The Heavenly Sword & the Dragon Sabre Chapter 11 Part 4

But Monk Peng¹ said in a clear voice, “Altar Master Bai² has been gravely wounded by you all, and though I, Monk Peng, have ties with him besides, even were there no connection at all between us, I could not see a man dying and offer no aid.” The long-bearded Daoist said, “What 'see him dying and offer no aid'? We do not mean to take his life. We only wish to ask him after a certain man.” Monk Peng said, “If you would ask after Xie Xun's³ whereabouts, why not go and ask the abbot of Shaolin Monastery?”⁴

A grey-robed monk cried out, “That is the wicked scheme of that witch of the Tianying Order,⁵ Yin Susu,⁶ to fix the blame on our Shaolin Monastery. Who would believe it?” This monk was plainly of the Shaolin Order.⁷ Hearing him name his dead mother, Zhang Wuji⁸ felt both proud and grieved, and thought to himself, My mother has been dead two years, yet still she can set your heads spinning.

Suddenly the Daoist standing in the outer ring cried, “Our own people, down, all of you!” At the word the six threw themselves to the ground, and a flash of white was seen as five flying knives, whistling on the wind, shot straight at Monk Peng’s chest. Ordinarily Monk Peng need only have bowed his head and bent low, or pitched forward, or thrown himself back in the Iron Bridge, and let the knives pass over, but at that moment six weapons swept up together from the ground, sealing off his lower approaches. How then could he crouch and dodge?

Zhang Wuji started. He saw Monk Peng suddenly leap high, and the five flying knives passed beneath his feet. The knives he had avoided, but the Shaolin monks’ Chan staff and precept-dao, and the long-bearded Daoist’s jian, were already striking at his legs. Caught in mid-air, Monk Peng was forced to a desperate move: his left palm struck out, and with a thud landed on a Shaolin monk’s head. Then his right hand hooked back, snatched the precept-dao from the man’s grasp, parried the Chan staff with it, and, borrowing the force, sprang a good ten feet away.

The Shaolin monk, struck a heavy palm-blow on the crown of his skull, died on the instant. The rest gave angry cries and pursued, but Monk Peng was seen to stagger and nearly fall, and the seven ringed him in once more. The Shaolin monk with the Chan staff was like a maddened tiger, smashing the staff straight up and down, shouting, “Monk Peng, you have killed my shidi.⁹ I will have your life for it!” The long-bearded Daoist cried, “His leg has taken my Scorpion-Tail Hook.¹⁰ The poison will work in a moment.” And sure enough Monk Peng’s feet were unsteady beneath him, and he stumbled and reeled, unable to keep his footing.

Chang Yuchun¹¹ thought, He is a great man of my Ming Order.¹² I must save him! Grievously wounded as he was, he still meant to rush out to the rescue. He drew a sharp breath and took a great stride out with his left foot. But the breath came too fast and the stride was too wide. It wrenched the internal injury in his chest, and the pain nearly made him faint away. By now Monk Peng had sprung ten feet or so and then crashed to the ground, seemingly dead of the poison. Forcing down the pain, Chang Yuchun could only open his eyes wide and watch. He saw that the seven, for their part, did not dare go near Monk Peng.

The long-bearded Daoist said, “Xu shidi, try him with two of your flying knives.” The Daoist who threw the knives flicked his right hand, and with two cracks one knife struck into Monk Peng’s right shoulder and one into his left leg. Monk Peng did not stir at all. Plainly he was dead. The long-bearded Daoist said, “A pity! A pity! He is dead, and we still do not know where he has hidden Bai Guishou.”

The seven closed in together to look. Suddenly came five quick reports: bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, and five men were flung outward at once, while Monk Peng had risen to his feet, the flying knives still lodged in his shoulder and leg. For, his leg having taken a poisoned dart, he had known he could not fight on, and had feigned death to draw the enemy near. Then, with the speed of thunder and lightning, he had loosed palm-blow after palm-blow, printing one palm on each of the five men’s chests. All the while he lay on the ground he had been secretly gathering his qi,¹³ and these five palm-blows were fierce and hard indeed.

Ji Xiaofu¹⁴ and her shijie¹⁵ of the same order, Ding Minjun,¹⁶ in great alarm sprang hastily aside, and looking at their five companions, they saw each one spewing blood from the mouth, and the two secular men, whose skill was the weaker, crying out ceaselessly in agony. But Monk Peng, from that violent surge of force, was himself swaying and near collapse, unable to stand firm. The long-bearded Daoist cried, “Ladies Ding and Ji, quick, run him through with your jian!”

Of the nine on the two opposing sides, one Shaolin monk was dead, and Monk Peng and five of his foes were all gravely hurt. Only Ji Xiaofu and Ding Minjun were unharmed. Ding Minjun thought, As if I did not know how to use a jian, that you must tell me! Her long jian went in the move “Feint Stroke Cleaving Gold,”¹⁷ slicing straight at Monk Peng’s shin. Monk Peng heaved a long sigh and closed his eyes to await death, but he heard a clang of weapons meeting, and opening his eyes, he saw that Ji Xiaofu had put out her jian and turned aside her shijie’s blade.

Ding Minjun was taken aback. “What is this?” Ji Xiaofu said, “Shijie, Monk Peng stayed his hand in mercy beneath his palm. We too must not press him to utter destruction.” Ding Minjun said, “What mercy? His palm had no more strength in it.” Then sharply, “Monk Peng, my shimei¹⁸ is soft-hearted and has spared your life. Now, where is Bai Guishou? You had best tell us.”

Monk Peng laughed up at the sky, and said, “Lady Ding, you think far too little of Peng Yingyu. Zhang Cuishan,¹⁹ the Fifth Xia of the Wudang Order, chose to cut his own throat rather than reveal the place where his sworn brother lay hidden. Peng Yingyu honours Zhang the Fifth Xia’s loyal heart and ardent spirit. Unworthy though I am, I mean to learn from him.” At this a mouthful of blood burst from him, and he sank down to the ground. Ding Minjun stepped forward and kicked him thrice in the side of the waist, so that he could launch no more surprise blows.

These few words of Monk Peng’s set the hot blood surging in Zhang Wuji’s breast. At once he felt both close to him and grateful. When his father Zhang Cuishan had cut his throat and died, the folk of the renowned and orthodox schools, speaking of it, would always say, “Such a fine young hero, and yet ruined by a witch of a heretic cult, one false step, and a regret for all the ages, brought at last to death and disgrace, and dragging the whole Wudang Order into shame with him.” These words Zhang Wuji never heard, but from the talk and looks of his grand shifu and his shibo and shishu²⁰ he could see that, for all their grief, they bore toward his mother a good deal of anger, resentment, and reproach, holding that in his father’s whole life all had been good save that he had married the wrong woman, yet never had one of them, as Monk Peng did, admired his father from the heart.

Ding Minjun said with a cold laugh, “Zhang Cuishan was blind, that he went and took a witch of a heretic cult to wife. That is what is called sinking of one’s own will into baseness. What is there in it to learn from? His Wudang Order… “ Ji Xiaofu broke in, “Shijie… “ Ding Minjun said, “Never fear. I shall not carry it as far as Yin the Sixth Xia.”²¹ She flourished her long jian and pointed it at Monk Peng’s right eye, saying, “If you will not speak, I shall first put out your right eye, then your left, then pierce your right ear deaf, then your left, then slice off your nose. In a word, I shall not let you die.” The point of her jian was less than half an inch from Monk Peng’s eyeball, its glittering tip trembling without cease.

Monk Peng opened his eyes wide and did not so much as blink, saying coolly, “I have long heard that Miejue Shitai²² of the Emei Order²³ is cruel and ruthless in her ways, and the disciples she trains up can be no better. Peng Yingyu has fallen into your hands this day. Come, then, show me the Emei Order’s masterwork!” Ding Minjun’s brows shot up, and she said sharply, “You dead baldpate, you dare insult my order?” Her long jian thrust forward, and in an instant put out Peng Yingyu’s right eye. Then its point came to rest on his left eyelid.

Peng Yingyu laughed aloud, blood streaming from his right eye, while his one left eye glared wide open at her. Under his glare Ding Minjun felt her flesh creep, and she snapped, “You are not even of the Tianying Order. Why throw your life away for Bai Guishou?” Peng Yingyu said sternly, “The way a true man carries himself, were I to tell you, you would not understand it.”

Ding Minjun saw that, powerless to resist though he was, his look was one of deep contempt for her. In her fury she thrust her long jian out to pierce his left eye. Ji Xiaofu swept her blade up and lightly turned it aside, saying, “Shijie, this monk is hard as iron. Whatever we do, he will never speak, and to kill him is but a wasted stroke.” Ding Minjun said, “He calls our shifu²⁴ cruel and ruthless. Well, I shall show him cruel and ruthless. Such demon-folk of the demonic cult,²⁵ left in the world, only harm good people the more. To kill one is to lay up a measure of merit.” Ji Xiaofu said, “This man too is a stout fellow. Shijie, to my mind, let him go.”

Ding Minjun said in a clear voice, “Here of the Shaolin Monastery two shixiongs²⁶ lie, one dead and one hurt. Two Daoist masters of the Kunlun School²⁷ are gravely wounded. Two brothers of the Haisha School²⁸ are hurt worse still. Is his hand not cruel enough? I shall ruin his left peeper, and then press him again.” The word “press” had scarcely left her mouth when, swift as lightning, the jian darted at Peng Yingyu’s left eye. Ji Xiaofu’s long jian swept across and, deftly and lightly, turned aside Ding Minjun’s stroke. She said, “Shijie, this man has no strength left to fight back. To harm him so, should word of it spread through the jianghu, would do our Emei Order’s name no good.”

Ding Minjun’s long brows rose, and she snapped, “Stand back, and let me be.” Ji Xiaofu said, “Shijie, you… “ Ding Minjun said, “Since you call me shijie, you must do as your shijie says. No more of your prattle.” Ji Xiaofu said, “Yes!” Ding Minjun’s long jian quivered and stabbed again at Monk Peng’s left eye, and this time she put three-tenths more force into it. Ji Xiaofu, unable to bear it, again put out her jian to block. Seeing her shijie’s stroke so fierce, she too used neili²⁹ as she struck. The two blades met with a clang, and sparks flew. Each was jolted till her arm went numb, and both fell back two steps.

Ding Minjun, in a great rage, cried, “Time and again you shield this demon-monk of the demonic cult. What is truly in your heart?” Ji Xiaofu said, “I only urge shijie not to torment him so. If you would have him tell where Bai Guishou is, then question him slowly, by all means.” Ding Minjun said with a cold laugh, “As if I did not know your mind! Ask your own heart: when Yin the Sixth Xia of the Wudang Order has pressed you again and again to be wed, why do you always put him off with this excuse and that? And when your own father came to press you, why would you sooner run away from home?”

Ji Xiaofu said, “Since our founder, Patriarch³⁰ Guo,³¹ established our order, in every generation there have been many women of our fellowship who, even if they did not take the veil as nuns, kept to themselves and did not marry. That I am unwilling to wed is nothing out of the way. Why must shijie press me so hard?” Ding Minjun said coldly, “I will not listen to these words of feigned innocence. If you will not put out his eye, then I shall shake out all your affairs for the telling.” Ji Xiaofu said, “My own affairs, what have they to do with this matter? How does shijie drag them together?”

Ding Minjun said, “We both know well enough in our hearts. Before all these outsiders there is no need to tear the scab from anyone’s sore. You are of Emei in body, but your heart is with the demonic cult.” Ji Xiaofu’s face went pale, and she said in a trembling voice, “I have always honoured you as my shijie, and never once given you the least offence. Why do you speak so today, to shame me?” Ding Minjun said, “Very well. If your heart is not turned toward the demonic cult, then put out this monk’s left eye with one stroke.” Ji Xiaofu said gently, “Shijie, I beg you, for the sake of our fellowship in the same order, press me no further.”

Ding Minjun said, “It is not as if I asked you to do some hard thing. Our shifu bade us find out the whereabouts of the Golden-Haired Lion King, and this monk before us is the one and only thread. He will not disclose the truth, and has killed and wounded so many of our companions besides. I have put out his right eye, you put out his left. That is but heaven’s own justice. Why do you not do it?” Ji Xiaofu said in a low voice, “Earlier he stayed his hand toward the two of us. We cannot turn round now and press him to utter ruin. I am soft-hearted, and cannot bring myself to it.” So saying, she slid her long jian into its scabbard. Ding Minjun said with a cold laugh, “You, soft-hearted? Our shifu often praises your swordplay as ruthless and your nature as firm, most like herself, and has long meant to pass her mantle to you. How should you be soft-hearted?”

Footnotes

1. 彭莹玉 – Péng Yíngyù. “Monk Peng,” a monk of the Ming Order. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

2. 白龟寿 – Bái Guīshòu. His name meaning “White Tortoise Longevity.” Altar Master of the Xuanwu Altar of the Tianying Order. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

3. 谢逊 – Xiè Xùn. His name meaning “Modest” or “Yielding.” His courtesy name Tuisi (退思) meaning “Retreat and Reflect.” See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

4. 少林寺 – Shàolín Sì. Shaolin Monastery, the ancient Buddhist monastery on Mount Song, cradle of the Shaolin martial arts. See Wikipedia. ↩

5. 天鹰教 – Tiānyīng Jiào. Tianying Order, founded by Yin Tianzheng the White-Browed Eagle King. 教 here is the order’s own neutral name for itself; “Cult” is the orthodox schools’ derogatory register and is not the sect’s name. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

6. 殷素素 – Yīn Sùsù. Her name meaning “Plain and Simple.” Daughter of Yin Tianzheng and mother of Zhang Wuji. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

7. 少林派 – Shàolín Pài. Shaolin Order, the Buddhist martial tradition originating from Shaolin Monastery. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

8. 张无忌 – Zhāng Wújì. His name meaning “Without Envy” or “No Misgivings.” Son of Zhang Cuishan and Yin Susu, and the protagonist of the tale. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

9. 师弟 – shīdì. Male junior. Both apprenticed to the same shifu. Shī means teacher. Dì means younger brother. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

10. 蝎尾钩 – Xiēwěi Gōu. Literally scorpion-tail hook. Hooked and poison-tipped hidden weapon. ↩

11. 常遇春 – Cháng Yùchūn. Fighter of the Ming Order who befriended Zhang Wuji; historically a founding general of the Ming dynasty. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

12. 明教 – Míngjiào. Also known as Manichaeism, a dualistic religion of Persian origin that became the backbone of several rebel movements in Chinese history. In the wuxia tradition, it serves as the organising force against the Mongol Yuan dynasty. ↩

13. 气 – qì. Literally breath or vital energy. Fundamental life force flowing through all living things, central to Chinese medicine and martial arts. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

14. 纪晓芙 – Jì Xiǎofú. Her name meaning “Dawn Hibiscus.” A disciple of the Emei Order, once betrothed to Yin Liting of Wudang. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

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

16. 丁敏君 – Dīng Mǐnjūn. Shijie of Ji Xiaofu in the Emei Order, styled the Poison-Handed Wuyan (毒手无盐); 无盐 alludes to the legendary Zhong Wuyan, an ugly but virtuous woman of antiquity. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

17. 虚式分金 – Xū Shì Fēn Jīn. Literally feint stroke cleaving gold. Sword move of the Emei Order. ↩

18. 师妹 – shīmèi. Female junior. Both apprenticed to the same shifu. Shī means teacher. Mèi means younger sister. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

19. 张翠山 – Zhāng Cuìshān. His name meaning “Verdant Mountain.” Fifth disciple of Zhang Sanfeng and member of the Seven Xias of Wudang. His epithet is the Silver Hook Iron Brush. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

20. 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. ↩

21. 殷梨亭 – Yīn Lítíng. The sixth of the Seven Xias of Wudang. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

22. 灭绝师太 – Mièjué Shītài. Her dharma-name, meaning “Extinction” or “Annihilation”. 师太 (shītài) is an honorific for a senior Buddhist nun. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

23. 峨嵋派 – Éméi Pài. Emei Order, the Buddhist martial order founded by Guo Xiang on Mount Emei; 派 renders as “Order” for its religious character. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

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

25. 魔教 – Mó Jiào. Literally demon order. Derogatory name by which outsiders and the authorities styled the Ming Order, rendered here as “demonic cult”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

26. 师兄 – shīxiōng. Male senior. Both apprenticed to the same shifu. Shī means teacher. Xiōng means older brother. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

27. 昆仑派 – Kūnlún Pài. Kunlun School, a major martial arts school based in the Kunlun Mountains of the northwest. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

28. 海沙派 – Hǎishā Pài. Haisha School, a Jiangnan faction involved in salt smuggling. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

29. 内力 – nèilì. Literally internal force. Kinetic manifestation of cultivated qi; generates tangible effects such as deflecting weapons or scaling walls. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

30. 祖师 – zǔshī. Literally ancestral master. Founder of a school, the source of a lineage rather than a rung on it. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

31. 郭襄 – Guō Xiāng. Younger daughter of Guo Jing and Huang Rong, known as the Little Eastern Heretic; founder of the Emei Order. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩