The Heavenly Sword & the Dragon Sabre – Chapter 8 – Part 2

Zhang Cuishan and Yin Susu found his tale ever more extraordinary. Though the affairs of the jianghu¹ were full of devious intrigue, and though the two of them had travelled far and heard strange stories, what Xie Xun now described was beyond all guessing. Each felt a quiet awe. Xie Xun was already a man of surpassing ability, yet his shifu, the Mixed-Origin Thunderbolt Hand² Cheng Kun, seemed to surpass him still in both cunning and martial prowess. Yin Susu said, “Big Brother, were the two Kongtong elders truly wounded by your shifu in secret?”

Xie Xun said, “That was the very question I blurted out. The Great Master Kongjian³ said, ‘The injuries the two Kongtong elders took, did you see them with your own eyes, Benefactor Xie Xun? What did their faces look like?’ I fell silent, and after a long pause said, ‘Then the two Kongtong elders were indeed wounded by my shifu.’ You see, when I saw the two elders lying on the ground, their faces were covered with crimson spots. Plainly they had injured someone with yin-force, only to have a master of the Mixed-Origin Force⁴ drive it back into their own bodies. Such crimson spots across the face could, so far as I knew, only result from having one’s own neili rebounded by the Mixed-Origin Force, unless it were some sudden outbreak of spotted fever or similar foul disease. But when I had first encountered the five Kongtong elders that day, all five had been in perfect health. It could not have been a sudden affliction. And in the entire wulin at that time, apart from my shifu and myself, no third person practised the Mixed-Origin Force.”

“The Great Master Kongjian nodded and sighed. ‘Your shifu, in his cups, wronged your family. When he sobered, he was overwhelmed with shame and remorse. Therefore, when you sought vengeance twice, he did not take your life. He was unwilling even to wound you. But both times you fought him with the desperation of a madman, and unless he hurt you, he could never break free. Afterward, he followed you in secret at all times. Three times you faced mortal peril, and three times he rescued you from the shadows.’ I reflected on this and realised that, apart from the battle against the five Kongtong elders, there had indeed been two other occasions when, at moments of extreme danger, the enemy’s assault had suddenly slackened. Most perilous of all had been the fight against the experts of the Qinghai Order. Kongjian continued: ‘He knew his sin was too deep to seek your forgiveness. He could only hope that with time, you would slowly forget. Instead, you escalated ever further, and ever more people died because of you. If tonight you go and kill Song Yuanqiao, the disaster that follows will be beyond all reckoning.’ “

“I said, ‘If that is so, then I beg the Great Master to summon my shifu to meet me. We shall settle accounts between ourselves. It concerns no one else.’ The Great Master Kongjian said, ‘Your shifu has no face to see you. Moreover, Benefactor Xie Xun, do not take offence at this old monk’s bluntness, but even if you did see him, it would be to no purpose.’ I said, ‘The Great Master is a monk of lofty virtue. Surely you see clearly what is right and what is wrong. Am I simply to abandon my family’s blood-debt?’ He said, ‘What the Benefactor has suffered was cruel indeed, and this old monk’s heart aches for you. But your honoured shifu’s transgression was committed in the madness of drink, truly not his intention, and he has long since repented deeply. I hope, Benefactor Xie Xun, that you will recall the bond between shifu and disciple and leave him a way out.’ I was consumed with rage and said, ‘If I cannot defeat him, then let him strike me dead with a single blow. If this vengeance is not fulfilled, I have no wish to live.’ “

“The Great Master Kongjian was silent for a long while, then said, ‘Benefactor Xie Xun, your shifu’s skill is not what it once was. Though you have mastered the Seven Injury Fist,⁵ you cannot harm him. If you do not believe me, then strike me a few fists and see for yourself.’ I said, ‘I have no quarrel with the Great Master. How could I bring myself to harm you? My skill may be modest, but the Seven Injury Fist is not easily withstood.’ He said, ‘Benefactor Xie Xun, let me propose a wager. Your shifu killed thirteen members of your family. Strike me thirteen fists in return. If you wound me, this old monk will withdraw and meddle no further, and your shifu will come to see you himself. Otherwise, let this vendetta rest. What say you?’ I hesitated and did not answer. I knew this eminent monk’s skill ran unfathomably deep, and fierce as the Seven Injury Fist was, if it truly could not harm him, was I then to abandon my vengeance?”

“Kongjian spoke again: ‘To speak plainly, since this old monk has inserted himself into this affair, I will not permit you to harm another innocent member of the wulin. If you turn your thoughts toward good and cease at once, everything that has passed shall be struck out at a single stroke of the brush. But if you insist on pursuing vengeance, then consider: do the disciples and families of those you have killed not also seek vengeance against you?’ His tone had turned stern. My madness came up in me, and I roared, ‘Very well! I shall strike you thirteen fists! The moment you cannot endure it, call a halt. A man’s word is as solid as the mountains. You must summon my shifu to appear.’ The Great Master Kongjian smiled faintly. ‘Please begin.’ Seeing him small in stature, with white brows and white beard, his countenance kind and dignified, I could not bear to harm him in earnest. For the first fist I used only thirty percent of my strength. It struck his chest with a thud.”

Wuji cried, “Ouch! Sworn Father, was that the Seven Injury Fist, the one that broke the tree’s veins?”

Xie Xun said, “No. That first fist was the Thunderbolt Fist⁶ taught me by my shifu Cheng Kun. As I struck, he swayed slightly and stepped back one pace. I thought, I used only thirty percent of my strength, and he has already stepped back. If I unleash the Seven Injury Fist, I need not three fists to end his life. For the second fist I added somewhat more force. Again he swayed and stepped back. For the third I used seventy percent. Once more he swayed, once more he retreated a step. I was faintly puzzled. The force behind my fist had more than doubled, yet the effect upon him was identical. To look at that lean, withered frame, a single fist of mine should have snapped his ribs. Yet no rebounding force came out of him, and he took my three blows as though nothing had happened. I realised that to bring him down I would need to strike with full power, but at full force, he would die or be gravely wounded. Though I had long walked the path of evil, I could not help but feel a solemn respect for this monk’s compassion in sacrificing himself for others. I said, ‘Great Master, you only take the blows and do not strike back. I cannot bring myself to continue. You have taken three fists from me. I give my word that I will not harm that Song Yuanqiao.’ He said, ‘And what of your vendetta against Cheng Kun?’ I said, ‘He and I cannot live under the same heaven. Either he dies or I do.’ I paused, then added, ‘But since the Great Master has intervened, I, Xie Xun, honour you. From this moment on, I shall pursue only Cheng Kun himself and his kin. I will drag in no uninvolved members of the wulin.’ “

“The Great Master Kongjian pressed his palms together and said, ‘Excellent, excellent! If the Benefactor truly harbours such a thought, this old monk humbly gives thanks on behalf of all the wulin. But this old monk has set his heart on resolving this enmity. The remaining ten fists, please deliver them as agreed.’ I calculated that only by wounding him with the Seven Injury Fist would my shifu consent to appear. Fortunately the Seven Injury Fist’s force could be precisely controlled, and I would moderate my blows accordingly. So I said, ‘Then I must beg your indulgence!’ and unleashed the fourth fist, this time using the force of the Seven Injury Fist. It struck his chest, and his breastbone yielded slightly inward, but instead of stepping back, he stepped forward one pace.”

Wuji said, “Now that is strange! This time the old monk did not retreat. He advanced instead!”

Zhang Cuishan said, “That is the Shaolin Order’s Diamond Invulnerable Body Divine Skill,⁷ is it not?”

Xie Xun nodded. “Fifth Brother is widely learned. Your surmise is exactly right. That fist was utterly different from the first three. A rebounding force surged from his body, jolting my chest and belly as though all five organs were overturning at once. I knew he too was compelled by necessity. Without invoking this divine skill, he could not withstand my Seven Injury Fist. I had long heard that the Shaolin Order’s Diamond Invulnerable Body Divine Skill ranked among the five supreme martial arts of ancient times, and experiencing it firsthand confirmed it was truly extraordinary. For my fifth fist I emphasised the yin-yielding aspect of the force. Again he stepped forward, and the yin-yielding force rebounded against me. I barely managed to disperse it…”

Wuji said, “Sworn Father, the old monk said he would not return the blows, so why did he send your fist-force back at you?”

Xie Xun stroked the boy’s hair and said, “After my fifth fist, the Great Master Kongjian said, ‘Benefactor Xie Xun, I had not anticipated the Seven Injury Fist’s power to be so astonishing. If I did not channel force to rebound it, I could not defend.’ I said, ‘That you have not struck back already fills me with gratitude.’ Thereupon my fists flew forth like the wind. The sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth I unleashed in a single breath. The Great Master Kongjian was a marvel. All four he threw back one by one, hard force and soft kept distinct, every layer of it in perfect order.”

“I was deeply shaken and cried, ‘Take care!’ For the tenth fist I struck light as a feather. He nodded slightly, and before my fist-force even reached him, he stepped forward two paces, seizing the initiative in that fleeting instant.”

Wuji, of course, did not understand the difficulty of those two steps. But Zhang Cuishan knew well that in a contest between masters, to anticipate and move before the opponent’s strike was released was a feat of the highest order. Usually, foreseeing even a single move was enough to secure victory. He nodded and said, “Extraordinary. Extraordinary.”

Xie Xun continued, “That tenth fist I had unleashed with full power, and his pre-emptive rebound sent me stumbling back two paces. I could not see my own face, but I can well imagine it was white as paper, drained of all colour. The Great Master Kongjian slowly exhaled and said, ‘Do not rush the eleventh fist. Compose yourself before you strike.’ Fiercely as I hated to be bested, my neili was churning within me. For the moment, the eleventh fist truly could not leave my body.”

Zhang Cuishan and the others, listening, felt their hearts grow tense. Wuji suddenly said, “Sworn Father, there are only three fists left. Why not stop?” Xie Xun said, “Why?” Wuji said, “This old monk is a good man. If you hurt him, you would feel guilty. And if you hurt yourself, that would be bad too.” Zhang Cuishan and Yin Susu exchanged a glance, thinking how remarkable it was that a child so young should possess such insight. Zhang Cuishan felt a surge of gladness. His son had a compassionate heart and could distinguish right from wrong.

Xie Xun sighed. “I had lived out several decades to no purpose, and in that moment a child saw further than I did. My heart was so packed with the craving for vengeance that I would not stop until I had found my shifu. I knew that if I went on, one of us must die or be crippled. I was past caring. I gathered my full strength and struck the eleventh fist. This time, however, he suddenly raised his body sharply upward. My fist had been aimed at his chest, but with his rise it struck his lower abdomen instead. His brow furrowed, and he showed clear pain. I understood his meaning: if he met my fist-force with his chest, the rebound would be too great. I might not survive it. But the rebound from the lower abdomen, though weaker for me, cost him far greater suffering.”

“I stood frozen, then said, ‘My shifu’s sins are deep. He deserves death. Why should the Great Master take the blow for him with a body of gold and jade?’ The Great Master Kongjian steadied his breathing and said with a bitter smile, ‘If I can endure just two more fists, then… then this calamity may be resolved.’ His breath was coming in broken snatches, and of a sudden a thought came to me: ‘It seems that while he maintains the Diamond Invulnerable Body, he cannot speak. Why not draw him into conversation, then strike without warning?’ So I said, ‘If I wound you within these thirteen fists, can you truly guarantee my shifu will come to see me?’ He said, ‘He told me himself…’ Before he could finish the sentence, I drove a fist at his lower abdomen, fast and low, giving him no time to invoke his protective skill. But the Buddha-school’s divine art responds to the heart’s need: the instant my fist-force touched his abdomen, the skill had already flooded his entire body. I felt the world spin, my heart and lungs ready to burst, and stumbled back seven or eight paces before my back struck a great tree and I managed to stop.”

“My heart went to ashes, and an evil thought sprang up in me. I said, ‘Enough, enough! This vengeance can never be fulfilled. Why should I, Xie Xun, continue to live between heaven and earth?’ With that, I raised my palm and struck downward toward my own crown.”

Footnotes

1. 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. ↩

2. 混元霹靂手 – Hùnyuán Pīlì Shǒu. Literally Mixed-Origin Thunderbolt Hand. The epithet of Cheng Kun, Xie Xun’s shifu. ↩

3. 空見 – Kōngjiàn. A renowned Shaolin monk, chief among the Four Divine Monks (少林四大神僧). ↩

4. 混元功 – Hùnyuán Gōng. Literally Mixed-Origin Force. Internal cultivation art practised by Cheng Kun and his disciple Xie Xun, capable of rebounding an opponent’s yin-force back into their own body. ↩

5. 七傷拳 – Qī Shāng Quán. Literally Seven Injury Fist. A fierce拳 technique containing seven different types of force, each capable of injuring the opponent’s internal organs. First inflicts damage on the practitioner. ↩

6. 霹靂拳 – Pīlì Quán. Literally Thunderbolt Fist. A fist technique taught to Xie Xun by his shifu Cheng Kun. ↩

7. 金剛不壞體神功 – Jīngāng Bù Huài Tǐ Shén Gōng. Literally Diamond Invulnerable Body Divine Skill. One of the five supreme martial arts of ancient times, a Shaolin protective divine art that generates a rebounding force against attacks. ↩