The Return of the Condor Heroes Chapter 20

What Makes a True Hero.

Yang Guo¹ had intended to stay out of this conflict, but seeing Gongsun Zhi²’s savage brutality, a surge of fury rose within him. He was about to step forward and confront the man when Xiaolongnü³ had already rushed over, helped Qiu Qianchi⁴ to her feet, and pressed on the yuzhen acupoint at the back of her head to stop the bleeding.⁵ Then, tearing a strip from her dress to bind the wound, she turned to Gongsun Zhi and shouted, “Master Gongsun, she is your original wife. Why do you treat her this way? If you already have a wife, why did you seek to marry me? Even if I had married you, would you not one day treat me as you have treated her?”

These three questions struck with devastating force. Gongsun Zhi’s mouth opened and closed, but no words came. Ma Guangzuo⁶ could not help but cheer loudly. Xiaoxiangzi said coolly, “This young lady speaks well.”

Gongsun Zhi harboured a true, obsessive love for Xiaolongnü. Though her questions left him speechless, his expression was merely one of embarrassment, he felt no anger. In a low, humble voice, he said, “Sister Liu, how can you compare yourself to that vicious shrew? I fear only that I do not love you enough. If I bear you the slightest ill will, may Heaven strike me down and Earth destroy me.” Xiaolongnü replied coolly, “You have shown me no end of ill will. In all the world, I want only my Yang Lang to love me.⁷ Even if you loved me a hundred times more, it would only increase my loathing.” As she spoke, she walked over and took Yang Guo’s hand.

Yang Guo was overcome with indignation. Gugu⁸ treats me so, and yet I have only days left to live, all because of you, you villainous cur. Pointing at Gongsun Zhi, he shouted, “You say you bear my Gugu no ill will. Hah! You trapped me in a death pit, then deceived her into marrying you, is that goodwill? She was poisoned by the Passion Flower, and you knew there was no cure, yet you never told her, is that goodwill?” Xiaolongnü started in alarm and said in a trembling voice, “Is that true?” Yang Guo said, “It does not matter. You have already taken the antidote.” He gave a faint smile, a smile both sorrowful and joyful, thinking, I gave the antidote to you. I am willing to die for you.

Gongsun Zhi looked at Qiu Qianchi, then at Xiaolongnü and Yang Guo. His gaze swept across the three faces. Jealousy, lust, fury, regret, disappointment, shame, every passion churned within him. Though normally a man of considerable composure, he now seemed on the verge of madness. Suddenly he bent down, drew the Yin-Yang Dual Blades from beneath the red carpet, and clashed them together with a ringing clang. “Fine! Fine!” he cried. “Today, we all perish together!” No one had imagined that beneath the ceremonial wedding carpet, the very symbol of marital union, he had hidden deadly weapons. A collective gasp rose from the assembly.

Xiaolongnü gave a cold laugh. “Guoer, I regret sparing the life of such a wicked man.” With a ringing qianglang, she too drew forth a pair of swords from beneath her bridal red gown, the Gentleman Sword and the Lady Sword.⁹ Though she knew little of worldly affairs, she showed no mercy when dealing with those she truly hated. She had once avenged Granny Sun by cutting a bloody swath through the Quanzhen Daoists of Chongyang Palace, nearly taking the life of Hao Datong, Master of Guangning.¹⁰ Today, Gongsun Zhi had prevented her reunion with Yang Guo. She had already resolved to fight to the death. That was why she had concealed the twin swords beneath her wedding gown, she planned to wait until Gongsun Zhi had healed Yang Guo, then strike at the opportune moment. If she could not prevail, she would take her own life rather than surrender her chastity in Passionless Valley¹¹.

The wedding guests watched in astonishment as the newlywed couple revealed that each had hidden blades beneath their ceremonial robes. Only a few discerning observers, such as the Golden Wheel Imperial Preceptor, had long anticipated that this wedding feast would end in bloodshed.¹² They were, however, greatly puzzled that Qiu Qianchi had collapsed after a single blow, a stark contrast to the profound neili¹³ she had displayed earlier.

Yang Guo took the Gentleman Sword from Xiaolongnü’s hand. “Gugu,” he said, “today we kill this wretch and avenge me.” Xiaolongnü shook the Lady Sword and asked, puzzled, “Avenge you?” Yang Guo secretly felt a pang of sorrow but knew he could not explain. He simply said, “This murderous villain has harmed countless people.” With a flick of the longsword, he thrust directly at Gongsun Zhi’s left flank. He knew this battle would be perilous in the extreme. Though the Passion Flower poison in Xiaolongnü’s body had been neutralised, his own poisoning was deep. If they joined their swords to execute the Pure-hearted Jade Maiden Swordplay, the moment true feeling stirred between them, the agony would be unbearable.¹⁴ And so, keeping his eyes fixed squarely on his opponent, he deployed the Quanzhen Swordplay, stance by stance, form by form, with meticulous discipline.¹⁵ When performed by veteran Daoists like Ma Yu or Qiu Chuji, this sword style was steady and dignified, rich with weight and ancient simplicity. In Yang Guo’s hands, however, it could not help but appear precociously mature, slightly stiff, a young man trying to look old.

Gongsun Zhi knew well the deadly power of their two-sword combination. He opened at once with the Yin-Yang Reversed Blade Technique, black sword in his right hand, golden saber in his left, his moves fierce and relentless beyond compare.¹⁶ Yang Guo’s Quanzhen Swordplay, though originally created by Wang Chongyang, lacked the ferocity of his opponent’s style but excelled in subtlety and nuance.¹⁷ Yang Guo defended without attacking, parrying three of his moves. With a sharp cry, Xiaolongnü thrust the Lady Sword at Gongsun Zhi’s back.

Gongsun Zhi burned with hatred and humiliation. This flower-like girl was to be my bride, and now she joins another to attack me. Then he thought, That venomous crone appeared without warning and exposed the past. My prestige is shattered, my face utterly lost. Not only can I no longer force Sister Liu into marriage, even my dominion over Passionless Valley is at risk. He relied on his superb martial skill. Though faced with a thorny dilemma today, he would still stake everything on force of arms. If he could defeat Yang Guo, he would seize Xiaolongnü and flee far away. He did not know that Xiaolongnü had already taken the Passion Severing Pill antidote. He still believed she had only thirty-six days left to live. But within those thirty-six days, he was determined to make her his wife. The more twisted his thoughts grew, the fiercer and more savage his Reversed Blade Technique became.

Xiaolongnü wielded the Jade Maiden Swordplay, waiting for the moment when her heart and Yang Guo’s would connect, when the full power of the Pure-hearted Swordplay could blossom.¹⁸ But Yang Guo’s gaze never once turned toward her. He merely swung his sword and fought on his own. Xiaolongnü found this very strange and asked, “Guoer, why won’t you look at me?” As tender feeling stirred in her heart, her blade suddenly flared brighter. The sound of her voice struck Yang Guo like a bolt, instantly, a violent pain seized his chest. His sword moves slowed. Shhh, the black sword slashed through his sleeve. Xiaolongnü cried out in alarm and launched three swift thrusts. shua, shua, shua, forcing Gongsun Zhi back. Yang Guo said, “I cannot look at you. I cannot even hear you speak.” In a soft, gentle voice, Xiaolongnü asked, “Why?” Fearing further danger, Yang Guo answered roughly, “If you want me dead, then go ahead and speak to me!” His anger flared, and the pain subsided at once. He took over every move of Gongsun Zhi’s black sword.

Xiaolongnü did not understand the reason, but as his wife, she knew she must obey. Softly, she said, “Don’t be angry. I won’t speak anymore.” Then a thought stirred: Ah, my poison is cured, but he never took the antidote! He obtained the cure, but instead of taking it himself, he gave it to me. Deep gratitude welled up within her, mixed with deep tenderness. With this surge of emotion, the power of the Jade Maiden Pure-hearted Swordplay swelled. Each move she delivered now shielded every vital point on Yang Guo’s body. Normally, when she guarded Yang Guo, he would in turn defend against the enemy’s attacks on her. But since he dared not glance sideways, she was left entirely unguarded, vulnerable to attack from every angle.

Gongsun Zhi’s eyes were razor-sharp. Within a few exchanges, he had spotted the flaw. But he would not harm a single hair on Xiaolongnü’s head. Every slash of his saber and thrust of his sword fell fiercely upon Yang Guo alone. His attacks were like raging waves pounding the shore, while the defence was like a steadfast cliff standing firm. With Xiaolongnü protecting Yang Guo with all her might, even after several dozen moves, Gongsun Zhi could gain no advantage at all.

By now, Lü’e had regained consciousness and stood beside her mother, watching the battle. Seeing how Xiaolongnü shielded Yang Guo with utter disregard for her own safety, she could not help but ask herself: If it were me, in this moment between life and death, could I also forget myself to protect him? She sighed softly. I could certainly treat him as Miss Long does. But he would never, ever treat me the same way.

Just then, Qiu Qianchi cried out in a hoarse voice, “The false saber is no saber! The false sword is no sword!” Yang Guo and Xiaolongnü both started. They could not grasp her meaning. Qiu Qianchi called out again: “The saber is the saber! The sword is the sword!”

Yang Guo had fought Gongsun Zhi twice before and had been pondering deeply the secrets of the Yin-Yang Reversed Blade Technique. He had observed how the man swung the light, airy black sword with hard, chopping saber strokes, while the heavy, serrated golden saber darted and flew like a sword, its movements the exact opposite of orthodox martial principles. If he simply used the saber as a sword and the sword as a saber throughout, that would be one thing. But the maddening part was that in the blink of an eye, everything would flip again, sword techniques manifesting within saber play, saber techniques lurking within sword strikes, endlessly shifting and impossible to predict. Now, hearing Qiu Qianchi’s sixteen words, Yang Guo thought, Could it be that his saber moves within the sword, and his sword moves within the saber, are all illusions? He saw the black sword sweeping horizontally toward his shoulder, clearly a saber technique. He decided to treat it purely as a sword. The Gentleman Sword thrust out. The two blades met with a zheng, and both men took a step back. Now he understood: at its core, the black sword was still a sword. The saber moves were merely a facade, meant to dazzle and deceive. But against a less skilled opponent who responded incorrectly, those saber moves could still inflict real harm.

His first test a success, Yang Guo’s heart surged with joy. He focused his mind on seeking the flaws in his opponent’s sword and saber techniques. His moves are chaotic, ingenious, yes, but their foundation cannot be pure. After several more exchanges, Qiu Qianchi suddenly called out, “Attack his right leg! Attack his right leg!” Yang Guo saw the golden saber flickering, Gongsun Zhi’s lower body seemingly without any opening. But he reasoned: Qiu Qianchi may have lost the use of her limbs, but the martial knowledge stored in her mind had not diminished in the slightest. Gongsun Zhi’s martial arts were her teaching, she must know their every strength and weakness. He followed her instruction, striking at the opponent’s right leg. Gongsun Zhi swept his saber across to block. The right leg was now secure, but in making that horizontal parry, his left shoulder and left flank were simultaneously exposed. Without waiting for Qiu Qianchi’s next instruction, Yang Guo’s sword flashed out and tore through the clothing beneath Gongsun Zhi’s armpit. Cursing, Gongsun Zhi leaped back. He glared at Qiu Qianchi and roared, “You old beggar woman! Do you think I’ll let you live?” He then thrust sword and saber once more at Yang Guo.

Footnotes

1. 杨过 – Yáng Guò. His name meaning “fault or transgression”; his courtesy name Gaizhi means “to correct it”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

2. 公孙止 – Gōngsūn Zhǐ. His name meaning “to cease” or “to stop”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

3. 小龙女 – Xiǎolóngnǚ. Literally little dragon maiden. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

4. 裘千尺 – Qiú Qiānchǐ. Gongsun Zhi’s wife and Qiu Qianren’s younger sister; known as Iron Palm Lotus. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

5. 玉枕穴 – Yùzhěn Xué. “Jade Pillow” acupoint, located at the back of the head. In traditional Chinese medicine and martial arts, applying pressure here can stop bleeding and calm the mind. ↩

6. 马光佐 – Mǎ Guāngzuò. His name meaning “bright assistance”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

7. 杨郎 – Yang Lang. “My Yang” or “Yang my husband.” An intimate form of address used by Xiaolongnü, expressing wifely affection. Suffix lang (郎) is a classical term of endearment for a husband or beloved. ↩

8. Gugu (姑姑) — Literally “paternal aunt,” but used here as a term of respectful address for a young woman of the older generation. Yang Guo uses this to address Xiaolongnü, his shifu. ↩

9. 君子剑 – Jūnzǐ Jiàn. One of a legendary pair of swords. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

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

11. 绝情谷 – Juéqíng Gǔ. Hidden valley ruled by Gongsun Zhi, known for its deadly Passion Flowers and the Passionless Divine Palm technique. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

12. 金轮国师 – Jīnlún Guóshī. Mongol Empire’s national teacher and martial arts adept. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

13. 内力 – nèilì. Literally internal force. Kinetic manifestation of cultivated qi; generates tangible effects such as deflecting weapons or scaling walls. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

14. 玉女素心剑法 – Yùnǚ Sùxīn Jiànfǎ. Paired sword technique of the Ancient Tomb School. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

15. 全真剑法 – Quánzhēn Jiànfǎ. Seven swords with seven forms, totalling forty-nine variations emphasising defence. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

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

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

18. 玉女剑法 – Yùnǚ Jiànfǎ. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩