The Return of the Condor Heroes Chapter 4 – Part 5

“A few years later, one day a white mourning banner appeared, draped over the thorn bushes outside the tomb. We knew that our fellow practitioner had passed away. The six of us, shifu and disciples, went to the tomb to pay our respects. Just as we finished our obeisance, a girl of thirteen or fourteen emerged from the thorn bushes, returned our salute, and thanked us for our condolences. She said, ‘Before my shifu passed away, she instructed me to tell the venerable masters: that person’s evil deeds run rampant, but my shifu has her own method of controlling her. Please do not trouble yourselves.’ With that, she turned and went back inside. We wanted to ask more, but she had already entered the tomb gate. Our founding patriarch left a strict injunction: no member of the Quanzhen Order may ever set foot beyond the tomb gate. Since she had gone in, we could only let it be. Still, we all wondered: with that fellow practitioner dead, what method could she possibly have to control her disciple? Seeing the young girl alone and pitiful, we sent some provisions and daily necessities, but each time she returned them untouched, sent back by a serving woman. It seemed this person had a perverse temperament, just like her grandmaster and her shifu. But since she had a serving woman to care for her, there was no need for others to worry. Later, we were occupied with affairs in all directions and were seldom at the palace, so we heard little news of this young lady. Somehow, Li Mochou suddenly vanished from the jianghu and caused no more trouble. We assumed that our fellow practitioner had indeed left behind a marvellous strategy and felt deep admiration.

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“Last spring, Wang shidi and I travelled to the northwest on business and stayed at the home of a great hero in Ganzhou.¹ There we heard startling news. It was said that one year hence, evil heretics from all directions would gather at Mount Zhongnan for some purpose. Mount Zhongnan is the root and foundation of the Quanzhen Order. If they were coming up the mountain, it must be against our sect. How could we not take precautions? Wang shidi and I feared the information might be unreliable and sent men out in all directions to investigate. The news proved true. However, they were not coming to Mount Zhongnan for our sect, but were scheming against Xiaolongnü in the Tomb of the Living Dead.” Guo Jing said, puzzled, “She’s just a young girl who never goes out. How could she have made enemies of these evil heretics?” Qiu Chuji replied, “As for the exact details, since it didn’t concern us, we needn’t have bothered. But once this mob of evildoers reached Mount Zhongnan, we could not remain uninvolved. So we made every effort to gather information and learned that this affair had been stirred up by Xiaolongnü’s shijie².” Guo Jing said, “Li Mochou?”

Qiu Chuji said, “Indeed. It turned out that after their shifu had taught Li Mochou for a few years, she perceived her disciple’s inherently wicked nature and told her she had completed her training, ordering her to leave the mountain. While her shifu was alive, Li Mochou, though she committed evil, still had some restraint. Once her shifu died, she used the pretext of mourning to force her way into the Tomb of the Living Dead, intending to drive out her shimei. She knew she had not fully learned the ultimate arts of her grand shifu³ and shifu and wanted to search the tomb for martial arts manuals and other relics. But the tomb was laid with many ingenious traps. Li Mochou exhausted every scheme and only managed to pass through two tomb gates. At the third gate, she found a letter left by her shifu. Her shifu had long anticipated that she would come and had left this letter waiting for her. It stated: on a certain day of a certain month of a certain year, which would be her shimei’s eighteenth birthday, from that day forward her shimei would become the zhangmen of their school. The letter also urged her to sincerely reform her ways, or she would not meet a good end. This was to make clear that if she persisted in evil without repentance, her shimei, as zhangmen, would cleanse the school of her.

“Li Mochou was furious and tried to force the third gate, but fell into a trap her shifu had set in advance. Had Xiaolongnü not treated her injuries, she would have died on the spot. She knew the danger and had to withdraw, but how could she accept defeat so easily? She tried several more times, each attempt ending in disaster. The last time, she actually fought her shimei. At that time, Xiaolongnü was only fifteen or sixteen, yet her martial arts already far surpassed her shijie’s. Had she not held back, taking Li Mochou’s life would not have been difficult…”

Guo Jing interjected, “I fear the rumours in the jianghu may be inaccurate.” Qiu Chuji asked, “How so?” Guo Jing said, “My benefactor, Hero Ke,⁴ has fought Li Mochou twice. He says her martial arts are truly exceptional. Even Great Master Yideng’s senior disciple, Brother Wu Santong,⁵ was defeated by her. If Xiaolongnü is not yet twenty, no matter how good her skills, she could hardly surpass Li Mochou.”

Qiu Chuji said, “That was something Wang shidi heard from a friend in the Beggars’ Gang.⁶ Whether Xiaolongnü truly defeated her shijie Li Mochou. There was no third party present, so no one knows. It’s just that such rumours circulate in the jianghu. In any case, this made Li Mochou even more resentful. She knew her shifu had been partial, leaving the highest skills to her shimei. So she spread word that on a certain day of a certain month of a certain year, Xiaolongnü of the Tomb of the Living Dead would hold a martial arts contest to choose a husband…” At the words “martial arts contest to choose a husband,” Guo Jing immediately thought of what had happened to Yang Kang and Mu Nianci⁷ in the capital all those years ago and could not help letting out a soft “Ah.”

Qiu Chuji understood his thoughts and sighed as well. “She proclaimed: whoever could defeat Xiaolongnü would not only win her hand in marriage, but also receive all the rare treasures and martial arts manuals within the tomb. Those evil heretics originally had no idea who Xiaolongnü was, but Li Mochou spread word everywhere that her shimei’s beauty far surpassed her own. This Scarlet Serpent Immortal is said to be exceedingly beautiful. Her looks are rare not only in the wulin but even among the daughters of great houses.”

Guo Jing thought to himself, “What’s so remarkable about that? My Ronger is a hundred times more beautiful.”

Qiu Chuji continued, “Among the wicked figures of the jianghu, quite a few are infatuated with Li Mochou. But she favours none of them, and anyone who shows the slightest disrespect meets a vicious death. Now, hearing that she has a shimei even more beautiful, and that she is openly holding a martial arts contest for marriage, who wouldn’t want to try their hand?”

Guo Jing suddenly understood. “So all these people came seeking marriage. No wonder the Taoist brothers cursed me as a lecher and a demon.” Qiu Chuji laughed heartily, then continued, “We also learned that these evildoers were not entirely without fear of the Quanzhen Order. They gathered in force on Mount Zhongnan, and if we interfered, they planned to take the opportunity to wipe out the Quanzhen Order altogether. Once we had this information, we resolved to deal with the evildoers. We immediately sent out summons, calling together Taoists of all generations of our sect to assemble at Chongyang Palace ten days early. Only Liu shixiong⁸ and Sun shimei⁹ were in Shanxi and could not return in time. While drilling the Big Dipper Formation, we also sent a letter into the tomb, warning Xiaolongnü to be on guard. But once again, the letter went in with no reply. Xiaolongnü paid it no attention whatsoever.”

Guo Jing said, “Perhaps she is no longer in the tomb.” Qiu Chuji replied, “No. Looking out from the summit, every day we can see cooking smoke rising from behind the tomb. Look, it’s right over there.” He pointed west. Guo Jing followed his finger and saw the mountain lush and green to the west, over ten li¹⁰ of dense forest. He could not tell where the Tomb of the Living Dead lay. He imagined an eighteen-year-old girl spending all year in a tomb chamber. If it were the lively and active Ronger, she would truly die of boredom.

Qiu Chuji continued, “We brothers spent days arranging our defences. Five days ago, our scouts returned one after another and reported that the two most formidable among the evildoers were two great demon heads. They had agreed to first gather at Puguang Monastery below the mountain, using a palm strike on the stone tablet as their signal. You inadvertently struck the tablet and displayed astonishing power, sending my useless disciples and grand-disciples into a panic. Those two great demon heads are both disciples of Mongolian Esoteric Buddhism. Their martial arts are not weak. In their few appearances in the Central Plains this year, they have shaken the wulin. Living in seclusion on Peach Blossom Island,¹¹ cut off from the world, you would not know of them. The nobleman is a Mongol prince, said to be a close descendant of the Great Khan Genghis Khan¹² himself. Others call him Prince Huo Du.¹³ You spent a long time in the great desert and know the Mongol royal house well. Can you guess his origins?”

Guo Jing murmured “Prince Huo Du” several times, recalling the man’s appearance and manner, but could not think whose descendant he might be. He felt the man’s features were handsome and refined, his arrogance and cruelty mixed with considerable cunning. Genghis Khan had four sons: the eldest, Jochi, was fierce and heroic. The second, Chagatai, was hot-tempered yet shrewd. The third, Ögedei, now the Mongol Emperor, was generous and mild. The fourth, Tolui, was passionate and bold. None of them resembled this Huo Du in appearance.

Qiu Chuji said, “Perhaps he inflates his own status with wild boasts. That’s possible too. His martial arts belong to the Esoteric school. He came to the Central Plains early this year and immediately injured the Three Heroes of Henan. Later, on the Gansu-Liangzhou road, he single-handedly killed the Seven Tyrants of Lanzhou. His name instantly resounded across half the land. We never imagined he would involve himself in this affair. The other Mongol monk is called Da’erba.¹⁴ He possesses heaven-born divine strength, and his martial arts are entirely of the same school as Huo Du’s. He seems to be Huo Du’s shixiong or shishu. As a monk, he naturally hasn’t come to marry the girl. Most likely he’s here to help Huo Du.

“The rest of the lechers and villains, seeing these two take the lead, all gave up any thought of winning the bride. However, back then Li Mochou had loudly proclaimed that the ancient tomb held treasures piled like mountains and countless martial arts manuals: the manual of the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms,¹⁵ the techniques of the Yiyang Finger, and so on, all complete. Though the villains were half-doubtful, they figured that as long as they followed up the mountain and opened the ancient tomb, they could at least share in some of the spoils. That’s why over a hundred people came to Mount Zhongnan. Originally, our Big Dipper Formation could have blocked all these second-rate characters at the foot of the mountain. Even if we couldn’t capture them, we could have kept them from taking a single step near Chongyang Palace. But it was fate that our sect should suffer this calamity. The misunderstanding arose for no reason at all. Enough said.”

Guo Jing felt deeply apologetic and stammered, trying to say words of contrition. Qiu Chuji waved his hand and laughed. “Step out the door and laugh, free of all hindrance: clouds over West Lake, the moon in the sky. Palaces and halls, pavilions and chambers are all external things. Even the body and its shell are not worth begrudging. Why care about these external possessions? You’ve diligently cultivated your neili for over ten years. Can you still not see through this?” Guo Jing smiled too and answered, “Yes!” Qiu Chuji laughed. “In truth, when I watched the rear courtyard of Chongyang Palace burning in fierce flames, I too raged and stormed. Only now have I calmed down. Compared to Ma shixiong, who was free of attachment in that very moment, my cultivation is far, far inferior.” Guo Jing said, “With these villains bullying their way in for no reason at all, it’s no wonder the venerable master was angry.”

Qiu Chuji said, “The Big Dipper Grand Formation was fully occupied dealing with you. The two demon heads led a band of villains and seized the gap to attack the front of Chongyang Palace. They set fires as soon as they arrived. Hao shidi went out to fight Prince Huo Du. He was too careless, and Huo Du’s martial arts are of a unique style, bizarre and peculiar. Hao shidi was somewhat rash in his opening moves and took a palm to the chest. We hurriedly formed our formation to protect him. But missing Hao shidi, the disciple who filled his place was far inferior in skill and unfamiliar with the formation, so the formation’s power was limited. Had you not arrived in time, the Quanzhen Order would truly have suffered utter defeat today. Thinking back now, even if the disciples at the foot of the mountain hadn’t mistaken you for an enemy, those second-rate villains could not have climbed the mountain, but Da’erba and Huo Du could not have been stopped in the end. If those two had joined forces against our Big Dipper Formation, we would not have lost, but we could never have won as cleanly and decisively as you did…” Just as he reached this point, they heard a long, drawn-out wail from the west: someone was blowing a horn. The horn’s call was desolate and stirring. Hearing it, Guo Jing’s heart flew to the Yin Mountains,¹⁶ his spirit raced across the great desert, and he recalled the boundless yellow sands and endless plains of Mongolia.

Footnotes

1. 甘州 – Gānzhōu. Old name for the area around present-day Zhangye in Gansu province, a key city on the Silk Road. ↩

2. 师姊 – shījiě. Female senior. Both apprenticed to the same shifu. Shī means teacher. Jiě means older sister. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

3. 师祖 – shīzǔ. Grand Shifu — the shifu of one’s shifu, two rungs up. Not a rank: 宗师 is the grandmaster. See §IV.11e. ↩

4. 柯镇恶 – Kē Zhèn’è. His name meaning “subduing evil”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

5. 武三通 – Wǔ Sāntōng. His name meaning “three penetrations” or “three communications”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

6. 丐帮 – Gàibāng. Largest martial arts organisation in the jianghu, continued from LOCH era. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

7. 穆念慈 – Mù Niàncí. Her name meaning “cherishing kindness”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

8. Liu Chuxuan (刘处玄). One of the Seven Masters of Quanzhen, a disciple of Wang Chongyang. ↩

9. 孙不二 – Sūn Bùèr. Her name meaning “not two”, signifying non-duality. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

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

11. 桃花岛 – Táohuā Dǎo. Huang Yaoshi’s island stronghold, continued from LOCH era. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

12. 成吉思汗 – Chéngjísī Hán. Founder and first Great Khan of the Mongol Empire (c. 1162–1227). Guo Jing spent his youth among the Mongols and once served as a trusted general of Genghis Khan. ↩

13. 霍都王子 – Huòdū Wángzǐ. Literally Prince Huo Du; a Mongol princely title. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

14. 达尔巴 – Dá’ěrbā. Golden Wheel National Preceptor’s second disciple. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

15. 降龙十八掌 – Xiánglóng Shíbā Zhǎng. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

16. 阴山 – Yīn Shān. Mountain range in Inner Mongolia and northern China, historically the frontier between agricultural China and the nomadic steppe. ↩