by Derek Dorris
Wu Chen scratched his head as if trying to remember, "Only what I told you already—that Earthly Dragon Sect had finally opened their gates to students again."
“Hmm,” Li Jing threw his eyes back and forth. "I'm afraid the word might be well and truly out. These town goers are from all over the martial world. I've heard multiple dialects since we've sat down and they all carry themselves in solid but distinctly different ways. There are also a variety of weapons being concealed here from chained blades to swords and even projectiles."
"How could you know that?” asked Bai Feng disbelievingly.
"Because of the way they are sitting and walking. Plus the lesser warriors aren't managing to dampen the sounds of their weapons. You can hear them jangling under the clothes. I expect most of them have the same idea as we have, to kowtow in front of the Earthly gates and be accepted as disciples. With so many hopefuls, there'll undoubtedly be a series of duels."
"First brother," Bai Feng interrupted. He had taken to calling the two men "First" and "Second Brother" as a joke. Irreverent as the two men were, they didn't mind even though Li Jing was actually the younger of the two. In fact, even Wu Chen treated Li Jing like an elder and mostly deferred to his wisdom. "What is the Earthly Dragon Sect?"
Li Jing's usually carefree countenance changed. "It's an ancient martial sect of incredible renown, thought to predate the Shaolin's arrival from the southern continent. Their mighty prestige supposedly shook the martial world for hundreds of years but as Shaolin's dominance spread throughout the Jianghu, they suddenly closed their gates and retreated into their temple on Earthly Mountain."
"Were they afraid the Shaolin were better?"
"Some lesser proponents of the new Shaolin style claimed as much though most of the real masters believed there was something more to the story. It was widely held that Earthly Dragon's kung fu had no equal under the heavens but some claimed their Head Abbot Kwan Dang was concerned that, if the two styles interacted while they were still being perfected, they would be strong enough to infect each other. Such a blending, he argued would weaken the Earthly Dragon's kung fu while strengthening their rivals'."
Wu Chen was cleaning his plate. "My father always said that was just a haughty excuse to disguise their inferiority."
"Yes, I've heard that too but hasn't our master always maintained differently? He firmly holds that there is no conceit in Abbot Dang's words—that the Earthly Dragon style is the Mount Tai of the martial world, unparalleled in its beauty and effectiveness. And if they were ever to reopen their gates, we should do our utmost to be taken in as disciples.”
On hearing this, Bai Feng was growing concerned. Thus far on their journey, his travelling companions had said little about their destination. Bai Feng had merely assumed they were lost souls like he was, wandering the central plains in search of something better. He had even begun to hope that, when they found that “something better”, they would allow him to stay with them. However, by the manner in which they were now talking, Bai Feng suspected that they were heading to this Earthly Mountain in search of martial training. Such a life was not part of Bai Feng’s plans.
“Are you and Second Brother are going to Earthly Mountain?” he asked in the vague hope he was wrong.
“You’ve got that right, Feng’er,” Yu Chen replied, grinning wolfishly as he tucked into his food.
Growing silent, Bai Feng pondered the enthusiasm of his older companions. I have to admire their desire to keep improving, he told himself. But he couldn’t shake the idea that the issue here was really one of martial reputation. People like Li Jing and Wu Chen say they were following a path to perfection but isn't that simply what they were taught to say? And who taught them that but their masters and parents? And all they're interested in is how their young ones reflect on them. If their students or children were beaten in a fight, would they really congratulate them for trying or wouldn't they scold them for losing? No, it's all a load of lies.
Reminding himself that people far more advanced in age and wisdom than him had put all their stock in the martial way, he decided there might be something to it. Perhaps, he's incapable of appreciating it at his young age. Either way, it wasn't something he was willing to contend with. No matter how much he achieved in that world, nothing could wash away the fact his father had committed its most tabooed act. Every victory would lie in the shadow of that shame. He allowed his mind to wander to more childlike concerns and, as he had finished eating, he ran out of the restaurant to see what was happening amid the bustle of the street.
Amongst the small shops and trading stalls, along the ever widening and narrowing street, reams of formidable looking men and women were walking the streets attempting to secure food and accommodation. Some carried swords and spears openly while those who didn't all wore long gowns. Bai Feng imagined all sorts of strange weapons under those gowns and laughed to himself. A small few of the warriors even had other young teenagers with them. Maybe they were hoping to get their children into the temple, he thought. He smiled as he noticed the boys attempting to mimic the same stoic expression as their fathers. Some were disciples to fearsome looking monks both of whom he supposed were hoping to take the Earthly Dragon vows. Seeing one such boy waiting patiently outside a fabric shop, Bai Feng approached him with a friendly smile, "Hi, are you staying in this town like us?" he asked jovially.
Staring back with so much derision, the boy spat disgustedly, "Go away little urchin, before I send you flying!"
Bai Feng was astounded for as he got closer and heard him speak, he could tell that the boy was slightly younger than him. He had pleasant, even feminine features and was, in every way, slighter. Yet there he stood, dismissing Bai Feng like an arrogant master would.
Bai Feng was amused but then remembered his vow. "Okay, I didn't mean to annoy you. I certainly wouldn't want to fight you. You're clearly a very strong boy." Not a trace of sarcasm was present in his voice. In fact, Bai Feng forced himself to say it as earnestly as possible to further affirm his commitment to a non-martial path.
The young warrior was incredulous. “You dare mock me urchin?” Without waiting, he stepped forward and proceeded to throw a series of hooked fists towards Bai Feng's face. Bai Feng felt a surge of giddy excitement as he perceived the incoming assault and with a flowing grace that surprised even him, he began circling within and around these fists just like he did when he practiced with Li Jing and Wu Chen.
As the two junior combatants backed into the street, the passersby began to pay attention to the fracas for so unusual was Bai Feng's defence that their martial curiosity was piqued. The young warrior began to panic as soon as he realised that not one of his dozen punches even grazed his opponent, and so he backed off to collect himself in a ready stance. At that same moment, a tall burly monk with a cleanly shaven head, spiky beard, and dressed in a flowing orange gown, exited the shop and looked furiously at him. Bai Feng guessed he was the kid's master. “Senior, please, it was my fault. We were just playing.”
The burly monk bellowed, "What gibberish are you spouting? Tu Ling show this little punk who you are!"
Tu Ling exploded into a flurry of kicks and punches. He moved with extraordinary speed prompting the onlookers to all nod with respect. However, the monk was becoming increasingly agitated because, for all his disciple’s elegance and endeavour, Tu Ling was no closer to landing a blow on Bai Feng. If the former was a flurry of fists and feet, the latter was a whirling dervish of evasion. The growing crowd began to cheer at this exhibition but while the inexperienced were marvelling at both participants, the more proficient fighters were taking it for granted that Bai Feng was restraining himself from attacking on account of the age difference. Their respect for him grew. “He shows remarkable discipline for a child,” one onlooker said, while around him, heads bobbed in agreement. Of course, none guessed the truth. That one so intuitive at defending would be completely unschooled in delivering attacks.
Finally, the burly monk had enough an
d as Tu Ling aimed for yet another fleeting gap in his opponent's defence, the master placed a palm on his disciple's back as if he was transmitting some form of pressure. All of a sudden, Tu Ling lunged forward and struck Bai Feng plainly in the chest. The latter dropped to his knees, winded.
"Ha-ha! Good child," the monk exclaimed like he had nothing to do with it. Though some of the spectators fell for this, the experienced among them saw clearly what had happened and looked sideways at the monk with derision. Nobody said a word, however, for in that little demonstration, the burly monk revealed an intimidating level of internal power.
As the master led his pupil quickly away, the crowd looked to the ground with a mixture of pity and respect. To everyone's surprise, Bai Feng merely stood up with a quiet shrug and began to dust himself off.
“Strange kid,” said one of them.
“Fine kung fu though,” replied another.
“That's for sure.”
On returning to the restaurant, Wu Chen immediately noticed a pale look on Bai Feng's face and asked him sternly, "What happened to you? Did you get in a quarrel?"
"Yes. But don’t worry, it was kind of fun."
"Fun? You clearly got tanned! You may have the face to walk around like everyone else's personal punching dummy but don't you think it will reflect on us?"
"Brother Chen!" Li Jing reprimanded, "Never mind that Feng'er, just tell us what happened".
Utterly unfazed, Bai Feng recounted the incident while picking at the remnants of his earlier meal. Li Jing knew enough to discern the monk had intervened in the fight. Throwing some coins on the table, he stood up with a look of disdain. "That's no way for a master to behave. He needs talking to—having said that, he seems strong. Brother Chen, be on your guard and don't be too arrogant."
"Arrogant? He'll be eating his own dung by supper time, ha-ha! Come on Feng'er.”
Bai Feng wanted to stop this confrontation from happening. On the other hand, he didn't object to the prospect of seeing Tu Ling again. For some reason beyond his ken, he felt an affinity towards him.
They marched out of town in the direction the pair were seen headed and it wasn't long before they found the large monk standing opposite a nearby clearing. He was handing something to a wealthy looking nobleman who was holding an impressive grey stallion. The package was small and wrapped in a dark cloth. The nobleman seemed uncomfortable of watching eyes, so with a nod to the monk, he jumped on his horse and headed off in the other direction. As he rode away, he held the package under his arm like it was precious cargo and, in a glimpse, Bai Feng noticed a set of strange blades hanging from his belt. They reminded him of deer antlers.
"Greetings," Li Jing announced as he walked towards the monk. "My name is Li Jing and this is my apprentice brother Wu Chen. We've kind of been taking care of this young man for a while now and feel responsible for his actions. I hope he didn't cause you some trouble?" That last statement was said with a chilled smile but the monk merely stared back motionlessly. "May I ask what your honourable name is?" Li Jing continued.
Suddenly, Tu Ling emerged from behind a tree as if he had been hiding. "Since when does a master need to bother with mere pupils twenty years his junior?"
Li Jing stepped slowly in front of the restless Wu Chen. "It's true we answer to a master but does that preclude us from being treated with respect by other masters who should know better?"
Again, Li Jing's words were barbed and, landing like jabs, they prompted the burly monk to finally speak. "All you need to know is that I'm representing the Jade Tiger Sect and, if you're smart, that'll be enough to send you on your way."
Seeing Tu Ling glance at him, Bai Feng unconsciously backed off from his two companions. He felt his face flush with embarrassment so he threw his eyes to the ground only to notice a dangerous looking centipede crawling under a rock. His youthful inquisitiveness piqued, he lifted the rock and found another one.
A Jade Tiger Master! Li Jing was thinking to himself, his spine tingling. It would be prudent to back off right now but we're sort of committed here. Brother Chen’s power won't be much use against a Jade Tiger's speed so I'll have to fight him entirely on my own—
Before he could decide on a strategy, Wu Chen jumped the signal as usual and charged right for the Jade Tiger Master. "You son of a turtle, father of a goat bastard! I'll give you a lesson in humility!"
As he closed in on him, the monk kicked his left foot off the ground and flew upwards, disappearing from Wu Chen's line of sight. A quick look up and he saw the Jade Tiger Monk standing on a two meter high branch smiling arrogantly as it swayed under his weight. With a lightning fast flip, the big monk arched up and back, bursting out from the tree's leaves and landing to the rear of Li Jing and Bai Feng.
As his right leg planted on the ground, the big monk’s left leg simultaneous kicked the frantically turning Li Jing. The heel of his huge foot buried itself in Li Jing's upper ribs as the younger man let out a low grunt.
Managing to continue his turn, however, Li Jing shot his own left leg towards the monk while sinking down on his standing leg. Still spinning from the monk's kick, his own strike was never going to land square but it was enough to momentarily halt the Jade Tiger’s attack. As precisely that happened, Li Jing was startled to hear the monk scream in pain while reaching for his head frantically.
"What bit me? What bit me?" The Jade Tiger master looked up with fright and seeing Bai Feng perched in a tree above him with a dark centipede in one hand and a mischievous smile across his face, he knew the little brat had unearthed some poisonous crawlers and surreptitiously dropped one down his back.
Li Jing didn't waste any time and struck out quickly with a frontal palm to the monk's chest. Unguarded in his panicked state, the Jade Tiger was ill prepared for this attack and suffered the brunt of it. Li Jing was a respectable pugilist and the monk felt his knees beginning to buckle as he turned away for protection. Nonetheless, he was more than a couple of notches higher than Li Jing in martial ability and so he quickly composed himself, regained his balance, and smashed a lateral elbow towards Li Jing’s face.
When Wu Chen realised the fight was to be between Li Jing and the monk he assumed a watching stance but seeing the fierce exchange of blows, he began to worry for his martial brother. They were clearly out of their depth so he edged closer to the fight. When it looked like Bai Feng's centipedes had given Li Jing the edge, he relaxed a little but, before he knew it, Li Jing had taken a thunderous elbow and almost immediately afterwards, Bai Feng was somehow blown out of the tree. In a blur, he saw the sole of the Jade Tiger's shoe flying towards his own chest and, though he reacted with an outside wiping arm defence, the powerful kick caught him on the bicep of his parrying arm. Spinning backwards hard against a tree, the last thing he saw before passing out was the monk making a good show of maintaining his composure while urgently turning back towards the town—in an eager attempt to tend to the centipede poison in his body.
The contest was over in a flash and Bai Feng felt like he had just let go of a dragon's tail. He had witnessed a genuine kung fu battle for the first time in his life and sat wholly captivated by its artistry. The speed of Li Jing and the focused power of the monk's attacks left him speechless but what really hit him was their expressions—grimaced intensity skirting the edges of fear. These were true heroes so it wasn't injury or worse they were afraid of. It was defeat! How ridiculous? he thought. Winning or losing just shouldn't matter. The most important thing is that it was amazing!
For someone who had come to hate the very concept of personal pride, this line of reasoning made sense but, to everyone else, it was alien. It seemed like nobody other than he could extricate ego from their concept of perfection. It was this divergence from conventional thinking that was to set Bai Feng on a future path that would shake the martial world to its foundations.
The First Gorge
Two days had passed since their fearsome encounter with the Jade Tiger and Wu Chen hadn't ceased hurtling ins
ults at the absent monk. The three had been soundly beaten by him and while Li Jing was content to put it behind him until they meet again, it just wasn't in Wu Chen's character to do so.
“That bastard! If I hadn't of slipped…” he began to say on numerous occasions before holding back. Ultimately, he was better than that. Yet the defeat still goaded him.
Li Jing would merely grumble at his friend's nature but Bai Feng would giggle every time he sounded off. “I'm so happy, I don't care about fighting,” he'd say. “Terrible to be so annoyed by something you love.”
Then it would be Wu Chen's turn to grumble.
In reality, they had little to be angry over. They made their point, stood their ground, and the Jade Tiger monk did everything according to the martial code. In fact, by not finishing at least one of them off, he had actually shown restraint. After all, Bai Feng's use of poisonous insect was undeniably underhanded and would have justified the monk’s use of greater violence. The two men attributed the monk’s mercy to the fact that Bai Feng was a child. Simply put, it would've been demeaning for a fighter of his status to attack a junior. Only Bai Feng knew the truth.
After dropping the centipedes onto the monk, Bai Feng felt a searing rush of hot air emerging from an up-stretched palm, coming from where the monk had been standing. A second later and Bai Feng was yet again head-first in a hedge. Shaking the leaves and twigs from his hair, he saw the Jade Tiger Monk march straight for him with murder in his eyes. With Wu Chen out cold and Li Jing dazed, Bai Feng was on his own but as the monk was passing Tu Ling, the young boy put out his hand as if to stop him. Whether it was a plea or an order, Bai Feng couldn't tell but the senior stopped in his tracks, composed himself, and walked straight back to the town—like a mad bull.
By now, Bai Feng knew of his companions' destination and it had him troubled. He enjoyed their company and had grown fond of the two men but theirs was a martial path and Bai Feng was convinced he didn't belong to that world. Since the day when he learned of his parents' conduct, he had run a gauntlet of emotions but the only one offering any reprieve from moral anguish was contempt for the morals themselves. He hated the martial code that deemed his family's name unmentionable. As he thought of all the obsequious warriors who were right now heading to Earthly Mountain to pay respects and solicit favour, he shook with irritation. But alongside all those angry thoughts, he couldn't help imagine what awesome martial spectacles he'll be missing if he doesn't tag along. Might I really get to see the renowned masters of the Earthly Dragon introduce the world to the perfect fighting form? he repeatedly asked himself. Because, really and honestly... I would love that.