The Return of the Condor Heroes Chapter 21 – Part 7

Just then, the Imperial Preceptor’s golden wheel and Xiaoxiangzi’s funeral staff struck simultaneously. Unable to wrench the golden whip free, Guo Jing bellowed and sent a wave of forceful energy coursing through the whip. Yin Kexi felt as though a massive iron hammer had slammed into his chest. Stars exploded before his eyes. With a wa, he vomited a mouthful of blood. Guo Jing released the golden whip and turned to parry. Yin Kexi knew his injury was not light. He slowly backed away, sat cross-legged on the ground, and circulated his qi through his dantian, fighting to hold back further bleeding. The Imperial Preceptor, Xiaoxiangzi, and Nimo Star, the three of them dared not advance rashly. Each guarded his position with utmost vigilance.

Guo Jing parried each move as it came, studying Xiaoxiangzi’s and Nimo Star’s strange weapons. The funeral staff was clearly forged of refined steel, but aside from its weight and solidity, he could discern nothing unusual about it at a glance. Nimo Star’s snake-shaped weapon, however, was deeply bizarre, it looked exactly like a venomous serpent with a triangular head. The snake’s body flexed and bent as though formed from countless tiny iron balls linked together. Both the head and tail were tipped with razor-sharp spikes. Most dangerous of all was the unpredictability: no one could tell when the snake’s body would curve, or which direction the head and tail would point. The iron snake short whip writhed in Nimo Star’s hands, now leaping and dancing upward, now coiling and rolling, shifting through a hundred transformations, sinuous and alive.

The four had exchanged only a few moves when a series of tiger-like roars rang out. A figure came striding toward them with enormous steps, towering and massive, like a mountain of flesh. It was Ma Guangzuo. He gripped a thick, heavy bronze staff, longer and thicker than any ordinary weapon. Standing behind Nimo Star, he brought the staff crashing down toward the crown of Guo Jing’s head. The four masters were locked in furious combat, each guarding his position without the slightest opening. Guo Jing’s palm winds, the Imperial Preceptor’s golden wheel, Xiaoxiangzi’s funeral staff, Nimo Star’s iron snake, they wove back and forth, forming a web of force. When Ma Guangzuo’s staff smashed down upon them, the combined force net of the four men rebounded it. Though there was no sound, the bronze staff shot back upward with tremendous recoil. Sensing something wrong, Ma Guangzuo bellowed and channelled power through both arms, forcing the staff to halt in midair with sheer brute strength. Even so, the tiger’s mouth of both hands split open, blood streaming freely. He roared, “Sorcery! Sorcery!” He poured on even more force, driving the staff down with even fiercer power.

Yang Guo, watching from the side, understood perfectly. He loved this simple, honest man’s nature and remembered how Ma Guangzuo had protected him several times before. Seeing that this staff strike would surely bring disaster, he shouted, “Ma Guangzuo! Watch the sword!” The Gentleman Sword thrust toward Ma Guangzuo’s back. Ma Guangzuo froze. His bronze staff halted in midair. “Brother Yang,” he said, baffled, “why are you fighting me?” Yang Guo cursed him: “You muddled fool! What are you blundering around here for? Get back, now!” His longsword quivered as he stabbed repeatedly, driving Ma Guangzuo into desperate retreat, stumbling backward. Yang Guo pressed the attack with swift thrusts, forcing him back step by step. Ma Guangzuo had long legs and huge feet, one of his steps equalled two of an ordinary man’s. After retreating more than ten steps, he was already far from Guo Jing and the others. Before his eyes, steel flickered. He could barely defend himself, he had no spare thought to wonder why Yang Guo had suddenly turned ruthless against him.

After Ma Guangzuo had retreated several more steps, Yang Guo withdrew his sword and pointed it at the ground. In a low voice, he said, “Big Brother Ma, I just saved your life. Do you realise that?” Ma Guangzuo said loudly, “What?” Yang Guo whispered, “Keep your voice down. Do not let them hear.” Ma Guangzuo glared. “Why? I am not afraid of this Guo Jing.” These words were still spoken at full volume, for him, this was ordinary speech, but to anyone else, it sounded like shouting. Yang Guo said, “Fine. Then do not speak. Just listen.” Ma Guangzuo, to his credit, was obedient. He nodded. Yang Guo said, “That Guo Jing knows sorcery. The moment he chants a spell, he can take a man’s head. You had better get far away from here.” Ma Guangzuo’s eyes, like bronze bells, widened with half-belief, half-doubt.

Yang Guo genuinely wanted to save this man’s life. He knew that if he said Guo Jing’s martial arts were formidable, Ma Guangzuo would never accept defeat. But if he said Guo Jing knew sorcery, this simple man would probably believe it. He continued, “You swung your staff at his head. It never hit anything, yet it rebounded on its own. Is that not strange? That foreign jewellery seller, his martial arts are formidable. Yet Guo Jing wounded him in a single exchange. How?” Ma Guangzuo now believed seventy to eighty percent. He nodded again, then glanced toward the Imperial Preceptor, Xiaoxiangzi, and the others.

Yang Guo guessed what he was thinking. “That big monk knows how to draw talismans. He gave them to the corpse-demon and the black dwarf. With those talismans on their bodies, they do not fear the sorcery. Did the big monk give you one?” Ma Guangzuo said indignantly, “No, he did not.” Yang Guo said, “Exactly. That thieving bald donkey is no friend, he did not give me one either. Later, we will settle accounts with him.” Ma Guangzuo said loudly, “Right! Then what do we do?” Yang Guo said, “We stay out of it. The farther away, the better.” Ma Guangzuo said, “Brother Yang, you are a good man. Thank goodness you told me.” He put away his bronze staff and watched from a distance as Guo Jing and the other three fought.

Guo Jing was now employing the supreme martial art of the wulin, the Eighteen Palms of Dragon Subduing. The Imperial Preceptor and the other two pressed him tightly, thinking: No matter how profound his neili, palm force this fierce and unrelenting cannot last long. But they did not know that for nearly twenty years, Guo Jing had assiduously trained in the Nine Yin Manual. At first, his true power did not reveal itself. After several dozen moves, however, the force of the Eighteen Palms of Dragon Subduing began to fluctuate, now strong, now soft, now swallowing, now spitting. From the midst of ultimate hardness, the wondrous application of ultimate softness emerged. Using this to counter the weapons of three great masters, not only did he not fall behind in the slightest, but he seized openings to counterattack. The longer he fought, the more freely and effortlessly he moved.

Yang Guo watched from the side, astonished and filled with admiration. He, too, had trained in the Nine Yin Manual in the ancient tomb, but lacking a teacher’s guidance, he had never understood that the manual’s divine wonders could reach such heights. Using the manual’s principles to verify Guo Jing’s palm techniques, he suddenly grasped many profound truths of fist and palm theory. He silently memorised them, training in his mind. For a time, he forgot entirely the blood-deep vengeance he bore, forgot that his purpose was to deliver Guo Jing to his death.

The martial arts of the Golden Wheel Imperial Preceptor and Guo Jing were originally on the same level. Though Guo Jing had encountered many fortuitous opportunities, the Imperial Preceptor was twenty years his senior, which meant twenty additional years of cultivated power. If the two fought one on one, it would take more than a thousand moves to determine victory or defeat. With two first-class masters like Xiaoxiangzi and Nimo Star added to the Preceptor’s side, victory should have been easy. But the Eighteen Palms of Dragon Subduing were simply too overwhelming in power. Moreover, Guo Jing had woven into his palm techniques the formation principles of the Quanzhen Order’s Big Dipper Formation. At the height of battle, his figure wove back and forth, one man seemed to transform into seven. And because he had wounded Yin Kexi at the very start, seizing the initiative and dominating the enemy’s spirit, his three opponents had first sought to protect themselves, not daring to attack with full force. Thus, even with three against one, the fight remained a stalemate.

After several dozen more exchanges, the Imperial Preceptor’s golden wheel gradually began to display its power, and Nimo Star’s iron snake grew steadily more aggressive. Guo Jing felt a secret agitation. If this tangled fight continues, I will eventually be unable to hold out. Guoer and that giant are fighting over there. The giant’s martial arts are mediocre. Guoer should have dealt with him by now. I must join up with Guoer quickly and find a way to escape together. The four men fought with total concentration. Not for an instant could any of them glance aside. Yang Guo and Ma Guangzuo were watching from more than ten zhang away, none of the four combatants could spare them any attention.

Suddenly, a strange shriek rang out. Xiaoxiangzi’s legs went rigid. He sprang several chi into the air and brought his funeral staff crashing down from above. Guo Jing sidestepped to evade. Abruptly, his vision darkened. A puff of black smoke sprayed from the tip of the funeral staff. A faint stench of rot and decay reached his nostrils. His head swam slightly. Not good! he thought. He realised the staff concealed some toxic substance. He immediately retreated. Xiaoxiangzi was astonished to see that Guo Jing, having clearly inhaled the lethal poison from his staff, had not collapsed. He leaped up a second time, swinging the venom-sand staff down from above once more.

Years ago, while training in the desolate mountains of Hunan, Xiaoxiangzi had once seen a toad crouching behind a broken coffin, spraying venomous sand from its mouth to poison a giant python. Taking inspiration from this, he had captured toads, extracted their venom, and refined it into toxic sand, which he concealed inside his funeral staff. A mechanism at the base of the staff allowed him to spray the poison sand with a press of his finger. When he leaped high to release it, the poison sand’s power increased. He had used this venom-sand staff against giant serpents and fierce beasts before, victims collapsed the moment they inhaled it. How could he have known that Guo Jing’s neili was so profound that he could forcibly resist this deadly poison?

The Imperial Preceptor and Nimo Star were right beside Guo Jing. Though they were not the primary targets, inhaling even a small amount made their chests churn with nausea. They hurriedly leaped away. Xiaoxiangzi had long since stuffed antidote into his nostrils. He charged straight through the black mist and swung his staff in pursuit. Guo Jing launched a palm strike. “The Dragon Appears in the Field”, at Xiaoxiangzi’s rigid knee. Xiaoxiangzi pulled back his staff to block. Before he could release more poison, the force of the palm pushed him floating backward five chi.

Guo Jing angled his body aside, but now Nimo Star’s iron snake was thrusting toward him. He struck out with “The Hidden Dragon Does Not Act.” Nimo Star hastily drew the iron snake across his chest, right hand gripping the tail, left hand gripping the head, to block. But the force of Guo Jing’s palm did not concentrate at his palm’s centre. Though his palm faced Nimo Star’s chest, the chest felt no force at all. Nimo Star, realising his block had met empty air, knew disaster was imminent. He felt the palm force already upon his face and abdomen. Fortunately, his short, small stature gave him quick reflexes. He threw himself to the ground and immediately rolled away in a series of compact somersaults, like a giant leather ball.

Seeing an opening, Guo Jing called, “Guoer! Let us go!” He leaped several strides toward open ground. The Golden Wheel Imperial Preceptor, seeing him break free of the encirclement, shot forward in pursuit. Behind Guo Jing, the Mongol soldiers were now only a few zhang away. More than ten long spears were aimed at his back. Guo Jing flexed both arms, knocking the spears aside, then seized two soldiers with his backhand and hurled them at the Imperial Preceptor, shouting, “Catch!” If the Imperial Preceptor reached out to catch them, the delay would let Guo Jing escape even farther. Instead, the Preceptor tilted his left shoulder and slammed into them. The two soldiers flew more than a zhang through the air. The golden wheel came smashing down toward Guo Jing’s back.

Guo Jing knew that if he turned to parry even a single move, the Preceptor would entangle him. After a few exchanges, Nimo Star and Xiaoxiangzi would rejoin the attack, and breaking free would cost enormous effort. He snatched two long spears and thrust them backward. His feet did not pause for an instant. It was as though he had grown eyes in his back, one spear stabbed at the Imperial Preceptor’s right shoulder, the other at his chest. Neither accuracy nor power diminished in the slightest. The Imperial Preceptor inwardly cheered. His golden wheel swept across. Ka-ka, both spears snapped. But when he looked, Guo Jing had already plunged into the Mongol ranks.

Hidden among the soldiers and horses, Guo Jing was as if he had entered a dense forest, far easier to escape than on open ground. In a few bounds, he reached the horse of a company commander. He pulled the man from the saddle, leaped onto the horse, and charged through the troops, now east, now west, until he broke out behind the formation. He spurred the horse to a gallop and let out a long whistle. The Sweat-blood Ferghana Horse, standing in the distance, heard its master’s call and came racing like the wind.

Yang Guo, watching from afar, suddenly saw the Ferghana Horse galloping toward Guo Jing. Not good! he thought. The moment Uncle Guo mounts that horse, even if Khubilai musters every elite soldier under heaven, he will never catch him. In his desperation, he suddenly cried out: “Ow! The pain is killing me!” He swayed and staggered as if about to collapse. Then, in a low voice, he said to Ma Guangzuo, “Do not speak. Get away, quickly! The farther, the better.” He had infused that shout with the force of his dantian. Even amid the chaos of thousands of troops, Guo Jing would surely hear it. Once Guo Jing heard and came to his rescue, if Ma Guangzuo were still standing nearby, a single palm might end his life. Ma Guangzuo was very good at following Yang Guo’s instructions. Though he did not understand the reason, he stretched his long legs and bolted toward the command tent.

Guo Jing heard Yang Guo’s cry and was indeed seized with alarm. Without waiting for the red horse to reach him, he immediately wheeled his mount around and charged back into the formation, racing toward where Yang Guo stood. The Imperial Preceptor’s mind turned, and he understood Yang Guo’s intent at once. He let Guo Jing pass by his side without hindrance, then turned and blocked the path of retreat.

Guo Jing galloped up before Yang Guo and cried urgently, “Guoer! What is wrong?” Yang Guo feigned a swaying stagger. “That giant was no match for me,” he said, “but somehow, when I exerted my true energy, my qi reversed course. The pain in my dantian is like a knife twisting.” This lie was completely seamless. Ma Guangzuo’s martial arts were mediocre. Guo Jing had already seen that much when the man swung his staff. If Yang Guo claimed Ma Guangzuo had wounded him, it would invite suspicion. But saying that his qi had gone awry from exertion, that could not be detected from any outward sign. Moreover, the previous night, Guo Jing had mistakenly believed Yang Guo had suffered a qi deviation during training. For an old injury to flare up now, amid fierce combat, that was perfectly natural. Guo Jing saw Yang Guo’s left hand pressing his lower abdomen, his forehead drenched in sweat. The injury was clearly serious. “Lie across my back,” Guo Jing said urgently. “I will carry you out.” Yang Guo feigned reluctance. “Uncle Guo, go quickly! Your nephew’s life is of no consequence. You are the pillar of Xiangyang. The entire city, soldiers and civilians alike, place their hopes in you.” Guo Jing said, “You came here for my sake. How could I abandon you? Quickly, climb on.”