The Return of the Condor Heroes Chapter 21

The Bloody Battle of Xiangyang.

Yang Guo¹ had been about to draw his dagger when he heard someone lightly tap three times outside the window. He immediately closed his eyes and lay still.

Guo Jing² woke with a start. Sitting up, he asked, “Ronger? Is there urgent military news?” No sound came from outside. Guo Jing saw that Yang Guo was breathing evenly in deep sleep. He finally fell asleep, he thought. Better not wake him. Quietly, he climbed out of bed, pushed open the door, and found Huang Rong³ standing in the courtyard, beckoning him over. Guo Jing approached and asked in a low voice, “What is it?”

Huang Rong did not answer. She took his hand and led him to the rear courtyard. After glancing around to ensure no one was near, she said, “I heard your conversation with Guoer from outside the window. He bears ill intentions. Did you know?” Guo Jing was startled. “What ill intentions?” Huang Rong said, “From what he said, I could tell he has long suspected that the two of us killed his father.” Guo Jing said, “He may indeed have his suspicions, but I have already promised to tell him the full story of his father’s death.” Huang Rong said, “Do you truly mean to tell him everything, without holding anything back?” Guo Jing said, “His father died so terribly. I have always blamed myself. Brother Yang Kang⁴ strayed down the wrong path, but we never tried hard enough to guide him back, never did everything we could to save him.” Huang Rong gave a cold snort. “A man like that, what was there to save? I only regret not killing him sooner. If I had, how would your masters have died on Peach Blossom Island?”⁵ At the memory of that bitter tragedy, Guo Jing could not help but let out a long sigh.

Huang Rong said, “Brother Zhu told Fu’er to tell me that since Guoer arrived in Xiangyang, his manner has been rather strange. He also said you shared a bed with him. I was worried something might happen, so I have been keeping watch beneath your window. I think it would be best if you did not sleep in the same room with him. You must understand, the human heart is unfathomable. And his father… in the end, it was because he struck my shoulder with his palm that he died from the poison.” Guo Jing said, “But you cannot say you killed him.” Huang Rong said, “Since both of us wanted him dead, and he did die because of me, whether we struck the final blow ourselves makes little difference.” Guo Jing was silent for a long while. Then he said, “You are right. Then I had better not speak plainly to him. Ronger, you have been up half the night. Go back to your room and rest. After tonight, I will move to the military camp to sleep.”

: Yang Kang’s death. In The Legend of the Condor Heroes, Yang Kang struck Huang Rong’s soft armour, which was coated with poison from Ouyang Feng’s snake. The poison entered through his palm and killed him. Huang Rong’s argument here is that since she wore the armour knowing its deadly effect and both she and Guo Jing had resolved to kill Yang Kang, the distinction between direct and indirect responsibility is academic.

He knew his wife’s insight and wisdom surpassed his own a hundredfold. Though he did not believe Yang Guo harboured any malice toward him, if she said so, he would follow her counsel. Placing a hand at her waist to steady her, he walked slowly toward the inner hall, saying, “Guoer fought fiercely to reclaim the position of Wulin Alliance Chief.⁶ On matters of national importance, he distinguishes clearly between right and wrong. Twice he saved you and Fu’er, risking his own life without a thought for his safety. How can his father compare to such chivalrous spirit?” Huang Rong nodded. “A youth like that is truly rare. But there are two knots in his heart that cannot be untied. One is the cause of his father’s death. The other is his private bond with his shifu. Ai. I worked so hard to persuade Miss Long to leave him, but Guoer is endlessly resourceful. Somehow he found her again. Judging by the way shifu and disciple look at each other, nothing in the world could ever part them now.” Guo Jing was silent for a moment. Then he said, “Ronger, you are even more resourceful than Guoer. Think of some way, we must save him from going astray.”

Huang Rong sighed. “Never mind Guoer’s troubles. I do not even know what to do about our own young lady. Jing gege, in my heart there is only you, and in your heart there is only me. But our daughter is nothing like her parents. She holds two young men in her heart at once, and cannot choose between the Wu brothers. What a dilemma for us as parents.”

: The Wu brothers. Wǔ Dūnrú (武敦儒) and Wǔ Xiūwén (武修文), sons of Wu Santong. Both are Guo Jing’s disciples and both are in love with Guo Fu.

Guo Jing escorted Huang Rong to her room. He waited until she was settled in bed, pulled the covers over her, then sat at the bedside, holding her hand, a smile on his face. In recent months, both had been consumed by matters of war and state. Husband and wife rarely had a quiet moment like this to sit together in peace. The two sat in silence, their hearts deeply content.

Huang Rong held her husband’s hand, gently rubbing the back of it against her cheek. In a soft voice, she said, “Jing gege, give our second child a name.” Guo Jing laughed. “You know I am no good at this. You are teasing me again.” Huang Rong said, “You always say you are no good. Jing gege, among all the men under heaven, truly there is not a second who can compare to you.” These words were spoken with deep, sincere tenderness.

Guo Jing bent down and gave his beloved wife a gentle kiss on the cheek. “If it is a boy, we shall call him Guo Polu.⁷ And if it is a girl?” He thought for a while, then shook his head with a smile. “I cannot think of anything. You give her a name.” Huang Rong said, “Daoist Master Qiu Chuji gave you the name ‘Jing’ so that you would never forget the shame of Jingkang.⁸ Now the Jin Kingdom has just fallen, but the iron hooves of the Mongols press upon our borders once more. This child was conceived in Xiangyang, let her be called Guo Xiang, so that one day she will remember she was born in this besieged city, amid the chaos of war.”⁹

Guo Jing said, “Good. I only hope this girl will not be as mischievous as her elder sister, still making her parents worry at such an age.” Huang Rong gave a faint smile. “If worrying could solve it, that would be one thing. But…” She sighed. “I do so hope it is a boy, so the Guo family line may continue.” Guo Jing stroked her hair. “Boy or girl, what difference does it make? Go to sleep now. No more fretting.” He tucked the covers snugly around her, blew out the candle, and returned to his room. Seeing Yang Guo still sleeping soundly, and hearing the third watch drum sound from the watchtower, he climbed into bed and slept.

---

Every word of the couple’s conversation in the rear courtyard. Yang Guo, concealed behind the screen door, had heard it all. After Guo Jing and Huang Rong entered the inner hall, Yang Guo remained standing, lost in thought, turning Huang Rong’s words over and over in his mind: “I only regret not killing him sooner… His father struck my shoulder with his palm and died from the poison… Both of us wanted him dead, and he did die because of me…” He thought, My father died because of those two. That is absolutely certain, there can be no further doubt. This Huang Rong is cunning beyond measure. She is already suspicious of me. If I do not strike tonight, I fear I will never have such a perfect opportunity again. He returned to the room and lay still, waiting for Guo Jing.

Guo Jing pulled the covers over himself. Hearing Yang Guo’s faint snores, he thought, The boy is sleeping so well right now. He laid his head gently on the pillow, careful not to wake him. A moment later, just as he was drifting off, he sensed Yang Guo slowly turn over. But even as he turned, the snoring continued. Guo Jing was puzzled. When anyone turns in their sleep, their snoring always stops. This child’s breathing is strange. Could his neili¹⁰ have gone awry during practice? That would be no small matter. It never occurred to him that Yang Guo was feigning sleep.

Yang Guo slowly turned over again. Seeing that Guo Jing remained unaware and was still emitting faint snores, he slipped out of bed. At first, he had thought to strike from within the bedding. But he felt that being so close was too dangerous, if Guo Jing struck back with a dying palm, he feared for his own life. He then considered sitting up before striking, but still dreaded the man’s martial prowess. He resolved to get out of bed first, drive the dagger into Guo Jing’s vital point, then immediately smash through the window and flee. Yet he also feared that if his snoring stopped, Guo Jing would sense something wrong in his sleep. And so, even as he climbed out of bed, he kept up the pretense of snoring.

This only confused Guo Jing further. He thought, Could this child be suffering from sleepwalking? If I call out now, the shock might cause his qi to rush backward into his dantian, he would suffer a qi deviation on the spot.¹¹ Guo Jing did not dare move a muscle. He listened intently, tracking every sound.

Yang Guo slowly drew the dagger from his robes. Holding it level with his chest in his right hand, he advanced step by step toward the bed. Suddenly, he raised his arm and gathered his strength. Just as he was about to thrust the blade forward, Guo Jing spoke: “Guoer, what nightmare are you having?”

Yang Guo was terrified beyond measure. He kicked off with both feet, spun around, and smashed through the window to escape. He was fast, but Guo Jing was faster. Before his feet touched the ground, he felt both arms tighten. Guo Jing had seized him. All hope drained from Yang Guo. He knew his martial arts were nowhere near a match for this man. Resistance was futile. He closed his eyes and said nothing.

Guo Jing carried him back into the room and placed him on the bed. He folded Yang Guo’s legs into the lotus position and let his hands fall before his dantian, the standard posture for Daoist qi cultivation. Yang Guo burned with hatred and fear. What cruel method will he use to torment me? Suddenly, he thought of Xiaolongnü¹². Drawing a deep breath, he prepared to shout at the top of his lungs: “Gugu¹³, I have been captured! Flee for your life!”

Guo Jing saw him suddenly inhale with rapid urgency and misunderstood even further, he thought Yang Guo’s neili had gone dangerously awry. At a critical moment like this, he must breathe slowly and steadily. Such violent inhaling and exhaling will do great harm. Hastily, Guo Jing pressed his palm against Yang Guo’s lower abdomen.

Footnotes

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

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

5. 桃花岛 – Táohuā Dǎo. Huang Yaoshi’s island stronghold, continued from LOCH era. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

6. 武林 – wǔlín. Literally martial forest. Those who actually practise, teach or study martial arts. Wulin sits inside the jianghu and is narrower than it: every member of the wulin belongs to the jianghu, but a pedlar or physician of the jianghu who never trained is no part of the wulin. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

7. 郭破虏 – Guō Pòlǔ. Literally “Guo Destroys the Invaders.” The name reflects Guo Jing’s lifelong mission to resist foreign invasion. “Polu” echoes his own name “Jing” (靖, to pacify), which referred to the Jingkang Incident. ↩

8. 靖康 – Jingkang. Era name for the period when the Jin Dynasty captured the Song capital Kaifeng and took Emperor Qinzong and Emperor Huizong prisoner (1127). This national humiliation is a recurring theme in the Condor Trilogy. Qiu Chuji named Guo Jing and Yang Kang to remind them of this shame. ↩

9. 郭襄 – Guō Xiāng. Daughter of Guo Jing and Huang Rong. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

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

11. 走火入魔 – zǒuhuǒ rùmó. Dangerous condition in neili cultivation where qi flows incorrectly through the meridians, potentially causing paralysis, insanity, or death. ↩

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

13. 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. ↩