The Heavenly Sword & the Dragon Sabre Chapter 11 Part 7

At this Hu Qingniu¹ was a little moved, and nodded. “Oh, get up. He is the maternal grandson of Yin White-Brow of the Tianying Order.² That is another matter.” He walked up before Zhang Wuji³ and said in a gentle voice, “Child, I have always kept a rule: never to heal or treat the wounds of the chivalrous folk who set themselves up as renowned and orthodox. Since your mother was of my order, to treat your injury is no breaking of that rule. Your maternal grandfather, the White-Browed Eagle King, was once one of the Four Dharma Kings of the Ming Order.⁴ Afterwards he founded the Tianying Order himself, only because he had fallen out with his brethren of the order, and not because he betrayed the Ming Order. His order counts as a branch of the Ming Order.⁵ You must promise me this: when your injury is healed, you shall go and seek out your maternal grandfather, Order Leader Yin, the White-Browed Eagle King, and thenceforth enter the Tianying Order, and be reckoned no longer a disciple of the Wudang Order.”⁶

Before Zhang Wuji could answer, Chang Yuchun⁷ said, “Shibo,⁸ that will not do. Zhang Sanfeng the Perfected One⁹ said as much beforehand. He told me: ‘Mister Hu must on no account force Wuji into the order, and should the boy truly be cured, my Wudang Order will owe your order no debt of gratitude.’” Hu Qingniu’s brows shot up and his anger burst out. In a shrill voice he said, “Hmph! And what of Zhang Sanfeng?¹⁰ If he thinks so little of us, why should I put out my strength for him? Child, what is it you yourself have in mind?”

Zhang Wuji knew in his heart that the yin poison within him had spread through his five viscera and six bowels, so that even his grand shifu, with all his deep attainment, was helpless before it. Whether he lived or died hung wholly on whether this divine physician would consent to save him. Yet his grand shifu, at their parting, had earnestly charged him that he must on no account let himself sink into the demonic cult,¹¹ and so fall into a state past all redemption. Just how bad the demonic cult truly was, and why his grand shifu and all his shibo and shishu should loathe it so bitterly the moment it was mentioned, he did not really understand, and his father, his mother, and his sworn father had never spoken of it, but he revered his grand shifu beyond measure, and firmly believed that what he said could not be wrong. He thought, Sooner let him refuse to save me, and let me die of the poison, than go against my grand shifu’s teaching.

He said in a clear voice, “Mister Hu, my mother was a Hall Master¹² of the Tianying Order, and I think the Tianying Order too must be good. But my grand shifu once told me that I must on no account enter the demonic cult, and having given him my word, how can I break my faith? If you will not treat my injury, there is no help for it. But were I, in fear of death and clinging to life, to force myself to obey you, then even if you cured me, you would only be adding to the world one more man without faith or honour, and what good would that be?” Hu Qingniu sneered inwardly, “This little imp talks big and puts on the airs of a hero and bold fellow. Let me truly refuse to treat him, and see whether he does not kneel and beg.” He said to Chang Yuchun, “Since he is set on not entering our order, Yuchun, tell him to get out. How can there be a man dying of illness within Hu Qingniu’s gate?”

Chang Yuchun knew well that this Shibo of his was uncommonly stubborn, and had ever been a man of his word and no other. Since he would not consent, further begging was in vain. He said to Zhang Wuji, “Little brother, though the Ming Order and the chivalrous folk of the renowned and orthodox schools are not of one road, yet ever since the Great Tang, in every generation my Ming Order has had its heroes and bold men. And your maternal grandfather is Order Leader¹³ of the Tianying Order, and your mother a Hall Master of the Tianying Order. Give my Shibo Hu your promise, and hereafter, before Zhang Sanfeng the Perfected One, I shall bear all the blame.”

Zhang Wuji rose to his feet and said, “Big Brother Chang, you have done all your heart could do. My grand shifu will surely not blame you.” And with that he walked out proudly. Startled, Chang Yuchun asked hurriedly, “Where are you going?” Zhang Wuji said, “If I die within Butterfly Valley,¹⁴ would that not spoil the good name of the ‘Butterfly Valley Healer’?” So saying, he turned and walked out of the hut. Hu Qingniu said with a cold laugh, “‘Sees Death, Offers No Aid’ Hu Qingniu is famed throughout the realm. Of those who have dropped dead outside the ‘ox-shed’ of Butterfly Valley, you are hardly the only child.”

Chang Yuchun paid no heed to what he said, but hurried out at a stride after him, caught hold of Zhang Wuji, and carried him back. Chang Yuchun said, panting, “Shibo Hu, you are quite resolved not to save him, are you not?” Hu Qingniu laughed, “My byname is ‘Sees Death, Offers No Aid’. Do you not know it? Yet you come asking me.” Chang Yuchun said, “But my own injury, that you are willing to treat?” Hu Qingniu said, “Indeed.” Chang Yuchun said, “Good! Your junior once promised Zhang Sanfeng the Perfected One to save this brother’s life, and I can by no means let the orthodox folk say one word that a disciple of my Ming Order breaks his word. I do not want you to treat me. Treat this brother instead. We make it one for the other, and you are none the worse.”

Hu Qingniu said gravely, “You have taken this Heart-Severing Palm,¹⁵ and your injury is no light one. Were I to treat you at once, you could be wholly cured. After seven days, your life could be saved, but not your martial arts. After fourteen days, with no good physician’s hand to it, the injury would break out past all saving.” Chang Yuchun said, “That would be the working of Shibo’s own ‘Sees Death, Offers No Aid’. Your junior would die without complaint.”

Zhang Wuji cried, “I do not want you to save me, I do not want you to save me!” He turned to Chang Yuchun and said, “Big Brother Chang, do you take me, Zhang Wuji, for a base and mean creature? If you trade your own life for mine, then even living would be utterly without savour!” Chang Yuchun would not argue with him further, but undid his belt and bound him fast to a chair. Zhang Wuji said anxiously, “If you do not let me go, I shall start cursing!” Seeing Chang Yuchun pay no heed, he hardened his heart and railed, “‘Sees Death, Offers No Aid’ Hu Qingniu, a muddle-headed ox is still an ox, a green ox is still an ox. You are a bad ox, a wicked ox, a cur of an ox…” Hearing his wild abuse, Hu Qingniu was not angered, but only looked coldly at him.

Chang Yuchun said, “Shibo Hu, Brother Zhang, I take my leave. I go now to seek a physician!” Hu Qingniu said coldly, “Within two hundred li¹⁶ round about Butterfly Valley there is not one true good physician, and within seven days you are not likely even to get clear of it.” Chang Yuchun laughed aloud and said, “With a Shibo who ‘Sees Death and Offers No Aid,’ there is a shizhi¹⁷ who ‘Cannot but Deserve to Die’!” And with that he strode out of the door.

Hu Qingniu said with a cold laugh, “You speak of one for the other, but when did I ever agree? Since you will not have me treat you, then I shall treat neither of you.” Offhandedly he picked up half a length of deer-antler from the table and, with a whoosh, flung it out, and it struck square on the acupoint at the back of Chang Yuchun’s knee. With a thud Chang Yuchun crashed to the ground and could rise no more. Hu Qingniu walked over and untied the bonds on Zhang Wuji, gripped him by both wrists, and made to fling him out of the door, to leave him and Chang Yuchun to live or die as they might. Zhang Wuji cried out, “What are you doing?” The cold poison rushed up into his head, and he fainted away.

Footnotes

1. 胡青牛 – Hú Qīngniú. His name meaning “Green Ox.” The Butterfly Valley Healer, a physician of the Ming Order, nicknamed “Sees Death, Offers No Aid” for refusing to treat any who are not of the order. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

2. 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. ↩

3. 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. ↩

4. 四大护法 – Sì Dà Hùfǎ. Four Dharma Kings, the four highest-ranking dharma-protectors of the Ming Order below the Order Leader. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

5. 明教 – Míngjiào. Literally the religion of light. 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. ↩

6. 武当派 – Wǔdāng Pài. Wudang Order, the Daoist martial order founded by Zhang Sanfeng; 派 renders as “Order” for its religious character. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

7. 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. ↩

8. 师伯 – shībó. Senior lineage uncle. Shixiong or shijie of one’s shifu. Shī means teacher. Bó means father’s elder brother. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

9. 真人 – zhēnrén. Literally true person. Daoist honorific title for accomplished practitioners; here referring to Zhang Sanfeng. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

10. 张三丰 – Zhāng Sānfēng. His name meaning “Three Peaks.” Legendary founder of the Wudang Order and creator of taijiquan; Zhang Wuji’s grandshifu. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

11. 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. ↩

12. 堂主 – tángzhǔ. Hall Master; the head of a hall within an order. Here Yin Susu’s rank in the Tianying Order. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

13. 教主 – jiàozhǔ. Head of an Order; rendered “Order Leader.” Here Yin Tianzheng, the White-Browed Eagle King of the Tianying Order. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

14. 蝴蝶谷 – Húdié Gǔ. Lit. “Butterfly Valley.” The secluded valley home of Hu Qingniu, on the shore of Nüshan Lake in northern Anhui. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

15. 截心掌 – Jié Xīn Zhǎng. Literally heart-severing palm. Palm technique whose force strikes inward to the heart. ↩

16. 里 – lǐ. Traditional Chinese unit of distance, roughly equivalent to a third of a mile or half a kilometre. ↩

17. 师侄 – shīzhí. Lineage nephew or niece. Disciple of one’s shixiong, shijie, shidi, or shimei. Shī means teacher. Zhí means nephew or niece. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩