The Heavenly Sword & the Dragon Sabre – Chapter 17: The Green Wing Abroad, a Laugh Rings Out

Blue wings come and go, and a laugh rings out¹

Zhang Wuji and the village girl gazed northeastward. Dawn had just broken, and across the snowfield they saw a figure clad in green drifting lightly towards them. When it was within a hundred feet or so, they made out a young woman in a pale-green gown. She exchanged a few words with Ding Minjun, glanced at Zhang Wuji and the village girl, then walked towards them. Her robes billowed softly, her movements light and graceful. Her steps were small yet astonishingly swift, and in moments she stood forty or fifty feet away. Her face was fresh and lovely, her bearing elegant. She looked no more than eighteen or nineteen. Zhang Wuji was considerably surprised. Judging by her whistle and her footwork, he had expected someone older than Ding Minjun. Instead, she seemed several years younger than himself.

He noticed a short jian hanging at the girl’s waist, yet she made no move to draw it, approaching instead with empty hands. Ding Minjun called out a warning, “Zhou shimei,² this wench’s skills are devilishly unorthodox.” The girl nodded and said in a refined, gentle voice, “Might I ask your honoured names? Why have you injured my shijie?”³

From the moment she drew near, Zhang Wuji had felt she was strangely familiar. Now, hearing her speak, it came to him in a flash: “She is the boatman’s little daughter from the Han River, Zhou Zhiruo. The Grandmaster brought her up to Wudang Mountain, so how did she come to join the Emei Order?” A warmth rose in his chest, and he longed to ask after Zhang Sanfeng’s welfare. But then another thought struck him, Zhang Wuji is dead. I am a country bumpkin now, an ugly brute called Zeng Aniu. If I show the slightest mercy, nothing but endless disaster will follow. I must not reveal who I am, lest I bring harm to my sworn father and make my parents’ unjust deaths beneath the Nine Springs all the more in vain.

The village girl gave a cold laugh. “Your shijie struck me in the back with her ‘Pushing Open the Window to Gaze at the Moon’ technique and broke her own wrist in the process. Can you blame me for that? Ask your shijie yourself whether I so much as lifted a finger against her first.”

Zhou Zhiruo turned her eyes to Ding Minjun, as if asking her opinion. Ding Minjun snapped, “Take those two to see Shifu and let her decide.” Zhou Zhiruo said, “If these two did not mean to offend shijie, I would suggest we let the matter rest and turn enemies into friends.” Ding Minjun flared up, “What? You’re taking the outsider’s side?”

Zhang Wuji, seeing Ding Minjun’s expression, remembered that night in the forest when Peng Yingyu the monk had been surrounded by attackers, and how Ji Xiaofu had broken with Ding Minjun over it. Now the old scene was replaying itself, Ding Minjun bullying this shimei again, and he could not help worrying on Zhou Zhiruo’s behalf. But Zhou Zhiruo showed her shijie the utmost respect, bowing her head and saying, “I leave it to shijie’s judgement. I would not dare disobey.”

Ding Minjun said, “Good. Go and seize that wench. Break both her wrists as well.” Zhou Zhiruo replied, “Very well. Please cover me, shijie.” She turned to the village girl and said, “I am presumptuous, but I would like to test my skills against yours, sister.” The village girl sneered, “What a lot of fuss!” thinking to herself, “As if I’d be frightened of a slip of a girl!” She needed no help from Zhang Wuji. Springing to her feet, she lashed out with three palm-strikes in rapid succession, swift as lightning. Zhou Zhiruo slanted forward, her left hand snatching and seizing, turning attack into defence with considerable ingenuity.

Though Zhang Wuji’s neili was formidable, his mastery of martial techniques was far from complete. He watched as both women fought speed with speed. Zhou Zhiruo’s Emei Continuous Palm⁴ was light and nimble, while the village girl’s palm technique was strange and profound. He admired them both and cared for both, not knowing whom he wanted to win, only hoping neither would be hurt.

After twenty-odd exchanges, both women found themselves in peril. Suddenly the village girl cried, “Take this!” Her left palm slashed into Zhou Zhiruo’s shoulder. At the same instant came the rip of tearing cloth as Zhou Zhiruo, reversing her hand, wrenched away half the village girl’s sleeve. Both leapt apart, their faces faintly flushed. The village girl shouted, “Fine grappling technique!” She was about to rush forward again when she saw Zhou Zhiruo’s brows drawn tightly together, one hand pressed to her chest, her body swaying as though about to collapse. Zhang Wuji could not help calling out, “You… you…” his face full of concern.

Zhou Zhiruo was surprised that this long-bearded, long-haired man should show such solicitude for her. Ding Minjun asked, “Shimei, are you all right?” Zhou Zhiruo placed her left hand on her shijie’s shoulder and shook her head.

Ding Minjun had already suffered at the village girl’s hands and knew her prowess. However, their shifu often praised this shimei, saying her insight was extraordinary, her progress lightning-fast, and that the future glory of their school would likely rest on her shoulders. Ding Minjun had never accepted this, which was why she had sent Zhou Zhiruo to test the village girl, hoping she too would taste defeat. Seeing that Zhou Zhiruo had lasted twenty-odd moves before losing, far surpassing her own performance, filled her with jealousy. But when she felt the hand on her shoulder was utterly without strength, she realised Zhou Zhiruo was seriously hurt. Fearing the village girl would press the attack, she said hastily, “Let’s go!” The two supported each other as they headed northeast.

The village girl studied Zhang Wuji’s expression and sneered, “Ugly brute, seeing a pretty girl and losing your soul to the skies.” Zhang Wuji wanted to explain, but thought, If I don’t reveal who I am, I can never make this clear. Better to say nothing. So he replied, “Whether she’s beautiful or not is none of my business. I was worried about you, afraid you’d be hurt.” The village girl said, “Is that true or a lie?” Zhang Wuji thought, I was worried about both of them, really. He said, “Why would I lie to you? I just didn’t expect a young girl from the Emei Order to be so skilled.” The village girl said, “Impressive, impressive!”

Zhang Wuji gazed at Zhou Zhiruo’s retreating figure. She had come lightly, but departed with stumbling steps. He remembered how, in the boat on the Han River years ago, she had fed him food and water, given him her handkerchief to wipe his tears. He hoped her injuries were not serious. The village girl suddenly laughed coldly, “Don’t worry. She isn’t hurt at all. When I say she’s impressive, I don’t mean her martial arts. I mean she’s young, yet her scheming is truly impressive.” Zhang Wuji asked in surprise, “She isn’t hurt?” The village girl said, “Correct! When my palm struck her shoulder, neili rebounded from her shoulder and deflected my hand. She has already practised the Emei Nine Yang Skill,⁵ and the recoil even numbed my arm slightly. How could she be hurt?” Zhang Wuji was overjoyed, thinking, “So Miejue Shitai⁶ has shown her special favour and transmitted the Emei Order’s treasured Emei Nine Yang Skill to her.”

The village girl suddenly flipped her hand and slapped him hard across the face. The blow came so suddenly that Zhang Wuji had no warning at all. Half his cheek swelled at once. He cried angrily, “You… what was that for?” The village girl said venomously, “You saw a pretty girl and your soul flew right out of your body. I tell you she isn’t hurt, and you’re positively beaming. What for?” Zhang Wuji said, “I was simply glad for her. What business is that of yours?” The village girl swung her palm at him again, but this time Zhang Wuji ducked his head and let it pass. She flew into a rage, “You promised you’d marry me. Not even half a day has passed since you said it, and already you’re chasing after some other beautiful girl!”

Zhang Wuji said, “You told me long ago that I wasn’t worthy, that you had your own beloved and could never marry me.” The village girl said, “Yes, but you gave me your word. You promised to treat me well and look after me for the rest of my life.” Zhang Wuji said, “What I’ve said naturally counts.” The village girl said furiously, “Then how could you lose your wits the moment you saw this pretty girl? It’s infuriating to watch!” Zhang Wuji laughed, “I haven’t lost my wits.” The village girl said, “I won’t allow you to like her. I won’t allow you to think of her.”

Zhang Wuji said, “I never said I liked her. But why are you always thinking of someone else, unable to forget him?” The village girl said, “I met him first. If I had met you first, I would be good to you alone for the rest of my life and never think of anyone else. That is called ‘devotion from first to last.’ If a person’s heart is divided, Heaven itself will not tolerate it.” Zhang Wuji thought, I met Zhou Zhiruo long before I met you. But he could not say that, so he replied, “If you are good to me alone, I will be good to you alone. If your heart wanders to someone else, then mine will wander too.”

The village girl fell silent for a long while, opening her mouth several times as if to speak but stopping herself. Suddenly tears welled in her eyes. She turned her head away and, while Zhang Wuji was not looking, wiped them with her sleeve. Zhang Wuji felt a pang of tenderness. He took her hand gently and said softly, “Why are we quarrelling about nothing? In a few more days my leg wounds will be fully healed. We can travel together and see the world. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?”

The village girl turned back to him, her face clouded with sorrow, and said, “Aniu gege, I have a favour to ask. Promise you won’t be angry.” Zhang Wuji said, “What is it? If it is within my power, I will do it.” The village girl said, “Promise me you won’t be angry first, then I’ll tell you.” Zhang Wuji said, “I won’t be angry.” The village girl hesitated for a moment, then said, “You must promise not to be angry in your heart as well, not just in your words.” Zhang Wuji said, “Very well, I won’t be angry in my heart either.”

Footnotes

1. 青翼出没一笑扬 – Qīng yì chūmò yī xiào yáng. Chapter title. Lit. “Blue wings appear and vanish; one laugh rises.” The Blue-Winged Bat King’s given name, Yixiao, means “one laugh”. ↩

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

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

4. 峨嵋绵掌 – Éméi Miánzhǎng. Emei Continuous Palm, a signature technique of the Emei Order characterised by flowing, unbroken sequences. ↩

5. 峨嵋九阳功 – Éméi Jiǔyáng Gōng. Emei Nine Yang Skill, a branch of the Nine Yang cultivation derived from the partial inscription left on the Shaolin cassock. One of three sibling arts, alongside Wudang and Shaolin Nine Yang. ↩

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