My martial arts may be far short of the Western Venom’s, but the Nine Yin Manual holds the secret essentials of all the martial learning in the world, and Ambidextrous Self-Combat can double a man’s skill at a stroke. Rong-er and I will train hard day and night, and then have it out with Old Venom. But no martial art of any school is mastered in a day or a night, so what am I to do?

He stood in the wood thinking hard, when it suddenly occurred to him, Why not ask Shifu? He may have lost his martial arts, but he hasn’t lost the martial knowledge in his head, and he’s sure to show me a way out. He went back up the tree and told Hong Qigong everything he had been thinking, point by point.

Hong Qigong said, “Recite the Nine Yin Manual to me slowly, and let’s see whether there’s some formidable skill in it that can be learnt quickly.” Guo Jing recited the manual line by line. When Hong Qigong heard the words “Men know only that sitting in stillness and quieting thought is the way to advance in virtue, not knowing that those of higher attainment, perfect in concentration and wisdom, cultivate substance and function together, still in the midst of motion, tranquil even when assailed,” he suddenly trembled and gave a startled “Ah”. Guo Jing asked quickly, “What is it?”

Hong Qigong did not answer, but turned the lines over in his mind for a long time. “Recite that passage again.” Guo Jing was delighted. He thought, Shifu must have seen in these lines a way to beat Old Venom. He recited them slowly once more. Hong Qigong nodded. “That’s it. Carry on from there.”

Guo Jing went on reciting. As he neared the end of the lower volume, he recited, “Mohe boluo, jiedi guluo, mohan sige’er, pinte huojien, jinqie husi, geshan nike…” and rattled on through the gibberish to the end without the least idea what it meant, though he knew it so well that he made no mistakes. When he had altered the text that time on Hong Qigong’s instructions, Hong Qigong had feared that Ouyang Feng might understand the meaning of these strange words and had told him to leave them unchanged, so they had kept their original form. Hong Qigong had not understood the strange words then, and he did not understand them now. He shook his head. “Jing-er, the manual records a great many subtle and formidable skills, but none of them can be mastered overnight.” Guo Jing was bitterly disappointed.

Hong Qigong said, “Go and lash those twenty-odd logs into a raft, quickly. Of all plans, flight is the best. Rong-er and I will stay here and keep Old Venom busy as best we can.” Guo Jing said anxiously, “No, how could I go and leave you?” Hong Qigong sighed. “The Western Venom is wary of Old Heretic Huang¹² and won’t harm Rong-er. This old beggar is done for anyway. Go, quickly!”

Grief and fury surged up in him together, and Guo Jing raised his hand and struck the tree trunk hard with his palm.

It was a very heavy blow, and the sound carried into the valley and came faintly back again. Hong Qigong started. “Jing-er, what technique did you use for that blow just now?” he asked quickly. “Why?” said Guo Jing. “How can you strike so hard and so solidly,” said Hong Qigong, “and yet the trunk doesn’t so much as quiver?”

Guo Jing was rather ashamed. “My arms were tired from shaking down trees just now, so I didn’t put any strength into it, and I didn’t keep any in reserve the way you taught me either!” Hong Qigong shook his head. “No, no. There’s something odd about the skill in that blow. Do it again, just the same!”

Up went his hand and down came the palm. Guo Jing struck the tree as he was told, and the sound shook the woods, yet the pine barely stirred. This time he understood it himself. “It’s the Seventy-Two Paths of the Void Clarity Fist¹³ that Big Brother Zhou taught me.” Hong Qigong said, “Void Clarity Fist? Never heard of it.” Guo Jing said, “No. Big Brother Zhou was imprisoned on Peach Blossom Island, and having nothing to do, he made up this fist art himself. He taught me a sixteen-character formula: ‘Kong meng dong song, feng tong rong meng, chong qiong zhong nong, tong yong gong chong’.¹⁴”

Hong Qigong laughed. “What’s all this about poking holes here, there and everywhere?” Guo Jing said, “Every one of the sixteen characters has its meaning. Song, ‘loose’, means the force of the punch must be empty. Chong, ‘worm’, means the body is as supple as a worm. Meng, ‘hazy’, means the moves are muddled and must not be too clear. Meng, ‘dream’, means as if one were asleep and dreaming. Shall I show you how it goes?” Hong Qigong said, “I can’t see anything in the dark, but listening to it, it really does make some sense. An art of that order needs no demonstrating. Just tell me.” So Guo Jing went through it from the first form, Empty Bowl Holds Rice, and the second, Empty House Takes Lodgers, onwards, telling Hong Qigong how each form varied and how the force was used. Zhou Botong was mischievous by nature and had given every form a comic, homely name.

By the time he had heard the eighteenth form, Hong Qigong was already filled with admiration. “No need to go on. We’ll have a bout with the Western Venom.” Guo Jing said, “With the Void Clarity Fist? I’m afraid I’m not yet skilled enough.” Hong Qigong said, “I know it won’t do either, but when you’re seeking life in the jaws of death you have to take risks. You carry the golden dao Genghis Khan gave you, don’t you?”

A cold gleam flashed in the darkness as Guo Jing drew the golden dao.¹⁵ Hong Qigong said, “With your Void Clarity Fist skill, you can use that golden dao to fell trees.” Guo Jing held the golden dao, a foot or so long, and hesitated, saying nothing. Hong Qigong said, “That golden dao of yours is very sharp to begin with, so what is a tree trunk to it? The blade is rather too thick, true, but as long as the force in your hand keeps to the Empty and Loose formulas, the thickness won’t matter.”

Guo Jing thought about it for a long while, and with Hong Qigong guiding and explaining, he finally understood. He sprang down from the tree, felt his way to a medium-sized fir, summoned the force of the Void Clarity Fist and drew the blade across it, lightly and deftly, as if it were barely there at all. Sure enough, the edge of the golden dao sank deep into the trunk. He let the force carry him round in a full circle, and the fir toppled at his touch. Overjoyed, Guo Jing cut down a dozen and more trees in a row this way. At this rate he would have his hundred before dawn.

He was still at it when Hong Qigong suddenly called, “Jing-er, come up here.” Guo Jing sprang onto the platform. “It really works,” he said happily, “and best of all, it takes no effort at all.” Hong Qigong said, “If you used effort, it wouldn’t work, would it?” Guo Jing cried, “That’s right, that’s right! So that’s what ‘kong meng dong song’ means. Big Brother Zhou spent ages teaching it to me before, and I never understood.” Hong Qigong said, “For felling trees this skill is more than enough, but for fighting the Western Venom it still falls short. You would have to train further in the Nine Yin Manual to stand any chance of winning. We must think of some way to stall him.” When it came to plans and stratagems Guo Jing was no help at all, and could only sit there idle and leave his shifu to think of something.

After a long while Hong Qigong shook his head. “I can’t think of anything either. We’ll have to get Rong-er to think of something tomorrow. Jing-er, hearing you recite the Nine Yin Manual just now put me in mind of something, and now that I’ve turned it over carefully, I’m fairly sure I’m right. Help me down from the tree. I’m going to practise martial arts.” Guo Jing jumped. “No, your injury hasn’t healed. How can you practise?” Hong Qigong said, “The manual says, perfect in concentration and wisdom, cultivate substance and function together, still in the midst of motion, tranquil even when assailed. Those four lines have suddenly opened my mind. Let’s go down.” Guo Jing did not understand the lines, but he dared not disobey, and he lifted him in his arms and leapt lightly down from the tree.

Hong Qigong collected himself, took up a stance and struck out with one palm. In the darkness Guo Jing saw him lurch forward as if he were about to fall, and darted to catch him, but Hong Qigong had already steadied himself. “It’s nothing,” he said, panting hard. After a moment he struck again with his left hand. Guo Jing watched him stumble and stagger, plainly in great difficulty, and several times opened his mouth to dissuade him. But the more Hong Qigong practised, the stronger his spirit grew. At first he had to stop and pant for a long while after each palm. Later his body turned with his palms and his footwork grew firm and steady, a very real advance. When he had gone through the whole of the Eighteen Palms of Dragon Subduing, he went on to practise Carefree Wandering.¹⁶

When he brought his fists together and finished, Guo Jing cried out in delight, “Your injury’s healed!” Hong Qigong said, “Carry me up.” Guo Jing put an arm round his waist and leapt onto the platform, beside himself with joy. “Wonderful, wonderful!” he kept saying. Hong Qigong sighed. “There’s nothing so wonderful about it. Those skills look good, but they’re no use.” Guo Jing did not understand. Hong Qigong said, “After I was injured I only thought to circulate my neili and nurse myself. I never realised that with external techniques like mine, the harder you exercise, the more good it does. The pity is that I started moving a little too late. My life is out of danger now, but my martial arts will hardly come back.”

Guo Jing wanted to comfort him, but did not know what to say. After a while he said, “I’ll go and cut more trees.”

Hong Qigong said suddenly, “Jing-er, I’ve thought of a ruse to give Old Venom a fright. See whether you think it will work.” And he explained his scheme. Guo Jing was delighted. “It’s bound to work, bound to!” He leapt down from the tree at once to make the arrangements.

Early next morning Ouyang Feng came to the foot of the tree and counted the logs Guo Jing had piled up. There were only ninety. He gave a cold laugh and shouted, “Little bastard, get out here, quick. Where are the other ten?”

Huang Rong had sat all night at Ouyang Ke’s¹⁷ side tending his injuries, and hearing him groan in such pain, she could not help feeling a little guilty. When Ouyang Feng left the cave at daybreak she followed him out, and hearing him bellow like that, she was very worried for Guo Jing.

Footnotes

1. 洪七公 — Hóng Qīgōng. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

2. 金朝 — Jīn Cháo. Jurchen dynasty (1115-1234) ruled by the Wanyan clan. Invaded Song Dynasty and conquered northern China, and posed constant threat to Southern Song. See Wikipedia. ↩

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

4. 赵王府 — Zhàowáng Fǔ. Wanyan Honglie’s residence in Zhongdu. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

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

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

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

8. 西毒 — Xī Dú. Literally western venom. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

9. 周伯通 — Zhōu Bótōng. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

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

11. 左右互搏 — Zuǒyòu Hùbó. Literally left and right contend with each other. A method of fighting with each hand working independently of the other. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

12. 黄老邪 — Huáng Lǎoxié. Literally old heretic Huang. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

13. 空明拳 — Kōngmíng Quán. The softest fist art in the world, which Zhou Botong drew from the Daodejing. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

14. 空朦洞松、风通容梦、冲穷中弄、童庸弓虫 — Kōng méng dòng sōng, fēng tōng róng mèng, chōng qióng zhōng nòng, tóng yōng gōng chóng. The sixteen-character mnemonic of the Void Clarity Fist. ↩

15. 金刀 — jīndāo. The golden dao Genghis Khan bestows on Guo Jing. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

16. 逍遥游 — Xiāoyáoyóu. Literally carefree wandering, after the first chapter of the Zhuangzi. A fist technique. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

17. 欧阳克 — Ōuyáng Kè. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩