The Return of the Condor Heroes Chapter 4 – Part 2

The nobleman was half-doubtful. He had fought the Quanzhen elders for half the day, and only their Tiangang Big Dipper Array had proven formidable. In single combat, none seemed to be his match. How could their disciple be so formidable? He studied Guo Jing from head to toe, noting his plain, unremarkable features and coarse cloth garments, no different from an ordinary farmer. Yet the skill in his hands was truly unfathomable. He said, “Your martial arts are astonishing. This humble one is in awe. Ten years from now, I shall return for further instruction. I still have unfinished business here and will take my leave today.” He cupped his fists. Guo Jing returned the salute. “Ten years from now, I shall await you here.”

The nobleman turned and walked towards the door. At the threshold, he said, “In my dispute with the Quanzhen Order, I admit defeat today. But I hope the Quanzhen Order will mind its own business and not interfere with my private affairs.” According to the rules of the jianghu,¹ if a man admitted defeat and set a date for a future duel, then until that date arrived, even if they met in a narrow alley, neither could raise a hand. Hearing this, Guo Jing agreed at once. “That is only natural.”

The nobleman smiled faintly, spoke a few words in Mongolian to the Mongol monk, and was about to leave when Qiu Chuji suddenly drew a deep breath and shouted, “No need to wait ten years. I, Qiu Chuji, will come looking for you.” His shout shook the roof tiles, revealing profound neili. The nobleman’s ears rang, and his heart tightened. “This old Taoist’s neili is not weak. Perhaps they were not using their full strength earlier.” Not daring to linger, he hurried towards the door. The red-robed Mongol monk cast a fierce glare at Guo Jing, then departed with the others.

Guo Jing noticed that among this group, many had unusual features: some with high noses and curly beards, others with deep-set eyes, clearly not people of the Central Plains. Puzzled, he heard the sounds of clashing weapons and battle cries from the square outside gradually die down, knowing the enemy was withdrawing.

Ma Yu and the other six rose to their feet. The old Taoist who had lain face-down still did not move. Guo Jing rushed over to look. It was Hao Datong,² the Master of Broad Peace. Only then did he understand that Ma Yu and the others, though threatened by fire, had remained seated without moving in order to protect their fellow disciple. Hao Datong’s face was the colour of gold paper, his breathing faint, his eyes tightly shut, clearly gravely wounded. Guo Jing opened his Taoist robe and was startled. On Hao Datong’s chest was a handprint, five fingers spread wide, deep purple, sunk into the flesh. He thought, “The enemy’s martial arts are indeed of the Esoteric school. This is the Great Hand Seal technique.³ Though the palm carries no poison, its power surpasses that of Lama Zhizhu in those days.” He checked Hao Datong’s pulse and was relieved to find it still strong and vigorous. He knew that Hao Datong’s orthodox Xuanmen⁴ training, cultivated over many years, had given him no shallow neili. His life should not be in danger.

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By now the fire in the rear courtyard pressed even closer. Qiu Chuji lifted Hao Datong in his arms and said, “Let us go outside!” Guo Jing asked, “Where is the child I brought? Who is looking after him? Don’t let the fire harm him.” Qiu Chuji and the others had been wholly absorbed in resisting the powerful enemy and knew nothing of this. Hearing his question, they all asked, “Whose child? Where?”

Before Guo Jing could answer, a small figure suddenly dropped from the rafters in the firelight and laughed. “I’m right here.” It was Yang Guo.⁵ Guo Jing was overjoyed. “Why were you hiding in the rafters?” Yang Guo laughed. “You and those seven stinking Taoists…” Guo Jing barked, “Nonsense! Come quickly and pay respects to your grandmasters.”

Yang Guo stuck out his tongue and kowtowed to Ma Yu, Qiu Chuji, and Wang Chuyi. When he reached Yin Zhiping, seeing that he was young, he turned to Guo Jing and asked, “This one isn’t a grandmaster, is he? I don’t think I need to kowtow.” Guo Jing said, “This is Yin shibo⁶. Kowtow at once.” Deeply unwilling, Yang Guo complied. Guo Jing saw him rise and make no move to kowtow to the three middle-aged Taoists. He scolded, “Guoer, how can you be so rude?” Yang Guo laughed. “If I finish all my kowtowing, there won’t be time. Don’t blame me.”

Guo Jing asked, “What won’t there be time for?” Yang Guo said, “There’s a Taoist tied up in one of those rooms. If no one rescues him, he’ll probably burn to death.” Guo Jing asked urgently, “Which room? Tell me quickly!” Yang Guo pointed east. “Seems like it’s over there. No idea who tied him up, though.” He giggled.

Yin Zhiping shot him a sideways glare and rushed to the eastern wing. He kicked open the door but found no one. He ran to the eastern meditation chamber where third-generation disciples practised neigong. Pushing open the door, he found the room filled with thick smoke. A Taoist was bound to a bedpost, whimpering through his gag, the situation already dire. Yin Zhiping drew his sword, cut the ropes, and rescued him.

By now, Ma Yu, Qiu Chuji, Wang Chuyi, Guo Jing, Yang Guo, and the others had all left the main hall and stood on the hillside watching the fire. Tongues of flame spat from every corner of the rear courtyard, the firelight reddening half the sky. The mountain’s water source was small, just a single spring, barely enough for daily use, useless for fighting a fire. They could only watch helplessly as the grand and magnificent rear courtyard gradually collapsed, beams breaking and tiles crumbling, reduced to ashes. The Quanzhen disciples worked together to cut off the fire’s path, sparing the remaining halls and quarters. Ma Yu was by nature philosophical, his heart free of attachment. Qiu Chuji, however, was hot-tempered and had only grown more so with age. Gazing at the raging flames, he gnashed his teeth and cursed.

Guo Jing was about to ask who the enemy was when he saw Yin Zhiping emerge from the thick smoke, supporting a portly Taoist under the arm. The Taoist, choking and coughing from the smoke, tears streaming from his eyes, caught sight of Yang Guo and flew into a rage, lunging at him. Yang Guo laughed and ducked behind Guo Jing. Not knowing who Guo Jing was, the Taoist shoved at his chest, meaning to push him aside and grab Yang Guo. But it was like pushing against a wall. Guo Jing did not budge. The Taoist froze, then pointed at Yang Guo and cursed, “You little bastard! You tried to kill me!” Wang Chuyi barked, “Qingdu, what are you shouting about?”

The Taoist, Lu Qingdu,⁷ was Wang Chuyi’s grand-disciple. Having just escaped death, his heart was in turmoil. At the sight of Yang Guo, he had wanted to tear into him, completely oblivious that the zhangmen, his grandmaster, and Grandmaster Qiu were all present. Only at Wang Chuyi’s shout did he realise his impropriety. Breaking into a cold sweat, he lowered his head and hands. “This disciple deserves death.” Wang Chuyi said, “What exactly happened?” Lu Qingdu replied, “It’s all this disciple’s uselessness. Please punish me, Grandmaster.” Wang Chuyi frowned slightly and said with irritation, “Who said you were useful? I asked what happened.”

Lu Qingdu said, “Yes, yes. This disciple was ordered by my shifu⁸ to stand guard in the rear courtyard. Later, my shifu brought this little… little… little…” He desperately wanted to say “little bastard” but remembered he could not be rude before his grandmaster and changed his words: “…child and handed him to me, saying he was a great enemy of our sect who had been brought up the mountain, captured by my shifu, and that I should guard him well and not let him escape. So I took him to the eastern meditation chamber. Soon after we sat down, this little… child played a trick, saying he needed to relieve himself and asking me to untie the ropes on his hands. I thought, he’s just a small child, no harm in untying him. But as soon as I did, the child sat on the chamber pot pretending to defecate, then suddenly jumped up, grabbed the pot, and dumped all the filth on me.”

At this, Yang Guo let out a snicker. Lu Qingdu raged, “Little… little… what are you laughing at?” Yang Guo tilted his head back, eyes to the sky, and laughed. “I’m laughing to myself. What business is it of yours?” Lu Qingdu was about to argue further when Wang Chuyi said, “Stop bickering with a child. Continue.” Lu Qingdu said, “Yes, yes. Grandmaster, you don’t understand. This child is terribly cunning. When the filth came at me, I dodged in a hurry, but he laughed and said, ‘Oh dear, Reverend, I’ve soiled your clothes!’” The listeners, hearing him mimic Yang Guo’s voice in his thin, awkward tone, all suppressed their laughter. Wang Chuyi frowned, silently cursing this grand-disciple for making a fool of himself before outsiders.

Lu Qingdu continued, “Naturally, I was furious and rushed over to hit him. But the child raised the chamber pot and threw it at me again. I shouted, ‘You little bastard, what are you doing?’ and quickly used the move ‘Rapid Current Retreats’ to dodge. But I stepped right into the filth and slipped twice. At least I didn’t fall. But then this little… child, taking advantage of my confusion, drew the sword from my waist and pressed it against my chest, saying that if I moved even a little, he’d stab me through. I figured a wise man doesn’t court disaster, so I stayed still. With the sword in his left hand, the child used his right to tie me to the post with the rope, then cut a piece of my robe and stuffed it in my mouth. Later, when the palace caught fire, I couldn’t move or call out. If Yin shishu⁹ hadn’t rescued me, wouldn’t I have been burned alive by this child?” He glared at Yang Guo with bitter hatred.

Everyone looked at Yang Guo, then back at Lu Qingdu, one small and skinny, the other fat and towering, and could not help bursting into laughter. Lu Qingdu, utterly bewildered by the laughter, scratched his head and ears, at a complete loss.

Ma Yu laughed. “Jing’er, is this your son? He must have learned all his mother’s tricks to be so crafty and clever.” Guo Jing said, “No, this is the posthumous son of my sworn brother Yang Kang.”¹⁰

At the name Yang Kang, Qiu Chuji’s heart jolted. He studied Yang Guo’s features carefully and indeed saw a faint resemblance to Yang Kang. Yang Kang had been his only lay disciple. Though that disciple had been unworthy, coveting wealth and status, recognising a traitor as his father, Qiu Chuji always blamed himself whenever he thought of it, feeling he had failed as a teacher and allowed his student to stray. He had long carried this guilt. Now, hearing that Yang Kang had left a descendant, sorrow and joy mingled in his heart, and he pressed for details.

Footnotes

1. 江湖 – jiānghú. Literally rivers and lakes. Itinerant world beyond settled society and official reach, holding not only martial artists but the trades that travel with them, including pedlars, physicians, fortune-tellers, entertainers, boatmen, beggars, outlaws and the like. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

2. 郝大通 – Hǎo Dàtōng. His name meaning “great penetration”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

3. 大手印 – Dà Shǒuyìn. Great Hand Seal, a martial art of Tibetan Esoteric Buddhism, also known as Mahamudra. In Jin Yong’s novels it leaves a distinctive purple handprint on the victim. ↩

4. 玄门 – Xuánmén. Literally mysterious gate, a term for the Daoist schools and their orthodox methods of neigong. ↩

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

6. 师伯 – shībó. Senior lineage uncle. Shixiong or shijie of one’s shifu. Shī means teacher. Bó means father’s elder brother. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

7. 鹿清笃 – Lù Qīngdú. His name meaning “pure and sincere”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

8. 师父 – shīfù. Teacher responsible for technical instruction and moral guidance. Shī means teacher. Fù means father. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

9. 师叔 – shīshū. Junior lineage uncle. Shidi or shimei of one’s shifu. Shī means teacher. Shū means father’s younger brother. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

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