The Return of the Condor Heroes Chapter 19 – Part 5

Who knows in what year or what month the wind had carried a single jujube down through the hole in the ceiling? It had taken root in the earth of this cavern, sent up a shoot, and grown. It had bloomed, borne fruit, and gradually multiplied, until there were now some fifty or sixty trees, large and small. If that single jujube had not fallen all those years ago, or if it had fallen but failed to grow into a tree, then when Yang Guo and Gongsun Lü’e arrived in this cavern, they would have found only a heap of white bones. Who could have imagined that those bones had once belonged to an extraordinary figure of the jianghu? And Lü’e, of course, would never have known they were her own birth mother.

Qiu Qianchi picked up a jujube pit from the ground, placed it in her mouth, tilted her head back, and expelled a breath. The pit shot several zhang into the air and struck a branch dead on. The branch shook violently, and jujubes rained down by the dozens.

Yang Guo nodded to himself, thinking, So it was because the tendons in her hands and feet were severed that she was forced to develop this extraordinary skill of spitting jujube pits. Truly, Heaven never bars all paths. How true that is. At this thought, his spirits lifted.

Lü’e gathered the jujubes and shared them with her mother and Yang Guo, eating a few herself. In this subterranean cavern, she served her guest and attended to her mother with graceful, orderly manners, every inch the image of a young mistress of the house.

Qiu Qianchi had suffered the most extreme tragedy a person can endure, and the resentment and hatred accumulated in her heart for over a decade would have turned even the gentlest, most agreeable person into someone utterly unreasonable, let alone one whose nature was already irascible. But the bond between mother and daughter is, after all, a matter of nature. Seeing the daughter she had longed for day and night grown into such a radiant, graceful, and well-mannered young woman, her tender, loving feelings gradually gained the upper hand. She asked, “What terrible things did Gongsun Zhi say about me?”

Lü’e said, “Father never spoke of Mama at all. When I was little, I once asked him whether I looked like Mama. I also asked what illness Mama had died of. Father suddenly flew into a great rage and scolded me fiercely, ordering me never to mention it again. A few years later, I asked once more, and again he sternly rebuked me.” Qiu Qianchi said, “Then what did you think?” Tears rolled in Lü’e’s eyes. “I always thought that Mama must have been both beautiful and gentle, and that Father loved you so deeply that whenever anyone mentioned you after you were gone, he was overcome with grief. So later, I never dared ask again.”

Qiu Qianchi laughed coldly. “Now you must be terribly disappointed. Your mother is neither beautiful nor gentle, but a fierce, venomous, ugly old crone. If I’d known, I imagine you would rather have never met me at all.” Lü’e threw her arms around her mother’s neck and said softly, “Mama, you are exactly as I always imagined you.” She turned to Yang Guo. “Brother Yang, my mother is beautiful, isn’t she? She treats me well, and she treats you well too, doesn’t she?” These two questions were spoken with the utmost sincerity. In her heart, she truly believed her mother was the finest woman in the world.

Yang Guo thought, Perhaps she was beautiful in her youth, but now, what ‘beautiful’ is there to speak of? She may treat you well enough, but toward me, I doubt she harbours any good intentions. But since Lü’e had asked, he had no choice but to answer, “Yes, you are right.” However, the tone of his words was far less sincere than Lü’e’s, and Qiu Qianchi caught it at once. She thought, Heaven has pitied me and let me meet my daughter again. Today, her heart is filled with a child’s devotion, but who can guarantee it will always be so? I must tell her the full story of my unjust suffering, clearly and completely. So she said, “E’er, you asked why I am trapped here, and why Gongsun Zhi said I was dead. Sit down properly, and I will tell you everything slowly.”

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Qiu Qianchi began slowly, “Gongsun Zhi’s ancestors served as officials during the Tang Dynasty. Later, to escape the An-Shi Rebellion, the entire clan moved to this secluded valley.¹ His ancestors were military officers, and he learned their family martial arts. It could certainly be said that he surpassed his predecessors, but the truly superior martial skills, those were taught by me.” Yang Guo and Lü’e both let out an “Ah!” of surprise, neither having expected this.

Qiu Qianchi said proudly, “You are both young. Naturally, you do not understand the reasons behind this. Hmph, the chief of the Iron Palm Clan, ‘Iron Palm Floats on Water’ Qiu Qianren, he is my own elder brother.² Yang Guo, tell E’er something about the Iron Palm Clan.”

Yang Guo started. “Iron Palm Clan? This disciple is ignorant and ill-informed. I truly do not know what the Iron Palm Clan is.”

Qiu Qianchi burst out cursing. “You little brat, lying to my face! The Iron Palm Clan’s mighty name shook the lands north and south of the Great River. It was one of the two great clans of the jianghu, alongside the Beggar’s Sect. How could you not know?” Yang Guo said, “The Beggar’s Sect, this junior has heard of that. But the Iron Palm Clan…” Qiu Qianchi grew frantic and cursed, “Heh heh, and you call yourself a student of the martial arts, not even knowing the Iron Palm Clan…” Lü’e, seeing her mother’s face turn red with fury, interjected to placate her. “Mama, Brother Yang is not yet twenty. He grew up training in the deep mountains with his shifu. It is hardly surprising that he does not know much about the affairs of the jianghu.” Qiu Qianchi ignored her and continued muttering angrily to herself.

Twenty years ago, the Iron Palm Clan had indeed been tremendously powerful and influential in the rivers and lakes. But during the second Mount Hua Tournament, the clan chief, Iron Palm Floats on Water Qiu Qianren, had taken refuge in the Buddha’s teachings and become a disciple of the Great Master Yideng.³ The Iron Palm Clan had immediately scattered like clouds before the wind. When the clan disbanded, Yang Guo had just been born, and no one had ever mentioned it to him afterward, naturally, he knew nothing of it. In truth, his own mother, Mu Nianci, had lost her virtue to his father, Yang Kang⁴, right there on Iron Palm Peak, the clan’s headquarters, and it was from that encounter that she had conceived him and brought him into this world. Now, when Qiu Qianchi spoke of it, Yang Guo could only stare blankly, not knowing what to say. Qiu Qianchi had been secluded in Passionless Valley for over twenty years and had heard nothing of the changes in the jianghu. She assumed that the Iron Palm Clan, having dominated for centuries, must now be even more prosperous than ever. All her life, she had taken the greatest pride in her second brother, Qiu Qianren, the clan chief. Hearing that Yang Guo did not even know the three words “Iron Palm Clan,” she could not help but rage and storm.

Yang Guo endured her senseless tirade at first, but when her cursing grew increasingly outrageous, his anger began to rise. He was about to snap back at her with a few sharp words. He lifted his head, ready to speak, but then he saw Lü’e gazing at him, her eyes brimming with tender affection, her face full of apology. Yang Guo’s heart softened. He made a helpless expression at her, and instead, an unexpected contentment stole over him. He thought to himself, The more fiercely your mother scolds, the kinder you will be to me. An old woman’s nagging is wind past the ear, but a beauty’s tenderness is a matter of the heart. His mind at ease, his wits grew unusually sharp. Suddenly, he remembered: Wanyan Ping’s martial arts seemed to belong to the same school as Gongsun Zhi’s. And she said she had learned the Iron Palm techniques. There must be a connection to the Iron Palm Clan.⁵ He closed his eyes and recalled. He could still remember about seventy or eighty percent of the fist techniques and sabre moves Wanyan Ping had used in her duel with Yelü Qi. As for Gongsun Zhi, he had fought him in several bouts only a few shichen ago and remembered his stances and movements even more clearly. He cried out, “Ah-yo, I remember now!” Qiu Qianchi said, “What?”

Yang Guo said, “Three years ago, I saw an extraordinary martial figure fight against eighteen heroes of the rivers and lakes. He faced eighteen opponents barehanded, alone. In the end, nine of his opponents were gravely wounded, and nine were beaten to death. I heard that this extraordinary figure belonged to the Iron Palm Clan.” Qiu Qianchi asked urgently, “What did this man look like?” Yang Guo spun a tale on the spot: “He was bald, about sixty years old, with a ruddy, glowing face. He was tall and imposing, wore a green gown, and his surname was Qiu…” Qiu Qianchi suddenly barked, “Nonsense! Both my brothers were not bald, were short in stature, and never wore green clothes. You see that I am tall and bald, so you say my brothers were bald too?”

Yang Guo thought to himself, Disaster! But his expression did not change. He laughed and said, “Don’t be so hasty. I never said that man was your brother. Does every person in the world named Qiu have to be your brother?” Yang Guo had a glib tongue, and Qiu Qianchi found herself with no retort. She asked, “Then tell me, what was his martial skill like?”

Yang Guo stood up and performed several sequences of Wanyan Ping’s fist techniques, then blended in stances and palm movements from Gongsun Zhi. The more he performed, the more fluid he became. In the cavern, palm shadows drifted and fist winds roared. Though the moves were somewhat approximate, appearing right but not quite right, they were already far superior to Wanyan Ping’s original techniques. Wherever Wanyan Ping’s fist techniques had gaps and weaknesses, his body followed his intent, filling in every deficiency. His every movement, raising a hand, lifting a foot, was tight and seamless, and with each palm he chopped out, he deliberately added an extra measure of ferocity.

Qiu Qianchi watched with great delight and called out, “E’er, E’er, this is exactly our Iron Palm Clan’s skill. Watch carefully.” As Yang Guo performed, Qiu Qianchi pointed and explained, annotating the various lethal points in the fist and foot techniques. Yang Guo laughed inwardly and thought, If I keep performing, I’ll give myself away. So he stopped and said, “At that point, that extraordinary martial figure had already won a great victory and did not continue fighting.” Qiu Qianchi was extremely pleased. “You misremembered many of the moves, and your technique was off,” she said, “but to perform them to this level is already quite remarkable. In the future, I will teach you properly. What was that extraordinary figure’s name? What did he say to you?” Yang Guo said, “This extraordinary man was like a divine dragon, you see the head but not the tail. After his great victory, he drifted away into the distance. I only heard the nine wounded men lying on the ground complaining to each other, saying, ‘How dare anyone offend Old Master Qiu of the Iron Palm Clan? Wasn’t that just courting death?’”

Qiu Qianchi said delightedly, “That’s right. This man surnamed Qiu was most likely a disciple of my brother’s.” By nature, she was obsessed with the martial arts. Having been unable to stretch her hands and feet for over a decade, now, seeing Yang Guo perform her own school’s techniques, she was like a hunter catching sight of her prey, her delight was irrepressible. At once, she launched into an unstoppable lecture to the two of them on the palm techniques and qinggong of the Iron Palm School.

Yang Guo was desperate to get out of the cave and deliver the Passion Severing Pill to Xiaolongnü. Although what she was teaching was high-level martial theory, and her insights were incisive and highly beneficial to hear, whenever he thought of Xiaolongnü enduring such suffering, how could he possibly have the heart to discuss martial arts? He immediately shot Lü’e a meaningful glance. Lü’e understood and asked, “Mama, how did you come to pass on your martial arts to Father?” Qiu Qianchi said angrily, “Call him Gongsun Zhi! What ‘Father’ this and ‘Father’ that?” Lü’e said, “Yes. Mama, please continue.”

Qiu Qianchi said bitterly, “Hmph!” Only after a long pause did she continue. “It was more than twenty years ago. My two brothers had a falling out and quarrelled…” Lü’e interrupted, “I have two uncles?” Qiu Qianchi said, “You didn’t know?” Her voice turned extremely stern, heavy with reproach. Lü’e thought, How could I possibly have known? She answered, “No, no one ever told me.”

Qiu Qianchi let out a long sigh. “You… you truly know nothing at all. Pitiful! Pitiful!” After a pause, she continued, “Your two uncles were twin brothers. Eldest Uncle was Qiu Qianzhang⁶, and Second Uncle was Qiu Qianren.⁷ Their builds and faces, their speaking voices, all were exactly alike. But their fortunes and their temperaments were vastly different. Second Brother’s martial skill was extremely high, while Eldest Brother’s was merely ordinary. My martial skill was personally taught by Second Brother, but Eldest Brother was much closer to me. Second Brother was the chief of the Iron Palm Clan. His clan duties were numerous, and his own training was demanding, so he rarely saw me. When he taught me martial arts, he was strict and severe and never spoke more than a few words. But Eldest Brother was always ‘little sister’ this and ‘little sister’ that, our sibling bond was very deep. Later, when Eldest Brother and Second Brother fell out and quarrelled, I sided a little with Eldest Brother.” Lü’e asked, “Mama, what did my two uncles quarrel about?”

Footnotes

1. 安史之乱 – An-Shi Rebellion. Devastating rebellion against the Tang Dynasty led by the general An Lushan and later Shi Siming, lasting from 755 to 763 CE. It marked a turning point in Tang history, after which the dynasty never fully recovered. Many noble families fled the capital region for remote areas, explaining how the Gongsun clan came to settle in Passionless Valley. ↩

2. 铁掌水上飘 – Tiězhǎng Shuǐshàng Piāo. Qiu Qianren’s famous sobriquet. ↩

3. 一灯大师 – Yīdēng Dàshī. Literally one-lamp master; a Buddhist honorific title. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

4. 杨康 – Yáng Kāng. His name meaning “health” or “peace”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

5. 完颜萍 – Wányán Píng. Her name meaning “duckweed”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

6. 裘千丈 – Qiú Qiānzhàng. Qiu Qianren’s elder twin brother. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

7. 邱千仞 – Qiū Qiānrèn. Chief of the Iron Palm Clan, known as Iron Palm Floats on Water. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩