Mandarin Duck Blades – Part 10

Yuan Guannan¹ rushed to the temple gate but only managed to catch a glimpse of Xiao Zhonghui’s² back as she vanished behind a row of willows.

Suddenly he heard someone call out behind him, “Young master!”³

He turned to see his page boy grinning at him, holding an open book basket. The infant son of the Lin couple was sleeping within as a large wet patch spread across the books beneath—truly to the prhase “there are children’s piss within books.”⁴

The tenth day of the third month marked the fiftieth birthday of Xiao Banhe,⁵ the daxia⁶ of Jinyang.⁷

His mansion overflowed with well-wishers as renown heroes gathered. Xiao Banhe, dressed in long robes with a riding jacket, greeted heroes from all factions—righteous xia, notorious outlaws, renowned veterans, ambitious youths—and many Xiao Banhe had never met, who had made their way to pay respects due to his fame.

In the rear hall, Madam Yuan,⁸ Madam Yang,⁹ and Xiao Zhonghui were all dressed in new finery, radiating joy. The two madams were organising the continuous stream of birthday gifts arriving from outside. Xiao Zhonghui stood before a mirror, arranging flowers in her hair. Suddenly, her reflection flushed as she softly recited, “Gentle breeze guides precious jade down the celestial tower, moonlight illuminates the beauty’s golden chamber.”

Madam Yuan and Madam Yang exchanged glances, both thinking, Since returning with that short Yang blade, the girl has been alternating between joy and melancholy, clearly troubled by something. She’s eighteen this year—most likely met a young man to her liking.

Seeing her struggling with the flowers and noticing something missing from her hair, Madam Yang asked, “Huier,¹⁰ where’s the golden hairpin your First Mother gave you?”

Zhonghui giggled, “I gave it to someone.”

The two ladies exchanged another knowing look, thinking, Just as we suspected, she had already given away a love token.

Madam Yang asked, “To whom?”

Zhonghui laughed like swaying flower branches, saying, “He… well? He’ll probably come to wish Father happy birthday today. He’s quite the renowned figure, no ordinary person.”

Just as Madam Yang was about to inquire further, the servant lady Zhang Ma entered with a brocade box, saying, “What an odd birthday gift—why would someone give the master a golden hairpin?”

Both ladies approached and saw the box contained a dazzling item—Zhonghui’s unmistakable hairpin. Madam Yang turned to see her daughter’s face filled with joy, and asked hurriedly, “Where is the bearer of the gift?”

Zhang Ma replied, “He’s presently in the hall speaking with the master.”

Both ladies, eager to see the sort of person who could make their daughter so utterly infatuated that her heart blossomed with joy the moment she heard of his arrival, nodded to each other and went to peek from behind the main hall’s screen. They heard someone stammering: “My humble name is Gai Yiming,¹¹ also known as Eight Steps Chasing Toads, Rivalling Zhuan Zhu,¹² Treading Snow Without a Trace, Skimming Water with One Leg, and the Twin Daggers. My three brothers and I have come today with our birthday greetings for the great hero Xiao.”

The two ladies peered and saw a scrawny man of unremarkable appearance, accompanied by three peculiar-looking individuals. Xiao Banhe stroked his beard and smiled, “The honour of a visit by the Four Xias¹³ of Taiyue¹⁴ and the present of such a fine golden hairpin—how can I deserve this?”

Gai Yiming replied, “Think nothing of it!”

The two madams were perplexed. Was this short man really the one their daughter had fallen for? Though well-versed in worldly matters, they knew appearances could be deceiving. His titles sounded impressive, suggesting considerable martial prowess, and anyone worthy of being called a xia must surely possess noble character.

Amidst drumbeats and music, three more visitors entered and bowed to Xiao Banhe. A handsome young scholar announced in a crisp voice, “Juniors Lin Yulong, Ren Feiyan, and Yuan Guannan wish Elder Xiao fortune vast as the East Sea and longevity like the Southern Mountains.¹⁵ Please accept this humble gift.”

He presented an uncovered long box. Xiao Banhe thanked them and looked inside as he received it, only to see a dark glint of a sharp dao—the long Yuan blade that was a perfect match for the short Yang blade his daughter had retrieved days earlier.

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In the back garden of the Xiao residence, Lin Yulong instructed Yuan Guannan in blade techniques while Ren Feiyan taught Xiao Zhonghui. After spending the better part of the day of the day, Lin and Ren had imparted all sixty remaining movements of the Wedded Blade Style.

Guannan and Zhonghui tried their best to remember the moves, but it proved difficult for them to concentrate. After learning how they had obtained the dao, Xiao Banhe inquired in detail about Yuan Guannan’s martial arts lineage, learning he had been separated from his parents since childhood. He asked about his training process, his life aspirations, and the friends he had made, thereby deducing his character and conduct.

He discussed with his wives and they agreed to betroth his daughter to Yuan Guannan. He declared that they would add to the joyous birthday celebrations by announcing the engagement that very night.

The young couple’s hearts swelled with delight. If not for the knowledge of the incredible power of the blade technique, they would have had no interest in learning martial arts at this moment. Moreover, if martial artists were not somehow exempt from social conventions, an unmarried couple should maintain proper distance and not be together at a time like this.

“Blade gleams before the peacock screen, joy binds creeping vines to the tall tree… Twin phoenixes sings to the jade flute tune, today’s bride with countenance like jade…”

Having completed their instruction, Lin and Ren left the betrothed couple to practice on their own. The married couple felt immense satisfaction at having taken such promising disciples, and moreover, through teaching the techniques, they gained insight into the principles of mutual support between husband and wife, remarkably not quarrelling for an entire day.

The Four Xias of Taiyue had been watching them practice, with Xiaoyaozi and Gai Yiming constantly pointing out supposed flaws and openings in their technique. Feeling irritated, Lin Yulong wiped sweat from his brow and said, “Brother Gai, my wife and I have given this blade technique as a wedding gift to Brother Yuan and his bride. What gift do the Four Xias of Taiyue offer?”

Hearing this, all four xias tensed, momentarily speechless. For them, giving gifts was their most fatal weak point and vital vulnerability. The four exchanged glances with each other, seeing from one another’s faces that all of their expressions had turned a ghastly pallor.

Ren Feiyan wanted to tease them, so she said, “The Blue-Blood Golden Toad¹⁶ lives in the muddy river over there. If a martial artist consumes one, it’s worth ten years of training—though they’re nearly impossible to catch. Brother Gai, since you’re the Eight Steps Chasing Toad and famed for Skimming Water with One Leg and toad-chasing is the signature skill that made your name, why not catch a few as prized gifts for the newlyweds?”

Gai Yiming brightened, “Really?”

Lin Yulong said, “Dare we lie to you? Unfortunately, my wife and I lack the necessary qinggong and swimming skills to catch them.” Gai Yiming declared, “Speaking of qinggong¹⁷ and swimming, those are my specialties. Brothers, let’s go catch some now!”

Ren Feiyan laughed, “Ha! Brother Gai, you’re showing your inexperience again. The Blue-Blood Golden Toad only emerges from its cave at midnight to absorb the moon’s essence. How could you catch one in broad daylight?”

Gai Yiming replied, “Yes, yes, I knew that—it merely slipped my mind. If they were so easily caught in daylight, why would they be special?”

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In the main hall, tall red candles burned brightly. A five-chi¹⁸ square brocade scroll bearing a large golden character for “longevity”¹⁹ hung at the centre.

The guest had finished giving their well wishes to the birthday celebrant Xiao Banhe, who stroked his beard with a beaming smile as he announced joyous news: the betrothal of his beloved only daughter Xiao Zhonghui² to the young xia Yuan Guannan¹ that very evening. He invited all the guests to first toast to his birthday, and then share a celebratory wine for the impending nuptials.

Amidst the cheers, Yuan Guannan knelt on the red carpet to pay respects to his future parents-in-law. A beaming Xiao Banhe produced a sandalwood fan as an betrothal gift that Yuan Guannan accepted with gratitude. Madam Yuan was also smiling ear to ear as she brought out a jade finger guard that Yuan Guannan reached out to accept as he thanked her…

Suddenly, the jade finger guard clattered to the floor. Yuan Guannan paled as he stared at Madam Yuan’s right hand. She had a branched finger on her right little finger. He grabbed her left hand and found that the left little finger bore a branched finger too. Yuan Guannan asked in a trembling voice, “M-Mother-in-law, d-do you recognise this?”

He reached into his collar and drew forth a jade lion strung on a thin gold chain. Madam Yuan clutched the lion, her entire body jolted as though struck by lightning as she cried out, “A-Are you Shiguan?”²⁰

Yuan Guannan replied, “Mother, it’s your son indeed. How I have longed for you!”

The two embraced and burst into loud sobs.

Everyone in the birthday hall fell silent watching the reunion of mother and son. Each person felt a mixture of sadness, joy, and astonishment. Madam Yuan wept, “Shiguan, oh, Shiguan, where have you been these eighteen years? Not a day passed without my aching for you!”

Yuan Guannan said, “Mother, I have travelled throughout all eighteen provinces searching for word of your whereabouts, fearing… fearing I’d never see you again in this lifetime.”

When Xiao Zhonghui heard Yuan Guannan call out “Mother,” she swayed and nearly collapsed, with only one thought echoing in her mind, So he’s my brother. So he’s my brother… He’s my brother…

Lin Yulong whispered to his wife, “What? Mister Yuan is Madam Xiao’s son? I’m confused.”

Ren Feiyan replied, “Didn’t Mister Yuan say he was searching for his mother? He even asked us to help keep an eye out for him, saying his mother had a branched finger on each little finger. And didn’t Madam Xiao just acknowledge him?”

Lin Yulong scratched his head and asked, “Why is his surname Yuan while his father’s is Xiao?”

Ren Feiyan said, “Fool! Mister Yuan was three when he got separated from his mother. How would a three-year-old child know his own surname? He simply adopted a random surname, that’s all.”

Lin Yulong said, “This means Young Maiden Xiao is his sister. How can siblings wed?”

Ren Feiyan snapped, “Since they’re siblings, of course they can’t marry! Isn’t that stating the obvious?”

Lin Yulong spat, “Pah! You’re the one stating the obvious. You’re my wife, but I’d rather you were my sister!”

As the couple’s bickering grew louder, Xiao Zhonghui could no longer bear it. With a stifled cry, she fled the hall covering her face.

Xiao Zhonghui’s mind was a complete blank. Everything before her seemed shrouded in darkness, devoid of any joy in living. She bolted out of the main gate and raced blindly ahead, and her shoulder crashed into someone. She cried out in alarm, thinking, Oh no! With my martial arts cultivation, I might’ve caused an injury.

She extended a helping hand in haste, only to find her wrist seized and her left arm going numb from her vital point.²¹ She looked up with a start as she struck with her right palm on instinct. The person countered with a reverse wrist seize, twisting and grasping the vital point on her right wrist as well. The person before her was none other than Zhuo Tianxiong.²²

Zhuo Tianxiong roared with laughter, calling out, “Weixin, capture this dao first!”

Footnotes

1. 袁冠南 — Yuán Guānnán. ↩ ↩²

2. 萧中慧 — Xiāo Zhōnghuì. ↩ ↩²

3. 相公 — xiànggōng. Respectful term for a scholar or a learnt man. It is also a more formal or archaic term to refer to one’s husband. Use here is intentional to make the reader wonder if it was Xiao Zhonghui. ↩

4. A humorous play on the Chinese idiom 书中自有黄金屋 (shū zhōng zì yǒu huángjīn wū) that means there are houses of gold within books, changed here to reference the baby’s accident. ↩

5. 萧半和 — Xiāo Bànhé. ↩

6. 大侠 — dàxiá. Literally great xia. Title of the highest honour for a chivalrous martial hero. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

7. 晋阳 — Jìnyáng. Modern day Taiyuan, Shanxi Province. See Wikipedia. ↩

8. 袁夫人 — yuán fūren. Xiao Banhe’s first wife and Yuan Guannan’s mother. ↩

9. 杨夫人 — yáng fūren. Xiao Banhe’s second wife and Xiao Zhonghui’s biological mother. ↩

10. 儿 — ér. Term of endearment, especially for a child or lover. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

11. 盖一鸣 — Gài Yīmíng. Literally “Gai One Sound” or “Gai One Cry”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

12. 专诸 — Zhuānzhū. Assassin from the Spring and Autumn Period renowned for his assassination skills. See Wikipedia. ↩

13. 侠 — xiá. Person adept in the martial arts who acts with chivalry and upholds the right. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

14. 太岳 — Tàiyuè. The Taiyue Mountains (太岳山, also 霍山), a range in central Shanxi, south of Jinyang (modern Taiyuan). See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

15. 福如东海，寿比南山 — Fú rú dōng hǎi, shòu bǐ nán shān. Literally blessings like the East Sea, longevity like the Southern Mountains. Common Chinese idiom used in greetings to express the wish for longevity and prosperity. ↩

16. 碧血金蟾 — bìxuè jīnchán. Literally blue blood golden toad. Mythical creature that is said to have the power to heal wounds and prolong life. ↩

17. 轻功 — qīnggōng. Literally lightness skill. Martial art of body lightness; practitioners leap great heights and move with extraordinary speed. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

18. 尺 — chǐ. Traditional Chinese unit of length, about a third of a metre. Ten chi make one zhang. ↩

19. 寿 — shòu. Longevity, commonly used in birthday celebrations. ↩

20. 狮官 — Shīguān. Literally lion officer. ↩

21. 脉门 — màimén. Vital point or pulse point at the wrist where blood vessels are close to the surface; a vulnerable spot in martial arts combat that when seized can render an opponent’s limb numb or immobile. ↩

22. 卓天雄 — Zhuó Tiānxióng. ↩