by Jin Yong
The sight made Vigour Li’s blood boil. “What is your name? Which martial school do you belong to?”
“My name is Ouyang,” came the nonchalant reply. “So? Do you like them?”
“Prepare to defend yourself, scoundrel!”
“Happy to oblige.” Gallant Ouyang stood back and let the beggar make the first move.
Vigour Li raised his right arm. Before he could launch his attack, a blur of white flew behind him and a gust of air fluttered at the back of his neck. If he had dived forward a fraction slower, Gallant Ouyang would have caught him by his vital points. He would have lost before the fight had even started. Embarrassed by his near defeat, the beggar swung his palm in a backhand slice without turning to face his opponent.
“Dragon-Subduing Palm,” Lotus muttered.
Guo Jing nodded in agreement, watching closely.
Gallant Ouyang realised he could not counter this blow directly and swerved sideways, beyond its reach.
This gave a window for Vigour Li to turn and take a step closer for his next attack. Lifting his hands over his chest, the beggar drew a circle in the air before punching forward.
“Wayfaring Fist?” Guo Jing whispered.
Lotus nodded. The beggar’s movements were heavy and leaden, lacking the necessary ease and fluidity. They would not have known that Vigour Li was a senior and respected figure of the Beggar Clan, in charge of the eastern and western routes of Huainan, which covered a large stretch of the Jiangsu and Anhui regions, nor that he was considered a formidable fighter of his rank, Disciple of Eight Pouches.
Taken aback by the beggar’s steady stance and intricate moves, Gallant Ouyang started to take the fight seriously. Tucking his fan into his belt, he veered away from the beggar’s attack and let his fist fly in retaliation – a bolt of lightning – at his opponent’s right shoulder. Vigour Li blocked with a Beg for Alms, another move from the Wayfaring Fist.
Now, Gallant Ouyang threw a left hook. He waited until his opponent had raised his arms to block, then he darted round. He stood behind Vigour Li, his hands shaped like beaks, then pecked at the major acupressure points on the beggar’s back.
Guo Jing and Lotus gasped. There was nothing Vigour Li could do to save himself.
The beggars outside had rushed into the hall when the fight started. Now, they all scrambled forward, desperate to help their Elder.
Vigour Li heard the air part behind him and felt the pressure bearing down on his back. He swung his arm sideways again in a backhand slice.
The same move from the Dragon-Subduing Palm he had used before.
This move was inspired by the way a tiger swings, jaws snapping, when its tail is pinned. It was also rooted in the Treading hexagram from the I’Ching. When the Dragon-Subduing Palm was distilled from twenty-eight to eighteen moves, the strike was sharpened and its name changed from Trapping the Tiger’s Tail to Dragon Whips Tail.
Gallant Ouyang tilted backwards quickly to avoid its sting.
That was close! Vigour Li thought, as he turned to face his opponent once more.
The beggar managed to withstand another thirty or so moves by the skin of his teeth. He turned to Dragon Whips Tail another five or six times to get out of danger.
“Count Seven only taught him one move,” Lotus observed quietly. Nodding, Guo Jing remembered how he had fought Greybeard Liang with just Haughty Dragon Repents. He felt even more honoured that he had learned fifteen moves, when this man from the Beggar Clan only knew one.
Gallant Ouyang was taking a step forward with each attack. He wanted to trap the beggar in a corner, to deny him of the space he needed to launch his one powerful strike.
But Vigour Li saw through the tactic. He stepped sideways to bring the fight back to the middle of the hall. Then he heard Gallant Ouyang laugh in derision.
Pang! A fist connected with his jaw.
Blinded by pain, it took a moment for Vigour Li to collect himself. By the time he had raised his arms to block, a second punch had connected with his body. Five or six blows landed in quick succession on his face and chest. His head started to spin and he could not summon any strength to his limbs. He swivelled and collapsed to the floor.
Several beggars rushed forward to catch Vigour Li. Gallant Ouyang grabbed the two closest to him and flung them aside. The men hit the wall with a sickening thud, slumping to the floor in an unconscious heap. Everyone else froze, rooted on the spot.
“Did you really think I’d fall for a beggar’s trick?” Gallant Ouyang’s voice was dripping with disdain. He clapped once and two women ushered another young woman into the hall.
The tearful girl’s hands were bound behind her. Her unblemished cheeks were devoid of colour, like a piece of white jade.
Miss Cheng.
Her capture shocked the beggars. They looked at each other, appalled by their failure. Even Lotus and Guo Jing could not fathom how she had been abducted.
Gallant Ouyang gave the signal and his women dragged Miss Cheng away.
“While our beggar friend was playing hide and seek upstairs, yours truly had the pleasure of meeting Miss Cheng downstairs and invited her back here to await your arrival.”
He unfurled his fan and began to wave it leisurely. “The reputation of the Beggar Clan travels far and wide. Now, having crossed paths with the renowned Clan, I can only say that my jaw aches from laughing. Your fists may come in handy when stealing chickens and swiping dogs. Your palms may be helpful when begging for food and catching snakes. But to interfere with my business? I’ll do your Chief Hong the honour of sparing this old beggar’s life, but I’ll gouge out his eyes so that no one will forget this day!” His hand was raised like a claw, ready to jab into Vigour Li’s eyes.
5
“STOP!”
Before Gallant Ouyang could register who it was who stepped between himself and Vigour Li, he felt an enormous force closing in on his chest. He twisted out of its path. Though the palm strike never connected with his body, the fringes of its power rocked him off balance, forcing him to stumble two steps back.
Who has such mighty strength? Gallant Ouyang was shocked to find the youth he had first encountered at the Prince of Zhao’s residence. He remembered the boy’s kung fu being average, at best. How had he improved so much in just a few months?
“You feel no remorse for the evil you have done and you would hurt a good man. Chief Hong’s followers will not be intimidated by the likes of you!”
“You’re from the Beggar Clan too?” Gallant Ouyang cast Guo Jing a condescending look. The young man must have got lucky just now.
“I am not worthy to stand among the valiant men of the Beggar Clan. But may I offer a suggestion? Free Miss Cheng and go back west.”
“What if I don’t take your advice, child?”
“He’ll beat you up!” Lotus answered for Guo Jing.
“My dear lady, I shall free Miss Cheng this instant if you wish it.” Gallant Ouyang’s heart leapt at the sight of the girl. “I would only ask for one thing in return. You. And I promise, not only will I free Miss Cheng, I will free all my women. And I will never seek another. What do you say?”
Lotus smiled back. “I’d love to see the west.” She turned to Guo Jing. “What do you say?”
“No, no, no. Just you. Not that meddling fool.”
Lotus swung a backhand – “How dare you insult him!” – catching Gallant Ouyang square in the face.
Under normal circumstances, Gallant Ouyang would never have let his guard down like that. But the sight of Lotus Huang sauntering over to him – her smile, her voice, her charm, her innocence – dazzled him. The last thing he had expected was for her to attack him, least of all with one of the most intricate and unpredictable moves from the Cascading Peach Blossom Palm. Even though her inner strength was limited, his left cheek now stung, as much with shame as anything else.
“Fie!” Gallant Ouyang lashed out with a strike aimed at her chest.
Standing her ground, Lotus flung both
fists at the crown of his head.
A punch is a small price to pay to feel her bosom, Gallant Ouyang said to himself. His angry reaction was the perfect cover for a lecherous grope. But the moment his hands grazed her clothes, a fierce pain skewered his fingertips. Hedgehog Chainmail, he recalled with a grimace, flinging his arms up hurriedly to block her.
Lotus chuckled. “It’s a bad idea to fight me. Only I get to do the hitting; you can’t touch me!”
Her taunt fanned the flames of Gallant Ouyang’s desire. It was like an itch he could not scratch. Surely, if he killed the boy, she would have no reason to resist his advances. Keeping his eyes trained on her, he kicked back, fast and merciless, in one of his uncle Viper Ouyang’s deadliest moves. Once his foot connected with Guo Jing’s chest, the young man’s ribs would shatter, puncturing his lungs.
The attack was so sudden, there was no time for Guo Jing to duck. But no-one, least of all Gallant Ouyang, foresaw that Guo Jing would fight back head on, swinging his arm horizontally in a backhand slice.
Pang!
Guo Jing took the kick on his hip, but he struck Gallant Ouyang on his leg. The force of each impact sent a bolt of excruciating pain through their bones. They kept their eyes locked as they spun round to face each other. Then they lunged simultaneously.
The beggars could not believe their eyes. How could this boy know Elder Li’s life-saving move? His was faster and more powerful too!
In fact, Guo Jing had not studied the move, but since it was rooted in Dragon-Subduing Palm, he could imitate its form well enough to protect himself. If he had known how to channel his full strength into it, Gallant Ouyang would have suffered a crippling injury to his thigh.
By now, Vigour Li had been dragged out of harm’s way and he was marvelling at Guo Jing’s seeming mastery of Dragon Whips Tail. He watched the young man battle Gallant Ouyang – each palm strike appeared to be in the same vein.
Where had he learned so many moves of Dragon-Subduing Palm? the Beggar Clan Elder wondered. It’s Chief Hong’s most coveted repertoire. I was only taught one as a reward for risking my life for the Clan! Who is this young man?
Gallant Ouyang was also amazed by Guo Jing’s improvement.
In no time, Guo Jing had taken more than forty moves from Gallant Ouyang and responded with the fifteen palm strikes several times over. His knowledge of the Dragon-Subduing Palm was sufficient to keep him from harm, but it was not enough to turn the fight to his advantage. Gallant Ouyang’s kung fu was not only far superior, he also had years of combat experience and training over Guo Jing.
After a dozen or so more moves, the Master of White Camel Mount changed his tactics. Darting back and forth with dazzling speed, he bombarded Guo Jing with feints and punches from all directions.
Guo Jing was quickly overwhelmed. He suffered a kick to his hip and, for a moment, lost his footing. He had become predictable. Starting from the fifteenth move, he launched the full repertoire in reverse.
The new sequence forced Gallant Ouyang back onto the defensive. He had to work out the new pattern and watch for gaps again before he could swoop in with a deadly attack.
Guo Jing had now performed the Dragon-Subduing Palm two more times, first in reverse and then in sequence. For a moment, he wavered.
What should come next? Haughty Dragon Repents? Dragon in the Field?
His hesitation gave Gallant Ouyang the chance he had been waiting for.
Gallant Ouyang pounced, grabbing at his shoulder.
Nothing Guo Jing had learned could counter this blow. He stopped mid-move, flipped his palm and slapped downwards.
Smack! A blow to the wrist.
Gallant Ouyang leapt back in surprise, turning his sore arm to check for injury. Luckily, there was no fracture.
The Master of White Camel Mount had been certain that the boy had a limited repertoire of palm thrusts. Where had this new move come from?
Guo Jing was equally shocked by the efficacy of his improvisation.
My shoulder, left hip and the right side of my waist are exposed; perhaps I could come up— Before Guo Jing could finish this thought, Gallant Ouyang rained down another torrent of thrusts and punches.
Quick wits had always eluded Guo Jing. He would not be able to create a new move even if he had a fortnight of peace and quiet. It would take a miracle to do so in the heat of battle, when his mind could barely react fast enough to fend off his opponent’s attacks. Nonetheless, he tried.
Where had these three new moves come from? Gallant Ouyang was infuriated. He had thought he had the measure of Guo Jing’s repetitive kung fu and could soon defeat him. Now, he had to bide his time once more while he worked out these new patterns. He had yet to realise that Guo Jing’s new moves contained no substance. He would slow down, wear out Guo Jing through a battle of attrition instead.
Then he noticed one of the moves had changed.
He hasn’t mastered this one yet! Gallant Ouyang congratulated himself.
He leapt up. His left hand struck down at Guo Jing’s cranium. His right foot flew towards Guo Jing’s left hip.
Guo Jing froze. What should he do to deflect this brutal attack on his weakest, undefended parts? He abandoned his move and swerved sideways.
But Gallant Ouyang had put all his strength into the kick. There was no chance Guo Jing could react fast enough to evade the blow.
Lotus flicked her right hand, hurling eight steel needles at the cad.
Still in mid-movement, Gallant Ouyang reached for the folding fan tucked into the back of his collar, flicked it open and knocked the needles off course with a gentle flourish.
Lotus’s intervention had not made the slightest difference to the power of his kick. It was going to force Guo Jing to the ground and keep him there – too injured to fight back.
But, before his foot could make contact, Gallant Ouyang felt a light tap on his ankle. Then a mild numbing sensation spread, as if he had been struck on a vital point. He managed to land the kick on Guo Jing’s side, but all the strength had drained from his leg.
Gallant Ouyang backed away, shocked.
“Who dares to interfere with the Master of White Camel Mount? Show yourself!”
He felt the air stir above his head and he ducked. But, whatever it was, it was travelling at great speed . . . He could feel something in his mouth. He spat it out in a panic.
A chicken bone?
Gallant Ouyang looked up.
A cloud of dust was drifting down from the tie beams.
He jumped sideways.
Pop!
He had barely found his footing when it struck him. Something landed in his mouth. His teeth rattled, his gums felt sore.
A chicken thigh bone.
Gallant Ouyang was consumed with rage. He had never been toyed with like this before. He sprang up and struck at the shadow scurrying across the beams. While he was still airborne, he felt a hand glide across his face and then something was stuffed into his hand. He landed and unfurled his fingers.
The half-chewed remains of two chicken feet.
Laughter rang out from above.
“So, what do you think about us beggars now? Did our chicken-stealing, dog-swiping kung fu impress you?”
6
“COUNT SEVEN!” LOTUS HUANG AND GUO JING EXCLAIMED, AS the beggars bowed and hailed their leader with a cry of “Chief!”
Perching aloft on a tie beam, his legs swinging in the air, Count Seven Hong paid little attention to the commotion at ground level; the remnants of a chicken in his hand held his full interest.
Not him again! Gallant Ouyang groaned inwardly as a chill spread through him. He could have killed me thrice over just now. If he had used darts or needles instead of chicken bones . . . A smart man would make an exit while he still could.
He made a show of faux deference, proclaiming in his most sonorous voice, “Uncle Hong, what a pleasure to see you again! Your nephew kowtows to you.” Yet he remained resolutely upright.
“Why are you s
till dallying in the Central Plains?” Count Seven said, his mouth full of chicken. “Your wicked ways will get you killed here. Is that what you want?”
“I was told that Master Hong is the only truly invincible martial master of the Central Plains,” Gallant Ouyang said. “I would survive if my elder could refrain from harassing me. My uncle the Viper bade me to always be reverential in your presence. He said that a master such as yourself would not lower himself to enter into an altercation with a junior, for such behaviour would make him a laughing stock among the heroes of the jianghu.”
“I know you’re trying to outmanoeuvre me with your clever words – make it seem unmannerly for me to strike you,” Count Seven said with a hollow laugh. “But there are many in the Central Plains who would gladly take your life. This old beggar needn’t raise a hand. However, there is one thing we do need to settle. I heard you were disdainful of my chicken-stealing, dog-swiping fists and my food-begging, snake-catching palms. Did my ears deceive me?”
“I did not realise this old hero was your disciple. Those were rash words spoken in the heat of battle. I am certain Uncle Hong and the old hero will overlook any inadvertent offence.”
“You call him a hero, but he can’t beat you.” Count Seven leapt down from his perch. “So, are you saying you’re the greater hero? Have you no shame?”
Gallant Ouyang bit his tongue and swallowed his retort, knowing he had no chance against this rambling old codger.
“Think you can make the Central Plains cower with what the Venom taught you?” Count Seven snorted. “Alas, there’s no place for you here, so long as this old beggar is still around.”
“You and my uncle are both regarded to be among the Five Greats. As a junior, I have no choice but always to obey my seniors.”
“Oh, so now you’re insinuating that I’m using my seniority to bully you!”
Gallant Ouyang’s silence was a clear affirmative.
“I have a large family of beggars – big ones, small ones, middling ones – yet not one of them is my disciple. Li over there learned one simple move from me. I didn’t teach him Wayfaring Fist. And he’s still got a long way to go with that. You may look down on my chicken-stealing moves, but if I did pass my knowledge on to one person, I’m certain that they’d be just as good as you.”