The Heavenly Sword & the Dragon Sabre – Chapter 36 – Part 6

Zhang Wuji said, "There is no need for everyone to be so modest. Working together to rescue Dharma King Xie is only natural for brothers of our Order, and I am deeply grateful. How could I possibly find fault?" He briefly recounted how he had infiltrated Shaolin Monastery and fought Du'e and the other two monks the previous night. When the assembled heroes learned that everything stemmed from Cheng Kun's treachery, they were incensed. Zhou Dian and Iron Crown Adept cursed aloud.

Zhang Wuji said, “Today our Order comes in force to demand Dharma King Xie from the abbot. It would be best to avoid bloodshed. If it comes to fighting, our first priority is rescuing Dharma King Xie, our second is capturing Cheng Kun. Beyond that, we must not harm the innocent.” The company shouted their assent. Zhou Dian said, “Our Ming Order’s might is so formidable that if each man let off a fart, we’d stink them to death. Especially my old Zhou’s stinking farts, which are truly extraordinary!”

Zhang Wuji said to Zhao Min, “Sister Min, you had best disguise yourself so the Shaolin monks do not recognise you. We don’t need more trouble.” That day she had captured the Shaolin monks and imprisoned them in Dadu, forging a bitter feud with the Shaolin Order. Zhao Min laughed, “Brother Yan, let me dress as one of your banner-men!” Yan Yuan immediately ordered a man of his banner to remove his outer robe for Zhao Min. She ran into the woods behind the hill and hastily changed, darkening her face with soot. When she emerged from the trees, she had become a swarthy, gaunt man with a fierce countenance.

A horn sounded, and the Ming Order heroes marched up the mountain in formation. Shaolin Monastery had long received the Ming Order’s card requesting an audience, and Kongzhi¹ led the monks in waiting at the mountain pavilion. Kongzhi had heard Yuanzhen’s words and firmly believed that the Shaolin monks’ capture by Zhao Min’s stratagem, their imprisonment in Dadu, the severing of their fingers, and the forced instruction in martial arts were all a scheme jointly arranged by the Ming Order and the Prince of Ruyang. Zhang Wuji’s intervention to rescue them was merely a pretence of goodwill, concealing some further plot. His expression sombre, Kongzhi pressed his palms together and bowed without a word.

Zhang Wuji clasped his fists and said, “Our Order has matters to bring before your school. We have come specifically to meet the abbot.” Kongzhi nodded. “This way,” he said, leading the Ming Order heroes towards the monastery gates. Kongwen² the abbot, accompanied by the senior monks of Damo Hall, Arhat Hall, Banruo Hall, and the Precepts Court, awaited them outside the mountain gate. He ushered the heroes into the Hall of Great Worthies, where host and guest took their seats, and novice monks served clear tea.

Kongwen exchanged a few pleasantries with Zhang Wuji, Yang Xiao, and Yin Tianzheng, then fell silent. Zhang Wuji said, “Master Abbot, we would not climb the Three Treasures Hall without cause. We beseech you, for the sake of our shared bond in the wulin,³ to release our Order’s Dharma King Xie. We shall repay this great kindness in due course.”

Kongwen said, “Amitabha. Monastics hold compassion as their foundation and forbid anger and killing. We ought not to make things difficult for Dharma King Xie. However, my shixiong⁴ Kongjian met his death at Dharma King Xie’s hands. As leader of an Order, Zhang jiaozhu⁵ should understand the customs of the wulin.”

Zhang Wuji said, “There is another explanation, and the blame cannot be laid at Dharma King Xie’s door.” He then recounted in full how Kongjian had willingly endured the punches to resolve a great injustice in the wulin. The several thousand monks in and outside the hall heard every word. Kongwen and the others had barely heard half before they intoned Buddhist invocations and rose respectfully to their feet. Kongwen’s eyes glistened with tears as he said, his voice trembling, “Excellent, excellent! Kongjian shixiong performed a great deed of mercy through his vast vow. His merit is no small thing.” The monks chanted sutras in low voices, their hearts filled with admiration for Kongjian’s chivalrous righteousness. The Ming Order heroes also rose as one, showing their respect.

When Zhang Wuji had finished recounting the events in detail, he continued, “Dharma King Xie deeply regrets inadvertently harming the divine monk Kongjian. But on reflection, he believes the true culprit behind this affair is your monastery’s Great Master Yuanzhen.⁶” Not seeing Yuanzhen in the hall, he said, “Please ask Great Master Yuanzhen to come out for a face-to-face confrontation, so that right and wrong may be determined.”

Zhou Dian interjected, “That’s right! At Bright Peak that bald donkey faked his death, then came back to life, sneaking around like a ghost. What good thing could he be? Hurry and tell him to roll out!” That day at Bright Peak, Zhou Dian had suffered greatly at Yuanzhen’s hands and had nursed his grudge ever since. Zhang Wuji hurriedly said, “Zhou xiansheng,⁷ you must not be rude before the Master Abbot.” Zhou Dian said, “I’m cursing that bald donkey Yuanzhen, not the abbot that bald…” The word “bald” had barely left his lips when he realised his mistake and hastily clapped a hand over his own mouth.

Kongzhi, enraged by Zhou Dian’s insolence, said, “Then how does Zhang jiaozhu explain the death of my shidi⁸ Kongxing?” Zhang Wuji said, “The divine monk Kongxing was forthright and chivalrous. I had the good fortune to meet him at Bright Peak and was greatly impressed. Great Master Kongxing once agreed with me to exchange pointers on martial arts in future. Little did I know he would suffer a terrible fate. I mourn his loss deeply. This was the work of villains, and has nothing to do with our Order.”

Kongzhi sneered, “Zhang jiaozhu shifts the blame with admirable ease. Then the alliance between the Prince of Ruyang’s daughter and the Ming Order, was that also false?” Zhang Wuji’s face flushed. “The Princess has broken with her father and brother and joined our Order. As for her past offences against your monastery, I shall have her come up the mountain to pray before the Buddha and make proper amends.” Kongzhi barked, “Zhang jiaozhu’s honeyed words avail nothing. As leader of an Order, you speak at random. Do you not invite the laughter of the heroes of the world?”

Zhang Wuji thought of the killing of Kongxing and the capture of the monks. These were indeed great wrongs on Zhao Min’s part. Though they had nothing to do with the Ming Order, she was now under his protection, and he could not shirk responsibility. As he hesitated, Iron Crown Adept said sharply, “Great Master Kongzhi, our jiaozhu respects you as a senior monk and has given you ample face. You should know to conduct yourself with dignity. Our jiaozhu keeps his word and honours righteousness. How could he speak a falsehood? You insult our jiaozhu, you insult the million souls of the Ming Order. Even if our jiaozhu is magnanimous and does not take offence, we who serve under him cannot let the matter rest.” At this time the Ming Order’s followers were capturing cities and recruiting soldiers throughout the Huai, Si, Yu, and E regions. To speak of “a million souls” was no exaggeration, and of these, some hundred and fifty thousand were even now encamped outside Shaolin Monastery’s gates.

Kongzhi sneered, “A million souls, you say? Do you mean to trample Shaolin Monastery flat? The demonic cult’s insults to Shaolin did not begin today. We were captured through carelessness and imprisoned in Wan’an Temple. We have only ourselves to blame. Orthodox and deviant have always been irreconcilable, so there is nothing to be said. But you came to our Shaolin Monastery and carved sixteen great characters on the backs of sixteen Arhat statues. Heh! ‘First destroy Shaolin, then annihilate Wudang. Our Ming Order alone shall reign over the wulin!’ How imposing! How magnificent!”

Those sixteen characters had been carved on the backs of the sixteen Arhat statues by Zhao Min’s warriors with sharp blades after the Shaolin monks were captured. Once the others had left the monastery, Fan Yao had flown back into the Arhat Hall and turned the sixteen statues around, their backs to the wall, to prevent Zhao Min’s scheme of framing the Ming Order from succeeding. Later Yang Xiao and the others had discovered the carvings and turned the statues back to their proper position, not realising the Shaolin monks had already seen them. Zhang Wuji, who was poor at rhetoric and felt ashamed of Zhao Min’s prank, had no answer.

Yang Xiao, however, said, “Great Master Kongzhi’s words puzzle us. Our Order’s Zhang jiaozhu is the son of Zhang the Fifth Xia of Wudang, as everyone in the jianghu⁹ knows. However arrogant we might be, we would never insult our jiaozhu’s ancestors. How could Zhang jiaozhu himself carve the words ‘then annihilate Wudang’? You are both venerable monks of great virtue. How can you not understand this simple point? I believe no such thing ever happened.” These words, delivered with forceful logic, immediately left Kongzhi speechless.

Kongwen the abbot, long practised in cultivation and gentle of heart, gave weight to the larger picture. He knew the Ming Order’s power was great, and if both sides truly came to blows, the ancient Shaolin Monastery, preserved for a thousand years, might well be destroyed in his hands. He said, “Words alone profit nothing. Please follow me to the Arhat Hall to view the Arhat statues. Then we shall know who is right and who is wrong.” Zhang Wuji thought, “Once we enter the Arhat Hall, the truth will be exposed on the spot.” He hesitated, unable to reply. Yang Xiao said, “Very good.” Zhang Wuji, not understanding his intention, but seeing that Zhao Min had mixed in with the Thick Earth Banner¹⁰ men and had not entered the monastery, reasoned that she would not be discovered by the Shaolin monks and was not greatly worried.

A guest-receiving monk led the way, and the party entered the Arhat Hall. Kongwen bowed before the Arhat statues and said, “This disciple has disturbed the sacred images of the Honoured Arhats. I pray for your forgiveness.” Having bowed, he ordered six disciples to reverently move the golden images. The six disciples stepped forward as commanded, pressed their palms together and whispered a brief prayer, then three on each side, lined up on either flank and turned the first Arhat statue around.

They saw that the statue’s back had been shaved smooth and repainted with gold lacquer. The great character “First” that had been there was gone without a trace. This took Kongwen, Kongzhi, and the others completely by surprise, and Zhang Wuji too had not expected it.

The Shaolin disciples set to work at once, turning all the remaining Arhat statues one by one. But where was there a single stroke or dot on their backs? In an instant the monks stared at one another, unable to speak. They had seen clearly that all sixteen Arhat statues bore characters on their backs, which when joined read “First destroy Shaolin, then annihilate Wudang. Our Ming Order alone shall reign over the wulin,” sixteen characters in all. Why had they suddenly vanished? The gold lacquer on the statues’ backs was fresh, clearly newly applied. But Shaolin Monastery’s defences had been so tight these past months that to scrape away the carvings on sixteen Arhat statues and repaint them with gold lacquer was no easy task. How could none of the monastery’s monks have noticed?

Zhang Wuji turned his head and saw Wei Yixiao and Fan Yao exchanging smiles. He understood at once. Naturally the brothers of his own Order had done this. He thought, “Whoever did this has extraordinary skill. Most impressive.”

Yang Xiao, seeing the monks’ astonishment, said, “Your monastery’s blessings are deep and your merit boundless. The sixteen Honoured Ones’ golden images remain perfect. No doubt, as Great Master Kongzhi said, they were damaged earlier by villains. But the sixteen Arhats have manifested their power, and the Buddha’s dharma is boundless. They have repaired themselves at once. This is cause for celebration.” So saying, he knelt and bowed before the Arhat statues. Zhang Wuji and the others followed suit.

Kongwen, Kongzhi, and the rest did not believe this nonsense about Arhats manifesting and repairing themselves, but they concluded that the Ming Order had certainly done something behind the scenes. In any case, this was a form of apology and redress. The anger each had harboured dissipated by three parts, while against the demons’ uncanny and unpredictable methods, they felt three parts admiration and three parts alarm.

Kongwen said, “Since the Arhat statues are restored to their original state, let this matter be raised no more.” He waved for the disciples to turn the statues back. Then he said, “I hear that last night Great Master Du’e¹¹ and Zhang jiaozhu made an appointment. If Zhang jiaozhu can break our three shishus¹²’ Demon-Subduing Vajra Ring,¹³ then Dharma King Xie may be taken away at will.” Zhang Wuji said, “Indeed, Great Master Du’e said as much. But I deeply admire the three high monks’ martial skill and know myself no match for them. Last night I already fell to the three high monks. A defeated general dare not speak of courage.” Kongwen said, “Amitabha. Zhang jiaozhu is too modest. Last night’s victory and defeat were not yet decided. Moreover, the jiaozhu’s benevolence and chivalry moved him to aid our three shishus in their moment of peril. The three shishus are deeply grateful for this righteousness and speak of the jiaozhu with the highest praise.”

Footnotes

1. 空智 – Kōngzhì. A senior Shaolin monk. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

2. 空闻 – Kōngwén. Abbot of Shaolin Monastery. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

3. 武林 – wǔlín. The martial forest; the community of martial artists and their affairs. ↩

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

5. 教主 – jiàozhǔ. Leader of a religious or martial Order. ↩

6. 圆真 – Yuánzhēn. Cheng Kun’s monastic name at Shaolin. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

7. 先生 – xiānsheng. A term of respect, roughly “sir” or “master.” ↩

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

9. 江湖 – jiānghú. Literally rivers and lakes. The itinerant world beyond settled society and official reach. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

10. 厚土旗 – Hòutù Qí. One of the five banners of the Ming Order, specialising in tunnelling and earthwork. ↩

11. 渡厄 – Dù’è. The eldest of the three Shaolin monk elders Du’e, Du’jie, and Du’nan. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

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

13. 金刚伏魔圈 – Jīngāng Fúmó Quān. A formation of three Shaolin monks combining their neili into an impenetrable circle. ↩