by Jin Yong
During the day and two nights, all they had were watermelons. Linghu Chong had begged Yilin to catch some fish or wild rabbits for a change, but she would not give any ground, saying that only because of the blessing from the Buddha, had Linghu Chong been able to narrowly escape from death, and it would be the best if he would become a vegetarian for a few years to show his grace to the Buddha. There was absolutely no way that she would violate the prohibition of killing. Linghu Chong laughed at her pedantry, yet could not force her, so he had no choice but to give it up.
It was already dark. The two of them rested with their back against a big rock and looked at the many fireflies flying in and out of the bushes. The flickering of the many fireflies painted a beautiful picture of the midsummer night.
“In the summer before the last one, I once caught thousands of fireflies and placed them in dozens of gauze bags to hang in the room. That was a lot of fun!” Linghu Chong said.
Figuring with his kind of temper, he would never have made dozens of gauze bags out of his own will, Yilin asked, “It was your little apprentice sister, who had asked you to catch those fireflies, wasn’t it?”
“You are smart!” Linghu Chong smiled. “You got it right! How did you know my little apprentice sister asked me to do it?”
“You have such a hot-temper; besides, you are no longer a kid. How could you have such patience to catch thousands of fireflies just for fun?” Yilin answered with a smile. “So what happened afterwards?” she asked.
“Little apprentice sister hung all these gauze bags inside her bed curtains. She said that with so many twinkling around her bed, she would feel like sleeping above clouds. Every time when she opened her eyes, she would be seeing stars all around her.”
“Your little apprentice sister certainly knows how to have fun. And she also got you, the apprentice brother, to join in with her. If she had wanted you to catch the stars in the sky, you probably would have agreed just the same,” Yilin commented.
“Talk about catching the stars in the sky, that was actually the reason why we caught so many fireflies,” Linghu Chong explained. “That night, she and I went out to enjoy the cool breezes of the night. When she saw the twinkling stars in the sky, little apprentice sister took a deep breath. ‘It’s too bad that a bit later I’ll have to go to bed,” she said. ‘I’d rather sleep outside under the night sky, so when I wake up in the middle of the night, I’ll see all the stars blinking at me. That’ll be so much fun! But Mother definitely won’t allow that to happen.’ So I suggested, ‘Why don’t I go catch some fireflies, and then put them in your bed curtain. They would look just like stars.’”
“So it was your idea after all,” Yilin murmured gently.
“‘But the fireflies would be flying in all directions,’ Little apprentice sister said. ‘It would be so annoying if some of them landed on my face. I got it! Why don’t I sew some gauze bags and put the fireflies in those.’ So she started making gauze bags while I worked on catching fireflies. We worked for an entire day and an entire night to get everything ready. It was too bad that we were only able to enjoy it for the first night. By the second night, the fireflies all died.”
Yilin’s body shook at these words. “All the thousands of fireflies died? How…how could you…?” her voice quivered.
Linghu Chong grinned. “You wanted to say that we were too cruel, didn’t you? Ah, you are a Buddhist with a very kind heart. When it gets cold, those fireflies would have frozen to death, anyway. They only died a couple days earlier. What’s the big deal?”
“Actually it’s no different for us human beings,” after a long silence, Yilin finally said quietly. “Some will die sooner, and some will die later. Whether one dies sooner or later, he will die eventually. Buddha says that no one can escape the suffering of death, either by old age or by illness. It is so difficult to understand the ultimate truth regard the cycle of life.”
“Well said! That’s why there’s no need for you to worry about all those rules and regulations, such as no killing, no stealing, and so on. If the Buddha had to watch out for every little thing out there, he would probably become exhausted,” Linghu Chong exclaimed.
Speechless, Yilin turned her head away, just as a shooting star flashed across the night sky to their left, leaving a long beautiful light trail.
“Apprentice sister Yijing once said, that when you see a shooting star, if you can tie a knot using the ribbon on your robe and make a wish at the same time, then the wish will come true, as long as you can finish both of them before the shooting star disappears. Do you think that’s real?” Yilin asked.
“I don’t know,” Linghu Chong answered. “Why don’t we give it a try? But I don’t think I can be that fast.” He picked up the ribbon of his robe. “Better get ready yourself. One second slower, you wouldn’t make it.”
Yilin picked up the ribbon of her robe and gazed at the night sky. Shooting stars were not rare in summer nights. Only a few minutes later, another one streaked across the sky. In a flash, it had vanished. Yilin only had enough time to move a finger, and the shooting star was already gone. “Ah.” She let out a gentle cry and then waited again. Soon, another shooting star appeared. It streaked from the west to the east and lasted a short while. Yilin had very quick fingers and actually tied a knot in time.
“Remarkable! Excellent! You finished the knot! Buddha Guanyin will surely bless you and make your wish come true!” Linghu Chong cheered.
“All I thought about was how to tie the knot in time. I forgot to make a wish.” Yilin heaved a sigh.
“You’d better think of your wish ahead of time.” Linghu Chong grinned. “Recite it a few times in your heart, so you won’t forget to make your wish when you tie the knot.”
“What should I wish for? What should I wish for?” holding the ribbon in her hands, Yilin thought inwardly. She glanced at Linghu Chong and suddenly flushed, immediately jerking her head around. By then several more shooting stars had streaked across the star-strewn indigo sky.
“Oops, another one! Wow, that was a long one. Did you tie the knot in time? You had enough time for that one,” Linghu Chong shouted in excitement.
But Yilin’s mind was as confused as a tangled skein. Deep in her heart, she had a vague wish, but that was a wish that she didn’t even dare to think of, not to mention asking the Buddha to grant the wish. Her heart thumped hard as the feeling of unspeakable fear mingled with unspeakable joy washed over her. Then she heard Linghu Chong’s voice.
“Have you gotten your wish yet?”
Yilin asked herself gently in her heart, “What should I wish for? What should I wish for?” Raising her head slightly and watching one shooting star after another flashing across the night sky, she found herself lost in thought.
“You are not gonna tell me, are you? Let me guess.” Linghu Chong grinned.
“No, no, don’t!” Yilin objected in a hurry.
“It’s alright! Let me give it three tries, and see if I can get it.” Linghu Chong said with an even bigger grin on his face.
“If you don’t stop, I am leaving.” Yilin stood up.
Linghu Chong burst into laughter. “Fine, I’ll stop. There’s nothing embarrassing about wishing to be the Head Master of the Heng-Shan Sword School.”
Yilin was caught by surprise. “He…he thought I wanted to be the Head Master of the Heng-Shan Sword School? I never thought of anything like that. How would I ever be capable of being a Head Master?” she thought to herself.
Suddenly, the dim sound of a string instrument floated in from a distance. It seemed that someone was playing a zither. Linghu Chong and Yilin exchanged a surprised look, both taken aback: “Why would someone play the zither in such wilderness?”
The sound of the zither continued, smooth and graceful, and moments later, a few subdued sounds of a bamboo flute started playing accompanying the zither music. The sound of the seven-stringed zither was pastel and placid, when blended with the clear and elegant flute play, the tone seemed to h
ave become even more soothing and touching. The music was played as though the zither and the flute were holding an intimate conversation, and gradually, the sound of music came closer and closer.
“Playing music here at this moment is kind of odd,” Linghu Chong leaned toward Yilin and whispered to her ear. “I am afraid they might be hostile. No matter what happens, don’t make any noise.” Yilin nodded.
The sound of the zither gradually become louder and more sonorous, while the sound of the flute became lower and deeper, but the notes played by the flute were low yet unceasing, almost like a silk thread swaying in the breeze, incessant and soul stirring.
Amid the music play, three shadows walked out from behind the big rock following a small path. At the moment, a shallow cloud blocked the moon, so everything was enveloped in a shade of blur, and Linghu Chong could vaguely tell that the group consisted of two tall ones and a short one. The tall ones were two men, and the short one was a girl. The two men walked by a big rock in easy ambles and sat down, one playing the zither and one playing the flute. Quietly, the girl stood by the side of the zither-playing man. Slowly, Linghu Chong retracted himself back into hiding behind the rock wall, afraid that those three might see him. The melodious play of zither and flute continued in great harmony.
“There’s a waterfall right next by, yet the thundering of the falling water still cannot cover the soft and smooth music,” Linghu Chong thought. “These two players’ inner energy must have reached a remarkable height. Oh, I see. The sound of the waterfall is exactly the reason why they came here to play the music. It has gotten nothing to do with us.” At that thought, he felt more relaxed.
Suddenly, the sound of the zither turned loud and forceful, with the implication of battle and fights, but the flute play remained elegant and graceful. After a while, the zither play also turned mild and gentle, and both the zither and the flute switched between high notes and low notes back and forth. All of a sudden, the sounds of both the zither and the flute changed completely, as though there were many zithers and many flutes playing together in an orchestra. Although the music had changed into something magnificent with many complex florid notes, each tone and cadence stayed clear and meaningful and the melody remained pleasing and moving. Linghu Chong could feel that his mind had been completed captured by the music, and almost couldn’t help but stand up. After another while, the tone of the zither and the flute changed again. This time the flute took over the lead and the zither simply accompanied with soothing chords. Soon, the sound of the flute play ascended higher and higher. Out of nowhere, the feelings of grieve and sadness rose and washed over Linghu Chong’s heart. He turned to look at Yilin, only to find tears rolling down her cheeks like streams. A loud “ring” echoed suddenly, then the zither and the flute fell silent at the exact same instant. Silence swept across in all directions; all there left were the moon, shinning high and bright in the indigo sky, casting still shadows from the endless of trees on the ground.
A voice said slowly, “Brother Liu, it must be fate that you and I have to die here today. It was really my fault that I didn’t act sooner; otherwise, your entire family and all your apprentices wouldn’t have lost their lives. I am so deeply disturbed.”
“We are friends with unsurpassed devotion. There’s really no need to explain….” another voice replied.
Hearing that voice, Yilin suddenly remembered. “That’s Uncle-Master Liu Zhengfeng,” She whispered at Linghu Chong’s ear.
Neither of them had any idea about what had just happened inside Liu House, so both were stunned beyond words when they suddenly made out Liu Zhengfeng in the remote valley and hear his companion saying something like “you and I have to die here today” and “your entire family and all your apprentices have lost their lives.”
“No one can escape the destiny of death,” Liu Zhengfeng said. “Having met the soul-mate in his living, one would die with no regrets.”
“Brother Liu, your flute play today seemed to have the implication of some kind of regret. Are you regretting about how your son cravenly clung to life instead of brave out death in the face of danger, and brought humiliation to your reputation?” the other man asked.
“Big brother Qu, you guessed it right. I have really spoiled the child too much and didn’t teach him well, shaping him into such a coward with no integrity.” Liu Zhengfeng sighed deeply.
“With or without integrity, it’s all the same,” Qu Yang comforted him. “A hundred years later, we all will rot into dusts. What’s the difference? When I was hiding on the rooftop, I should have acted sooner, but I figured you wouldn’t want me to ruin your relationship with your friends in the Five Mountains Sword Alliance for my sake. I also thought about the vow I had with you that I would never hurt anyone in the Chivalrous Side. That’s why I waited and waited. Who would have expected that the Songshan Sword School, the school housing the Alliance Chief, would act so viciously?”
Liu Zhengfeng did not answer and, for a long while, kept his silence. Eventually, with a deep sigh, he spoke again.
“How would any of these vulgar people ever understand the high spirits and graceful friendship of ours in music? Appraising with normal sense, they of course are convinced that our association would greatly harm the Five Mountains Sword Alliance and the Chivalrous Side. Alas, they don’t understand, and we cannot really blame them. Big brother Qu, were you hit at your Da-Zhui Acupoint, which shook your heart arteries?”
“Yes,” Qu Yang answered. “Songshan style inner energy is truly outstanding. When I took the hit on my back, I had no idea that the inner energy would be so strong to have passed through my body and broke your heart arteries with the shock, too. If I’d known earlier that you couldn’t have escaped the hit, either, I wouldn’t have shot out that cluster of ‘Black Blood Sacred Needles.’ Hurting more innocent people wouldn’t have helped any bit. Luckily, those needles were not poisonous.”
Hearing the name “Black Blood Sacred Needles,” Linghu Chong felt his heart skip a beat. “This man saved my life. Could he have been an elite fighter of the Demon Cult? If that’s true, why would Uncle-Master Liu befriend him?”
Liu Zhengfeng let out a slight smile. “But thanks to that, we got to play the zither and the flute together one last time. From now on, there will never be any zither and flute play like that.”
Qu Yang heaved a deep sigh. “Legend has it that before Ji Kang was executed, he played his zither one last time, and regretted that the ‘Guang-Ling Song’ music would be lost forever after his death. The ‘Guang-Ling Song’ sure is wonderful, but how can it compare to the ‘Smiling Proud Wanderer’ song we just played? However, Ji Kang probably felt just the same like how we feel today.”
“Big brother Qu, you were quite enlightened just minutes ago, how come you just turned rigid again?” Liu Zhengfeng smiled. “Our play of the ‘Smiling Proud Wanderer’ song, tonight, has brought out the best of the music. The music had already existed once in the world, and we have already played the song together once. What more could we ask for?”
“You are right!” Qu Yang clapped his hands gently. Then a short moment later, he sighed again.
“What’s the matter, big brother? Ah, I see. You are worrying about Feifei,” Liu Zhengfeng said.
“Feifei? Could that be the same Feifei?” Yilin thought to herself. Then, sure enough, she heard Qu Feiyan’s voice.
“Grandpa, after Grandpa Liu and you gradually recover from your injuries, we’ll wipe out every one of those Songshan villains and avenge granny Liu and the rest of them!”
Suddenly a long laugh rose from behind the rock wall. Amid the echoing of the loud laugh, a dark shadow had jumped out. Light of reflection flashed, and the next moment, a man appeared in front of Qu Yang and Liu Zhengfeng, holding a long sword in his hand. He was none other than the “Great Songyang Palm” Fei Bin of the Songshan Sword School.
“Hey, this little girl certainly likes to talk big. She wants to wipe out the entire Songshan Sword School. But I
doubt everything will go as you had wished,” Fei Bin said with a cold sneer.
“Fei Bin, you have already killed my entire family, and I could die any minute now thanks to the palm strikes from your two apprentice brothers. What else do you want?” Liu Zhengfeng stood up.
“Didn’t this little girl say to wipe everyone out? I am here to wipe everyone out!” he said with an arrogant grin. “Little girl, why don’t you come here, and be the first one to die?”
“Feifei and her grandpa saved your life. You have to think of something to save them!” Yilin pleaded Linghu Chong in whisper.
Even before she had said anything, Linghu Chong had already thought hard about ways to help them, thus repay the favor to the grandpa and granddaughter. But firstly, the opponent was an elite fighter of the Songshan Sword School; even if he hadn’t incurred any injuries, he still would be no match for Fei Bin. Secondly, he had already found out that Qu Yang was a member of the Demon Cult. The Huashan Sword School had always considered the Demon Cult an evil enemy. How could he help an enemy? The conflicting thoughts wavered in his mind, and he simply could not decide what to do.
“Fei Bin, you are a well known master in a famous sword school. Since Qu Yang and I are in your hands now, you can kill us or torture us all you want. But what would you become if you bully a little girl? Feifei, go! Leave!” Liu Zhengfeng urged.
“I’d rather die together with Grandpa and Grandpa Liu. I won’t live alone,” Qu Feiyan exclaimed.
“Hurry up! Go now!” Liu Zhengfeng urged again. “This is a matter between adults. It has nothing to do with a child like you.”
“I won’t go!” Qu Feiyan insisted.
Drawing two short swords by her waist, she rushed forth to hide Liu Zhengfeng behind her.
“Fei Bin, Grandpa Liu spared your life earlier, and now you are still requiting kindness with enmity. Aren’t you ashamed of yourself?” she shouted.
“You said you would wipe out our entire Songshan Sword School. Are you starting already? Do you expect me to just stand here and get slaughtered, or should I turn around and run away?” Fei Bin mocked in a chilling tone.