The Heavenly Sword & the Dragon Sabre – Chapter 33 – Part 2

Zhang Wuji pursues the flame symbols westward from Lulong, encountering gambling dens and brothels along the way. Suspecting the Beggars' Guild has lured him on a wild chase, he returns to their headquarters and bursts in, only to find Zhou Zhiruo a captive at their banquet. But Chen Youlun's silver tongue soon turns the tables.

The gambling den’s banker saw Zhang Wuji’s fine attire and assumed a wealthy patron had arrived. He hurried forward with a fawning smile. “Young master, come roll a few! Your luck is hot. Clean them out three rounds running!” He turned to the other gamblers. “Make room for the young master! Everyone, get your silver ready to lose, so the young master can carry it home by the armful!”

Zhang Wuji frowned. He saw no martial artists among the gamblers. Raising his voice, he called out, “Sworn Father, Sworn Father! Are you here, old sir?” After a pause, with no answer, he asked the banker, “Have you seen a gentleman with golden hair and a tall build come in? A gentleman who is blind?”

The banker, seeing he had come not to gamble but to find someone, lost all interest. He chuckled. “What a ridiculous notion! A blind man coming to gamble with dice? Is this blind man out of his mind?”

Zhang Wuji had already been frustrated from failing to find his sworn father. Hearing the banker’s insolent words, insulting his sworn father, he stepped forward two paces, grabbed the man by the collar, lifted him up, walked to the door, and gave a light toss. The man sailed up onto the roof. Zhang Wuji pushed through the crowd, picked up two large silver ingots from the gambling table, and said, “The young master is carrying the silver home.” He tucked them into his robe and strode out of the ancestral hall. The ruffians were so stunned that none dared give chase. Only after he had gone far did they begin shouting and hollering.

He continued west. Before long, he found another flame symbol. By evening, he reached Fengrun, a large city in northern Hebei. Following the symbols’ directions, he arrived outside a house with whitewashed walls and a black door. The brass door rings had been polished to a bright shine, and plum blossoms were half in bloom within the wall. It was an elegant, immaculate household. He lifted the door ring and knocked three times. Presently, light footsteps approached. The black door creaked open. A fragrant scent reached his nose before anything else. The door was answered by a maid in a pink fur jacket. She giggled and said, “What is the gentleman’s surname? Coming to visit when you have free time, my sister will be so happy!” She reached up and draped her hand on his shoulder.

Zhang Wuji flushed crimson. He hastily dodged aside and said, “My humble surname is Zhang. Is an elderly gentleman named Xie and a young lady surnamed Zhou perhaps staying here?” The maid giggled. “This is the Pear Fragrance House.¹ If you’re looking for Zhou Xianxian, you should go to the Peach Blossom Residence. Which little charmer has bewitched you so thoroughly that you’d come to the Pear Fragrance House looking for Zhou Xianxian? Tee-hee!”

Zhang Wuji suddenly understood. This was a brothel. He said, “I beg your pardon,” turned, and walked away. The maid chased after him, calling, “Young master! In what way is my sister inferior to Zhou Xianxian? Can’t you sit for even a moment?” Zhang Wuji waved his hands repeatedly and fled at a quick pace.

This encounter left his mind unsettled for quite some time. Seeing that the sky was growing dark, and fearing he might miss flame symbols along the road at night, he found an inn to lodge for the night. His thoughts churned, Why would my sworn father go to a gambling den and a brothel? What deep meaning could his actions hold? In the middle of the night, he suddenly started awake. “My sworn father is blind. How could he leave so many clear symbols along the way? Could the enemy have deliberately forged our Order’s symbols to toy with me? Or even lead me into an ambush? Hmph. Even if it’s a dragon’s pool or a tiger’s den, I’ll brave it regardless.”

The next morning, he rose and found another flame symbol outside Fengrun, still pointing west. By afternoon, he reached Yutian, where the symbol pointed toward a large wealthy household. The house was hung with lanterns and decorated for a wedding. Red characters reading “The bride goes to her new home”² were written on the lanterns. It appeared to be a daughter’s wedding, with gongs and drums playing and guests crowding the gate. This time, Zhang Wuji had learned his lesson. Rather than barging in to ask about Xie Xun, he mingled among the wedding guests to observe. Seeing nothing amiss, he slipped out to look for the symbol and indeed found one beside a large tree.

The flame symbols led him from Yutian to Sanhe, then turned south all the way to Xianghe. By now, he had reasoned, Most likely, the Beggars’ Guild discovered my trail and is using a tiger-ousting strategy³ to lure me far away so they can carry out their vicious schemes unhindered. Though anxious, he dared not ignore the symbols, fearing they might genuinely have been left by Xie Xun and Zhou Zhiruo. “If they were being pursued by a powerful enemy and left symbols along the way, hoping I would come to their aid, and I were to act clever and return straight to Lulong, and my sworn father and Zhiruo were to perish as a result, what would I do? Since things have come to this, I have no choice but to follow these flame symbols to the bitter end.”

From Xianghe to Baocheng, then to Dabaizhuang and Panzhuang, the trail trended southeast to Ninghe. There, the flame symbols vanished without a trace. No matter how he searched, he could not find another. He scoured Ninghe carefully but found nothing unusual. He thought, It was indeed the Beggars’ Guild leading me on a wild chase, making me run for days for nothing.

He bought a horse and returned to Lulong. At a secondhand clothing shop, he purchased a white robe. Borrowing vermilion ink, he painted an enormous flame on the white robe. He resolved to march openly into the Beggars’ Guild headquarters as the Ming Order⁴ Leader and confront them head-on.

He changed into the white robe and strode to the entrance of the wealthy mansion. The two great vermilion doors were tightly shut, their bowl-sized brass studs gleaming. He thrust both palms forward. With a thunderous crash, both doors flew inward, tumbling into the courtyard. A terrific smashing sound followed as two large goldfish bowls were shattered to pieces.

Over the past several days, he had been tormented by worry for his sworn father and Zhou Zhiruo’s safety, repeatedly tricked, and sent on a wild circuit through northern Hebei. His pent-up fury was unbearable. Now that he had returned to the Beggars’ Guild headquarters, he was determined to raise havoc. He smashed through the doors and strode in, his tongue unleashing a thunderous roar. “Beggars’ Guild, hear me! Tell Shi Huolong to come out and see me!”

A dozen or so four- and five-bag disciples were standing in the courtyard. The sight of the two great doors flying inward had already shocked them. Then they saw a youth in white stride in. Seven or eight of them shouted in unison and rushed forward to block him, crying, “Who are you? What do you want?”

Zhang Wuji swept both arms outward. The seven or eight disciples were sent flying with a series of crashes, smashing through a row of latticed windows until they were nothing but splinters. He swept through the main hall and struck the middle door with his palm, blasting it open. He saw a banquet table set in the central hall, with Shi Huolong seated in the place of honour. The Beggars’ Guild leaders, hearing the commotion at the entrance, had been sending someone to investigate. Zhang Wuji moved with astonishing speed. He intercepted the Seven-Bag disciple rushing out to inquire, seized him by the chest, and hurled him at Shi Huolong.

The wealthy host, seated at the lower end of the table, saw the Seven-Bag disciple flying toward the banquet. He reached out to catch the man and caught him squarely, but a force like a tidal wave crashed into him. He hastily employed the Thousand-Jin Drop⁵ stance to steady himself, but was driven back seven or eight steps, his back striking a great pillar before he stopped. His hands went slack, dropping the disciple to the floor. He could not catch his breath, his whole body went limp, and he slumped against the pillar. The beggars were all horrified at the sight.

Zhang Wuji gave a cry of surprise, both shocked and delighted. Seated to the left of the round table was a young woman. It was none other than Zhou Zhiruo. Beside her sat Song Qingshu. Zhou Zhiruo cried out, “Wuji gege!” She rose to her feet, swayed, and crumpled to the ground. Zhang Wuji was alarmed. He darted forward and bent to scoop her up. Before his body had straightened, he felt a slap land on his back with a crack, followed by a heavy blow. Song Qingshu had struck him with a palm, and another Beggars’ Guild expert had landed a fist.

By now, Zhang Wuji’s Nine Yang Divine Skill⁶ permeated his entire body. The palm and fist strikes on his back were completely neutralised, their force dissipated. He lifted Zhou Zhiruo and leapt back to the courtyard. “Where is my sworn father?” he asked. Zhou Zhiruo’s voice trembled. “I… I…” Zhang Wuji asked, “Is he well?” Zhou Zhiruo said, “My acupoints have been sealed by them…” But Zhang Wuji, his mind fixed on Xie Xun, asked again, “My sworn father — where is he?” Zhou Zhiruo said, “I don’t know. They captured me and brought me here. I’ve never known where your sworn father is.”

Zhang Wuji massaged her leg joints a few times, then set her down. But the acupoint-sealing technique used on Zhou Zhiruo was most unusual. His two massage attempts had no effect. When her feet touched the ground, she could not stand straight. Her knees buckled and she sat down again.

The beggars rose from their seats one after another and gathered on the steps. Shi Huolong clasped his fists and said, “You must be the Ming Order Leader Zhang?” Zhang Wuji thought that as the head of a guild, he should not be discourteous. He clasped his fists in return and said, “I would not presume. I have forced my way into your guild headquarters. I beg Guild Chief Shi’s forgiveness for my insolence.” Shi Huolong said, “Order Leader Zhang’s name has thundered through the jianghu⁷ in recent years. I have heard it like… like thunder in my ears. Seeing your skill today, you are indeed formidable. Damned impressive, impressive!” Zhang Wuji said, “I came too hastily and have made a fool of myself before Guild Chief Shi. Where is my sworn father, the Golden-Haired Lion King? Please bring him out so I may see him.”

Shi Huolong’s face reddened, then he laughed heartily. “Order Leader Zhang is young, yet your words are so cutting. We meant well, inviting Xie the Lion King for a drink. Who knew the Lion King would leave without a word and severely wound eight of our disciples? By damn, how should we settle this account? We ask Order Leader Zhang to do the reckoning.”

Zhang Wuji was taken aback. He thought, Those eight Beggars’ Guild disciples were indeed killed by my sworn father’s heavy fist technique. It seems he is no longer here. But where has he gone? He said, “And this young lady Zhou? Why has your guild imprisoned her here?” Shi Huolong stammered, “Well…” Chen Youlun interjected, “They say the Ming Order’s Zhang Wuji is strong in martial arts but an unreasonable little demon. Seeing him today… haha…” Zhang Wuji said, “How am I unreasonable?”

Chen Youlun said, “This young lady Zhou is the head of the Emei Order, a leading figure of the renowned righteous factions.⁸ What does she have to do with your Order’s side gates and deviant paths?⁹ This Song Qingshu is a rising talent of the Wudang Order. He and young lady Zhou are a perfect match, talent and beauty united, a pair well suited in both family and fortune. The two of them were passing through, and the Beggars’ Guild invited them as guests for a drink. Why should the Ming Order Leader interfere? How laughable, how laughable!” The beggars echoed in agreement, laughing heartily.

Zhang Wuji said, “If young lady Zhou is your guest, why have you sealed her acupoints?”

Footnotes

1. 梨香院 – Líxiāng Yuàn. Literally Pear Fragrance House. A brothel in Fengrun. ↩

2. 之子于归 – zhī zǐ yú guī. “This bride goes to her new home.” A line from the Book of Poetry (《诗经·周南·桃夭》), conventionally inscribed on wedding lanterns and gifts. ↩

3. 调虎离山 – diào hǔ lí shān. Literally “lure the tiger from the hills.” A stratagem meaning to draw a powerful opponent away from his base of strength. ↩

4. 明教 – Míng Jiào. The Ming Order. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

5. 千斤坠 – Qiānjīn Zhuì. Literally Thousand-Jin Drop. A stability technique that anchors the body to the ground by channelling neili downward, making the practitioner immovable. ↩

6. 九阳神功 – Jiǔyáng Shéngōng. The Nine Yang Divine Skill. A supreme internal cultivation scripture. Zhang Wuji attained its complete mastery after years of practising within the Kunlun Mountains. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

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, including pedlars, physicians, fortune-tellers, entertainers, boatmen, beggars, outlaws and the like. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

8. 名门正派 – míngmén zhèngpài. Renowned righteous factions. The orthodox schools and orders of the wulin. ↩

9. 旁门左道 – pángmén zuǒdào. Side gates and deviant paths. Unorthodox schools and methods; a term of disparagement for those outside the orthodox mainstream. ↩