The Heavenly Sword & the Dragon Sabre – Chapter 18: The Heavenly Jian Flies with a Cold Gleam

The following day they continued westward. After travelling more than a hundred li,¹ it was already noon. The crimson sun blazed overhead. Though it was the depth of winter, the heat was oppressive. They were pressing on when suddenly, from the northwest, the faint clash of weapons and shouts drifted towards them. Without waiting for Jingxuan’s order, the Emei disciples quickened their pace and raced towards the sound.

Before long, several figures appeared ahead, leaping and clashing in fierce combat. When they drew close, they saw three white-robed Daoist priests wielding blades, surrounding and attacking a middle-aged man. On the left sleeve of each priest’s robe a red flame was embroidered, marking them plainly as men of the demonic cult.² The middle-aged man brandished a long jian, its blade flashing and glinting, and fought the three priests with ferocious intensity. Alone against three, he held his ground without yielding an inch.

Zhang Wuji’s leg wounds had long since healed, but he still pretended to be unable to walk, sitting in the sledge so that the Emei disciples would remain off their guard. His view was blocked by a male Emei disciple walking ahead, and he had to lean sideways and crane his neck to see the four fighters. The middle-aged man’s jian moved ever faster. Suddenly he wheeled about with a shout, thrust his blade forward in a flash, and ran an Order priest through the chest.

Amid the Emei disciples’ cries of approval, Zhang Wuji could not suppress a soft exclamation of alarm. That thrust, ‘Shunning the Current, Guiding the Boat’,³ was a supreme technique of Wudang swordsmanship. The middle-aged man wielding it was Yin Liting, the Sixth Xia of the Wudang Order.

The Emei disciples watched the combat from a distance and did not rush forward to help. The two remaining Order priests, seeing one of their companions fall and reinforcements arriving for their opponent, lost their nerve. Suddenly uttering a whistling cry, they split apart and fled, one due north, the other due south. Yin Liting sprinted after the one who fled south. His footwork was far swifter. Within seven or eight strides he was close behind the priest. The man spun around, wildly swinging both blades, desperate to drag his enemy down with him.

The Emei disciples saw that Yin Liting could not easily chase both fugitives. The priest fleeing north possessed excellent qinggong and was growing ever more distant by the moment. It was clear that by the time Yin Liting killed the one he was engaged with, the northern fugitive would be beyond pursuit. The Emei disciples hated the Cult as deeply as the sea. They all looked to Jingxuan, hoping she would give the order to intercept. Most of the women disciples were on good terms with Ji Xiaofu, and thought that but for the Cult’s villainy, this Sixth Xia of Wudang would have become a son-in-law of their own school. They all longed to lend him a hand. Jingxuan herself hesitated, but reflected that the Sixth Xia of Wudang held a position of the highest respect in the wulin. If he did not call for help, it would be presumptuous for outsiders to intervene. After a moment’s thought she gave no order, thinking it better to let the demon priest escape than to offend the Wudang hero.

Just then, a streak of green light flashed. A long jian flew from Yin Liting’s hand, hurling northward with the speed of wind and lightning, aimed at the fleeing priest’s back. The priest sensed the danger with a start, but before he could dodge, the blade pierced clean through his heart, emerging from his body and continuing its flight. The man’s legs still carried him forward for more than twenty feet before he toppled dead. The jian quivered thirty feet beyond his body before it fell, its green gleam flashing as it stood upright in the sand. Though it was a lifeless blade, it radiated an awesome, commanding presence.

All who witnessed this heart-stopping spectacle were dazzled and speechless for a long moment. When they turned to look back at Yin Liting, the Order priest he had been fighting was swaying unsteadily as though drunk. He dropped his twin blades and clawed at the air with both hands. Yin Liting paid him no further heed and walked calmly towards the Emei group. He had taken only a few steps when the priest gave a muffled groan, fell backwards, and lay still. How Yin Liting had despatched him, no one had seen.

Only then did the Emei disciples burst into cheers. Even Miejue Shitai⁴ nodded, then followed with a long, melancholy sigh. Perhaps that sigh meant: The Wudang Order has such fine disciples, yet my Emei has no peer among them. Or perhaps: Xiaofu was ill-fated, unable to marry such a man, and fell instead into the hands of a Cult degenerate. In Miejue’s mind, of course, Ji Xiaofu had been killed by Yang Xiao, not struck down by her own hand.

Zhang Wuji had the words ‘Sixth Uncle’ on the tip of his tongue, but forced them back. Of all his shibo⁵ and shishu,⁶ Yin Liting had been closest to his father, and had always been especially kind to him. Looking at this uncle whom he had not seen for nine years, he saw his face weathered by travel, his temples touched with grey. Ji Xiaofu’s death must have struck his heart a grievous blow. Zhang Wuji longed to rush forward and reveal himself, but remembered the multitude of eyes and ears around him. He could not speak the truth before strangers without inviting endless disaster. Zhou Zhiruo knew his true identity, yet evidently she had told no one.

Yin Liting bowed to Miejue Shitai and said, “My school’s senior disciple has led his shidi and the third-generation disciples to the mouth of Yixian Gorge, a total of thirty-two men. I have been sent by our senior disciple to welcome Shitai and all you shijie and shixiong.” Miejue said, “Good. The Wudang Order arrived first, then. Have you engaged the demons in battle?” Yin Liting replied, “We have fought three skirmishes with the Wood and Fire Banners of the Cult and killed several of their men. Seventh Brother Mo Shenggu sustained a minor wound.”

Miejue nodded. She knew that although Yin Liting spoke lightly, those three battles must have been savage. With the prowess of the Wudang heroes, they had still been unable to kill the Cult’s Banner Commanders, and one of their own had been wounded. Miejue asked again, “Has your Order ascertained the strength of the enemy on Bright Summit?” Yin Liting said, “We hear that the Tianying Order and other Cult offshoots are marching in force to reinforce Bright Summit. Some even say that the Purple-Robed Dragon King and the Green Winged Bat King have arrived.” Miejue started. “The Purple-Robed Dragon King has come too?” The two walked side by side in conversation. The disciples followed at a distance, not daring to listen.

After a while, Yin Liting raised his hand in farewell, intending to go on and link up with the Huashan School. Jingxuan said, “Yin the Sixth Xia, you must be hungry after all that running. Have some refreshment before you go.” Yin Liting did not stand on ceremony. “In that case, I shall impose on your kindness.”

The Emei women took out their provisions. Some piled sand into stoves and set up iron pots to cook noodles. Their own diet was plain, but they entertained Yin Liting with the utmost generosity, out of regard for Ji Xiaofu’s memory. Yin Liting understood their intentions. His eyes reddened slightly, and he said in a choked voice, “Thank you, shijie⁷ and shimei.”⁸

Zhu’er had been watching silently. Now she suddenly spoke, “Yin the Sixth Xia, may I ask you about someone?” Yin Liting held a bowl of noodle soup, turned his head, and said courteously, “Might I ask this young sister’s name? And what is it you wish to know? I shall tell you all I can.” Zhu’er said, “I am not of the Emei Order. I was captured by them.” Yin Liting had assumed she was a junior Emei disciple and was startled by her words. But the girl seemed frank enough, and he asked, “Are you of the demonic cult?” Zhu’er said, “No. I am the Order’s enemy.” Yin Liting did not press her further. Out of respect for his hosts, he looked to Jingxuan for guidance. Jingxuan asked, “What do you wish to ask Yin the Sixth Xia?” Zhu’er said, “I would like to know: has your Zhang Cuishan shixiong,⁹ Zhang the Fifth Xia, also arrived at Yixian Gorge?”

At these words, both Yin Liting and Zhang Wuji were seized with a great shock.

Yin Liting said, “Why do you ask about my Fifth Brother?” Zhu’er blushed and said in a low voice, “I want to know whether his young master Zhang Wuji has come as well.” Zhang Wuji was still more startled, thinking, So she has known my identity all along, and now she is about to expose me. Yin Liting asked, “Is what you say true?” Zhu’er said, “I ask in all sincerity, Yin the Sixth Xia. How would I dare deceive you?” Yin Liting said, “My Fifth Brother has been dead for over ten years. His grave tree is already tall. Could it be that you did not know?”

Zhu’er started up in alarm. “Ah!” she cried. “So Zhang the Fifth Xia passed away long ago. Then… he… he has been an orphan all this time.” Yin Liting asked, “Does this young sister know my nephew Wuji?” Zhu’er said, “Six years ago I saw him once at the Butterfly Valley, in the home of the Doctor Immortal Hu Qingniu. I do not know where he is now.” Yin Liting said, “By my master’s order, I too went to Butterfly Valley to look for him. But Hu Qingniu and his wife were dead, and Wuji had vanished. Afterwards I enquired everywhere, but not a trace of news. Ah, who would have thought… who would have thought…” His expression grew desolate, and he could say no more.

Zhu’er asked hastily, “What? Have you heard some dreadful news?” Yin Liting studied her and asked, “Why are you so concerned about my nephew? Has he done you a kindness, or an injury?”

Zhu’er gazed into the distance and said in a dreamy voice, “I wanted him to come with me to Spirit Snake Island…” Yin Liting broke in, “Spirit Snake Island? What relation to you are Golden Flower Granny and Silver Leaf Gentleman?” Zhu’er did not answer, but continued as if talking to herself, “…but he refused. He hit me and scolded me and bit my hand until it bled…” As she spoke, her left hand gently caressed the back of her right. “…But… but… I still think of him. I certainly never meant to harm him. I wanted to take him to Spirit Snake Island, where Granny would have taught him martial arts and found a way to cure the Yin Poison of the Xuanming Divine Palm. But he was so fierce: he took our good intentions for evil.”

Footnotes

1. 里 – lǐ. Traditional Chinese unit of distance, approximately 500 metres or a third of a mile. ↩

2. 红色火焰 – red flame. Emblem of the Ming Order (明教), embroidered on the robes of its adherents. ↩

3. 顺水推舟 – Shùnshuǐ Tuīzhōu. Literally ‘pushing the boat along with the current’. Wudang sword technique that uses the opponent’s momentum against them. ↩

4. 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. ↩

5. 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. ↩

6. 师叔 – shīshū. Junior lineage uncle. Shidi¹⁰ or shimei of one’s shifu. Shī means teacher. Shū means father’s younger brother. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

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

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

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

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