The Return of the Condor Heroes Chapter 3 – Part 7

The Heavenly Pivot Daoist was hot-tempered by nature. Seeing the opponent’s martial arts were so formidable and that he understood the Big Dipper Formation so thoroughly, he was all the more convinced that this man harboured ill intentions towards their sect. He declared loudly, “Lecher, you have schemed and studied our sect’s formation with malicious intent. You wish to carry out your shameless deeds on Zhongnan Mountain, but our Quanzhen Order detests evil as if it were a personal enemy, we will never stand idly by.” Guo Jing asked, bewildered, “What shameless deeds?”

The Heavenly Axis Daoist said, “Judging by your martial arts, you should not be one to stoop to such depravity. This humble Daoist offers you well-meaning advice: go back down the mountain at once.” His tone betrayed considerable admiration for Guo Jing’s martial arts. Guo Jing said, “I have travelled a thousand li from the south specifically to pay my respects to Master Qiu. How can I go back down without seeing him?” The Heavenly Pivot Daoist asked, “You insist on seeing Master Qiu, what is your purpose?” Guo Jing said, “Since childhood, I have received great kindness from Master Ma and Master Qiu. Not having seen them for over ten years, I miss them deeply. This time, aside from paying my respects, I also have a matter to request.”

Upon hearing this, the Heavenly Pivot Daoist’s hostility only deepened, his face darkening as if covered by storm clouds. In the jianghu, the words “kindness and enmity”¹ were taken with the utmost seriousness. Sometimes, when a deep enmity had been formed, someone would say they had come to “repay kindness” when in fact they meant revenge, for example: “Twenty years ago, I had the honour of having my arm cut off by you. How could I forget such kindness for a single day? Today, I have come to repay this great favour.” And when someone said they had “a matter to request,” it often carried ill intent as well, for instance, when bandits robbed an escort convoy, they would typically say, “We brothers are short on travelling expenses and have come to ask for your help, to borrow a few tens of thousands of liang of silver.” Now, with the Quanzhen Order facing a great enemy, the Heavenly Pivot Daoist was predisposed to suspicion. Guo Jing’s perfectly innocent words, he took as sarcasm. He said coldly, “I fear our master, Jade Sun² Master Wang, also once showed you kindness.”

Hearing this, Guo Jing was immediately reminded of events from his youth at Prince Zhao’s mansion³, how Wang Chuyi, the Jade Sun Master, had disregarded his own safety, fought against a host of villains, and risked his life to save him. It was truly an enormous debt of gratitude. He said, “So you, Daoist brother, are a disciple of Jade Sun Master Wang. Master Wang indeed once showed me tremendous kindness. If he is also on the mountain, that would be even better.”

These seven Daoists were all disciples of Wang Chuyi. Suddenly, they roared in unison, each raising a long sword. Seven blades flashed with green light as they thrust at seven points on Guo Jing’s body. Guo Jing frowned. He thought to himself: the more humble he was, the more ferocious they became. He truly had no idea what was behind it all. What a pity Huang Rong had not come along, she would have understood the reason at a single glance. He sidestepped diagonally, seized the North Star Position, and declared clearly, “I am Guo Jing of Jiangnan. I have come to your honoured mountain with no ill intent whatsoever. What must I do before you will believe me?”

The Heavenly Pivot Daoist said, “You have already taken six swords from Quanzhen disciples. Why not take our seven swords as well?” The Heavenly Jade Daoist, who had remained silent all along, suddenly opened his gong-like voice and said, “You filthy lecher, you want to show off and play the hero before that woman of the Long family. Do you think our Quanzhen Order is so easy to provoke?” Guo Jing said angrily, “What woman named Long? I, Guo Jing, have never met her.” The Heavenly Jade Daoist gave a harsh laugh. “Of course you’ve never met her. What man under heaven has ever met her? If you’ve got the guts, curse her loudly as a little slut.”

Guo Jing was taken aback. He thought: what kind of person was Long? How could he curse someone without cause? He said, “Why would I curse her?” Three or four Daoists said in unison, “Isn’t that an admission of guilt?”

Guo Jing, having this false accusation pinned on him for no reason, grew more and more confused. He thought: the only way was to force his way into Chongyang Palace. Once he saw Ma Yu, Qiu Chuji, Wang Chuyi, and the others, everything would become clear. He said coldly, “I am going up the mountain now. If any of you try to stop me, do not blame me for being discourteous.”

The seven Daoists raised their swords and advanced two steps in unison. The Heavenly Jade Daoist shouted, “Don’t use sorcery! Let’s settle this purely on martial skill.” Guo Jing smiled. An idea had formed in his mind. He said, “But I insist on using a little sorcery. Watch: without my hands touching your weapons, I will take all seven of your swords.” The seven Daoists exchanged glances, disbelief written on every face. They all thought, “Your martial arts may be strong, but without using your hands, can you really take our weapons? Even if your empty-hand-against-weapons skill has reached the absolute pinnacle, you still need hands.” The Heavenly Axis Daoist suddenly said, “Very well, we shall witness your divine kicking technique.” Guo Jing said, “I won’t need my feet either. In short, I will not touch your weapons or your bodies in the slightest. If I do, I lose, and I will immediately turn around and go back down the mountain without further trouble.”

Hearing such bold claims, every one of the seven Daoists was incensed. The Heavenly Pivot Daoist swung his sword, immediately setting the formation in motion as they closed in.

Guo Jing darted diagonally, seizing the North Star Position, then immediately sped towards the left side of the Big Dipper Formation. The Heavenly Pivot Daoist recognised the danger and hastily led the formation to rotate right. In any duel, both parties must face each other, if the enemy circles behind, one must immediately turn to face them. The position Guo Jing was now heading towards was precisely the vulnerable back of the Big Dipper Formation. Without needing to strike, the seven Daoists were forced to rotate the formation to face him directly. But Guo Jing kept moving left without turning back, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, sometimes straight, sometimes diagonal, always running leftward. Since he firmly held the North Star Position, the seven Daoists had no choice but to follow left.

Guo Jing ran faster and faster, until his speed rivalled that of a galloping horse. With a flicker of his form, he had already covered several zhang. The seven Daoists’ skills were indeed not ordinary, though trapped in adversity, their formation remained perfectly intact. The positions of Heavenly Axis, Heavenly Jade, Heavenly Pearl,⁴ Heavenly Pivot, Jade Sighting-Tube, Open Sun, and Flashing Light were all defended with both steadiness and precision, but they were helplessly compelled to race after him.

Guo Jing could not help silently applauding. “The disciples of Quanzhen are truly remarkable.” He drew a breath and ran as though his feet never touched the ground. Occupying the central position, the seven Daoists ran circles around him, their running distance many times greater than his own.

At first, the seven could barely keep up, but as time wore on, the differences in their the skill of lightness⁵ became apparent. The three Daoists occupying Heavenly Pivot, Heavenly Axis, and Jade Sighting-Tube had higher skill and ran faster. The others gradually fell behind, and gaps began to appear in the Big Dipper Formation. Each of them was secretly alarmed, thinking, “If the enemy attacks the formation now, we may not be able to defend it.” But at this point, they could worry about nothing else. They could only pour every ounce of their neili into running circles around Guo Jing.

There is a children’s game where you tie a stone to a rope and swing it in circles. When you swing fast enough and suddenly let go, the stone flies far away, trailing the rope. The situation with the Heavenly Dipper Big Dipper Formation spinning in rapid circles was similar. The seven Daoists ran around Guo Jing, their swords raised above their heads. The faster they ran, the harder it became to hold onto their swords, as if a great force was pulling outward, trying to snatch the blades from their hands. Suddenly, Guo Jing bellowed, “Let go!” He darted sharply to the left. Caught off guard, the seven Daoists had no choice but to leap after him. Somehow, all seven swords flew from their hands simultaneously, like seven silver serpents shooting straight into the pine forest over ten zhang away. Guo Jing came to an abrupt halt and turned back with a smile.

The seven Daoists stood ashen-faced, frozen in place, yet each still maintained his position, the formation remained perfectly intact. Guo Jing saw that despite this bout of frantic running, their formation had not broken, which showed the depth of their usual training. The Heavenly Pivot Daoist gave a weak, breathless whistle, and the seven withdrew behind the mountain crags.

Guo Jing said, “Guoer, let’s go up the mountain.” He called twice, but Yang Guo did not answer. He searched around, Yang Guo had vanished without a trace. All he found was one of the boy’s small shoes left behind in the bushes. Guo Jing was alarmed. “So besides these seven Daoists, there were others watching in concealment who have taken him.” But he reflected that the Daoists had merely mistaken him for someone else and had some misunderstanding. The Quanzhen Order championed righteousness. They would never harm a child. He was not overly worried. He drew a breath and raced up the mountain. Having lived in seclusion on Peach Blossom Island for over ten years, though he trained daily, he had not faced an opponent in combat for a long time and sometimes felt a sense of loneliness. Today, battling the Daoists, every move had been executed with perfect ease, and he could not help feeling a quiet satisfaction.

The mountain path now grew even more treacherous. At times, they had to edge sideways through gaps in the cliffs. After less than half a shichen, dark clouds covered the moon, and the mountain was suddenly plunged into darkness. Guo Jing thought, “I’m unfamiliar with the terrain here. I must be careful that those Daoists don’t try any tricks.” He slowed his pace and advanced cautiously.

After walking for a while longer, the clouds parted and the moon emerged, bathing the entire mountain in light. Just as he was enjoying the clarity, he suddenly heard the faint sound of many people breathing from behind the mountain. The sound was barely perceptible, but with so many people, Guo Jing could detect it. He tightened his belt and rounded the mountain path.

Before him was an enormous circular clearing, surrounded on all sides by mountain peaks. At the foot of the mountains was a great pool, its waters reflecting the moon in shimmering silver light. Before the pool stood a hundred or so Daoists in scattered formation, all in yellow caps and grey robes, swords in hand, their blades glittering.

Guo Jing studied them carefully. The Daoists were grouped in sevens, forming fourteen Heavenly Dipper Big Dipper Formations. Every seven Big Dipper Formations, in turn, formed a greater Big Dipper Formation. From Heavenly Axis to Flashing Light, the display was awe-inspiring. The two greater Big Dipper Formations were arranged as one orthodox and one unorthodox,⁶ mutually generating and overcoming, supporting each other like horns. Guo Jing was secretly alarmed. “I’ve never heard Master Qiu mention this Big Dipper Formation before. It must be something they’ve developed in recent years, even deeper than what the founder, Chongyang, passed down.” He advanced slowly.

From within the formation, someone pursed their lips and whistled. The ninety-eight Daoists suddenly scattered, shifting forward and back, their formation transforming until Guo Jing was surrounded in the centre. Every sword pointed at the ground, every pair of eyes fixed on Guo Jing. Not a word was spoken.

Guo Jing clasped his hands and turned in a full circle. “I am Guo Jing of Jiangnan,” he said. “I have come to your honoured mountain in sincerity to pay my respects to Master Ma, Master Qiu, Master Wang, and the other Daoist masters. I ask all of you, fellow Daoists, not to obstruct me.”

A long-bearded Daoist within the formation said, “Your martial arts are extraordinary. Why degrade yourself by keeping company with evildoers? This humble Daoist offers you well-meaning advice: since ancient times, lust has been the ruin of men. Do not let decades of bitter training be destroyed in a single moment. Our Quanzhen Order has no prior acquaintance with you and bears you no grudge. Why aid the villains and join these evildoers in causing chaos on the mountain? Leave now, and there may still be room for future encounters.” His voice was low and deep, yet every word was crisp and clear, betraying profound neili. His tone was earnest, a sincere attempt at persuasion.

Guo Jing was both irritated and amused. He thought, “These Daoists have no idea who they think I am. If Ronger were here, she could easily clear up this misunderstanding.” He said, “I know nothing of any evildoers or lustful women. Allow me to meet with Master Ma, Master Qiu, and the others, and all will become clear.”

---

The long-bearded Daoist said sternly, “You are stubbornly unrepentant. If you insist on seeking instruction from Master Ma and Master Qiu, you must first break through our Greater Big Dipper Formation.” Guo Jing said, “I am but one man, with meagre martial skills. How could I dare contend against your honoured sect’s ultimate art? Please release the child I brought with me and guide me to your sect’s presiding master and Master Qiu.”

The long-bearded Daoist shouted, “You put on this act and mock us with your words! Before Chongyang Palace on Zhongnan Mountain, how dare a lecher like you run wild?” He swept his sword through the air, and the blade’s hum lingered long. All the Daoists swung their swords, and the ninety-eight blades cut through the air, stirring up a fierce wind. The gleam of the blades wove into a net of radiance.

Footnotes

1. 恩仇 – ēnchóu. Kindness and enmity, a central concept in wulin ethics. Debts of gratitude and vengeance are taken with the utmost seriousness and often drive the plot of wuxia stories. ↩

2. 玉阳 – Yùyáng. Jade Sun, the Daoist name of Wang Chuyi. ↩

3. 赵王府 – Zhào Wángfǔ. Prince Zhao’s mansion, the residence of Wanyan Honglie, the Sixth Prince of the Jin Empire. Guo Jing and Huang Rong infiltrated it during The Legend of the Condor Heroes. ↩

4. Tian Ji (田忌). General of the Qi kingdom during the Warring States period, famous for winning a horse race against the King of Qi using Sun Bin’s strategy. ↩

5. 轻功 – qīnggōng. Literally lightness skill. Martial art of body lightness; practitioners leap great heights and move with extraordinary speed. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

6. 正奇 – zhèng qí. Orthodox and unorthodox, a concept from Chinese military strategy. Orthodox forces engage directly while unorthodox forces manoeuvre to strike from unexpected angles. Applied here to describe the two complementary Greater Big Dipper Formations. ↩