The Heavenly Sword & the Dragon Sabre – Chapter 18 – Part 3

Miejue Shitai[^miejue] flung her jian[^jian] back to Jingxuan[^jingxuan] with a snort. "I'll let you off this time. Next time you use such evil tricks, don't let me catch you." Having missed with a single strike against a junior, she held to her dignity and would not deign to attack again. Yin Liting[^yinliting] saw that Zhu'er[^zhuer] practised a vicious, sinister martial art, a grave taboo among martial artists, yet she had struck Yin Wulu in aid of their side, and the devotion she bore Zhang Wuji[^zhangwuji] moved him no less. He had no wish to see Shitai harm the girl, and so he spoke in persuasion, "Shitai, the child has learnt the wrong kung fu. In time we shall find her a proper master, or perhaps…" He had half a mind to suggest that Shitai take Zhu'er into the Emei Order[^emei], which would be the best outcome imaginable, but then he remembered the girl had just called Shitai an old thieving nun, and the words died in his throat. Instead he drew the young scholar forward and said, "Qingshu, come and pay your respects to Shitai and the shibo[^shibo] and shishu.[^shishu]"

The scholar stepped ahead three paces, knelt, and bowed to Miejue Shitai. When he turned to bow to Jingxuan, the Emei disciples cried that they dared not accept such courtesy, and each returned the gesture in turn. Zhang Sanfeng¹ was past a hundred years of age. Reckoned by generation, he stood well above Miejue Shitai. Yin Liting counted as one generation beneath her only because he had once been betrothed to Ji Xiaofu² of Emei. Were Zhang Sanfeng regarded as a contemporary of the Emei founder Guo Xiang,³ then Miejue Shitai would in fact owe Yin Liting the title of shishu.⁴ But Wudang and Emei kept separate houses and did not compare generations. Everyone went by age, and address was casual. Still, when the young scholar called the Emei disciples shibo⁵ and shishu, Jingxuan and the rest were obliged to decline the honour.

They had watched him fight the three Yin brothers a short while ago. His form had been strict, his techniques precise and resourceful, bearing every mark of a disciple from a renowned school. Pressed by three accomplished fighters, he had plainly fallen into the worse position, yet he continued to hold his ground without the slightest sign of panic, which was harder still. Now that he walked among them at close quarters, all hearts admired him silently: What a handsome youth! His brows and eyes were fine and clear. Handsomeness carried with it a touch of loftiness, and one look was enough to win a person over.

Yin Liting said, “This is my eldest shixiong’s only beloved son, called Qingshu.” Jingxuan said, “In recent years we have often heard of the Jade-Faced Mengchang’s⁶ chivalrous fame. The jianghu⁷ says Song the young xia is generous and righteous, swift to aid those in need. Today we are honoured to meet him.” The Emei disciples whispered among themselves, their faces expressing an admiration that said, Indeed, the name is not undeserved.

Zhu’er stood beside Zhang Wuji and murmured, “Brother Niu, that fellow is far more handsome than you.” Zhang Wuji said, “Of course he is. What’s there to argue about?” Zhu’er said, “Aren’t you jealous?” Zhang Wuji said, “Ridiculous. Why should I be jealous?” Zhu’er said, “He’s staring at your Zhou girl, and you’re not jealous?”

Zhang Wuji glanced towards Song Qingshu⁸ and saw that he did indeed seem to be gazing at Zhou Zhiruo,⁹ but paid it no mind. Ever since learning that Zhu’er was the Ah Li he had met years ago in Butterfly Valley, his thoughts had been in turmoil. She had tried to drag him by force to the Spirit Snake Island. He could not break free and had bitten her hand hard in desperation. That she should remain so attached to him after all this time filled him with gratitude.

Yin Liting said, “Qingshu, let us be going.” Song Qingshu said, “The Kongtong School¹⁰ was due to join us here by midday. They have not arrived yet. I fear something has gone wrong.” Yin Liting’s face showed his worry. “That is troubling indeed.” Song Qingshu said, “Uncle Yin, why don’t we travel west with the Emei seniors?” Yin Liting nodded. “An excellent idea.”

Miejue Shitai and Jingxuan reflected, In recent years Zhang Sanfeng the Perfected One¹¹ has long withdrawn from worldly affairs. Song Yuanqiao is the true Wudang zhangmen¹² in practice. It seems the third-generation zhangmen will fall to this young Song. Yin Liting is a shishu, yet he takes instruction from his own shizhi.¹³ What they did not know was that Yin Liting was easy-tempered by nature and rarely asserted his own will. Whatever others proposed, he seldom opposed.

The party travelled west for fourteen or fifteen li¹⁴ until they came to a great sand dune. Jingxuan saw Song Qingshu race up the slope and waved her left hand. Two Emei disciples dashed after him, unwilling to be outdone by the Wudang party. The three had barely crested the dune when all cried out in alarm. Spread across the desert to the west lay some thirty corpses, scattered at random.

Hearing the cries, the rest hurried up the dune. The dead were old and young. Every skull was cracked or every chest caved in, as though each had taken a blow from a great club or beam.

Yin Liting had seen much of the jianghu and said, “The Poyang Guild¹⁵ of Jiangxi has been wiped out to a man. This is the work of the Ming Order’s¹⁶ Giant Wood Banner.” Miejue Shitai frowned. “What business has the Poyang Guild here? Did your school invite them?” Her tone carried clear displeasure. The renowned orthodox factions of the wulin¹⁷ had always held the lesser guilds in low regard. Shitai had no wish to be mixed up with them. Yin Liting hastened to explain, “We did not invite the Poyang Guild. But Guild Chief Liu of Poyang is a nominal disciple of the Kongtong School. They must have heard the six schools were mounting a punitive expedition against Bright Peak¹⁸ and volunteered to serve their shimen.”¹⁹ Miejue Shitai gave a snort and said nothing more.

They were burying the Poyang Guild dead in the sand and preparing to resume their journey when, without warning, the westernmost grave split apart. Dust and sand billowed as a figure leapt from the tomb, seized a male disciple, and sprinted away at top speed.

The shock froze them where they stood. Seven or eight Emei girls screamed. Miejue Shitai, Yin Liting, Song Qingshu, and Jingxuan set off in pursuit at once. It was some time before the rest realised the truth: the man who had burst from the grave was none other than the Green Winged Bat King of the Ming Order. He had dressed in a Poyang Guild corpse’s clothes, lain among the dead, and held his breath to feign death. The Emei disciples, not noticing, had buried him in a sand grave. Bold in his supreme skill, he had waited without stirring until the burial was done. The yellow sand was soft. Holding his breath beneath it for a short while had cost him nothing. He had let them make fools of themselves long enough, then shattered the grave and struck.

At first all four pursuers ran abreast, but after more than half a circuit the order had sorted itself into two ahead and two behind. Yin Liting and Miejue Shitai led. Song Qingshu and Jingxuan followed. The Green Winged Bat King’s qinggong²⁰ was matchless in the world. Even carrying a man in his arms, how could Yin Liting and the rest hope to overtake him?

As the second circuit neared its end, Song Qingshu halted of a sudden and called out, “Senior Zhao Lingzhu, Senior Bei Jinyi, please sweep round and take the Li position! Senior Ding Minjun, Senior Li Mingxia, please block the Zhen position…”

He called out his orders at random, posting the thirty-odd Emei disciples across the eight trigrams positions. The Emei party, leaderless since Shitai’s attention was elsewhere, heard an authority in his commands that each instinctively obeyed. Thus hemmed in, the Green Winged Bat King Wei Yixiao²¹ could no longer complete his great circuit at will. He let out a shrill laugh, hurled the man he carried high into the air, and sped away into the distance.

Miejue Shitai reached out and caught the disciple as he fell. From far away, through the drifting sand, came Wei Yixiao’s voice: “So Emei has such talent after all. Remarkable, old nun Miejue.” The words were plainly praise for Song Qingshu. Shitai’s face darkened. She looked down at the disciple in her arms. Blood streamed from his throat. Two rows of fang-marks were bare to see. He was already dead.

The party gathered around her, stricken and silent. After a long while Yin Liting said, “I have heard that whenever the Green Winged Bat King exerts his kung fu, he must drain the fresh blood of a living man. It seems the rumour is true. It is a pity this shidi of ours… Alas…” He sighed and could say no more. Shitai was filled with shame and fury. Since she had succeeded as zhangmen, the Emei Order had never suffered so grievous a blow. Two disciples dead in succession, their blood sucked dry by an enemy, and they had not even caught a glimpse of his face.

She stood dazed for a moment, then fixed her eyes on Song Qingshu and demanded, “How is it you know the names of all my disciples?” Song Qingshu said, “Senior Jingxuan presented them to me not long ago.” Shitai said, “Hmph. A memory that loses nothing once it enters the ear! Where does Emei have such talent?”

That evening, when the party made camp, Song Qingshu walked respectfully to Miejue Shitai, bowed, and said, “Senior, I have taken the liberty of imposing. I have an improper request to make.” Shitai said coldly, “If it is improper, then do not trouble to ask.” Song Qingshu bowed once more with perfect courtesy. “As you say.” He returned and sat down beside Yin Liting.

The others, hearing him approach Shitai with an entreaty only to be rebuffed at once without another word, were all struck with curiosity. What could he have wanted to ask? Ding Minjun could not contain herself. She went across and asked, “Brother Song, what were you going to ask my shifu?”

Song Qingshu said, “When my father taught me swordplay, he said that among the swordsmen of this age whose skill approaches the divine, our own shizu²² ranks first, and next comes Emei’s zhangmen, Senior Miejue. My father said that Wudang and Emei swordplay each have their strengths and weaknesses. For instance, our school’s move Hand Waves Five Strings is all but identical in form to your school’s Light Silk Little Fan, yet with greater force along the blade, the strike lacks the lightness and agility of Light Silk Little Fan and cannot match its free-flowing grace.” As he spoke he drew his jian and demonstrated the two moves. When he came to Light Silk Little Fan, however, the execution was decidedly amiss.

Ding Minjun laughed. “That move is wrong.” She took the jian from his hand and showed him. “My wrist still aches and I cannot put strength into it, but this is the shape of it.” Song Qingshu was filled with admiration. “My father often said that he counted it his misfortune never to have witnessed our revered senior’s swordsmanship. Today I have seen Senior Ding’s Light Silk Little Fan, and truly my eyes have been opened. What I wished to ask Shitai just now was for a few pointers, to clear certain doubts in my understanding of the sword. But I am no disciple of Emei, and such words should never have passed my lips.”

Footnotes

1. 张三丰 – Zhāng Sānfēng. Founder and leader of the Wudang Order, formerly known as Zhang Junbao. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

2. 纪晓芙 – Jǐ Xiǎofú. A disciple of the Emei Order once betrothed to Yin Liting. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

3. 郭襄 – Guō Xiāng. Founder of the Emei Order, daughter of Guo Jing and Huang Rong. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

4. 师叔 – shīshū. Junior lineage uncle. The shidi or shimei of one’s shifu. Shī means teacher. Shū means father’s younger brother. ↩

5. 师伯 – shībó. Senior lineage uncle. The shixiong or shijie of one’s shifu. Shī means teacher. Bó means father’s elder brother. ↩

6. 玉面孟尝 – Yùmèi Mèngcháng. Literally Jade-Faced Mengchang. Song Qingshu’s epithet, comparing his handsome features and generosity to the legendary hospitable lord Mengchang. ↩

7. 江湖 – jiānghú. Literally rivers and lakes. The itinerant world beyond settled society and official reach, holding not only martial artists but the trades that travel with them. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

8. 宋青书 – Sòng Qīngshū. Son of Song Yuanqiao and the most promising disciple of the third Wudang generation. Known by the epithet Jade-Faced Mengchang. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

9. 周芷若 – Zhōu Zhĭruò. A disciple of the Emei Order who would later become its leader. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

10. 崆峒派 – Kōngtóng Pài. The Kongtong School, one of the six major orthodox factions. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

11. 真人 – zhēnrén. Literally the Perfected One. Honorific title for a realised Daoist master. ↩

12. 掌门 – zhǎngmén. Leader of a martial school or order. ↩

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

14. 里 – lǐ. A Chinese unit of distance, approximately one-third of a mile or 500 metres. ↩

15. 鄱阳帮 – Póyáng Bāng. The Poyang Guild, a martial guild from Jiangxi province. Guild Chief Liu is a nominal disciple of the Kongtong School. ↩

16. 明教 – Míng Jiào. The Ming Order, a revolutionary cult opposing Yuan rule. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

17. 武林 – wǔlín. Literally martial forest. The community of martial artists and their factions. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

18. 光明顶 – Guāngmíng Dǐng. Bright Peak. Headquarters of the Ming Order in the Kunlun Mountains. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

19. 师门 – shīmén. The house of one’s shifu: the master, the fellow disciples, and the rules and obligations binding them. ↩

20. 轻功 – qīnggōng. Lightness skill. The martial art of movement, agility, and leaping. ↩

21. 韦一笑 – Wéi Yīxiào. The Green Winged Bat King, one of the four Guardian Kings of the Ming Order, renowned for his matchless qinggong. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

22. 师祖 – shīzǔ. Grand shifu. Two generations above one’s own master. ↩