Seeking a master on Zhongnan.

In the boat, Guo Jing quietly circulated his divine skill¹ and within a few days his injuries were mostly healed. The couple spoke of Ouyang Feng², more than ten years had passed, yet not only had he shown no signs of age, his martial arts had surpassed even his former self. Had that palm strike landed on Guo Jing’s chest, it would have taken far more than ten days or half a month to recover. They spoke of their shifu³, Hong Qigong,⁴ wondering where he was and whether his old injuries had flared up again, their concern running deep. Though Huang Rong lived in seclusion on Peach Blossom Island,⁵ she still held the position of Chief of the Beggars’ Gang⁶ from afar. Gang affairs were handled by Lu Youjiao⁷ under her name. She had come to Jiangnan⁸ this time intending to meet with the gang elders to discuss gang business and to inquire after her father and Hong Qigong. But with Guo Jing injured, they had no choice but to return to the island first.

Later, the conversation turned to Yang Guo. Guo Jing said, “I have always had a wish, as you well know. Today, by heaven’s fortune, we have found Guoer, and my wish may now be fulfilled.” Years ago, Guo Jing’s father Guo Xiaotian⁹ and Yang Guo’s grandfather Yang Tiexin¹⁰ had sworn brotherhood, and their wives had been pregnant at the same time. The two men agreed: if both children were sons, they would be sworn brothers, if both were daughters, they would be sworn sisters, if one was a son and the other a daughter, they would be betrothed. In the end, both families had sons, and Guo Jing and Yang Guo’s father Yang Kang¹¹ became sworn brothers as agreed. But Yang Kang took a traitor as his father, committed many injustices, and finally met a wretched death at the Iron Spear Temple¹² in Jiaxing.¹³ Guo Jing brooded over this often, unable to let it go. Now, hearing him speak of it, Huang Rong understood his intent at once and shook her head. “I won’t agree to it.”

Guo Jing stared in disbelief. “Why not?” Huang Rong said, “How can Fu’er be betrothed to that boy?” Guo Jing said, “Though his father’s conduct was improper, the Guo and Yang families have been close for generations. I see the boy is handsome and clever. If he stays with us from now on, he’ll surely make something of himself.” Huang Rong said, “I’m afraid he’s a little too clever.” Guo Jing said, “Aren’t you clever yourself? What’s wrong with that?” Huang Rong laughed. “But I happen to like a silly fool like you.” Guo Jing smiled. “When Fu’er grows up, she may not be like you, fond of fools. Besides, a great fool like me, I doubt you could find another in all the world.” Huang Rong made a face and teased him. “As if that’s something to be proud of! Have you no shame?”

They exchanged a few more playful words before Guo Jing returned to the subject. “My father left only this one dying wish, and Uncle Yang Tiexin entrusted it to me again on his deathbed. But for Brother Yang Kang and Sister Mu’s sake, I haven’t done nearly enough. If I don’t treat Guoer as my own flesh and blood now, how can I face my father and Uncle Yang? I’ve often thought of bringing Sister Mu here so she and her son could live well, but I was afraid you might take it the wrong way. I never imagined Sister Mu would pass away so young.” He sighed deeply, a look of sorrow on his face. Huang Rong laughed. “Can’t bear to let her go, can you? You’re the one with improper thoughts, yet you blame me for taking things the wrong way. How shameless!” Guo Jing grew flustered, his face reddening. “I… how have I had improper thoughts?” Huang Rong tilted her head up. “What? You’re angry now, embarrassed into rage, do you want to hit me?” Guo Jing smiled faintly. “Do you think I’d dare?” He wrapped his arms around his wife, and Huang Rong found she could not move. She cried out, “Help! Help! Murder!” Guo Jing laughed, kissed her on the cheek, and released her. Huang Rong said softly, “Fortunately, both children are still young. There’s no need to rush. If Guoer truly has no faults when he grows up, you can do as you please.”

Guo Jing rose to his feet and bowed deeply, saying solemnly, “Thank you for agreeing. I am endlessly grateful.” Huang Rong also spoke solemnly. “I haven’t agreed. I said we’ll see whether the boy turns out bad or not.” Guo Jing had bowed all the way to the ground and was just straightening up when he heard this. He froze, then said, “Brother Yang Kang grew up in the Jin prince’s mansion, that’s why he turned bad. Guoer is on our island, there’s no way he’ll go wrong. Besides, you were the one who gave him his name back then. His name is Yang Guo, courtesy name Gaizhi¹⁴, even if he makes mistakes, he can correct them. You can rest easy.” Huang Rong laughed. “What does a name prove? Your name is Guo Jing¹⁵, are you quiet? You’ve been bouncing around like a monkey since you were little.” Guo Jing was left speechless, gaping. Huang Rong smiled and changed the subject, letting the matter drop.

The boat journey passed without incident, and they arrived at Peach Blossom Island. Guo Fu¹⁶ was overjoyed to suddenly have three playmates close to her own age.

After Yang Guo took Huang Rong’s antidote, the remaining poison in his body was completely purged. He and Guo Fu had some friction when they first met, but children being children, after a few days everyone forgot about it. During those days, the four of them amused themselves catching crickets and staging cricket fights.

One day, Yang Guo came out of the house, heading off to catch more crickets. He passed the Finger Flick Pavilion,¹⁷ crossed Two-Forgetting Peak,¹⁸ and had just rounded Clear-Whistling Pavilion¹⁹ when he suddenly heard laughter and chatter from behind the hill. He hurried over and saw Guo Fu and the Wu brothers turning over rocks and parting grass, also catching crickets. Wu Dunru²⁰ held a small bamboo tube, while Guo Fu cradled an earthenware pot.

Wu Xiuwen²¹ flipped over a rock, and with a chirp, a large cricket leapt out. Wu Xiuwen threw himself forward, caught it in both hands, and shouted with glee. Guo Fu cried, “Give it to me, give it to me!” Wu Xiuwen picked up the cricket and said, “Alright, here you go.” He lifted the lid of the pot and placed it inside. The cricket had a square head, strong legs, massive jaws, and a thick waist, truly a magnificent specimen. Wu Xiuwen said, “This cricket is surely the Invincible General. Brother Yang, none of your crickets can beat it.”

Yang Guo, unwilling to concede, took several bamboo tubes of crickets from his bosom and selected his fiercest one to fight. After a few rounds, the large cricket opened its great jaws and bit down, seizing Yang Guo’s cricket by the waist and flinging it out of the pot. It then spread its wings and chirped, thoroughly pleased with itself. Guo Fu clapped and cheered, “Mine won!” Yang Guo said, “Wait, there’s more.” But he sent out three more crickets in succession, and all were defeated. The third was even bitten in half by the giant cricket.

Yang Guo, his face lost, said, “I’m not playing anymore!” He turned to leave. Suddenly, from the grass behind him came three chirps, cricket calls, but with a rather strange quality to them. Wu Dunru said, “There’s another one.” He parted the grass, then suddenly leapt back in alarm, crying, “Snake! A snake!” Yang Guo turned around and indeed saw a brightly patterned venomous snake coiled in the grass, its head raised and tongue flickering. Yang Guo picked up a stone, took aim, and hurled it, striking the snake squarely on the head. The snake writhed a few times and died. Beside where the snake had coiled was a small, jet-black cricket, extraordinarily ugly in appearance, spreading its wings and making chirping sounds.

Guo Fu laughed. “Brother Yang, catch that little black devil.” Yang Guo detected the mockery in her words, and his pride was stung. “Fine,” he said, “I’ll catch it.” And he did. Guo Fu laughed again. “What do you want that little black devil for? Want to fight my Invincible General?” Yang Guo said angrily, “Fight it is. A little black devil won’t be bullied either.” He placed the black cricket in Guo Fu’s pot.

Strangely, the large cricket seemed afraid of the little black cricket and kept retreating. Guo Fu and the Wu brothers shouted encouragement, cheering on the large cricket. The little black cricket raised its head and leapt forward. The large cricket dared not engage and tried to jump out of the pot. The little black cricket leapt up as well, biting the large cricket’s tail in mid-air. Both crickets fell together, and the large cricket twitched a few times before flipping over, dead. It turned out that among crickets, there is a type that likes to live alongside venomous creatures. Those that live with centipedes are called “centipede crickets,” and those that live with venomous snakes are called “snake crickets.”²² Because they carry the scent of venomous creatures, ordinary crickets cannot match them. The little black cricket Yang Guo had caught was precisely a snake cricket.

Guo Fu was very displeased to see her Invincible General die in a single bout, but on second thought, she said, “Brother Yang, give me that little black devil.” Yang Guo said, “Giving it to you wouldn’t be a big deal, but why did you call it a little black devil?” Guo Fu pursed her lips and said peevishly, “If you won’t give it, you won’t give it. Who cares?” She tipped the pot, dumping the little black cricket onto the ground, and brought her right foot down, crushing it instantly. Yang Guo was both shocked and furious. His blood surged, his face flushed deep red, and he could not contain himself. He swung his hand back and delivered a heavy slap across her face.

Guo Fu froze, not yet decided on whether to cry. Wu Xiuwen cursed, “You little bastard, hitting people!” He threw a punch at Yang Guo’s chest. Coming from a family with deep martial tradition, he had received personal instruction from his parents since childhood and already had a solid foundation in martial arts. This punch landed squarely on Yang Guo’s chest with considerable force. Yang Guo, enraged, punched back, but Wu Xiuwen dodged aside. Yang Guo lunged after him, but Wu Dunru hooked his leg, and Yang Guo fell flat. Wu Xiuwen spun around and leapt onto him, straddling him. The two brothers pinned him down and rained punches on his body.

Yang Guo was a year or two older than the brothers, but two fists could not match four hands, and the Wu brothers had trained in superior martial arts while Yang Guo had only learned some crude basics from Mu Nianci.²³ He was no match for them. He clenched his teeth and endured the beating without making a sound. Wu Dunru said, “Beg for mercy and we’ll let you go.” Yang Guo cursed, “Fart!” Wu Xiuwen landed two more heavy blows. Guo Fu, watching the Wu brothers fight on her behalf, had stopped crying after just a few sobs and was thoroughly enjoying herself.

The Wu brothers knew that if they struck his head or face and left visible marks, Guo Jing and Huang Rong would surely scold them, so they directed all their punches and kicks at his body. Guo Fu, seeing how fierce the beating was, felt a little afraid, but touching her own cheek, still hot and stinging with pain, she also felt a sense of satisfaction and could not help calling out, “Harder! Hit him!” Hearing her cries, the Wu brothers beat him even more viciously.

Yang Guo lay face down on the ground, hearing Guo Fu’s shouts, and thought to himself, “This girl is so cruel. I will have my revenge one day.” The pain in his waist, back, and buttocks was excruciating, and he was gradually losing the strength to endure. The Wu brothers had trained since childhood, and their fists and feet carried real power, even an ordinary adult would have struggled to bear it. Had Yang Guo not also trained in some neigong, he would have long since fainted. He gritted his teeth and endured, his hands scrabbling wildly across the ground. Suddenly, his left hand touched something cold and slippery, it was the dead snake he had killed moments before. He grabbed it and swung it behind him.

内功 – nèigōng. Literally internal skill. Practice of developing neili through breathing, meditation and qi cultivation. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
欧阳锋 – Ōuyáng Fēng. His name meaning “blade” or “cutting edge”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
师父 – shīfù. Teacher responsible for technical instruction and moral guidance. Shī means teacher. Fù means father. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
洪七公 – Hóng Qīgōng. Literally Hong the Seventh Lord; the numeral seven marks seniority among sworn brothers. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
桃花岛 – Táohuā Dǎo. Huang Yaoshi’s island stronghold, continued from LOCH era. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
丐帮 – Gàibāng. Largest martial arts organisation in the jianghu, continued from LOCH era. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
鲁有脚 – Lǔ Yǒujiǎo. His name meaning “having feet”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
江南 – Jiāngnán. Prosperous region south of Yangtze River, continued from LOCH era. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
郭啸天 – Guō Xiàotiān. His name meaning “roaring at heaven”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
杨铁心 – Yáng Tiěxīn. His name meaning “iron heart”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
杨康 – Yáng Kāng. His name meaning “health” or “peace”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
铁枪庙 – Tiěqiāng Miào. Iron Spear Temple in Jiaxing, named after the iron spear of the Five Dynasties general Wang Yanzhang. It is where Yang Kang met his death. ↩
嘉兴 – Jiāxīng. City in northern Zhejiang Province, known for its South Lake and its role as a key location in Jin Yong’s novels. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
杨过 – Yáng Guò. His name meaning “fault or transgression”; his courtesy name Gaizhi means “to correct it”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
郭靖 – Guō Jìng. His name meaning “tranquillity” or “pacification”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
郭芙 – Guō Fú. Her name meaning “lotus”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
弹指阁 – Tánzhǐ Gé. Finger Flick Pavilion on Peach Blossom Island, named after Huang Yaoshi’s signature technique, the Divine Finger Flick. ↩
两忘峰 – Liǎngwàng Fēng. Two-Forgetting Peak on Peach Blossom Island. Name evokes the Daoist concept of mutual forgetting from the Zhuangzi. ↩
清啸亭 – Qīngxiào Tíng. Clear-Whistling Pavilion, a landmark on Peach Blossom Island. ↩
武敦儒 – Wǔ Dūnrú. His name meaning “earnest scholar”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
武修文 – Wǔ Xiūwén. His name meaning “cultivate literature”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
蛇蟀 – shé xī. Literally snake cricket, a type of cricket that lives alongside venomous snakes and carries their scent, making it fearsome to ordinary crickets. ↩
穆念慈 – Mù Niàncí. Her name meaning “cherishing kindness”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

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