The Heavenly Sword & the Dragon Sabre – Chapter 40: The Zhang Gentleman She Did Not Know

As the heroes disperse from Shaolin, Zhou Zhiruo's dark secrets unravel and Zhang Wuji must choose between the women who love him, but the final choice is not his to make.

The assembled heroes, elated to witness the reforging of the precious dao, drank in celebration until dawn, none sobering until they had drunk their fill. By the afternoon of the following day, they were already taking their leave of Kongwen¹ and Kongzhi,² departing the mountain in droves.

Zhang Wuji³ saw that the Emei Order’s⁴ disciples were scattered and broken, and his heart ached for them. He also saw Song Qingshu⁵ lying on a carrying-pole litter. After dozens of days of treatment, he showed no sign of recovery. Zhang Wuji stepped forward and said to Jinghui:⁶ “Let me have a look at Brother Song’s injuries.”

Jinghui replied coldly, “The cat weeps for the mouse. Spare us your false compassion.”

Zhou Dian⁷ was standing nearby and could not contain himself, “Our Order Leader, out of regard for your Order Leader’s old affection, is treating this surnamed Song’s injuries. But a traitor who deceives his master and betrays his father, better to kill him with a single blade. What are you babbling about, you wicked nun?”

Jinghui was about to retort, but seeing Zhou Dian’s hideous face, his expression ferocious, two knife-scarred lines running down his cheeks, thoroughly terrifying. She feared he might simply resort to violence. Afraid of suffering immediate harm, she swallowed her anger and sneered, “Our Emei Order’s leaders have been passed down from generation to generation, each one pure and virtuous, unsullied. If our Order Leader were not a maiden of unblemished virtue, how could she lead our Order? Humph, keeping a villain like Song Qingshu in our Order would only tarnish our Order Leader’s name. Disciple Li, Disciple Long, send this wretch back to Wudang!”

The two Emei male disciples carrying the litter responded in unison, bore it before Yu Lianzhou,⁸ set it down, and walked away.

Everyone was taken aback. Yu Lianzhou asked, “What… what? Isn’t he your Order Leader’s husband?”

Jinghui said bitterly, “Hmph, how could our Order Leader deign to look at such a man? She was furious that Zhang Wuji had broken his heart and fled the wedding, humiliating our Order before all the world’s heroes. So she tricked this man into posing as her husband. Who could have known… hmph, if she’d known it would come to this, why would our Order Leader have borne such a shameful name? Now she… she…”

Zhang Wuji, listening from the side, was dumbfounded. He could not help stepping forward, “You’re saying Song Furen… she… she isn’t really Song Furen?”

Jinghui turned her head away, “I’m not talking to you.”

Just then, Song Qingshu stirred on his litter and moaned, “Killed… killed Zhang Wuji?” Jinghui laughed coldly, “Stop dreaming! At death’s door and still dreaming grand dreams.”

Yin Liting⁹ could see that Jinghui was too agitated to speak coherently. He turned to another Emei disciple, Bei Jinyi,¹⁰ and asked in a low voice, “Disciple Bei, what exactly happened?” Bei Jinyi had been close friends with Ji Xiaofu¹¹ in years past. Hearing his question, she hesitated for a moment, then said, “Sister Jinghui, Yin the Sixth Xia is no outsider. Shall I tell him?”

Jinghui said, “What do you mean, outsider or not? If he’s an insider I should speak, and if he’s an outsider I should speak all the more. Our Order Leader Zhou is pure and innocent. She has not the slightest connection with this villain Song. You all saw with your own eyes the cinnabar mark on our Order Leader’s arm. This matter must be made known to all who walk the same path in the wulin under heaven, lest our Emei Order’s hundred-year reputation be ruined…”

Yin Liting thought to himself, This Jinghui is not quite right in the head: she talks in circles. He said to Bei Jinyi, “Disciple Bei, since that is the case, I would be grateful for the full account. How did my nephew Song come to join your Order, and what is his connection to your Order Leader? I must report this to my shifu in due course. This matter concerns… both our Orders. We must not let it damage the friendship between us.”

Bei Jinyi sighed, “This young xia Song’s character and martial prowess were truly first-rate in the jianghu.¹² But a single obsession of the heart led him into darkness. Our Order Leader seems to have promised him that once she killed Zhang Wuji and avenged the humiliation of the broken engagement, she would marry him. For this reason he willingly joined our Order and sought our Order Leader’s instruction in wondrous martial arts. But it is absolutely true: the two never married. At the Heroes’ Assembly, our Order Leader suddenly claimed to be ‘Song Furen,’ saying she was this young xia Song’s wife. At that moment, every disciple of our Order was utterly astonished. That day, our Order Leader awed all the heroes and subdued every Order…”

Zhou Dian interjected, “Our Order Leader deliberately yielded to her. What is there to boast about?”

Bei Jinyi ignored him and continued, “Though our Order’s disciples were all delighted, that evening we still asked her about the meaning of ‘Song Furen.’ Our Order Leader bared her left arm and said sternly: ‘Come, all of you, look!’ Every one of us saw with our own eyes that the cinnabar mark on her arm was as vivid crimson as ever: she was indeed a chaste maiden who guarded her virtue. Our Order Leader said, ‘I called myself Song Furen as a temporary expedient. I only wanted to provoke Zhang Wuji, to unsettle his heart so that I could take advantage during the bout. His martial arts are extraordinary. I truly cannot match him. But for our Order’s reputation, what does my own reputation matter?’”

She spoke these words clearly and loudly, intending for all the onlookers to hear, then added, “Our Order’s disciples, male and female, are not forbidden from marriage unless they have taken monastic vows. But since the founding of our Order by Founder Guo,¹³ the deepest and most profound arts have been transmitted only to maidens of unblemished virtue. When each female disciple took her vows as her master’s disciple, the master places a cinnabar mark upon her arm. Each year on Founder Guo’s birthday, our late shifu would inspect them. That year, Sister Ji… was like this…” She trailed off into ambiguous silence, saying no more.

But Yin Liting and the others had all understood. Bei Jinyi had been about to say that Ji Xiaofu, having been forced by Yang Xiao¹⁴ and lost her virginity, the cinnabar mark had vanished, and that was how Miejue Shitai¹⁵ discovered it and put her to death. Yin Liting, who had married Yang Bului¹⁶ and found deep happiness with her, could not help feeling a pang of sorrow at the memory of Ji Xiaofu. He glanced involuntarily toward Yang Xiao, and saw him with tears brimming in his eyes, turning his head away.

Bei Jinyi said, “Yin the Sixth Xia, our Order Leader’s intention was simply to provoke the Ming Order’s Order Leader Zhang. It so happened that this young xia Song was infatuated with our Order Leader and would not let go, and so many things happened in between. We only hope that once young xia Song recovers, Yin the Sixth Xia will put in a good word for us with Zhang Sanfeng the Perfected One¹⁷ and Song daxia,¹⁸ so that no rift may arise between your Order and ours.”

Yin Liting nodded, “Naturally so. My nephew’s rebellion and treacherness are worthy of death. He is a disgrace to our Order. I would rather he died quickly and cleanly.” His nature was inherently soft-hearted, but when he thought of Song Qingshu’s crime of killing Mo Shenggu,¹⁹ his voice grew choked with sobs by the time he finished speaking.

They were still talking when suddenly, from far away, came a sharp, piercing cry, seemingly Zhou Zhiruo’s²⁰ voice. The scream was abrupt and full of terror, as though she had encountered some dreadful peril.

A chill ran through everyone. Though they stood in broad daylight, surrounded on all sides by people, that scream was like the sudden appearance of a malevolent ghost at one’s side. As one, they turned toward the source of the sound. Zhang Wuji, Jinghui, Bei Jinyi, and the others broke into a quick stride toward it.

Zhang Wuji, fearing Zhou Zhiruo had encountered a formidable enemy, broke into a run. With a few great leaps he pierced through the tree-line, and saw a figure in green running wildly toward him. It was Zhou Zhiruo. He hurried to meet her, “Zhiruo, what’s wrong?”

Zhou Zhiruo’s face was ghastly with terror. She screamed, “A ghost, a ghost! Something’s chasing me!” She threw herself into his arms, trembling violently.

Zhang Wuji saw that she was frightened half out of her wits. He patted her shoulder gently, “Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid! There are no ghosts. What did you see?” Her upper garment had been torn to shreds by thorns. Her face and hands were covered with scratches and blood-tracks. Half of her left sleeve had been ripped away, revealing a white arm like snow-carved jade, and at the centre of her upper arm, a single crimson point, like coral, like red jade: the cinnabar mark of a maiden’s virtue.²¹

Zhang Wuji, well-versed in medicine, knew that once this mark was placed upon a maiden’s arm, it would never fade unless she married or lost her virtue.²² He had heard Jinghui and Bei Jinyi’s words with half-belief, half-doubt, but now, seeing it with his own eyes, not the slightest trace of doubt remained. In an instant, countless thoughts raced through his mind, So the marriage to Song Qingshu was entirely false. Why did she deceive me? Why deliberately provoke me? Could it truly be for the title of ‘foremost martial artist in the world’? Or did she want to test whether I still had feelings for her? Then another thought, Zhang Wuji, you fool. Zhou Guniang is the mortal enemy who killed your cousin. Whether she is a maiden or another man’s wife, what does it matter to you? But seeing that Zhou Zhiruo was truly terrified, he could not bear to push her away. He wrapped his left arm around her.

Zhou Zhiruo lay against Zhang Wuji’s chest, feeling the solid muscles beneath, breathing in the scent of a man. Gradually she calmed. “Wuji gege… it’s you?”

Zhang Wuji said, “It’s me! What did you see? Why are you so afraid?”

Zhou Zhiruo suddenly grew frantic again. She burst into hot tears, buried her face in his shoulder, and wept without cease.

By now Yang Xiao,¹⁴ Wei Yixiao,²³ Jinghui, Yin Liting, and the others had all arrived. Seeing the scene, they exchanged glances and quietly withdrew. In the hearts of the Ming Order, Wudang, and Emei folk, all hoped that Zhou Zhiruo and Zhang Wuji would reconcile and finally become husband and wife. Each felt the old grievances against Zhao Min²⁴ hard to release, and besides, Zhao Min had sworn to go to Mongolia. If Zhang Wuji followed her, it would have grave consequences for the Ming Order.

Footnotes

1. 空闻 – Kōngwén. His name meaning “Empty Hearing.” Abbot of Shaolin Monastery. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

2. 空智 – Kōngzhì. His name meaning “Empty Wisdom,” a Buddhist dharma name. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

3. 张无忌 – Zhāng Wújì. His name meaning “Without Envy” or “No Misgivings.” Son of Zhang Cuishan and Yin Susu, and the protagonist of the tale. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

4. 峨嵋 – Éméi. One of China’s Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains, home to the Emei Order. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

5. 宋青书 – Sòng Qīngshū. His name meaning “Green Book.” Son of Song Yuanqiao, eldest of the Seven Xias of Wudang, and once the most promising of the Wudang third generation. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

6. 静慧 – Jìnghuì. Emei Order senior disciple. ↩

7. 周颠 – Zhōu Diān. His name meaning “Zhou the Madman.” One of the Five Unbound Adepts of the Ming Order, given to wild talk and sudden mirth. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

8. 俞莲舟 – Yú Liánzhōu. His name meaning “Lotus Boat.” Second of the Seven Xias of Wudang. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

9. 殷梨亭 – Yīn Lítíng. The sixth of the Seven Xias of Wudang, who fell in love with Ji Xiaofu. After her death, his consuming desire for revenge against Yang Xiao drove him to devise this suicidal sword technique. ↩

10. 贝锦仪 – Bèi Jǐnyí. Disciple of the Emei Order, junior to Ji Xiaofu. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

11. 纪晓芙 – Jì Xiǎofú. Her name meaning “Dawn Hibiscus.” A disciple of the Emei Order, once betrothed to Yin Liting of Wudang. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

12. 江湖 – jiānghú. Literally rivers and lakes. 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. ↩

13. 郭襄 – Guō Xiāng. Younger daughter of Guo Jing and Huang Rong, known as the Little Eastern Heretic; founder of the Emei Order. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

14. 杨逍 – Yáng Xiāo. His name meaning “Free and Unfettered.” The Left Messenger of the Brightness in the Ming Order, and Yang Buhui’s father. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩ ↩²

15. 灭绝师太 – Mièjué Shītài. Her dharma-name, meaning “Extinction” or “Annihilation”. Zhangmen of the Emei Order. 师太 (shītài) is an honorific for a senior Buddhist nun. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

16. 杨不悔 – Yáng Bùhuǐ. Her name meaning “No Regret.” Daughter of Ji Xiaofu and Yang Xiao. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

17. 真人 – zhēnrén. Literally true person. Honorific title for a Daoist who has attained perfection. ↩

18. 宋远桥 – Sòng Yuǎnqiáo. His name meaning “Distant Bridge.” Eldest of the Seven Xias of Wudang. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

19. 莫声谷 – Mò Shēnggǔ. His name meaning “Sound in the Valley.” Seventh of the Seven Xias of Wudang, murdered by Song Qingshu. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

20. 周芷若 – Zhōu Zhǐruò. Her name from two fragrant plants, angelica and pollia. Girl Zhang Wuji met briefly aboard a riverboat. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

21. 守宫砂 – shǒugōng shā. Vermilion mark placed on a maiden’s arm, believed by tradition to remain while she is chaste and to vanish once she lies with a man. ↩

22. In ancient Chinese tradition, a paste made from the shougong (a gecko-like creature) and medicinal herbs was applied to a maiden’s arm. Crimson mark was said to persist for life unless she married or lost her virginity. Modern medicine has neither confirmed nor disproven this method. ↩

23. 韦一笑 – Wéi Yīxiào. “King of Laughter”, one of the Ming Order’s Dharma Kings. ↩

24. 赵敏 – Zhào Mǐn. Her Mongol name Minmin Temür (敏敏特穆尔), styled the Shaomin Commandery Princess. Daughter of the Prince of Ruyang, who turns from the Yuan court to Zhang Wuji’s side. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩