A Bond Undone

by Jin Yong

  Please do not come looking for me, she entreated in the end, there are many dangers and traps scattered all over Peach Blossom Island.

  Guo Jing stared at the note, then, using his golden dagger, he carved live together, die together onto the bamboo tube. Once he had secured his message to the condor again, the magnificent creatures unfurled their wings and took flight, circling over him several times before flying north.

  He sat down to practise his internal energy. Now that he had written back to Lotus with his decision to live and die by their love, the anxiety and frustration he had felt earlier eased. After a while, he sought out Zhou Botong for his daily lesson. He spent the next few days consolidating the words he had memorised, and listening to Zhou Botong’s explanations. His brother kept insisting it was not time to put the words into practice yet – lest he arouse Guo Jing’s suspicion.

  The young man docilely accepted the instructions. For anyone else studying the martial arts, it would have been next to impossible to learn the method of training without applying it in practice, but Guo Jing had always been an honest soul. Even when he was learning from the Six Freaks of the South, he had followed what he was told to the letter, without ever questioning his teachers’ decisions. He was now showing the same obedience to Zhou Botong, reciting the text he was taught, over and over again, hundreds of times, including that passage of nonsense, with its mahaparas, gatekras and hahoramanpayas. Before long, Guo Jing could repeat it without making a single mistake. Zhou Botong had to admit that he could not have learned it. He was impressed by the boy’s dogged determination.

  Night fell. The sky was exceptionally clear. The sea glowed brilliantly in the moonlight. Guo Jing had just finished sparring with Zhou Botong and they were now resting on the ground, chatting about nothing in particular.

  He had not realised how much his kung fu had improved over the past days, but Zhou Botong was keeping a close eye on it. The Hoary Urchin guessed that he would not be able to beat his little brother once the younger man had absorbed all the kung fu from the Manual. Even Apothecary Huang and Count Seven Hong would probably struggle to overcome him.

  Without warning, a swishing sound rose from the undergrowth and the shrubs started to twitch. Zhou Botong leapt up and screamed, “Snakes!”

  Now, the noise grew into waves of hissing. Zhou Botong ran into the cave in fear, his wits scattered to the four winds. The sight of so many snakes drained the blood from his face.

  “Stay inside, I’ll take a look,” Guo Jing said, and he started to block the mouth of the cave with large rocks.

  “Be careful! Come back quickly!” Zhou Botong had composed himself a little, but a tremor was evident in his voice. “Actually, what’s there to see? How come there are so many snakes? I haven’t seen a single one in fifteen years. The Heretic may think he’s omnipotent, but, in truth, he can’t even keep these horrid things from infesting his little island. Are we going to find turtles, terrapins, adders and scorpions crawling all over the place next? Something deeply rotten is afoot.”

  Chapter Nine

  The Three Trials

  1

  FOLLOWING THE SOUND FOR SEVERAL DOZEN PACES, GUO Jing came upon a slithering mass of green snakes. Several thousand of them. Their scales gleamed in the moonlight.

  Among them walked ten men, dressed head to toe in white, flicking straying serpents back to the group and herding them forward with their staffs.

  Does this mean the Venom of the West has arrived? What are they planning with the snakes? Guo Jing was awed and sickened by the sight.

  The snake column cleaved north through the woods, guided by Apothecary Huang’s mute servants. Luckily, the trees provided good cover and the herders appeared to have no martial training. Guo Jing was able to creep along undetected.

  Several li later, they took a turn around a hill and arrived at a large grassy clearing. At a whistle, the snakes stopped and settled into coils, their triangular heads raised towards the bamboo forest to the north.

  Guo Jing could not risk being spotted, so he stayed in the woods and skirted over to the east and around, before hurrying north. He paused at the edge of the bamboo thicket to listen – nothing but silence – before squeezing through the dense vegetation on his tiptoes.

  Soon, he glimpsed a pavilion fashioned from the same type of bamboo growing around him. Over one of the arches was a horizontal plaque with three characters glistening in the moonlight: Sword Trial Pavilion. Below this sign, a couplet hung on the supporting pillars, framing the entrance.

  Ghosts of peach blossom cascade as the sword flies,

  Tides of the green sea billow as the jade flute sings.

  Inside, he could make out a table flanked by matching chairs, also made of bamboo. They had a glossy patina, gained over years of use, glowing warmly in the moonlight. Ancient pine trees stood either side of the pavilion. Their branches, twisted and gnarled through the centuries, reached several zhang high into the sky.

  Facing this serene pastoral sight were the bobbing heads and dancing tongues of thousands of snakes. They had now been arranged into two columns, leaving a path in the middle, which scores of women, also dressed in pure white, were walking, lighting the way with red silk lanterns. Strolling a dozen paces behind them were two men. The first, with a folding fan in his hand, wore a white silk robe embroidered with threads of gold.

  Guo Jing recognised him immediately.

  Gallant Ouyang!

  As the Master of White Camel Mount approached the bamboo grove, he announced, “Master Ouyang of the West greets the Lord of Peach Blossom Island.”

  So this grand entrance was put on for the Venom of the West, Guo Jing said to himself, turning his eyes to the last man in the procession.

  He too was dressed in white. While the moon outlined his tall and broad frame, his face was shrouded in darkness. Every two steps he took were punctuated by the sound of his staff striking the ground.

  Two people emerged from the bamboo the moment the visitors had taken position among their entourage.

  Guo Jing fought hard to suppress a yelp.

  Lotus, walking hand in hand with her father, towards their guests.

  Viper Ouyang stepped forward, put his hands together and bowed, a gesture of respect that Apothecary Huang immediately returned.

  Gallant Ouyang meanwhile was on his knees, touching his head to the ground four times as he spoke. “Gallant Ouyang kowtows to Father and wishes him golden peace.”

  “There is no need for such ceremony.” Apothecary Huang reached out to help Gallant Ouyang back to his feet.

  Their exchange made Guo Jing sick to his stomach.

  Apothecary Huang placed his right hand on Gallant Ouyang’s left arm. They both knew this outwardly cordial gesture was a test of the younger man’s kung fu.

  Gallant Ouyang was prepared, and kept his qi reined in to steady his body. He hoped he could stand up on his feet without mishap, but his body convulsed involuntarily the moment Apothecary Huang lifted him.

  “Ah!” A cry escaped from his lips as he plunged head first into the ground, his legs kicking in the air.

  In the blink of an eye, Viper Ouyang spun his staff horizontally, touching it lightly on his nephew’s back. It gave the younger man leverage to flip over. He landed firmly on his feet.

  “My, my, Brother Apothecary, are you trying to make your son-in-law give you a somersault as his first greeting?” Viper Ouyang cackled.

  His words tore with metallic sharpness into Guo Jing’s ears.

  “I’d like to gauge his skill. I’ve heard that he ganged up with a party of martial masters against my blind disciple and also used his snakes against my daughter.”

  Viper Ouyang let out another laugh. “Children’s games they were, dear brother; please don’t take it to heart.” He paused before asking, “Do you think this child of mine is worthy of your precious daughter?” And, without waiting for a reply, he said, “Brother Apothecary, I have to give you credit for raising such a beauty.�
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  The Venom turned his eyes to Lotus Huang, appraising her with his head cocked. Then he took out a brocade box from his robe. He lifted the lid to reveal an orb of dull yellow, the size of a pigeon’s egg, nestled on a bed of silk.

  “This amulet is made of rhinoceros horn and earth dragon.” He showed the unassuming object to Lotus. “If you carry it on your person, no poison can ever harm you. It is made from the rarest beasts in the west, tempered with fire in the presence of precious medicinal herbs. This is the only specimen in the world. With this, you need not fear our serpents and insects when you come to live with us.” He offered the box to Lotus. “Your father is no doubt sneering at this country bumpkin’s gift. It cannot compare to the treasures he has seen and acquired on his travels, but this amulet has its uses.”

  For a man whose speciality was all creatures venomous, this betrothal gift was intended to quell any suspicions Apothecary Huang might harbour about the motive behind the match.

  When Viper Ouyang presented the gift, he also stepped out of the shadows. Guo Jing could at last see the face of the man he had heard so much about.

  His nose was proud and flanked by deep-set eyes. His gaze was as sharp as lightning and a knife’s edge. Hair framed his face, and his beard appeared a brownish yellow, quite unlike the darker shades common among the people of the Central Plains.

  Guo Jing could see the resemblance between uncle and nephew. Gallant Ouyang’s face was a refined echo of the older man’s roughly hewn, but still handsome, features.

  Throughout Viper Ouyang’s speech, Guo Jing kept telling himself, Lotus will never err. She will never accept your gift . . .

  But, cruelly, she defied his expectations by reaching out with a jovial “Thank you!” and offering the Venom her most beguiling smile.

  Setting eyes on Lotus’s snow-white skin and blossom-like beauty again, Gallant Ouyang was dazed. The sight of her lips sent him floating to the heavens.

  Now that we are betrothed, her attitude has changed completely, he observed with pleasure.

  Then Gallant Ouyang saw a smattering of golden glitter in the air.

  “Oh no!” he muttered under his breath, and he bent over backwards in an Iron Bridge, his shortlived joy brutally punctured.

  “What are you doing?” Apothecary Huang barked. He flicked his left sleeve, swatting away the gilded steel needles Lotus had flung. His other hand slapped down at her shoulder.

  “Yes, kill me, Papa!” She burst into tears. “I’d rather die than marry this rake.”

  Viper Ouyang stuffed the amulet into her hand and blocked Apothecary Huang’s strike with a smile. “Your lovely daughter was merely testing my nephew’s martial skills.” His hollow laughter rang out again.

  Of course, Apothecary Huang had no intention of hurting his daughter. Viper Ouyang let his arm glide past him without summoning internal strength.

  Gallant Ouyang felt a dull throbbing pain on the left side of his chest as he straightened up.

  A few needles must have found their way through, he realised. I must act as if nothing has happened, even though she is refusing to marry me.

  He focused on hiding the pain and banishing the taint of embarrassment from his countenance.

  “Brother Apothecary, I am honoured you still hold me in high enough regard so many years after we parted ways at Mount Hua.” The mirthless smile had not left Viper Ouyang’s face. “You don’t know how much it pleased me that you agreed to my nephew’s proposal. If there is any way your brother, here, can be of service, you know we should not refuse you.”

  “Nobody would dare to trouble the Venom.” Apothecary Huang answered in the same exaggerated politeness. “Come, do show us the exceptional martial skills you have acquired in the Western Regions these past years.”

  Intrigued, Lotus stopped crying and leaned closer to her father. She was fascinated by the gnarled staff Viper Ouyang carried.

  Black as the darkest night, the iron-wrought weapon was of unusually hefty girth. A grinning man crowned the staff, bearing his sharpened teeth. The white fangs gleamed in the moonlight.

  “My martial knowledge has always been lesser than yours and I have not trained for years. I must be far inferior now,” Viper Ouyang said. “Nonetheless, since we are family, I would love the chance to stay a few days, to spar and learn from you.”

  The false modesty irritated Apothecary Huang. He doubted the Venom of the West would have fundamentally changed in the intervening years. His words were known to be honey-coated barbs. Such a proud man would never admit he was less able than another.

  Apothecary Huang had been flattered when he received Viper Ouyang’s emissary asking for Lotus’s hand on behalf of his nephew. It pleased him that one of his few martial equals had written him so humble a message. He assumed his prospective son-in-law must be a formidable figure among younger martial artists, since Viper Ouyang had trained him himself.

  He also knew his daughter well. She was used to getting her way. If her husband was of lesser martial skill, she would be domineering and difficult.

  Though he had taken the emissary’s praise of the young man’s literary learning with a pinch of salt, Apothecary Huang was confident that anyone would be smarter and less hateful than the boy his daughter preferred.

  The thought of Guo Jing riled the Heretic. He had always imagined his son-in-law would be a brilliant mind like himself or his daughter.

  How could Apothecary Huang, the most learned man in the jianghu, be lumbered with an ignoramus like Guo Jing for a son? He would not invite mockery and derision from the martial world.

  Moreover, the boy had killed Hurricane Chen.

  Yes, stealing the Nine Yin Manual was unforgiveable, but a martial man should not die at the hand of an untrained child. All the anger he felt towards his dead disciple was redoubled and redirected at Guo Jing.

  Apothecary Huang considered himself above convention, but his pride was not ready to let go of reputation and pedigree. He believed a man of Gallant Ouyang’s martial, social and intellectual standing would be a good match for his daughter and appropriate to his own status.

  For the first time, he had overruled Lotus’s preference, giving his consent to Viper Ouyang’s man on the spot.

  But being in Viper Ouyang’s presence once more roused Apothecary Huang’s suspicions. He was reminded of the Venom’s cunning. He did not believe this martial master would have abandoned his Exploding Toad kung fu completely, after Double Sun Wang Chongyang injured him.

  “Our honoured guests have travelled a long way to be here. I should like to play a song to welcome you,” Apothecary Huang said, as he retrieved the jade xiao flute from his sleeve.

  Viper Ouyang cracked a smile – You want to gauge my kung fu? – and waved his left hand almost imperceptibly.

  The women in white strolled forward and prostrated themselves before Apothecary Huang. They were all pale and unusually tall. Some were blonde with green eyes, others had brown hair and grey eyes. Their features were quite different from those of the women of the Central Plains, but no-one could deny that they were all exceptional beauties of voluptuous charm.

  “I present thirty-two virgins to you, my dear friend. I sent men to gather them from all over the west and invited renowned instructors to guide them in the arts of singing and dancing. They can now put on a passable performance. Please accept this humble gift from an old friend. Though, of course, the wenches from the Western Regions cannot measure up to the beauties of the south,” Viper Ouyang said.

  “I must say I have never been fond of such diversions. Since my wife passed away, beautiful women of this world mean little to me. I cannot accept such a lavish gift from Brother Viper.”

  “Surely there is no harm in keeping them? To while away the days, to entertain the eyes and the ears?” Viper Ouyang clapped three times.

  Eight women took out their musical instruments and started to play. Their music sounded foreign to southern ears.

  The remaining twenty-four
began to dance. The dancers at the front stooped low, while those at the back stood tall. Some spun to the left, others swirled to the right, each body supple to the extreme, each perfectly synchronised with the next. Extending their arms, a rippling movement spread from the left fingertips to the right. The effect mimicked the undulating movement of a slithering snake.

  The dance reminded Lotus of Gallant Ouyang’s Sacred Snake Fist. She glanced over and found him staring at her. He was without doubt the most loathsome man she knew. The anger she felt towards her father surged through her once more.

  How dare he block her needles! She wondered what she could do to undo this arranged marriage. The ancient strategy, “Remove the firewood to cool a boiling cauldron,” came to mind.

  This would be a drastic resort . . . But, if she could be rid of him for good, then even if her father forced her, Ouyang would not be around to honour the match!

  She felt less hopeless now. The scowl on her face was replaced by a smile. Gallant Ouyang caught the change and decided she was warming to him. For a moment, he forgot the pain in his chest.

  The dance had grown more urgent and seductive. Hands now hovered sensually over bosoms and hips. The women swayed and thrust as if they were disrobing and engaging in acts of intimacy.

  Apothecary Huang watched with a half-smile and raised the flute to his lips. The first notes sent a shudder through the dancers, jolting their steps out of sync. Another few twirls of the flute song and the women were dancing to Apothecary Huang’s tune.

  The musicians too had abandoned their music, and started playing along with Apothecary Huang. The snake herders were also affected, running and jumping among their flock. Even Gallant Ouyang felt a stirring in his heart.

  Displeased by the disruption, Viper Ouyang clapped loudly, snapping the woman closest to him out of the music’s ensnarement. She handed him an iron zheng zither. He strummed a few times – harsh twangs over the flute’s airy whispers. It sounded like warriors on horseback crossing swords.