by Jin Yong
Wang spluttered with rage. "Even if I was to die there, I would still go alone."
"Then please write out a letter and I will take it back to Master Zhang," said Meng. He pulled out some paper and a writing brush.
Wang, his hand shaking in anger, wrote out a short note:
"To His Excellency Master Zhang Zhaozhong. Your words and behaviour have gone too far. I will meet you today at noon on Lion Peak. If I lose, I will be at your disposal. Wang Weiyang."
Meng smiled, picked up the letter and walked out, closing the door of the cell behind him.
That morning, Master Han, the original owner of the white horse, was moved from one cell to another. Having fallen into the hands of Red Flower Society once again, he was afraid he would not be able to escape so easily again. As he morosely considered his dilemma, he heard someone shouting in the cell next to his, and recognized the voice of Wang Weiyang. He could hear he was cursing Zhang Zhaozhong. Greatly curious, he was just about to call out to Wang when the door opened and two men walked in.
"Please come with us to the Great Hall for a chat, Master Han," one of them said.
As they entered the hall, Han saw three men sitting on the left. In the middle was the Red Flower Society's Great Helmsman Chen, while on either side of him sat a dwarf and a man with a flowing white beard. Han bowed silently and sat down.
"Brother Han, I never thought that we would meet again here," said Chen. "Our fates seem to be tied."
Han hesitated for a moment. "I know I agreed to give up my sword and return home," he said finally. "But Master Wang insisted that I do this job. Out of feelings of friendship and because I knew the valuables belonged to your family, I…"
"Brother Han," Xu interrupted harshly. "We of the fighting community are very particular about two things: trust and honour. By your own word, you have proved to be untrustworthy. How do you think you should be dealt with?"
Han steeled himself. "What is there to say? If you're going to kill me then kill me."
"There's no need to talk like that," Chen said. "Master Wang has been grossly insulted by Zhang Zhaozhong, and says that no matter what, he must fight it out with him. We of the fighting community are very annoyed over this affair. What is your relationship with Zhang Zhaozhong?"
"I've met him a few times in Beijing, but we are from two different worlds. You couldn't say we had any relationship."
"As I thought. Have a look at this letter," said Chen, and handed him the note Wang had written.
Han knew that Wang always showed the greatest respect for officialdom. But if Zhang really had been that insulting, he would have been unable to swallow it. Having himself heard Wang cursing and now seeing the letter, there was no room for doubt.
"I would like to see Master Wang and discuss the situation with him," he said.
"There is not enough time," Chen replied. "I would like you to take this letter to Zhang now and you can see Master Wang when you return. Twelfth Brother, please come here," he called. 'Melancholy Ghost' Shi emerged from an inner chamber and Chen introduced him to Han. "Brother Shi will accompany you to see Zhang Zhaozhong. You are unaware of how Zhang has caused Master Wang to lose face, but there is no time to give you the details now. When you see Zhang, you can say that Brother Shi here is a lead escort with the bodyguard agency. Do exactly as he says."
Han's suspicions rose again and he hesitated once more.
"Do you have any doubts, Brother Han?"
"No, no," he answered hastily.
Xu knew that Han suspected. "Please wait a moment," he said. He left the hall for a moment, returning with a flask of wine and a wine cup into which he poured some wine.
"I was too abrupt in what I said just now," he said, offering the cup to Han. "Please accept this as a token of my apology. Let there be no hard feelings."
"Well said!" Han replied. He drained the cup, picked up the letter and walked towards the door.
"Oh no!" Xu suddenly exclaimed. "Brother Han, I've made a mistake. That cup of wine had poison in it!"
Han went pale, and he turned back towards them.
"I am truly sorry," said Xu. "That flask was poisoned for use whenever needed and one of the servants gave it to me by mistake. I didn't realize it until I smelt it. You've already drunk a cupful. Brother Han, oh dear, oh dear. Get the antidote quickly," he added to an attendant.
"The antidote is in the east city residence," the attendant replied.
"You fool. Ride over there and get it!" Xu shouted at him. The attendant bowed and left.
"I have been neglectful," Xu said apologetically to Han. "Please deliver the letter first. If you do exactly as Brother Shi says, you can take the antidote when you get back, and everything will be fine."
Han knew he either did as the Red Flower Society ordered or he was a dead man. He gave Xu a look of hatred, then turned and walked out without a word. Shi followed him.
Lord Zhou frowned as the two left. "Han doesn't appear to me to be all that evil," he said. "Poisoning him like that was not a very honourable thing to do."
"But there was no poison in the wine," Xu replied.
"No poison?"
"None." Xu poured himself a cup and drank it down.
"I was afraid he might mess up our plan in front of Zhang, so I scared him a little. When he comes back, he can drink another cup and it will all be over."
The others laughed.
Zhang was sitting beside Wen Tailai keeping watch when the cell door opened and a guard came in with a visiting card inscribed with the words: ' North China Earth-Shaker Wang Weiyang.'
"Go and tell him that I cannot see visitors," he said.
The guard left, but returned a moment later to say: "The visitors won't leave. They have a letter for you."
Zhang read the letter, and was both angered and perplexed by it. He had never had any disputes with Wang and wondered why the old man should challenge him to a kung fu duel.
"Tell Commander Li that I have to see a visitor and ask him to send someone to stand watch in my place," he said to the guard.
Four bodyguards arrived to replace him, and Zhang went to the reception hall. He recognized Lead Escort Han and saluted him with his fists.
"Isn't Master Wang here?" he asked.
"This is Lead Escort Shi of our bodyguard agency," Han replied, pointing to his companion. "There are a number of things Master Wang wants him to say to you."
Zhang threw Wang's letter onto the table. "I have respected Wang from afar for a long time, but I have never had any dealings with him whatsoever," he said. "How can he say that my words and behaviour have gone too far? There appears to be some misunderstanding here."
"Master Wang is a leading member of the fighting community," said Shi coldly. "When the community produces scum, he considers it to be his business regardless of whether there is a direct connection."
Zhang stood up, absolutely furious. "So Wang Weiyang says I am scum, does he?"
Shi said nothing in silent confirmation.
"Please enlighten me as to just how I have dishonoured the fighting community," demanded Zhang.
"Members of the fighting community abhor disrespect for superiors above all else," Shi replied. "You, Master Zhang, are a senior member of the Wudang School. It is said that you have not only turned hostile towards your own martial brothers, but have also attempted to arrest one of them for the Manchu court. Is this true?"
"The affairs of my martial brothers and I are of no concern to anyone else," Zhang said angrily.
"Secondly, there is no personal emnity between yourself and the Red Flower Society and yet purely for the purpose of your own career and enrichment, you seized Master Wen Tailai, and caused the death of the young son of Lord Zhou of Iron Gall Manor. Is your mind at ease over such things?"
"I am employed by the Emperor and I am loyal to him. What has that got to do with the Zhen Yuan Bodyguard Agency?"
"Did you not work to implicate the Zhen Yuan Bodyguard Agency in your schemes, as a resu
lt of which many of our men were killed and wounded?" said Shi.
"You really did do wrong there, Master Zhang," Han added. "You can't blame Master Wang for being angry."
"We will ignore other examples for the moment," Shi continued coldly. "How do you think these three questions should be handled?" He rolled up his eyes and struck an expression of dignified authority.
Zhang was incensed at being treated like a criminal in the dock. "All right, you," he shouted, striding forward. "You're obviously looking for trouble!"
Shi retreated a pace. "What's this?" he asked. "You want to take me on because you don't dare to accept the North China Earth-Shaker's challenge, is that it?"
"Who says I don't dare?" Zhang roared. "I will be there on Lion Peak at noon today."
"If you decide not to go, then never again consider yourself to be a member of the fighting community," Shi said. "Master Wang says that if you have any guts at all, you will go alone. There will be no one else from the Bodyguard Agency there."
"Why should I need help? Do you think I am afraid of this egotistical, stupid old man?"
"Master Wang is not a great orator," Shi continued, ignoring Zhang's comment. "When you meet him, the issue will be decided by kung fu alone. If you want to curse and swear, please feel free to do so now."
Zhang was speechless with rage.
Shi laughed coldly, then turned on his heel and left with Han following.
While the two had argued, Han's mind had been on the poison he had taken, and wished that Shi would hurry up and finish so that he could get back and take the antidote.
"We agreed to meet at noon," Shi reported on their return to the mansion at Solitary Peak.
Han collapsed on a chair with what appeared to be stomach cramps. Xu poured out a cup of wine and handed it to him.
"This is the antidote. Drink it up, Brother Han."
Han quickly stretched out his hand to take it, but Lord Zhou snatched the cup away first and drank it down at one draught. Han stared at him an amazement.
"We have joked with you enough, Master Han," Zhou said with a smile. "You didn't take any poison at all. He was just playing with you. Master Xu, come and apologise."
Xu walked over, grinning and bowed. "Please forgive me, Brother Han," he said.
Meng went in once more to see Wang Weiyang. "Master Zhang has agreed," he said. "You can go now. And by the way, he does not like naggers, so if you have anything to say, say it now. When you get to Lion Peak, the matter will be decided with fists and blades. If you try talking to him even to beg for mercy, I doubt if he will listen to you. If you are afraid, there is still time to pull out."
"I am prepared to die today if need be," Wang shouted, huffily stroking his beard. He stood up and strode out. Meng motioned with his hands to an attendant who handed Wang his sword and a bag of projectiles.
Han was standing by the door. "Please be careful Master Wang," he said.
"You know about this too?"
Han nodded. "I have seen Zhang."
"What did he call me?"
"It was demeaning. You would not wish to hear it."
"Speak," ordered Wang.
"He called you… an egotistical, stupid old man."
Wang grunted. "We shall see whether or not I am egotistical. Brother Han, if anything should happen to me, please look after the agency and the affairs of my family for me." He hesitated. "And tell my two sons not to rush into taking revenge. Their kung fu is still not good enough, and they would lose their lives to no good purpose."
He then started out for Lion Peak and the duel.
3
The slopes of Lion Peak produce abundant quantities of tea, one of the most exquisite varieties of the leaf under heaven. The mountain itself is high and precipitous, and few people go to the very top.
Wang Weiyang, his great sword slung across his back, clambered up the steep slope and emerged through the tea bushes onto an expanse of open ground on the summit. He noticed walking towards him a tall, robust man wearing a short jacket. The man stared at him for a moment.
"Are you Wang Weiyang?" he asked.
"Yes. And you are the Fire Hand Judge, Zhang Zhaozhong?"
"I am. Do you wish to fight bare-handed or with weapons?" Zhang was a very thorough man. He had searched about carefully during his climb up the peak, but had found no sign of anyone lying in ambush.
Wang was startled to see Zhang's mouth and nose were swollen and with his right eye ringed in black, injuries caused by Chen the night before. "We have no great grudges against each other," thought Wang. "Why risk killing him with a sword-stroke? The consequences of killing an official of his rank are unthinkable. It will be enough to humiliate him with my Eight Diagram Kung Fu. I'll show him I'm not egotistical."
"I would be honoured to pit myself against your famous Limitless Occult Kung Fu, Master Zhang," he said out loud.
"Fine," Zhang replied. He brought his fists together in salute and waited for the other to attack.
"If I may…" Wang said, and as he spoke, his left fist shot out and his right hand sliced across towards Zhang's right shoulder. Then in a flash, his left fist flipped over and aimed for the right shoulder while the right hand went for the chest. Zhang retreated three paces and fended off the blows. The two circled around, surprised at the extent of the other's ability.
"His moves are fast and powerful," Zhang thought. "He's a strong adversary."
"He avoided those blows of mine with ease," Wang thought. "Fire Hand Judge is no misnomer."
Suddenly, Zhang stepped forward and swept his left leg across at Wang, who jumped clear off the ground to avoid it and countered with a fist aimed at Zhang's face.
They were evenly matched and fought close and fast. The sun was riding high and their two shadows danced on the ground, merging and separating in a flash. Wang knew that at his age, a long battle would finish him. So he quickly changed his style, and with one hand protecting his body and the other facing outwards, he raced round Zhang, his feet following the pattern of the Eight Diagrams.
The style dictated that he keep moving, circling round Zhang to the left and right, waiting for an opportunity to strike. It would make even a kung fu master dizzy after a few circuits.
Zhang knew how ferocious this style was, and lunged at his opponent. But Wang had already circled round the other way. Suddenly he struck at Zhang with both fists, one of which slammed into his shoulder. Zhang caught hold of Wang's wrist and struck out at his elbow in retaliation. With his free hand, Wang swung at Zhang's other shoulder and the two leapt apart.
Zhang had had the worst of the encounter. "Your kung fu is excellent," he shouted. "Let us duel with swords."
He drew his Frozen Emerald sword, Wang also drew his sword and the two stood facing each other.
Zhang's mind was bent on recovering face, and he struck out with a series of attacking sword strokes, fast and vicious. Wang could tell from the way the light glinted on the Frozen Emerald sword that it was a superb weapon, and knew that if the two swords clashed, his own blade would come off the worst. So he did not dare to directly parry the strokes.
They fought round and round. Wang began to sweat and he secretly worked a number of darts into his palm and then swapped his sword over to his left hand. He slashed out with a left-handed stoke, and simultaneously flung the darts at Zhang. Zhang managed to dodge both dangers, but he was becoming flustered by the onslaught. He swept his sword across at Wang's waist, and as the two swords clashed, Wang's blade snapped cleanly in two.
Wang roared and hurled the remaining half at Zhang, and followed it with his remaining three darts. With a cry, Zhang fell over backwards and the Frozen Emerald Sword dropped to the ground.
"Master Zhang, forgive me!" Wang cried out anxiously. "I have some Golden Scar Ointment here."
Zhang was silent. Wang feared he was dead, and killing a court official was no laughing matter so he rushed across and bent down to examine Zhang.
As he did so, he saw flashes
of gold before his eyes. Cursing himself, he leant over backwards as fast as he could, but too late. He felt stabs of pain in his left chest and shoulder as the needles plunged home. He gave another angry roar and jumped up ready to fight Zhang to the death. But as he swung his sword, the pain in his chest and shoulder was so extreme that he fell back to the ground with a groan. Zhang laughed out loud. He pulled one of Wang's darts from his wrist, ripped a strip of cloth off his jacket, bound the wound then stood up.
"How could you attack me when I was coming to see if you were injured?" Wang demanded angrily. "What sort of man are you to do such a despicable thing? We'll see if you have the effrontery to face the rest of the fighting community after today."
"There's only the two of us here. Who else knows about it?" asked Zhang with a smile. "Having lived to such a ripe old age, it's about time you went to meet your forefathers."
He picked up half of Wang's snapped sword and dug a hole in the ground, then heaved Wang to the edge of it.
"So you're the North China Earth-Shaker," he said. "I'll give you some earth to shake." He kicked Wang into the hole and began to bury him alive.
As he worked, he heard a long, cold laugh from somewhere behind. He whirled round in fright and found Lead Escort Han standing there with an Iron Pipa in his hand.
"So that's it!" Zhang shouted angrily. "The Zhen Yuan Bodyguard Agency arranges a one-to-one duel and secretly sets up an ambush. Do you have no shame?"
"It is you that is shameless," Han replied pointing to Wang.
"All right, you can demonstrate your Iron Pipa kung fu for me," Zhang said. He flew at Han using Lightness Kung Fu and thrust his sword at him. Han retreated two steps and a sword struck out at Zhang from amongst the bushes. Zhang parried the stroke, and saw the swordsman was the other lead escort who had accompanied Han to see him earlier.
"Come on, fight me together. It is of no consequence to the Fire Hand Judge," he shouted.
Just as he was about to strike, he heard a noise behind and turned to see eight or nine men walking towards him led by the Red Flower Society's Great Helmsman, Chen Jialuo. A shiver of panic passed through him, and he glanced about, looking for some avenue of escape.