The Return of the Condor Heroes Chapter 13 – Part 9

Yang Guo saw Xiaolongnü in mortal danger. Concerned desperation seized him. He snatched up the golden pestle that Da’erba had left on the ground, launched himself into the air with all his might, raised the pestle, and smashed it against the wheel. With an earth-shaking clang, the vajra pestle slid perfectly into the hollow centre of the wheel. But the golden wheel’s force was simply too ferocious. The impact split the webs of both his thumbs, and fresh blood streamed down. Man, wheel, and pestle crashed to the ground together.

Xiaolongnü glimpsed the golden wheel fall and knew the threat from behind was gone. But she was still in midair, how could she evade the great enemy before her? In her desperation, inspiration struck. She lashed out her silk band and wrapped it around a pillar on the western side, yanking hard. Her body, borrowing the force, flew sideways in the air, crashed into another pillar, and slid down lightly behind it. In that hair’s-breadth moment, she had evaded the National Preceptor’s mountain-splitting palm force.

The National Preceptor had clearly been on the verge of victory, only to have Yang Guo intervene and spoil everything. Not only had his opponent escaped, but his own invincible weapon had been knocked to the ground, a setback he had never encountered in his entire life. He had always been clear and luminous in his self-possession, his wisdom radiant, but now he could not help being overcome by the flames of ignorance.¹ Without waiting for Yang Guo to rise, he struck out with a whistling palm, the force tearing through the air toward the boy. By rights, as a grandmaster of a school, with his opponent both a junior and already fallen to the ground without having risen, to strike him like this was utterly beneath his dignity and the pride he had always held. But in his towering rage, he could no longer care.

Guo Jing saw the National Preceptor glare at Yang Guo, raise his shoulder, and draw back his arm. Not good! he thought. If he rushed forward, even if he blocked the blow, Yang Guo would still be injured. In that desperate moment, with no time for careful thought, he used the move “The Dragon Flies in Heaven,”² his entire body soaring into the air as he struck down at the National Preceptor’s skull. If the National Preceptor did not pull back his palm force, though he could kill Yang Guo, he himself would perish beneath this ferociously lethal Dragon-Subduing Palm. The National Preceptor’s palm turned sharply. With a hey of exhalation, his palm met Guo Jing’s.

This was the second exchange of palms between two of the age’s great martial masters. Guo Jing was still in midair, with nothing to brace against. He followed the momentum of the opponent’s palm, flipped half a somersault, and landed behind. The National Preceptor, however, stood firmly in place, body unwavering, feet unmoving, as though nothing had happened. Hao Datong, Sun Bu’er,³ the Diancang Fisherman, and the others, who all knew Guo Jing’s martial arts well, were appalled. This foreign monk’s skill is truly unfathomable, they thought. In truth, both times Guo Jing had exchanged palms with him, he had yielded ground, naturally dissipating the opponent’s palm force, this was the orthodox path of martial arts. The National Preceptor, his dignity ruffled by Yang Guo’s interference, had stubbornly insisted on reclaiming face by solidly receiving Guo Jing’s palm force, which greatly drained his neili. Though he appeared to have the upper hand, inwardly he had suffered. Both men were peerless heroes of their generation, and within several dozen moves it would have been hard to determine a victor. By forcing the advantage in a single move, the National Preceptor had again earned a dull ache in his chest. Fortunately, his opponent only sought to save someone and did not press the attack, so the National Preceptor kept his lips sealed, secretly circulating his neili to clear the stagnant qi⁴ that had congealed in his chest.

Yang Guo, having escaped death, scrambled to his feet and ran to Xiaolongnü’s side. She was also coming over to check on him. In the same breath, they asked, “Are you all right?” Both nodded at once, and both faces broke into smiles. They embraced, hearts overflowing with joy.

Yang Guo then raised the vajra pestle, balanced the golden wheel on top of it, and spun it like a juggler’s plate, producing a clattering sound of his own. “Mongol warriors, listen well!” he shouted. “Your great National Preceptor’s weapon has been taken by me. What talk is there of Alliance Chief of the jianghu under heaven? Hurry up and roll back to your foreign granny’s stinking eggs and rotten duck eggs!”

The Mongol warriors were utterly unconvinced. They had seen clearly that the National Preceptor had already defeated Xiaolongnü in the contest. The other side had produced not only Yang Guo but also Guo Jing. They shouted furiously: “Three against one, have you no shame?” “The National Preceptor threw his own golden wheel, how could a brat like you seize it?” “One against one, fight fairly! No outside help!” “Yes, yes, fight again!” The clamour was deafening, but it was all in Mongolian. Aside from Guo Jing, not one of the Central Plains heroes understood a word.

Among the Central Plains heroes, those who understood reason also felt that in terms of martial arts, the National Preceptor was certainly above Xiaolongnü. But the title of Alliance Chief of the jianghu, under no circumstances could it be allowed to fall to a Mongol National Preceptor. Otherwise, the Central Plains jianghu would lose all face, and the morale of those gathered to resist the Mongols would inevitably be sapped before the fight had even begun. The more hot-blooded young men, seeing the Mongol warriors’ clamour, shouted back with curses, and the two sides began trading insults. Weapons were drawn. A mass brawl seemed imminent.

Yang Guo raised the golden pestle and wheel high and said to the National Preceptor, “Still not admitting defeat? You have lost your weapon. What face do you have left? Has there ever been an Alliance Chief of the jianghu who let someone take his weapon?”

The National Preceptor was in the midst of secretly circulating his neili. He heard Yang Guo’s words clearly but dared not open his mouth to reply. Yang Guo, seeing his condition, had already guessed three parts of it. He hurriedly declared loudly, “Heroes, listen well! I will ask him three times. If he does not answer, that means he admits defeat.” Fearing that if too much time passed, the National Preceptor would complete his energy circulation, he did not delay a moment and demanded in a single breath, “Have you lost? Do you dare even think of being Alliance Chief anymore? Your silence means you admit defeat?” The National Preceptor had just dispersed the stagnant energy, and the dull pain in his chest was gone. He was about to answer when Yang Guo, seeing his lips begin to move, quickly spoke first: “Good! Since you admit defeat, we will not make things difficult for you. All of you, leave in peace.” He raised the golden pestle and wheel high and delivered them to Guo Jing. He had originally intended to give them to his master, but he feared the National Preceptor would fly into a rage and try to seize them, and Xiaolongnü would not be able to fend him off.

The National Preceptor’s face swelled purple with rage. He also dreaded Guo Jing’s formidable martial arts. The golden wheel was now in Guo Jing’s hands, to try to take it back barehanded would be hopeless. He could see that the Central Plains warriors had the advantage of numbers. If it came to a group battle, his side would surely be routed. A wise man does not fight when the odds are against him. The only course was to withdraw for now and plan revenge later. “Central Plains barbarians,” he shouted, “full of tricks, relying on numbers to win, no true heroes! Everyone, follow me.” With a wave of his right hand, the Mongol warriors began filing out of the hall. He bowed to Guo Jing from a distance and said, “Hero Guo, Chief Huang, I have witnessed your esteemed skills today. Green mountains never change, clear waters flow forever, we shall meet again.”

Guo Jing bowed in return. “Great Master, your martial arts are profound. I am deeply impressed. Please, take back your weapons, yours and your disciples’.” He moved to hand over the golden wheel and pestle. Yang Guo shouted, “Golden Wheel National Preceptor, do you have the face to reach out and take them?” Guo Jing had just barked, “Guoer, do not talk nonsense!” when the National Preceptor, his robes billowing, turned and strode out of the hall without a backward glance.

Yang Guo suddenly remembered something. “Hey!” he called. “Your disciple Huo Dou has been poisoned by my hidden weapons. Bring your antidote and trade for mine!” The National Preceptor, confident in his divine arts and deep medical knowledge, believed he could cure any poison. He detested Yang Guo’s cunning and insolence and ignored him completely, walking straight out. Huang Rong saw that Zhu Ziliu had closed his eyes and drifted into sleep. This place has gathered many masters who use poisoned hidden weapons, she thought. Surely someone can treat his wounds. She saw that the National Preceptor was unwilling to exchange antidotes and did not take it too seriously.

By now, Lu Manor, front and back, was roaring with jubilation. Everyone was cheering for Yang Guo and Xiaolongnü’s victory over the Golden Wheel National Preceptor. Crowds of hundreds gathered around the two, buzzing with discussion. Some said Yang Guo had defeated Huo Dou by giving him a taste of his own medicine. Others said Xiaolongnü’s lightness skill was transcendent, that she had actually evaded the golden wheel’s ferocious flying attack. But as for how Yang Guo had used the Soul-Shifting Technique to make Da’erba knock himself unconscious, eight or nine out of ten could not understand it. When people asked, Yang Guo spun wild tales, and the questioners came away half-comprehending. If they pressed further, their confusion only deepened.

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Author’s Note

In the first edition of this novel, the Golden Wheel National Preceptor appeared as the Golden Wheel “Dharma King,”⁵ his identity being that of a Tibetan Lamaist Dharma King. Some readers criticised the author for discriminating against Tibetan Esoteric Buddhism by frequently casting lamas as villains. In truth, the author holds Tibetan Esoteric Buddhism in equal reverence, respecting it no differently than other schools of Buddhism, and absolutely does not discriminate against Tibetan compatriots in Tibet, Qinghai, Sichuan, Gansu, Yunnan, Inner Mongolia, or elsewhere. The author has received empowerment from the Tibetan Buddhist master Ningbuqie,⁶ who bestowed purification, clarity, and evil-warding mantras that the author can recite fluently after thorough study. In the author’s living room hangs a large thangka⁷ tapestry of Padmasambhava⁸ in divine manifestation, brought out of Tibet by Tibetan compatriots. According to historical records, after the mid-Yuan dynasty, Mongol rulers occupied the Central Plains and exploited a minority of Tibetan lamas to oppress the people, committing many licentious acts that violated Buddhist principles and precepts. The portrayal of lamas as antagonists in this story is not intentional discrimination. To avoid misunderstanding, in this third edition the original “Dharma King” has been changed to “Mongol National Preceptor,” though his personal conduct remains roughly based on the “foreign monk” behaviour described in historical records, wholly unrelated to the noble and saintly conduct of other lamas.

Footnotes

1. Flames of ignorance (无明). Wúmíng. Buddhist concept (avidya) referring to the fundamental ignorance that causes suffering and anger. National Preceptor’s rage is described in Buddhist terms, ironically for a monk. ↩

2. “The Dragon Flies in Heaven” (飞龙在天). Fēi Lóng Zài Tiān. Fifth move of the Eighteen Palms of Dragon Subduing, a powerful airborne attack. Name comes from the Book of Changes. ↩

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

4. 气 – qì. Literally breath or vital energy. Fundamental life force flowing through all living things, central to Chinese medicine and martial arts. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

5. Dharma King (法王). Fǎwáng. Title for high-ranking Tibetan Buddhist masters. In earlier editions, the Golden Wheel National Preceptor was called the Golden Wheel Dharma King, implying he was a Tibetan lama. ↩

6. Ningbuqie (宁布切). Níngbùqiè. Tibetan Buddhist master who gave the author empowerment and taught him mantras. ↩

7. Thangka (唐卡). Tángkǎ. Tibetan Buddhist painted or embroidered banner, typically depicting deities, mandalas, or spiritual scenes. Hung in temples and homes for meditation and blessing. ↩

8. Padmasambhava (莲花生上师). Liánhuāshēng Shàngshī. Also known as Guru Rinpoche, the 8th-century Indian Buddhist master who brought Esoteric Buddhism to Tibet. His name means “Lotus-Born.” ↩