The Legend of the Condor Heroes Chapter 26 – Part 2

The six eccentrics nodded again and again. Guo Jing said, “But he left many days ago. I’m afraid it will be hard to catch him.” Han Baoju said, “Your little red horse is here. It’s just what you need.” Overjoyed, Guo Jing ran out of the door and whistled for it. Seeing its master, the red horse leapt and frisked, rubbing itself against him and whinnying with delight over and over.

Huang Yaoshi said, “Rong-er, you and Jing-er go after him and get the bamboo staff¹ back. This red horse is extremely fast. You should be able to catch him.” As he spoke, he saw Silly Girl² standing to one side with a vacant smile, looking remarkably like his own disciple Qu Lingfeng,³ and a thought struck him. He asked, “Is your surname Qu?” Silly Girl shook her head and said with a laugh, “I don’t know.” Huang Yaoshi had long known that his disciple Qu Lingfeng had a daughter, and by his reckoning she would be just about this age.

Huang Rong said, “Father, come and look!” She took his hand and led him into the secret chamber.

Huang Yaoshi saw that the partitioning and arrangement of the secret chamber followed a pattern entirely of his own invention, and knew it must be Qu Lingfeng’s work. Huang Rong said, “Father, come and see what’s in this iron chest. If you can guess what it is, I’ll grant you’re clever.” But Huang Yaoshi paid the iron chest no attention. He went to the foot of the wall in the south-west corner and pressed, and a hole opened in the wall. He reached in, drew out a roll of paper, and immediately leapt back out of the chamber. Huang Rong hurried after him and looked over his shoulder at the paper he unrolled in his hands. It was thick with dust, its edges scorched yellow and crumbling. Across it ran several lines of crooked, slanting script:

“Respectfully submitted before Island Master Huang of Peach Blossom Island:⁴ This disciple has taken from the imperial palace a number of paintings, works of calligraphy and vessels, which he wishes to offer for the Island Master’s appreciation. I respectfully call you Island Master and do not presume to call you my revered shifu, yet even in my dreams I call you so. I have had the misfortune to be set upon by palace guards, and leaves behind a daughter…”

The writing stopped at the character for “daughter.” Below it there was nothing but a scatter of spots and stains, which could just be made out as blood. By the time Huang Rong was born, all the disciples of Peach Blossom Island had been driven out, Qu Lingfeng earlier than any. But she knew that every one of her father’s disciples had been a formidable figure, and now, seeing Qu Lingfeng’s last letter, she was saddened despite herself.

By now it was all clear to Huang Yaoshi. Qu Lingfeng, driven from his shimen,⁵ had racked his brains for a way back into the fold of Peach Blossom Island. Remembering his shifu’s love of treasures and antiques, famous paintings and model calligraphy, he had risked stealing from the palace. He had succeeded several times, but at last the palace guards had found him out, and after a fierce fight he had been gravely wounded. He had come home and written this last letter, but his wounds must have been too severe for him to finish it. Soon afterwards masters from the palace had tracked him to his door, and both had perished here.

The last time he saw Lu Chengfeng he had already felt remorse. Now, with Mei Chaofeng⁶ newly dead and Qu Lingfeng shown to have been so devoted, his guilt ran deeper still. Turning, he saw Silly Girl standing behind him with a broad grin, and something occurred to him. He asked sharply, “Did your father teach you to fight?”

Silly Girl shook her head. She ran to the door, pushed it shut and peeped furtively through the crack, then went through a few routines of fist work. But for all her punching it came to no more than the same six or seven disjointed moves of the Azure Wave Palm Technique,⁷ and nothing else. Huang Rong said, “Father, she must have spied on Qu shige⁸ while he practised and picked it up herself.” Huang Yaoshi nodded and said, “Hmm. I didn’t think Lingfeng would be so bold as to pass on the arts of our school after leaving my door.” Then he said, “Rong-er, go for her lower stance and hook her off her feet.”

Huang Rong stepped up, all smiles, and said, “Silly Girl, let’s have a little practice together. Look out!” Her left palm feinted, and at once she kicked twice in succession, a linked pair of mandarin-duck kicks, swift beyond compare. Silly Girl gaped, and Huang Rong’s left foot caught her on the right hip. She hastily stepped back, never guessing that Huang Rong’s right leg was already waiting behind her. Before she had found her footing from that step, Huang Rong hooked with the momentum, and Silly Girl went over flat on her back. She sprang up at once and shouted, “You played a trick, little sister. Let’s go again.”

Huang Yaoshi’s face darkened and he said, “What little sister? Call her Aunt!”⁹ Silly Girl had no idea of the difference between a little sister and an aunt, and said readily, “Aunt, haha, Aunt!” Huang Rong understood now, and thought, So Father wanted to test her lower stance. Qu shige’s legs were both broken, so of course he never practised leg work himself, and Silly Girl had no leg techniques to spy on. Had he taught her himself, he would have taught her the upper, middle and lower stances alike.

With that one word “Aunt,” Huang Yaoshi had as good as taken Silly Girl into his school. He asked again, “Why are you acting so silly?” Silly Girl laughed and said, “I’m Silly Girl.” Huang Yaoshi frowned and said, “Where is your mother?” Silly Girl pulled a crying face and said, “Gone back to Granny’s!” Huang Yaoshi asked seven or eight questions in a row and got nowhere with any of them. He sighed and let it be. He had known while Qu Lingfeng was still his disciple that the man had a little daughter, simple and not very bright. This must be her.

Then and there they buried Mei Chaofeng in the back garden. Guo Jing and Huang Rong carried out Qu Lingfeng’s bones and buried them beside her. The six eccentrics had been mortal enemies of the Twin Evils of Dark Wind, but the dead are owed the greatest respect, and they too knelt and kowtowed before the graves and prayed, laying the old feud to rest. Huang Yaoshi gazed at the two new graves, a hundred feelings mingling in his heart. After a long while he said mournfully, “Rong-er, let’s go and look at your Qu shige’s treasures!” Father and daughter went into the secret chamber again.

Huang Yaoshi stared at Qu Lingfeng’s belongings for a long time, and tears ran down his face. He said, “Of all the disciples under me, Lingfeng was the strongest in martial arts and the cleverest too. Had his legs not been broken, not even a hundred palace guards could have harmed him.” Huang Rong said, “Of course. Father, are you going to teach Silly Girl martial arts yourself?” Huang Yaoshi said, “Yes. I shall teach her martial arts, and I shall teach her to write poetry and play the qin, and teach her the Strange Gates and the Five Elements. Everything your Qu shige wanted to learn and never did, I shall teach her, the whole lot.” Huang Rong stuck out her tongue, thinking, Father is a heretic with heretical notions. She is in for a very hard time of it.

Huang Yaoshi opened the iron chest and looked through it layer by layer, and the rarer the treasures, the sharper his grief. When he came to the scrolls of calligraphy and painting, he sighed and said, “Things like these are well enough for delighting the heart and easing the mind, but to lose one’s purpose in playthings will never do. How exquisitely Emperor Huizong, the Daoist Sovereign, painted his flowers and birds and figures. Yet he painted the splendid rivers and mountains of his empire, rolled them up and made a present of them to the Jin.” As he spoke he was unrolling and rolling up the scrolls. Suddenly he said, “Eh?” Huang Rong said, “Father, what is it?” Huang Yaoshi pointed at a landscape in splashed ink and said, “Look!”

The painting showed a high mountain, sheer and jutting, with five peaks in all. The central peak rose highest of them, straight as a brush pointing at the sky, soaring into the clouds above a deep gorge. On the mountainside grew a row of pines, snow lying on their tips and their trunks all bent to the south, so that one could imagine how fierce the north wind blew. To the west of the peak stood a single old pine that alone grew straight and tall, lofty and splendid, and beneath it, drawn in vermilion, was a general wielding his jian in the wind. His face could scarcely be seen, but his sleeves and skirts streamed up and his bearing was out of the common. The whole painting was ink-wash landscape, and this one figure alone was red as fire, so that he stood out all the more, peerless and apart. The painting bore no signature, only a poem inscribed on it:

Years of dust lie thick upon my campaign robe, I come on purpose seeking blossoms up Cuiwei. Fine hills, fine waters, I cannot see enough, But my horse’s hooves press me home by the bright moon.

A few days before, in Cuiwei Pavilion at Lin’an, Huang Rong had seen this poem in Han Shizhong’s hand, and she knew the writing. She cried, “Father, this is Han Shizhong’s writing, and the poem is Yue Wumu’s.” Huang Yaoshi nodded and said, “Quite right. How clever my Rong-er is. Only, Yue Wumu wrote this poem about Mount Cuiwei in Chizhou, and the mountain in this painting is a forbidding, perilous place, not Cuiwei at all. The painting has fine bones, but it lacks depth and grace. It is not the work of a master.”

That day in Cuiwei Pavilion Huang Rong had seen Guo Jing trace the carving of Han Shizhong’s writing with his finger, reluctant to leave it. Knowing how he loved it, she said, “Father, give this painting to Guo Jing.” Huang Yaoshi smiled. “A daughter’s heart turns outward. What else is there to say?” He handed it over to her, then picked up a string of pearls from the iron chest and said, “Every pearl on this string is the same size. That is rare indeed.” He hung it around his daughter’s neck. Huang Rong threw herself into his arms, and Huang Yaoshi folded her in his embrace. Father and daughter looked at one another and smiled, cheeks touching, each filled with a warmth beyond words. Huang Rong had just rolled up the painting when she heard several eagle cries from the sky, sharp and urgent.

Huang Rong loved the pair of white eagles dearly, and it had vexed her greatly to remember that Huazheng had taken them back. She ran out of the secret chamber, eager to play with them again, and saw Guo Jing standing under the big willow outside the door. One of the eagles had the cloth at his shoulder in its beak and was tugging him away. The other circled him, crying without pause. Silly Girl thought it great sport and ran in circles around Guo Jing, clapping and laughing.

Guo Jing looked alarmed and said, “Rong-er, they’re in trouble. We must go and save them, quickly.” Huang Rong said, “Who?” Guo Jing said, “My sworn brother and sworn sister.” Huang Rong pursed her little mouth and said, “I’m not going!” Guo Jing stared, not knowing what she meant, and said urgently, “Rong-er, don’t be childish. Come on, quickly!” He led the red horse over and swung up into the saddle. Huang Rong said, “So do you still want me or not?” More baffled than ever, Guo Jing said, “How could I not want you? I could do without my own life, but not without you.” He held the reins in his left hand and reached out his right for her. Huang Rong gave him a dazzling smile and called, “Father, we’re going to rescue someone. You and the six shifus¹⁰ come too.” She sprang into the air, caught Guo Jing’s right hand in her left, and let the swing carry her up onto the horse’s back, where she sat in front of him.

Guo Jing bowed from the saddle to Huang Yaoshi and his six shifus, and set the horse off at a gallop. The two eagles gave a long cry together and flew ahead to lead the way.

The little red horse had been parted from its master for a long while, and now that it was carrying him again it was gladder than words could say. Full of spirit, it raced along as swift as wind and lightning, and fast as the two eagles flew, the little red horse kept up with them. Before long the white eagles dropped down into a dense, dark wood ahead. Without waiting for its master’s lead, the little red horse made straight for the trees.

As they reached the edge of the wood, a voice like a cracked cymbal came suddenly from among the trees, “Brother Qianren, I have long heard of your renown as the grand old hero of the Iron Palm, and I have longed to behold your matchless skill. What a pity that you could not take part in the Huashan Sword Summit all those years ago. Now let me cast a brick to draw out jade. I shall finish one of them off with my paltry skill first, and then ask you, old brother, to show us the might of your Iron Palm. What do you say?” Then they heard a man scream, the treetops swayed, and a great tree came crashing down. Guo Jing started in alarm, leapt from the horse and rushed into the wood.

Huang Rong dismounted after him, patted the little red horse’s head and said, “Quick, go and fetch my father.” She turned and pointed back the way they had come, and the little red horse wheeled and sped off. Huang Rong thought, I only hope Father comes soon, or the Old Venom will get the better of us again. Keeping behind the trees, she stole quietly into the wood. At the first look she stood rooted to the spot. Tolui,¹¹ Huazheng,¹² Jebe¹³ and Boroqul¹⁴ were each tied to one of four great trees, and Ouyang Feng¹⁵ and Qiu Qianren¹⁶ stood before them. A man was bound to another tree, the one that had fallen, his armour bright. It was the Song general who had been escorting Tolui back north. Struck by Ouyang Feng’s rock-splitting, tree-felling palm, he hung his head with his eyes closed and a great pool of blood before him, long since dead. The soldiers were nowhere to be seen, and had presumably been driven off by the two men.

How could Qiu Qianren dare to match palm strength with Ouyang Feng? He was casting about for something to say that would bluff his way out of it when he heard footsteps behind him. He turned, saw Guo Jing, and was startled and delighted at once, thinking this was the very chance to be rid of him by the Western Venom’s hand. He need only set the two of them fighting, and he would not have to lift a finger himself. Ouyang Feng, too, was astounded to see that Guo Jing had taken the force of his Toad Skill and was still alive. Huazheng cried out joyfully, “Guo Jing gege, you’re not dead. Wonderful, wonderful!”

Huang Rong took in the situation and made up her mind, thinking, I must play for time until Father gets here.

Guo Jing shouted, “You two old villains, what are you doing here? Out to murder people again?” Ouyang Feng, wanting to see Qiu Qianren’s martial arts clearly, smiled and said nothing.

Qiu Qianren shouted, “Boy, you set eyes on Mister Ouyang and don’t kneel to him? Are you tired of living?” In the secret chamber Guo Jing had heard him spouting lies and stirring up strife, and now he was out to do murder as well. Burning with hatred, Guo Jing took two steps forward and, with a whoosh, struck a Proud Dragon Repents¹⁷ straight at his chest. By now his Eighteen Palms of Dragon Subduing¹⁸ were formidable indeed. This palm sent out four parts of its force and held back six, so that the force went out and came back again. Qiu Qianren hastily turned sideways to slip the blow, but the wind of the palm still caught him, and in spite of himself he pitched forward instead of falling back. With a grunt, Guo Jing swung a backhanded slap with his left palm, meaning to knock his teeth out and split his tongue, so that he could never again use that clever mouth of his to stir up trouble.

The slap was powerful but travelled slowly, and it was aimed so precisely that Qiu Qianren had no way to dodge it. It was about to land on his cheek when Huang Rong cried, “Wait!” At once Guo Jing turned his left palm into a grab, seized Qiu Qianren by the back of the neck and hoisted him up. He turned his head and asked, “What is it?” Huang Rong was afraid that if Guo Jing hurt the old fellow, Ouyang Feng would strike at once. She said, “Let go, quick. The skill in the Old Mister’s face is extraordinary. If your palm lands on his face, the force will rebound and you’re sure to suffer an internal injury.” Not realising she was mocking the man, Guo Jing said doubtfully, “How can that be?” Huang Rong went on, “Old Mister Qiu can blow the hide off a yellow ox with one breath. Won’t you get out of his way?” Guo Jing believed it still less, but knowing she must have her reasons, he set the man down and let go of his neck.

Footnotes

1. 竹棒 — zhú bàng. The bamboo staff of the Beggars’ Guild Chief, commonly called the Dog-Beating Staff. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

2. 傻姑 — Shǎgū. Literally silly girl. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

3. 曲灵风 — Qū Língfēng. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

4. 桃花岛 — Táohuā Dǎo. Huang Yaoshi’s island in the East China Sea. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

5. 师门 — shīmén. Literally the teacher’s gate. The house of one’s shifu: the master, the fellow disciples, and the rules and obligations binding them. ↩

6. 梅超风 — Méi Chāofēng. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

7. 碧波掌法 — Bìbō Zhǎngfǎ. Basic Peach Blossom Island palm technique containing fundamental principles. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

8. 师哥 — shīgē. Male senior, the colloquial form of shixiong. Both apprenticed to the same shifu. Shī means teacher. Gē means older brother. ↩

9. 姑姑 — gūgū. Aunt, a father’s sister. ↩

10. 师父 — shīfù. Teacher responsible for technical instruction and moral guidance. Shī means teacher. Fù means father. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

11. 拖雷 — Tuōléi. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

12. 华筝 — Huázhēng. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

13. 哲别 — Zhébié. Literally spear and divine archer, in Mongolian. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

14. 博尔忽 — Bó’ěrhū. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

15. 欧阳锋 — Ōuyáng Fēng. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

16. 裘千仞 — Qiú Qiānrèn. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

17. 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. ↩

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