The Legend of the Condor Heroes Chapter 32 – Part 1

Dangerous river rapids

Mu Nianci let Huang Rong hold her right hand. Gazing at the fallen blossoms on the water, she said, “When I saw him kill Ouyang Ke,¹ I thought he had turned from evil for good. Then I saw two masters of the Beggars’ Guild² escort him west with every mark of respect. I already knew those two uncles of the Guild, and knew they were trusted men of Qigong³ himself. Since they treated him so, I was glad at heart, and I travelled with him.

“After we reached Yuezhou,⁴ the Beggars’ Guild held its great assembly on Mount Jun.⁵ Beforehand he told me in secret that Kind Master Hong had left a last command naming him the next Guild Chief. I was startled and delighted, and could scarcely believe it. But even the most senior Elders of the Beggars’ Guild showed him the deepest respect, and I had no choice but to believe. I was not of the Beggars’ Guild, so I could not attend the assembly. I waited for him in Yuezhou city, thinking that once he led the heroes of the Beggars’ Guild he would surely do great and stirring deeds for the country and the people, and one day kill the great enemy with his own hand and avenge my foster father and foster mother. That night my thoughts ran this way and that and I could not sleep. Everything seemed perfect, and I had seldom been so happy in all my life. It was nearly dawn and I was just about to drift off when he suddenly jumped in through the window.

“I was startled, thinking he had taken it into his head to play some prank again. But he whispered, ‘Little sister, something terrible has happened. We must leave at once.’ I asked him in alarm what had occurred, and he said, ‘There has been a rebellion within the Beggars’ Guild. The Dirty Clothes Faction⁶ refuses to accept Guild Chief Hong’s last command. The Clean Clothes Faction⁷ and the Dirty Clothes Faction have come to blows over the appointment of a new Guild Chief, and many have already been killed.’ I was shocked, and asked, ‘What are we to do?’ He said, ‘Seeing so many hurt, I’ve agreed to give way and not be Guild Chief.’ For the sake of the greater good, I thought, there was nothing else for it. He went on, ‘But the Elders of the Clean Clothes Faction wouldn’t let me go. Only with the help of Chief Qiu of the Iron Palm Keep⁸ did I get away from Mount Jun. For now let’s go up Iron Palm Mountain⁹ and lie low there.’ I did not know whether the Iron Palm Keep was good or bad, but since he said so, I went with him.

“When we reached Iron Palm Mountain, we never saw Chief Qiu at all. He had gone away, they said. I watched with a cold eye and saw that the Iron Palm Keep went about everything furtively, and something crooked showed through wherever I looked. So I said to him, ‘Even though you have stepped aside and renounced the Beggars’ Guild chiefship, you cannot simply walk away. I think we should go to your shifu, Daoist Elder Qiu, the Changchunzi,¹⁰ and ask him to gather the brave men of the jianghu¹¹ and see justice done. Then the heroes of the Beggars’ Guild can choose a man of high virtue and standing from their own ranks as Guild Chief, so that the Guild does not tear itself apart, and you do not fail the trust Kind Master Hong placed in you.’ He hemmed and hawed, saying neither yes nor no, and talked only of our marrying. I gave him a few sharp words with a stern face, and he grew angry too, and we quarrelled.

“A day later I began to regret it. I thought that though he could not tell what mattered from what did not, and cared nothing for avenging his own parents, thinking only of love, still he was good to me, and the words I had scolded him with really had been rather harsh. No wonder he was angry. That evening I grew more and more uneasy, so I lit a lamp and wrote him a note to apologise. I went softly to his window, and was just about to slip the note through a crack, when I heard him talking to someone inside. I peered through the crack and saw that the other man was short and old, with a grizzled beard, dressed in a short yellow tunic of kudzu cloth, with a large palm-leaf fan in his hand.”

Guo Jing and Huang Rong exchanged a glance, both thinking, I wonder whether it was Qiu Qianren¹² or Qiu Qianzhang.¹³

Mu Nianci continued, “The old man took a small porcelain bottle from his robe and set it on the table. He said in a low voice, ‘Brother Yang, your bride-to-be won’t give in to you. That’s easily dealt with. Put a little of the powder in this bottle into a cup of clear tea and give it to her to drink, and I promise you your wedding night this very night.’”

Hearing this, Guo Jing and Huang Rong both thought, It was Qiu Qianzhang.

Mu Nianci went on, “And Yang Kang actually beamed all over his face and thanked him again and again. I was so furious I nearly fainted. Before long the old man took his leave and came out. I followed him quietly, and when we had gone some distance I rushed up and struck him on the back, knocking him to the ground. If I had not been in so dangerous a place, I would have finished him off there and then with a single cut. I punched him again and again until he fainted, then searched him. The old wretch had a great many things about him, rings, a broken jian, a brick, a whole heap of strange odds and ends, all meant for harming people, I supposed. There was a booklet too, and thinking there might be something in it, I took it and tucked it into my robe. The more I thought about it, the angrier I grew, and I resolved to go back and confront Yang Kang.

“I returned to Yang Kang’s room, but to my surprise he was already standing at the door, smiling. ‘Little sister, please come in,’ he said. I had made up my mind that everything must be settled that night. When I was in his room, he pointed to the porcelain bottle on the table and said with a smile, ‘Little sister, guess what’s in this bottle.’ I said angrily, ‘Who knows what filthy stuff it is.’ He smiled and said, ‘A friend of mine just gave it to me. He said that if I put a little of the powder into a cup of clear tea and tricked you into drinking it, everything would go as I wish.’ This quite took me by surprise, and my anger melted at once. I took the porcelain bottle, opened the window and threw it out, saying, ‘Why keep such a thing?’ He said, ‘I revere you as I would a being from Heaven. How could I stoop to so low and filthy a trick?’”

Guo Jing nodded and said, “Brother Yang did the right thing on that occasion.” Mu Nianci gave a snort and did not reply. Huang Rong recalled that day on Iron Palm Mountain when she had peered through the window and seen Yang Kang sitting on the edge of the bed, holding Mu Nianci and whispering soft words to her. Mu Nianci’s face had been smiling, her expression tender. It must have been after the bottle was thrown away. She thought, too, Most likely he followed and saw you knock Qiu Qianzhang down, and so he made a show of currying favour with you.

Guo Jing asked, “What happened next?” He had learned from Zhou Botong¹⁴ that whenever someone was telling a story and paused, one should ask “What happened next?” to keep their interest going. But Mu Nianci suddenly flushed crimson, turned her face away and bowed her head without answering.

Huang Rong cried out, “Oh, Sister, I know. After that you bowed to Heaven and Earth with him and became man and wife.”

Mu Nianci turned back, but her face had gone pale. She bit her lower lip hard, and a strange light shone in her eyes. Huang Rong started, knowing she had said the wrong thing, and said hastily, “I’m sorry, I was talking nonsense. Dear Sister, please don’t be offended.”

Mu Nianci whispered, “You weren’t talking nonsense. It was my own foolishness. I… I became his wife, but we never… never bowed to Heaven and Earth. I only hate myself for not holding firm…” With that her tears streamed down.

Huang Rong saw how bitter and forlorn she looked, and put her left arm around her shoulders, wanting to say something to comfort her. After a long while she pointed at Guo Jing and said, “Sister, don’t be sad. It’s not so bad. That day at Niu Family Village,¹⁵ Jing gege also wanted to make me his wife.”

At these words Guo Jing was tongue-tied and squirmed with embarrassment. “We… we didn’t… we didn’t do…”

Huang Rong laughed. “But did you want to?”

Guo Jing blushed to the roots of his ears. He hung his head and said, “It was my fault.”

Huang Rong reached over with her right hand and patted his shoulder, saying softly, “You want to make me your wife, and that makes me very happy. There’s nothing wrong with you.”

Mu Nianci sighed, thinking, Huang meizi¹⁶ is clever and quick-witted, but she’s young after all, and doesn’t yet understand much about what passes between men and women. She’s lucky indeed to have met someone as loyal and honest as Big Brother Guo.¹⁷

Huang Rong asked, “Sister, what happened next?”

Mu Nianci gazed at the stream and said in a low voice, “Later… later… I heard shouting and the sound of orders being called outside the window. There was great confusion. He told me to keep quiet, saying it was the Iron Palm Keep’s own internal affair and had nothing to do with us. Then someone came into the courtyard outside the room and gave orders to the Keep’s members, saying that enemies had arrived. He told everyone to take up weapons and torches and follow him to pursue the enemy. I looked out the window and saw that the one giving orders was none other than the wretched old man from before. I thought, So he is the Iron Palm Keep’s Chief. I felt very uneasy, afraid he would come and call me to account for ambushing him. How could I… how could I have faced anyone then? Luckily he was in a great hurry, giving his orders and rushing out, and he looked very imposing as he went.”

Huang Rong laughed, “Sister, those two old men weren’t the same person.”

Mu Nianci asked in surprise, “Not the same person?”

Huang Rong smiled. “They are twin brothers, exactly alike to look at. The one you knocked down was called Qiu Qianzhang. His martial arts are nothing special. All he’s good at is boasting and tricking people. But this Chief Qiu Qianren is formidable. It’s lucky you hit the false Chief. If you’d met the real one, one sweep of that iron palm of his and you’d hardly have kept your little life.”

Mu Nianci said bleakly, “So that’s it. If I had met the Chief that day and been killed by a single palm-stroke, it would have been a clean end.”

Huang Rong laughed, “Our Big Brother Yang wouldn’t have been able to bear it.”

Mu Nianci twisted round and flung Huang Rong’s arm off her shoulder. “Don’t say such things to me any more,” she said angrily.

Huang Rong put out her tongue and laughed. “Very well, I wouldn’t have been able to bear it.”

Mu Nianci stood up. “Big Brother Guo, Huang meizi, I’m leaving. Take care of yourselves, and beware the Iron Palm Keep’s tricks on the boats.”

Huang Rong jumped up and caught her hand, pleading, “Dear Sister, don’t be angry. I won’t dare tease you like that again.”

Mu Nianci sighed. “I’m not angry with you. It’s… it’s my own grief.”

Huang Rong said, “What? Has that brat Yang Kang upset you?” She pulled her down to sit again.

Mu Nianci said, “After the old man left, Yang Kang came pestering me again. I asked him what the two of us meant to do from then on. He said, ‘We are already man and wife. There’s no need to hide anything from you now. The Great Jin’s¹⁸ army will march south in a few days. With a great ally like the Iron Palm Keep working with us from within while the army strikes from without, the two Hu provinces will be ours for the taking.’ He was in high glee as he told it. Once the Great Jin had destroyed the Song, he said, his royal father Prince Zhao¹⁹ would surely ascend the throne as Emperor of the Great Jin, and he would be Crown Prince, with wealth and honour beyond measure.

“I listened without a word. Suddenly he said, ‘Little sister, by then you will be the Empress.’ I… I could contain myself no longer. I slapped him hard across the face and burst out through the door, running straight down the mountain. By then Iron Palm Peak²⁰ was in uproar. Countless members of the Keep with lanterns and torches were all rushing towards the highest peak. No one tried to stop me as I went down alone. After all that, my heart was ash, and I wanted only to die. I did not know east from west, and simply wandered. Later I came upon a Daoist temple and stumbled in, and the moment I crossed the threshold I fainted. Fortunately the old Daoist nun there took me in. I fell gravely ill for more than ten days and have only been a little better these last few days. I changed into this Daoist robe and set out to return to Niu Family Village in Lin’an. I did not expect to meet you here.”

Huang Rong said happily, “Sister, we’re going back to Peach Blossom Island,²¹ so it’s the same road. Let the three of us travel together. It will be livelier on the way. If you don’t mind, I’ll show you a few sets of martial arts as we go.”

Mu Nianci shook her head. “No, I… I’ll go alone. Thank you for your kindness, little sister.” She stood up and took a booklet from her robe, handing it to Guo Jing. “Big Brother Guo, the matters recorded in this booklet concern the Iron Palm Keep. When you see Qigong, please give it to him. It may be of some use.”

Guo Jing said, “I will.” He reached out and took it.

Footnotes

1. 欧阳克 — Ōuyáng Kè. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

2. 丐帮 — Gàibāng. Literally beggars’ guild. The largest band in the jianghu, with members throughout the realm. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

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

4. 岳州 — Yuèzhōu. A prefecture on Dongting Lake, modern Yueyang in Hunan. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

5. 君山 — Jūnshān. Mount Jun, a hilly island in Dongting Lake, Hunan. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

6. 污衣派 — Wūyī Pài. Beggars’ Guild members who truly live by begging and keep the Guild’s strict rules. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

7. 净衣派 — Jìngyī Pài. Beggars’ Guild members who wear the patched beggar’s robe but otherwise live as ordinary people; most were never beggars. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

8. 铁掌帮 — Tiězhǎng Bāng. Literally iron palm guild. Qiu Qianren’s sect, renowned for its palm techniques. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

9. 铁掌山 — Tiězhǎng Shān. A mountain in Hunan, between Luxi and Chenxi, shaped like five fingers pointing at the sky; the stronghold of the Iron Palm Keep. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

10. 丘处机 — Qiū Chǔjī. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

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

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

13. 裘千丈 — Qiú Qiānzhàng. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

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

15. 牛家村 — Niújiā Cūn. Literally Niu Family Village. A village outside Lin’an. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

16. 妹子 — mèizi. The colloquial form of 妹妹, little sister; after a name it marks affection, not kinship. ↩

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

18. 大金 — Dà Jīn. The Great Jin, the Jin Empire’s name for itself. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

19. 赵王 — Zhào Wáng. Literally Prince of Zhao. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

20. 铁掌峰 — Tiězhǎng Fēng. The peak of Iron Palm Mountain, seat of the Iron Palm Keep. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

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