The Return of the Condor Heroes Chapter 3 – Part 6

They walked further until a great rock face loomed before them, blocking the path. Its shape was dark and menacing, looming from above like an old crone bending down to peer at them. Yang Guo was just beginning to feel afraid when he heard several sharp whistles from behind the rock. Four Daoists leapt out, each holding a long sword, blocking the path in silence.

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Guo Jing stepped forward, bowed with clasped hands, and said, “I am Guo Jing of Peach Blossom Island, here to pay my respects to Master Qiu.” A tall Daoist stepped forward and sneered. “Great Hero Guo is renowned throughout the world, the esteemed son-in-law of Venerable Elder Huang of Peach Blossom Island. How could he be as shameless as you? Get back down the mountain at once!” Guo Jing thought, “What have I done that’s shameless?” He kept his composure and said, “I am indeed Guo Jing. If you would guide me to Master Qiu, all will become clear.”

The tall Daoist barked, “You come to Zhongnan Mountain to flaunt your strength and act recklessly. You must truly be tired of living. If we don’t teach you a lesson, you’ll think Chongyang Palace is full of incompetents.” His words even took a jab at the short and thin Daoists from earlier. As soon as he finished speaking, his sword flickered. He stepped through the strange gate, advanced along the side path, and used “Dividing Flowers Brushing Willows”¹ to thrust at Guo Jing’s waist. Guo Jing wondered to himself, “How is it that in the ten-plus years I’ve been away from the jianghu, all the rules have changed?” He sidestepped to avoid the strike and was about to speak when the other three Daoists raised their swords, surrounding him and Yang Guo. Guo Jing said, “What must I do before you four believe I am indeed Guo Jing?”

The tall Daoist shouted, “Unless you take the sword from my hand!” With that, he thrust again, this time straight at Guo Jing’s chest. Swordplay has always emphasised lightness and agility, favouring angled thrusts and side advances, never the direct hacking and slashing of a broadsword. This strike showed complete contempt for Guo Jing, the technique appearing ostentatious and reckless.

Guo Jing felt a flicker of anger. He thought, “Taking your sword, how hard could that be?” He saw the sword tip coming and extended his index finger, curled under his thumb, flicking it against the side of the blade. There was a resonant hum, and the Daoist could not maintain his grip, the long sword flew straight up into the air. Before it could fall, Guo Jing flicked three more times in rapid succession. Three more resonant hums rang out, and three more swords flew upward, their blades glittering in the moonlight. Yang Guo cheered loudly, “Do you believe us now?” Guo Jing normally always left his opponents room to retreat, but this time, angered by the tall Daoist’s disrespectful sword technique, he had used the marvellous skill of the Divine Finger Flick.² This was the ultimate technique of Huang Yaoshi, and Guo Jing, having lived on the island for several years, had fully mastered his father-in-law’s true teachings. With his profound neili, its execution was naturally extraordinary.

The four Daoists’ swords had left their hands, yet they still did not understand what technique had been used against them. The tall Daoist cried, “This lecher knows sorcery! Run!” He leapt behind the Old Crone Crag and fled through the rocky terrain. The other three followed, all vanishing into the darkness in moments. Guo Jing had been called a “lecher” for the first time, and now he was being called a “sorcerer.” He found it both irritating and amusing. “Guoer,” he said, “place those swords neatly on the rock by the roadside.”

Yang Guo said, “Yes.” He did as instructed, laying the four swords alongside the two he already carried on a slab of blue stone. His admiration for Guo Jing’s martial arts was boundless. Words kept rising to his lips: “Uncle Guo, I don’t want to learn from these stinking Daoists, I want to learn from you.” But remembering everything that had happened on Peach Blossom Island, he finally swallowed those words.

The two rounded two more bends, and the terrain ahead opened up slightly. They heard the clash of weapons serving as a signal, and seven Daoists leapt out from the pine forest, each also holding a long sword.

Guo Jing saw the formation in which the seven emerged, four on the left, three on the right, arrayed in the proper “Heavenly Dipper Big Dipper Formation.” His heart tightened. “Fighting against this formation could be troublesome.” Not daring to be careless, he quietly instructed Yang Guo, “Go behind that large rock and wait for me. Stay far back so I won’t be distracted worrying about you.” Yang Guo nodded. Unwilling to show weakness before the Daoists, he undid his trousers and said loudly, “Uncle Guo, I’m going to pee.” He turned and ran, going behind the large rock to relieve himself. Guo Jing thought with quiet satisfaction, “This child is clever and quick-witted, just like Ronger. I only hope he walks the right path and lives a good life.”

He turned back to study the seven Daoists. With their backs to the moonlight, their features were hard to make out, but he could see that the six in front all had long beards under their chins, they were no longer young. The seventh, smaller in stature, seemed younger. An idea stirred in his mind: “I should hurry up the mountain to see Master Qiu and clear up this misunderstanding. Why waste time tangling with these people?” His form flickered, and he had already seized the “North Star Position”³ on the left.

The seven Daoists saw him suddenly dart far to the left without a word, not yet understanding his intent. The Daoist occupying the “Heavenly Pivot”⁴ position gave a low whistle and led the other six in turning left to surround Guo Jing. But no sooner had the seven begun to move than Guo Jing, seizing the initiative, stepped two paces to the right, once again firmly occupying the North Star Position. The Heavenly Pivot Daoist had planned to have the three at the handle of the Dipper launch a flanking attack, but he saw that Guo Jing’s position was strange, none of the three could reach him with their swords. Instead, all seven had their gates wide open, unable to defend each other, each exposed to his attacks and hard-pressed to defend. He quickly signalled with his left hand, leading the formation to rotate backward. But the moment the Flashing Light⁵ Daoist moved, Guo Jing advanced two steps and once again stood firmly in the North Star Position. By the time the Big Dipper Formation was set, the seven were still trapped in the same awkward position, unable to attack or defend.

The Heavenly Dipper Big Dipper Formation was one of the Quanzhen Order’s most advanced martial arts. When practised to perfection and executed by seven masters together, it could truly be said to be invincible under heaven. But Guo Jing understood the secrets of this formation deeply, he needed only to occupy the North Star Position, and he could use the master to drive the servants, binding the Big Dipper Formation hand and foot, preventing it from moving freely. It was also because these seven Daoists had not yet refined the formation to mastery, if Ma Yu, Qiu Chuji, and the others had been directing it, they would never have allowed an enemy to seize the North Star Position so easily. Now, the eight of them shifted positions several times, but Guo Jing maintained his initiative, remaining calm and composed, firmly holding the pivotal position.

The Daoist occupying the Heavenly Axis⁶ position was older and wiser and had already noticed something was wrong. He called out, “Change formation!” The seven suddenly scattered, charging left and right, running east and west, hoping that this chaotic disruption of the formation would confuse the enemy’s vision. Then, in a flash, the seven reformed the formation. But the handle and the bowl of the Dipper had swapped positions, and the formation had shifted from due west to the southeast. As soon as the formation was set, the Heavenly Jade⁷ and Jade Sighting-Tube⁸ Daoists raised their swords and charged forward, only to see the enemy standing directly north of the Dipper’s handle, feet neither too wide nor too narrow, palms crossed, a faint smile on his face. The two Daoists suddenly realised, “If we charge, Open Sun⁹ and Heavenly Jade will surely be gravely wounded.” In that moment of hesitation, the Heavenly Axis Daoist had already shouted, “Don’t attack! Pull back!” The Heavenly Pivot Daoist, both alarmed and furious, gave a loud whistle and led the six through repeated formation changes.

Yang Guo watched from a distance, seeing the seven Daoists running in wild circles as if possessed, while Guo Jing only shifted a few steps east or west, south or north. The seven never dared to launch a single move against Guo Jing. The more he watched, the more fascinating he found it. Suddenly, he saw Guo Jing clap his palms together and call out, “My apologies!” He abruptly dash two steps to the left.

By now, the Big Dipper Formation was entirely under his control. When he dashed left, if the seven did not follow, their backs would be completely exposed and indefensible, an extremely dangerous situation in martial arts. They had no choice but to follow. In this way, the seven had fallen into a trap from which they could not escape. When Guo Jing ran fast, the seven ran fast, when he walked slowly, the seven walked slowly. The youngest Daoist had the shallowest neili, and after being led by Guo Jing through more than ten rapid circles, his head was spinning and his breathing laboured, he was on the verge of collapsing. Yet he knew that if the Big Dipper Formation lost even one person, the entire formation would instantly crumble, so he could only grit his teeth and struggle on.

Guo Jing was no longer young, but since retiring to Peach Blossom Island with Huang Rong, he had had little contact with the outside world and still retained much of his youthful nature. Seeing the seven Daoists running so comically, his boyish heart was stirred. He thought, “Today, for no reason at all, you’ve showered me with abuse, calling me a lecher, cursing me for using sorcery. If I don’t actually show you some sorcery, won’t I have suffered these insults for nothing?” He called out loudly, “Guoer, watch me use sorcery!” He suddenly leapt onto a high crag. The seven Daoists were now completely under his control. Since he had leapt onto the crag, if they did not follow, the Big Dipper Formation’s weaknesses would be fully exposed. Some hesitated, but the Heavenly Pivot Daoist, frantic with desperation, barked orders and led the entire formation onto the crag.

The seven had barely found their footing when Guo Jing sprang up again, this time onto a pine tree. Though separated from the Daoists, he was neither too far nor too near, still firmly occupying the North Star Position. But now, from his elevated vantage point, attacking weaknesses and exploiting gaps was even easier. The seven Daoists groaned inwardly, all thinking, “Where did this great demon come from? Our Quanzhen Order has truly lost all face today.” But though their minds were filled with such thoughts, their feet dared not pause for an instant. Each found a foothold on the branches and leapt up. Guo Jing laughed. “Come down!” He jumped down from the tree and reached to grab the foot of the Daoist occupying the Open Sun position.

The greatest strength of the Big Dipper Formation lay in its left-right coordination and mutual support. Since Guo Jing attacked Open Sun, Flashing Light and Jade Sighting-Tube had no choice but to jump down from the tree to assist, and once these two came down, Heavenly Axis and Heavenly Pivot had to follow. In an instant, the entire formation was dragged into motion.

Yang Guo watched from the side, his heart racing with excitement and wonder. He thought, “If one day I could learn Uncle Guo’s skills, I would gladly suffer for the rest of my life.” But then another thought struck him: “How could I ever learn his skills in this lifetime? Only that girl Guo Fu and the Wu brothers have such fortune. Uncle Guo knows perfectly well that the Quanzhen Order’s martial arts are far inferior to his own, yet he sends me to learn from these stinking Daoists.” The more he brooded, the more miserable he felt, almost to the point of tears. He turned his head away, refusing to watch Guo Jing toy with the seven Daoists. But being a child at heart, how could he resist? After only a moment, he could not help turning back to watch.

Guo Jing thought, “By now, they must surely believe I am Guo Jing. One must not go too far, I must be mindful of Master Qiu’s dignity.” Seeing the seven Daoists spinning frantically, he suddenly stopped, clasped his hands, and said, “Fellow Daoists, I have been most discourteous. Please lead the way.”

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Footnotes

1. 分花拂柳 – Fēn Huā Fú Liǔ. Dividing Flowers Brushing Willows, a graceful sword technique involving a lateral sweeping motion. ↩

2. 弹指神通 – Tánzhǐ Shéntōng. Divine Finger Flick, Huang Yaoshi’s signature technique. Practitioner flicks a finger to release a powerful burst of neili, capable of disarming opponents or launching projectiles with devastating force. ↩

3. 北极星位 – Běijíxīng Wèi. North Star Position, the critical pivot point of the Big Dipper Formation. Whoever occupies this position controls the entire formation. ↩

4. 天权 – Tiānquán. Heavenly Pivot, the fourth star of the Big Dipper (Megrez in Ursa Major), one of the seven positions in the formation. ↩

5. 摇光 – Yáoguāng. Flashing Light, the seventh star of the Big Dipper (Alkaid in Ursa Major), the tip of the Dipper’s handle. ↩

6. 天枢 – Tiānshū. Heavenly Axis, the first star of the Big Dipper (Dubhe in Ursa Major), the lead position in the formation. ↩

7. 天璇 – Tiānxuán. Heavenly Jade, the second star of the Big Dipper (Merak in Ursa Major). ↩

8. 玉衡 – Yùhéng. Jade Sighting-Tube, the fifth star of the Big Dipper (Alioth in Ursa Major). ↩

9. 开阳 – Kāiyáng. Open Sun, the sixth star of the Big Dipper (Mizar in Ursa Major). ↩