The Return of the Condor Heroes Chapter 6 – Part 9

Hong Lingbo brought it up several times, but seeing that her shifu remained noncommittal, she secretly took note. She asked her shifu in detail about the route to the ancient tomb on Mount Zhongnan and privately drew a map, never knowing that Li Mochou had in fact not told her everything she knew. This time her shifu had sent her to Chang’an to kill an enemy whose martial arts were not particularly strong. After completing the task, she had come straight to Mount Zhongnan, only to encounter Yang Guo by chance. She ordered Yang Guo to use the short axe to hack through the obstructing brambles and undergrowth and find a path into the tomb.

Yang Guo thought to himself that hacking through brambles and thorns like this, they could thrash about for a year and a half and still not get near the ancient tomb. Playing dumb, he simply followed orders. They fussed about for the better part of a shichen. The sky had turned completely dark, and they had travelled less than a li, still extremely far from the ancient tomb. His concern for Xiaolongnü grew more urgent by the moment. He thought to himself that he could subdue this young Daoist nun on his own and need not fear any tricks from her. He swung the axe wildly a few times, aimed at a rock, and brought it down hard. Sparks flew in all directions, and the axe blade immediately curled. He shouted, “Ow, ow! There’s a big rock here. The axe is ruined. When I get home, Papa’s going to beat me for sure. Fairy Nun, I… I want to go home.”

Hong Lingbo had long since grown extremely anxious. At this rate, there was no way they could enter the tomb tonight. She could only curse, “Silly Egg, you’re not going home!” Yang Guo said, “Fairy Nun, are you afraid of ghosts?” Hong Lingbo said, “Ghosts are afraid of me. One sword stroke and I’ll split an evil ghost in two.” Yang Guo said happily, “You’re not lying to me?” Hong Lingbo said, “Why would I lie to you?” Yang Guo said, “Since the evil ghosts are afraid of you, I’ll take you to the big tomb. When the evil ghost comes out, you have to drive it away!” Hong Lingbo said overjoyed, “You know the way to the big tomb? Take me there, quickly.” Yang Guo was afraid she would grow suspicious and went on and on, demanding again and again that she promise to kill the evil ghost. Hong Lingbo reassured him repeatedly, telling him not to worry, saying she could kill ten evil ghosts if need be.

Yang Guo took her by the hand and led her out of the flowering thicket, turning onto the secret path to the ancient tomb. It was now approaching midnight, and neither stars nor moon gave any light. Yang Guo held her hand and felt it was warm, smooth, and soft. He marvelled inwardly: “Gugu and she are both women, how is it that Gugu’s hands are icy cold, while hers are so warm?” Without thinking, he squeezed her hand a few times. If anyone in the wulin had treated Hong Lingbo with such disrespect, she would have long since drawn her sword and cut them down. But she thought Yang Guo was a fool, and at this moment she needed his help. Moreover, seeing that he was handsome, she felt a certain fondness for him in her heart and did not grow angry. She thought to herself: “This Silly Egg isn’t completely stupid after all, he does know that I’m good-looking.”

In less than the time it takes to eat a meal, Yang Guo had led Hong Lingbo to the front of the tomb. When he had left, he had been in such a hurry to find medicine for Xiaolongnü that he had not closed the tomb door. His heart pounded wildly, and he prayed silently: “Please, let Gugu not be dead!” He then stepped inside. Hong Lingbo thought: “This Silly Egg has suddenly grown bold, that’s rather strange.” She had no time to ponder further and followed closely in the darkness. She had heard her shifu say that the paths inside the tomb twisted and turned, one wrong step and you would immediately lose your way. Yet she saw Yang Guo stride forward without the slightest hesitation, turning east here, winding west there, pushing open a door on this side, pulling aside a large stone on that side, thoroughly familiar with everything. Hong Lingbo grew secretly suspicious: “What’s so difficult about the paths in this tomb? Could it be that Shifu lied to me, afraid I would enter on my own?”

In moments, Yang Guo had led her to the centre of the ancient tomb, to Xiaolongnü’s bedchamber. He gently pushed open the door and listened carefully. Not the slightest sound. He was about to call out “Gugu!” but, remembering Hong Lingbo was at his side, he hurriedly held back and said in a low voice, “We’re here.”

By now the candle in the chamber had gone out, and it was pitch dark. Though Hong Lingbo was bold in skill and courage, she was still uneasy after all. She hurriedly took out her fire striker, struck a flame, and lit the candle on the table. She saw a woman in white lying on the bed. She had long expected to meet her shishu Xiaolongnü in the tomb, but she had never imagined she would be lying there so calmly and loftily. She could not tell whether she was deep in slumber or simply did not take her seriously. Holding her sword flat before her chest, she said, “Your disciple Hong Lingbo pays respects to shishu.”

Yang Guo’s mouth hung open, his heart nearly leaping out of his chest. He stared intently at Xiaolongnü, watching for any movement. She lay completely motionless. Only after a long while did she softly make a sound of acknowledgement. From the moment Hong Lingbo spoke to when Xiaolongnü answered, Yang Guo had waited in such acute anxiety that he wanted to throw himself forward, embrace his shifu, and weep aloud. Hearing her voice, it was as if a great stone had fallen from his heart. In his joy, he could hold back no longer and burst out crying. Hong Lingbo asked, “Silly Egg, what are you doing?” Yang Guo sobbed, “I… I’m so scared.”

Xiaolongnü slowly turned around and said in a low voice, “You don’t need to be afraid. Just now I died once, it wasn’t painful at all.” The moment Hong Lingbo saw her exquisitely beautiful face, peerless in its elegance, she was greatly startled: “Such a woman of absolute beauty exists in this world!” She could not help feeling ashamed of her own appearance. She said again, “Your disciple Hong Lingbo pays respects to shishu.” Xiaolongnü said softly, “Where is my shijie? Has she come too?” Hong Lingbo said, “My shifu ordered your disciple to come first and inquire after shishu’s health.” Xiaolongnü said, “Leave now. This place, even your shifu is not permitted to enter, let alone you.”

Hong Lingbo saw that her face was full of the signs of illness, her chest covered in patches of bloodstains, and her voice short of breath when she spoke, clearly she was severely injured. She set aside most of her wariness and thought to herself: “Truly, heaven-sent coincidence! I never imagined that I, Hong Lingbo, would become the inheritor of this Tomb of the Living Dead.” Seeing that Xiaolongnü was at death’s door, she feared she might suddenly die and no one would be able to tell her where the Jade Maiden Heart Sutra was kept. She hurriedly said, “Shishu, my shifu ordered your disciple to retrieve the Jade Maiden Heart Sutra. If you hand it over to me, your disciple will immediately treat your injuries.”

Xiaolongnü had trained for many years, and her seven emotions and six desires had originally all been suppressed to the point of near non-existence, it could be said that nothing in the world troubled her heart. But now, severely injured and having lost her self-control, hearing these words, she was overcome with both anxiety and fury and fainted. Hong Lingbo rushed forward and pressed the philtrum acupoint below her nose a few times. Xiaolongnü slowly regained consciousness and said, “Where is my shijie? Ask her to come. I have words… words to say to her.” Hong Lingbo saw that the unsurpassed secret manual of her own school was within easy reach. Impatient, she gave a cold laugh and took two long silver needles from within her robes. She said fiercely, “Shishu, do you recognise these needles? If you don’t hand over the Jade Maiden Heart Sutra quickly, don’t blame your disciple for being discourteous.”

Yang Guo had once suffered terribly from these Ice Spirit Silver Needles.¹ He had merely held one carelessly in his hand and been infected with a violent poison, if one were to pierce the body, what then? Seeing the situation was critical, he cried, “Fairy Nun, there’s a ghost over there! I’m scared!” He threw himself forward and wrapped his arms around her from behind, conveniently striking the “Shoulder Chastity” and “Capital Gate” acupoints on her back with his fingers. Hong Lingbo could never have dreamed that this “Silly Egg” possessed superior martial arts. She was about to curse him for talking nonsense when her entire body went numb and she collapsed limply to the ground. Yang Guo, afraid she might have the ability to unblock her own meridians, immediately struck her “Great Bone” acupoint several more times with heavy force. He said, “Gugu, this woman is truly evil. Shall I prick her a few times with these silver needles?” He wrapped his fingers in the hem of his clothing and picked up the silver needles.

Hong Lingbo’s body could not move, but she heard these words with perfect clarity. Seeing him pick up the silver needles and look at her with a grin, she was scared out of her wits. She wanted to plead for mercy, but the bitter truth was that she could not open her mouth. All she could do was show a look of pitiful appeal in her eyes. Xiaolongnü said, “Guoer, close the door, in case my shijie comes in.” Yang Guo answered, “Yes!” He was just about to turn around when he suddenly heard a sweet, alluring woman’s voice behind him say, “Shimei, how are you? I’ve been here for a while.”

Yang Guo spun around in shock. In the candlelight he saw a beautiful Daoist nun standing gracefully in the doorway, almond eyes, peach cheeks, the corners of her mouth seeming to hold a smile yet not quite smiling. It was none other than the Scarlet Serpent Immortal, Li Mochou.

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When Hong Lingbo had been asking about the paths inside the Tomb of the Living Dead, Li Mochou had long since guessed that she planned to go on her own to steal the Jade Maiden Heart Sutra. Sending her to Chang’an to kill someone and everything else had been deliberately arranged. She had been secretly following behind the entire time and had seen how she met Yang Guo, how she entered the tomb, how she tried to force Xiaolongnü to hand over the sutra, and how she fell into the trap and was captured. It was only because her own body movements were swift and her steps light that Hong Lingbo, Xiaolongnü, and Yang Guo had not noticed her at all. Only now did she reveal herself.

Xiaolongnü started up abruptly and cried, “Shijie!” Then she broke into a fit of coughing. Li Mochou asked, “Where is Granny Sun?” Xiaolongnü said, “Granny Sun is dead!” Li Mochou felt even more at ease. Xiaolongnü saw that upon hearing of Granny Sun’s death, a look of pleasure actually appeared on Li Mochou’s face, and she inwardly reproached her for her cold and unfeeling nature.

Li Mochou pointed coldly at Yang Guo. “Who is this person? The founding grandmaster’s last instructions were that no stinking man may set even one step inside the ancient tomb. Why have you allowed him to stay here?” Xiaolongnü was coughing violently and could not answer. Yang Guo stepped in front of Xiaolongnü to shield her and said clearly, “She is my gugu. The affairs of this place are none of your business!” Li Mochou laughed coldly. “What a good Silly Egg, you really can put on an act!” Her fly-whisk swept out, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, three moves in succession. Though these three moves were delivered one after another, they seemed to arrive simultaneously, precisely one of the formidable techniques of the Ancient Tomb School’s martial arts. A practitioner of any other school who did not understand the mysteries within would be struck down with broken bones and snapped tendons the moment they engaged. Yang Guo had trained this skill until it was thoroughly familiar. Though his skill was far inferior to Li Mochou’s in depth, he still evaded her three-moves-in-one “Three Sparrows Cast Into the Forest” with light, effortless grace.

Li Mochou pulled back her fly-whisk, secretly startled. She saw that the body movement he used to evade was none other than her own school’s martial arts. She shouted sternly, “Shimei, who is this little thief?” Xiaolongnü, afraid of vomiting blood again, dared not speak loudly. She said in a low voice, “Guoer, pay your respects to your eldest shibo.” Yang Guo spat. “What kind of shibo is she?” Xiaolongnü said, “Lean close, I have something to tell you.”

Footnotes

1. 冰魄银针 – Bīngpò Yínzhēn. Soul-Freezing Silver Needles, Li Mochou’s signature hidden weapons, silver needles coated with deadly poison. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩