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 Xias 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 factions 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 Xias 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 Sanfeng the Perfected One. Even the four great Shaolin monks ‘Jian, Wen, Zhi, Xing’, my father doesn’t think much of them. Zhang Sanfeng the Perfected One 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 Order’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 factions, Shaolin, Emei, and Wudang, one inherited ‘high,’ one inherited ‘broad,’ one inherited ‘pure.’ Each faction 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 Sanfeng the Perfected One?”

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 factions.

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 factions’ 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 blades are flashing. There are people hiding. Ahead in the reeds there must be enemy boats.”

Footnotes

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