by Jin Yong
On the afternoon of that day, Yihe, Yiqing, Yilin, Zheng E, Qin Juan, and other female disciples were practising sword at the sword training hall, while Linghu Chong was at side giving advices. He saw that even though Qin Juan was still young, she quite understood the essence of the sword art. He praised, "Martial sister Qin is very bright. You already have the knack for this move, but..." He hadn't finished saying the words when he suddenly felt a wave of pain in his dantian region and immediately sat down. The disciples were all startled and they quickly rushed forward to help him up, they said in unison, "What happened?"
Linghu Chong knew the different types of internal energies in his bodies were coming out again, and the pain was so unbearable that he couldn't even speak. The disciples were in confusion when suddenly a flapping sound and two pigeons came flying in from the window.
"Aiyo!" they cried out in unison.
Heng-Shan School kept many letter pigeon. When Dingjing Shi Tai was at Fujian and when Dingxian and Dingjing Shi Tai were surrounded at the Dragon Spring Sword-Forging Valley, they had dispatched these letter pigeon to ask for help. Now, the two letter pigeons flying through the window were from the school's disciples who were guarding at the bottom of the mountain, and there were red paint daubed at their backs. With a glance, they knew the assault from the Sun Moon Sect had arrived. Since Great Master Fangzheng and Priest Chongxu arrived at Mount Heng-Shan, the disciples had seen strong helpers had arrived and everything was already prepared, and they were relieved. But unexpectedly during this urgent time, Linghu Chong had fallen sick.
Yiqing called out, "Yizhi, Yiwen, martial sisters, go report to Great Master Fangzheng and Priest Chongxu."
Both of them acknowledged the order and went.
Yiqing also said, "Martial sister Yihe, please ring the bell." Yihe nodded her heads a few times before flying out of the hall to go towards the bell tower.
Sounds of 'tang, tang, tang', 'tang, tang', 'tang, tang, tang', 'tang, tang' was heard. Three long ringing followed by two short ringing was heard coming from the bell tower, the sound traversing throughout the peak. Shortly after that, the bells from Tong Yuan Valley, Hanging Temple, Black Dragon Pass, and other big bells from the other temples were also heard. Great Master Fangzheng had left an order before hand on the method to alert the coming of the enemy, the bell was supposed to be rung with three long ringing followed by two short ringing. But the ringing of the bell must be slow and leisurely, and must not appear panicked and frightened. However, with Yihe being completely worried, and even though there's the word 'peace11' in her Buddhist name, her behaviour was anything but peaceful and the sound of the bell still showed her worry and impatient.
Heng-Shan School, Shaolin School, and Wudang School quickly moved according to the pre-arranged plan. Each of them moved to their spots to prepare in welcoming the enemy. In order to lower the casualties, no guard was placed in the passages between the foot of the mountain and the top of the Xianxing Peak, and the gate was opened wide to let the enemy come through. Once the enemy arrived at the top of the peak then the fighting will be joined.
After the bell sounds stopped, the chirpings of birds had become quiet around the peak. The experts from Kunlun, Emei, and Kongtong Schools all hid below the peak waiting for the Devil Sect people to all go up the peak. Once they received the order, they will cut off the retreat of the Devil Sect. To protect the secret plan, Chongxu didn't tell everyone of the landmines buried on the mountain passages. Devil Sect had a vast influence and for them to have spies within the disciples of Kunlun or the other schools would not be too surprising.
Linghu Chong heard the bells and he knew the Sun Moon Sect had come to attack them, but his stomach was like being slashed and stabbed by millions of sabres. The pain was enveloping his belly and it was churning underneath. Yilin and Qin Juan were frightened till their faces were colourless, and they didn't know what to do.
"We'll help Headmaster to go to Wuse Convent," Yiqing ordered. "Then we'll carry out Shaolin Abbott's and Priest Chongxu's plan."
Yu Sao and another old nun put their hands underneath him. Half supporting half lifting, they carried him to Wuse Convent.
They had just arrived at the convent's door when they heard the thundering sound of firecrackers going off, followed by the cries of the horns, and the booming of the drums. As expected, Sun Moon Sect had grandly carried out the operation to attack the mountain.
Fangzheng and Chongxu had found out of Linghu Chong's illness and they rushed out of the convent.
Chongxu said, "Brother Linghu, don't worry. I've already ordered Martial brother Qingxu to cover Wudang School's retreat. I'll be covering your honourable school's retreat."
Linghu Chong nodded his thanks.
Fangzheng said, "Headmaster Linghu, retreat down the valley first to avoid any negligence."
"No... Absolutely not!" Linghu Chong hastily replied. "Bring.. Bring my sword!"
Chongxu advised him further but Linghu Chong was unmoved. Suddenly, the sound of drums and horns ceased, followed by thundering voices calling out, "Long Live the Sacred Chief, Unify the Jianghu!" From this sound, it can be gathered there was at least four to five thousands people. Fangzheng, Chongxu, and Linghu Chong looked at each other and smiled.
Qin Juan brought Linghu Chong's sword over to him and presented it. Linghu Chong extended his hand wishing to take it but his right hand was continuously shaking and he couldn't hold it. Qin Juan hung the sword on his waist.
Suddenly they heard a very pleasing suona sound rose up12, it was definitely not the sound of battle.
In unison, a few people said in bright clear voices, "Sun Moon Sect's Sacred Chief wishes to go up Xianxing Peak to meet Heng-Shan School's Headmaster Linghu." These words had been spoken by the Sun Moon Sect's elders.
"Sun Moon Sect is giving their propriety first before fighting," Fangzheng said. "We also can't be too petty. Headmaster Linghu, what do you think of letting them come up to the peak?"
Linghu Chong nodded his head a few times. At this time, a wave of pain had again assaulted his stomach. Fangzheng saw his face full of cold perspiration, he said, "Headmaster Linghu, the pain in your dantian is already excruciating, there's no harm in using the inner energy method that Senior Feng imparted. Add it and revolve it, see what happens."
The different types of inner energies in Linghu Chong's body were conflicting and clashing about, if he add more to it and revolve it, that would be no different than using a sabre to injure himself. It would be like adding pain on top of pain, but the pain was already to the extreme and there was no thought of the consequence of doing this. He moved the energy according to the method and revolved it. As expected the energies clashed and the pain was even more excruciating than before, but after revolving it for a few times, those inner energies were back flowing like before. They flowed and converged like there was a track to flow. Even though the pain was like the old time, it wasn't clashing and striking chaotically anymore. He knew the place where the clashes happened now.
Fangzheng said slowly, "Heng-Shan School Headmaster Linghu, Wudang School Headmaster Priest Chongxu, Shaolin School Headmaster Fangzheng, we await respectfully for the Sun Moon Sect honourable Chief Ren's arrival." His voice wasn't loud and it was said slowly, but it still travelled very far.
Linghu Chong was effective in moving his inner energy. He now sat cross-legged, eyes observing the nose, the nose observing the heart, his left hand touched his chest, his right hand embraced his stomach, following the method that Fangzheng had imparted to him which he had practiced earlier. He had only learned this technique for a few days only, and even though Fangzheng had spoken to him everyday in details about it, his practice of it was still very shallow. But under the guidance of this method right now, these different inner energies were unexpectedly able to gradually merge. He didn't dare to be negligent, so with rapt attention, he revolved his inner energy. In the beginning, he was still able to hear the sound of drums and horns, but at the end, he couldn't
even hear anything.
Fangzheng smiled seeing Linghu Chong was concentrating on practising martial art. He heard the drums were thundering, and the Sun Moon Sect people shouted, "Sun Moon Sect cultured and kind warrior, benefiting the common people, the honourable Sacred Chief is going up Heng-Shan!" After some time, the sound of drums gradually got nearer.
The path coming up to Xianxing Peak was very long and although the Sun Moon Sect people walked really fast, after some time, the sound of drums had only arrived at the middle of the mountain. The orthodox sect warriors hiding around the Mount Heng-Shan were all secretly scolding, "Rotten honourable chief, still not dead yet, what the heck are you doing making lots of noise around here?"
The people who were to welcome the enemy all had their hearts bouncing wildly. Each of them had originally predicted the Devil Sect people would kill their way up and they would immediately engage in a fierce battle. After killing a score of the sect's people, and waiting for more enemies to arrive on top and becoming even stronger, they would then escape down the valley. But they never expected Ren Woxing to act like an emperor going on a tour and making a lot of noise as he came up to the peak. It was inappropriate for them to start their operation, but they had to detain their hearts harder from doing so.
After a long time, Linghu Chong felt the various inner energies in his dantian region had slowly been pushed down and the pain was gradually decreasing. His heart calmed and he immediately thought, "Chief Ren wants to come up to the peak?"
"Ah!" Linghu Chong gasped, and he jumped up.
"Feeling better?" Fangzheng asked, smiling.
"Fighting yet?" Linghu Chong queried.
"Not yet!"
"Very good!" Linghu Chong said. With a hiss, he drew his sword.
But he saw Fangzheng and Chongxu were not holding any weapons. While Yihe, Yiqing, and the other disciples were lining up in rows in front of Wuse Convent quietly in Heng-Shan school formation, with their swords still sheathed and hanging on their waists. He guessed that Ren Woxing hadn't arrived on the mountain top yet and that he had been too anxious, so he laughed aloud and put his sword back in the scabbard. He then heard sounds of suona and drums ceased, and the sounds of flute and huqin rose up. He thought, "Chief Ren is so pretentious, coming up the mountain personally accompanied with live music." The more pretentious he was, the funnier Linghu Chong thought it was.
As the music played on, two lines of Sun Moon Sect people were seen coming up the peak pair by pair. Their eyes were dazzled seeing the sect's people wearing brand new dark green full-bodied gowns and white belts around their waists. The forty people in front were each carrying a tray with a satin cloth on top which held something. Unexpectedly, these forty people weren't carrying any sabre or sword on their waists. Once these forty people reached the peak, they stopped far away. They were followed by a group of two hundred people musicians who were also wearing full-bodied gowns and continuously playing their flutes. The ones coming up after them were trumpeters, drummers, big and small gongs, cymbals and bells, and all other types of musicians. Linghu Chong found this interesting and he thought, "When we fight, there'll be gongs and drums to accompany us. Isn't this just like fighting on a stage play?"
The music continued to play as groups after groups of Sun Moon Sect people came up. These people seemed to be arranged according to the halls they belonged to, with the different coloured gowns that they were wearing. Yellow gown, green gown, blue gown, black gown, white gown, each group was beautifully dressed like they were competing in a show. Their gowns were still new and each person was wearing a white belt tied to their waists. The people who had come up to the peak numbered at around three to four thousands.
Chongxu thought, "They're not organised yet, we can take advantage of this and start killing them. This will be to our advantage. But they're playing trick, wanting to give propriety first before fighting. If we move now, we will be very rude." He then saw Linghu Chong was chuckling without care and Fangzheng was staring but not looking and maintaining his composure, he thought, "If I seem frightened, it's because my meditation isn't enough."
After the sect's people stood at their places, ten elders came up. With five to each side, they stood to the left and right. The music suddenly stopped and the ten elders said in unison, "Sun Moon Sect cultured and kind warrior, benefiting the common people, the Sacred Chief has arrived!"
A big blue sedan chair was carried up the peak. This sedan chair was being carried by sixteen porters, its movement fast and steady. The whole sedan chair looked like as if it was a master of qinggong as it floated up to the peak, and the sixteen porters carrying it didn't look weak in martial arts. Linghu Chong took a look and saw Zu Qianqiu, Huang Boliu, and Ji Wushi were among the porters. He was thinking if it wasn't for the fact that Old Man was too short then he would've been carrying the sedan chair with Zu Qianqiu and be one of the porters. Linghu Chong's anger surged up and he thought, "Zu Qianqiu is a hero from this generation, but Chief Ren forced him to do such a lowly thing. Treating the world's heroes like slaves, of course people will be angry."
There was a person on the left and right sides of the blue sedan chair. On the left side was Xiang Wentian, while on the right was an old man. This old man looked very familiar. Linghu Chong started as he recognised that person to be the elder who taught him how to play qin in Luoyang City, he was Elder Bamboo-Green. This person called Yingying as 'auntie', causing him to mistakenly take Yingying to be an old granny. After he left Luoyang, he hadn't seen him again, but today he was following Ren Woxing up Xianxing Peak. His heart was thumping as he thought, "Why don't I see Yingying?" Suddenly he thought of something and saw the white belts tied around the Sun Moon Sect people like they were in mourning. Could Yingying have seen her father leading his men to attack Heng-Shan and after painstakingly admonished him not to do so, finally killed herself? Linghu Chong felt blood rushing up in his chest and his dantian felt painful. All he wanted to do right now was to rush forward and ask Xiang Wentian. But thinking of Ren Woxing inside the sedan chair, he stopped.
Even though there were thousands of people gathered on Xianxing Peak, there was no noise from the birds. That sedan chair finally stopped and everyone shot a look at it waiting for Ren Woxing to come out. All of a sudden they heard laughter coming from inside Wuse Convent. A person in a big voice said, "Quickly make way, give me a sit!" Another person said, "Don't fight, from biggest to smallest, we'll take turns in sitting on this nine dragons chair!" They were the Peachtree Flower Fairy's and Peachtree Branch Fairy's voices.
Fangzheng, Chongxu, and Linghu Chong were startled till their faces changed colour. They didn't know when the Peach Valley Six Fairies broke into Wuse Convent, and they were now fighting to sit on the nine dragon chair. If they sit for too long, the fuse would be triggered and wouldn't that be very bad? Chongxu quickly rushed into the convent.
"Quickly get up!" Chongxu shouted. "This precious chair belongs to Sun Moon Sect's Sacred Chief Ren! You can't sit on it!"
Peach Valley Six Fairies' voices bellowed out from inside the convent, "Why can't we sit on it? We want to sit!" "Quickly get up, let me sit!" "This chair is very comfortable, very soft, it's like sitting on a fatso's buttocks!" "You've sit on a fatso's buttocks before?"
Linghu Chong knew the Peach Valley Six Fairies were fighting to sit on the nine dragon precious chair. One sat for a while, then another one would sit for a while. At the end, they would trigger the fuse and explode the tens of thousands catties of explosives buried underneath Wuse Convent. Then the Sun Moon Sect people, Shaolin, Wudang, and Heng-Shan School heroes on the Xianxing Peak would all be burnt.
In the beginning, he wanted to rush inside to put a stop to them, but he didn't know how to do it and it seemed his heart was hoping that the explosives would explode. Since Yingying had died, he didn't want to live anymore. If everyone could die in a wink of an eye, how could it not be a clean death? With a glance, he suddenly saw Yilin's pair of smart eyes were looking at him. Bu
t as soon as their eyes connected, she immediately avoided her gaze. Linghu Chong thought, "Little martial sister Yilin is still so young, but she'll also be burnt to dust. Wouldn't that be a pity? But in this world, who doesn't die? Even if everyone today is being peaceful and has no enmity with each other, wouldn't everyone here still turn to bones a hundred years from now?"
Then he heard Peach Valley Six Fairies were still quarrelling continuously, "You've already sit twice, I haven't even sit once on it yet." "The first time I sat on it, I was pulled down so it doesn't count." "I have an idea, we'll all sit on it. See if it fits or not?" "Wonderful, wonderful! Crowd together, haha!" "You sit first!" "You sit first, I'll sit on top." "The oldest sit on the top, the youngest sit at the bottom!" "No, the oldest sit first! The younger you are, the higher you should sit!"
Great Master Fangzheng saw the crisis was going to happen soon, but he also couldn't say anything that would reveal the trap. He quickly walked inside the hall and loudly said, "Honourable guests are outside, don't quarrel, be quiet!" These two words 'be quiet' were said with the backing of Shaolin School's paramount internal energy martial art called 'Roar of the Iron Lion', and it was aimed at the Peach Valley Six Fairies. Priest Chongxu felt dizzy and was dangerously close to falling down. The Peach Valley Six Fairies lost consciousness at the same time. Chongxu was happy and his hands moved like the wind to lift the two people sitting on the chair. This was followed by sealing the acupoints of those six people and throwing them beneath the Guanyin's offering table. He then stooped down besides the chair and heard no unusual noise. His hands and legs felt weak, and his head was perspiring heavily. If Fangzheng had come in just a bit later, then the fuse would've been triggered and everyone would have died.