by Derek Dorris
As Bai Feng lay on the stretcher looking up at their calm faces, he realised how far he had slipped from the Earthly Dragon way; and how quickly. I wasn’t ready to leave, he thought. I wasn’t ready to hear about my family, to meet Ling’er. So what if she played a role in their killing? She’s proven her remorse. If the best thing for me is to be with her, then I should be with her. What gain is there in punishing her?
Lying there, he felt the bumps of the terrain, the chill of the early morning desert breeze, the sound of sand and gravel crunching under their feet. He felt every muscle ache, every body part bruised. It all came together as one experience. Unconsciously, he was channelling his Earthly Dragon meditative techniques into his current surroundings and, suddenly, he felt elated for the first time in a long time. Steadily, his internal organs began to settle within him. He breathed slowly and strongly, and felt his muscles fill with blood and oxygen. All those thoughts and feelings concerning his family were released like vapour into a blue sky and he felt like a different person—someone with a comfortable, deep-seated well of energy behind him. Then, from within this clarity, his father’s face emerged in his mind and he felt a smile cross his face. Then, the sound of his mother’s singing rose to accompany it, peacefully and beautifully, and again, he smiled. His feelings for his family were not to be ignored. They were part of him—the best part of him. They were his base. Like his internal energy was his base. The base on which his blank canvass is spread—the canvass from which his art will emerge.
The sound of bones popping, stretching, and realigning stopped the Four Guardians in their tracks. They looked down at the stretcher and saw Bai Feng inhaling so deeply his chest seemed to expand to twice its normal size. Only moments earlier, he looked to be at death’s door. Now, all of a sudden, he looked a picture of strength. “Uncles, don’t worry,” they heard him say in an exhilarated if somewhat surprised manner. “I’m… I am well.”
Standing up slowly, Bai Feng checked his balance and found it perfect. He moved away from the stretcher and looked ahead to where Tu Ling was riding alongside her father, her head dropped, her spirit torn. Without even looking back, he kicked off the ground and flew towards her. His internal strength was finally in its place, stable, and profoundly underlying his non-martial movements. He darted past Tu Ling, swiftly but gently lifting her out of her saddle. Then, as he took her in his arms, he continued moving forward. All Tu Xiaobo saw was a blur. By the time he realised what had happened, his daughter and the young man were gone.
Heroes and Villains Descend on Gongsum
The walled city of Gongsum had been transformed. Sitting on the border between the central plains and the western deserts, it had been reinforced structurally to become the primary bastion between the seemingly insurmountable Qui forces and the weakening Liu Empire. To the southwest, there were marshlands, to the west and northwest, there was just sand. Behind the walls of the city, life had become defined by what was outside them. Many sights that would’ve been out of the ordinary in normal times were fast becoming commonplace—like reams of refugees flooding into the city on a daily basis, desperate to escape the rape and murder of the advancing Qui army. Or like three of the Ten Greats walking the streets, issuing orders to troops.
Word of Wong Shi Hong, Fu Xiaoli, and Tao Huiqing working together to repel the Qui had spread like wildfire and became a rallying call to the patriots of the central plains to unite. Thus, in addition to the refugees, Wulin experts from all over the Liu Empire were arriving at the city on a daily basis, all looking to the three grandmasters to lead them. Xun Da had been made a general in the new city militia and was directly in charge of organising its defences but he reported assiduously to Wong Shi Hong, Fu Xiaoli, and Tao Huiqing. At his master’s suggestion, he even sought pointers from the amazing Folding Wind and so Xun Da's martial art had benefited tremendously.
Tao Huiqing had rushed south with Wong Shi Hong as soon as he heard Fu Xiaoli was in danger and though Wangchuk Drup attempted to intercept them, they swatted him out of the way like a fly. Folding Wind knew who the Yarlese was and was sorely tempted to take his life in revenge for disgracing his former wife. However, he knew Fu Xiaoli would never forgive him for interfering. Moreover, Wangchuk Drup was badly injured at the time and when either Fu Xiaoli or he beat him, he wanted the Yarlese to be at his best. There would be time enough for that at Gongsum. His priority was the Blue Lady's protection. Wong Shi Hong wasn't inclined to let the Yarlese go a second time but he needed Tao Huiqing on side so he reluctantly agreed to spare him.
Shangqing was far north of Gongsum so they arrived at the city a few days after Xun Da and Fu Xiaoli. Ng Méh-è went her own way once she helped Xun Da escort the injured Blue Lady to safety. However, Bai Feng and Liao Quan had disappeared en route and Wong Shi Hong was as worried about them as Xun Da was.
“That raving Old Fool is liable to do anything. There's no guessing what kind of trouble Feng'er ended up in,” Wong Shi Hong said. “There's nothing we can do now anyway. We'll just have to hope he's safe.”
* * *
As the days went on, Fu Xiaoli's recovery progressed but she refused to see Tao Huiqing. Then, on his tenth day of trying, she finally conceded to a visit. Tao Huiqing was a tall man with a body as hard and as permanent as the northern mountains. Alongside Infinite Sky, he was the most formidable looking of all the Greats. He had practiced assiduously over the years to take his mind off his beloved wife and his skill has multiplied because of it. When they met last, they were more or less equal but the great Folding Wind was now many times his former wife's match.
He entered the small house and noticed three or four women pottering around. All wore swords and all had been specially transferred from the general militia to be under Fu Xiaoli's sole charge. She had taken over their training and shaped them into a formidable ‘flying squad’, the purpose of which was to disturb the Qui advance with opportunistic sabotage and other clandestine activities. Their deeds were quickly becoming renowned throughout the city and nobody treated them rudely.
Fu Xiaoli was seated in the back room meditating as Tao Huiqing entered, his bulky frame dominating the neatly laid out room.
“Thank you for seeing me,” he said weakly, his voice a shell, barely recognisable even to himself.
Fu Xiaoli heard the pain and her heart softened against her resolve. She glanced at him and noticed his appearance. His shaven head was new to her; his large bushy beard—still as black as thunder—was familiar. Her face softened too.
Kneeling behind her, Tao Huiqing breathed deeply as if he was waiting to do battle. “All these years... I've thought of you every day. I'm… I'm glad to see you're healthy.”
Although they were told to stay, on seeing their master's reaction, the women in the house decided to give them some privacy. Thus, they left discretely. It was clear from Fu Xiaoli's demeanour that everything had changed. A tear streamed down her left cheek. “My…”
Tao Huiqing's heart fluttered.
“My silly pride,” she said in a voice as brittle as his. “All these years wasted.” She turned and let her eyes take him in more fully. It was the final straw. “Can you forgive me?”
“Forgive you?” he was astounded by this rare and totally unexpected admission of culpability. “Can you forgive me?”
There was a long silence. “I don't know. But I'll try.”
It wasn't a full reconciliation. At least not immediately but it was a beginning. And it had made Wong Shi Hong’s job easier from there on. “I need everyone pulling in the same direction,” he would repeat continuously throughout the day to anyone who was listening while drinking incessantly from his wine flask. The weight of responsibility had fallen squarely on his shoulders yet he wasn't a general by nature. He was a wandering warrior. Much of his new responsibilities were beyond his natural aptitudes. Only his sense of duty to the people of Liu—not the imperial government whom he despised—had forced him to work hard at it. He had garnered the respect of every
soldier in the empire and now many were deserting their official posts to travel west and offer him their services.
By now, the Majestic Wanderer had dedicated a significant portion of his extraordinary long life to the defence of his country. There were no rules as to what Earthly Dragon martial masters could do when they left the mountain. Strictly speaking, they should wander Wulin in search of perfecting their art and though Wong Shi Hong was indeed obsessed with his kung fu, he wasn't able to turn a blind eye to the suffering he saw the Qui bringing to his people. He had moved further and further away from the Earthly Dragon ideals over the years and increasingly fell back on his gargantuan internal power to defeat his people's enemies. This was the sacrifice he was willing to make. It's also why he played such a direct role in admitting Bai Feng to Earthly Dragon. After his own failure, he was all the more determined to see the Earthly Dragon ideal flourish in its purest form.
It concerned him—as it did the Earthly Three—that the Earthly Dragon had yet to produce a master who could prevail against the most powerful experts with external kung fu alone. Throughout the course of their two hundred year history, the sect had produced six martial grandmasters who had each shaken the Jianghu in their own way. However, all six ended up relying on their inner strength, practicing what was essentially a corruption of the Earthly Dragon Style. Each of them was devoted to their sect’s ascetic subjugation of ego but they all found themselves enjoying their reputations on some level. Only Lu Tai known as Autumn Sword, Burning Snow came close to relying solely on his external kung fu but even he, when confronted with his most lethal enemy, fell back on his internal strength to achieve victory. He expressed this as his greatest regret when he returned to Earthly Mountain to die at the ripe old age of one hundred and sixty-four.
Recently, Wong Shi Hong had often found himself thinking about his 100 Fists of Majestic Oak. Even the name of his signature style reeked of ego. He didn't name it and he tried to discourage its use yet the name stuck. He had always referred to himself as the “Old Vagabond” but the world still knew him as the “Majestic Wanderer”. He had failed as an Earthly Dragon Grandmaster and now the Earthly Three and his martial brothers’ heads were on the chopping block.
As for Bai Feng, nobody knew where he was. He felt responsible for that too. He knew he went missing in an area where Yu Guo Wei was lurking. If that old bastard found him, he'd have no chance, he said to himself. I should've passed on my 100 Fists to Feng'er. I was worried they would encourage him to use his internal energy in the same way they did me. He divined the Silver Fire Form from Yang Shu’s poem and Ng Méh-è’s calligraphy but that form wasn't nearly as good a match for the Earthly Dragon way as my own style was.
Unsurprisingly, given he developed it after leaving Earthly Mountain, much of the 100 Fists of Majestic Oak worked intuitively from the point of view of Earthly Dragon principles. It was a close-quarters system that pivoted on the position of the wrists and elbows using the momentum of the opponents against them. He had taught parts of it to Xun Da but as Xun Da progressed, he demonstrated a profound ability to deliver devastating kicks. Kicks didn't form a huge part in Wong Shi Hong's style. That's the primary reason he not only permitted but actively encouraged Xun Da to seek out the tutelage of Folding Wind. Much to the Old Wanderer’s satisfaction, Tao Huiqing felt an immediate affinity for Xun Da and Wong Shi Hong told the great Folding Wind to take as free a hand as he wished in his training. Xun Da's skill had risen dramatically in recent weeks, fast becoming a perfect blend of the 100 Fists and Shangqing Kicking Styles. Both of the older men were delighted and, if anything, it brought the two of them closer together.
Then, three weeks after they returned from the north, word hit the city like a thunderbolt that Jiangsun, Tangjui, and Liajkaij had all fallen in one day. Gongsum was now the last border city standing. If the Qui took it, they could stage an uncontested attack on the central plains. However, if they couldn't, any attempt on the central plains would expose their flanks and rear. The Majestic Wanderer’s post had now become the most important staging ground in the empire.
By that point, Fu Xiaoli had fully recovered with the help of Tao Huiqing so the three of them began preparations to defend the city. Heroes continued to pour into the city by the day and an air of optimism was building. Then, news reached them of something they never thought would happen. While they had been bolstering Gongsum’s defences, the Qui had apparently staged an audacious attack on both the Shaolin and Earthly Dragon Temples. Rumours spread that both sects had fallen.
Nobody could quite believe the Eight Guardians and Infinite Sky could be beaten individually let alone at the same time. Anger swelled throughout the city but so too did fear as orthodox Wulin members were forced to reassess the strength of the Qui. Nobody even considered leaving however and, if anything, the number of experts arriving by the day grew.
* * *
On the first day of the next month, the post guards stood looking out over the desert as the day broke behind them. Xun Da had been up and about since well before dawn, walking the entire western wall of the city. His reputation as a leader of the Plum Tree Brotherhood had won him some notoriety over the last few years but the various experts who occupied the command positions on the wall were still struck by his apparent strength. Though regular soldiers couldn't appreciate it, martial experts could spot it easily.
Walking up the stairs beside the main gate, his distinctive white gown rippled in the morning breeze. He was about to finish his morning inspection and noticed Wu Chen and Li Jing were in command on either side of the gate. “Morning Brothers,” he said, only to realise both men had their attention fixed on something else. Xun Da followed their gaze and saw a thick black line on the horizon of the desert. The light behind it was dim but they could see it well enough to notice it rippling in the morning sun. “What the hell is that?”
Wu Chen flinched as if he just noticed Xun Da. “I've no idea. Can't be the Qui, surely. It's cutting across the entire horizon.”
“No, of course…” Xun Da was in the middle of disregarding that notion when the feint sound of horns sounded.
Li Jing was peering outwards from the other side of the gate. “It's them for sure,” he called across. “Must be fifty to sixty thousand strong.”
Xun Da shook his head in disbelief. Their intelligence had told them the Qui forces would be twenty thousand strong at a maximum. Even those numbers vastly outnumbered the two thousand Liu that were based within the walls of Gongsum.
“Li Jing,” Xun Da said quickly. “Come with me. We need to speak to my master. Wu Chen, maintain your post. Inform us of any significant changes.”
With an outward calm that neither man felt, they walked over to the inn where Wong Shi Hong was quartered. When Xun Da reported it to his master, the latter called for Tao Huiqing and Fu Xiaoli to help them plan a defence. The three grandmasters were not soldiers nor did they have any formal tactical training. Yet, like all the Ten Greats, they were amongst both the most intelligent and unusual people in the world. Their manner of perception when it came to troop manoeuvres skewed so far away from the norm for it to be extremely unpredictable and their ability to spot strengths and weaknesses in an enemy was second to none. Throughout the last decade, Wong Shi Hong's atypical yet effective tactics had repeatedly caught the Qui off guard and though Tao Huiqing and Fu Xiaoli had only been at Gongsum for a couple of months, they had already organised numerous raiding parties that scored small but significant victories against the Qui vanguard. Fu Xiaoli in particular seemed to have a natural understanding of limited warfare and her entirely female units had gained much notoriety among the admiring males.
Sitting there among such esteemed company, Li Jing felt a little awkward. Xun Da was used to it by now and of course he was a great kung fu expert himself. But what Li Jing had repeatedly failed to appreciate was how much Wong Shi Hong and Xun Da valued his counsel. Even Tao Huiqing and Fu Xiaoli had noticed how unusually clever he was. Not only was h
e included in every briefing but he was consulted regularly.
“Twenty thousand or sixty, either way the enemy are faced with staging a siege,” Tao Huiqing was saying. “And with a city this big with our amount of supplies, it's going to be a long one.”
“What do you two say?” Wong Shi Hong asked Xun Da and Li Jing.
Li Jing spoke first. “With all due respect to Senior Tao, I don't think Rui'In can afford a lengthy siege. It's too weak in appearance. He's recruited five hundred experts from the unorthodox side of Wulin to keep our raiding parties at bay, but they won't stay long if he can't achieve a swift victory.
“I agree,” said Xun Da. “The reports from Mount Song suggested that siege was led by one his more junior generals. Rui'In has had little time for such tactics in the past.”
“At best, the siege will be a smokescreen for a more incisive operation,” Li Jing added.
Wong Shi Hong took a drink from his flask and grumbled. “And since we don't know what that will be, we'll have to wait.”
“In the meantime,” Fu Xiaoli interjected, “we should make our presence felt at the wall.”
“I think that's a good idea," Xun Da replied.
* * *
As the horizon trembled before them, a black line unfolded across the desert like a gigantic cloak. Despite the atmosphere around them, three Liu grandmasters stood on the wall with their usual composure. Nobody else could even fake that kind of calmness. Even Xun Da standing beside them was feeling queasy just looking at the Qui forces. Only miles away, thousands of horses were cantering towards them, tens of thousands of troops, a thousand archers, a thousand lancers, and then there were those ungodly contraptions. Devices made of wood and metal, some reaching two stories in height. “Traction catapults, three meter high ballistas, cloud bridges, and battering rams,” Xun Da muttered to nobody in particular.