The Legend of the Condor Heroes Chapter 8 – Part 4

The next morning Guo Jing took the prescription and raced out into the street. Seeing a medicine shop on a side street, he hurried to hand the prescription across the counter. The shop assistant took it, glanced at it and said, “You’ve come at a bad time, sir. Dragon’s blood, cinnabar, notoginseng, myrrh and bear bile, the four medicinals¹ on this prescription, are the very ones we happen to be out of.”

Before the boy could finish a second sentence, Guo Jing snatched back the paper and left. But the second medicine shop he came to was short of the same medicines, and so it went at seven or eight shops in a row. Frantic and furious, Guo Jing ran all over the city trying to buy them. Even the great medicine shops with gold-lettered signboards told him they had had plenty of these in stock, but someone had just come and bought up every last scrap.

Only then did Guo Jing understand. The monk must have foreseen that Wang Chuyi² would need these medicines once he was poisoned, and Prince Zhao’s estate had sent men to clear every medicine shop in the city of these key ingredients. It was a wicked scheme indeed.

He returned to the inn with his head hanging, and told Wang Chuyi what had happened. Wang Chuyi sighed, his face stricken. Guo Jing was heartbroken. He laid his head on the table and wept aloud.

Wang Chuyi smiled. “In this world, everything that is born must die. Life is a cause for joy, and death is Heaven’s decree. Besides, I may not die at all. Why cry?” He tapped the bed-frame lightly and broke into a ringing song:

*Know the male, yet keep to the female,*
*Know the white, yet keep to the black.*
*Know honour, yet keep to disgrace.*
*Who follows the Dao diminishes,*
*Diminishes and diminishes again, till the Limitless is reached.*

Guo Jing stopped crying and gazed at him in a daze. Wang Chuyi gave a great laugh, sat cross-legged on the bed, and began his cultivation.

Guo Jing did not dare disturb him. He slipped quietly out of the room. Suddenly he thought, If I hurry to a nearby town, they won’t necessarily have bought up all the medicine there as well. He was delighted with the idea, and was about to ask how far the nearby towns were and the way to them when the serving boy hurried in and handed him a letter. On the envelope were five characters: For Elder Master Guo, to open in person.

Guo Jing wondered, Who can be writing to me? He tore the envelope open and drew out a sheet of white paper. On it was written: “I am waiting for you by the lake ten li west of the city.³ I have something important to tell you. Come quickly.” Below was drawn a little beggar, grinning. It was Huang Rong⁴ to the life.

Guo Jing wondered, How does he know I’m here? He asked aloud, “Who delivered this letter?”

The serving boy said, “A loafer from the street brought it.”

Guo Jing went back into the room and found Wang Chuyi on his feet, stretching his arms and legs. He said, “Daoist Elder,⁵ I’m going to a nearby town to buy the medicine.”

Wang Chuyi said, “If we thought of that, how could they not have thought of it too? There’s no need to go.”

Guo Jing would not give up and was set on trying. He thought, My worthy brother Huang is clever and quick. I’ll talk it over with him first. He said, “A good friend of mine has asked me to meet him. I’ll go and come straight back.” He showed the letter to Wang Chuyi.

Wang Chuyi pondered for a moment. “How did you come to know this child?”

Guo Jing told him about their meeting on the road. Wang Chuyi said, “I saw the whole of how he made a fool of Hou Tonghai.⁶ The way that boy moves is very strange…” Then his face grew serious. “You must be careful when you go. The boy’s martial arts are better than yours, but there is always something sinister in the way he moves, and I can’t tell where he comes from.”

Guo Jing said, “He and I are friends unto death. He would never harm me.”

Wang Chuyi sighed. “How long have you known him, that you can talk of friends unto death? Don’t think little of him because he is young. If he ever sets out to scheme against you, you won’t stand a chance.”

Guo Jing had not a shred of suspicion of Huang Rong. He thought, The Daoist Elder only says this because he doesn’t know what my worthy brother Huang is like. And he sang Huang Rong’s praises without stint.

Wang Chuyi smiled. “Go, then. Young men are all the same. You don’t grow wiser till you’ve been through something. This boy… from the look of this boy’s figure and the sound of his voice, it seems he isn’t… it looks as if he’s a… Can you really not see it…” There he broke off, and only smiled and shook his head.

Guo Jing tucked the prescription into his robe and left by the west gate. He broke into a run towards the countryside. The falling snow grew heavier as he left the city. Snowflakes beat against his face, a vast whiteness stretched as far as he could see, and there was not a soul abroad in the open country.

Nearly ten li to the west, a glimmer of water appeared ahead. It was a small lake. The weather was not truly cold, and the lake had not frozen. Snowflakes fell upon the surface and dissolved. Along the shore stood row upon row of plum trees, and the plum blossom, with flowers of ice and stamens of snow added to it, was purer and brighter than ever.

Guo Jing looked all around but saw no one, and he began to worry, thinking, Did he give up waiting for me and go back? He shouted at the top of his voice, “Worthy Brother Huang, Worthy Brother Huang.”

There was a sudden whirr, and two water birds flew up from the shore. He called twice more, but still no one answered. He thought, Perhaps he isn’t here yet. I’ll just wait for him here.

He sat by the lake, thinking of Huang Rong and worrying about Wang Chuyi’s injuries, with no heart for the snowy scene. Besides, he had grown up beyond the frontier, where heavy snow was nothing new to him, and as for the difference between the yellow sands of the desert and a still lake with winter plums, he gave it no thought.

After a long wait, he heard voices quarrelling faintly from a grove to the west. Curiosity stirred in him, and he walked quickly towards the sound. A gruff voice was saying, “Why put on the airs of eldest shige⁷ now? We’re all six of one and half a dozen of the other. Aren’t you swinging in mid-air too?” Another said, “Damn it! If you hadn’t been such a coward and turned tail first, the four of us against one, would we have lost?” A third said, “You took a tumble running away yourself, and that’s nothing to boast of either.”

The voices sounded like the Four Ghosts of the Yellow River.⁸ Guo Jing’s hand went to the soft whip at his waist. He peered into the grove, but saw nothing.

Then the voices came from above. Someone said, “In a fair fight of blade and spear, we would never lose. Who could have guessed that little beggar’s tricks would be so endless…”

Guo Jing looked up. Four men hung suspended in the air, swaying back and forth, still gesturing and quarrelling without end. Who else could they be but the Four Ghosts of the Yellow River?

He was overjoyed, guessing that Huang Rong must be close by, and went over grinning. “Why, here you are practising your qinggong⁹ again!”

Qian Qingjian¹⁰ said furiously, “Who says we’re practising qinggong? Haven’t you got eyes, you young idiot? Someone has strung us up here.”

Guo Jing roared with laughter. “Men flying through the air, what wonderful skill!”

Qian Qingjian was furious. He kicked out at him in mid-air, but he was much too far away, and how could he reach him?

Ma Qingxiong¹¹ cursed, “Stinking brat, if you don’t clear off, I’ll piss on you!”

Guo Jing bent double with laughter. “I’m standing here. Your piss can’t reach me.”

Then a soft laugh came from behind. Guo Jing turned. There was a splash of water, and a small boat drifted out from among the trees.

At the stern a girl held an oar, her long hair falling over her shoulders, clad entirely in white. A golden ribbon bound her hair, shining brightly against the snow. Seeing the girl dressed like an immortal maiden, Guo Jing could only stare, spellbound.

The boat drifted closer. The girl was in the bloom of youth, no more than fifteen or sixteen. Her skin was fairer than snow, her beauty beyond compare, her smile welcoming, her features of surpassing loveliness.

Guo Jing found the sight dazzling. He dared not look again. He turned his head and stepped slowly back.

The girl brought the boat in to the bank and called, “Guo gege, come aboard!”

Guo Jing started. He turned to see the girl’s smile, bright as spring, and the hem of her robe stirring in the wind. As if dazed, as if dreaming, he rubbed his eyes with both hands.

The girl laughed. “What? You don’t recognise me?”

Guo Jing heard her voice and recognised it faintly as Huang Rong’s. But how could a filthy beggar in rags suddenly become an immortal maiden? He could not believe his own eyes.

From behind came the clamour of the Four Ghosts of the Yellow River: “Little girl, come cut our ropes and let us down!” “I’ll give you a hundred liang¹² of silver if you help!” “A hundred liang each, four hundred in total!” “Make it eight hundred, if you like.”

The girl paid them no heed whatever, and said, smiling, “I’m your worthy brother Huang. Won’t you speak to me any more?”

Guo Jing looked again more carefully. Her brows, eyes, mouth and nose were indeed exactly Huang Rong’s. “You… you…” He got no further than the two “you”s.

Huang Rong gave a sweet smile. “I’m a girl, and always was. Who asked you to keep calling me worthy brother Huang? Come aboard, quick.”

Guo Jing was as if lost in a dream. He pushed off with both feet and leapt aboard. Behind them, the Four Ghosts of the Yellow River kept raising the reward for their release.

Huang Rong rowed the small boat to the centre of the lake and brought out wine and dishes. “Shall we drink out here and enjoy the snow? Wouldn’t that be nice?”

By now they were far from the Four Ghosts of the Yellow River, and their shouts could no longer be heard. Guo Jing gradually collected himself and laughed. “What a fool I’ve been, taking you for a boy all this time. I mustn’t call you worthy brother Huang any more!”

Huang Rong smiled. “Don’t call me worthy sister Huang either. Call me Rong-er. That is what my father has always called me.”

Guo Jing suddenly remembered. “I brought you some pastries.” He reached into his robe and pulled out the fine pastries Wanyan Kang had sent. But he had carried Wang Chuyi on his back, changed the water to draw out the poison, and run about seeking medicine. The pastries had long since been squashed flat or crumbled, and no longer looked like anything.

Huang Rong looked at the pastries and gave a soft smile.

Guo Jing’s face reddened. “They’re not fit to eat!” He raised his hand to toss them into the lake.

Huang Rong reached out and took them. “I love them.”

Guo Jing was startled. Huang Rong had already put one in her mouth and was eating. He watched her take a few bites. The rims of her eyes reddened slowly, and tears began to well. He was still more puzzled.

Huang Rong said, “My mother died when I was born, and no one has ever thought of me the way you do…” A few tears fell as she spoke. She took out a clean white handkerchief. Guo Jing thought she would wipe her eyes, but instead she carefully wrapped the crushed pastries in the cloth and tucked it into her robe. She turned and smiled. “I will eat them slowly.”

Guo Jing understood nothing at all of a girl’s heart. He only thought this “worthy brother Huang” was behaving very oddly. He asked her, “You said you had something important to tell me. What is it?”

Huang Rong laughed. “I want to tell you that I’m not any worthy brother Huang. I am Rong-er. Isn’t that important enough?”

Footnotes

1. 四味药 — sì wèi yào. Literally four medicinals; 味 is the measure word for ingredients in a prescription. Translator’s note: the assistant names five ingredients but counts four. The slip is the author’s, and the translation keeps it. ↩

2. 王处一 — Wáng Chǔyī. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

3. 里 — lǐ. A traditional unit of distance, about 500 metres or one-third of a mile. ↩

4. 黄蓉 — Huáng Róng. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

5. 道长 — dàozhǎng. Literally Daoist elder. A respectful form of address for a Daoist priest. ↩

6. 侯通海 — Hóu Tōnghǎi. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

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

8. 黄河四鬼 — Huánghé Sìguǐ. Literally four ghosts of the Yellow River. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

9. 轻功 — qīnggōng. The martial art of body lightness. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

10. 钱青健 — Qián Qīngjiàn. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

11. 马青雄 — Mǎ Qīngxióng. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

12. 两 — liǎng. A traditional unit of weight, one-sixteenth of a jin, and the unit in which silver was reckoned. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩