Ma Qingxiong

Ma Qingxiong

Contents

Ma Qingxiong (simplified: 马青雄, traditional: 馬青雄, pinyin: Mǎ Qīngxióng, jyutping: maa5 cing1 hung4), the Soul-Devouring Whip (夺魄鞭 — Duópò Biān), was the third of the Four Ghosts of the Yellow River, the four disciples of Sha Tongtian, the Dragon King of Devil’s Gate. With his fellow disciples he served the Jin prince Wanyan Honglie.

Biography

The battle on the hill

When Senggum and Jamukha trapped Temüjin on a hill, Wanyan Honglie ordered the Four Ghosts to go up and seize him. Using their lightness skills, they reached the hillside and turned aside the arrows of Jebe, Bo’orchu and the others with soft shields. On the hilltop they fought Temüjin’s generals hand to hand and brought down four or five of them. When the young Guo Jing kicked Qian Qingjian so that his axe swung back at his own head, Ma Qingxiong saved him by blocking it with his iron whip. He and Qian Qingjian then attacked the unarmed Guo Jing together, and when Boroqul and Jebe joined in, all four Ghosts turned on Guo Jing and wounded him in the arm.

The Six Eccentrics of Jiangnan then arrived. After Qian Qingjian named each of the four, Ke Zhen’e threw all four of them down the hill one after another. When Temüjin later routed Wang Khan and Jamukha, the Four Ghosts fought their way out and escorted Wanyan Honglie back to Zhongdu. Having failed against Guo Jing in front of Wanyan Honglie, they lost favour with him, and Sha Tongtian beat them soundly.

Encounters with Guo Jing and Huang Rong

At Zhangjiakou the Four Ghosts and their martial uncle Hou Tonghai cornered Guo Jing at his inn and set him a meeting in the Black Pine Forest. When Guo Jing kept it, he found the four hanging bound from trees, the work of Huang Rong, then disguised as a beggar boy. In Zhongdu, he and Wu Qinglie were among those chasing Huang Rong during the martial contest for a bride. Huang Rong strung the four up in trees a second time, by a lake, and when Guo Jing came upon them Ma Qingxiong cursed him from the tree.

Death at Lake Tai

Ma Qingxiong later joined the bandits of Lake Tai. When their leader, Lu Guanying, planned to attack the Song troops of a Commander Duan, who had come to meet the Jin envoy and plundered the country on the way, Ma Qingxiong, newly arrived, objected that they should keep to robbing rich merchants and must not offend the Jin envoy, and turned to leave. When two bandits blocked the way, reminding him of his oath, he threw them aside, then drew a dagger from his boot and fought Lu Guanying in the cabin. Lu Guanying struck him in the chest with his fist; as he staggered back, two bandits behind him cut him down with their daos, and his body was thrown into the lake.

Personality & traits

Ma Qingxiong was foul-mouthed, but stood by his fellow disciples in a fight, as when he saved Qian Qingjian from his own axe.

Martial arts abilities

Soul-Devouring Whip Technique

Ma Qingxiong fought with an iron whip, and his art was the Soul-Devouring Whip Technique (夺魄鞭法 — Duópò Biānfǎ). Huang Rong later imitated it, striking straight out with both arms, at Prince Zhao’s Estate. He also carried a dagger in his boot.

Assessment

Sha Tongtian was a short-tempered teacher, and his four disciples learnt barely two or three tenths of his art. Alone and surrounded at Lake Tai, Ma Qingxiong was quickly outfought by Lu Guanying.

Relationships

Four Ghosts of the Yellow River

His fellow disciples were Shen Qinggang, the Soul-Severing Dao, the eldest; Wu Qinglie, the Life-Chasing Spear, the second; and Qian Qingjian, the Mourning Gate Axe, the youngest.

Sha Tongtian and Hou Tonghai

Sha Tongtian was his shifu, and Hou Tonghai his martial uncle.

Wanyan Honglie

The Four Ghosts served Wanyan Honglie as retainers.

Behind the scenes

Revisions

In the 1st edition, Lu Guanying killed Ma Qingxiong by himself, with a palm strike to the back that left him spitting blood. In the 3rd edition, Lu Guanying’s fist sends him staggering back and two bandits finish him with their daos.

See also

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