The Legend of the Condor Heroes Chapter 34 – Part 6

But now Guo Jing held the North Star position,¹ and though Yin Zhiping had not yet clambered down from the roof of Misty Rain Pavilion, the balance of advantage between the two sides had already reversed. The Big Dipper Formation² rolled forward, its attacks coming on without end. Again and again Huang Yaoshi tried to take the position, but he could not drive Guo Jing from it, and he grew impatient. Whenever he charged by main force, the Quanzhen Zis came to the rescue in time, and whenever he meant to turn and strike to kill and break the formation first, Guo Jing held the pivot firm and directed the response from the centre. After forty or fifty moves Huang Yaoshi was so hemmed in that he could hardly use his arts. The Big Dipper Formation drew gradually tighter, and the encirclement was complete.

When the fight reached this point, Ma Yu pointed with his long jian and cried, “Hold!” The Quanzhen Zis checked their moves and held their positions fast. Ma Yu said, “Island Master Huang, you are the grand master of the martial arts in this age. How would we juniors dare offend you lightly? Today we have relied on our numbers to gain the advantage of position. How is the blood debt for our Zhou shishu and our Tan shidi to be settled? We ask you to say!”

Huang Yaoshi gave a cold laugh. “What is there to say? Kill Old Heretic Huang and be done with it, and make the Quanzhen Order’s name. Would that not be fine indeed? Take this!” His body did not move, his arm did not rise, yet his right palm was already cleaving towards Ma Yu’s face.

Ma Yu started aside, but Huang Yaoshi’s palm came with no warning, and once launched it shifted past all reckoning, feint and substance mingled. It was a supreme move of the Peach Blossom Falling Petals Palm,³ which he had refined for ten years, meaning to use it to take first place at the second Huashan Sword Summit.⁴ In a free-for-all such a move could not be used, but in single combat, however deep Danyangzi’s neili, how could he be its match? Had Ma Yu not dodged, it might have gone well enough. But his dodge to the right carried him straight into the follow-up. He cried inwardly, This is bad! He tried to put out a hand to block, but the enemy palm was already against his chest. The moment Huang Yaoshi released his force, Ma Yu’s heart and lungs would be wrecked by the shock.

The other five Zis of Quanzhen were horrified. Jians and palms flew in together, but how could they be in time? Ma Yu seemed about to die on the spot, when Huang Yaoshi laughed aloud, took back his palm and drew in his arm. “Break the formation this way, and I dare say you would lose without being convinced. Old Heretic Huang can die if he must, but shall he let the heroes of the realm laugh at him? Good Daoists, come at me all together!”

Liu Chuxuan snorted and came on with his fists. Wang Chuyi’s jian followed close behind, and the Big Dipper Formation was set in motion once more. They were working the seventeenth path of the formation, and after Wang Chuyi it was Ma Yu’s turn to attack. Wang Chuyi made a swift thrust and left the gap open, but Ma Yu did not press forward. Instead he retreated two paces and called, “Wait!” Everyone stopped again.

Ma Yu said, “Island Master Huang, we owe much to your forbearance.” Huang Yaoshi said, “Not at all.” Ma Yu went on, “By rights this junior’s life would already be gone, and the formation our late shifu left us has been broken by you. If we knew what was good for us, we should lower our hands, admit defeat and accept whatever you decide. But the deep wrong done to our shimen⁵ we dare not leave unavenged. When this matter is settled, I shall cut my own throat to make amends to you, Island Master.”

A stricken look came over Huang Yaoshi’s face. He waved his hand. “Talk is no use. Let us fight. The debts of kindness and enmity in this world were never easy to see clearly.”

Guo Jing thought, Daoist Elder Ma and the others are fighting him to avenge their shishu and shidi. But Big Brother Zhou is alive and well, and Island Master Huang had nothing to do with Daoist Elder Tan’s death. Yet if I explain it all, the Quanzhen Zis will leave the fight, and how could Eldest Shifu and I alone be a match for him? Never mind that our shifus could never be avenged, we would not even save our own lives. Then another thought came to him, But if I keep this hidden, won’t I be a base and despicable man? My shifus always said, the head may be cut off, but righteousness must never be lost. He called out in a clear voice, “Daoist Elder Ma, Daoist Elder Qiu, Daoist Elder Wang, your Zhou shishu is not dead. Daoist Elder Tan was killed by Ouyang Feng.”

Qiu Chuji stared at him in astonishment. “What did you say?”

Guo Jing then recounted how he had nursed his wounds in the secret chamber at Niu Family Village, how through the wall he had heard and seen Qiu Qianzhang spreading rumours, the fierce battle that followed, Ouyang Feng killing Tan Chuduan with a palm-strike, his ambush on Huang Yaoshi, and Mei Chaofeng giving her life to shield her shifu. He was not eloquent, but on the crucial points he spoke clearly enough.

The Quanzhen Zis listened, half believing and half doubting. Qiu Chuji demanded, “Is what you say true?” Guo Jing pointed at Huang Yaoshi. “I would gladly eat this old villain’s flesh raw. Why would I lie to help him? But the truth is so, and I must speak it.” The Six Zis knew he had always been honest and true, and since he hated Huang Yaoshi so bitterly, what he said must be the truth.

Huang Yaoshi was quite taken aback to hear Guo Jing speak up for him. “Why do you hate me so much?” he asked. “Where is Rong-er?”

Ke Zhen’e broke in, “You know well enough what you’ve done. Jing-er, even if we cannot beat him, we must fight this old villain to the death.” With that he raised his iron staff and swept it at Huang Yaoshi.

Hearing his shifu’s words, Guo Jing knew he had been forgiven, and joy and relief welled up in him. Then the tears came, and he cried, “Eldest Shifu, Second Shifu and the others… the five of them died so horribly!”

Huang Yaoshi reached out and seized the top of Ke Zhen’e’s iron staff. He asked Guo Jing, “What are you saying? Zhu Cong, Han Baoju and the rest were safe and sound on my island. How could they have died? I did not want to see them and lose my temper, for fear that discourteous words on both sides would spoil things between me and Jing-er, so I left the island of my own accord to keep out of their way. Has some misfortune befallen them?” Ke Zhen’e pulled hard to wrench his staff free, but it would not stir a hair’s breadth. Huang Yaoshi asked Guo Jing again, “You show no respect for your elders, talking nonsense to me and raising your hand against me. Is it all for the sake of Zhu Cong and the others?” Guo Jing’s eyes looked fit to bleed. He shouted, “You murdered my five shifus with your own hands, and now you pretend ignorance?” He raised his golden dao and slashed straight at him. Huang Yaoshi swung the iron staff out to meet it. With a clang staff and dao clashed, and sparks flew in every direction.

Huang Yaoshi said again, “Who saw it?” Guo Jing replied, “I buried my five shifus with my own hands. Do you think I would wrong you about this?” Huang Yaoshi laughed coldly. “And what if you were? Old Heretic Huang has always gone his own way. Would he deny it if he had killed a few people? Yes, that’s right, every one of those shifus of yours was killed by me!”

Suddenly a girl’s voice cried, “No, Papa, it wasn’t you who killed them. Whatever you do, don’t take it on yourself.”

Everyone turned. It was Huang Rong who had spoken. So intent had they all been on the fight that none of them had noticed when she arrived.

At the sudden sight of Huang Rong, Guo Jing was stunned, unable in that moment to tell joy from grief.

Huang Yaoshi, seeing his daughter safe and unharmed, felt his delight wash away every last vestige of resentment against Guo Jing. He laughed aloud. “Good child, come here. Let Papa make a fuss of you.” For days Huang Rong had suffered torment, and only now did she hear a kind word. She ran to him and threw herself into her father’s arms, weeping. “Papa, this silly boy has wronged you. He… he even bullied me.”

Huang Yaoshi held his daughter and smiled. “Old Heretic Huang goes his own way. Decades ago the foolish folk of the world pinned every crime in creation on your papa’s head. A few more would hardly make a difference. The Five Eccentrics of Jiangnan were your Shijie Mei’s deadliest enemies. It was indeed I who killed them with my own hands.” Huang Rong cried, “No, no, it wasn’t you. I know it wasn’t you.” Huang Yaoshi smiled faintly. “So the silly boy is bold enough to bully my darling, is he? Watch Papa deal with him.” The words were barely out of his mouth when, without warning, his palm lashed back, swift as lightning, appearing from nowhere and vanishing without trace. Guo Jing was still puzzling over the exchange between father and daughter when, with a sharp crack, his left cheek flared hot from a slap. He raised his hand to block, but Huang Yaoshi’s palm was already on Huang Rong’s head, stroking her hair softly. The slap had sounded loud but carried little force. Guo Jing held his cheek in bewilderment, not knowing whether to go for him or what to do.

Ke Zhen’e, hearing the blow, feared Huang Yaoshi had already dealt him a deadly blow. “Jing-er, what’s wrong?” he asked urgently. Guo Jing replied, “Nothing.” Ke Zhen’e said, “Don’t listen to that demon and his demon girl playing their double act to clear themselves. I may have no eyes, but outside the tomb I heard with my own ears how your Sixth Shifu’s steelyard was wrenched from him and snapped by hand. On Peach Blossom Island, who but this old villain has neili enough for that…” Before he had finished, Guo Jing had flung himself at Huang Yaoshi, and Ke Zhen’e’s iron staff swept out at the same moment.

Huang Yaoshi let go of his daughter, dodged Guo Jing’s palm, then darted in to seize the iron staff. This time Ke Zhen’e was ready and he did not catch it. Shifu and disciple fought side by side, and in moments they were locked in a close fight with Huang Yaoshi. Guo Jing had met many remarkable people and learned no small number of wondrous skills, but against this grandmaster of the martial arts, the Master of Peach Blossom Island, the gap remained vast. Even with Ke Zhen’e’s help it was of no avail. After twenty or thirty exchanges he was already being pressed so hard he could scarcely move.

Qiu Chuji thought, When the Quanzhen Order was in danger these two came to our aid. Now they are losing, how can we stand by and watch? Never mind whether Zhou shishu is alive or dead. Let us beat Old Heretic Huang into submission first and settle the rest afterwards. He pointed his long jian and called, “Ke daxia, back to your place in the formation!” By now Yin Zhiping had clambered down from the roof of Misty Rain Pavilion. Though his face was bruised and his nose swollen from the fall, he was not seriously hurt. He ran to Ke Zhen’e’s rear and stood guard, jian ready. The Big Dipper Formation was set in motion once more, encircling Huang Yaoshi and his daughter at its heart.

Huang Yaoshi was deeply angered. He thought, Before, their attack was understandable, since they were acting on a misunderstanding. But now the silly boy has told them the truth, and this pack of motley-haired Daoists still rely on their numbers to run wild. Does Old Heretic Huang really not know how to kill? His body flickered and he lunged straight for Ke Zhen’e’s left flank.

Huang Rong, seeing the killing intent on her father’s face, knew he would show no further mercy, and her heart grew cold. But Wang Chuyi and Ma Yu had already blocked her father’s palm-stroke. Ke Zhen’e’s iron staff, meanwhile, was descending viciously towards her own shoulder, while he cursed, “You damnable little slut, you demon witch! You Peach Blossom Island trash!” Huang Rong had never been one to take the slightest insult lying down, and at this torrent of abuse her anger blazed. “Dare you curse me once more?” she shouted. The Seven Eccentrics of Jiangnan had all grown up in the marketplace, men of the butcher’s block and the wine stall. Wounding someone with words was child’s play to them. Ke Zhen’e hated Huang Yaoshi and his daughter to the core, and hearing her defy him so, he poured out every venomous curse he knew. Huang Rong, who had grown up in solitude on the island, had never heard such coarse and filthy language. Clever as she was, with each of Ke Zhen’e’s curses she had to pause a moment before she understood the meaning, and as the abuse grew worse it grew more and more opaque to her. She spat. “For shame, calling yourself a shifu. Aren’t you afraid your mouth will be dirtied by such words?” Ke Zhen’e cursed, “I speak clean words to clean folk and foul words to foul sluts! The fouler you are, the fouler my words get.”

Footnotes

1. 北极星位 — běijíxīng wèi. Literally North Star position. The pivotal position of the Big Dipper Formation, around which the other six stars revolve. ↩

2. 天罡北斗阵 — Tiāngāng Běidǒu Zhèn. Literally Big Dipper formation of the Heavenly Ladle. A Quanzhen formation of seven, laid out on the stars of the Big Dipper. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

3. 桃华落英掌 — Táohuā Luòyīng Zhǎng. Palm technique with palm shadows like scattering peach blossoms. Originally called 落英神剑掌 (Falling Petals Divine Sword Palm) in earlier editions. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

4. 华山论剑 — Huàshān Lùnjiàn. Literally sword discussion at Huashan. Use of discussion is key as the participants were engaged in a martial arts exchange and a philosophical debate on mastery, rather than just a physical contest. 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. ↩