A Bond Undone

by Jin Yong

  “Might I ask what important business brings Master Qiu to this part of the country?” Squire Lu had many more questions, but he did not want to appear impertinent, so he added, “If I could be of service, I would most certainly oblige.”

  “My business here is too trivial to trouble you with.” Qiu Qianren smiled and stroked his beard. “Suffice to say that I am not finished with the martial world just yet . . . Indeed, with your leave, I would find a quiet spot to practise in now. We shall speak at length this evening.”

  Although Qiu Qianren had signalled the conversation was over, Squire Lu persisted with one last question. “Did Master Qiu come across Twice Foul Dark Wind on his way here?”

  “Oh, are that infernal pair still alive?”

  Smiling with relief, Squire Lu said, “Son, please show Master Qiu to my study.” The martial Master nodded in farewell and followed Laurel Lu out of the hall.

  “I am happy you are back. Master Qiu’s martial training is far beyond the reach of us mere mortals. With him among us, I do not fear my enemies. You will be safe if you stay in your room,” Squire Lu said to Guo Jing and Lotus.

  He recalled that Qiu Qianren was invited to the Contest at Mount Hua to fight the Five Greats – Heretic of the East, Venom of the West, King of the South, Beggar of the North and Central Divinity. Though Iron Palm Water Glider did not take part, he must have been a martial master of the very highest level just to receive an invitation. The idea that such a man was here as his guest was a great comfort to Squire Lu.

  “Oh, but we’d love to watch the fight!” Lotus said.

  “I worry my enemies might bring help and I’d be too preoccupied to look after you. I would not wish any harm to befall you.” After a pause, Squire Lu continued, though perhaps speaking more to reassure himself, “However, with Master Qiu here, we shall have nothing to fear. Please make sure you stay by my side at all times.”

  “I love kung fu fights.” Lotus clapped her hands together. “Your exchange with the little Jin Prince was thrilling!”

  “My enemies taught that young man, but they are far stronger. That is why I was so concerned.”

  “Really?”

  “Miss Huang, perhaps you do not quite understand martial matters. Remember how he hurt my son? That very same kung fu dug the holes in the skull you saw this morning.”

  “So the martial arts are just like painting and calligraphy? Where one can tell at a glance which school and style a work belongs to?” Lotus was playing the innocent, as ever. “Like how we can tell from Wang Xianzhi’s calligraphy that he studied under his father, Wang Xizhi, who was taught by Madam Wei, who in turn learned from Zhong Yao?”

  “Indeed, my lady is most perceptive. However, these enemies of mine are ruthless and brutal. The comparison may offend our great calligraphers.”

  Lotus smiled and took Guo Jing’s hand. “Shall we pay the whitebeard a visit and see what he’s doing?”

  “We mustn’t disturb the Master.” Squire Lu tried to stop her politely.

  “We’ll be as quiet as a mouse!” Giggling, she headed for the study, hand in hand with Guo Jing.

  Confined to his chair, Squire Lu called after Lotus, “The Master might get upset if you watch him train, without an invitation.”

  The servants scrambled to lift their master’s chair and hurried after the mischievous couple. By the time Squire Lu had caught up with Lotus and Guo Jing, their faces were already pressed up close to one of the study windows, peering through the holes they had made in the window paper.

  Hearing the servants’ approach, Lotus signalled them to stay quiet and beckoned Squire Lu to come over.

  If she continues in her wilful ways, Qiu Qianren will know we’re spying on him. I’d better indulge her, Squire Lu thought, and so he gestured at his servants. They lifted him off the chair and steadied him as he walked over to the window on tiptoes. Lotus stepped back to let him look in on the remarkable scene that had so transfixed her and Guo Jing.

  The martial Master sat cross-legged, with his eyes half closed. A stream of smoke billowed from his mouth.

  Squire Lu remembered his shifu telling him about the most advanced kung fu from different martial branches and styles, but he had never heard of this technique. But he should not be snooping on his guest, and he tugged at Guo Jing’s sleeve. The young man understood at once. Straightening up, he took Lotus’s hand and returned to the hall with his host.

  Lotus giggled. “The whitebeard is great fun! He has a fire burning in his belly!”

  “It seems he was practising an extremely potent inner-strength technique.”

  “Can he breathe fire?” Lotus found Qiu Qianren’s kung fu truly mystifying.

  “What Master Qiu was doing is no conjurer’s trick.”

  Lotus’s antics gave Squire Lu an idea. He sent his son to the pirate captains with a new command: Waylay any martial heroes sailing on the lake or travelling on nearby roads and invite them to the manor. He also ordered his household to throw open the main gate and stand by to welcome guests.

  That evening, the main hall of Roaming Cloud Manor was bright as day. Dozens of enormous candles illuminated the round banqueting table in the middle of the room. Laurel Lu personally led Qiu Qianren to the best seat at the table. Guo Jing and Lotus Huang were each shown to a secondary place of honour, while Squire Lu and his son took their seats last.

  After a few rounds of wine and a gentle discussion about the area surrounding the manor, Qiu Qianren cleared his throat and said, “Squire Lu, you must be an exceptional martial artist to lead the pirates of Lake Tai. Could I persuade you to show us a few moves?”

  “I have long been indisposed and what little I learned is long out of practice.”

  “Who is your shifu? Perhaps I know him.”

  Squire Lu heaved a sigh and did not speak for a long time. “I was young, and through my ignorance I was brought down by another. Master, pardon my silence, I do not wish to tarnish my teacher’s reputation.”

  That’s why he hides his martial knowledge from us. Papa was thrown out by his shifu! Laurel Lu now understood. Whatever happened back then, it must be a most painful memory. If the Jin dog hadn’t injured me, Papa would have never revealed that he knew any martial arts at all.

  “My friend, you are in your prime and a leader of a formidable company of men, no less. You should seize life in your hand and do something worthy of your standing,” Qiu Qianren said, paying no attention to Squire Lu’s reticence and resignation. “It will ease the grievances you have suffered. Your martial elders must certainly regret their behaviour towards you.”

  “I am crippled, Master. I appreciate your kind advice. I might have the will, but my body will not stretch to great deeds.”

  “You are too modest. I see a bright path ahead of you.”

  “Please point the way, Master.”

  With a cryptic smile, Qiu Qianren turned his attention to the feast. Squire Lu knew his probings must relate to the matter that had enticed the martial Master back to the jianghu after more than a decade. Only etiquette held his curiosity in check. It would be unmannerly to question his guest and social senior outright.

  “I am certain the man who built Roaming Cloud Manor’s great reputation was a disciple of the most esteemed martial master of the wulin,” Qiu Qianren said, breaking a long silence.

  “My son manages the affairs of the manor. He studied under Abbot Withered Wood of Cloudy Perch Temple in Lin’an.”

  “Ah, Withered Wood of the Immortal Cloud Sect. This Shaolin branch has passable kung fu. Perhaps the Young Squire would care to show this old man a few moves?”

  Laurel Lu stood up and bowed. “I humbly seek your guidance, Master.” He knew a few words of advice from this martial great would bring a lifetime of benefits.

  The young man positioned himself in the centre of the hall and settled into the opening stance of the Tiger Taming Arhat Fist, a kung fu he was most proud of. His punches roared with force, his kicks flew like shadows. The p
ower and precision of the moves were testament not just to his talent, but also to the skill of his teacher.

  Suddenly, he howled like a tiger and the candles flickered. The elaborate sequence of punches had whipped up a draught in the hall. The servants glanced at each other, trembling in fear.

  Leaping, turning, rolling, pouncing, he prowled and growled like a tiger on the hunt. Then he held his left palm upright over his chest in the Tathagata Buddha’s Mudra, his thumb curled and the rest of the fingers straight and pointing upwards. The predator sprang. The monk struck. The animal’s snarls weakened as the arhat’s blows quickened.

  He hurled his fist down. Thwack! A floor tile fractured at the impact. He then flattened his palm to the ground and thrust, extending himself to his full height with mighty force. His left palm pushed skywards and his right foot kicked high, steady as a sculpture of he who attained nirvana.

  Laurel Lu held the pose for some time before drawing his strength back into his core, to thunderous cheers from Guo Jing and Lotus Huang. He cupped his hands over his chest and bowed deeply at Qiu Qianren. The old man smiled but said nothing.

  “I hope my son did not embarrass himself.” It was Squire Lu who broke the silence.

  “The young man has shown us an excellent exercise for strengthening the body, but it is useless in combat.”

  The bluntness of Qiu Qianren’s words took everyone by surprise. Squire Lu replied humbly, “We should be most grateful if Master would illuminate the Way.”

  The martial Master left the table and wandered into the courtyard, without another word.

  Guo Jing, meanwhile, was scratching his head. How could it be useless? Laurel Lu may not be a master, but he has a strong grasp of his branch of kung fu.

  When Qiu Qianren returned, he held a brick in each hand. He closed his fingers around them. With very little effort on his part, they crumbled into small pieces. Then he clenched his fists. What was left of the bricks disintegrated into powder. Two handfuls of dust poured down onto the table.

  Yet another type of kung fu no-one had ever seen before.

  After demonstrating this incredible move, Qiu Qianren pulled open the front of his shirt, swept the dust inside, then went out again to empty it in the courtyard.

  “It is impressive, shattering a tile with a punch,” the martial Master said when he had finished cleaning up. “But your opponents aren’t going to stand still and wait for your attack. If they have more developed inner strength, then all the power in your strike will rebound onto you and cause you grave injury. So, for your skill to be of any use, you need to be able to crush stone into dust.”

  Laurel Lu nodded at the profundity of the words.

  “There are many who attempt to learn the martial arts,” Qiu Qianren continued, “but only a small handful manage to master true kung fu.”

  “Who are these masters?” Lotus Huang asked.

  “The Heretic of the East, the Venom of the West, the King of the South, the Beggar of the North and Central Divinity are regarded as the greatest martial masters of our time. Central Divinity Wang Chongyang possessed superior internal energy, whereas the other four have their unique strengths and weaknesses. If one comes to understand their individual shortcomings, it would not be so difficult to overpower them.”

  The only person in the hall not astonished by this claim was Laurel Lu, as he had never heard of the Five Greats. Lotus, though impressed by the older man’s display, would not let a slight on her father slip by so easily. “Master, you should confront these Five Greats to make your name!”

  “Central Divinity has passed away now. I had affairs of my own to tend to that year when they held the Contest of Mount Hua,” Qiu Qianren said. “That is why the Taoist monk was named the Greatest Martial Master Under the Heavens.

  “At that time, the five of them were fighting over some martial tract called the Nine Yin Manual. Whoever had the strongest kung fu would take custody of the book. After seven days and seven nights, Eastern Heretic, Western Venom, Southern King and Northern Beggar all admitted defeat.

  “Apparently, before Wang Chongyang died, he passed the Manual to his martial brother Zhou Botong. But the Heretic of the East, Apothecary Huang, defeated this Zhou Botong and took the Manual for himself. I am not certain what happened after that.”

  Lotus and Guo Jing looked at each other. This was the first time they had heard the Manual’s complex history. Their minds turned to the next thieves to steal the Manual, Twice Foul Dark Wind.

  “Since the Elder’s kung fu is the greatest, the Manual should belong to you!” Lotus said, with a provocative giggle.

  “I am not interested in taking up arms over a book,” Qiu Qianren replied. “Now that Wang Chongyang is gone, we are left with four masters who are just about equal. I know they have all been working hard to gain the supreme title for themselves in the intervening years. The second contest will be quite an event.”

  “When will it be held?”

  “The contest takes place every twenty-five years, so the next one is in a couple of years’ time. It looks like it will be us old hands again. There’s no-one new to take on the mantle. Our art is dying. Each generation is less capable than the last.” Qiu Qianren sighed and shook his head.

  “Can you take us with you to the next contest, please? I love sparring matches.”

  “There’s much more to it than that. Titles have little meaning when you have one foot in the grave. But we live in a time of great change. I would be neglecting my duty as a martial man and putting tens of thousands of lives at risk if I hid my knowledge to preserve the peaceful anonymity I have been enjoying.” He paused and turned to Squire Lu, gesturing at Guo Jing and Lotus. “Our young friends, here, have no dealing in the jianghu. It is for the best if they know nothing of this.”

  “Squire Lu would not keep such things from a good friend.” Lotus smiled sweetly.

  The Master of Roaming Cloud Manor silently cursed Lotus’s sharp wit and quick tongue. For she was right. It would be an affront to the rules of hospitality to deny one’s guests.

  “Please do not speak of this matter to anyone.” Qiu Qianren was ready to explain the reason of his visit.

  “Allow us to bid you good night,” Guo Jing stood up and took Lotus’s hand. He did not feel comfortable being party to the conversation against Qiu’s wishes.

  “You are a friend of Squire Lu, so you are no stranger to me.” Qiu Qianren placed his hand on Guo Jing’s shoulder. “Please sit.”

  Guo Jing was surprised by how light the push was. He held back his inner strength and sat down obediently.

  The martial Master got to his feet and raised his cup before he spoke. “Are you aware that the Great Song will face its sorest trials within half a year?”

  Laurel Lu gestured at the household staff to step out of the hall, while the servers retreated out of earshot, though they remained on hand to assist the diners.

  “I have confirmed intelligence that within six months the full force of the Jin army will march south. The Great Song will certainly lose the remnants of its realm. This is its fate,” Qiu Qianren declared.

  “Master Qiu, we must inform the Song court immediately,” Guo Jing exclaimed.

  “What do you know of such matters, young man?” He shot a look of disdain at Guo Jing. “Informing the Song court would only intensify the misery of the coming battle.”

  No-one could quite grasp the logic behind his words.

  “I have thought long and hard,” Qiu Qianren continued. “There is only one way to keep our beautiful land from being razed and plundered. It is the only path open to us if we are to protect our people so they can live in peace and prosperity.

  “This is the cause of my journey to Jiangnan, to the heartlands of the south. I have heard that my esteemed hosts have taken the young Prince of the Great Jin Empire, as well as Commander Duan of the warden’s office, captive. Why don’t we invite them to join us?”

  Squire Lu sent for his prisoners, though he could
not help but wonder how Qiu Qianren knew about them and what he wanted with a traitor and an enemy prince.

  Once the captives were brought to the hall, Squire Lu ordered their shackles to be removed and assigned them the least prominent seats at the table, though he did not send for cups or cutlery.

  “Your Highness,” Qiu Qianren said in greeting to a sallow-looking Wanyan Kang. He merely glanced at the terrified Commander Duan, a bearded man in his fifties.

  The Jin Prince nodded in acknowledgement, but he was more concerned by Guo Jing’s presence. What is he doing here? He did not know Guo Jing had seen his fight with Laurel Lu, and he did not recognise Lotus Huang in her disguise. He kept his expression neutral, and Guo Jing, in turn, made no move to greet him.

  “This manor houses riches and honour beyond imagination,” Qiu Qianren said cryptically.

  “You hold me in too high esteem, Master. I am but a ruffian living a simple life,” Squire Lu said, with guarded courtesy. His guest’s familiarity with the Jin ambassador was making him feel uneasy.

  “Death and destruction are inevitable as the Jin army moves south,” Qiu Qianren continued. “I have travelled here to bring the heroes of the south together, so we can rise up in unison to find a way to forestall the horrors of war.”

  “We martial men are trained to serve our country and to deliver our people from their plight. My loyalty to our land never found an avenue of expression, thanks to our muddled and corrupt court. But now, the chance to fulfil our duty to our country is worth more than earthly wealth or rank.” Squire Lu spoke with barely contained fervour. “I implore the Master to point the way.”

  Stroking his beard, Qiu Qianren smiled at Squire Lu’s impassioned words, but a servant rushed in before he could reply.

  “Captain Zhang is outside with six extraordinary heroes he met on the lake.”

  “Invite them in.”

  Have Twice Foul Dark Wind brought help? Squire Lu’s face darkened at the thought.

  Chapter Five

  Lord of Peach Blossom Island

  1

  “FIRST SHIFU, SECOND SHIFU, THIRD SHIFU, FOURTH SHIFU, Sixth Shifu, Seventh Shifu!” Guo Jing cried in one breath, as a woman and five men were led into the banqueting hall.