The Return of the Condor Heroes Chapter 12 – Part 5

The heroes cheered in unison. Someone had already called out, “Let the old gentleman himself take the lead!” “No need to elect anyone else!”

The old man laughed heartily. “What sort of figure does this stinking old man cut? The supreme masters of the jianghu have always been the Eastern Heretic, Western Venom, Southern Emperor, Northern Beggar, and Central Divinity.¹ Central Divinity, the Perfected One Chongyang,² passed away many years ago. The Eastern Heretic, Island Master Huang,³ goes his own way alone. The Western Venom is not a Han man of our Central Plains. The Southern Emperor is far away in Dali, neither is a subject of our Great Song. The leader of this Resist the Mongols and Defend the Nation Alliance must, without question, be the Northern Beggar, Venerable Elder Hong.”

Hong Qigong was the Taishan and Beidou⁴ of the jianghu, the people’s choice. The heroes applauded in unison. There were no objections.

From the crowd, a voice said, “Old Chief Hong is naturally the right man to lead the alliance of heroes. Apart from him, who else possesses the martial skill to command respect and the virtue to surpass all others, fit to shoulder this great responsibility?” The voice was loud and clear. Everyone turned toward the source but could not see the speaker, the man was extremely short and hidden by those around him. Someone asked, “Who said that?”

The short man leapt onto a table. He stood less than three feet tall and was past forty, his face radiating a fierce, capable energy. Some recognised him as the Jiangxi⁵ gallant, “Short Lion” Lei Meng.⁶ The crowd had been about to laugh, but seeing the intimidating glare he swept left and right, they swallowed their mirth.

Lei Meng said, “But Old Chief Hong moves like a spirit and appears like a ghost. In ten years, he rarely shows his face. If some urgent matter of resisting the enemy and defending the nation arises, and we happen to be unable to consult him, what then?”

The heroes thought, He has a point.

Lei Meng continued, “Everything we do today is for the sake of loyalty to our country. There is not the slightest selfish motive. Let us elect a vice-leader. When Old Chief Hong is away roaming the four seas, we will obey the vice-leader’s every command.”

Amid cheers and applause, someone shouted, “Guo Jing, Hero Guo!” Someone else called, “Chief Lu would be best.” Another said, “The Beggars’ Guild’s former Chief Huang is resourceful and wise, and she is Old Chief Hong’s disciple. I nominate Chief Huang.” Yet another said, “Our host here, Master Lu.” Still others shouted, “Quanzhen’s⁷ zhangmen Ma.[^ma yu] The Perfected One Changchun, Qiu Chuji.”⁸ For a time, opinions flew in every direction.

[^ma yu]: Ma Yu (马钰). “Perfected One Danyang”, the eldest of the Seven Masters of Quanzhen and the sect’s leader.

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Amid the confusion, four Taoists strode briskly into the hall: Hao Datong,⁹ Sun Bu’er,¹⁰ Zhao Zhijing,¹¹ and Zhen Zhibing.¹² Yang Guo saw that they had returned after leaving earlier and thought, Hmph. Have you come back to fight me again?

Guo Jing and Lu Guanying[^luguan ying] were delighted. They hurried from their seats to greet them. The Quanzhen Order was acknowledged as the orthodox source of all martial arts under heaven. For a Hero Assembly to lack Quanzhen masters would be a regrettable shortcoming.

[^luguan ying]: Lu Guanying (陆冠英). Master of Lu Manor at Dasheng Pass, son of Lu Chengfeng of Peach Blossom Island.

Hao Datong whispered in Guo Jing’s ear, “Enemies have come to make trouble. We must be on guard. We came back especially to warn you.”

Guo Jing thought, Hao Datong, the Master of Broad Serenity,¹³ is one of Quanzhen’s top masters. In the jianghu, those whose martial arts surpass his can be counted on one’s fingers. His voice trembled slightly as he spoke, the opponent must be someone truly formidable. He asked quietly, “Ouyang Feng?”

Hao Datong said, “No. The Mongol who once defeated me.”

Guo Jing’s heart eased. He nodded. “Prince Huo Du?”¹⁴

Before Hao Datong could answer, horns sounded from beyond the main gate. wu wu, followed by the intermittent striking of stone chimes.¹⁵ Lu Guanying called out, “Welcome, honoured guests!” The words had barely left his mouth when several dozen figures, tall and short, appeared before the hall.

The heroes in the hall had been drinking and celebrating noisily. They were mildly surprised to see so many people barge in, but assumed these were latecomers to the Hero Assembly. Seeing no familiar faces among them, they paid little heed.

Guo Jing quietly relayed Hao Datong’s message to Huang Rong, then rose. Husband and wife, together with Lu Guanying and his wife, went out to receive the newcomers.

Guo Jing recognised the one with refined features and the bearing of a noble scion. Prince Huo Du of the Mongols. The lean, gaunt monk beside him was Huo Du’s shixiong¹⁶, Darba.¹⁷ Guo Jing had met both of them before at the Chongyang Palace on Mount Zhongnan. Though they were first-rate masters, their martial arts were still inferior to his own, nothing to fear. But he saw that the two stood to either side, and between them was a monk draped in a crimson cassock, extremely tall and extremely thin, his frame like a bamboo pole, with a slight depression in the crown of his skull like an inverted saucer.

Guo Jing and Huang Rong exchanged a glance. They had heard Huang Yaoshi³ speak of the strange martial arts of the Esoteric Sect’s¹⁸ Vajra School.¹⁹ At the highest levels of attainment, the crown of the head sank slightly inward. This monk’s crown was deeply depressed, could his martial arts truly be that profoundly advanced? Both silently steeled themselves as they bowed in salute.

Guo Jing said, “You have come from afar. Please, be seated and have some wine.” Knowing they were enemies, he offered none of the usual empty pleasantries about “honoured guests” and “welcome”.

Lu Guanying ordered the household staff to lay new tables and refresh the cups and dishes.

The Wu brothers had been helping their teacher and teacher’s wife manage affairs. Wu Xiuwen, quick-handed and sharp-witted, was especially adept at such work. The two brothers directed the servants, arranging seats in the place of highest honour while apologising profusely and asking guests to shift their seats. Guo Fu watched Yang Guo sitting there calmly, not budging an inch, and found it deeply irritating. What kind of hero do you think you are? she fumed. Even if every hero under heaven dropped dead, it still would not be your turn. She shot Wu Xiuwen a meaningful look and jerked her chin toward Yang Guo.

Wu Xiuwen understood. He walked over to Yang Guo and said, “Brother Yang, your seat needs to be moved.” Without waiting for a response, he directed the servants to carry Yang Guo’s cup and chopsticks to the most obscure corner of the hall. Yang Guo’s anger simmered, but he said nothing, only smiling coldly to himself.

On the other side, Prince Huo Du said to the tall, gaunt monk, “Master, allow me to introduce two of the Central Plains’ most renowned heroes…”

Guo Jing was startled. So he is this Mongol prince’s master.

The monk nodded, his eyes half-open, half-closed.

Prince Huo Du said, “This is Hero Guo Jing, who once served as Marshal of the Right Army in our Mongol western campaign. And this is Lady Guo, who is also Chief Huang of the Beggars’ Guild.”

At the words “Marshal of the Right Army in our Mongol western campaign”, the monk’s eyes snapped open. A fierce, piercing light shot from them. He swept his gaze across Guo Jing’s face, then let his eyes fall half-closed once more. The chief of the Beggars’ Guild seemed not to concern him.

Prince Huo Du declared in a ringing voice, “This is my master, the Sacred Monk of the Mongol Empire, whom all men honour as the Golden Wheel National Preceptor.²⁰ Her Majesty the Empress Dowager of the Great Mongol Nation has named him the Foremost Guardian Master of the Empire.”[^huguo dashi]

These words, spoken with great clarity, made the assembly exchange bewildered glances. Everyone thought, Here we are, discussing how to resist the Mongol invasion of the south, and in walks some Mongol Guardian Master?

Yang Guo felt a deeper chill. He remembered how, on the summit of Mount Hua, both his sworn father and Hong Qigong had praised the martial arts of the Five Uglies of the Sichuan Border as “formidable”, and had told them to send word for their grand shifu²¹, the Golden Wheel National Preceptor, to come and test his skills. Now that the Golden Wheel National Preceptor had arrived, together with the Five Uglies’ master, Darba, but his sworn father and Hong Qigong were no longer in this world. Grief washed over him, and he knew at once that this tall, gaunt monk must be a truly fearsome opponent.

Guo Jing, at a loss for how to deal with these people, merely said flatly, “You have come a long way. Please, drink more wine.”

After three rounds of wine, Prince Huo Du rose. He flicked open his folding fan to reveal a peony blossom of intoxicating delicacy painted on its surface, and declared loudly, “My master and I come today without invitation to this Hero Assembly. We have the thick-skinned audacity to be uninvited guests. But when we thought of the chance to meet so many worthy men, we could not let it pass. A grand occasion like this is rare, and the moment will not come again. All the heroes under heaven are gathered here. In this prince’s humble opinion, we must elect a leader for the alliance, a chief of the wulin to serve as head of all the realm’s gallants. What do you all say?”

“Short Lion” Lei Meng boomed, “Well said. We have already elected the Beggars’ Guild’s Old Chief Hong as leader of the alliance. We are now in the process of electing a vice-leader. What suggestions do you have?”

Huo Du gave a cold laugh. “Hong Qigong returned to his rightful place long ago. Electing a ghost as alliance leader, do you take us all for dead men?”

At these words, the assembly erupted. The Beggars’ Guild members were especially furious, shouting in outrage.

Huo Du said, “Very well. If Hong Qigong is not dead, let him come out and show himself.”

Lu Youjiao raised the Dog-Beating Staff twice and said, “Old Chief Hong roams the world. His whereabouts are never fixed. You think you can see him just by asking?”

Huo Du sneered. “Never mind whether Hong Qigong is alive or dead at this moment. Even if he were sitting right here, in good health, how could his martial skill and moral stature possibly compare to my master, the Golden Wheel National Preceptor? Hear me, all you heroes: for the position of alliance leader of the jianghu today, aside from the Golden Wheel National Preceptor, there is no second man fit to hold it.”

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By now, everyone understood these men’s purpose. They had clearly learned that the Hero Assembly would be detrimental to Mongol interests and had come to contest the leadership. If the Golden Wheel National Preceptor seized the position by force of martial arts, the Central Plains heroes would never obey his orders, but it would still weaken the Han people’s momentum in resisting the Mongols.

Footnotes

1. Eastern Heretic, Western Venom, Southern Emperor, Northern Beggar (东邪西毒南帝北丐). Four surviving members of the Five Greats of the jianghu, determined at the first Huashan Sword Summit. Fifth, Central Divinity Wang Chongyang, has passed away. ↩

2. 王重阳 – Wáng Chóngyáng. His name meaning “double yang”, the ninth day of the ninth lunar month. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

3. 黄药师 – Huáng Yàoshī. His name meaning “medicine master”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩ ↩²

4. Taishan and Beidou (泰山北斗). Mount Tai and the Northern Dipper — a classical metaphor for the foremost authority in a field, the ultimate standard of respect. ↩

5. Jiangxi (江西). Province in southeastern China. ↩

6. Lei Meng (雷猛). “Short Lion”, a Jiangxi gallant known for his fierce spirit despite his diminutive stature. ↩

7. Quanzhen Order (全真教). Major Daoist school founded by Wang Chongyang. In Jin Yong’s wuxia universe, it is one of the most powerful martial arts sects, based at the Chongyang Palace on Mount Zhongnan. Its seven senior disciples are known as the Seven Masters of Quanzhen. ↩

8. 丘处机 – Qiū Chǔjī. His name meaning “dwelling in opportunity”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

9. 郝大通 – Hǎo Dàtōng. His name meaning “great penetration”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

10. 孙不二 – Sūn Bùèr. Her name meaning “not two”, signifying non-duality. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

11. 赵志敬 – Zhào Zhìjìng. His name meaning “aspiring to reverence”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

12. 甄志丙 – Zhēn Zhìbǐng. His name meaning “aspiring to the third stem”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

13. Master of Broad Serenity (广宁子). Hao Datong’s Taoist title. ↩

14. 霍都王子 – Huòdū Wángzǐ. Literally Prince Huo Du; a Mongol princely title. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

15. Stone Chime (磬). Traditional Chinese percussion instrument made of stone, often used in religious ceremonies. ↩

16. 师兄 – shīxiōng. Male senior. Both apprenticed to the same shifu. Shī means teacher. Xiōng means older brother. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

17. 达尔巴 – Dá’ěrbā. Tibetan personal name. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

18. 密教 – Mìjiào. Esoteric school, referring to Tibetan Esoteric Buddhism (Vajrayana), associated in wuxia fiction with distinctive martial arts. ↩

19. 金刚宗 – Jīngāng Zōng. Vajra (Diamond/Thunderbolt) school of Esoteric Buddhism, known for distinctive martial arts including the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill. ↩

20. 金轮国师 – Jīnlún Guóshī. Mongol Empire’s national teacher and martial arts adept. See Wuxia Wiki. [^huguo dashi]: Foremost Guardian Master of the Empire (第一护国大师). Title bestowed on the Golden Wheel National Preceptor by the Mongol Empress Dowager. ↩

21. 师祖 – shīzǔ. Grand Shifu — the shifu of one’s shifu, two rungs up. Not a rank: 宗师 is the grandmaster. See §IV.11e. ↩