Mandarin Duck Blades – Part 8

Xiao Zhonghui¹ cried out instinctively, “Stop!”

Seeing Yuan Guannan² was a scholarly type without the strength to even tie a chicken,³ she feared the blow would crack his skull open. To her surprise, Yuan Guannan lowered his head and exclaimed “Oh my!”

He ducked under the iron staff and said, “The young lady told you to stop. Why don’t you listen?”

Zhuo Tianxiong⁴ swung his iron staff backwards, sweeping it horizontally at waist level. Yuan Guannan stumbled forward and fell to the ground, the iron staff just grazing over his head. Zhuo Tianxiong shouted, “Not bad!”

He chopped downwards with his left hand. Yuan Guannan drew his chest in and lowered his shoulders,⁵ then dipped his brush in the ink box and jabbed at Zhuo’s wrist. After several exchanges, Xiao Zhonghui thought in silent amazement, This scholar actually knows martial arts. I’ve really misjudged him this time.

She watched as his figure floated and dodged, Zhuo Tianxiong’s iron staff never quite connecting. Xiao Zhonghui prayed silently, “Heavens above, please bless this scholar with victory, so he can help me escape.”

Lin Yulong⁶ cheered, “Well done, young scholar! I couldn’t tell you had powerful martial arts abilities? Finish off this blind man quickly and unseal our acupoints.”

Ren Feiyan⁷ said, “Isn’t this just your one-sided wish? I don’t think this young scholar is necessarily a match for the old blind man.”

Lin Yulong snapped, “Wretched woman, always talking about unlucky things. What do you know?”

Ren Feiyan retorted, “Heh, I can see them fighting. Can you?”

It turned out she was facing Zhuo and Yuan, while Lin Yulong had his back to them. Lin Yulong said, “So what if you can see? I hear that messy swings of blind man’s iron staff making whooshing sounds. It’s utterly useless.”

Ren Feiyan spat and said, “Useless? Useless! Hmph! He immobilised you with a tap.”

Lin Yulong retorted, “What about you? Let’s see you move then!”

The two continued bickering and their argument grew more heated. Had they been able to move, they would have already come to blows with each other. Ren Feiyan, unable to contain her anger any longer, spat at her husband. Lin Yulong, unable to dodge, could only watch as the saliva landed squarely on the bridge of his nose. He immediately responded in kind, spitting back at her. The couple then started spitting at each other, covering each other’s faces with saliva.

Watching the couple quarrel despite their dire situation, Xiao Zhonghui was both exasperated and amused. Glancing back at Yuan and Zhuo’s duel, she could not help but feel a twinge of worry. Yuan Guannan kept retreating, seemingly no match for Zhuo Tianxiong. She thought, I hope he’s just putting on an act to toy with the old blind man, and not actually losing!

However, things did not turn out as hoped. Zhuo Tianxiong’s martial arts skills were actually far superior to Yuan Guannan’s. When Zhuo Tianxiong saw him using a writing brush and ink box as weapons, he initially thought Yuan definitely had extraordinary skills to be so confident. Thus, he was cautious and did not dare to attack aggressively.

After a few exchanges, he realised that while Yuan’s movements were quick, they were ultimately inexperienced, and there was nothing special about his brush techniques. So Zhuo began to sweep and strike with his iron staff using the exquisite moves from the Eighteen Whips of Huyan.⁸

Yuan Guannan did not expect to encounter such a formidable opponent. Without a proper weapon, he was immediately put on the defensive, narrowly escaping danger several times. He could not help but lament inwardly, I was too arrogant to underestimate this fake blind man. Who knew he would be such a tough opponent?

Seeing the iron staff swing down diagonally, he drew his shoulders back hastily to dodge. Zhuo Tianxiong bellowed, “Lie down!”

His iron staff rose and struck Yuan Guannan’s left leg. Xiao Zhonghui’s heart skipped a beat, and she cried out, “Oh no!”

Yuan Guannan struggled to stay on his feet. His steps faltered slightly as he retreated three paces, but he did not fall. Realising the extreme danger of the situation, and that his injured leg would prevent him from escaping even if he wanted to, he was struck by a desperate idea.

He shouted, “Very well! I was being merciful and didn’t want to use the Bone-Rotting Heart-Piercing Ointment. But since you showed no respect, then you leave me with no choice but to let you have a taste of it.”

As he spoke, he dipped his brush deeply into the ink box and raised it to smear it on Zhuo Tianxiong’s face. Hearing the words Bone-Rotting Heart-Piercing Ointment, Zhuo Tianxiong was startled and exclaimed, “Wait! What’s your relationship with the Five Poison Holy Maiden?”⁹

The Five Poison Holy Maiden was a notorious female villain from Anxiang Fort¹⁰ in Guizhou,¹¹ feared throughout the jianghu. Among her poisons, the Bone-Rotting Heart-Piercing Ointment was the most terrifying. It was said that even the slightest touch to the skin would cause flesh to rot to the bone within twelve hours, and the poisoned blood would attack the heart within twenty-four hours.

There was no antidote for it.

Yuan Guannan had heard about this years ago but did not pay it much heed. When he was pressed by Zhuo Tianxiong, he made a desperate bluff. Seeing the drastic change in Zhuo’s expression upon hearing this, Yuan was secretly delighted and said, “The Five Poison Holy Maiden is my aunt. Why do you ask?”

Zhuo Tianxiong, half convinced and half doubtful, said, “If that’s the case, I won’t trouble you further. Quick, be on your way.”

Yuan Guannan sneered, “You struck me with your staff. Did things settle so easily?”

As he spoke, he took two steps forward. Zhuo Tianxiong stared at the ink box in Yuan’s left hand as if it were a venomous creature, thinking, An inkbox and brush aren’t typically weapons. If he’s fighting me with these, there must be some trick.

Seeing Yuan advance, he retreated two steps involuntarily. Little did he know that despite Yuan Guannan’s confident demeanour, the latter relied on superior martial arts to often win barehanded. He was merely holding the writing implements to feign nonchalance.

In truth, he had been cursing himself inwardly dozens of times for his own foolishness to run into such a formidable opponent in Zhuo Tianxiong.

Yuan Guannan took two more steps forward and said, “My aunt’s martial arts aren’t particularly impressive. She only knows how to concoct some poisons. Why are you so frightened?”

Seeing Zhuo Tianxiong retreat another step after some hesitation, Yuan suddenly turned and darted to Zhou Weixin’s side. He raised the brush, attempting to smear it across Zhou’s eyes. An alarmed Zhou Weixin raised his arm to block. Yuan Guannan’s elbow struck out, transferring the inkbox to his right hand while his left hand shot out, snatching away the Mandarin Duck Blades.

Zhuo Tianxiong was shocked. He thought, The Emperor ordered me to escort these precious dao¹² to the capital. If this kid seized them, it would be a grave crime!

Even if it meant offending the Five Poison Holy Maiden, it could not be helped. He leapt forward to reclaim the dao, his right palm striking diagonally at Yuan Guannan’s shoulder while his left hand, fingers curved like claws, reached for the Mandarin Duck Blades.

Yuan Guannan had anticipated this. Knowing he was unable to win by brute force, he raised his brush and smeared it across Zhuo Tianxiong’s left hand, then burst into laughter. Zhuo felt a sudden chill on the back of his hand and was startled to see a thick streak of ink. In that instant, all the horrific tales he had heard about the Five Poison Holy Maiden’s deadly venoms flashed through his mind, causing him to tremble uncontrollably.

Although his five fingers had already touched the scabbard of the twin dao, he could not bring himself to grasp them. Frozen in shock, his fear grew with each passing moment until he let out a great cry and fled the forest. Seeing his shibo react this way, Zhou Weixin dared not linger and rushed out after him.

Yuan Guannan inwardly exclaimed, “What a shame!”

Fearing Zhuo Tianxiong might realise the truth and return, he did not dare linger in the forest any longer. Picking up the Mandarin Duck Blades, he turned to leave. Lin Yulong called out, “Hey, young scholar, aren’t you going to unseal our acupoints?”

Yuan Guannan replied, “The points will unseal on their own after six hours.”

Xiao Zhonghui, greatly alarmed, cried, “If we wait six hours, we’ll be dead!”

Yuan Guannan laughed, “Don’t worry, you won’t die!”

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

Yuan Guannan recalled how the girl had tried to stop Zhuo Tianxiong when the latter struck him with a staff. She had a kind heart. However, it was clear that the three of them were also after the Mandarin Duck Blades.¹³ 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 in succession, striking the acupoints¹⁴ of Lin and Ren. Although they were several dozen feet away, his accuracy was impeccable, and their sealed acupoints were released at once.

Yuan Guannan flung another stone that struck Xiao Zhonghui’s Jingmen acupoint¹⁵ 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. Yuan Guannan grew even more alarmed and asked, “What’s wrong, Miss?”

He reached out to check her breath. Suddenly, Xiao Zhonghui cried out, leapt onto her feet, and snatched the shorter Yang dao from his hand. Having succeeded in her deception, she did not dare risking an attempt to take the long Yuan dao. She turned with a laugh and fled.

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

Ren Feiyan 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 qinggong¹⁶ became half as effective. Watching helplessly as the three darted toward the northwestern wilderness, he accepted that he was 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 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.”¹⁷ It was a Buddhist convent. 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.¹⁸ Has a young lady in blue come to worship at your sacred convent?”

The elderly nun replied, “Our humble convent 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.¹⁹ 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 dao!”

She held out the short dao. 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 on the left side of the statue.

Footnotes

1. 萧中慧 — Xiāo Zhōnghuì. ↩

2. 袁冠南 — Yuán Guānnán. ↩

3. 手无缚鸡之力 — shǒu wú fùjī zhī lì. Literally not having the strength in one’s hands to tie up a chicken. Chinese idiom used to describe someone who is very weak, feeble, or lacking in physical strength. Often used to refer to scholars or intellectuals who are not accustomed to physical labor or fighting. ↩

4. 卓天雄 — Zhuó Tiānxióng. ↩

5. 含胸沉肩 — hánxiōng chénjiān. Literally draw in one’s chest and drop one’s shoulders. Common martial arts terms to describe a specific stance. Stance protects the vital areas of the upper body, helps maintain balance and stability, allows for more efficient energy transfer in striking techniques, and makes one’s body a smaller target. ↩

6. 林玉龙 — Lín Yùlóng. ↩

7. 任飞燕 — Rén Fēiyàn. Literally “Ren Flying Swallow”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

8. 呼延十八鞭 — Hūyán shíbā biān. Literally Huyan’s Eighteen Whips. Martial arts technique named after Huyan Zan, a military general in the early years of the Northern Song Dynasty. See Wikipedia. ↩

9. 五毒圣姑 — Wǔdú Shènggū. ↩

10. 安香堡 — Anxiang bǎo. ↩

11. 贵州 — Guìzhōu. Province in Southwest China. See Wikipedia. ↩

12. 刀 — dāo. Single-edged blade used for slashing and chopping. See Wikipedia. ↩

13. 鸳鸯刀 — Yuānyāng dāo. Literally mandarin duck dao. Yuan and yang stand for the male and female mandarin ducks respectively, and are considered to be lifelong couples in traditional Chinese culture. Name means that the dao come in a pair. ↩

14. 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. The Lin couple, each boiling with rage, began fighting as soon as their acupoints were released, their broken dao clashing noisily. ↩

15. 膻中穴 — dànzhōng xué. Vital acupoint located in the centre of the chest, associated with emotions and the heart. ↩

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

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

18. 师太 — shītài. Respectful term to address a senior nun. ↩

19. 观音 — Guānyīn. 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. ↩