A Hero Borm

by Jin Yong

  Wanyan Hongxi was delighted, so much so that he pulled a ruby ring from his finger and threw it on the ground. “Yours, if you win.”

  Tchila’un did not even look at the ring and instead prepared to charge. But Muqali pulled him back just in time. “We are famous across the steppe for having defeated so many of our enemies. But can a leopard command an army? Can a leopard ambush or surround a whole company of men?”

  “Brother Senggum, this is yours. You win,” Temujin said as he bent down, picked up the ring and gave it to Senggum. Senggum put the ring on one of his fingers, held it high and laughed. Ong Khan’s men roared.

  Jamuka said nothing, a frown carved across his brow. Temujin looked calm. The Four Great Generals returned to their men, bitterly embarrassed.

  Wanyan Hongxi felt cheated. He asked for two female slaves and retired to his ger for the night.

  2

  THE NEXT MORNING TOLUI AND GUO JING WERE PLAYING IN the grasslands far from the main camp when they spotted a white rabbit up ahead. Tolui raised his small bow and arrow, aimed and hit it in the belly. The shot lacked power, however, and the rabbit ran away with the arrow still embedded in its fur. Howling, the two boys ran after it.

  Before too long, the rabbit collapsed. The boys cried out in delight and were just about to retrieve the animal when a group of children emerged from a wooded area nearby. One boy of around twelve years of age made a grab for the creature, pulling out the arrow and throwing it to the ground. He then gave the boys a fierce look and ran away.

  “Hey, I shot that rabbit. It’s mine,” Tolui shouted after him.

  The boy turned around and came back. “Says who?”

  “It’s my arrow, isn’t it?”

  The older boy’s eyebrows shot up and his eyes bulged. “This rabbit was my pet, you’re lucky I’m not asking you to pay me back for killing it.”

  “You’re lying, it’s obviously wild,” Tolui said.

  The boy was furious. He stomped up to Tolui and shoved him. “Watch what you’re saying. My grandpa is Ong Khan and my papa is Senggum. Do you know who they are? It’s mine now, even if you did shoot it. What are you going to do?”

  “And my father is Temujin!” Tolui said.

  “Ha! So what? Your father is a coward. He’s scared of both my grandpa and my papa!” This was Tusakha, Senggum’s only son. Senggum had waited years and sired several daughters before at last fathering the long-awaited boy. Tusakha was the youngest and therefore most spoiled, and Senggum let him bully the other children. It had been years since Temujin, Ong Khan and Senggum had met, and the last time their sons played together they were but small children. As far as they were concerned, this was their first encounter.

  “Says who? My father isn’t scared of anyone!”

  “When your mother was kidnapped, it was my grandpa and papa who retrieved her and gave her back to your father. Did you think I didn’t know that? I’m taking your precious little rabbit. What are you going to do about it?”

  Senggum had long been envious of Temujin’s fame and he had been sure to let everyone know the part he had played in the recovery of Temujin’s wife. His son had heard the story many times. Temujin, on the other hand, had always considered it an immense embarrassment and had never spoken of it to Tolui.

  Tolui was so angry his cheeks turned purple. “You’re a liar! I’m going to tell my father!” He turned and started walking away.

  “So what?” Tusakha laughed. “Your father’s Four Great Generals were so scared of my father’s leopards last night that they couldn’t move.”

  This only made Tolui even more furious and he could barely form the words to respond. “My father isn’t scared of tigers, so why should he be scared of leopards? But there is no dignity in fighting wild animals.”

  Tusakha stepped up to the boy and slapped him across the face. “How dare you talk back to me? Don’t you know who I am?”

  Tolui was startled and his cheek throbbed. Tears collected in his eyes but he did not let the other boy see.

  Guo Jing had been watching from the sidelines, silently boiling up inside with anger. He could stand it no longer. He lunged and rammed his head squarely into Tusakha’s stomach, knocking him flat on his back.

  Tolui clapped and then grabbed Guo Jing’s hand. The boys ran.

  “Kill them!” Tusakha screamed. Tusakha’s friends ran after the two young boys and Tusakha followed close behind. They were older and Tolui and Guo Jing were quickly outmuscled. Within moments they had been pinned to the ground.

  “Ready to surrender?” Tusakha spat, punching Guo Jing in the back. Guo Jing tried to wrestle the boy off him but Tusakha was too heavy. Tolui had two on top of him.

  Just then the sound of horse bells was heard coming from beyond a sand dune and a small group of riders appeared. The first, a short, plump man on a golden steed, caught sight of the fight in the distance. “Excellent. A brawl.”

  As he rode closer for a better look he realised that it was two children being bullied by a gang of older boys. They were trapped, the punches came hard and their faces were swollen and bruised blue.

  “Shame on you! Let them go!” he shouted.

  “Mind your own business!” Tusakha yelled back, “Don’t you know who my father is? I can do what I want and there’s nothing you can do about it!”

  “What a spoiled child. Let go of them!” The rest of the group rode up to join the first man.

  “Third Brother,” the woman in the group said. “Don’t stick your nose in where it doesn’t belong. Let’s go.”

  “But look at them! What kind of fighting is this?”

  It was the Seven Freaks of the South. They had followed Justice Duan’s trail all the way up here to the northern steppe before losing him, and for six years now they had been roaming the grasslands in search of Skyfury Guo’s wife, Lily Li, and the child she was assumed to have borne. Despite having learned Mongolian, they were no closer to finding them. The Seven Freaks were stubborn and competitive and they would never think to concede to Qiu Chuji before the eighteen years were up.

  “Two against one, we can’t allow that.” Jade Han hopped down from her horse and pulled the two children sitting on Tolui from his back.

  Thus freed, Tolui struggled to his feet. Tusakha hesitated for a moment and Guo Jing seized his chance, flipping over and crawling out from between Tusakha’s legs. The two boys then started to run.

  “Get them!” Tusakha yelled, leading the rest of his gang in pursuit.

  Smiles spread across their faces as the Seven Freaks watched the little Mongolian children fighting and they were reminded of their own youthful misadventures.

  “We have to go,” Ke Zhen’e said. “The market will close soon and we must ask around today before everyone goes home.”

  Tusakha’s gang of bullies had, by then, caught up with Tolui and Guo Jing.

  “Now do you surrender?” Tusakha demanded. Tolui, still furious, shook his head fiercely.

  “You asked for it!” The boys pounced on them again.

  Suddenly, a flash of cold, silver light caught Zhu Cong’s eye just as he was turning away. A small dagger had appeared in Guo Jing’s hand.

  “Now who’s the coward?”

  Lily Li had given Guo Jing the dagger Qiu Chuji had left them to protect him from evil spirits. Now he could put it to use against these bullies.

  Tusakha’s gang shrank back.

  What an unusually bright blade, Zhu Cong thought, I should take a closer look. Zhu Cong had spent his entire life stealing from government treasuries and the vaults of the rich, so he was quite the expert in spotting objects of value. He pulled sharply at his horse’s reins and turned back. There stood the young boy, dagger in hand. It flashed blue again in the sun. There could be no doubt, this was a weapon of rare quality. But how did it end up in the hands of a little boy? He looked at the children more closely and only then did he notice they were all wearing expensive shirts made from leopard skins, all except for the boy with the
dagger. What Guo Jing lacked in fancy clothing he made up for with a golden crown nestled on top of his head. These children were clearly all members of influential, wealthy Mongol families. The boy must have stolen his father’s favourite knife, Zhu Cong thought. No harm in taking from kings and aristocrats. Having made up his mind, he jumped down from his horse and approached the children, a sweet smile on his face.

  “Come on now, stop fighting. Play nice.” At that moment, he darted into the circle of children and grabbed the knife. Many years of training meant he could seize a blade with his bare hands. Only the best martial arts masters would be able to stop him; a small child like Guo Jing had no chance.

  Having secured the dagger, Zhu Cong ran out and jumped back onto his horse. Laughing, he then jerked the reins and galloped off to catch up with the rest of the Seven Freaks.

  “Well, today wasn’t a total loss, I managed to snatch myself this little gem.” He was still laughing.

  “Second Brother, you’re never going to grow out of that childish habit of yours, are you?” Laughing Buddha Zhang Asheng said.

  “What little gem? Let me see.” Gilden Quan was always curious. Zhu Cong threw the dagger at him.

  A shard of blue light shot across the sky, breaking into a rainbow of colours. The Seven Freaks gasped in wonder.

  “How beautiful!” Gilden Quan cried as the dagger flew towards him, a shiver shooting down his spine. He reached out and caught the dagger by the handle. He examined it more closely. There on the grip were carved two characters: Yang Kang. This is a Han name, he said to himself. How did a Han dagger end up here in Mongolia? Yang Kang? Yang Kang? I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a martial arts master named Yang Kang. But why would this Yang Kang possess such an exceptional weapon if he was not a hero of the wulin?

  “Big Brother! Do you know anyone by the name of Yang Kang?”

  “Yang Kang?” Ke Zhen’e searched his memory before shaking his head. “I’ve never heard the name before.”

  Yang “Vitality” Kang was the name Qiu Chuji had given the baby in Charity Bao’s belly. Charity’s husband Ironheart Yang and Skyfury Guo had swapped the daggers as a testimony to their brotherly bond and so it ended up here, in the hands of a small boy of the Mongolian steppes. Of course, the Seven Freaks were not to know all this.

  “Qiu Chuji is looking for Ironheart Yang’s widow. Could this Yang Kang have something to do with him?” Gilden Quan said.

  “If we find Ironheart Yang’s widow and take her to the Garden of the Eight Drunken Immortals, we’ve at least won half a victory over that old monk, I suppose.” Zhu Cong smiled. After six years of searching, even such a far-fetched connection was too much to ignore.

  “Let’s go back and ask the boy,” Jade Han suggested.

  Ryder Han’s horse was the fastest so he rode first, only to discover the boys still fighting. Once again, Tolui and Guo Jing were pinned to the ground. Ryder Han ordered the children to stop, but they ignored him. Growing impatient, he grabbed two and threw them to one side.

  Now feeling intimidated, Tusakha pointed at Tolui and said, “You dogs come back tomorrow and we’ll finish this then!”

  “Fine. Tomorrow it is!” Tolui said as Tusakha led his gang away. As soon as he got home he would ask his brother Ogedai for help. Ogedai was his favourite sibling, as well as the strongest.

  “Give it back!” Guo Jing reached out to Zhu Cong. His face was covered in blood.

  “Fine,” Zhu Cong waved the blade back and forth in front of Guo Jing’s face. “But first you have to tell me where you got it.”

  “My mother gave it to me,” Guo Jing said, wiping the blood from his nose with his sleeve. It was still bleeding.

  “And who is your father?”

  Guo Jing had never known his father and the question rendered him speechless. He could only shake his head in reply.

  “Is your surname Yang?” Gilden Quan asked. Once again, Guo Jing shook his head. The child did not appear to be too sharp, the Seven Freaks reflected.

  “Who is Yang Kang?” Zhu Cong probed further. Guo Jing shook his head.

  Zhu Cong handed the dagger back to Guo Jing. Whatever anyone might say, the Seven Freaks were always true to their word.

  “You can go home now.” Jade Han fished out a handkerchief and gently wiped the blood from Guo Jing’s face. “Don’t go getting into any more fights. You’re too small, you’re no match for them yet.”

  The Seven Freaks then climbed back onto their horses. Guo Jing watched as they rode off to the east.

  “Guo Jing, let’s go home,” Tolui said.

  The Seven Freaks had already ridden some distance, but Ke Zhen’e caught the two magic words, faint though they were: Guo Jing. The name made his entire body shake. He jerked his horse around and galloped back to the children.

  “Boy, is your last name Guo? You are Han Chinese, not Mongolian, is that right?”

  “Yes,” came Guo Jing’s reply.

  “What is your mother’s name?”

  “Ma,” Guo Jing answered, which made Ke Zhen’e scratch his head.

  “Can you take me to see her?”

  “Ma isn’t here.”

  “Sister, you ask him,” Ke Zhen’e suggested, sensing hostility in Guo Jing’s replies.

  Jade Han hopped down from her horse. “What about your father?” Her voice was warm.

  “My father was killed by bad people. When I grow up, I’m going to kill them and avenge him.”

  “What was your father’s name?” Jade Han was so excited that her voice was trembling. But Guo Jing just shook his head.

  “Who killed your father?” Ke Zhen’e cut in again.

  “His . . . his name is Justice Duan.”

  Lily Li had lived these last years in the shadow of her fear, even out here on the steppe, and she had realised that her chances of ever returning to the south were remote at best. If something were to happen to her with her son still ignorant of who had killed his father, she would never forgive herself. So as soon as he was old enough to understand, she told him all about the bad man who had come riding into their village. But why had she not told Guo Jing Skyfury’s name? Lily Li was an illiterate country girl and she had only ever referred to her husband by the traditional “Brother” as a sign of respect. She had never thought to ask his given name. Guo Jing, therefore, had only ever known his father as “Papa”.

  Justice Duan: the name stunned the Seven Freaks into silence, even when whispered so softly. Not even three bolts of lightning striking the ground at their feet could have shocked them more, and the sky was a most beautiful clear blue that day. It felt as if the earth were shaking and the wind had turned. After a brief pause, Jade Han cried out and grabbed at Zhang Asheng’s shoulder in order to stop herself from collapsing. Zhang Asheng in turn started beating wildly at his chest. Gilden Quan threw his arms around Nan the Merciful’s neck and Ryder Han did a back flip on his horse. Ke Zhen’e threw his head back and laughed, while Zhu Cong spun on the spot. Tolui and Guo Jing watched them, puzzled by such a funny sight.

  It took some time for the Seven Freaks to settle.

  “Merciful Bodhisattva, thank you, thank you!” Zhang Asheng dropped to his knees and prayed.

  “Boy, let’s sit down,” Jade Han said to Guo Jing. But Tolui tugged at Guo Jing’s sleeve. He was in a hurry to get home and speak to Ogedai, and he had a bad feeling about the seven strangers with their strange accents and even stranger behaviour. Yes, they had helped them scare off Tusakha and his friends, but now he wanted to leave.

  “I have to go,” Guo Jing said. He took hold of Tolui’s hand and together they began to walk away.

  “Hey! Hey! You can’t go now. Your friend can go home by himself,” Ryder Han said, a note of desperation in his voice.

  Ryder Han’s pockmarked face scared the two little children, and they started to run. He chased after them and was about to wrap his chubby fingers around the back of Guo Jing’s neck when Zhu Cong stopped him.

  “Brot
her, your manners!” Zhu Cong lightly slapped Ryder Han’s hand. Zhu Cong then ran round in front of the two little children, picking up three stones from the ground. “I’m going to do some magic, do you boys want to see?”

  Guo Jing and Tolui were curious enough to stop and watch.

  Zhu Cong held out his right hand, placed the stones in the middle of his palm and clenched his hand into a fist. “Gone!” he said, opening it again. Indeed, it was empty. The boys were amazed. Zhu Cong then pointed at the hat perched on top of his head. “In there!” He then removed it, revealing the pebbles inside. Guo Jing and Tolui clapped their hands and squealed in delight.

  Just then they heard the cries of a flock of wild geese making their way towards them in an arrow formation. This gave Zhu Cong an idea.

  “Now my brother will show you a trick.” He fished out a handkerchief, handed it to Tolui and pointed at Ke Zhen’e. “Blindfold him.”

  “Are we playing hide-and-seek?” Tolui asked hopefully, as he put the blindfold on Ke Zhen’e.

  “No, better than that. He is going to shoot a wild goose out of the sky,” Zhu Cong answered, producing a bow and an arrow.

  “That’s impossible. I don’t believe you,” Tolui said.

  As they were talking, the wild geese flew straight overhead. Zhu Cong flicked his wrist and tossed the three stones in his hand into the sky. The stones shot straight upwards, startling the birds. The lead goose squawked and began turning the formation in another direction. Ke Zhen’e drew his bow as far back as it would go and released, hitting a goose square in the belly. The bird whistled to the ground and landed with a thud, the arrow still in its stomach.

  Tolui and Guo Jing exploded into whoops and cheers. They ran over to retrieve the goose and brought it back to Ke Zhen’e.

  “Remember those boys who ganged up on you? If you learn some martial arts you won’t ever have to worry about them again,” Zhu Cong said.

  “We’re going to fight them again tomorrow and I’m going to get my big brother to help,” Tolui said.