The Return of the Condor Heroes Chapter 18 – Part 8

The Valley Master saw his chance. Before he had even risen, he had seized the black sword and thrust it forward, pressing the tip against Yang Guo’s chest. Yang Guo, his hands empty of weapons, had no way to parry. The Valley Master’s left hand then scooped up the golden sabre. Xiaolongnü, horrified, rushed to save him, but the Valley Master blocked her with the golden sabre. Without a sword in her hand, she could not draw near. The Valley Master shouted, “Seize this whelp!” Four green-robed disciples answered and stepped forward, casting their net. They wrapped it around Yang Guo, winding it several times to bind him fast.

Gongsun Lü’e was aghast. She cried, “Father!” The twin swords she had been holding dropped from her hands to the floor. With a sharp cha, the Gentleman Sword and the Lady Sword sprang toward each other, joining together and never again separating, for both blades carried an intensely powerful magnetic force. Xiaolongnü said calmly, “Even the swords are like this, how much more so people? Kill the two of us together, and be done with it.”

Gongsun Valley Master gave a cold snort. “Come with me.” He raised a hand in salute toward the Imperial Preceptor and the others. “Excuse me for a moment.” He turned and entered the inner hall. Four disciples dragged the fishing net, hauling Yang Guo, and followed him in. Xiaolongnü followed as well.

Ma Guangzuo shouted, “You yellow-faced, rotten old man, base and shameless! They had clearly spared your life, and you launched a sneak attack! Worse than pigs and dogs!” The Imperial Preceptor, Xiaoxiangzi, and the others all felt that Gongsun Valley Master’s character was low and contemptible, a poor match for his dignified bearing and imposing manner.

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Gongsun Valley Master strode ahead with his head held high, entered a small stone chamber, and applied wound medicine to the sword cut on his abdomen. He said, “Cut several bundles of passion flowers.”

Yang Guo and Xiaolongnü, having already resolved to die, merely smiled at each other. They paid no attention whatsoever to whatever Gongsun Valley Master did or said. Before long, a heart-intoxicating floral fragrance drifted through the stone chamber’s entrance. The two turned to look. Before their eyes spread a riot of colour, delicate reds, tender yellows. Over ten green-robed disciples entered the chamber carrying armful after armful of passion flowers. Their hands and arms were padded with cowhide to prevent injury from the passion flower’s small thorns. Gongsun Valley Master waved his right hand and said coldly, “Pile them all on this whelp.”

In an instant, it was as though Yang Guo’s entire body were being stung by ten thousand wasps simultaneously. Every limb, every bone, the agony was beyond endurance. Seeing the expression of pain on his face, Xiaolongnü felt both pity and fury. She shouted at Gongsun Valley Master, “What are you doing?” She rushed forward to sweep the passion flowers off Yang Guo’s body.

Gongsun Valley Master stretched out his arm and blocked her. “Sister Liu,” he said, “today was originally to be the auspicious day of our wedding. Yet this whelp burst into the valley and turned a joyous occasion into utter chaos. He and I have never met before, there is no enmity between us. And besides, since he is your disciple, so long as he observed the propriety of a guest, I would naturally have treated him with courtesy and respect. But now that matters have come to this…” At this point, he waved his left hand. The disciples withdrew from the stone chamber and closed the door behind them. He continued, “…whether this turns to calamity or blessing rests entirely upon a single thought of yours.”

Under the siege of the passion flowers’ countless thorns, Yang Guo suffered misery beyond words. Yet, unwilling to let Xiaolongnü grieve on his account, he clenched his teeth and uttered not a sound. Not a single word of Gongsun Valley Master’s speech entered his ears. Xiaolongnü gazed at his tormented expression, and a surge of pity rose within her. At that very moment, the passion flower poison in her own finger erupted, bringing another wave of fierce pain. She thought, I was merely pricked slightly by a passion flower, and the pain is already so terrible. His whole body pierced by a thousand needles and ten thousand thorns, how can he possibly endure it?

Gongsun Valley Master guessed her thoughts. “Sister Liu,” he said, “I am wholly sincere in wishing to join with you in a hundred-year bond of blessed matrimony. Toward you, I harbour only a heart full of admiration and devotion, absolutely no ill intent. This, you surely understand.” Xiaolongnü nodded and said mournfully, “You showed me the kindness of saving my life. You have always treated me well, with attentive care and the utmost courtesy…” She lowered her head for a long moment, then let out a long sigh. “Master Gongsun, if you had not encountered me that day in the desolate mountains, if you had not saved my life, if you had let me die silently and unnoticed, it would have been better for all three of us. You are forcing me to marry you, knowing full well that I would be unhappy for the rest of my life. What benefit is that to you?”

Gongsun Valley Master’s brows slowly rose again. In a low voice, he said, “All my life, I have said one is one and two is two. I will not tolerate being bullied or humiliated. Since you agreed to marry me, marry me you shall. As for joy or sorrow, the affairs of this world are inherently hard to predict. Who knows what tomorrow will bring? Let us all walk forward and see.” With a sweep of his sleeve, he said, “This person is wounded all over by passion flowers. With every passing shichen¹, the pain will intensify by one degree. After thirty-six days, he will die in total-body agony. Within twelve shichen, I have a secret, specially prepared wondrous medicine that can heal him. After one day, not even an immortal could save him. Whether he lives or dies, that is for you to say.” So speaking, he walked slowly toward the chamber door, stretched out his hand, and pushed it open. Turning his head, he said, “If you would rather let him slowly suffer to death, that is also up to you. You may stay here and watch him for thirty-six days. I have absolutely no intention of harming you, rest assured of that. If within twelve shichen you change your mind, you need only call out once, and I will bring the antidote to save his life.” He made to step out of the chamber.

Xiaolongnü saw Yang Guo’s whole body trembling. He was biting his lip until it bled. His eyes, originally bright as falling stars, had now grown dim and lustreless. She could imagine the agony his body was enduring. If it was already this unbearable now, and if the pain intensified with every passing shichen, lasting a full thirty-six days, she feared not even the tortures of hell could match such suffering. Gritting her teeth, she said, “Master Gongsun, I agree to marry you, then. Quickly, release him. Fetch the antidote and save him.”

Gongsun Valley Master had been pressing her relentlessly for precisely these words. Now, hearing them spoken, his heart was filled with both joy and bitter jealousy. He knew that from this day forward, this woman would feel only resentment and hatred toward him, never the slightest trace of affection. He nodded. “If you can change your mind, it is better for everyone. Tonight, after you and I have spent our wedding night in the bridal chamber, tomorrow morning I will fetch the medicine and save him.” Xiaolongnü said, “Your words have not counted before. Heal his wounds first.” The Valley Master sighed. “Sister Liu, you think far too little of me. It was only with the greatest difficulty that I made you agree. You are clearly not sincere in your heart. Even if I were the greatest fool, how could I not know that? Could I possibly heal him first?” He turned and left the chamber.

Xiaolongnü and Yang Guo faced each other in shared misery. For a long time, neither spoke. At last, Yang Guo said slowly, “Gugu, Guoer has received your wholehearted love. Even in the Nine Springs below, my heart will be at peace. Strike me dead with one palm.” Xiaolongnü thought, I will kill him first, then immediately take my own life. She raised her hand and silently gathered her neili. Yang Guo’s face showed a faint smile. His gaze was gentle and sweet as he gazed at her. Softly, he said, “This moment, this is the time of our wedding night.”

Xiaolongnü saw his spirit shining so brightly. She thought, A handsome, charming young gentleman like this, why is heaven so cruel, demanding that he die a violent death today? A sour ache rose in her chest. She suddenly felt a sweetness in her throat, as though she would vomit blood again. The strength drained from her arm. Abruptly, she threw herself onto Yang Guo. The thousand needles and ten thousand thorns of the passion flowers pierced into her own body simultaneously. “Guoer,” she said, “let us share this pain together.”

Suddenly, from behind them, came Gongsun Valley Master’s startled cry: “You… you…” Then, coldly: “Why suffer so unnecessarily? Does the pain in your body lessen his pain by even half?” Xiaolongnü gazed at Yang Guo with infinite, deep affection and did not turn around. Gongsun Valley Master said to Yang Guo, “In ten more shichen, I will bring the spirit medicine to save you. During these ten shichen, so long as your heart is pure and free of desire, even if there is pain, it will not be hard to endure.” He took Xiaolongnü by the arm and pulled her out of the chamber. Xiaolongnü’s entire body was weak. She could only let him pull her away.

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Yang Guo suffered in his body, but the grief in his heart was worse: All the pains and torments I have endured before, compared to today, none of them count for anything. This Valley Master is so base and venomous. How can I simply die and let Gugu fall into his hands to suffer torment? And besides, my father’s death remains unavenged. How can I allow that hypocritical, false-righteous Guo Jing² and Huang Rong³ to have committed their evil deeds without facing retribution? At this thought, hot blood surged through him like boiling water. He grew fierce with determination and resolve. I must not die! No matter what, I must not die! Even if Gugu becomes this Valley Master’s wife, I must still rescue her. I must still train bitterly in martial arts to avenge my dead parents. He clenched his teeth, sat cross-legged, and though bound inside the fishing net he could not assume the proper meditative posture, he still sank his qi to his dantian and began to practise his neili cultivation.

After two shichen had passed, it was already past noon. A green-robed disciple entered carrying a tray with four unleavened steamed buns. “The Valley Master celebrates his wedding today,” the disciple said. “He lets you eat your fill as well.” He placed the tray beside the fishing net. His hands were wrapped in thick layers of coarse cloth, for fear of being injured by the passion flowers. Yang Guo reached through the net, took the four buns, and ate them all. He thought, Since I must fight this thieving Valley Master to the bitter end, I cannot abuse my own body. The disciple laughed. “I wouldn’t have guessed you’d have such a good appetite.”

Suddenly, a green shadow flickered at the doorway. Another green-robed disciple slipped inside, crept up behind the first without a sound, raised a fist, and brought it crashing down on the crown of the first disciple’s head. The first disciple, never having seen who had come, was knocked senseless.

Yang Guo saw that the one who had launched the sneak attack was none other than Gongsun Lü’e. Startled, he said, “You… you…” Gongsun Lü’e turned and first closed the chamber door. In a low voice, she said, “Brother Yang, be quiet. I have come to rescue you.” So saying, she untied the knots of the fishing net, moved aside the heaps of passion flowers, and released Yang Guo. Her hands, too, were wrapped in coarse cloth. Yang Guo hesitated. “If your father learns of this…” Gongsun Lü’e said, “I am prepared to suffer severe punishment.” She casually plucked a small cluster of passion flowers and stuffed it into the mouth of the green-robed disciple so that when he awoke, he could not call for help. Then she bound him inside the fishing net and piled passion flowers all over his body. Only then did she say in a low voice, “Brother Yang, if anyone comes in, hide behind the door. You are poisoned throughout your body. I will go to the pill room to fetch the antidote for you.”

Yang Guo was deeply grateful. He knew the extraordinary danger she was courting. He had known her barely a day, yet she was betraying her own father to save him. “Miss,” he said, “I… I…” His heart was so stirred that he could not continue. Lü’e smiled faintly. “Wait just a moment. I will return immediately.” She drifted out of the chamber.

Gongsun Lü’e was eighteen years old, at the very age when the heart first opens to love. The neili cultivation taught in the Passionless Valley was originally designed to teach people to cast aside emotion and sever desire. But wherever there is life, there is emotion. Buddhists call all living beings “sentient”, not only men and women, young and old, but even oxen, horses, pigs, sheep, fish, birds, snakes, and insects all possess emotion. If living beings were truly without emotion, they could not help but go extinct, and would cease to reproduce. What the Passionless Valley cultivated ran contrary to human nature and the nature of living things, it was by no means the proper path. Though there were men in the valley, everyone’s speech was flavourless, everyone’s expression cold. Gongsun Lü’e had, since childhood, received little of the affection between parents and children. Everyone she met took emotionlessness as the highest virtue. All the fine foods, splendid clothes, cosmetics, powders, and precious ornaments of the world, all things that gladdened the heart and pleased the nature, were rejected. Then, suddenly, she had encountered Yang Guo. This person not only praised her beauty lavishly, but his every gesture was spirited and unrestrained, his every word delightful. All at once, she had met with life’s ultimate joy and delight. She could not help but feel her heart and soul melt into intoxication, powerless to resist. Throughout this single day, in her quiet self-reflection, there had not been a moment when her thoughts did not dwell on Yang Guo. A single thread of tender emotion had bound itself fast to this young man, and she could no longer pull free. Though it was one-sided longing, the silkworm spinning its own cocoon, what she was bound by, she would bind herself to unto death, no less than if the love were mutual.

Yang Guo stared blankly into space, lost in thought. Why does she treat me so well? Though my life has been marked by misfortune, bullied and humiliated since childhood, the people in this world who have treated me with true sincerity are not few. Gugu, of course, goes without saying. Then there are Granny Sun, Old Clan Leader Hong, my sworn father Ouyang Feng, Island Master Huang, and people like Cheng Ying, Lu Wushuang⁴, and now this Miss Gongsun Lü’e, every one of them has shown me the utmost sincerity. The eight characters of my birth time must be extraordinarily strange. Otherwise, why would those who treat me well treat me so well, and those who treat me badly treat me so badly? What he failed to realise was that his own life’s encounters were peculiar, the people he met either treated him extremely well or extremely badly, and this was the result of his own extreme, biased nature. Those whose hearts and temperaments matched his own, he treated with utter sincerity. Those whose words displeased him, he regarded as mortal enemies. As he treated others, so others naturally treated him in return.

Footnotes

1. 时辰 – shíchen. Traditional Chinese double hour; one twelfth of a day, equal to two modern hours. ↩

2. 郭靖 – Guō Jìng. His name meaning “tranquillity” or “pacification”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

3. 黄蓉 – Huáng Róng. Her name meaning “lotus” or “hibiscus”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

4. 陆无双 – Lù Wúshuāng. Her name meaning “peerless” or “without equal”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩