The Heavenly Sword & the Dragon Sabre Chapter 9 Part 8

Zhang Cuishan’s silver hook pointed at Quan Jiannan’s throat. “Everyone, step back!” he shouted. “I shall have Elder Quan escort us to the foot of Wudang Mountain, then I’ll release his acupoints and let him go.” He assumed these men were all his subordinates, who would surely defer and withdraw out of concern for their leader.

He was wrong. The gorgeously dressed young woman raised her twin blades and cried, “Together, everyone! Seize the cart!”

Zhang Cuishan bellowed, “Whoever dares come forward—I’ll kill this man first!”

The young woman gave a cold laugh. “Everyone, attack!” She spurred her horse and charged, blades whirling, showing not the slightest regard for Quan Jiannan’s safety.

This young woman was in fact one of the helmsmen of the Three Rivers Gang. Their purpose in mounting this large-scale operation was to capture Yu Lianzhou and Yin Susu and force from them Xie Xun’s whereabouts. Quan Jiannan was merely a guest adviser hired by the Gang—if he couldn’t serve their interests, then his death at enemy hands was no great loss.

Zhang Cuishan was startled. It seemed that even killing Quan Jiannan would not solve the problem. He saw six or seven men rushing toward Yin Susu’s cart, six or seven more charging at Yu Lianzhou’s cart, and only a handful left with the young woman surrounding himself. He was at a loss what to do when suddenly Yu Lianzhou’s clear voice rang out: “Sixth Brother, come out and deal with these men!”

Zhang Cuishan was taken aback. Is Second Brother bluffing with an Empty City Stratagem?¹ Then he heard a clear whistle from the treetops, and a voice called, “Yes! Fifth Brother, how are you? I’ve missed you terribly!” A figure leapt down from a large scholar tree several zhang away, long sword trembling in his hand, striding forward—it was none other than the Sixth Hero, Yin Liting.

Zhang Cuishan was overwhelmed with joy. “Sixth Brother! I’ve missed you so much!”

Several men from the Three Rivers Gang had already split off to intercept the newcomer, but all they heard were cries of “Aiya!” and the clatter of steel on steel, again and again. Each man took a sword strike to the Divine Gate acupoint² on his wrist, and one by one they dropped their weapons. The Divine Gate acupoint lies at the tip of the sharp bone behind the palm; once struck there, the hand cannot muster the slightest strength.

Yin Liting strolled forward at an unhurried pace. Whenever an enemy stepped into his path, his sword would tremble once, a clang would ring out, and a weapon would hit the ground. The young woman turned and shouted, “You’re from Wu—” Clang, clang! Her twin blades fell, each strike a separate ring.

Zhang Cuishan was overjoyed. “Master’s Divine Gate Thirteen Swords is complete!”

The Divine Gate Thirteen Swords comprised thirteen techniques, each one different from the rest, but every strike targeted the same point: the enemy’s Divine Gate acupoint at the wrist. When Zhang Cuishan had left Wudang ten years ago, Zhang Sanfeng had only just conceived the idea and discussed it with his disciples several times, but several difficulties remained unresolved. Now Yin Liting unleashed the completed technique, and not a single hardened fighter in the Three Rivers Gang could withstand even one move.

Zhang Cuishan watched in delight as Yin Liting’s every sword stroke was exquisitely refined. He had barely completed five or six of the thirteen moves—less than half the set—when more than a dozen members of the Three Rivers Gang had taken sword strikes to the wrist and dropped their weapons.

The young woman cried, “Scatter! Scatter! Run!” Some of her men mounted their horses and fled; others, unable to reach their mounts in time, turned and ran on foot.

Zhang Cuishan struck open Quan Jiannan’s sealed acupoints, picked up the snake-head twin brushes, and tucked them into the old man’s waist sash. Quan Jiannan’s face burned with shame. He cupped his fists at Zhang Cuishan in a stiff bow, then slunk away—alone, not joining the fleeing Three Rivers Gang.

Yin Liting sheathed his sword and clasped Zhang Cuishan’s hand tightly, beaming. “Fifth Brother! I’ve missed you so badly!”

Zhang Cuishan laughed. “Sixth Brother, you’ve grown taller.” When they had parted, Yin Liting was only eighteen; ten years apart had transformed the slim, slight youth into a tall, graceful young man.

Zhang Cuishan led Yin Liting by the hand to meet his wife.

Yin Susu was gravely ill. She nodded and managed a faint smile, whispering, “Sixth Brother!”

Yin Liting laughed. “Fifth Sister-in-law is also surnamed Yin—that’s wonderful! Not only are you my sister-in-law, you’re practically my own sister.”

Zhang Cuishan said, “Second Brother truly is remarkable. You were hiding in that tree the whole time and I never knew, but Second Brother spotted you long ago.”

Yin Liting then recounted how he had come to their aid.

It turned out that the Fourth Hero, Zhang Songxi, had gone down the mountain to procure supplies for their master’s hundredth birthday celebration. On the road he had spotted two jianghu figures behaving suspiciously, their bearing untrustworthy. He grew suspicious: Our Wudang Order’s prestige shakes the world—could there be bold fools who dare pluck the tiger’s whiskers? He followed them in secret and overheard their conversation, learning that Zhang Cuishan had returned from overseas and joined forces with Second Brother Yu Lianzhou, and that the Three Rivers Gang and the Five Phoenix Blade School both planned to intercept them and demand Xie Xun’s whereabouts.

Zhang Songxi was overjoyed at the news and hurried back to the mountain. At that time only Yin Liting was at the summit, so the two set out separately to offer support, both reasoning: with Yu the Second and Zhang the Fifth together, those petty gangs and schools would only disgrace themselves—they could never prevail against the two. But they were so eager to see Zhang Cuishan again, each moment of reunion precious, that they had come out to meet him. As for Yu Lianzhou’s injury, the two jianghu men had not mentioned it, so Zhang Cuishan and Yin Susu did not yet know.

Zhang Songxi had gone to deal with the two experts sent by the Five Phoenix Blade School. The Three Rivers Gang contingent had fallen to Yin Liting, who had driven them off.

Yu Lianzhou sighed. “If not for Fourth Brother’s sharp wit, our Wudang Order might have suffered a grave humiliation today.”

Zhang Cuishan said with shame, “On my own, I could not have protected Second Brother. Alas—ten years away from the school, and I’ve fallen so far behind my brothers.”

Yin Liting laughed. “Fifth Brother, what are you saying? Even if I hadn’t stepped in, you could have handled those Three Rivers Gang thugs with ease. It’s just that you’d be looking after Second Brother first, and Fifth Sister-in-law might have been frightened. That功夫 you just used to beat the Korean old man—Master never taught it to anyone else. Now that you’re back, Master will be so happy he’ll probably teach you all sorts of marvellous new techniques—you won’t have time to learn them all! Want me to tell you the moves for the Divine Gate Thirteen Swords?”

The师兄弟’s bond ran deep. After ten years apart, Yin Liting longed to pour every technique he had learned into his Fifth Brother’s ears in a single breath. The two walked side by side, Yin Liting demonstrating and sketching in the air, talking without pause.

That evening the four of them rested at an inn at Xianren’du. Yin Liting insisted on sharing a bed with Zhang Cuishan. Zhang Cuishan truly adored this youngest of his junior brothers; though Yin Liting had grown tall and broad, he clung to his Fifth Brother just as he always had. Ten years apart, life and death uncertain, and now by chance they were together again—the wild joy of it filled his heart with warmth.

Among the Seven Heroes of Wudang, Mo Shenggu was youngest in years, but from childhood he had been mature beyond his age. It was Yin Liting who, by contrast, seemed the more youthful. Zhang Cuishan was close to Yin Liting in age, and from the time Yin Liting entered the school, Zhang Cuishan had always taken special care of him.

Yu Lianzhou said with a smile, “Now that Fifth Brother has a sister-in-law, do you still think it’s ten years ago? Fifth Brother, you’ve come back at just the right time—after we’ve drunk Master’s birthday wine, we’ll drink Sixth Brother’s wedding wine.”

Zhang Cuishan was delighted, clapping his hands. “Wonderful, wonderful! Which noble family’s daughter is the bride?”

Yin Liting blushed and, bashful, said nothing.

Yu Lianzhou said, “She is the cherished daughter of old Hero Ji of Hanyang, who wields the Golden Whip.”

Zhang Cuishan stuck out his tongue. “If Sixth Brother misbehaves, that Golden Whip coming down on his head won’t be any joke.”

Yu Lianzhou gave a slight smile. “Miss Ji uses the sword. Fortunately, among the masked women we encountered by the river that day, Miss Ji was not among them.”

Zhang Cuishan started. “Miss Ji is a disciple of the Emei School?”

Yu Lianzhou nodded. “The Emei women we met by the river had mediocre skills—Miss Ji would not have been among them. Otherwise, for Fifth Sister-in-law’s sake we would have offended Sixth Sister-in-law, and people would say our Second Brother plays favourites. Our as-yet-unmarried Sixth Sister-in-law is both fine of character and skilled in martial arts—a disciple of a noble school, truly exceptional. She and Sixth Brother are truly a match made in heaven…”

He was speaking when he suddenly remembered that Yin Susu was the daughter of a heterodox cult leader. Praising Miss Ji so openly might wound Zhang Cuishan’s feelings. He was about to change the subject when he heard someone at the door say, “Master Yu, several gentlemen have come to visit you. They say they are your friends.” It was the inn servant’s voice.

Yu Lianzhou asked, “Who?”

The servant said, “Six of them. They say they’re from the Five Phoenix Blade School.”

The three师兄弟 all started. Zhang Songxi had gone to deal with the Five Phoenix Blade School—how had the enemies found their door instead? Could something have gone wrong with Zhang Songxi?

Zhang Cuishan said, “I’ll go look.” He feared that with Second Brother still wounded, a fight at the inn would be unwise.

Yu Lianzhou said, “Invite them in.”

A moment later five men and a radiant, handsome young woman entered. Zhang Cuishan and Yin Liting, empty-handed, stood guard at Yu Lianzhou’s side. But the six visitors hung their heads in dejection, their faces flushed with shame, and they carried no weapons—they plainly had no intention of causing trouble.

The leading man, his hair streaked with grey, was around forty. He bowed respectfully with cupped fists. “You are Hero Yu the Second, Hero Zhang the Fifth, and Hero Yin the Sixth of Wudang? I am Meng Zhenghong, a disciple of the Five Phoenix Blade School. I inquire after your health.”

The three returned the greeting, each inwardly puzzled. Yu Lianzhou said, “Teacher Meng, pray be seated.”

Meng Zhenghong did not sit. “Our humble school is based in Hedong, Shanxi—a narrow and obscure tradition. We have long admired the renown of True Man Zhang and the Seven Heroes of Wudang Mountain, a fame that strikes the ear like thunder, yet we never had the honour of an audience. Now that we have reached the foot of Wudang Mountain, we ought to ascend and pay our respects to True Man Zhang, but we understand that at his venerable age of a hundred, he dwells in quiet cultivation. We rough martial men dare not presume to disturb his peace. After you return to the mountain, we beg you to convey our regards—tell him that the disciples of the Five Phoenix Blade School of Shanxi wish him a thousand autumns of peace and boundless fortune.”

Yu Lianzhou had been sitting on the bed, still recovering from his injury. At mention of their master, he at once rose, leaning on Yin Liting’s shoulder, and stood respectfully. “We dare not presume. I thank you on our master’s behalf.”

Meng Zhenghong continued, “We dwell in the rural backwaters of Shanxi, frogs at the bottom of a well, with shallow knowledge. We knew not the height of heaven nor the depth of earth, and in our audacity came uninvited to your honoured lands. Now that Wudang’s heroes have shown such magnanimity as to rescue us from danger, I am filled with gratitude. Today I have come specifically to offer thanks and to apologise. We beg you, great-hearted sirs, do not remember the petty faults of lesser men.” So saying, he bent to bow.

Zhang Cuishan stepped forward and steadied him. “Teacher Meng, pray do not be so formal.”

Meng Zhenghong hesitated, something on his lips he dared not say.

Yu Lianzhou said, “Teacher Meng, whatever you wish to say, please speak freely.”

Meng Zhenghong said, “I beg Hero Yu the Second for a single word—say that the Wudang Order holds no further grudge against us, so that we may return and answer to our master.”

Yu Lianzhou smiled faintly. “You gentlemen have come all the way from Shanxi to Hubei, I expect, to inquire after the Golden-Maned Lion King Xie Xun’s whereabouts. May I ask what grievance the Golden-Maned Lion King has with your school?”

Meng Zhenghong’s face went bleak. “My elder brother, Meng Zhengpeng, died miserably at Xie Xun’s hands.”

Yu Lianzhou’s heart stirred. “We have reasons of necessity that prevent us from revealing the Golden-Maned Lion King’s whereabouts. I must ask Teacher Meng and the others to forgive us. As for holding a grudge—let it not be mentioned. When you see your master, Elder Wu, tell him that Yu the Second, Zhang the Fifth, and Yin the Sixth send their regards.”

Meng Zhenghong said, “Many thanks! We take our leave. In future, if the Wudang Order has need of us, send but a message. Though the Five Phoenix Blade School is small and weak, we shall not shrink from any errand you require.” He and the other five bowed together with cupped fists, then turned and left.

The young woman suddenly returned, knelt upon the ground, and said in a low voice, “That this humble woman has preserved her honour and reputation is entirely due to the generosity of Wudang’s heroes. For the rest of my days, I shall not forget the great kindness of True Man Zhang and you gentlemen.” Yu Lianzhou and the others did not know the circumstances, but hearing her speak of a woman’s honour and reputation, they did not press for details and offered only vague words of modesty. The young woman bowed several times, then left.

The six men of the Five Phoenix Blade School had barely departed when the door curtain was pushed aside and a figure darted in, throwing his arms around Zhang Cuishan in a tight embrace.

Zhang Cuishan cried out in overwhelming joy, “Fourth Brother!”

The man who had entered was none other than Zhang Songxi. The师兄弟 greeted one another, their happiness beyond words.

Zhang Cuishan said, “Fourth Brother, with all your resourcefulness, you managed to turn enemies into friends with the Five Phoenix Blade School—truly no easy feat.”

Zhang Songxi laughed. “It was sheer coincidence. Your Fourth Brother can claim no credit.” He then recounted what had happened.

It turned out that the handsome young woman was born with the surname Wu—the second daughter of the Five Phoenix Blade School’s head—and her husband was Meng Zhenghong. The six of them had travelled together to Hubei to investigate Xie Xun’s whereabouts. On the road they encountered a helmsman of the Three Rivers Gang, who told them that Zhang Cuishan of Wudang knew Xie Xun’s location. The woman, Wu Shi, had been spoiled since childhood and proposed a scheme to capture Zhang Cuishan and force the information from him. Meng Zhenghong had always feared his wife like a tiger, but this time he absolutely refused. He said the Wudang disciples were exceedingly capable—it would be better to ask politely, and if they refused, then devise another plan.

Wu Shi retorted, “Opportunities come and go. If we let Zhang Cuishan reach Wudang Mountain and he reunites with his师兄弟, with Zhang Sanfeng protecting him, how could we ever force the truth from him?” The two quarrelled, their words growing sharper. The other four were junior brothers and nephews, and dared not take sides.

Wu Shi raged, “You coward! It’s your own brother’s death we’re avenging, not mine. Hmph—a man, a true man, yet you won’t take responsibility for anything. Even if Zhang Cuishan told you where Xie Xun is, would you have the guts to go after him? Marrying you, you coward, is the worst luck of my life.”

Meng Zhenghong, accustomed to yielding to his sharp-tongued wife, dared not argue further. But when it came to Wu Shi’s plan—to drug Zhang Cuishan and his wife with a sleeping draught at the inn in the dead of night—he absolutely refused. In her fury, Wu Shi waited until her husband was asleep, then slipped away quietly in the middle of the night.

She planned to act alone, to discover Xie Xun’s whereabouts and shame her husband. Little did she know that every move had been watched by a helmsman of the Three Rivers Gang. Seeing her beauty, he conceived evil intentions and followed her in secret. As Wu Shi prepared her drugging scheme, he struck first and drugged her instead.

But the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.³ Zhang Songxi had been surveilling the six members of the Five Phoenix Blade School all along. Only when Wu Shi’s situation grew critical did he intervene, punishing the Three Rivers Gang helmsman and driving him off. Zhang Songxi did not reveal his name, only saying he was a disciple of the Wudang Order.

Wu Shi, equal parts shocked and ashamed, returned to her husband and told him everything. Now the Wudang Order had become their school’s great benefactor, and the couple came together to thank Yu Lianzhou and the others for their rescue. Zhang Songxi waited until the six had left before showing himself, sparing Wu Shi further embarrassment.

Zhang Cuishan, having heard the full account, sighed. “Dealing with the Three Rivers Gang’s unprincipled men was no difficult task, but Fourth Brother acts in such a way as to always leave room for others—turning enemies into friends. This most accords with Master’s heart.”

Zhang Songxi laughed. “Ten years apart, and the moment we meet you give Fourth Brother a tall hat to wear.”

That night the four师兄弟 shared beds and talked late into the night. Though Zhang Songxi was resourceful, even he could not guess the slightest clue as to the identity of the expert who had disguised himself as a Yuan soldier, abducted Wuji, and wounded Yu Lianzhou.

The next morning Zhang Songxi and Yin Susu met. The five of them travelled slowly, spending another night on the road before ascending Wudang Mountain.

Zhang Cuishan, returning after ten years to the place where he had grown up, thought of how soon he would pay respects to his master and reunite with his Eldest Brother and Seventh Brother. Though his wife was ill and his son scattered, joy outweighed sorrow.

When they reached the mountain, they saw eight sturdy horses tethered outside the Daoist temple, their saddles and bridles gleaming—not from the mountain. Zhang Songxi said, “We have guests in the temple. Let’s not announce ourselves yet—we’ll enter through the side gate.”

Zhang Cuishan supported his wife as they entered through the side gate. The temple’s Daoist priests and servants, seeing Zhang Cuishan return safely, were filled with joy. Zhang Cuishan wished to pay respects to his master at once, but the Daoist boy attending Zhang Sanfeng said the True Man had not yet emerged from seclusion. Zhang Cuishan could only kowtow before the door of his master’s meditation chamber, then went to see Yu Daiyan.

The Daoist boy attending Yu Daiyan whispered, “Third Senior Uncle is asleep. Should I wake him?”

Zhang Cuishan shook his head. He stepped softly into the room on tiptoe and saw Yu Daiyan lying with closed eyes, his face deathly pale, his cheeks hollowed. Ten years ago a vigorous, strapping man, now reduced to a dying invalid. Zhang Cuishan stood watching for a long while, unable to hold back his tears.

He stood by the bed for some time, wiped his tears, and walked out. He asked the young Daoist, “Where are my Eldest Brother and Seventh Brother?”

The young Daoist said, “They’re receiving guests in the main hall.”

Zhang Cuishan went to the rear hall to wait for his Eldest Brother and Seventh Brother, but after a long wait the guests still had not left. Zhang Cuishan asked the Daoist who brought tea, “What sort of guests?”

The Daoist said, “They seem to be escort chiefs.”

Yin Liting, deeply attached to his Fifth Brother after this long separation, had barely left his side before returning to keep him company. Hearing him ask about the guests, he said, “They are the three chief escorts: Qi Tianbiao, chief escort of the Tiger Crouching Escort Agency of Jinling; Yun He, chief escort of the Jinyang Escort Agency of Taiyuan; and the last is Gong Jiujia, chief escort of the Yanyun Escort Agency of the capital, Dadu.”

Zhang Cuishan was slightly startled. “All three of these chief escorts have come? Ten years ago, among all the escort agencies under heaven, these three had the strongest martial arts and greatest renown. Is that still the case today? What brings them all to the mountain at once?”

Yin Liting laughed. “Some big escort must have been lost, and the robbers are too powerful for these three chief escorts to handle, so they’ve come to ask Eldest Brother for help. Fifth Brother, these past years Eldest Brother has become more and more of a people-pleaser. Whenever the jianghu faces some difficult crisis, they come asking Eldest Brother to intervene.”

Zhang Cuishan smiled. “Eldest Brother has a Buddha’s face and a compassionate heart. When people ask him for help, he’s always willing. Ten years apart—I wonder if Eldest Brother has aged?”

Thinking of this, his longing to see his Eldest Brother became unbearable. “Sixth Brother, let me go behind the screen and take a look at Eldest Brother and Seventh Brother.”

He walked behind the screen and peered out cautiously.

Song Yuanqiao and Mo Shenggu sat in the guest seats below. Song Yuanqiao wore Daoist robes, his expression calm and gentle as ever. His face had barely changed in ten years, though his temples showed faint traces of grey, and his body had grown much stouter—middle-age spread, no doubt. Song Yuanqiao had not taken monastic vows, but since his master was a Daoist priest and they lived in a Daoist temple, he often wore Daoist garments on Wudang Mountain, changing into common clothes only when descending.

Mo Shenggu, by contrast, had grown tall and imposing. Though only in his twenties, his face was covered in thick whiskers, making him look older than Zhang Cuishan.

They heard Mo Shenggu say in a loud voice, “When my Eldest Brother says one, it’s one; when he says two, it’s two. With Song Yuanqiao’s name, can you three still not trust us?”

Zhang Cuishan thought, Seventh Brother’s blunt, brash temper hasn’t changed a bit. I wonder what he’s arguing about this time. He turned his gaze to the guest seats and saw three men, all around fifty. One had an imposing, majestic bearing; one was tall and thin with a gaunt, austere face; the third, in the last seat, looked like a sickly man, quite withered. Behind the three stood five men with hands clasped respectfully—presumably their disciples.

The tall, thin man said, “Since Hero Song speaks thus, how dare we disbelieve? We only wonder when Hero Zhang the Fifth will return—could you give us a definite date?”

Zhang Cuishan was startled. These three are here for me—no doubt again asking about my sworn brother’s whereabouts.

He heard Mo Shenggu say, “We seven师兄弟, though our skills are meagre, have never dared lag behind in acts of righteousness. Thanks to the praise of our friends in the jianghu, we have been given the name ‘Seven Heroes of Wudang.’ These four words, to speak frankly, we dare not deserve…”

Zhang Cuishan thought, Ten years apart, and Seventh Brother has become so eloquent. Before, if someone asked him a question, his face would turn red for ages before he could answer a single sentence. In ten years, apart from Third Brother and me, everyone has improved by leaps and bounds.

Mo Shenggu continued, “But since we bear this name, and uphold our master’s strict teachings, we dare not stray half a step from righteousness. Zhang the Fifth is one of our seven brothers. He is gentle and mild-tempered—among us seven, he has the best disposition. You insist on slandering him for murdering the entire Longmen Escort Agency. That is sheer nonsense!”

Zhang Cuishan’s heart went cold. So it’s about Du Dajin of the Longmen Escort Agency. I’ve long heard that south of the Great River, all the escort agencies look to the Tiger Crouching Escort Agency of Jinling as their leader. They must have heard I’ve returned from overseas, so the Tiger Crouching Escort Agency has gathered the chief escorts of Jinyang and Yanyun to come demanding answers.

The imposing, majestic man said, “The Seven Heroes of Wudang’s name rings loud and clear. Who in the martial world does not revere them? Hero Mo the Seventh need not praise yourselves—we have long heard your fame, striking the ear like thunder.”

Mo Shenggu heard the mockery in his words and his face changed colour. “Chief Escort Qi, what exactly do you want? Say it plainly.”

The imposing, majestic man was Qi Tianbiao, chief escort of the Tiger Crouching Escort Agency. He said in a clear voice, “The Seven Heroes of Wudang say one is one, say two is two—but do the high monks of Shaolin make a habit of lying? The Shaolin monks saw with their own eyes that every single person of the Longmen Escort Agency in Lin’an, high and low, was killed by the hand of Zhang Cuishan, Hero Zhang the Fifth.” When he said “Hero Zhang the Fifth,” he drew out the word “hero” long and slow, plainly dripping with sarcasm.

Footnotes

1. 空城计 – Kōngchéng Jì. The Empty City Stratagem, one of the Thirty-Six Stratagems, in which one feigns weakness to lure a cautious enemy into retreating. Famously associated with Zhuge Liang. ↩

2. 神门穴 – Shénmén Xué. The Divine Gate acupoint (HT7 / Shenmen), located at the wrist. In this context, the target of Yin Liting’s specialised sword technique. ↩

3. 螳螂捕蝉，黄雀在后 – Tángláng bǔ chán, huángquè zài hòu. The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. A Chinese proverb warning that in pursuing one’s prey, one may fall prey to another. ↩