The Heavenly Sword & the Dragon Sabre – Chapter 22 – Part 9

characters:

• name: “Zhang Wuji”
• name: “Yang Xiao”
• name: “Xiaozhao”
• name: “Yang Buhui”
• name: “Yin Tianzheng”
• name: “Wei Yixiao”
• name: “Cannot Tell”
• name: “Zhou Dian”
• name: “Peng Yingyu”
• name: “Leng Qian”
• name: “Bai Guishou”
• name: “Yan Yuan”
• name: “Wen Cangsong”
• name: “Xin Ran”
• name: “Tang Yang” factions:
• name: “Ming Order”
• name: “Tianying Order”
• name: “Sharp Metal Banner”
• name: “Giant Wood Banner”
• name: “Flood Banner”
• name: “Blaze Banner”
• name: “Thick Earth Banner”
• name: “Azure Dragon Altar”
• name: “White Tiger Altar”
• name: “Black Tortoise Altar”
• name: “Vermilion Bird Altar”
• name: “Divine Snake Altar”
• name: “Heaven Hall”
• name: “Ziwei Hall”
• name: “Tianshi Hall”
• name: “Gate of Heaven”
• name: “Gate of Earth”
• name: “Gate of Wind”
• name: “Gate of Thunder”
• name: “Beggars’ Guild”
• name: “Wushan Gang”
• name: “Haisha School”
• name: “Shenquan School”
• name: “Sanjiang Gang”
• name: “Wufeng Dao School” skills: [] items:
• name: “Heavenly Jian”
• name: “Dragon-Slaying Dao”
• name: “black iron shackles” concepts:
• name: “neili”
• name: “jianghu”
• name: “secret passage” historical: []

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Yang Xiao[^yangxiao] continued, "For the present I kept my counsel. That evening, after all was still and the household asleep, I slipped quietly to my daughter's quarters to watch what Xiaozhao[^xiaozhao] would do. I saw the wench coming out of Buhui[^yangbuhui]'s room. She went straight to the eastern buildings, searching, I knew not what, probing every chamber and every hidden corner with care. I could contain myself no longer. I revealed myself and demanded to know what she sought and who had sent her to spy upon Bright Peak[^brightpeak]. She was calm enough. She said no one had sent her. She only liked to roam about and explore, driven by curiosity. I threatened her and coaxed her, but she would not betray so much as a hint of her purpose. I locked her away and starved her for seven days and seven nights, until she was near death, and still she said nothing. So I had her clapped in the black iron shackles that have been kept in our Order since days of old, so that whenever she moves she rings with a clinking sound, and can do Buhui no harm in secret.

“Only because I wished to discover who she was did I not kill her at once. Order Leader¹, this wench is an enemy spy, beyond all doubt. But the person she resembles left long ago. It is an old matter, and I gave it little further thought. What harm could a mere slip of a girl do? In consideration of the service she has done the Order Leader, and the Order Leader’s compassion in sparing her, she is fortunate indeed.” On that day atop Bright Peak, Zhang Wuji² had been wounded by Zhou Zhiruo. Xiaozhao, in her anxiety for him, had shown her concern openly, and Zhang Wuji had acknowledged her as a sworn sister. Yang Xiao had seen it all with his own eyes, and knew the Order Leader held her in some affection. The enmity he had erstwhile borne her was accordingly much abated.

Zhang Wuji rose to his feet and said with a smile, “We have been cooped up in that passage these many days. Is it not time we went out for a breath of air?” Yang Xiao was delighted. “Shall we go out now?” Zhang Wuji said, “Those whose wounds have not yet healed must on no account take part in fighting. There is no hurry to earn merit. The rest of us shall go out. Agreed?” Yang Xiao went forthwith and passed the order, and from the secret passage a great roar of jubilation went up.

When they had entered the passage, they had come through the passage in Yang Buhui’s bedchamber. This time they went out by a side door, so as to reach the rear of the mountain. Zhang Wuji pushed aside the boulder that barred the way and went out first. When the last of them had passed, he thrust the boulder back into place. The Thick Earth Banner’s Standard-Bearer Yan Yuan³ was the strongest man in the Ming Order. He tried his strength upon that mountainous boulder, pouring neili into the effort, and it was as a dragonfly butting a stone pillar: not the slightest movement. He could not help but gape, his tongue out and unable to draw it back, and in his heart his reverence for this young Order Leader grew beyond all measure.

When they emerged from the secret passage, they feared to alarm the enemy, and so not a cough nor so much as a whisper was heard among them.

Zhang Wuji stood upon a great rock. Moonlight poured down, and he saw the Tianying Order’s⁴ men drawn up in the places of honour to the west: the Halls of Tianwei, Ziwei and Tianshi, the Altars of Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Black Tortoise, Vermilion Bird and Divine Snake, each under its own command, drawn up in neat order. The original altar-chiefs, Bai Guishou⁵ and others, had mostly perished, and new chiefs had long been appointed in their stead. To the east stood the Ming Order’s⁶ Five Banners: Sharp Metal, Giant Wood, Flood, Blaze, and Thick Earth, each banner’s chief and deputy leading their men, drawn up according to the five directions. In the centre were the Bright Peak faithful, commanded by the Gate-Masters of Yang Xiao’s four Gates: Heaven, Earth, Wind and Thunder. The Gate of Heaven comprised the Order’s male faithful of the Central Plains. The Gate of Earth comprised the women. The Gate of Wind comprised monks and friars of the Buddhist and Daoist faiths. Though the Ming Order was a fire-worshipping sect of singular doctrine, its gates were broad, and devotees of Buddhism, Daoism, Jing and Hui faiths alike might enter the Order without forsaking their former creed. The Gate of Thunder comprised the faithful of the various foreign peoples of the Western Regions. Though several days of fierce fighting had left every banner and gate grievously thinned by wound and death, every man now was spirited and resolute. The Green-Winged Bat King Wei Yixiao⁷ and the Five Unbound Adepts⁸, Leng Qian⁹ and the rest, stood behind Zhang Wuji in guard. All were silent and still, awaiting only the Order Leader’s command.

Zhang Wuji said slowly, “The enemy has attacked our Order’s stronghold. Though we would end this peacefully, we cannot. But I have no wish for further bloodshed. I beg all of you to bear this in mind, and show mercy where mercy may be shown. The Tianying Order, led by Order Leader Yin, shall attack from the west. The Five Banners, under the overall command of Wen Cangsong¹⁰, Standard-Bearer of the Giant Wood Banner, shall attack from the east. Left Messenger Yang shall lead the Gates of Heaven and Earth, attacking from the north. The Five Unbound Adepts shall lead the Gates of Wind and Thunder, attacking from the south. The Bat King and I shall hold the centre and support wherever needed.” All bowed in unison and received the order.

Zhang Wuji waved his left hand and said in a low voice, “Go!” The four divisions broke apart and encircled Bright Peak from east, south, west and north.

Zhang Wuji said to Wei Yixiao, “Bat King, you and I shall go out through the passage and take them by surprise.” Wei Yixiao was delighted. “An excellent plan!” The two went back into the secret passage and climbed up through the entrance in Yang Buhui’s bedchamber.

By now the ruins above were piled thick with rubble and scorched timber. It cost them great effort to force their way out, and a stench of burning filled their nostrils. The Ming Order’s men were still some distance off, but the enemy still left upon Bright Peak had caught sight of them. Shouts and cries of warning passed from one to the next. Zhang Wuji and Wei Yixiao exchanged a glance and a smile, each thinking the same, This lot make such a fuss over nothing. They need not fight. The battle is already lost and won. The two sheltered behind a half-collapsed brick wall. In the moonlight dark figures ran to and fro.

Before long, Cannot Tell and Zhou Dian¹¹ arrived side by side, having already attacked from the south and charged into the throng. Close behind came Yin Tianzheng, Yang Xiao and the men of the Five Banners, all fighting with great cries. Those who had seized Bright Peak numbered among them the Beggars’ Guild, the Wushan Gang, the Haisha School and a dozen or more guilds and factions, large and small. They had seen Bright Peak burned to a waste, and not one soul of the Ming Order left alive. They had believed the victory complete. In these last days, the Beggars’ Guild, the Jujing Guild and most of the other guilds had already left the mountain one after another. On Bright Peak remained only the Shenquan School, the Sanjiang Gang, the Wushan Gang and the Wufeng Dao School, four factions in all. When the Ming Order’s men sprang upon them without warning, though these four schools counted some able fighters among them, how could they stand against the likes of Yang Xiao and Yin Tianzheng? In less time than it takes to eat a meal, more than half lay dead or wounded.

Zhang Wuji stepped forth and said in a clear voice, “The Ming Order’s finest are gathered this moment upon Bright Peak. Hear me, you great guilds and schools: further fighting serves no purpose. Throw down your weapons and surrender, and I shall spare your lives and see you safely down the mountain.”

Of the able fighters in the Shenquan School, the Sanjiang Gang, the Wushan Gang and the Wufeng Dao School, more than half were already dead or wounded. The rest, seeing the enemy gathered in force, had no will left to fight, and cast down their weapons and surrendered one after another. Some twenty hardy men still fought on stubbornly. In moments they too lay dead where they had stood.

During these ten-odd days the Beggars’ Guild and the others had erected a number of thatched shelters on the summit as a temporary lodging. The men of the Giant Wood Banner now felled more timber and built fresh huts. The women of the Gate of Earth busied themselves boiling water and cooking rice.

A great fire was kindled upon Bright Peak, in thanks to the Holy Fire for the protection of the Lord of Light.

The White-Browed Eagle King Yin Tianzheng¹² rose to his feet and said in a loud voice, “Hear me, all you of the Tianying Order: our Order and the Ming Order are of one breath and one branch, a single lineage from the start. Twenty-odd years ago I fell out with my comrades of the Ming Order, and so I went far to the southeast and set up on my own. Now the Ming Order has Zhang Wuji daxia¹³ as its Order Leader. All have put aside old quarrels to pool their strength and counsel. The name ‘Tianying Order’ ceases this day to exist in the world. Every man among us is a member of the Ming Order, and we shall all obey the assignments and orders of Order Leader Zhang. If any man is not content, let him be off down the mountain at once!”

The Tianying Order’s faithful roared their approval. “The Tianying Order sprang from the Ming Order. Today we return to our root and go home again. Every one of us enters the Ming Order. What finer thing could there be? Order Leader Yin and Order Leader Zhang are close kin. To obey the orders of either is one and the same.” Yin Tianzheng cried, “From this day forth there is only Order Leader Zhang. If any man calls me ‘Order Leader Yin’ again, it shall be counted rebellion!”

Zhang Wuji cupped his fists and said, “The Tianying Order and the Ming Order, sundered and now reunited, this is indeed a cause for the greatest joy. In the earlier days I was compelled by circumstance to hold the Order Leader’s seat in trust. Now our great enemy is removed, and we ought to choose a new Order Leader in good order. The Order holds many heroes and bold men. I am young and of slender understanding. How dare I presume to lead?”

Zhou Dian cried loudly, “Order Leader, think on it from our side. We fought over this very seat until we were split in four. At last every one of us was of a mind to serve you. If you keep refusing, then send someone else to be Order Leader. Hmph! Hmph! Whoever it is, I, Zhou Dian, shan’t have it. And if you make me Order Leader, the rest won’t stand for that either.” Peng Yingyu said, “Order Leader, if you will not bear this burden, then the Ming Order shall go back to the old road of mutual slaughter and bitter feud within. Will you have us come begging you to save us again then?”

Zhang Wuji thought to himself, What these men say is truth enough. In the present circumstance I cannot stand by with folded arms. But this Order Leader’s post I am neither fit to fill nor willing to hold. He said in a clear voice, “Since you honour me with such regard, I dare not refuse further. I shall hold the Order Leader’s burden in trust for the present, but there are three matters for which I require your assent. Without them I would sooner die than take the post.”

The assembly called out, “The Order Leader’s commands: say but three, or thirty, and we shall obey without fail. What are the three? We beg the Order Leader to decree them.”

Zhang Wuji said, “Our Order has been called demons and outsiders by the world. Though this is because those outside the Order do not know its true nature, with so many members it is inevitable that good and bad are mingled, and there have been those whose conduct was wanton and who harmed the innocent. This first matter, then: from this day forth, from myself on down, every man must strictly observe the Order’s rules and abide by the Three Great Commandments and the Five Lesser Commandments, doing good and shunning evil, upholding the code of xia. Between brothers of the Order, we must be as close and as helpful as hand and foot, and utterly forbid fighting among ourselves.” He glanced at Zhou Dian. “Quarrels and cursing may be tolerated, but blows must never be struck. I ask Leng Qian, Mr Leng, to serve as Master of the Punishment Hall. Whoever breaks the Order’s rules, whoever fights or cuts down a brother of the Order, shall be punished to the full, without exception, even if the offender be my own maternal grandfather or my uncle by blood.”

The assembly bowed and said, “Rightly so!” Leng Qian stepped forward and said, “I receive the command.” He was not a man for many words. Those two were as much as to say he would bend every effort to carry out the Order Leader’s bidding.

Footnotes

1. 教主 – jiàozhǔ. The Order Leader, head of a martial or religious Order. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

2. 张无忌 – Zhāng Wújì. His name meaning “No Taboo”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

3. 颜垣 – Yán Yuán. His name meaning “Steadfast Wall”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

4. 天鹰教 – Tiānyīng Jiào. Lit. “Heavenly Eagle Order”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

5. 白龟寿 – Bái Guīshòu. His name meaning “White Tortoise Longevity”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

6. 明教 – Míng Jiào. The Ming Order, a revolutionary fire-worshipping cult whose teachings drew upon Manichaean and Zoroastrian tradition. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

7. 韦一笑 – Wéi Yīxiào. His name meaning “Smile of One Laugh”. The Green-Winged Bat King. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

8. 五散人 – Wǔ Sǎnrén. The Five Unbound Adepts of the Ming Order: Leng Qian, Peng Yingyu, Zhou Dian, Zhang Zhong the Iron Crown Adept, and Cannot Tell. A sanren belongs to no sect, school or post; these five hold no office in the Order. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

9. 冷谦 – Lěng Qiān. His name meaning “Cold and Modest”. The Cold-Faced Gentleman. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

10. 闻苍松 – Wén Cāngsōng. His name meaning “Green Pine”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

11. 周颠 – Zhōu Diān. His name meaning “Mad”. The Lunatic. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

12. 殷天正 – Yīn Tiānzhèng. His name meaning “Heavenly Upright”. The White-Browed Eagle King. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

13. 大侠 – dàxiá. A title of respect for a renowned martial artist of great chivalry. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩