The Return of the Condor Heroes Chapter 22 – Part 3

“Uncle Guo…” Yang Guo began. Xiaolongnü shot him a sidelong look full of reproach. Yang Guo knew she blamed him for risking his life to save Guo Jing, and he stopped short. Huang Rong grew suspicious. “Miss Long,” she went on, “Guoer isn’t fully healed either. We can only rely on you and Big Brother Zhu Ziliu to hold off the enemy.” Xiaolongnü had never known how to pretend. Whatever came into her head, she said. “I’ll protect Guoer and no one else,” she said flatly. “Whether anyone else lives or dies is nothing to do with me.”

Huang Rong was more puzzled than ever, but it was not the moment to say more. She turned to Yang Guo. “Your Uncle Guo says we owe everything this time to you.” Yang Guo remembered that he had once set his heart on harming Guo Jing, and he was ashamed. “I was no use,” he said. “It’s my fault Uncle Guo is so badly hurt.” “Get some proper rest,” said Huang Rong. “When the enemy attacks, if we can’t beat them by strength, we’ll beat them by wits.” She turned to Xiaolongnü. “Miss Long, come with me. I want a word with you.”

Xiaolongnü hesitated. “He…” Ever since Yang Guo had come back into Xiangyang she had not stirred an inch from his bedside, and now that Huang Rong was calling her out, she was afraid he might come to harm again. “The enemy has said they’ll attack tomorrow,” said Huang Rong, “so tonight will certainly be quiet. And what I have to say concerns Guoer.” Xiaolongnü nodded, told Yang Guo in a low voice to keep on his guard, and only then followed Huang Rong out of the room.

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Huang Rong took her to her own bedchamber and shut the door. “Miss Long,” she said, “you want to kill my husband and me. Isn’t that so?”

Xiaolongnü was pure and guileless by nature, but she was no fool. She had made up her mind to kill Guo Jing and his wife to save Yang Guo’s life, and had Huang Rong tried to talk the truth out of her by roundabout questions, she would never have let it slip. But Huang Rong had taken her measure exactly and came straight out with it. Xiaolongnü started. “I… I…” she stammered. “You’ve been so good to me. Why… why would I want to kill you?” Seeing her blush and squirm, Huang Rong was all the more certain. “You needn’t hide it from me. I’ve known for a long time. Guoer says my husband and I caused his father’s death, and he means to kill us both to avenge him. You love Guoer, so you want to help him do it.”

Huang Rong had hit the mark, and Xiaolongnü could not lie her way out. Besides, she reasoned, Yang Guo had already let something slip. For a long while she said nothing. Then she sighed. “It’s just that I don’t understand.” “Don’t understand what?” said Huang Rong. “Why did Guoer risk his life today to save Elder Master Guo and bring him back?” said Xiaolongnü. “He’d agreed with State Preceptor Jinlun and the others that they would all strike together and kill Elder Master Guo.”

Huang Rong was aghast. She had guessed that Yang Guo meant them harm, but she had never dreamed he would go so far as to plot with the Mongols. Without letting it show, she spoke as though she had known everything all along. “I suppose he saw how much love and loyalty Elder Master Guo had shown him, and when the moment came he couldn’t bring himself to do it.”

Xiaolongnü nodded. “There’s nothing more to be said now,” she said sadly. “If he would rather throw his life away, I can only let him. I always knew he was the best man in all the world. He would sooner die himself than hurt his enemy.”

In a flash several thoughts went through Huang Rong’s mind, but she could not work out what Xiaolongnü meant by those words. Seeing how wretched she looked, she said soothingly, “There’s more to the matter of Guoer’s father than he knows. We’ll explain it to him properly in time. His wounds aren’t serious. A few days’ rest and he’ll be well. You mustn’t grieve.”

Xiaolongnü stared at her blankly for a while. Then all at once two strings of tears rolled down her cheeks like pearls from a broken thread. “He… he has only seven days to live,” she choked. “How… how can you talk of a few days’ rest?”

Huang Rong started. “What seven days?” she asked quickly. “Tell me, quickly. There must be some way to save him.”

Xiaolongnü slowly shook her head, and at last she told her what had happened in Passionless Valley:¹ how Yang Guo had been poisoned by the Passion Flower; how Qiu Qianchi² had given him only half a Passionless Pill,³ and would give him the other half only if he killed Guo Jing and his wife within eighteen days and came back to report it; how agonising the Passion Flower’s poison was when it flared up; and how nothing in the world but that half Passionless Pill could save his life.

Huang Rong listened in mounting astonishment. She had never dreamed that Qiu Qianzhang⁴ and his brother had a younger sister, Qiu Qianchi, still less that she would bring about such a calamity. When she had told the whole story, Xiaolongnü said, “He has only seven days left. Even if he killed you both tonight, he might never get back to Passionless Valley in time. So why would I want to harm you now? All I want is to save Guoer. As for his father’s revenge and the rest of it, I don’t give it a thought.”

At first Huang Rong had taken it that Yang Guo was nursing his evil design purely to avenge his father, never guessing at all these twists behind it. Seen this way, by defending Guo Jing he was as good as killing himself, and such a selfless, humane and chivalrous heart was rare indeed. She rose slowly and paced up and down the room. Peerless as her wits were, in this plight she could find no good way out. In a few more shichen⁵ the enemy’s masters would fall on them in force. She had comforted Yang Guo by saying, “If we can’t beat them by strength, we’ll beat them by wits.” But what wits? What wits?

Xiaolongnü loved Yang Guo and Yang Guo alone, with all her heart and soul. Huang Rong’s heart was split in two, half given to her husband and half to her daughter, and all she could think was, How can I keep Jing gege and Fuer safe? Then her thoughts turned sharply, If Guoer can give his life for others, why can’t I? She turned round, her mind made up. “Miss Long, I have a plan that will save Guoer’s life. Will you go along with it?”

Xiaolongnü was so overjoyed that she trembled from head to foot. “I… I… even if it means my death… Ah, what is death? Even if it were ten times harder than death… I… I would…” “Good,” said Huang Rong. “Only you and I may know of this. You must never let it out, not even to Guoer, or it won’t work.” Xiaolongnü said yes, again and again. “Tomorrow,” said Huang Rong, “you and Guoer will join forces to protect Elder Master Guo. When the danger is past, I’ll give you my head, and Guoer can ride the Sweat-Blood Horse and hurry off to trade it for the Passionless Pill.”

Xiaolongnü started. “What did you say?” she asked in wonder. “You love Guoer more than your own life, don’t you?” said Huang Rong gently. “So long as he’s safe and well, you’d die happy yourself. Isn’t that so?” Xiaolongnü nodded. “Yes. How did you know?” Huang Rong gave a faint smile. “Because I love my husband just as you love him. You have no child, so you don’t know that a mother loves her children no less than a wife loves her husband. All I ask is that you keep my husband and my daughter safe. What else should I care about?” Xiaolongnü pondered and made no reply.

“Without you and Guoer fighting side by side,” Huang Rong went on, “there’s no beating off State Preceptor Jinlun. Guoer has risked his life for my husband and me more than once. Can’t I save him even once? The Sweat-Blood Horse covers a thousand li⁶ a day. In less than three days he can reach Passionless Valley. And I tell you this: Qiu Qianzhang and Guoer’s father were both hurt by me and me alone. Elder Master Guo had nothing whatever to do with it. When Qiu Qianchi sees my head, even if she isn’t satisfied, she’ll have no choice but to give Guoer the antidote. After that, if the two of you can serve the country and defend the people against the enemy, so much the better. If not, go and live hidden from the world in some deep mountain valley, and I’ll be just as grateful.”

She had spelled it all out, and beyond this there truly was no other road. Xiaolongnü had spent these last days thinking of nothing but how to kill Guo Jing and Huang Rong to save Yang Guo’s life. Yet now, hearing Huang Rong say it with her own lips, she felt more ashamed than she could bear, and she could only keep shaking her head. “No, that won’t do, that won’t do!”

Huang Rong was about to explain further when she heard Guo Fu⁷ calling outside the door, “Mama, Mama, where are you?” Her voice was frantic. Huang Rong started. “Fuer, what is it?” Guo Fu pushed the door open and came in. Without a glance at Xiaolongnü standing there, she threw herself into her mother’s arms. “Mama, Big Wu gege and Little Wu gege…” she cried, and burst out wailing. Huang Rong frowned. “What is it now?” “They… the two of them have gone outside the city to fight,” Guo Fu sobbed.

Huang Rong flared up. “Fight?” she said sharply. “The two brothers are fighting each other?” Guo Fu had seldom seen her mother so angry, and she was frightened. “Yes,” she said, trembling. “I told them not to fight, but they wouldn’t listen to anything. They said… they said they’d fight it out to the death. They… they said only one would come back, and the loser, even if he didn’t die, would never come back to see… to see me.”

The more Huang Rong heard, the angrier she grew. A great enemy is upon us, she thought, the life of everyone in this city hangs on a single breath, and these two brothers are killing each other over a girl. Her anger stirred the child in her womb, and at once the pain brought the sweat out on her brow. “You must have been stirring things up between them,” she said, her voice low. “Tell me everything, every detail, and don’t you hide a thing.” Guo Fu glanced at Xiaolongnü, a faint flush rising in her cheeks. “Mama!”

Xiaolongnü’s mind was on Yang Guo. She had no wish to hear about the two Wus’ quarrel, so she turned and went out to sit with him again, turning Huang Rong’s words over in silence all the way.

As soon as Xiaolongnü had left the room, Guo Fu said, “Mama, they went to the Mongol camp to assassinate Kublai and got caught, and that’s how Father came to be so badly hurt. It’s all my fault. If I didn’t tell you about it this time, all the love you and Father have given me would be wasted, wouldn’t it?” And she told her how the Wu brothers had both been courting her at once, and how she had told them to go and win merit by killing the enemy, to settle which of them she would choose. Huang Rong was boiling with vexation but could not vent it. She could only give her daughter a furious glare.

“Mama, what was I to do?” said Guo Fu. “They each have their good points. How could I say I like one better? I told them to kill the enemy and win merit. Isn’t that just what you and Father want? Whose fault is it they were so useless and got caught the moment they went over?” Huang Rong spat. “You know very well the two Wus’ martial skill isn’t strong.” “Then what about Yang Guo?” said Guo Fu. “He’s not so many years older than them. How is it he can fight the State Preceptor and storm the enemy camp and never get caught?”

Huang Rong knew she had spoiled her daughter from a child, and that even when Guo Fu knew she was in the wrong she would argue black was white. So she let the past alone. “They were let go and came back, and that’s that. Why go off outside the city to fight?” “Mama, it’s your fault,” said Guo Fu. “It’s because you said they were useless disciples.” Huang Rong was taken aback. “When did I ever say that?”

“I heard Big Wu gege and Little Wu gege talking,” said Guo Fu. “When Huodu came with the challenge just now, you told them to seize him, and he sealed their acupoints instead, so you blamed them for being useless.” Huang Rong sighed. “When your skill is less than the other man’s, what can you do? ‘What useless disciples’ was Huodu’s line.” “That’s just it,” said Guo Fu. “You didn’t argue with Huodu, so you were agreeing with him. The two of them were furious about it. They talked and talked, and then they started quarrelling with each other. One blamed his elder brother for being too slow when they went to seize Huodu, and the other said his younger brother had got in front of him and in his way. The quarrel got worse and worse until they drew their jians and went for each other. I said, ‘If you fight here inside Xiangyang and people see you, what will they think? And Father is wounded. If you make him angry, I’ll never look at either of you again as long as I live.’ So they said, ‘All right, we’ll go and fight outside the city.’”

Huang Rong thought for a moment. “I have a thousand things on my hands,” she said bitterly. “I can’t sort these out as well. If they want to make trouble, let them.” Guo Fu put her arms round her neck. “Mama, what if one of them gets hurt?” “If they’d been hurt fighting the enemy, we’d have cause to worry,” said Huang Rong angrily. “They’re brothers of the same blood, fighting each other. If they die, it serves them right.” Guo Fu saw how stern her mother’s face was, so unlike the indulgent mother she knew, and dared say no more. She covered her face and ran out.

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Dawn was breaking now, and the window had begun to pale. Huang Rong sat alone in the room. Angry as she was with the Wu brothers, she had raised them from small boys and could not help worrying about them. When she thought of the great trial to come, the tears fell before she could stop them. Then, remembering Guo Jing’s wounds, she went to his room to see how he was.

Guo Jing was sitting cross-legged on the bed, quietly circulating his neili. His face was pale, but his breathing was even and steady, and she knew that a few days’ rest would see him whole again. The sight carried her back to their youth, when the two of them had healed their wounds together in the secret chamber at Niu Family Village⁸ near Lin’an.

Guo Jing slowly opened his eyes. He saw tear stains on his wife’s face and a little smile at the corners of her mouth. “Ronger, you know my wounds are nothing serious. Why worry? It’s you who must rest properly.” Huang Rong smiled. “Yes, yes. The baby has been kicking hard these few days. Your Guo Polu⁹ or Guo Xiang¹⁰ is about to meet Papa.” Not wanting to worry him, she said not a word about Huodu’s challenge or the Wu brothers going out of the city. “Tell the two Wus to tighten the watch on the walls,” said Guo Jing. “The enemy know I’m wounded. I’m afraid they’ll take the chance to attack.” Huang Rong nodded. “And how are Guoer’s wounds?” asked Guo Jing.

Before Huang Rong could answer, footsteps sounded outside the room and Yang Guo’s voice took up the question. “Uncle Guo, mine are only flesh wounds. After Auntie Guo’s Nine Flower Jade Dew Pills I don’t give them a thought.” He pushed open the door and came in. “I’ve been round the walls. The men are all spoiling for a fight. Only the Wu brothers…” Huang Rong coughed and gave him a look. Yang Guo understood at once. “The Wu brothers say that since you were badly hurt for their sake, when the enemy attacks again they’ll fight to the death to repay your kindness.” Guo Jing sighed. “After this, those two should be a little wiser and stop thinking the affairs of the world are so easy.” “Auntie Guo,” said Yang Guo, “isn’t Aunt with you?” “We talked for a while,” said Huang Rong. “I expect she’s gone back to sleep. She hasn’t closed her eyes since you were wounded.”

Yang Guo grunted. After her talk with Huang Rong, he thought, she must have come to tell him about it, only to find him away inspecting the walls. When he first came to Xiangyang, his whole mind had been bent on murdering Guo Jing and his wife. But after a few days in their company, seeing the couple give their hearts to their country and fling themselves into every task without a thought for themselves, he had been deeply moved. Then came the fight in the Mongol camp, where Guo Jing risked his own life to protect him, and he had cast aside every last thought of killing him and resolved instead to repay him with all his strength. He knew that in seven more days the Passion Flower poison would flare, so he had put everything else out of his mind. If he could do one or two good deeds in those seven days, his life would not have been wasted. He had foreseen, too, that with Guo Jing badly wounded the enemy would seize the chance to attack, so as soon as a little of his strength came back he had gone up on the walls to look over the defences.

He was thinking of Xiaolongnü and about to go and look for her when, from a rooftop more than a hundred feet away, someone let out a long, unbridled laugh. Two great ringing clangs followed, metal on metal. State Preceptor Jinlun¹¹ had come.

Footnotes

1. 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. ↩

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

3. 绝情丹 – Juéqíng Dān. Antidote for passion-flower poison from the Passionless Valley. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

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

5. 时辰 – shíchén. A traditional Chinese two-hour period; the day is divided into twelve shichen. ↩

6. 里 – lǐ. Traditional Chinese unit of distance, approximately 500 metres or a third of a mile. ↩

7. 郭芙 – Guō Fú. Her name meaning “lotus”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

8. 牛家村 – Niújiā Cūn. Literally Niu family village. Village near Lin’an (modern Hangzhou) where Guo Jing and Huang Rong once hid in a secret chamber to recover from severe injuries, as recounted in The Legend of the Condor Heroes. This was one of the most intimate and formative periods of their relationship. ↩

9. 郭破虏 – Guō Pòlǔ. Literally “Guo Destroys the Invaders”; one of the two names Guo Jing and Huang Rong have ready for their unborn child. ↩

10. 郭襄 – Guō Xiāng. The other of the two names Guo Jing and Huang Rong have ready for their unborn child; 襄 is the Xiang of Xiangyang. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

11. 金轮国师 – Jīnlún Guóshī. Literally Golden Wheel State Preceptor. The Mongol Empire’s State Preceptor. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩