The Return of the Condor Heroes Chapter 4 – Part 6

Listening further, he suddenly sensed a faint murderous intent in the horn’s call, as though issuing a challenge. Qiu Chuji’s face showed anger. “Wretched creature, wretched creature!” He gazed at the forest to the west and said, “Jing’er, that villain made a ten-year pact with you, deluding himself that during those ten years he can run rampant as he pleases without your interference. Does he think the world works so conveniently? Let us go!” Guo Jing asked, “Is it Prince Huo Du?” Qiu Chuji replied, “Who else? He is challenging Xiaolongnü.” As he spoke, he flew down the mountain. Guo Jing followed behind.

The two men had travelled about a li when the horn sounded even more urgently. Amid the wailing notes came the clang of metal striking metal, clearly Da’erba had joined in too. Qiu Chuji raged, “Two renowned martial arts masters ganging up to bully a young girl. How utterly shameless.” His steps quickened. In moments, the two reached the mountainside and rounded a stone wall. Before Guo Jing’s eyes lay a vast, dark forest. Outside it stood over a hundred people, tall and short, the same evildoers who had just besieged Chongyang Palace. The two men concealed themselves behind the stone wall and observed.

Prince Huo Du and Da’erba stood side by side. Huo Du raised his horn and blew. Da’erba held a great golden pestle high in his left hand while striking a golden bracelet on his right wrist against it, producing clanging sounds that echoed the horn’s call, trying to lure Xiaolongnü out. The two made their noise for some time, but the forest remained utterly silent, without the slightest sound.

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Huo Du lowered his horn and declared in a clear voice, “I, Huo Du of the Mongols, respectfully offer my congratulations on Miss Long’s blessed birthday.” As his words ended, three notes of a zither rang out from the forest, zheng, zheng, zheng, as though Xiaolongnü were answering with her instrument. Huo Du was overjoyed and continued, “I have heard that Miss Long has proclaimed to the world that today she will hold a martial arts contest to choose a husband. Though unworthy, I have come to seek your guidance and beg that you not begrudge me your instruction.” Suddenly, the zither’s notes grew fierce and agitated, thick with anger. Even those evildoers who understood nothing of music could tell that the player’s heart was far from calm and that she was sending them away.

Huo Du laughed. “I come from a noble and illustrious house, and my appearance is not unseemly. To win a fine match would hardly disgrace you. You are a heroine of this age. There is no need for shyness.” At these words, the zither’s melody rose even higher, carrying an unmistakable note of rebuke.

Huo Du glanced at Da’erba, and the monk nodded. Huo Du said, “Since the young lady refuses to show herself, I shall have to insist.” He put away his horn, waved his right hand, and strode boldly into the forest. The mob surged forward behind him, all thinking, “Even the renowned Quanzhen Order couldn’t stop us. What can a lone young girl like Xiaolongnü possibly do?” But fearing that others might get ahead and seize the tomb’s treasures first, each man scrambled to be first, pouring into the forest.

Qiu Chuji shouted, “This is the former residence of the Quanzhen patriarch, the Chongyang Perfected One. Withdraw at once!” The crowd heard his cry and hesitated briefly, but their feet did not slow. Qiu Chuji raged, “Jing’er, let us act!” The two emerged from behind the stone wall and were about to charge into the forest when they suddenly heard the mob shouting and fleeing back out.

Qiu Chuji and Guo Jing froze. They saw dozens of men running for their lives, and then Huo Du and Da’erba also came rushing out, their discomfiture far exceeding their earlier retreat from Chongyang Palace. Both men were astonished. “What method did Xiaolongnü use to drive away the evildoers?” The thought had barely flashed through their minds when they heard a buzzing sound approaching from afar. Under the moonlight, they saw a white, hazy mass of something flying swiftly out of the forest, swooping towards the evildoers’ heads. Guo Jing asked in wonder, “What is that?” Qiu Chuji shook his head without answering, staring intently. Among the jianghu fighters, a few who ran slower were struck on the head by the swarm and collapsed at once, clutching their heads and howling.

Guo Jing cried in alarm, “It’s a swarm of bees! Why are they white?” Even as he spoke, the jade-coloured bees stung five or six more people. Over a dozen men rolled on the ground before the forest, their screams horrifying, chilling to hear. Guo Jing thought, “Even if stung by bees, it can’t be so painful as to make them squeal like slaughtered pigs. Could these jade bees carry an extraordinary venom?” He saw a grey blur shift, and the swarm of jade bees, like a plume of thick smoke, came rushing towards him and Qiu Chuji.

Seeing the ferocious approach of the swarm, impossible to withstand, Guo Jing was about to turn and flee when Qiu Chuji gathered his qi in his dantian,¹ opened his mouth, and blew a great gust of breath at the swarm. The bees, flying at full speed, suddenly met a powerful wind and faltered. As Qiu Chuji finished one breath, he immediately released a second. Guo Jing caught the technique and joined in, channelling his strength into his breath, merging it with Qiu Chuji’s into a single continuous stream. Both men used the supreme techniques of orthodox Xuanmen. The bee swarm could not withstand it. The foremost several hundred bees were deflected off course and swept past the two men, resuming their pursuit of Huo Du, Da’erba, and the others.

By now, the cries of the dozen or so people rolling on the ground had grown even more agonising, calling for their fathers and mothers, wailing in misery. Some even cried out, “This humble one knows his error! Please, Fairy Miss Long, save me!” Guo Jing was secretly horrified. “These men are all desperadoes of the jianghu. Even if you cut off an arm or a leg, they might not beg for mercy or cry out in pain. How can the sting of a tiny bee be so fearsome?”

Then the sound of a zither came from the forest, and a faint white smoke rose above the treetops. Qiu Chuji and Guo Jing caught an intensely sweet fragrance of flowers. Before long, the buzzing drew near again. The jade bees, smelling the floral scent, flew back into the forest. Xiaolongnü had burned incense to recall them.

Qiu Chuji had been Xiaolongnü’s neighbour for eighteen years and had never known she possessed such abilities. He felt both admiration and amusement and said, “Had I known our fair neighbour was so divinely capable, the Quanzhen Order could have saved itself a great deal of trouble.” Though these words were addressed to Guo Jing, he projected them with his qi, intending Xiaolongnü to hear. Sure enough, the zither’s melody in the forest softened, becoming gentle and serene, clearly expressing gratitude for his noble sentiment. Qiu Chuji laughed heartily and called out, “Miss, no need for excessive courtesy. I, the poor Taoist Qiu Chuji, along with my disciple Guo Jing, respectfully offer congratulations on your blessed birthday.” The zither sounded twice in reply, as if acknowledging the greeting, then fell silent.

Guo Jing, hearing the pitiful cries of those men, said, “Venerable master, how can we save these people?” Qiu Chuji replied, “Miss Long will handle it herself. Let us go.”

The two turned and headed back east. On the way, Guo Jing again entreated Qiu Chuji to accept Yang Guo as a disciple. Qiu Chuji sighed. “Your Uncle Yang Tiexin² was a heroic man. How could he be without descendants? In Yang Kang coming to such an end, I too bear some fault. Rest assured, I will devote my heart and strength to raising this child to adulthood.” Guo Jing was overjoyed and knelt right there on the mountain path to give thanks.

Chatting as they walked, the two returned to the front of Chongyang Palace. The sky had already brightened. The Taoists were tidying the smouldering ruins of the rear courtyard, clearing away tiles and stones.

Qiu Chuji assembled the Taoists and introduced Guo Jing. Pointing to the long-bearded Taoist who had commanded the Big Dipper Grand Formation, he said, “This is Wang shidi’s senior disciple, named Zhao Zhijing.³ Among the third-generation disciples, his martial arts are the most refined. Let him guide Guoer’s training.”

Guo Jing had crossed hands with this man and knew his martial arts were indeed impressive. Delighted, he had Yang Guo perform the ceremony of taking a shifu before Zhao Zhijing, and he himself expressed his profound thanks to Zhao Zhijing.

He lingered on Mount Zhongnan for several days, earnestly admonishing and instructing Yang Guo, explaining in detail that the Quanzhen Order’s martial arts were the orthodox school of wugong,⁴ that back then Wang Chongyang’s martial arts had been number one under heaven, unmatched by any grandmaster of any school. The reason he himself had been able to defeat the Taoists, he explained, was simply that the Taoists had not yet trained to the highest level. It was not that the Quanzhen martial arts were inferior. But Yang Guo was convinced that Guo Jing and his wife simply did not want to teach him skills and were foisting him off on someone else. Moreover, he had witnessed with his own eyes the Taoists breaking their swords and falling in disarray. No matter how many times Guo Jing explained, Yang Guo nodded and agreed verbally, but in his heart he refused to believe a word. Guo Jing settled Yang Guo in, bade farewell to everyone, and returned to Peach Blossom Island.

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Qiu Chuji reflected on how, all those years ago, he had taught Yang Kang martial arts while allowing him to live in comfort and luxury in the prince’s mansion, ultimately leading to grave error. He thought, “Since ancient times, strict teachers produce outstanding disciples, and the rod produces filial sons. This time, I must be strict with Guoer in discipline and instruction, so as not to repeat his father’s mistakes.” He summoned Yang Guo and delivered a stern lecture, ordering him to endure hardship, obey his shifu in all things, and not be the slightest bit negligent.

Yang Guo had already been deeply unwilling to remain on Mount Zhongnan. Now, receiving an undeserved scolding for no reason, he was filled with indignation. Holding back his tears, he agreed at the time, but as soon as Qiu Chuji walked away, he could not help bursting into loud sobs. Suddenly, a cold voice came from behind him. “What’s this? Did Grandmaster say something wrong?”

Startled, Yang Guo stopped crying and turned. Standing behind him was none other than his shifu, Zhao Zhijing. He quickly lowered his hands and said, “No.” Zhao Zhijing asked, “Then why are you crying?” Yang Guo replied, “This disciple was thinking of Uncle Guo and felt sad.” Zhao Zhijing had clearly heard Grandmaster Qiu’s stern lecture, yet the boy claimed he was crying over Guo Jing. Displeased, he thought, “This child is so cunning at such a young age. If I don’t punish him severely, how will he ever reform?” His face darkened as he barked, “You dare lie to your shifu?”

Footnotes

1. 丹田 – dāntián. Literally cinnabar field. Primary energy centre below the navel, where qi is stored and cultivated. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

2. 杨铁心 – Yáng Tiěxīn. His name meaning “iron heart”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

3. 赵志敬 – Zhào Zhìjìng. His name meaning “aspiring to reverence”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

4. 武功 – wǔgōng. Martial arts skill, the general term for martial techniques and the cultivation of martial ability. ↩