The Heavenly Sword & the Dragon Sabre Chapter 3 Part 3

Yu Daiyan¹ laid the old man upon the wooden kneeling cushion before the deity’s statue. His own fire-starter had been soaked by seawater, so he groped about on the altar until he found flint and tinder, and lit what remained of a half-burnt candle. By its flickering light, he examined the old man and saw that his face had turned a deep, mottled purple. The poison had penetrated deep into his system. Yu Daiyan drew a Heaven’s Heart Antidote Pill² from within his robes and said, “Take this antidote pill.”

The old man had kept his eyes tightly shut, but upon hearing these words, he opened them and said, “I will not swallow your poisonous concoction.”

Yu Daiyan’s temper was mild by nature, yet even he could bear no more of this. His long brows rose sharply. “Who do you take me for? A disciple of Wudang would never stoop to harming another through such treachery! This is an antidote pill. The poison in your body runs deep, and I cannot promise this medicine will save you, but at the very least it shall prolong your life by three days. You had best take the dao to the Haisha School³ and exchange it for their antidote. That is your only hope.”

The old man lurched to his feet and cried in a harsh voice, “Whoever thinks to take my Dragon-Slaying Dao⁴ shall never have it!”

Yu Daiyan said, “Without your life, what good is a precious dao?”

The old man’s voice trembled as he replied, “I would sooner forfeit my life than part with this dao. The Dragon-Slaying Dao is mine!”

As he spoke, he clutched the weapon tightly to his chest, his cheek pressed against its edge, his manner one of unspeakable devotion, even as he swallowed the Heaven’s Heart Antidote Pill.

Yu Daiyan’s curiosity stirred, and he was about to inquire what virtue this dao possessed, but when he looked into the old man’s eyes, he saw them brimming with a ravenous, savage light, like some famished beast seeking prey to devour. A wave of revulsion swept through him, and he turned to leave. Suddenly the old man barked, “Halt! Where do you think you’re going?”

Yu Daiyan laughed. “Where I go is hardly your concern.”

He strode away without a backward glance.

He had not gone more than a few paces when the old man burst into loud weeping. Yu Daiyan turned his head and asked, “Why do you weep?”

The old man sobbed, “I endured a thousand hardships to obtain the Dragon-Slaying Dao, yet in the blink of an eye my life hangs by a thread. What use is such a treasure now?”

Yu Daiyan gave a grunt of acknowledgement. “Your only recourse is to exchange this dao for the Haisha School’s antidote. There is no other way.”

The old man wailed, “But I cannot bear to part with it! I cannot bear it!”

His grotesque expression carried an edge of the absurd.

Yu Daiyan wanted to laugh but could not bring himself to do so. After a long moment, he said, “Those who practice martial arts rely upon their own skill to overcome their foes and uphold righteousness, thereby winning renown that echoes through the ages. Precious dao and jian are mere external things, neither cause for joy when gained nor grief when lost. Why let such a trifle vex you so?”

The old man’s eyes flashed with anger. “‘Supreme in the wulin, the Dragon-Slaying Dao! Commanding all beneath heaven, none dares disobey!’ Have you heard these words before?”

Yu Daiyan gave a wry laugh. “I have heard them, naturally. And there are two more lines that follow: ‘If Heaven Reliant⁵ does not appear, who can contend for supremacy?’ They speak of a great and earth-shaking event in the wulin⁶ some decades past, not of any actual dao.”

The old man demanded, “What earth-shaking event?”

Yu Daiyan said, “In years past, Yang Guo,⁷ the Divine Eagle daxia, slew the Mongol Emperor Möngke, winning a great victory for our Han people. From that day forth, whatever command Yang daxia⁸ issued, all heroes of the realm dared not disobey. The ‘dragon’ refers to the Mongol Emperor. ‘Dragon slaying’ means killing the Mongol Emperor. Surely you do not believe there are actual dragons in this world?”

The old man scoffed. “Tell me then, what weapon did Yang Guo daxia wield in those days?”

Yu Daiyan started. “I once heard my shifu say that Yang daxia had lost one arm and ordinarily carried no weapon.”

The old man pressed on. “Indeed. Then how did Yang daxia slay the Mongol Emperor?”

Yu Daiyan said, “He hurled a stone and struck Möngke dead. This is known throughout the realm.”

The old man’s expression grew triumphant. “Yang daxia used no weapon in ordinary times, and slew the Mongol Emperor with a mere stone. Then whence come the words ‘Dragon-Slaying Dao’?”

Yu Daiyan found himself at a loss for words. After a pause, he ventured, “Perhaps it was simply a turn of phrase that caught on in the wulin. One could hardly say ‘stone slays dragon’. That would sound rather absurd.”

The old man sneered. “Sophistry! Pure sophistry! Let me ask you another question: ‘If Heaven Reliant does not appear, who can contend for supremacy?’ How do you explain those lines?”

Yu Daiyan pondered for a moment. “I do not know. Perhaps ‘Heaven Reliant’ refers to a person? I have heard that Yang daxia learned his martial arts from his wife, so perhaps ‘Heaven Reliant’ was her name, or perhaps it refers to Guo Jing daxia,⁹ who died defending Xiangyang.”

The old man said, “Is that so? I expect you cannot think of anything better, so you resort to such wild guesses. Let me tell you: ‘Dragon Slaying’ is a dao,¹⁰ this very Dragon-Slaying Dao. ‘Heaven Reliant’ is a jian, called the Heavenly Jian. The meaning of those six lines is this: the most supreme treasure of the wulin is the Dragon-Slaying Dao. Whoever obtains this dao, whatever command he issues, all heroes and brave men of the realm must obey. So long as the Heavenly Jian does not appear, the Dragon-Slaying Dao stands as the most formidable divine weapon under heaven.”

Yu Daiyan remained sceptical. “Let me see this dao of yours. What is so wondrous about it?”

The old man clutched the great dao tighter still and laughed coldly. “Do you take me for a three-year-old child? You wish to trick me out of my treasure.”

Though the poison had left him drained and weak, the Heaven’s Heart Antidote Pill had revived his spirits somewhat. Yet now, as he exerted himself, he groaned in pain once more.

Yu Daiyan laughed. “If you will not show me, then you will not show me. You have obtained the Dragon-Slaying Dao, yet whom can you command? Must I obey your every word simply because you clutch such a dao in your arms? What utter nonsense. You were perfectly well before, yet you chose to believe these absurd tales, and now you have thrown your life away for nothing. Still you refuse to see the truth. Since you cannot command me, this dao clearly holds no special virtue.”

The old man stood dumbstruck for a long while, unable to utter a word. At last he said, “Brother, let us make a pact. If you save my life, I shall share half the dao’s benefits with you.”

Yu Daiyan threw back his head and laughed. “Old sir, you think far too little of the Wudang Order. Aiding those in peril is our sacred duty. We seek no reward. You have been exposed to poisoned salt, yet I know not what venom was mixed into it. Your only hope lies in seeking aid from the Haisha School.”

The old man said, “I stole this Dragon-Slaying Dao from the Haisha School. They hate me to the marrow of their bones. Why would they save me?”

Yu Daiyan said, “If you return the dao, the grudge will be settled. Why would they still wish you harm?”

The old man said, “Your skill is formidable. Surely you have the ability to steal into the Haisha School’s stronghold and obtain the antidote to save my life.”

Yu Daiyan said, “First, I have urgent business and cannot delay. Second, you stole their treasure. The fault lies with you. How can I twist right and wrong on your behalf? Old sir, you must go seek out the Haisha School at once. Any further delay, and when the poison takes hold, it will be too late.”

Seeing that Yu Daiyan was about to depart once more, the old man hastened to say, “Very well, let me ask you one more thing. When you carried me, did you notice anything unusual?”

Yu Daiyan said, “I did find it rather strange. You are thin and slight of build, yet you weigh some two hundred jin. I could not fathom why. I saw no heavy burden upon your person.”

The old man set the Dragon-Slaying Dao on the ground. “Lift me again.”

Yu Daiyan grasped him by the shoulders and hoisted him up. At once the weight in his hands lightened dramatically, no more than eighty-odd jin,¹¹ and understanding dawned: So this single dao weighs over a hundred jin. Most unusual, no ordinary weapon, this.

He set the old man down and said, “The dao is indeed quite heavy.”

The old man snatched up the Dragon-Slaying Dao once more and clutched it tight. “Its weight is but the least of its virtues. Brother, is your honourable surname Yu or Zhang?”

Yu Daiyan said, “My humble surname is Yu, my given name Daiyan. How did you know?”

The old man said, “Zhang Sanfeng the Perfected One¹² of the Wudang Order has seven disciples. The Seven Xias of Wudang¹³ are renowned throughout the realm. Who in the wulin has not heard of them? Song daxia is in his forties. Yin daxia and Mo daxia are not yet twenty. Of the remaining four, the second and third disciples bear the surname Yu, while the fourth and fifth are named Zhang. So you are Yu the Third Xia! No wonder your skills are so formidable. The Seven Xias of Wudang’s fame shakes the heavens. Seeing you today, I find that reputation well deserved.”

Though Yu Daiyan was not old in years, he was a seasoned wanderer of the jianghu. Hearing such blatant flattery, he knew the man sought something from him, and his distaste only deepened. He asked, “What is your honourable name, old sir?”

The old man said, “My surname is De, given name Cheng.¹⁴ Friends in the Liaodong region have bestowed upon me the sobriquet Haidongqing.”¹⁵

The haidongqing is a great eagle native to Liaodong, fierce and savage, living by preying on smaller beasts, and the best-known raptor beyond the passes.

Yu Daiyan cupped his fists in the civil salute. “I have long heard your name.”

He glanced up at the sky.

De Cheng knew Yu Daiyan was eager to depart. Unless he could tempt him with some great prize, there would be no persuading him to help. He said, “You do not understand the true meaning of ‘Command the realm, and none dare disobey.’ You think that whoever holds the Dragon-Slaying Dao need only open his mouth and issue orders, and all must obey. No, no, you have it entirely wrong.”

He had just begun to speak when Yu Daiyan’s expression shifted. His right hand swept out with a soft puff, snuffing the candle on the altar. In a low voice he said, “Someone approaches!”

De Cheng’s neigong was far inferior to his, and he had heard nothing. As he hesitated, a series of sharp whistles sounded in the distance, followed by men calling to one another as they rushed toward the sea god temple. De Cheng said in alarm, “Our enemies are upon us! Let us slip out the back of the temple.”

Yu Daiyan said, “There are men approaching from the rear as well.”

De Cheng said, “Surely not…”

Yu Daiyan could tell from the footsteps that the salt smugglers were running toward them bearing their laden poles. He said, “Old De, the approaching party belongs to the Haisha School. This is your chance to ask them for the antidote. I have no wish to wade into these troubled waters.”

De Cheng’s left hand shot out and seized Yu Daiyan’s wrist in a death grip. His voice trembled as he said, “Yu the Third Xia, you must not abandon me! You must not…”

Yu Daiyan felt five fingers cold as ice digging into his flesh. With a turn of his wrist, he executed half a move of Nine Revolutions Achieved,¹⁶ a single rotation, and sent the five fingers flying free.

A rush of footsteps approached the temple, and with a bang, someone kicked open the doors. A hissing shower of fine particles rained through the darkness. Yu Daiyan contracted his body and leapt behind the sea god’s statue. De Cheng let out a low groan as several impacts struck his body in rapid succession, objects pattering to the floor around him. Wave after wave of projectiles continued without pause. Yu Daiyan thought, This is the Haisha School’s poisoned salt.

Footnotes

1. 俞岱岩 – Yú Dàiyán. His name meaning “Lofty Cliff of Mount Dai.” Third of the Seven Xias of Wudang, crippled years before. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

2. 天心解毒丹 – tiānxīn jiědú dān. Literally heaven’s heart antidote pill. Detoxifying medicine carried by Wudang disciples. ↩

3. 海沙派 – Hǎishā Pài. Haisha School, meaning “Sea Sand School.” A Jiangnan faction. ↩

4. 屠龙刀 – Túlóng Dāo. Dragon-Slaying Dao; the name’s literal sense is “dragon-slaying”. Legendary blade and the supreme weapon of the jianghu, forged with the Heavenly Jian from meteoric iron. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

5. 倚天剑 – Yǐtiān Jiàn. Heavenly Jian; the name’s literal sense is “heaven-reliant”, preserving 倚 (yǐ, to lean upon). One of the two supreme weapons of the jianghu, forged with the Dragon-Slaying Dao from meteoric iron, and the title weapon of the novel (rendered “Heavenly Sword” in the book’s title). See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

6. 武林 – wǔlín. Literally martial forest. Those who actually practise, teach or study martial arts. Wulin sits inside the jianghu and is narrower than it: every member of the wulin belongs to the jianghu, but a pedlar or physician of the jianghu who never trained is no part of the wulin. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

7. 杨过 – Yáng Guò. His name meaning “Yang Surpassing” or “Yang Repentance”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

8. 大侠 – dàxiá. Literally great xia. Title of the highest honour for a chivalrous martial hero. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

9. 郭靖 – Guō Jìng. His name meaning Guo Serenity. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

10. 刀 – dāo. Curved, single-edged blade, retained in pinyin in prose. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

11. 斤 – jīn. Traditional Chinese unit of weight, approximately 500 grams or 1.1 pounds. Four hundred jin would be roughly 440 pounds or 200 kilograms. ↩

12. 真人 – zhēnrén. Literally true person. Daoist honorific title for accomplished practitioners; here referring to Zhang Sanfeng. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

13. 武当七侠 – Wǔdāng Qī Xiá. Seven foremost disciples of Zhang Sanfeng, of whom Zhang Cuishan is the fifth. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

14. 德成 – Dé Chéng. His name meaning “Virtue Achieved.” ↩

15. 海东青 – Hǎidōng Qīng. Literally sea-eastern azure. Gyrfalcon, a fierce raptor native to the Liaodong region, renowned for hunting small beasts and considered one of the most prized hunting birds beyond the passes. See Wikipedia. ↩

16. 九转丹成 – jiǔ zhuǎn dān chéng. Literally nine revolutions complete the elixir. Wudang grappling counter-technique. ↩