by Jin Yong
“A senior bullies a junior; how shameless!”
Yu Canghai did not waste any time. Before the last word had ended, he had already thrown a blow toward the window. Immediately following the blow, he jumped out the window. From the illumination of the candlelight inside the room, he saw an ugly hunchback turning around the corner of the house.
“Hold it!” he shouted.
The hunchback was really Lin Pingzhi in disguise. After the conflict with Yu Canghai in Liu Zhengfeng’s house, he slipped out while Yu Canghai’s mind was preoccupied with the little girl, Qu Feiyan. He hid behind a corner of the house and did not know what to do. He could not think of any way to rescue his parents.
“Everyone in the hall will have remembered me as the ugly hunchback,” he thought to himself. “When those people from the Qingcheng Sword School see me again, they will definitely kill me without hesitation. Should I change back to my original look?” He thought of how Yu Canghai had grabbed onto his wrist; how he felt like he had lost all his strength and couldn’t even struggle to get away. How could there be someone with such outstanding martial arts skills? All these thoughts flooded his mind; he completely lost track of time. He had no idea how long he had been hiding around the corner when he suddenly felt a pat on his hunchback. Stunned, he turned around quickly. The first thing he saw was a tall hunchback. It was none other than the real hunchback – “Hunchback of the North” Mu Gaofeng.
“You fake hunchback,” Mu grinned, “what’s so good about being a hunchback? Why the hell do you pretend to be my grandchild?”
Lin Pingzhi knew the hunchback was a very vicious man with very high Martial Arts skills. If any of his words displeased Mu, he could easily end up dead. He thought since he had already kowtowed to Mu when they were back in the great hall, and called him a true hero that helped the weak to fight the villains, and Mu did not get mad, all he needed to do was to maintain the same tone, and he surely wouldn’t make Mu Gaofeng mad.
“I heard from many people that ‘Hunchback of the North’ Hero Mu has a very reputable name, and he always helped the weak when needed. I truly admire you, and that’s why I dressed myself just like Hero Mu. Please forgive me,” he apologized.
“Are you kidding me? A reputable name and helping the weak when needed? What nonsense!”
Mu Gaofeng laughed. He knew Lin Pingzhi was lying to his face, yet all these compliments sounded very enjoyable and pleasing.
“What’s your name? Who’s your Master?” he asked.
“Lin is really my family name. I unintentionally used your last name,” Lin Pingzhi said.
Mu Gaofeng smirked. “Cut the crap! You just wanted to use my name to swindle and bluff. Yu Canghai is the Head Master of the Qingcheng Sword School. He could kill you by just poking you with one finger. Yet you were so bold as to offend him! You really have some guts!”
Hearing Yu Canghai’s name mentioned, Lin Pingzhi’s anger instantly exploded. “As long as I am still breathing, one day I will slay the scoundrel myself!” he exclaimed loudly.
“What score do you have with Yu Canghai?” asked the surprised Mu Gaofeng.
Lin Pingzhi hesitated for a few seconds. He thought, “There’s no way for me to rescue my mom and dad all by myself. Why don’t I ask him to help?” So he knelt down and kowtowed to Mu Gaofeng.
“My parents are his prisoners. I am begging you. Will you please help me rescue them?”
Mu Gaofeng frowned and shook his head. “I never do anything that does not benefit me. Who is your dad? What do I get if I rescue him?”
Someone’s voice suddenly came from the door, whispering with urgency, “Go tell Master that in the brothel known as the Jade House, another Qingcheng Sword School member has been killed. Also someone from the Heng-Shan Sword School was wounded and just got back. Hurry!”
“We’ll talk about your troubles later,” Mu Gaofeng whispered to Lin Pingzhi. “There’s going to be a good show. Come with me if you want to see some fun.”
“As long as I am with him, I can always beg him later,” Lin Pingzhi thought. So he replied, “Sure, sure! Wherever you, the respectful senior, want to go, I’ll follow.”
“Let’s get this straight first: I, hunchback Mu, only do things that I can benefit from. If you think brown-nosing can get your grandpa to get into trouble for you, save yourself the trouble and just forget about it!” Mu Gaofeng exclaimed. Lin Pingzhi just nodded and didn’t say a word.
“They’ve left. Follow me,” Mu Gaofeng said. Lin Pingzhi only felt his right wrist being grabbed tightly, and before he knew it, he was already in the air and seemed to be speeding along the streets without even touching the ground.
Soon they arrived outside the Jade House. The two of them hid behind a tree and peered at the scene before them. They heard everything including the fight between Yu Canghai and Tian Boguang, the search led by Liu Zhengfeng’s apprentices, and the words of Linghu Chong. When Yu Canghai wanted to hit Linghu Chong again, Lin Pingzhi could not hold his anger any longer and shouted out, “A senior bullies a junior; how shameless!” Right after that, he realized he had acted very rashly and quickly turned around to hide. But Yu Canghai came so fast that with the words “hold it,” the power of his hands had already immobilized Lin Pingzhi.
At that moment, all Yu needed to do was to release his inner strength and Lin Pingzhi’s internal organs would be smashed into pieces, but after recognizing it was the young hunchback, Yu Canghai held back his strength and did not strike.
“So it’s you!” he sneered.
He looked at Mu Gaofeng, who stood about ten feet behind Lin Pingzhi. “Hunchback Mu! Why do you instigate juniors to trouble me over and over again? What do you want?” he demanded.
Mu Gaofeng burst into loud laughter. “He claims to be my junior, but I never said he was! His name is Lin and mine is Mu, I have nothing to do with him. Master Yu, I, hunchback Mu, am not afraid of you; I just don’t want to be a retard and shield some nobody from trouble. If there are great benefits for being a shield, like piles of gold or jewels or something, then I’d consider doing it! Free service like this will never interest me.”
Yu Canghai was quite happy to hear these words. “If this individual has nothing to do with brother Mu and is only an imposter, then I don’t have to worry on your behalf,” he said. He was just about to strike when he heard someone speaking
“A senior bullies a junior; how shameless!”
Yu Canghai turned back and saw a man standing by the window. It was none other than Linghu Chong. Yu Canghai was infuriated, but the words “a senior bullies a junior; how shameless” were right on target. The two young men’s Kung Fu skills were no match for him; to kill them would be as easy as stepping on a puny ant. But he would never be able to get rid of the remark “a senior bullies a junior.” And if the remark of “a senior bullies a junior” were true, of course “shameless” would be the natural conclusion. But if he just simply let these two off, he wouldn’t be able to vent his anger. He sneered and said to Linghu Chong, “I’ll have your Master pay for your insolence later.” Then he turned to Lin Pingzhi.
“Which school are you from?” he asked.
“You murderous monster, you ruined my entire family, and you are still asking me?” Lin Pingzhi yelled furiously.
Yu Canghai was confused. “Have I met you before? How did I ruin your family? What are you talking about?” he thought to himself. With so many people around watching, he did not want to ask for more details, so he turned to Hong Renxiong. “Renxiong, waste him first, then seize Linghu Chong.”
If a Qingcheng apprentice did it, it wouldn’t be “a senior bullies a junior.” Hong Renxiong answered, “Yes, Master!” He drew his sword and jumped forward. Lin Pingzhi went for his own sword, but before he could unsheathe it, Hong Renxiong’s long cold sword was already pointed at his chest.
Lin Pingzhi yelled, “Yu Canghai, I, Lin Pingzhi, will….”
Astounded, Yu Canghai hurriedly struck out with his left palm. The e
nergy of the strike sent Hong Renxiong’s thrust aside and the sword barely missed Lin Pingzhi’s right arm.
“What did you say?” Yu Canghai asked.
“Even if I, Lin Pingzhi, have to become a disembodied ghost, I’ll come back and kill you,” Lin Pingzhi exclaimed.
“Are you…are you Lin Pingzhi from the Fortune Prestige Escort House?” Yu Canghai asked in shock.
Lin Pingzhi thought, “Since I can’t hide my identity any more, I’d rather have a quick death.” So he pulled the plasters off his face and said loudly, “That’s right! I am Lin Pingzhi from Fuzhou Fortune Prestige Escort House. Your son harassed an innocent girl and I killed him. You ruined my entire family. Where…where are you keeping my father and my mother?”
The news of Qingcheng’s triumph over the Fortune Prestige Escort House had spread all over the Martial World. Most people didn’t know that Evergreen had lost in a sword fight with Lin Yuantu, so rumor said that it was really because the Qingcheng Sword School wanted to seize the Lin family’s manuscript of the “Evil-Resisting Sword Art.” And because Linghu Chong had heard the rumor, he used it to lure Luo Renjie into coming closer and then killed him. Mu Gaofeng had also heard the rumor. After the fake hunchback claimed to be “Lin Pingzhi from the Fortune Prestige Escort House,” seeing how Yu Canghai knocked aside Hong Renxiong’s sword in such a hurry and how he acted so nervously, Mu Gaofeng had no doubt that Yu Canghai really wanted to track down the “Evil-Resisting Sword Manuscript” with the help of this young man. When Yu Canghai stretched his arm out and grabbed onto Lin Pingzhi’s right wrist, pulling his arm back to drag Lin over, Mu Gaofeng shouted, “Hold it!” He jumped forth rapidly and grabbed onto Lin Pingzhi’s left wrist and started pulling as well.
Lin Pingzhi could feel two great sources of power pulling his arms in opposite directions; all his joints started popping and he almost passed out from the severe pain. Yu Canghai knew very well that Lin Pingzhi would die instantly if he pulled any harder, so he thrust his long sword at Mu Gaofeng as he yelled out loudly, “Brother Mu, let him go!” Mu Gaofeng waved his right arm and blocked the sword with a shinning crescent knife. A loud ring echoed. Wasting no time, Yu Canghai launched his sword attacks, and within seconds, he had sent nine thrusts at Mu Gaofeng.
“Brother Mu, we don’t have any score to settle between us. Why should we hurt our relationship because of this lad?” He said while tightly holding on to Lin Pingzhi’s right wrist.
Waving his crescent knife back and forth, Mu Gaofeng countered all of Yu Canghai’s attacks.
“Earlier, right in front of everyone’s eyes, this lad kowtowed to me and called me ‘Grandpa.’ Everyone saw that and heard that. Although I don’t have any score to settle with you, Master Yu, don’t you think it would look bad for me if you seized someone who just called me ‘Grandpa’ and then killed him right in front of my eyes? If this ‘Grandpa’ can’t even protect his grandson, then who else is going to call me ‘Grandpa’ in the future?”
The two talked as they fought at a faster and faster pace. The clash of weapons also became more urgent.
“Brother Mu, this man killed my son. How can I forget the pain of losing a son and not avenge him?” Yu Canghai said angrily.
“Sure,” Mu Gaofeng laughed, “for Master Yu’s sake, I’ll help you seek your revenge. Come on, you pull to the left and I’ll pull to the right, one two three, let’s tear this lad to two!” After the words, he actually started counting, “One, two, and three!” As soon as he spat out the word three, he pulled harder. More of Lin Pingzhi’s joints popped.
Yu Canghai was stunned. There was no need to rush the revenge. Before finding the sword art manuscript, he definitely didn’t want to let Lin Pingzhi die. So he let go of Lin’s wrist at once, letting Mu Gaofeng pull Lin Pingzhi away.
“Hey, thanks!” Mu Gaofeng grinned. “Master Yu is really a true friend! You even gave up taking revenge for your son for Hunchback Mu’s sake. There’s no other one in the Martial World who respects brotherhood as much as you do!”
“I am glad brother Mu knows that. I’ll give in a little this time. There won’t be a second time,” Yu Canghai said coldly.
“Who knows? Maybe Master Yu would be just as nice next time and give in again,” Mu Gaofeng snickered.
With a disgruntled snort, Yu Canghai waved his left arm. “Let’s go!” he commanded, and all the Qingcheng apprentices left following their Master. At that moment, Sister Dingyi also headed south together with all the Heng-Shan nuns, to try to locate Yilin. Liu Zhengfeng and his apprentices had gone to the southeast corner to continue their search. So after the group from the Qingcheng Sword School left, only Mu Gaofeng and Lin Pingzhi stood outside of the Jade House.
“Hey, you are not a hunchback. You are a handsome lad!” Mu Gaofeng said with a grin. “Lad, you don’t have to call me Grandpa. I kind of like you. How about I take you as my apprentice?”
Lin Pingzhi was still in pain from being pulled between two types of high-level inner strength and had just caught his breath. Hearing Mu Gaofeng’s suggestion, he thought, “The hunchback’s Kung Fu is ten times greater than Dad’s. Even Yu Canghai was in dread of him. In my quest to seek my revenge, it would actually become possible if I have him as my teacher. But he did not care about me at all when the Qingcheng apprentice tried to kill me. However, as soon as he heard my real identity, he started to fight Yu Canghai to get hold of me. In that light, his offer to take me as his apprentice must not have come with good intentions.”
Mu Gaofeng saw his hesitation. “You already know how good the Hunchback of the North’s Kung Fu skills and fame are. I’ve never had an apprentice before. If you have me as your teacher, I will teach you all my Kung Fu skills without any reservation. By then, not only would the chaps from Qingcheng be no match for you, but after a couple of years, it would be easy to defeat Yu Canghai as well. Lad, why aren’t you kowtowing to me to show respect to your Master?”
The more anxious he sounded, the more suspicious Lin Pingzhi became. “If he really cared about me, why did he grab on to my wrist and pull so hard with no reservation? After Yu Canghai found out that I was the one who had killed his son, he actually wanted me alive. Obviously it was all because he wanted some ‘Evil-Resisting Sword Manuscript.’ There are many honest people with high Kung Fu skills in the Five Mountains Sword Alliance. If I want a good teacher, I should be looking amongst them. The hunchback here is too vicious. No matter how high his skills are, I’ll never have him as my Master.”
Seeing Lin Pingzhi still hesitating, Mu Gaofeng felt his anger growing. But he still managed a smile. “What? You think the hunchback’s Kung Fu skills are no good, and I am not worthy to be your master?” he asked.
Lin Pingzhi noticed the fleeting look of anger and viciousness on Mu Gaofeng’s face before it changed into a warm and kind smile. He knew he was in a very delicate and dangerous situation. If he refused to call him Master, Mu would probably get infuriated and kill him right away. So he said, “Hero Mu, your offer to take me as your apprentice is a fortune I never even dared dream of. But I have been learning my family Kung Fu skills. If I want to study from another great Master, I must get permission from my father. This is not only the family rule, but also the common practice in the Martial World.”
“That sounds reasonable.” Mu Gaofeng nodded. “But what little skills you demonstrated here today are not even close to being called Kung Fu. Your father’s Kung Fu must also be very limited. I only had a sudden impulse today wanting to take you as my apprentice. Later, I might not be similarly inclined. Good opportunities don’t come by easily. You seem to be a smart lad. Why are you acting so foolishly? How about this? You kowtow to me and call me your Master first, and then I will go talk to your father. I am sure he wouldn’t dare have a different opinion.”
Lin Pingzhi suddenly had an idea. “Hero Mu,” he said, “my parents were taken prisoners by the Qingcheng Sword School. I don’t even know if they are still alive or dead yet. I beg you, hero Mu, to
get them out. After that, I would be so grateful that no matter what you tell me to do, I will follow with all my heart.”
Mu Gaofeng became livid. “What?” he exploded. “Are you bargaining with me? Do I have to have you as my apprentice? Who do you think you are? This is just outrageous!” Then he remembered that even Yu Canghai gave in right in front of so many eyes and did not want to tear his son’s killer into two; he must have had very good reasons. People like Yu Canghai were not the type that could be easily fooled. The rumor that the “Evil-Resisting Sword Art” was truly amazing was probably true. If he could take this lad as his apprentice, then sooner or later, he would get his hands on that outstanding martial arts book. At that thought, he urged again.
“Hurry up and kowtow to me. After three kowtows, you will be my apprentice. Of course the Master will take care of the apprentice’s parents. Since Yu Canghai captured my apprentice’s parents, when I go ask for them from him, my request would be totally justified. How dare he object?”
Lin Pingzhi really wanted to save his parents. He thought, “Mom and Dad are prisoners of that villain. Every day would seem like a year for them. I need to get them out as soon as possible. As long as he can rescue my parents, I’d be willing to give up anything, let alone taking him as my Master.” So he knelt down in front of Mu Gaofeng to kowtow.
Afraid that Lin Pingzhi might change his mind again, Mu Gaofeng put his hand on Lin Pingzhi’s head and pushed down. Lin Pingzhi was ready to kowtow to him, but when he felt the push from the top of his head, he was filled with repugnance and naturally straightened his neck and resisted.
“Hey, kowtow!” Mu Gaofeng yelled angrily. He pushed down even harder.
Lin Pingzhi was quite egotistical; when he was still the Young Master of the house, others always flattered him and he never had to take any humiliation. Now in order to rescue his parents, he had already decided to kowtow, but when Mu Gaofeng pushed down his head, it actually aroused his stubborn nature.