The Heavenly Sword & the Dragon Sabre – Chapter 16 – Part 3

Zhu Changling's right hand shot out like a snake, employing a qinna[^qinna] technique to seize the young man's shoulder. His voice was stern as he barked, "So you're not afraid today, eh?" Then, without warning, his palm grew searing hot. His arm jerked of its own accord, and his grip loosened. His chest still ached dully where the rebound had struck him. Frightened, he stumbled back three paces and stared at Zhang Wuji in disbelief. "You... you... what sort of skill is that?"

Zhang Wuji had completed his training in the Nine Yang Divine Skill¹ and this was the first time he had tested it. He had not expected it to possess such formidable power. Zhu Changling was a first-rate master of the jianghu, yet even he had been forced to release his grip by the rebound of that divine skill. Seeing Zhu Changling so flustered and astonished, Zhang Wuji felt quietly pleased. “Was the skill any good?” he asked with a smile.

Zhu Changling’s nerves had not yet settled. “That… that skill… what was it called?”

“It’s the Nine Yang Divine Skill, I suppose.”

Zhu Changling started. “How did you manage to learn it?”

Zhang Wuji concealed nothing. He told him briefly how he had treated the white ape’s ailments, how he had retrieved the scripture from its belly, and how he had studied it according to the methods within.

This account filled Zhu Changling with such jealousy and rage that he could barely contain himself. I have endured five years of unspeakable hardship on this lonely peak, he thought, and this brat has gone and mastered a divine skill beyond compare. He did not reflect that his own scheming had brought him to this pass, nor did he feel any gratitude to the young man who had picked fruit for him day after day for over five years, keeping him alive until this very moment. All he could see was that this brat was far too fortunate, whilst he himself was far too wretched. The injustice of it was beyond bearing. Forcing down his anger, he smiled ingratiatingly. “That Nine Yang Manual²… would you let me take a look at it?”

Zhang Wuji thought, There’s no harm in letting him see it. He can hardly memorise it in a moment. “I buried it inside the cave. I’ll fetch it for you tomorrow.”

“You’ve grown so tall and broad. How did you squeeze through that hole?”

“The cave isn’t all that narrow. If you tuck yourself small and push hard, you can wriggle through.”

“You think I could squeeze past?”

Zhang Wuji nodded. “We can try it together tomorrow. The cave is quite spacious inside. It’s no good staying forever on this tiny ledge.” He was thinking that with his newfound skill he could manipulate Zhu Changling’s bones, shoulders, chest, hips, and shrink them enough to pass through.

Zhu Changling laughed. “Little brother, you are truly noble. A gentleman does not dwell on old grievances. I have wronged you greatly in the past. I beg your forgiveness.” With that, he bowed deeply, folding his hands.

Zhang Wuji hurried to return the courtesy. “Uncle Zhu, there is no need for such formality. Tomorrow we shall find a way out of this place together.”

“You really think we can leave?”

“If the ape could come and go, so can we.”

“Then why didn’t you leave sooner?”

Zhang Wuji smiled faintly. “Before, I did not want to go outside. I was afraid of being bullied. Now… I think I am not so afraid. And I want to see my Grand Shifu again, and my shibo and shishu.”

Zhu Changling laughed aloud and clapped his hands. “Excellent, excellent!” He took two steps back, then suddenly swayed. “Aiya!” His foot found empty air, and he toppled over the edge of the cliff.

This turn from joy to calamity came so swiftly that Zhang Wuji was struck dumb with shock. He threw himself towards the cliff’s edge and cried, “Uncle Zhu, are you hurt?” Two faint groans drifted up from below.

Zhang Wuji was greatly relieved. Thank Heaven he did not fall straight down. But how badly is he hurt? The groans came from no more than thirty feet³ away. Peering down carefully, he saw that a pine tree grew from the cliff face just below the ledge, and Zhu Changling lay sprawled across its trunk, unmoving. Judging the distance, Zhang Wuji decided that with his present skill he could leap down, gather the man in his arms, and leap back up without difficulty. He drew a breath, fixed his eyes on a branch that jutted out like an arm, and leapt lightly downwards.

His toes were still six inches⁴ from the branch when, without warning, the branch plummeted downwards. Now there was nothing at all in mid-air to push against. Master of the supreme divine skill though he was, a man is not a bird. How could he fly back up the cliff? His thoughts flashed like lightning. In an instant he understood: Zhu Changling has tricked me again. He broke this branch off and held it in his hand, waiting until I was about to land, then let it go.

But understanding came too late. He was falling straight down.

Zhu Changling had lived for over five years on this tiny platform, no more than a hundred and twenty feet across. Every blade of grass, every grain of sand, every stone was familiar to him. He had feigned a fall, certain that Zhang Wuji’s compassionate heart would compel him to leap down to the rescue, and his scheme had succeeded. The young man had plunged into the abyss a hundred thousand feet below.

Zhu Changling laughed aloud. Today I shall smash this brat into a paste of flesh. At last I have rid myself of five years’ hatred! Grasping a long vine beside the pine tree, he climbed back to the cliff edge. Last time I could not squeeze through that cave. I must have been too impatient, too brutal with myself, and broke my ribs in the attempt. But this brat is much taller and broader than I. If he could pass through, then naturally I can too. Once I have the Nine Yang Manual, I shall find my way home from the other side. In time I will master the divine skill and become invincible under heaven. Ha! Won’t that be splendid? Hahaha!

The more he thought of it, the better pleased he became. At once he wriggled into the cave. He had not crawled far before he reached the spot where his bones had broken five years ago. One thought occupied his mind, This brat is bigger than I. If he could get through, then I certainly can. The reasoning was sound enough. Only there was one thing he had not reckoned with. Zhang Wuji had mastered the Bone-Shrinking Method⁵ of the Nine Yang Divine Skill.

Calmly, methodically, he inched forward through the narrow passage. His neigong⁶ had indeed improved greatly since five years ago. He managed another ten feet or so. But in the end, no matter how he strained, he could not advance another half inch.⁷ He knew that brute force would only break more ribs and repeat the disaster of five years past, so he steadied himself and breathed out the air in his lungs. His body shrank by another two inches, and he crept forward three feet more. But with no air left in his chest, the suffocation grew unbearable. His heart hammered like a drum. He felt himself on the verge of fainting. Knowing it was dangerous, he was forced to retreat.

But entering, he had braced his feet against the uneven walls, pushing himself forward inch by inch. Coming out, he had no such purchase. Entering, he had raised his arms above his head to narrow his shoulders. Now the rock pressed his arms pinned above him. He could not extend them, could not summon the slightest strength. Yet still he thought, This brat is bigger than I. If he could get through, then surely I can too. Why am I stuck here? This is absurd!

Yet indeed there is no shortage of absurd things in this world. And so this man of superior literary talent and martial skill, whose intelligence and cunning ranked among the finest, remained embedded in that narrow mountain cave, unable to advance, unable to retreat.

---

Zhang Wuji had fallen victim to Zhu Changling’s treachery once more. He plunged downward from the cliff, and in that instant cursed his own stupidity: Zhang Wuji, you useless fool! You knew Zhu Changling was deceitful beyond measure, and yet the moment you saw him, you fell for his trick again. You deserve to die! You deserve to die!

He cursed himself for a dead man, yet all the while he was struggling desperately to live. His zhenqi⁸ circulated through his body. He channelled force upward, leaping in mid-air, hoping to slow his fall so that he would not be dashed to pieces on impact. But a man in free fall is helpless. His body swung and swayed, beyond his control. There was nothing to push against. The wind roared past his ears, and in an instant his eyes stung as the glare of white snow below reflected into them.

He knew that the boundary between life and death hung upon this single moment. A great heap of snow lay some distance away, about ten feet or so, though in his present state he could not tell whether it was truly snow or a slab of white rock. He twisted his body and turned three somersaults in mid-air, hurling himself towards the heap. His trajectory curved in a slanting arc, shedding some of the downward force. His left foot touched the snow, and with a soft thud, he sank into it.

Only then did he realise that the great heap was not snow at all but a pile of straw and brushwood, gathered by farmers for firewood or winter fodder. The Nine Yang Divine Skill, which he had laboured at for over five years, now revealed its power. The instant his leg began to buckle, he forced his right leg to bear down as well, borrowing the rebound from the straw pile to leap upward. But the force of a fall from that sheer cliff, a hundred thousand feet high, was beyond anything mortal flesh could simply ignore. A spasm of agony shot through his legs. Both shinbones snapped.

His injuries were grave, yet his mind remained clear. Straw and twigs were flying about him. Dangerous, dangerous, he thought. If there had been a boulder beneath that straw instead of brushwood, I should have died this instant.

His legs were afire with pain, but he forced himself to use his hands, crawling slowly out of the straw pile and rolling into the snow. Then he examined his injuries. Drawing a deep breath, he set his own broken bones with his hands, thinking, Even if I lie perfectly still, it will be a month before I can walk. But that is no great matter. At worst I can use my hands for feet. I shan’t starve to death here.

He considered further: This straw pile was clearly gathered by farmers. There must be a homestead nearby. He half intended to cry out for help, but checked himself. The world is full of evil men. If I lie here alone in the snow and tend my wounds, that is one thing. But if I call an evil man to me, it will be far worse.

So he lay very still in the snow and waited for his broken bones to heal.

Thus he lay for three days, his stomach rumbling hollowly. He knew that in the first days after setting a bone, the slightest movement was forbidden. If the fracture knit even a little askew, he would limp for the rest of his life. He endured, refusing to shift so much as an inch. When the hunger grew truly unbearable, he caught up handfuls of snow and ate them.

All through those three days, one thought occupied his mind, From this day forward, I must be cautious at every step in this world. I must never be taken in by evil men again. But how could I be so fortunate as to survive every calamity that befalls me?

Footnotes

1. 九阳神功 – Jiǔyáng Shéngōng. Literally Nine Yang Divine Skill. A legendary internal cultivation method emphasising pure yang energy, derived from the Nine Yang Manual. ↩

2. 九阳真经 – Jiǔyáng Zhēnjīng. The Nine Yang Manual. A comprehensive treatise on yang-based internal cultivation, hidden within the Lankavatara Sutra. ↩

3. 丈 – zhàng. A unit of length, equivalent to ten chi or roughly ten feet. ↩

4. 尺 – chǐ. A unit of length, roughly equivalent to one foot. ↩

5. 缩骨之法 – suō gǔ zhī fǎ. The Bone-Shrinking Method. A technique from the Nine Yang Divine Skill that allows the practitioner to compress their skeletal structure, passing through impossibly narrow gaps. ↩

6. 内功 – nèigōng. Internal work. The practice of cultivating one’s inner force through breathing, meditation and qi circulation. ↩

7. 寸 – cùn. A unit of length, roughly equivalent to one inch. ↩

8. 真气 – zhēnqì. Refined energy cultivated through neigong practice. ↩