by Jin Yong
“It would be my honour to receive another fifteen moves from Master Mei,” he said, knowing he had no choice in the matter. He hoped the Dragon-Subduing Palm would be enough to keep him alive.
Guo Jing stepped back before tiptoeing towards Cyclone Mei. His palm floated forward. Then he heard a very faint hissing sound approach.
The next thing he knew, Cyclone Mei had twirled her wrist in a backhanded Grapple and Lock, straight at his attacking arm. Her aim was so precise, he swore she had regained her sight.
He recoiled in shock and sidled to her left, settling into a Traverse Great Rivers at an even more ponderous pace. He had barely gained an inch when another hiss ripped through the air.
Somehow, Cyclone Mei had figured out exactly where he was and rained down a torrent of attacks. Her talons almost caught him.
How does she know where I am? he thought as he scurried away. He took extra care with his third, and most confident, attempt. Haughty Dragon Repents.
Hiss!
Mei’s claws, hard as steel, lashed out at his wrist.
Guo Jing was now certain that her new prescience was related to the noise. He glanced at the stranger as he held off Cyclone Mei with his fourth move. The man flicked his finger surreptitiously and a speck of earth tore through the air.
That’s how he warns her! How can he predict my moves? Guo Jing decided to admit defeat immediately after the fifteenth exchange.
Cyclone Mei could now draw on the insights she had gained into the young man’s unchanging kung fu to devise ways to counter his attack.
The stranger sent three crumbs of masonry flying one after another. Suddenly, she switched to the offensive. She ripped the air with three lethal moves. Guo Jing buckled under the weight of the onslaught, and only managed to send two palm thrusts in response.
The air fizzed with whooshing clumps of earth. Lotus was flinging handfuls of rubble into the air, some aimed at the stranger’s pebbles, others just to create a distraction. But, as his projectiles flew into the cloud of dust, the hisses became shrill whistles. They knocked any debris out of the way without slowing or veering from the trajectory the man had set.
The Freaks and Zephyr Lu lamented the failure of Lotus’s intervention, but, at the same time, they were awestruck by the stranger’s power. At mere flick of his finger, a speck of earth could pierce through flesh and bone.
Lotus stared at the man in disbelief. Cyclone Mei had gained control of the fight and Guo Jing was struggling to defend himself.
Whoosh! Another bit of masonry zoomed past. Then one more. They crashed together in an explosion of sparks and shrapnel.
Cyclone Mei swooped on Guo Jing with all her strength.
Guo Jing was outmatched and overwhelmed. Woodcutter Nan’s advice flashed across the young man’s mind: If all else fails, run!
5
“PAPA!” LOTUS CRIED, THROWING HERSELF AT THE STRANGER in the green robe. “Pa! Your face . . . What happened?”
Cyclone Mei paused mid-move, tilting her head to listen.
This is my chance! Guo Jing pushed his right palm forward slowly, so there was no sound or movement of air to alert Cyclone Mei of its approach. The moment his hand connected with her shoulder, he unleashed all his inner strength, holding nothing in reserve. He then struck her other shoulder with his left hand in the same manner. The combined force sent Mei tumbling in a somersault. She lay on the ground, unable to stand up.
At Lotus’s words, Zephyr Lu rose to his feet, forgetting his disability. But, the moment he lifted his foot, he was toppled by his decades-old injury.
Holding Lotus close, the man peeled a layer of skin from his face to reveal handsome, chiselled features. Lotus snatched the mask and, with a smile, put it over her tear-stained cheeks.
“What brings you here, Papa?” She coiled her arms around his neck, bobbing with joy. “Why didn’t you teach that awful old fossil a lesson when he cursed you?”
“What brings me here? You, of course!” Apothecary Huang replied, with a touch of sternness.
“So you’ve done it, at last, Pa? What great news!” Lotus clapped, taking no notice of his tone.
“No. I have broken my word in order to come looking for you.”
That dampened Lotus’s mood somewhat. She knew how much the theft of the Nine Yin Manual by Hurricane Chen and Cyclone Mei had weighed on her father. He had vowed to use his wit and knowledge to recreate the kung fu in the stolen second volume, using only the contents of the volume that was still in his possession. He would often say, “The Nine Yin Manual was written by a mortal man. If it can be done, then Apothecary Huang can do it too! If I cannot recall the martial skills set down in the second volume, I will not take one step beyond Peach Blossom Island!”
Realising she had caused her father to break a promise he had kept for as long as she had been alive, Lotus said solemnly, “I’ll be good, Pa. I’ll always listen to you, until the day I die!”
“Help your Sister Mei.”
In truth, Apothecary Huang was delighted to find Lotus unharmed. Her words melted away the last traces of anger he had felt when she ran away.
As Lotus lifted Cyclone Mei back to her feet, Zephyr Lu came forward, supported by his son. Together, the two disciples of Peach Blossom Island bowed at their teacher’s feet, sobbing with joy.
Apothecary Huang sighed. “Good Zephyr, stand up. I was too quick to blame you.”
“I trust Shifu has kept well?” Lu asked referentially.
“I have yet to succumb to rage.”
“You aren’t talking about me, Pa, are you?” Lotus giggled.
“You have played your part,” Apothecary Huang replied, with a snort.
Lotus stuck her tongue out, then changed the subject. “Pa, can I introduce you to my friends? They are Guo Jing’s shifus, the renowned Six Heroes of the South.”
Apothecary Huang looked to the heavens. “I am not here to make the acquaintance of strangers.”
The snub riled the Freaks, but they knew it would be better to swallow their pride for now, having witnessed his extraordinary martial skill.
“Do you need to pack? We shall head home at once,” Apothecary Huang said to Lotus, ignoring everyone else.
“I have no luggage, but there is something I should like to return to its owner.” Lotus took the bottle of the Dew of Nine Flowers from inside her shirt. “Brother Zephyr, these pills are not easy to make. I should give them back.”
Zephyr Lu declined Lotus’s offer with a polite wave. “It is the most joyous surprise to set eyes on Shifu again. If you would stay for a while, it would be—”
Taking no notice of the invitation, Apothecary Huang pointed at Laurel Lu. “Is he your son?”
The young man immediately kowtowed. “Grandmaster!”
Apothecary Huang grunted an acknowledgement at the fourth bow. Instead of helping the young man to stand, he grabbed Laurel Lu’s collar with his left hand and thrust his right palm into his shoulder.
“He is my only son . . .”
It was not a weak strike. Laurel Lu stumbled and fell backwards. When he found his feet again, he seemed unhurt.
“Well done for not teaching him your kung fu,” Apothecary Huang said to Zephyr Lu. “The child was trained by the Immortal Cloud Sect?”
Zephyr Lu was relieved that Huang was only testing his son’s martial skills. “As your disciple, how could I forget Shifu’s rule? I would never dream of sharing my knowledge without permission. His mentor is Master Withered Wood, Abbot of Cloudy Perch Temple in Lin’an.”
“Master? That man isn’t worthy of that title. His offshoot of Shaolin Temple kung fu is so feeble, they aren’t even worthy of being our servants. You are a hundred times his superior. From tomorrow, you may teach your son yourself.”
Overjoyed, Zephyr Lu said to his son, “Quickly, thank the Grandmaster for his benevolence!”
Laurel Lu prostrated in gratitude, knocking his head on the ground four more times. Apothecary Huang held his head high and showed no acknowledge
ment of the honour.
For years, Zephyr Lu had watched his son’s kung fu training from afar, frustrated that his hard work brought little advancement. All Laurel needed was a nudge in the right direction, he often thought.
Although he had lost the full use of his legs, Zephyr Lu never neglected the training of his arms. He was also learned in martial theory. But he had hidden it all from his family, fearing his son might ask him for lessons if he found out. Zephyr Lu could not betray the bond of trust bestowed upon him by his mentor.
And now, in one day, not only had he been welcomed back to Peach Blossom Island, he had also been granted the permission to share his hidden knowledge with his only son. At last, the young man’s kung fu would improve! Zephyr Lu wanted to thank his Shifu, but his words were caught by the lump in his throat.
Apothecary Huang shot a look of disdain at Zephyr Lu’s emotional display and said, “This is for you.”
He waved his right hand and two pieces of paper drifted towards Zephyr Lu, one after the other. He was standing more than ten feet from his disciple, yet the two leaves fluttered in the air as if borne on a breeze. Only a consummate master could channel his inner strength into something so soft and light, and manipulate it as if it were weighty and substantial. To hurl a rock hundreds of jin would have been much easier. Everyone watched in awe.
“What do you think of Papa’s kung fu?” Lotus asked proudly.
“It’s magical.” Guo Jing was gobsmacked. “You must learn properly when you get home.”
“You’re coming too, aren’t you?”
“I’ll travel with Shifus first – but I’ll visit!”
“No! We have to stay together!” Lotus grabbed his hand, but Guo Jing had accepted with a heavy heart that, after tonight, they would have to part.
Zephyr Lu caught the flying pages and saw that they were covered in script. By the light of a torch, he recognised Apothecary Huang’s handwriting. Both pages were filled with a martial training formula.
Shifu’s calligraphy is so much more powerful and alert these days, he observed as he skimmed the pages.
On the top right of the first leaf was the title Swirling Leaf Kick. He knew this and the Cascading Peach Blossom Palm were his teacher’s most cherished inventions, but neither Lu nor his five martial siblings had been taught this kung fu.
I haven’t got the legs to learn this now, Zephyr Lu thought, regarding the pages wistfully. But Laurel does, and I will help him master it. He carefully stowed the instructions in his shirt and bowed in gratitude.
“This is all very different from what you may remember. The moves might be the same, but this starts from a foundation in neigong,” Apothecary Huang explained. “If you meditate and cultivate your energy according to my formula, your inner strength will build up, and if your progress is quick, you will walk without crutches in five or six years.” The martial Master sighed. “Your legs will never regain their full strength, they will never be fit for martial arts – but, if you follow my instructions, you will walk again.”
For years, Apothecary Huang had regretted his rash punishment, so he had set his mind to creating a way to help his four blameless, exiled disciples regain the use of their legs. When he succeeded, his pride led him to name the new technique after an existing, unrelated martial skill – Apothecary Huang would never admit he was wrong.
“Find Tempest and your two little brothers. Share it with them,” Apothecary Huang said, after a pause.
“Alas, Brother Wu passed away some years ago. I have yet to find news of Big Brother Qu and Brother Feng, but search for them I shall,” Zephyr Lu promised, struggling to keep his emotions in check. Shifu has been thinking about us, all these years!
Apothecary Huang had not known of Brother Wu’s passing. He turned his hawk-like gaze onto Cyclone Mei, his heart aching at the loss of yet another disciple. She could not see his glare, but its sharpness made everyone else uneasy.
“Cyclone, you have committed great evil, but you have also endured great suffering. Though your sight is gone, if you stay on the righteous path, I doubt anyone would wish to trouble a disciple of Old Heretic Huang.”
Mei knew that was a public acknowledgement of her readmission to Peach Blossom Island. Tears burst forth once more at this unexpected good news.
Paying no attention to Mei’s emotional outburst, he continued, “Stay at Roaming Cloud Manor. Zephyr will look after you.”
Cyclone Mei and Zephyr Lu thanked their shifu as one.
Laurel Lu stepped forward and took Cyclone Mei by the arm. “Allow me to show you to your room. My mother will wait upon you with refreshments.” Gently, he led her to the private quarters at the heart of the manor.
“Might I invite Shifu to step inside to rest his feet?” Zephyr Lu asked.
Ignoring the invitation, Apothecary Huang glared at everyone gathered, before focusing on Guo Jing. “You are Guo Jing?”
“Yes, Master Huang.” The young man kowtowed.
“You killed my disciple Hurricane Chen? You must have some skill!”
“I was a child.” Guo Jing was alarmed by Huang’s tone. “I was captured by Master Chen and I panicked. I hurt him by mistake.”
Apothecary Huang snorted at the response, then he said frostily, “Treacherous though Hurricane Chen was, it was a matter for us to deal with. Not an outsider!”
“He was six years old, Papa!”
Unsettled by his daughter’s decision to stand on the boy’s side, Huang continued, “Old Beggar Hong has never taken a disciple, yet he taught you fifteen moves of his most celebrated kung fu. You must have something about you. Or perhaps you tricked him into indulging you? You defeated my disciple with the Old Beggar’s moves. The next time we meet, I’ll never hear the end of it!”
“Pa, look at him! Does he look like he knows how to flatter? It was me! I coaxed Count Seven into teaching him. Don’t be so mean – you’re scaring him!”
“I know the Beggar only taught you so he could make fun of me,” he said, furious that Lotus should choose to defend Guo Jing once again.
He had expected to find his beloved daughter ill at ease in the jianghu, having run away in a fit of petulance. After all, she had never set foot beyond the comforts of Peach Blossom Island until a few short months ago. Yet, here she was, blossoming with confidence and speaking up for the boy against her own father. A kernel of jealousy took root, nourished by the anger he felt towards Guo Jing for killing his disciple, and the slight estrangement he could discern in Lotus’s attitude towards him.
“I know he taught you so you could defeat Cyclone Mei, so he can rub in my face the fact that I have no disciples and those I once had are useless—”
“Pa, who said Peach Blossom Island has no disciples?” Lotus cut her father off. “Guo Jing took advantage of Sister Mei’s indisposition. He just got lucky! When we were in Yanjing a few months ago, Sister Mei had him completely in her power, riding on his shoulders like he was a horse. I wish you had seen that. He looked so downtrodden! And the Old Beggar couldn’t do anything about it!” Lotus was happy to bend the truth to sway her father. “Tell him to blindfold himself and fight Sister Mei. No, better still, let me show him the might of Peach Blossom Island.”
Since her kung fu was at about the same level as Guo Jing’s, if she made a good show of fighting him, perhaps she could appease her father by coming to a draw after a few dozen moves.
“I’ll fight with my father’s most simple kung fu,” she announced. “You’ll see it’s more than a match for Count Seven Hong’s most vaunted moves.”
“You always beat me,” Guo Jing said, picking up on her ploy.
“Take this!” Lotus swung her arm in a horizontal swipe known as Torrent and Tempest, from the Cascading Peach Blossom Palm repertoire. The air parted with a whoosh.
Guo Jing responded with the Dragon-Subduing Palm, but how could he put genuine power into his moves? In no time at all, he was overcome by Lotus’s complex and ever-changing martial choreography, tak
ing several painful hits to the body.
“You’ve lost!” Lotus made a point of not holding back, or else her father would not be appeased. She knew Guo Jing was stout enough to stomach it.
“Enough of your games!”
Apothecary Huang’s face had turned the hue of cast iron. No-one had caught how he had repositioned himself to enter the fight. His movements were as hard to see as the words he uttered. In a trice, he had lifted each of them up by their collars. He set Lotus gently down with one hand and hurled Guo Jing away with the other.
Guo Jing careered through the air, unable to summon his strength. Nonetheless, the moment his feet reconnected with the earth, he found his footing, standing upright and tall, as steady as if his feet were nailed to the ground.
If Guo Jing had crashed face down, purple and swollen and sore, perhaps Apothecary Huang might have been satisfied. Though grudgingly impressed by the young man’s footwork, such an act of defiance could not be left unchallenged.
“Since I have no disciples, I shall test your kung fu personally.” Apothecary Huang could barely contain his fury.
The young man bowed deeply. “A lowly novice like myself would never dream of fighting the Master.”
“Fight me? A boy like you?” Apothecary Huang sneered. “I shall stand here, perfectly still. You will launch your Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms. If I so much as flinch or lift a finger in my defence, then I have lost. Understood?”
“I—”
“You have no say in this.”
Guo Jing assumed that Apothecary Huang would deflect his strength and send him flying. If that’s all it takes to fix everything, then it’s worth falling over a few times, he told himself.
“Come, make your move, or I’ll come after you!” the martial Master taunted. He could detect a hint of eagerness in the young man’s show of reluctance. After all, it was a rare and valuable opportunity to try out one’s martial learning on a master.
“It would not be my place to defy the Master’s orders.”
Guo Jing lowered into his opening stance, his elbow slightly crooked. Then he traced a circle with his palm to gather his inner strength before launching the hand at Apothecary Huang. Haughty Dragon Repents. His most confident move. He channelled less than half of his strength, as he was wary of hurting Lotus’s father – and was even more afraid that the force of the thrust would rebound back onto him.