The Heavenly Sword & the Dragon Sabre Chapter 9 Part 4

The boat sailed for several days, passing Jiangxia and Wuchang, travelling west to Xiangyang Road. That evening they reached Guanzi Beach, where the boatman moored the boat for the night. Suddenly Yu Lianzhou heard the sound of horses neighing on shore. He looked out and saw two riders just turning their horses and galloping toward the town. He only saw their backs, but their movements were agile, clearly martial artists.

He turned to Zhang Cuishan and said, “We’re likely to run into trouble here. Let’s leave tonight.” Zhang Cuishan said, “Good!” He was deeply grateful. Since the Seven Xia of Wudang began their jianghu careers, their martial arts were high and their actions righteous. Others avoided them. They had never avoided anyone. In recent years Yu Lianzhou’s fame had grown greatly. Even the leaders of great sects like Kunlun and Kongtong were not as famous as him. But this time, seeing the backs of two unknown nobodies, he was unwilling to stay at Guanzi Beach, all for the sake of his shidi¹’s family of three.

Yu Lianzhou called the boatman, gave him four liang of silver, and ordered him to set sail that night. Though the boatman was tired, four liang of silver was several months’ wages, so he was overjoyed and immediately raised anchor.

That night the moon was bright and the wind clear. Wuji was already asleep. Yu Lianzhou, Zhang Cuishan, and his wife were drinking wine and admiring the moon at the bow, looking at the vast river, their spirits expansive.

Zhang Cuishan said, “Master’s hundredth birthday is approaching. I can actually make it to this rare grand event in the wulin. Heaven has treated me well.” Yin Susu said, “It’s a pity we didn’t have time to prepare a proper birthday gift for him.” Yu Lianzhou said, “Sister-in-law, do you know which of the seven disciples Master likes best?” Yin Susu said, “The one he’s most proud of is naturally you, Second Uncle.” Yu Lianzhou laughed. “You’re saying what you know isn’t true. You know perfectly well but deliberately say it wrong. Among the seven of us, the one Master thinks about day and night is your handsome husband.” Yin Susu was very pleased and shook her head. “I don’t believe it.”

Yu Lianzhou said, “The seven of us each have our strengths. Eldest Brother is deeply versed in Laozi and Zhuangzi’s philosophy, calm, broad-minded, with the deepest Daoist cultivation. Third Brother is sharp and capable. Master never had a single task go wrong with him. Fourth Brother is exceptionally clever. Sixth Brother’s swordsmanship is the finest. Seventh Brother has been specialising in external techniques recently. Soon he’ll achieve internal and external skills, hard and soft combined. That’s certain for him.” Yin Susu asked, “And you, Second Uncle?” Yu Lianzhou said, “I’m slow-witted with no particular strengths. If I must say, of the martial arts passed down by Master, I’ve practiced the most diligently.”

Yin Susu clapped and laughed. “You’re number one in martial arts among the Seven Xia of Wudang, but you’re too modest to say it.”

Zhang Cuishan said, “Among the seven brothers, Second Brother has always had the best martial arts. Not seeing him for ten years, I’m even further behind. Alas, having missed ten years of Master’s teaching, I’ve taken the last seat.” His tone carried a hint of melancholy.

Yu Lianzhou said, “But among the seven of us, the only one who is both literary and martial is you. Sister-in-law, let me tell you a secret. Five years ago, on Master’s ninety-fifth birthday, when we fellow disciples were toasting and celebrating, Master suddenly became very unhappy. He said, ‘Among my seven disciples, the one with the highest insight, both literary and martial, is Cuishan. I hoped he could inherit my legacy. Alas, his fortune is thin. For five years his whereabouts have been unknown. I’m afraid it’s mostly bad news.’ Tell me, doesn’t Master like Fifth Brother best?”

Yin Susu smiled like flowers, very pleased. Zhang Cuishan was deeply moved and couldn’t help but shed tears.

Yu Lianzhou said, “Now that Fifth Brother has returned safely, there’s no greater birthday gift for Master than this.”

Just as they were speaking, they heard the faint sound of horse hooves from the shore. The hooves came from east to west, especially clear in the quiet night, four horses in total. The three looked at each other, knowing these four riders galloping through the night were likely related to them. Though they didn’t want to cause trouble, they weren’t the type to avoid it either. No one mentioned it.

Yu Lianzhou said, “When I left the mountain, Master was in closed cultivation. I hope by the time we return, he’ll have come out.” Yin Susu said, “My father once told me that the only two people he’s ever admired in his life are the Ming Order’s Yang Zhangmen, who has passed away, and Zhang Zhenren. Even the four great Shaolin monks ‘Jian, Wen, Zhi, Xing’, my father doesn’t think much of them. Zhang Zhenren is a hundred years old this year. His cultivation is unmatched in the world. Is he now in closed cultivation practicing immortality?” Yu Lianzhou said, “No, Master is deeply contemplating martial arts.” Yin Susu was slightly startled. “His martial arts are already unfathomable. What more is there to study? Can anyone in the world still be his match?”

Yu Lianzhou said, “Since Master was ninety-five, he’s been in closed cultivation for nine months every year. Master says that our Wudang Order’s martial arts mainly come from a book called the Nine Yang Manual. But when Master received the manual from Ancestor Jueyuan, he was too young and knew no martial arts at all. Ancestor Jueyuan didn’t intend to teach him. He just spoke randomly, saying whatever came to mind. So our sect’s martial arts still have deficiencies. Master thought, since his understanding of the Nine Yang Manual is incomplete, why not create his own martial arts system? Every year he goes into closed cultivation to think deeply, hoping to create a school of martial arts completely different from all existing ones.”

Zhang Cuishan and Yin Susu both sighed in admiration.

Yu Lianzhou said, “There were three people who heard Ancestor Jueyuan recite the Nine Yang Manual back then. One was Master, one was Shaolin’s Master Wuse, and the other was a woman, Guo Xiang, Guo nüxia, the founder of the Emei Order.” Yin Susu said, “I’ve heard my father say that Guo nüxia was a person of great background. Her father was Guo Jing, Guo daxia, and her mother was Huang Rong, Leader Huang of the Beggars’ Guild. When Xiangyang fell, Guo daxia and his wife both died for their country.”

Yu Lianzhou said, “Exactly. Master once met Guo daxia and his wife at the peak of Mount Hua. Whenever he mentions their chivalry, fighting for the country and the people, he always says that we who practice martial arts should take Guo daxia and his wife as our models for life.” He paused in thought, then continued, “The three who received the Nine Yang Manual each had different insights and foundations. Master Wuse’s martial arts were the highest. Guo nüxia was the daughter of Guo daxia and Leader Huang. She learned the most broadly. Master had no martial arts foundation at the time, but he served Ancestor Jueyuan the longest, receiving teachings since childhood, so he can be said to have inherited the most. Thus the three sects, Shaolin, Emei, and Wudang, one inherited ‘high,’ one inherited ‘broad,’ one inherited ‘pure.’ Each sect has its strengths, but also its weaknesses.”

Yin Susu said, “Then this Ancestor Jueyuan must have had martial arts unmatched in generations.”

Yu Lianzhou said, “No! Ancestor Jueyuan didn’t know martial arts. He was in charge of the scripture library in the Shaolin Monastery’s Sutra Storage Pavilion. This ancestor had an obsession with books. He read every scripture and memorised every one. He accidentally saw the Nine Yang Manual and memorised it like he was reciting the Diamond Sutra or the Lotus Sutra. As for the profound martial arts contained within, though he had some understanding, what he practiced was only neili. He knew no martial techniques at all.” Then he told her the story of how the Nine Yang Manual was lost and forgotten forever.

Zhang Cuishan had heard his master tell this story before, but it was Yin Susu’s first time hearing it. She was extremely interested and said, “So the Emei Order’s earlier generations and the Wudang Order had such a connection. But why didn’t this Guo Xiang, Guo nüxia, marry Zhang Zhenren?”

Zhang Cuishan smiled and scolded, “You’re talking nonsense again.”

Yu Lianzhou said, “After Master and Guo nüxia parted at the foot of Shaoshi Mountain, they never met again. Master said that Guo nüxia always had one person in her heart, the Divine Eagle daxia Yang Guo, who killed the Mongol Great Khan with a flying stone outside Xiangyang City. Guo nüxia travelled the world but never met Yang Guo again. At forty she suddenly achieved great enlightenment and became a nun, later founding the Emei Order.” Yin Susu said “Oh” and felt deeply sorry for Guo Xiang. She turned to look at Zhang Cuishan. Zhang Cuishan’s gaze was also turning toward her. Their eyes met, and both thought, “We will never part in heaven or earth. Compared to this founder of Emei, Guo nüxia, we are much luckier.”

Yu Lianzhou was usually silent and could go days without speaking. But since reuniting with Zhang Cuishan after a long separation, he was happier than usual and became quite talkative. After more than ten days with Yin Susu, he felt that though her nature wasn’t bad, she had grown up seeing and hearing only evil things since childhood, so she couldn’t distinguish good from evil and killed indiscriminately. But after being married to Zhang Cuishan for ten years, her temperament had changed greatly. So his initial dissatisfaction with her had gradually dissipated. He found her honest and straightforward, more genuine than some of the pedantic and arrogant people from the orthodox sects.

Suddenly they heard the sound of horse hooves again, coming faintly from the east. Soon the hooves passed by the boat and went west. Zhang Cuishan pretended not to hear and said, “Second Brother, if Master invited Shaolin and Emei’s masters to discuss together, learning from each other’s strengths, all three sects’ martial arts could advance greatly.”

Yu Lianzhou slapped his thigh. “Exactly! Master says you’re the one who will inherit his legacy, and he’s not wrong at all.” Zhang Cuishan said, “It’s only because I’m not by his side that Master thinks of me so much. When a prodigal son travels far and doesn’t return, in a mother’s heart he’s even better than the filial son who stays close. Actually, my current cultivation is far behind Eldest Brother, Second Brother, and Fourth Brother. Even Sixth Brother and Seventh Brother are surely much stronger than me.”

Yu Lianzhou shook his head. “Not so. In terms of martial arts, you’re not as good as me. But the one who inherits Master’s legacy carries the responsibility of expanding Wudang’s martial arts. Master often says, the world is so vast. Whether Wudang rises or falls, what does it matter? But if we can deeply study the mysteries of martial arts and carefully choose successors, so that the martial arts of righteous people are beyond the reach of evil villains, and then unite all the world’s heroes to drive out the Tartars and restore our rivers and mountains, that would be fulfilling our duty as martial artists. Therefore, Master’s successor must first value character, then insight. In terms of character, the seven of us are no different. But in insight, you are the highest.”

Zhang Cuishan waved his hand. “That’s just Master missing me and speaking impulsively. Even if Master really meant it, I would never dare accept it.”

Yu Lianzhou smiled slightly. “Sister-in-law, go protect Wuji and don’t let him be frightened. I and Fifth Brother will handle things outside.” Yin Susu looked far into the distance and saw no movement. She was hesitating when Yu Lianzhou said, “In the bushes on shore, dao light is flashing. There are people hiding. Ahead in the reeds there must be enemy boats.”

Yin Susu looked around but saw nothing unusual in any direction. She thought, “Perhaps you’re seeing things?”

Suddenly Yu Lianzhou called out loudly, “Wudang’s Yu Er and Zhang Wu are passing through. Forgive our lack of proper greetings. If any friend is inclined, please come aboard for a drink!” As soon as he finished, they heard the sound of oars from the reeds. Six small boats shot out like flying, lined up across the river, blocking their path. From one boat came the whistle of a signal arrow. From a row of low bushes on the south bank, over a dozen men in black jumped out, all in black clothes, each holding weapons, their faces covered with black cloths, only their eyes exposed.

Yin Susu was secretly impressed. “This Second Uncle truly lives up to his reputation. He’s remarkable.” Seeing there were many enemies, she hurried back into the cabin. Wuji was already awake. Yin Susu dressed him and whispered, “Good boy, don’t be afraid.”

Yu Lianzhou called out again, “Which friend is in charge ahead? Wudang’s Yu Er and Zhang Wu send their regards.” But from the six small boats, apart from the rowers at the stern, no one came out, and no one answered.

Yu Lianzhou suddenly realised something and shouted, “No good!” He flipped into the river. He had grown up by the Yangtze River and was an excellent swimmer. As soon as he entered the water, he saw four men holding sharp awls diving toward them, clearly trying to puncture the boat and capture everyone alive. He hid on the side of the boat, waited for the four to swim close, then struck out with both hands, hitting two men’s acupoints. Then he kicked the third man in the waist’s Zhishi acupoint. The fourth man was startled and tried to flee, but Yu Lianzhou’s left hand had already grabbed his calf and thrown him onto the boat. Thinking the three whose acupoints were hit would drown in the river, he pulled them up one by one and threw them on the bow, then climbed back onto the boat.

The fourth man rolled on the bow, then leaped up and thrust his awl at Zhang Cuishan’s chest. Zhang Cuishan saw his martial arts were mediocre and didn’t even dodge. His left hand reached out and grabbed the man’s wrist, then his left elbow shot out, striking the man’s chest acupoint. The man gave a soft groan and fell.

Yu Lianzhou said, “There seem to be some experts on shore. We’ve observed proper courtesy. Ignore them and push through!” Zhang Cuishan nodded and told the boatmen to keep sailing. As they slowly approached the six small boats, Yu Lianzhou picked up the four men, opened their acupoints, and threw them over. But strangely, no one in the enemy boats made a sound, and the dozen or so black-clad men on shore were also silent, as if they were all mutes. The four men who had been diving went into the cabin and didn’t appear again.

Just as their boat was about to pass the six small boats, a rower on one boat suddenly raised his right hand twice. With two bangs, wood chips flew. Their boat’s rudder was destroyed, and the boat immediately turned sideways. It turned out the rower had thrown two fishing bombs used for blasting fish, but these were specially made extra large with more gunpowder, so the explosive power was very strong.

Yu Lianzhou remained calm and lightly leaped onto the enemy boat. Though he was skilled and bold, he still went empty-handed.

The rower on the small boat held his wooden oar and looked ahead, completely ignoring Yu Lianzhou leaping onto the boat. Yu Lianzhou shouted, “Who threw the fishing bomb?” The rower didn’t answer, wooden-faced. Yu Lianzhou rushed into the cabin. Inside, two men sat facing each other. Seeing him enter, they didn’t move at all, showing no sign of preparing to fight. Yu Lianzhou grabbed one by the neck and lifted him up, shouting, “Where’s your leader?” The man closed his eyes and didn’t answer. Yu Lianzhou, being a first-class martial arts master, didn’t want to use force to interrogate. He immediately returned to the stern, only to see Zhang Cuishan and Yin Susu had already carried Wuji over to the small boat.

Yu Lianzhou seized a wooden oar and rowed against the current. After just a few strokes, Yin Susu shouted, “The thieves are letting water in!” River water was pouring into the cabin. It turned out the men in the small boats had pulled out the plugs at the bottom of the boats, letting water in. When Yu Lianzhou leaped to the second small boat, he saw it was already half full of water. He turned and said, “Fifth Brother, since they insist we go ashore, let’s go!” The six small boats had clearly been arranged in advance as a way to force them ashore. The three of them, with Wuji, leaped onto the shore.

On shore, the dozen or so black-clad men with covered faces had already formed a semicircle, surrounding the four of them. Most of these men held long jians. The others held twin blades or soft whips. Not one wielded a heavy weapon.

Yu Lianzhou stood with his arms folded, scanning from left to right, his expression cold, not speaking.

A black-clad man in the middle raised his right hand. Suddenly everyone split apart to the sides, each bowing slightly, their weapon points toward the ground, cupping their fists in greeting, clearing a path. Yu Lianzhou returned the greeting and walked through proudly. After he exited the circle, they suddenly closed in again, blocking the road, surrounding Zhang Cuishan and the other three. Green light flashed as all their weapons were raised.

Zhang Cuishan laughed loudly. “So you gentlemen are targeting me. Setting up such a grand formation, you think too highly of Zhang Cuishan.” The black-clad man in the middle hesitated slightly, then lowered his jian point and cleared the path again.

Zhang Cuishan said, “Susu, you go first!” Yin Susu, holding Wuji, was about to leave when suddenly the wind sounded. Five long jians simultaneously pointed at Wuji. Yin Susu was startled and quickly stepped back. The five men followed, stepping forward, their jian points constantly trembling, never more than a foot from Wuji’s body.

Yu Lianzhou pushed off with both feet and suddenly flew in from outside the crowd. His hands struck out four times in rapid succession, each strike hitting a black-clad man’s wrist. Four long jians flew into the air in succession. These four strikes were incredibly fast. The four jians seemed to fly up simultaneously. His left hand followed with a reverse grab, seizing the fifth person’s wrist. His middle finger then struck the acupoint on that person’s wrist. But he felt something soft and smooth. It felt like a woman’s hand. He quickly let go. That person’s wrist was numb, and with a clang, the long jian fell to the ground.

The five people, having lost their jians, quickly retreated. In the moonlight, green light flashed as two more long jians thrust over. But the jians were thrust flat, edges facing left and right. Each person was using the move “Leveling the Desert,” the jian force not strong, seemingly with no intention to harm.

Yu Lianzhou thought, “Kunlun swordsmanship! So it’s the Kunlun School.” When the jian points were less than three inches from his chest, he suddenly drew his chest back and circled his arms. His left index finger and right index finger simultaneously struck the flat of the jian blades. These two strikes used Wudang’s internal method. By rights, the opponent’s jians should have been knocked from their hands. But when his fingers touched the blades, he suddenly felt a soft force coming from the jians, actually neutralising more than half of his striking power. The jians didn’t leave their hands. But the two still couldn’t withstand it and stumbled back three steps. One lost balance and fell to the ground. The other cried “Ow!” and spat out a mouthful of blood.

From the time the six small boats had blocked the river, not one of the opponents had made a sound. Now this “Ow!” was a soft, crisp sound, clearly a woman’s voice. The black-clad man in the middle waved his left hand lightly. Everyone turned and left, disappearing into the bushes in an instant. Most of these people were slender, clearly women in men’s clothing.

Yu Lianzhou called out loudly, “Yu Er and Zhang Wu send regards to Mr. Tieqin. Forgive our rudeness.” The black-clad women didn’t answer, but they could faintly hear someone laugh softly, a woman’s voice.

Yin Susu put Wuji down and held his hand tightly. “Most of these were women. Second Uncle, were they all from the Kunlun School?” Yu Lianzhou said, “No, they’re from the Emei Order.” Zhang Cuishan was surprised. “Emei? Why did you say you were sending regards to Mr. Tieqin?”

Yu Lianzhou sighed. “From beginning to end they didn’t make a sound, and they covered their faces with black cloths, clearly unwilling to show their true faces. The five jians pointing at Wuji was the Kunlun School’s ‘Cold Plum Sword Formation.’ The two people thrusting their jians flat at me used Kunlun’s ‘Leveling the Desert.’ Since they were impersonating the Kunlun School, I went along with it and mentioned Kunlun School leader Mr. Tieqin, He Taichong.”

Yin Susu asked, “How do you know they’re Emei? Did you recognise them?”

Yu Lianzhou said, “No. These people’s skill isn’t deep, probably disciples of the current Emei leader, Miejue Shitai,² perhaps her junior disciples. I don’t recognise them. But the soft force they used to neutralise my finger strikes on the jian blades, that’s definitely Emei’s internal method. It’s easy to learn other sect’s moves and formations, but once you use internal force, the truth can’t be hidden.”

Zhang Cuishan nodded. “Second Brother striking the jian with his fingers, they were wise to withdraw. The Emei Order’s neili is excellent, but using it without proper foundation against an expert inevitably leads to a great loss. If Second Brother had truly treated them as enemies, those two girls would be dead on the ground already. But Emei has always been polite to us.”

Yu Lianzhou said, “When Master was young, he received kindness from Emei’s founder, Guo Xiang nüxia. So he strictly instructed us never to offend Emei’s disciples, to preserve the old friendship. When I struck the jian with my fingers and realised the opponent’s internal force was wrong, it was too late to withdraw, and I ended up injuring two. Though it was unintentional, it still violated Master’s teaching.”

Yin Susu smiled. “Fortunately, in the end you said you were sending regards to Mr. Tieqin, so you didn’t directly offend the Emei Order.”

By now their ship had long since drifted downstream with the current and disappeared. The six small boats had all sunk. The rowers, dripping wet, climbed ashore one by one. Yin Susu asked, “Are these all from the Emei Order?” Yu Lianzhou said in a low voice, “Most likely they’re from the Chaohu Grain Boat Gang.” Yin Susu glanced at the five long jians on the ground and bent to pick one up to look. Yu Lianzhou said, “Don’t touch their weapons. If the jians have names engraved on them, we won’t be able to pretend not to know later. Let’s go!” Yin Susu now respected this Second Uncle completely and answered, “Yes!” She took Wuji’s hand and walked toward the main road along the riverbank.

Passing a clump of bushes, they saw three strong horses tied to a large willow tree several zhang³ away. Wuji happily shouted, “Horses! Horses!” He had never seen horses on Ice Fire Island. Since coming to the Central Plains, he had always wanted to ride, but they had been on boats the whole time and never had the chance. As the four approached the horses, they saw a note pinned to the willow tree.

Zhang Cuishan took it down and saw written on the paper: “Respectfully presenting three mounts as apology for destroying the boats.” The characters were written with charcoal, hastily and very messily. The brushstrokes were soft, clearly a woman’s handwriting. Yin Susu smiled. “The Emei Order girls’ charcoal pencils for drawing eyebrows, today used to write notes for the Wudang heroes.” Yu Lianzhou said, “They’re quite polite.” They untied the horses and the three mounted. Wuji sat in front of his mother, very excited.

Zhang Cuishan said, “Since our tracks are already exposed, it’s the same whether we ride or take a boat.” Yu Lianzhou said, “Right. There will definitely be more trouble ahead. If we’re forced to act, don’t strike too heavily.” He had just unintentionally injured two Emei disciples and felt deeply uneasy about it.

Yin Susu felt very ashamed, thinking, “Second Uncle was just a bit heavy-handed. His intention wasn’t to injure them, just to force them to withdraw their jians. They insisted on resisting, so they got hurt. Compared to me indiscriminately killing all those Shaolin disciples all those years ago, the severity of the fault is truly incomparable. One should take responsibility for one’s own actions. From now on, I won’t make things difficult for Second Uncle.” She said, “Second Uncle, this whole lot were all after my husband and me. They’re very respectful to you. If there’s more obstruction ahead, let me handle it. If it really doesn’t work, then please help.”

Yu Lianzhou said, “You’re being too formal. We brothers live and die together. What’s the difference between you and me?” Yin Susu didn’t press the matter and asked, “They know Second Uncle is with us. Why send only young disciples to intercept us?” Yu Lianzhou said, “Probably because it was urgent and they didn’t have time to arrange for more people. Also, with young disciples, no one recognises them. Even if they lose, it doesn’t matter.”

Zhang Cuishan, having seen what the Emei women did, guessed they were here to ask about Xie Xun’s whereabouts. “So my sworn brother has also made enemies with the Emei Order. I never heard him mention it on Ice Fire Island.” Yu Lianzhou sighed. “Emei’s sect rules are very strict, and most of the disciples are women. Miejue Shitai has never allowed her female disciples to roam the jianghu freely. This time Emei is also opposing the Tianying Order. We were quite surprised at the time. Only recently did we learn the reason: it turned out that in Lanfeng, Henan, Hero Fang Ping of the Golden Melon Hammer was suddenly murdered one night. On the wall were left eleven bloody characters: ‘The killer is Hunyuan Pi Li Shou Cheng Kun.’”

Yin Susu asked, “Was that Fang Ping from the Emei Order?” Yu Lianzhou said, “No. Miejue Shitai’s maiden name is Fang. That old hero Fang is Miejue Shitai’s own older brother.” Zhang Cuishan and Yin Susu both said “Oh” at the same time.

Wuji suddenly asked, “Second Uncle, was that old hero Fang a good person or a bad person?” Yu Lianzhou said, “I’ve heard that Old Hero Fang farmed and read books, never associating with others. Naturally he wasn’t a bad person.” Wuji sighed. “Alas, Sworn Father killing people indiscriminately like that, that wasn’t right.” Yu Lianzhou was very pleased. He gently stretched out his long arm and lifted Wuji from in front of Yin Susu, stroked his head, and said, “Child, knowing that you can’t kill people indiscriminately makes Second Uncle very happy. Once a person is dead, they can’t come back to life. Even if someone is deeply sinful or extremely evil, you can’t just kill them. You must give them a path to reform.”

Wuji said, “Second Uncle, I’m asking you for something.” Yu Lianzhou asked, “What?” Wuji said, “If they find Sworn Father, you have to tell them not to kill him. Because Sworn Father is blind and can’t beat them.” Yu Lianzhou pondered for a long time. “This I can’t promise. I’ll persuade them if I can. But I myself will definitely not kill him.” Wuji was silent, tears falling from his eyes.

At dawn the four reached a market town. They slept half the day at an inn, then set off again in the afternoon. Sometimes Yin Susu and her husband shared a horse, letting Wuji try the joy of controlling the reins. Wuji was still a child at heart. After riding for a while, his worries about Xie Xun faded.

Along the way there was no incident. In a few days they passed Hankou. One afternoon, as they were about to reach Anlu, they suddenly saw over a dozen merchants rushing down the main road. Seeing Yu Lianzhou and the others, they hurriedly waved their hands and shouted, “Go back! Go back! There are Tartar soldiers ahead killing and looting.” One person said to Yin Susu, “You woman are too bold. Running into Tartar soldiers is no joke.” Yu Lianzhou asked, “How many Tartars?” The man said, “About ten, very fierce!” Then he fled eastward.

The Seven Xia of Wudang hated Yuan soldiers harming the common people most. Zhang Sanfeng usually trained them strictly. Disciples were not to fight with others lightly. But if they encountered Yuan soldiers committing atrocities, they didn’t have to show mercy. So if the Seven Xia encountered a large force of Yuan soldiers, they would avoid them. But if they saw a small number of Yuan soldiers committing crimes, they would often eliminate them. Hearing there were only about ten Yuan soldiers, Yu and Zhang thought this was a good chance to rid the people of a scourge and rode forward to meet them.

After travelling three li,⁴ they indeed heard cries of anguish ahead. Zhang Cuishan took the lead and saw over a dozen Yuan soldiers with steel daos and long spears, blocking dozens of common people and committing atrocities. The ground was covered in blood, and seven or eight people already had their heads severed from their bodies. One Yuan soldier picked up a three or four-year-old child and kicked hard, sending the child high into the air. The child screamed loudly mid-air. As he fell, another Yuan soldier kicked him like a ball, kicking him back and forth. After just a few kicks, the child went silent and was already dead.

Zhang Cuishan was furious. He leaped from his horseback. Before his feet touched ground, his fist had already struck a Yuan soldier who was about to kick the child in the chest. That soldier didn’t even groan and collapsed limply. Another Yuan soldier thrust his long spear at Zhang Cuishan’s back.

Wuji cried out in alarm, “Daddy, careful!” Zhang Cuishan turned and smiled. “Watch Daddy fight the Tartar soldiers.” But the spear was less than half a foot from his chest. His left hand suddenly flipped and grabbed the spear shaft, then pushed forward. The spear butt struck the Yuan soldier in the chest. That soldier cried out loudly and fell to the ground, clearly done for.

The other Yuan soldiers, seeing Zhang Cuishan so fierce, shouted and surrounded him from all sides. Yin Susu leaped off her horse, seized a Yuan soldier’s long dao, and cut down two. The Yuan soldiers saw the situation was wrong and fled in all directions. But these soldiers were brutal by nature. Even while fleeing, they still slashed at the common people randomly. Yu Lianzhou was furious and shouted, “Don’t let the Tartars escape!” He rushed west and blocked four Yuan soldiers’ escape route. Zhang Cuishan and Yin Susu also intercepted separately. All three knew that though the Yuan soldiers were fierce, their martial arts were mediocre. Wuji was stronger than them. They didn’t need to worry about him.

Wuji jumped off his horse. Seeing his Second Uncle and parents leaping like flying, he clapped and shouted, “Good! Good!” Suddenly, the Yuan soldier whom Zhang Cuishan had struck with the spear butt suddenly leaped up, wrapped his arms around Wuji, flipped onto a horseback, and galloped away at full speed.

Yu Lianzhou, Zhang Cuishan, and Yin Susu were all shocked and shouted together, giving chase. Yu Lianzhou, with two leaps, was already behind the horse. His left palm shot out, his body rising with the palm, pressing toward the Yuan soldier’s back. That soldier actually didn’t turn around but suddenly countered with a palm. With a pop, the two palms met. Yu Lianzhou felt the opponent’s palm force was like a mountain overturning, an extremely yin-cold internal force rushing over. In an instant his whole body was bone-cold, and he staggered back three steps.

The Yuan soldier’s horse also couldn’t withstand the shock of Yu Lianzhou’s palm. Its front knees suddenly buckled. The Yuan soldier, holding Wuji, took advantage of the momentum and leaped forward, already more than a zhang away. He displayed his qinggong and in an instant was over ten zhang distant.

Zhang Cuishan followed and arrived, seeing Second Brother’s face pale. His injury was clearly serious. He hurriedly supported him.

Yin Susu, worried about her beloved son, chased desperately. But that Yuan soldier’s qinggong was extremely high. The further he chased, the further away he got. In the end, she could only see a black dot on the main road in the distance, then it turned a corner and disappeared completely. How could Yin Susu give up? She just kept chasing. She no longer thought that since this Yuan soldier could injure Yu Lianzhou with a palm, even if she caught up, she would definitely not be his match. In her mind was only one thought: “Even if I lose my life, I must get Wuji back.”

Yu Lianzhou said in a low voice, “Quickly call sister-in-law back. We need to… discuss this at length.” Zhang Cuishan thrust his long spear and killed the two Yuan soldiers in front of him, then asked, “How bad is the injury?” Yu Lianzhou said, “It’s nothing. First… first call sister-in-law back.” Zhang Cuishan was afraid there were still experts among the remaining Yuan soldiers. If he left, they might harm Yu Lianzhou. So he blocked attacks from all directions, killing them all one by one, then pulled over a horse, mounted, and chased west.

After chasing several li, he saw Yin Susu was still running wildly, but her steps were staggering, clearly exhausted. Zhang Cuishan leaned over and lifted her onto the saddle. Yin Susu pointed ahead and cried, “He’s gone! Can’t catch up! Can’t catch up!” Her eyes rolled back and she fainted. Zhang Cuishan was still worried about Yu Lianzhou’s safety. He thought, “I should take care of Second Brother first, then Wuji.” He turned his horse and rode back, seeing Yu Lianzhou sitting with eyes closed, meditating and regulating his breathing.

After a while, Yin Susu slowly regained consciousness and called out, “Wuji! Wuji!” Yu Lianzhou’s pale face gradually regained colour. He opened his eyes and said in a low voice, “What terrible palm force!” Hearing his shixiong⁵ speak, Zhang Cuishan knew his life was not in danger and finally felt relieved, but still didn’t dare to speak to him. Yu Lianzhou slowly stood up and asked in a low voice, “Completely gone?” Yin Susu cried, “Second Uncle, what… what should we do?” Yu Lianzhou said, “Don’t worry. Wuji is fine. That person’s martial arts are very high. He definitely won’t harm a child.” Yin Susu said, “But… but he’s kidnapped Wuji.”

Yu Lianzhou nodded. His left hand rested on Zhang Cuishan’s shoulder. He closed his eyes and thought deeply. After a long while, he opened his eyes and said, “I can’t figure out what sect that person is from. Let’s go up the mountain and ask Master.” Yin Susu was very anxious. “Second Uncle, find a way to get Wuji back first. We can ask about his sect later.” Yu Lianzhou shook his head.

Zhang Cuishan said, “Susu, right now Second Brother is seriously injured, and that person’s martial arts are so high. Even if we find him, there’s nothing we can do.” Yin Susu asked anxiously, “Then just… give up?” Zhang Cuishan said, “We don’t need to find him. He’ll come find us.”

Yin Susu was originally very intelligent. It was only because her son was kidnapped that she was panicked. At this moment she was startled and understood. That Yuan soldier’s martial arts were so powerful, he could injure even Yu Lianzhou with a palm. He was clearly pretending. After injuring Yu Lianzhou, it would have been easy to take their lives too. But he only kidnapped Wuji. His intention was obviously to force out Xie Xun’s whereabouts. At that time, Zhang Cuishan had casually struck with the long spear, and that person had pretended to be knocked unconscious. At that moment, none of the three had paid attention to his appearance. Now thinking back, that person seemed to have a full beard of whiskers… not much different from ordinary Yuan soldiers.

Zhang Cuishan helped his shixiong onto the horseback. He himself held the reins. The three horses walked slowly. When they reached Anlu, they found a small inn to rest. After Zhang Cuishan ordered the innkeeper to bring food and wine, he locked himself in the room, afraid of encountering Yuan soldiers and causing more trouble.

After the three of them killed those ten or so Yuan soldiers on the road, they expected that in a few days a large force of Yuan soldiers would come to massacre and loot in retaliation. Who knew how many nearby common people would suffer? But encountering such injustice, they couldn’t just stand by. This was the tragedy of a fallen nation: across the vast land, everyone was in calamity.

Yu Lianzhou secretly circulated his internal force through all his acupoints to heal his injury. Zhang Cuishan sat beside him guarding. Yin Susu leaned in a chair. How could she sleep? At midnight, Yu Lianzhou stood up, slowly walked three laps around the room, stretched his limbs, and said, “Fifth Brother, in all my life, apart from Master, I’ve never encountered such a powerful opponent.”

Footnotes

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

2. 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. ↩

3. 丈 – zhàng. Traditional Chinese unit of length, approximately 3.33 metres or 10.9 feet. ↩

4. 里 – lǐ. Traditional Chinese unit of distance, approximately 500 metres or a third of a mile. ↩

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