The Heavenly Sword & the Dragon Sabre – Chapter 10: The Centennial Birthday Feast That Shatters the Heart

The hundredth birthday feast becomes a heart-rending tragedy as long-buried truths come to light.

Several days passed, and it was the eighth of the fourth month. Zhang Sanfeng reflected that tomorrow was his hundredth birthday, and his disciples would surely make a grand celebration of it. Though Yu Daiyan’s disability and Zhang Cuishan’s disappearance left something to be desired, still, to live to the age of a hundred in one’s lifetime was no small blessing. Moreover, the “Taiji Skill”¹ he had been cultivating in closed-door meditation had now yielded its deepest secrets, and from this day forward the Wudang Order could surely shine brilliantly in the wulin, not inferior to the Shaolin Order’s arts transmitted from Bodhidharma’s journey eastward from India. Early that morning, he emerged from seclusion.

With a clear whistle, his sleeves trembled slightly, and the two panel doors creaked open. The first person Zhang Sanfeng saw was none other than Zhang Cuishan, whom he had missed for ten long years.

He rubbed his eyes, thinking he must be seeing things. Zhang Cuishan had already thrown himself into his arms, sobbing and calling out “Shifu!” again and again. In the tumult of his emotions, he quite forgot to kneel and kowtow. Song Yuanqiao and the other five cried out in unison: “Shifu, great fortune! Fifth Brother has returned!”

Zhang Sanfeng had lived a hundred years and cultivated the Way for over eighty of them. His heart was clear and empty, long since untroubled by worldly attachments. Yet his bond with these seven disciples was as that between father and son, and seeing Zhang Cuishan suddenly before him, he could not help but clutch him tightly, tears of joy streaming down his face.

The brothers attended to their master, helping him comb his hair, wash, and change his robes. Zhang Cuishan did not dare yet report his troubles, speaking instead of the strange sights and wonders of Ice and Fire Island. When Zhang Sanfeng heard that he had taken a wife, he was all the more delighted, saying, “Where is your wife? Bring her to see me at once.” Zhang Cuishan dropped to his knees and said, “Shifu, your disciple has been presumptuous. When I took a wife, I was unable to inform you, my master.” Zhang Sanfeng stroked his beard and laughed, “You were ten years on Ice and Fire Island, unable to return. Should you have waited ten more years until you could inform me first, and only then taken a wife? Ridiculous, ridiculous! Get up now. There is no need for apologies. When has Zhang Sanfeng ever had a hidebound, inflexible disciple?” Zhang Cuishan remained kneeling, saying, “But my wife’s origins are not… proper. She… she is the daughter of the Yin, the Leader of the Tianying Order.”

Zhang Sanfeng continued to stroke his beard and smile. “What does that matter? So long as your wife is of good character, that is enough. And even if her character were wanting, once she comes to our mountain, could we not gradually transform her through quiet influence? And what of the Tianying Order? Cuishan, the first rule for a man is not to be narrow-minded. Never style yourself a member of some ‘orthodox and righteous school’ and look down on everyone else. These two characters, ‘righteous’ and ‘unrighteous,’ are originally hard to distinguish. A disciple of a righteous school who harbours crooked intentions is himself an unrighteous man. A man among the unorthodox who sets his heart sincerely on goodness is a true gentleman.”

Zhang Cuishan was overwhelmed with relief. He had never imagined that a burden he had carried for ten years could be dismissed by his master with two gentle sentences. His face brightened, and he rose at once, hurrying to fetch Yin Susu to meet their master. Zhang Sanfeng was pleased when he saw Yin Susu and spoke a few words of comfort and encouragement. She paid her respects, then withdrew to her quarters.

Zhang Sanfeng said to Zhang Cuishan, “Your father-in-law, I have long admired him in spirit. I greatly respect his prowess. He is a forthright and noble man. Though his temperament is somewhat extreme and his ways unconventional, he is no base villain. We would do well to befriend such a man.” Song Yuanqiao and the others thought to themselves, Shifu’s affection for Fifth Brother is truly deep. He loves the house and even its crows.² He is even willing to befriend that great arch-demon, his father-in-law. Just then, a Daoist acolyte entered to announce: “The Tianying Order’s Leader Yin has sent someone to present gifts to Fifth Uncle Zhang!”

Zhang Sanfeng laughed. “Your father-in-law is sending betrothal gifts! Cuishan, go welcome the guests!” Zhang Cuishan responded, “Yes!”

Yin Liting said, “I’ll go with Fifth Brother.” Zhang Songxi laughed, “It’s not as though Old Hero Ji, the Golden Whip, is sending gifts. What are you rushing for?” Yin Liting’s face flushed, but he followed Zhang Cuishan out regardless.

In the main hall stood two middle-aged men wearing clerical caps and straight-cut robes, dressed in the manner of household retainers. Seeing Zhang Cuishan emerge, they both stepped forward and knelt, saying, “We trust our son-in-law is well. Your humble servants Yin Wufu and Yin Wulu pay our respects. Our brother Yin Wushou has asked us to convey his regards to our son-in-law as well.” Zhang Cuishan returned their bow and said, “Please rise, Steward.” He thought to himself, These retainers’ names are most peculiar. Servants are always given names like ‘Peace, Auspiciousness, Fortune, Prosperity, and Longevity.’ Why are these two called ‘No Fortune’ and ‘No Emoluments’? And there is yet another called ‘No Longevity’? He noticed that Yin Wufu bore a long knife scar across his face, running from his right temple, past the tip of his nose, to the left corner of his mouth. Yin Wulu’s face was pockmarked all over. Both were exceedingly ugly, both in their forties or fifties.

Zhang Cuishan said, “I trust my father-in-law and mother-in-law are both well? I had intended to wait until we had settled in somewhat before bringing your young lady to pay respects to her elders, yet your honoured parents have thought to inquire first. How dare we be so presumptuous? You have travelled far and must be weary. Please sit and have some tea.”

Yin Wufu and Yin Wulu did not dare sit. Respectfully, they presented the gift list, saying, “Our master and mistress say these are but trifling gifts, and beg that our son-in-law will graciously accept them.”

Zhang Cuishan said, “Many thanks!” He opened the gift list and could not help but start. On more than a dozen sheets of gilt paper, two hundred items were listed in all. The first was “A pair of jade lions,” the second “A pair of jade phoenixes.” After countless jewels came “One hundred fine purple wolf-hair brushes,” “Forty sticks of tribute Tang ink,” “One hundred bundles of Xuanhe mulberry paper,” “Eight supreme-quality Duan inkstones.” The Leader of the Tianying Order, learning that his son-in-law was skilled in calligraphy, had sent a large quantity of extremely precious writing materials. The remaining items, clothing, caps, belts, ornaments, and utensils, left nothing wanting. Yin Wufu turned and went out, leading ten porters inside, each carrying a pair of loaded baskets, which they set down along one side of the hall.

Zhang Cuishan hesitated. “I have been poor since childhood, and our mountain life is simple. What use have I for these treasures? Yet if I refuse such generous gifts from my father-in-law from so far away, that would be discourteous.” He could only give thanks and accept them, saying, “Your young lady is fatigued from the journey and slightly unwell. Please stay on the mountain a few more days, and see her then.” Yin Wufu said, “Our master and mistress are most concerned for their daughter and have instructed us to report back at once. If it would not overly trouble the young lady, we would like to pay our respects to her and then depart immediately.”

Zhang Cuishan said, “In that case, please wait a moment.” He went back to his wife and told her. Yin Susu was overjoyed and came to the side hall to meet the two retainers, asking after the health of her parents and brother, and pressing them to eat before they left. Yin Wufu and Yin Wulu immediately took their leave of their son-in-law and young lady.

Zhang Cuishan thought to himself, My father-in-law and mother-in-law have sent such lavish gifts that I ought to give these two men a generous reward. But even if I gathered all the silver on the mountain, I might not have enough to give handsomely. He was easygoing by nature and did not dwell on it, saying with a smile, “Your young lady has married a poor husband who cannot afford to give rewards. Please don’t laugh at us.” Yin Wufu said, “We would not dare. To have seen the face of Wudang’s Fifth Xia is worth more than a gift of a thousand gold.” Zhang Cuishan thought, This steward speaks with refinement, as though he were a man of letters. He escorted them to the inner gate. Yin Wufu said, “Please stay here, son-in-law. We hope you and the young lady will visit soon, so that our master and mistress need not grieve with longing. The entire cult looks up to the son-in-law’s example.” Zhang Cuishan smiled.

Yin Wulu said, “There is one small matter I must report to our son-in-law. On the way up the mountain with the gifts, my brother and I encountered three escort agents at an inn in Xiangyang. In the course of their conversation, they mentioned our son-in-law.” Zhang Cuishan said, “Oh? What did they say?” Yin Wulu said, “One of them said, ‘The Seven Xias of Wudang have done us a great kindness, but the seventy-odd lives of the Longmen Armed Escort cannot simply be forgotten.’ The three of them said they could no longer involve themselves in the matter and intended to go to Kaifeng to invite the old hero Tan Ruilai, known as ‘Divine Spear Shaking the Eight Directions,’ to reason with our son-in-law about this affair.” Zhang Cuishan nodded without speaking. Yin Wulu reached into his robe and produced three small banners, presenting them to Zhang Cuishan with both hands, saying, “My brother and I, hearing that those three escort agents dared to move against the son-in-law, have taken this matter upon ourselves, upon the Tianying Order.” Zhang Cuishan saw the three small banners and was startled. The first bore an embroidered fierce tiger, crouching and roaring at the sky, naturally the banner of the Tiger Crouch Armed Escort. The second showed a white crane soaring among the clouds, the banner of the Jinyang Armed Escort, whose chief was Cloud Crane Yun He. The third had nine swallows embroidered in gold thread, incorporating both the “Yan” of the Yan Cloud Armed Escort and the “Jiu” of their chief Gong Jiujia.

Zhang Cuishan asked in surprise, “How did you come by their escort banners?” Yin Wufu said, “Our son-in-law is the Tianying Order’s honoured son-in-law. What are Qi Tianbiao and Gong Jiujia? Knowing full well that the Seven Xias of Wudang have done them a kindness, they still wished to invite that old fool Tan Ruilai from Kaifeng to trouble our son-in-law. Was that not beyond all reason? When we heard those three escort agents’ impertinent words…” Zhang Cuishan said, “It was not truly impertinent.” Yin Wufu said, “That is our son-in-law’s magnanimity, beyond what ordinary men can match. We three are narrow-minded by comparison, so we dealt with those three escort agents and took their banners.”

Zhang Cuishan was taken aback. Qi Tianbiao and the others were all heroes who dominated their regions, long established in the jianghu. Though they could not be counted among the very top fighters in the wulin, each possessed unique skills. How could three of his father-in-law’s retainers speak of dealing with them so casually? But if Yin Wufu were boasting, they clearly held these three banners, and even stealing them in secret would not have been easy, let alone taking them openly. Could they have used incense or drugged them at the inn, overpowering the three chiefs? He asked, “How exactly did you obtain these banners?”

Yin Wufu said, “At the time, our third brother Wushou stepped forward and issued a challenge, saying that the Tianying Order found those three worthless escort chiefs offensive, and invited them to a contest at Xiangyang’s south gate, three of them against three of us. It was agreed that if they lost, they would leave their banners, sever one arm each, and never set foot near Wudang Mountain again for the rest of their lives.” Zhang Cuishan found it more astonishing with every word, and dared not underestimate these two retainers any longer. He asked, “And then?” Yin Wufu said, “Afterwards, there was nothing much. They left their banners, cut off their own left arms, and said they would never dare approach Wudang Mountain again.”

Zhang Cuishan was secretly alarmed: “These Tianying Order people act with terrifying ruthlessness.” He could not help but frown. Yin Wulu said, “If our son-in-law considers our punishment too lenient, we can pursue them and finish the three off.” Zhang Cuishan said hastily, “Not too lenient! Not too lenient at all! It was more than heavy enough.” Yin Wufu said, “We reasoned that since we were coming to present gifts to our son-in-law, it was a joyous occasion. Taking lives would be inauspicious.” Zhang Cuishan said, “Indeed, you thought of everything. Where is your third brother? Why didn’t he come with you?” Yin Wufu said, “After we drove off those three escort agents, we feared that old man Tan might eventually hear of it and, not knowing what is good for him, come troubling our son-in-law after all. So Yin Wushou has gone to Kaifeng.”

Footnotes

1. 太极功 – Tàijí Gōng. The Taiji Skill, an internal cultivation art based on the principles of yin and yang. Zhang Sanfeng’s deep understanding of this art would later form the foundation for his creation of Taiji Fist and Taiji Swordplay. ↩

2. 爱屋及乌 – ài wū jí wū. Literally love the house and even its crows. A Chinese idiom for loving someone so much that one extends affection even to things associated with them. ↩