Mandarin Duck Blades Chapter 8

Xiao Zhonghui¹ said angrily, “Fine, you wicked scholar! Don’t fall into my hands next time.”

Yuan Guannan² recalled how the girl had tried to stop Zhuo Tianxiong³ when the latter struck him with a staff. She had a kind heart. However, it was clear that the three of them had were also after the Mandarin Duck Blades.⁴ If he were to release their acupoints, it would likely cause more complications.

After a moment’s thought, he picked up two small stones from the ground. With a wave of his right hand, he sent the stones flying, striking the acupoints⁵ of Lin and Ren. Although they were several feet away, his accuracy was impeccable.

The Lin couple, each boiling with rage, began fighting as soon as their pressure points were released, their broken sabres clashing noisily.

Yuan Guannan flung another stone that struck Xiao Zhonghui’s Jingmen acupoint⁶ at her waist. She fell backwards from her horse with a cry and laid motionless on the ground with her eyes shut tight. Yuan Guannan was startled, wondering how she could have been injured when he had not missed the acupoint.

He hurried over and bent down, only to see a strange colour on her face and she appeared to have stopped breathing. Growing more alarmed, he reached out to check her breath. Suddenly, Xiao Zhonghui cried out, leapt onto her feet, and snatched the shorter Yang blade from his hand. Having succeeded in her deception, she did not dare risking an attempt to take the longer blade. She turned with a laugh and fled.

Lin Yulong⁷ shouted, “Ah, the Mandarin Duck Blades!”

Ren Feiyan⁸ scooped their child from the ground and called out, “Quick, after her!”

Both of them pursued Xiao Zhonghui.

Yuan Guannan cursed, “Ungrateful maiden, returning kindness with enmity!”

He channelled his qi and gave chase, but his left leg was badly injured from Zhuo Tianxiong’s staff strike. He could only limp along and his qinggong⁹ became half as effective. Watching helplessly as the three darted toward the northwestern wilderness, he accepted that he unable to catch up but he also knew that a single Mandarin Duck Blade was useless without its other half, so he kept chase despite his the pain in his leg.

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After pressing on for more than six miles, the terrain grew increasingly desolate. Climbing a high ridge, he looked all around and spotted a yellow wall partially visible through trees about two miles to the northwest. It appeared to be a small temple. With nowhere else to hide in this wasteland, he guessed that the trio had to be in there.

He snapped off a sturdy branch for a crutch and hurried onward.

As he approached the temple, he saw the plaque read “Purple Bamboo Convent.”¹⁰ It was a Buddhist nunnery. Yuan Guannan entered and saw an elderly nun standing in the main hall, immaculately dressed with a kindly face. He bowed and said, “Greetings, venerable nun.¹¹ Has a young lady in blue come to worship at your sacred convent?”

The elderly nun replied, “Our humble nunnery is in a remote location. We’ve had no visitors.”

Yuan Guannan did not believe her. He said, “Venerable nun, there’s no need to conceal—”

Before he could finish, he heard coming from outside, “Thud, thud, thud”—the sound of an iron staff striking the ground. Zhuo Tianxiong had caught up.

Yuan Guannan’s heart lurched. He hurriedly said, “Venerable nun, please do a kindness. My enemy has arrived—please, don’t tell him I’m here.”

Without waiting for the nun’s response, he slipped into the back courtyard, where he found a small Buddha hall in the east wing. Pushing open the door, he saw a white-robed Guanyin statue.¹² With no time to think, he leapt onto the altar, lifted its curtain, and concealed himself behind the deity.

To his surprise, someone was already behind the statue. Upon closer look, it was Xiao Zhonghui. She cast him an enigmatic smile and said, “Well now, I suppose you’ve proven your worth to track me here. Take the blade!”

She held out the short blade. But a voice behind him cut in, “Don’t give it to him. If it comes to fighting, the three of us can take him on.”

It turned out the Lin couple and their child were also hiding there.

Yuan Guannan, more concerned with saving his life at this moment, had no time to seize the blade. He whispered urgently, “Quiet—the blind old man has caught up!”

Xiao Zhonghui started.

“But wasn’t he poisoned by you?” she asked. Yuan Guannan gave a slight smile and said, “The poison was fake.”

Before Xiao Zhonghui could ask further, they heard Zhuo Tianxiong’s coarse voice saying, “There are no dwellings around here. If they’re not here, where else could they be?”

The elderly nun replied, “Honoured patron,¹³ perhaps you should search further ahead. You must have passed them by already.”

Zhuo Tianxiong said, “Very well! I’ve posted men in all directions, so that whelp won’t escape even if he tries to flee beyond the horizon’s edge. If I can’t find him, I’ll return to settle scores with you. Watch out, or I’ll burn down this wretched nunnery!”

Hearing this, Lin Yulong and Ren Feiyan’s anger flared and they were about to retort, but before they could open their mouths, Yuan Guannan and Xiao Zhonghui’s fingers struck in unison, sealing their acupoints.

Zhuo Tianxiong entered the rear courtyard and lingered for a moment, presumably looking about. They heard him muttering curses, followed by the sound of his iron staff striking the ground as he turned and left the convent.

After Zhuo Tianxiong’s hand was marked with black ink, he had panicked and rushed to wash it in a stream. The ink stain washed away instantly, leaving no trace. Still uneasy, he scrubbed desperately at his skin until it broke and began to truly ache. This frightened him even more, and he stood dumbfounded for quite some time.

Only when he observed no further strange effects did he realise he had been duped. He then gave chase. Although his qinggong was superb, and he could race as though flying, the delay had allowed Yuan Guannan and the others to hide in the Purple Bamboo Convent.

Yuan Guannan and Xiao Zhonghui waited until they were certain he had gone far enough before finally releasing the Lin couple’s acupoints. The four leapt down from their hiding spot behind the Guanyin statue. Their brows furrowed as they recalled Zhuo Tianxiong’s words.

With his formidable qinggong, he would undoubtedly return once his search across dozens of miles proved fruitless. There were no buildings or shelters in any directions that they could hide in. And they could neither overcome him in combat nor elude his pursuit. Were they truly left with no choice but to await their doom? Yuan and Xiao faced each other in silence, their minds desperately searching for a means of escape.

Lin Yulong spat out angrily, “It’s all your fault, you insufferable woman! Had we mastered the Wedded Blades Style,¹⁴ our combined strengths would have made the blind old man no threat at all!”

Ren Feiyan shot back, “Whose fault was it that we failed to master the Wedded Blades Style? That old monk clearly told you to follow my lead, yet from the moment we started practicing, you thought only of yourself!”

The two continued without end, trading bitter accusations. Hearing their constant bickering about the Wedded Blades Style, Yuan Guannan interjected, “The four of us, along with your child and the elderly nun, face imminent death. Once that blind old man returns, none shall survive. What’s the point of this quarrel? What exactly is this Wedded Blades Style?”

The Lin couple’s explanation came mixed with continued argument, and only after a considerable time did the complete tale emerge.

Three years ago, shortly after their wedding, Lin and Ren fell into constant quarrels. They happened to encounter an eminent monk who, unable to bear their discord, decided to impart to them a special dao¹⁵ style. The moves he taught Lin Yulong and Ren Feiyan were completely different, requiring both to master their parts and fight as one. Their bladework would complement each other like yin and yang, fitting together perfectly—–when one advanced, the other retreated; when one attacked, the other defended.

The old monk had said, “With this blade style, fighting side by side in the martial world, no enemy, however formidable, can defeat you. But wielded alone, the technique is utterly useless.”

Fearing the couple might separate, he taught them this extraordinary dao style to bind them together, as neither could function without the other. This blade technique was originally created by a devoted couple of ancient times who were inseparable and of one heart and mind, their twin blades always moving to protect each other.

Yet, Lin and Ren were both hot-tempered, and although they each mastered their individual parts, they could never achieve harmony together. After just three or four moves, far from protecting each other, the couple would end up fighting amongst themselves.

After hearing their tale, Yuan Guannan had a sudden inspiration and turned to Xiao Zhonghui, “Miss, I have something rather forward to say. I shouldn’t speak of it, but given our dire circumstances, with everyone’s lives at stake…”

Xiao Zhonghui interrupted, “I know what you’re going to say. You want me to learn this Wedded… Wedded…”

Her cheeks flushed red at this point. Yuan Guannan stammered, “Yes, I wouldn’t dare to presume, but it’s just… it’s just…”

Xiao Zhonghui did not let him finish, turning instead to Ren Feiyan, “Elder Sister, please teach me. If he and I… if we can master it and hold off that blind old man, we might save everyone’s lives.”

Ren Feiyan replied, “This blade technique is extremely difficult to learn—it’s not something one can master in a day or two.”

Xiao Zhonghui said, “However much we can learn will have to suffice. It’s better than waiting helplessly for death.”

Ren Feiyan agreed, “Very well, I’ll teach you.”

The Lin couple began demonstrating their respective parts, explaining and performing each move. Yuan and Xiao watched intently, each silently committing their portions to memory.

Although Yuan and Xiao possessed considerable martial prowess, the intricate patterns of the Wedded Blades Style proved too complex to master within a short time. The Lin couple demonstrated a few moves, their instructions interrupted by occasional bickering.

With two teaching and two learning, they had scarcely reached the twelfth form when a thunderous voice boomed from outside, “You wretched cur, where have you hidden yourself?” A figure flashed across the threshold as Zhuo Tianxiong burst into the hall, iron staff at the ready.

Seeing his return, Lin Yulong felt anger rather than fear.

“We haven’t finished teaching the technique, and you’re already here. Couldn’t you wait a moment longer?” he shouted, slashing with his blade. Zhuo Tianxiong blocked with his iron staff as Ren Feiyan attacked from the right.

“Use the Wedded Blades Style!” Lin Yulong called out, eager to demonstrate their skill to Yuan and Xiao. He swept his blade diagonally at Zhuo Tianxiong’s waist. At this moment, Ren Feiyan should have executed a defensive flourish to shield her husband, but in her eagerness for victory, she abandoned the first move of the Wedded Blades Style. Instead, she employed the aggressive second move, turning what should have been a coordinated defence into a reckless double attack.

Seeing the glaring flaw in their technique, Zhuo Tianxiong countered with his Heaven’s Deception¹⁶ move, deflecting both blades with his staff while his fingers darted out from beneath, striking both Lin and Ren’s acupoints with two swift jabs. Had they not attempted the Wedded Blades Style, they might have held their own for a while, but their failed coordination led to their instant defeat.

Lin Yulong exploded in fury. “You insufferable woman! That was meant to be the first move! You should have executed the blade flourish to protect my flank!”

Ren Feiyan retorted with equal rage, “Why couldn’t you follow my second move instead? Must I always be the one following your lead?”

Their blades hung suspended in mid-air while their bitter quarrel raged on unabated.

Footnotes

1. 萧中慧 – Xiào Zhōnghuì. Zhonghui means wisdom and intelligence. ↩

2. 袁冠男 – Yuán Guānnán. Guannan means someone who stands above other men. ↩

3. 卓天雄 – Zhuó Tiānxióng. Tianxiong literally means Heaven’s Mighty One. ↩

4. 鸳鸯刀 – Yuānyāng dāo. Literally mandarin duck daos. Yuan and yang stand for the male and female mandarin ducks respectively, and are considered to be lifelong couples in traditional Chinese culture. The name means that the daos come in a pair. ↩

5. 穴道 – xuédào. Specific points on the body that can be struck to disable movement or cause various effects. These points are used in both traditional Chinese medicine and martial arts. See Wikipedia. ↩

6. 膻中穴 – dànzhōng xué. A vital acupoint located in the center of the chest, associated with emotions and the heart. ↩

7. 林玉龙 – Lín Yùlóng. Yulong means Jade Dragon. ↩

8. 任飞燕 – Rèn Fēiyàn. Feiyan means Flying Swallow. ↩

9. 轻功 – qīnggōng. A martial arts technique allowing practitioners to move with supernatural lightness and speed, often described as “flying” through the air. See Wikipedia. ↩

10. 紫竹庵 – zǐzhú ān. Purple bamboo are often planted around temples and hold symbolic significance in Buddhist traditions. ↩

11. 师太 – shītài. A respectful term to address a senior nun. ↩

12. 观音 – Guānyīn. The Bodhisattva of Compassion, one of the most revered deities in Chinese Buddhism. Usually depicted in white robes, Guanyin is known for responding to the cries of those in distress. See Wikipedia. ↩

13. 施主 – shǐzhǔ. A respectful term used by Buddhist clergy to address laypeople. ↩

14. 夫妻刀法 – fūqī dāofǎ. Literally the married couple’s dao style. Often mistranslated as the Couple’s Blade Style and losing the specific marital reference. It also refers to how the moves are designed to complement each other. ↩

15. 刀 – dāo. A single-edge sword used for slashing and chopping. See Wikipedia. ↩

16. 偷天换日 – tōu tiān huàn rì. Literally stealing the sky and replacing the sun. A strategy that describes achieving victory through cunning rather than direct force. As a name for a martial arts move, it describes a move that uses misdirection before striking. ↩