The Return of the Condor Heroes Chapter 19 – Part 6

A faint smile suddenly appeared on Qiu Qianchi’s face. “This matter was neither big nor small. The fault was only that my Second Brother was too rigid. Second Brother was the clan chief, and the eight characters ‘Iron Palm Floats on Water Qiu Qianren’ rang out loud and clear across the rivers and lakes. But Eldest Brother Qiu Qianzhang’s name, when spoken, was known to very few. When Eldest Brother travelled the jianghu, for convenience’s sake, he sometimes borrowed Second Brother’s name. They looked exactly alike and were blood brothers, what harm was there in borrowing a name? But Second Brother could not accept this and was always nagging about it, saying Eldest Brother was swaggering about and swindling people. Eldest Brother had a good temper. Whenever Second Brother scolded him, he always smiled apologetically and admitted he was wrong. But once, Second Brother’s scolding was truly vicious and gave Eldest Brother no face at all. I could not bear it and spoke up in Eldest Brother’s defence, taking the matter upon myself. And so, brother and sister had a huge quarrel. In a fit of rage, I left Iron Palm Peak and never went back.

“I wandered the rivers and lakes alone, drifting east and west. Once, while pursuing a bandit, I stumbled upon this Passionless Valley by chance. It must have been karma from a past life. I met Gongsun Zhi, this… this villain… this villain, and the two of us married. I was a few years older than him, and my martial skill was far superior. After we married, not only did I pour out all my martial arts to teach him, but I also took care of every detail of his daily life, his food, his warmth, so that he never had to lift a finger. His family’s martial arts, that Acupoint Sealing technique, the Fishing Net Formation, the Yin-Yang Reversed Dual Blades technique, were clever enough, clever enough, but riddled with flaws. It was all my painstaking effort that patched them up, one by one.¹ Once, when a powerful enemy attacked, if I had not risked my life to drive them off, this Passionless Valley would have been destroyed long ago. Who could have imagined that this butcher, with the heart of a wolf and the lungs of a dog, would repay kindness with enmity? After growing his wings, he never stopped to think where his abilities had come from, never thought about who had saved his life in times of peril.” As she spoke, she broke into a torrent of cursing, the language growing coarser and more vicious by the moment.

Lü’e’s face burned bright red. She felt that for her mother to curse her husband like this in front of Yang Guo was a tremendous loss of dignity. She called “Mama! Mama!” over and over, but there was no stopping her. Yang Guo, however, listened with tremendous enjoyment. Every poisonous curse struck him as deeply satisfying, as if they were kindred spirits. He too hated Gongsun Zhi to the bone. Hearing her curse so freely, he could not resist chiming in with a few additions, adding fuel to the fire, precisely to Qiu Qianchi’s taste. Had it not been for sparing Lü’e’s feelings, he would have joined in the cursing with equal abandon.

Qiu Qianchi cursed until her vocabulary was exhausted. When her store of insults offered nothing new, and even the old ones had been repeated again and again, she was forced to stop. She continued, “That year, I was carrying you in my belly. A pregnant woman’s temper is naturally a little hasty. Yet on the surface, he continued to flatter and attend to me just as before, while secretly carrying on with a lowly servant girl in the valley. After I gave birth to you, he was still sneaking around with that slut, and I knew nothing of it. I even thought that because we had such a lovely, jade-fair daughter, he was treating me better than ever. I was kept in the dark by those two dogs for several years before I accidentally overheard that villain and that slut discussing plans to fly far away, to leave Passionless Valley and never return.

“At the time, I was hiding behind a large tree. I heard that butcher say how much he dreaded my martial skill, that they must go as far away as possible. He said I kept him on too tight a leash, that he had not a shred of freedom, that only with that slut did he feel what it meant to be alive. All along, I had believed he treated me with his whole heart. When I heard those words, I was so furious I nearly fainted. I wanted to rush out and strike them both dead on the spot, one palm each, and that pair of shameless dogs would be finished. But though he was heartless, I still could not forget the bond of husband and wife over all these years. I thought perhaps this wretch had originally been a good man and it was that slut’s sweet talk and seductive wiles that had ensnared him. So I forced down my rage and stayed behind the tree, listening. I heard the two of them making their detailed plans. In two more days, I was to enter the Meditation Chamber for training and would not step out for seven days and seven nights. They would seize that chance to flee. By the time I discovered they were gone, seven days would have passed, and it would be impossible to catch up. As I listened, every hair on my body stood on end. I thought, Heaven has truly taken pity on me, letting me learn of this beforehand. Otherwise, if they were gone for seven days, where would I ever find them again?” At this point, her teeth ground audibly, and her hatred burned fiercely.

Lü’e asked, “What was that young servant girl’s name? Was she very beautiful?”

Qiu Qianchi said, “Pei! Beautiful, my foot! That little slut’s only skill was obedience. Whatever Gongsun Zhi said, she agreed. Her mouth was full of honeyed words, telling that butcher he was the finest man in the world, the greatest hero with the mightiest abilities. And that was how she snared that villain. Hmph, that slut was named Rou’er.² That Gongsun Zhi, whose ancestors for eighteen generations lacked virtue, every stance, every move of his paltry skills, which one did I not understand? And that counts as a great hero? He was not even fit to be my eldest brother’s attendant. If he tried to carry my second brother’s chamber pot, my second brother would kick him flying with one foot.”

Hearing this, Yang Guo could not help but feel a slight twinge of pity for Gongsun Zhi. He thought, It must have been you who controlled every aspect of his life, demanding he obey your every command on matters great and small, while looking down on him all the while. In the end, you drove him to rebel. Lü’e, fearing her mother would launch into another endless tirade, asked hastily, “Mama, what happened next?”

Qiu Qianchi said, “Mm. Those two dogs had agreed to meet again at that same spot at the chen hour on the third day and flee together. In the two days before that, they would be doubly careful not to show the slightest crack, lest I see through their scheme. Then the two of them said many more shameless things. That slut gazed at that butcher with a dazed, enchanted look, as if he were more exalted than the Son of Heaven himself, more powerful and boundless in his magic than any immortal or bodhisattva. That butcher, for his part, swaggered with self-satisfaction, endlessly praising himself. Then they embraced and groped and fondled, those shameless, revolting displays nearly made me drop dead from rage on the spot. On the morning of the third day, I pretended to sit in the Meditation Chamber, cultivating in stillness. Gongsun Zhi came to the window to spy on me several times. The expression on his face, ah, it was joy bubbling up from the very depths of his soul. The moment he left, I immediately deployed my qinggong and hurried to their secret meeting place. That shameless little slut was already there waiting. Without a word, I seized her and hurled her into the passion flower thicket…” Yang Guo and Lü’e both could not help but cry out “Ah!” in shock.

Qiu Qianchi shot them both a sideways glare and continued, “A moment later, Gongsun Zhi arrived. When he saw Rou’er rolling and howling in the passion flower thicket, there is no need to describe his panic. I leaped out from behind the trees, seized both his wrists at the pulse points, and threw him into the passion flower thicket as well. In this valley, passed down through the generations, there was originally an antidote for the Passion Flower’s poison, called the Passion Severing Pill. Gongsun Zhi struggled to his feet, helped that slut up, and they rushed together to the Alchemy Chamber, hoping to use the Passion Severing Pill for a cure. Haha, and what do you think he found there?”

Lü’e said, “Mama… what did he find?” Yang Guo thought, You must have destroyed every last Passion Severing Pill. What else could it possibly be?

Sure enough, Qiu Qianchi said, “Haha, what he found was this: on the table in the Alchemy Chamber sat a large bowl of water. Hundreds of Passion Severing Pills were soaking in the bowl. Beside the bowl was pasted a slip of paper with three characters written on it: ‘Arsenic Solution.’³ If you took the Passion Severing Pill, you could not avoid being poisoned by the arsenic. If you didn’t take it, you would die in the end regardless. The formula for compounding the Passion Severing Pill had originally been a secret passed down from his ancestors, but the many rare and precious ingredients could not be gathered quickly. And besides, preparing a batch of the pills required exposure to three years of spring dew and autumn frost before they were ready. At once, he rushed to the Meditation Chamber and knelt before me on both knees, begging me to spare both their lives. He knew that I, mindful of the bond between husband and wife, could never have brought myself to destroy all the Passion Severing Pills. I must have kept some. He slapped his own face over and over, swearing the most terrible oaths, saying that if only I would spare both their lives, he would immediately drive Rou’er out of the valley and never see her again, and would never dare harbour a disloyal heart from that day forward.

“As I listened to his pleading, every sentence was filled with ‘Rou’er, Rou’er.’ I grew angrier and angrier. I took out a single Passion Severing Pill and placed it on the table. ‘Only one Passion Severing Pill remains,’ I said. ‘It can only save one life. You know yourself, if each of you takes half, it will have no effect. Save her or save yourself. Make your own choice.’ He immediately took the pill and hurried back to the Alchemy Chamber. I followed. By then, that slut was already in such agony she was nearly dead, rolling on the ground. Gongsun Zhi said, ‘Rou’er, go in peace. I will die with you.’ And he drew his longsword. Rou’er, seeing such deep devotion and righteousness in him, was filled with gratitude. Struggling, she said, ‘Good… good. I will be your wife in the underworld.’ Gongsun Zhi drove his sword through her chest and killed her.

“I was watching from outside the Alchemy Chamber window, secretly alarmed. I feared his next stroke would be across his own throat. But when I saw him raise the sword, and I was about to cry out to stop him, I saw him instead wipe the blade on Rou’er’s corpse a few times to clean off the blood, then return it to its scabbard. He turned toward the window and said, ‘Sister Chi, I willingly repent. I have killed this slut with my own hands. Will you forgive me now?’ As he spoke, he raised his hand to his mouth and swallowed that single Passion Severing Pill. This turn of events was far beyond anything I had expected, but to have the matter concluded this way was enough to show the sincerity of his repentance, and I was quite satisfied. Thereupon, he set out a banquet in the chamber and poured wine most attentively, apologising to me. I berated him thoroughly, and he endlessly called himself deserving of death, swearing hundreds of oaths that he would never do such a thing again.”

Yang Guo thought, And that was the moment you fell for it completely! Lü’e’s tears were on the verge of falling. Qiu Qianchi said angrily, “What? Do you pity that slut?” Lü’e shook her head and said nothing. She was truly grieving over her father’s heartless cruelty.

Qiu Qianchi continued, “I drank two cups of wine and gave a faint, cold smile. From my bosom, I drew out another Passion Severing Pill and placed it on the table. Smiling, I said, ‘You were a little too quick with your sword just now. I was only testing your heart. If you had only pleaded with me a few more times, I would have given you both pills and saved that beauty’s life. Wouldn’t that have been wonderful?’”

Lü’e asked hastily, “Mama, if at that moment he had truly pleaded again, would you have given him both pills?”

Qiu Qianchi was silent for a long while. Then she said, “I don’t know either. At the time, I had also thought, why not save that slut and drive her out of the valley? Then Gongsun Zhi would be grateful to me and might, from then on, turn over a new leaf and never dare to misbehave again. But he, to save his own life, could not wait to kill his beloved with his own hands. You cannot blame me for that.

“Gongsun Zhi picked up that pill and studied it for a long time. Raising his cup, he smiled and said, ‘Sister Chi, why speak of things that are past? It was better to kill that girl after all. Clean and tidy. Drink this cup.’ He kept urging me to drink. Having settled a matter that had weighed on my heart, I felt free and joyful and ended up drinking until I was dead drunk. When I awoke, I was already here in this cavern. The tendons in my hands and feet had all been severed by him. That butcher didn’t even have the courage to see my face again. Hmph, by now, he must think my bones have long since turned to ash.”

When she finished this story, a murderous light blazed in her eyes, and her expression was terrifying to behold. Both Yang Guo and Lü’e turned their heads away, not daring to meet her gaze. For a long, long time, none of the three spoke.

Lü’e looked around. In the cavern, there was nothing but broken stones, dead leaves, and scattered weeds everywhere. Mournfully, she said, “Mama, you have lived in this cavern for over ten years, surviving on nothing but jujubes?” Qiu Qianchi said, “Indeed. Do you think that villain carved up by a thousand blades would deliver meals to me every day?” Lü’e embraced her and cried, “Mama!”

Yang Guo said, “Did Gongsun Zhi ever tell you whether this cavern has another way out?” Qiu Qianchi laughed coldly. “I was his wife for so many years. He never once mentioned that beneath the manor there was such a cavern, such a pool. If this cavern had another way out, that villain would never have left me here. Those crocodiles, he most likely raised them later. He was afraid I might escape, after all.”

Yang Guo made a circuit of the cavern and indeed found no passage other than the entrance they had come through. He looked up at the opening that admitted light overhead and saw that it was at least a hundred zhang from the ground. Below the opening, a large jujube tree had grown, but it was only four or five zhang tall. Even if twenty jujube trees were stacked together, they would not reach the top. He pondered for a long time but was truly at a loss. He said, “I’ll climb the tree and take a look.” He leaped into a jujube tree and climbed to its crown. From there, he could see that the rock wall above was rough and uneven, not as smooth as the lower portions. Holding his breath, he sprang onto the rock wall and climbed steadily upward. The higher he climbed, the more his heart secretly rejoiced. He turned and called down to Lü’e, “Miss Gongsun, if I can get out of this cave, I’ll lower a rope and pull you both up.”

He climbed about sixty or seventy zhang, relying on his exceptional qinggong to turn danger into safety at every step. But when he was still seven or eight zhang from the opening, the rock wall became not only exceptionally smooth, offering no more handholds or footholds, but also slanted inward. Unless one were a gecko or a fly, there was no way to cling to that surface without falling. Yang Guo studied the situation around him. The opening overhead was about a zhang in diameter, more than large enough for a person to pass through. An idea already formed in his mind. He slid back down to the cavern floor and said, “We can get out! But we need to twist a long rope.” He drew the dagger and began stripping bark from the jujube trees, twisting and braiding it into rope. Gongsun Lü’e was overjoyed and helped at his side.

Footnotes

1. 阴阳倒乱刃法 – Yīnyáng Dàoluàn Rènfǎ. Gongsun Zhi’s signature technique. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

2. 儿 – ér. Diminutive term of endearment, especially for a child or lover. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

3. 砒霜水 – Arsenic Solution. Arsenic trioxide, known in Chinese as pishuang. Deadly poison that has been used in China for centuries, both as a murder weapon and, in carefully controlled doses, in traditional medicine. By soaking the Passion Severing Pills in arsenic solution, Qiu Qianchi created a cruel dilemma: take the antidote and die from arsenic poisoning, or refuse it and die from the Passion Flower’s poison. ↩