by Jin Yong
the herders where this marvel came from.
“This wild horse,” answered a herder, “comes from some mountains. We first saw it a few days ago, and found it so beautiful that we wanted to capture it, but did not succeed. Our attempt put it in a mean mood and, for these past few days, it keeps coming to bother us.”
“It is not a horse,” said a very serious old horse herder.
“What is it then?” Han Baoju wondered.
“It is a transformed celestial dragon, we shouldn’t bother him!”
“A dragon transformed into a horse!” another horse herder mocked. “What nonsense!”
“What do you know of it? I’ve kept horses for several years, but I never saw an animal as fabulous as this one, ever!” He had not finished speaking when the small red horse sped again into the herd.
The equestrian arts of Han Baoju, nicknamed the ‘Horse God’, were remarkable. Even the Mongols, who constantly lived in the saddle, recognized his superiority. Seeing that the small horse had come back, and knowing well which way he was going to leave, he stood in a strategic position and awaited the passage of the animal. When it approached, he suddenly jumped, a very calculated jump, so that he should have managed to straddle the beast. He had tamed so many stubborn horses in his life that he had the conviction that once on its back, he wouldn’t fall. However, in a split second, the small red horse accelerated, making Han Baoju miss his mark. Furious, he ran after him, but how could he have caught up with such a fast animal?
Suddenly, someone jumped and seized the mane of the horse with his left hand. Surprised, the horse galloped even faster. Still clutching the horse’s mane, the man let himself be pulled along with his body off the ground. The spectators noisily applauded.
Astonished and delighted, the ‘Six Freaks’ saw that it was Guo Jing that was being cheered!
“But where,” Zhu Cong asked, “did he learn a lightness technique that sophisticated?”
“Our Jing’er has made immense progresses lately,” Han Xiaoying said. “Could it be his dead father that guides him from the heavens? Or would it be Fifth brother?...”
How could they have known that, for the past two training years, the Taoist of the three adornments had taught him every evening, on the cliff summit, the art and mastery of breathing? Even though he didn’t teach him any fighting skills, he had initiated him into the superior art of neigong.
[Neigong could be regarded as a form of internal martial arts involving controlled breathing, meditation and the awareness of what’s happening inside ones own body and to some extent controlling it. It can be used as an aid in the recovery of ones health from illness or injury and improves the skills of external types of martial arts.]
Every evening, when he climbed and descended the cliff, Guo Jing practiced, without the knowledge of his teachers, a very subtle lightness technique called the ‘Flight of the Golden Eagle’. Having a naturally simple and confident mind, he was completely unconscious of what he had learned from the Taoist. His progress in the mastery of his internal energy and in this technique of the ‘Flight of the Golden Eagle’ only appeared when he practiced lightness techniques with Zhu Cong, Quan Jinfa or Han Xiaoying. He didn't realize it, and the ‘Six Freaks’ were pleasantly surprised at his improved performance, without suspecting the truth.
Observing the neigong of their disciple and his suppleness that didn’t corresponded at all to what they had taught him, they looked on in astonishment, suspecting that the young man had another master.
Guo Jing suddenly executed a somersault in the air and dropped astride the horse. The horse reared, kicked with its hind legs and bounded to all sides as if possessed! But the boy clamped down with his thighs and didn't allow himself to be tossed off.
Han Baoju shouted some instructions to him and told him some tricks to master the horse, which ran with renewed vigor for more than an hour, apparently untiring.
His audience was in awe: the old horse herder knelt and whispered some prayers, imploring the sky not to punish the man for having offended the ‘Dragon Horse’, before shouting to Guo Jing to let him go. But he didn't hear a thing, and stayed glued to the horse as if he was attached by a rope, reacting to all of its movements smoothly.
“Come down off that horse,” Han Xiaoying shouted. “Let your Third Shifu replace you...” “Absolutely not!” protested Han Baoju. “Changing the trainer now would risk all of the work he has done up to now!”
He knew very well that such a stallion had to have a strong character. If someone managed to tame it, it would respect its master and would stay forever faithful to him. But if more than one tried to overcome it, it would rather die than submit!
Guo Jing also had an obstinate character. When he began to get tired, he slipped his arms around the neck of the horse and began to tighten them, making use of his internal energy. The animal bounded, jumped, and shook itself in all directions, without getting rid of this pressure that was suffocating it. It then knew that it had met its master, and stopped.
“Bravo!” exclaimed Han Baoju, delighted. “That’s it! You have succeeded!” Fearing that the horse would run away again, Guo Jing didn't dare dismount. “You can come down,” Han Baoju reassured him. “Now it will follow you all of your life. Even if you wanted to get rid of it you wouldn’t be able too... ”
The young man jumped to the ground. The horse licked his hand, showing affection that made everyone there laugh. A guard approached it a little too closely and the animal gave him a kick that made him somersault. Guo Jing led it to the water, to wash it and calm it down.
Since this session of horse breaking had tired him a lot, the Six released him from practice for now; but doubts still troubled them.
After the lunch, Guo Jing came into the ger of his masters. “Jing’er,” Quan Jinfa said, “I would like to see your practice of the ‘Crunching Mountains’ palm strokes.”
“Here, in the ger?”
“Yes. One can meet enemies in any place; it’s necessary to train to fight even in closed spaces.” He feinted with the left, and delivered a stroke with his right fist.
Guo Jing, respecting the rule of courtesy due to elders, defended three movements before responding. Quan Jinfa then attacked with violence. Suddenly his fists hit the young man’s chest, with a movement named ‘Penetrating Deeply in the Lair of the Tiger’. It was no longer a practice stroke, but a deadly, violent and heavy one, used to kill! Panicked, Guo Jing wanted to move back, but he already had his back against the wall of the ger. Trying to protect himself when confronted with danger is a natural reaction especially since he had a rather slow mind. Without even thinking about it, he turned his left arm, and blocked the attack of Quan by repulsing his arms. The fists had already touched his chest, when Quan realized with surprise, that it was as soft as cotton, without any resistance. Then he was repulsed with strength, and his arms were afflicted by a jolting pain; he moved back three steps before recovering his balance.
Guo Jing was speechless and knelt before saying, “I probably did something that I shouldn’t have,” he exclaimed, “I accept the punishment of the Sixth Shifu!” Afraid and surprised, he wondered what crime he could have committed that was worthy of his master's anger, to the point of wanting to kill him!
Ke Zhen’E and the others got up, all with stern expressions. “You train with someone besides us,” Zhu Cong said. “Why did you hide it from us? If Sixth Shifu hadn’t tested you like that, you would have continued to lie to us, am I wrong?”
“There is only master Jebe,” Guo Jing said, “who teaches me the bow and the spear!”
“Do you dare lie to us again?” an angry Zhu Cong said, with a severe look.
“I would not dare to lie to my Shifus ever!” Guo Jing said with his eyes full of tears.
“Then where did you learn this mastery of neigong?” Zhu Cong insisted. “Now that you have the support of a powerful master, you no longer have any respect for us!”
“Neigong?” Guo Jing wondered. “But I don't h
ave a neigong!”
“Pfui!” Zhu Cong spat, still doubtful. He moved his index finger toward a location situated two inches below the sternum, named ‘Tail of Turtledove’. A stroke to this essential point on the body induces immediate unconsciousness. Guo Jing didn't dare to avoid or to defend against it and remained immobile. However, he had practiced for almost two years with the Taoist of the three adornments and, even though he didn't know it himself, his body was filled with internal energy. On contact with Zhu Cong’s finger, his flesh naturally retracted and then expanded itself, repulsing the finger. The stroke still hit the point effectively, but caused only a certain amount of pain, without succeeding in affecting that point on the meridian. Zhu Cong had not used all of his strength, but Guo Jing’s internal energy had succeeded in neutralizing him. When he realized it he was astonished and angry. “And that’s not neigong?” he shouted.
“Could the Taoist master have taught me neigong?” wondered Guo Jing finally understanding. He said, “During these past two years, someone came, every evening, to teach me how to breathe, to sit and meditate and to sleep. I found it funny, but I followed his instructions. But he didn't teach me any techniques, but he did tell me to not talk of it with anyone. Since I thought that there wasn’t anything wrong with it and that it didn't affect my practicing, I didn't speak of it to any of you. I recognize my mistake; I won't go to him anymore.” He kowtowed.
The Six looked at each other and thought, “The young man seems sincere, and he doesn’t seem to be lying.”
“Don't you know what the neigong is?” Han Xiaoying asked.
“I really don't know what the neigong is!” Guo Jing said. “He told me to sit and meditate and to breathe slowly, without thinking about anything while concentrating only on the way the breath circulates inside the body. In the beginning I couldn't manage to do it, but lately I’ve had the impression that, inside me, there was something like a hot small mouse running through all of my body; it was very funny.”
The Six were surprised and delighted at the same time, to see that this simple-minded kid had succeeded in reaching such a level. This was not very easy, especially for him.
In fact, Guo Jing did have a simple mind. Compared to so-called intelligent people, he didn't have a head cluttered full of difficult and meandering thoughts to bother him. His type of mind encouraged progress in the acquirement of neigong. Thus, in barely two years, he had succeeded in reaching this level.
“Who taught it to you?” Zhu Cong asked.
“He doesn't want me to say his name,” answered Guo Jing. “He said that the kung fu of my Shifus is not lower than his, and that’s why he cannot teach me martial arts and cannot be my Shifu. He made me swear to not ever describe his appearance to anyone.”
The Six Freaks were more and more astonished. In the beginning, they thought to themselves that Guo Jing had by luck met an expert, and were delighted for him. But this individual appeared so mysterious that they were now suspicious. With a gesture, Zhu Cong asked Guo Jing to leave.
“I won't dare go and amuse myself with him anymore,” the young man said.
“You can go,” reassured Zhu Cong. “We are not angry with you, but you don’t need to tell him that we know.”
Guo Jing acquiesced and, seeing that his masters weren’t annoyed anymore, happily left. Outside of the ger, he saw Hua Zheng with the two white eagles, which had grown a lot. Standing next to her, they were nearly as tall as her.
“Come quickly,” Hua Zheng said, “I’ve been waiting for you a long time.”
One of the eagles fluttered over and came to perch on Guo Jing’s shoulder. “A while ago,” he said, “I tamed a small red horse that runs with incredible speed! I don't know if it will let you mount it...
“If it doesn't let me,” said Hua Zheng, “I’ll slaughter it!”
“No you won’t!”
The two young people, hand in hand, ran on the plain to have fun with their horses and eagles.
Chapter 6 - Mysterious Happenings on the Summit of the Cliff
Translated by Strunf, Patudo, Taihan and Dugu Seeking a Win
Guo Jing shot three arrows with a rush of wind, killing the three closest pursuing soldiers, before interposing himself between the pursuers and the pursued. While continuing to shoot arrows he killed one more pursuing soldier. In the meantime Jebe had arrived and his arrows flew as well, swift and deadly.
Remaining in the ger, the Six quietly conferred with each other. “This man taught a superior neigong to our Jing’er,” Han Xiaoying said. “He can’t possible want to hurt him...”
“Then why doesn't he want us to know about it?” Quan Jinfa asked. “And why he doesn't tell to our Jing’er that it’s neigong that he’s teaching him.
“I fear that he’s someone that we know,” Zhu Cong said.
“Someone we know?” Han Xiaoying wondered. “If it’s not a friend, it can only be an enemy!”
“Amongst our friends,” Quan Jinfa confirmed, “no one has kung fu this exceptional.”
“But if it is an enemy,” Han Xiaoying pursued, “what reason would he have to teach our Jing’er?”
“Maybe there is a devilish plan behind it.” Ke Zhen’E said with a cold voice. The others froze thinking about his words.
“Tonight,” Zhu Cong said, “Sixth brother and I will follow Jing’er discreetly to see who the expert is.” The five approved.
That night, Zhu Cong and Quan Jinfa hid themselves not far from Guo Jing and his mother’s ger. After a half-hour wait, they heard the young man say in a high voice, “I’m going, mom!” He left the ger, discreetly followed by his two masters, who were surprised at the speed of his leaving. Fortunately, there weren’t many obstacles on the arid plain and they could see him from afar. Arriving at the bottom of the cliff, he climbed it without slowing down. By this time, Guo Jing had made huge progress in his lightness technique. Since he climbed the cliff every evening, he didn't need the help of the Taoist anymore and went to the top very quickly. Zhu Cong and Quan Jinfa were more and more astonished and stood for a long time in silence until the other ‘Freaks’ arrived. Afraid of falling into the hands of enemies, they brought their weapons and their hidden projectiles. Zhu Cong explained that Guo Jing was already up the cliff.
Han Xiaoying raised her head and saw the summit of the cliff lost in the clouds and shivered. “We’ll have a difficult time getting up there,” she said.
“Let's hide in the bushes,” Ke Zhen’E said, “we’ll wait for them to come down again.” The other five agreed. Han Xiaoying thought about the night ten years ago when they fought the ‘Twin Killers of the Dark Winds’. She and her six brothers hid, waiting for enemies. It was as cold a night as this one and the wind cut to the bone. The lonely moon, the desolate hill, the swirling of sand, and the silence of the night only broken by some distant sounds... The only difference was that now she wouldn’t see Zhang Ahsheng and his always smiling face. She felt sadness in her heart.
The hours passed and they didn’t notice any movement on the cliff. Day broke and there was still no trace of Guo Jing or of his mysterious teacher. They tried looking up but couldn’t see anything.
“Sixth brother,” Zhu Cong said, “Let’s see what’s up there.”
“Will we be able to climb it?” Han Baoju asked.
“I’m not sure; we’ll only know after we try,” Zhu Cong said. After running back to the ger, he returned bringing back two long ropes, two axes and several big nails. Quan Jinfa and Zhu Cong attached themselves to each other with the rope and began the climb. They dug some holes and planted the nails in them in order to provide sure hand and foot-holds. Sweating, they finally arrived on the summit. Hardly had they put their feet on the top of the cliff when they exclaimed loudly and became pale with fear.
Next to a big rock, they saw nine white skulls perfectly stacked - five at the base, three in the middle and one on the top. It was identical to the arrangement once made by the ‘Twin Killers of the Dark Winds’. Examini
ng the skulls, they saw that each also had the five holes in the forehead. The edges of the holes were very clean and without any breaks as if cut with a blade. Obviously, the power of the fingers of the ‘Killer’ had increased considerably when compared to the ones they had seen ten years ago. With their hearts thumping like drums they cautiously examined the surroundings, but saw nothing else unusual. Then they climbed down to tell the others what they had seen. Seeing the look on their faces, Han Baoju was worried.
“It’s Mei Chaofeng!” Zhu Cong said. The other four froze.
“And our Jing’er?...” Han Xiaoying asked.
“They must have come down the other side,” Quan Jinfa answered. Then he told them what they had seen.
“Who would have guessed,” Ke Zhen’E sighed, “that for eighteen years, all of our efforts only served to feed a snake amongst us!”
“Jing’er is an honest, straight-forward boy and good as gold,” Han Xiaoying disagreed, “he would never betray us.”
“Honest and straight-forward?” Ke Zhen’E sneered. “How could he learn those martial arts from that witch for two years and not tell us anything?” Han Xiaoying stayed uneasily silent, not Knowing what to say.
“Unless,” Han Baoju said, “a blind Mei Chaofeng wants to use Jing’er to harm us?”
“That’s probably what she’s planning,” Zhu Cong confirmed.
“Even if Jing’er has bad intentions,” Han Xiaoying protested, “he would never agree to betray us like that!”
“Maybe,” Quan Jinfa suggested, “the witch hasn’t decided when the moment to inform him has come.”
“Ok, let's admit,” Han Baoju said, “That Jing’er’s lightness technique is good and he has a good basis in neigong; but what of martial arts? He still is far behind us. Why didn’t the witch teach him any techniques?”
“The witch only uses him,” Ke Zhen’E explained, “She doesn't want to make him good! Didn't her husband die by Jing’er’s hand?”
“That’s it! That’s it!” Zhu Cong exclaimed. “She wants us all to die by Jing’er’s hand, and then she will kill him. That way full vengeance will be gained!” They all shivered, struck by the logic of this reasoning. Ke Zhen’E struck the ground with his staff and quietly said, “Let’s go back and act as if we don’t know anything. When Jing’er arrives, we will eliminate him. Afterward, when the witch arrives to train him, we will take care of her. Even though she may have become stronger than before, she can't see anything; with the six of us together, we should be able to get rid of her once and for all.