by Jin Yong
This again aroused Curio's jealousy. He immediately asked, "This bodkin originally belonged to my Grandmaster. Where else could Fox have obtained it? Why did he give it to you?"
Sign, as a rule, was soft and gentle in her speech; but, on hearing Curio, she immediately snorted with disgust, as if his presence was distasteful to her, hurting him with her harshness.
Hawk interrupted, "As Gully has already been here, he must have either found the bodkin on the ground or removed it from the body of Panther. But the point is that, at the time of Panther's death, Fox was only a few days old. How, therefore, can it have been possible for Gully to pass the object on to his infant child?"
Prime supplied an answer, "Gully could have left the bodkin in his house. When Fox grew up, he visited the village of his origin. He would certainly have found the bodkin among the articles bequeathed him by his parents."
Valour nodded his consent, saying, "You may be right. The bodkin is hollow inside. The head can be unscrewed. Sign, see if there is anything inside.
Sign first unfastened the stalk of the bodkin that she had found inside the cavern. The tubular stem was empty inside. However, when she undid the spring of the other miniature secret weapon, a tiny script was found inside. The Company all closed in, thinking that, if Valour had not been with them, they would not have imagined that a secret weapon so exquisitely fashioned could conceal things.
Sign spread open the flimsy parchment. Four lines were written on it, reading:
On horseback, elders of the Dragon Lodge
Heralding themselves to the Regent's Sword.
As the wind was taken out of their sails
Windward were they borne and hit the rock.
A winged fox in pictogram could be seen at the lower corner of the slip. These four lines precisely exemplified the calligraphic style of Fox Volant of the Snowy Mountain.
Presently, Valour remarked, looking rather grave, "... Not necessarily true!" He knew that Fox was a paragon fighter who had intimate knowledge of the whereabouts of the Dragon Lodge party. This gave Valour cause to ponder his own safety. Presently, Curio posed a question, "Uncle, what is the meaning of 'windward were they borne and hit the rock'?" Valour replied, "He predicted that we would all perish in this peninsula in Liaotung, turn into ghosts and roam, haunting remote countries. Our anima and animus will be homeward bound, floating on the tips of the wind." Curio immediately shouted, "Son of a whore!"
Acolytes of the Dragon Lodge scrutinized the note, plunged deep in thought. Tree, Century, Hawk and the others had already cast their eyes on the precious metals and stones piled in heap upon heap. Tree picked up an edged weapon and hewed the ice. After hacking a few times, the frozen ice buds sprouted open. Tree scooped up a handful of gems, humming to himself with delight. The golden firelight played upon the precious stones, causing them to shimmer with magical brilliance. At the sight of such marvels, cupidity gripped their hearts. The Company each seized weapons, hewing the ice. They had only laboured at it for a short while before the edges of their blades began to blunt. Their own weapons had had their points broken off by the twins in the melee up on the summit. The blades wielded by them now had been taken from those laying within easy reach inside the eyrie. These weapons had not been immaculately forged. After freeing the gems from the ice, they stuffed the booty into their pockets. The more they seized, the more avaricious they became, but their blades soon dulled, hampering the speed of their work.
"Let us find some firewood. We can melt the ice and easily seize the gems!" suggested Sign.
They all agreed. They should have hit upon the same idea long before. Finding Tree had already claimed a share of the treasure, the remaining members of the Company lost no time in whirling their knives and brandishing their swords, aiming them true at the adamantine ice. Though they favoured Sign's suggestion in chorus, none attempted to obtain any fuel. They each harboured the fear that the others might steal more in his absence.
In the end, Tree stared hard at the outlaws. He ordered the Company, "Brother Radiant of the Dragon Lodge, Brother Century of the Horse Spring Banditry, and Prime, Chief Escort of the Peking Overland Convoy, you three should go and bring some wood and kindling. The rest of us will stay behind, and will all cease working. No one is allowed to collect any jewels on his own." With much reluctance, the three chosen ones bowed their way out of the crypt for firewood, torn between doubt and belief. They knew what Tree could do to them should they ignore his command.
Chapter Nine: Snare
Fox Volant of the Snowy Mountain and Wish, lord of the eyrie on the Jadeite Pinnacle of Mount Ulan, had made an appointment to settle old debts on the summit on the fifteenth day of the third moon. Wish happened to be away on errantry when Fox first visited the mountaintop and Fox was given the opportunity to meet Orchid instead. He showed her his appreciation for receiving him. After descending the steep mountain, Fox was filled with exquisite torments: floating before his eyes was a vision of Orchid's loveliness, and breathing in his ears were the languorous strummings of her qin and the sweet modulation of her maidenly voice. Meanwhile, Fox, Quad and the twin lictors were indulging in a sumptuous repast of dried provisions inside the cavern. Quad was sorely wounded, but not critically. Fox was much relieved to learn this. He stretched out on the ground, closing his eyes to rejuvenate himself. But the lovely face and graceful manners of Orchid stole sweetly into his mind.
Fox opened his eyes wide, fixing his gaze on the dark wall of the crypt. Heaving a sigh, he began musing silently. "What is the point in savouring the thought of her? Her father is a deadly foe of mine. Because of his having treacherously slain my father, I was orphaned in my infancy, and have lived in extremely straitened circumstances since. Why keep thinking of her, then?" At this thought, rage clutched at his heart. While he was still fingering gold in his mind, restlessness and doubt consumed him. "She was not yet born at the time of the duel. What do the enmities incurred by members of the older generation have to do with her? She is a young lady from a great family; I am but a poor creature who has wandered the world, scraping a living. Why bury myself in such misery?"
Things have always been easier to say than to do. When a person has hurled himself into a net of emotions, how can he hope to extricate himself easily from such miseries? If the silken ties of affection can be undone at once, they cannot be counted as true feelings in the first place.
Torn by these violent and conflicting emotions, Fox passed almost a watch in the cavern, tossing restlessly from one side to the other. His thoughts were entirely consumed with visions of Orchid. While in the midst of these imaginings, he harboured occasional thoughts like, "My enemy, knowing that he cannot overpower me, tries to entrap me with a beautiful woman: can this really be the case?" Immediately he tried to banish such suspicious thoughts, lest they should defile her. Fox then debated with himself. "It cannot be so. She has too much of an innocent spirit to attempt such vile tricks. How could I harbour such mean thoughts?"
Soon, the day turned to dusk. Fox was by now barely in command of his feelings. Thereupon, he instructed Quad, "Uncle Quad, I shall ascend the mountain again. You lie here and rest."
Presently, Fox exercised his levitational arts, sailing across the snow-bound terrain. In a second he had flitted to the base of the mountain. He scaled the precipitous ridge by groping his way up the rope. His heart throbbed with unabated passion the minute he attained the gate of the eyrie. He entered the main hall. No one received him. Rather puzzled by the silence inside, he cried out aloud, "A member of the younger generation, Fox, is here at your service. Has Master Wish returned yet?" He shouted out his message a number of times, but the eyrie remained empty and quiet. He said quietly to himself, smiling, "Wish is clearly mistakenly considered a great and courageous fighter. For now he is hiding in a closet, hatching vile schemes. You may come out with your foul tricks; I, Fox, will have no fear."
Fox then seated himself in the main hall for a little while. He had intended to leave a
few lines behind to expose Wish to public ridicule before making his way down the mountain; yet now he wanted to remain. He was growing increasingly fond of this place. Suddenly, he walked towards the eastern wing. He pushed open the door of the room. Volume upon volume of books were shelved on the walls. The room was exquisitely furnished. Then the trespasser stole inside. He picked up a book lying within easy reach, seated himself and began to read. He turned the pages, and yet could hardly concentrate on reading intently. Only one thought filled his heart: "Where has she gone? Where has she gone?"
Outside it was growing dark. Fox struck a flame. Just as he was about to light the candle, the sound of many hurrying feet came, muffled because of the snow. He started. It came from the snowy landscape east of the eyrie. Several adept fighters were approaching, trekking across the snow. People can walk quietly by tiptoeing on hard ground; but not one step can they steal on compacted granular snow. Those who are better endowed may glance the snow faintly with soft, bare feet, while the less gifted shuffle and stamp dully. People can easily tell such difference. Fox listened to a few sounds, reflecting, "I wonder who these celebrities could be." Immediately he tucked the match back into the front panel of his robe and listened more intently.
Fox could hear the stealthy movements of several more accomplished martial artists. Fox made a quick calculation: five altogether. Soon, three faint claps were heard coming from afar. These distant signals were answered by three claps near the eyrie. After a short while six more persons met outside the building. In no time, a total of eleven adepts had assembled. Though Fox was himself a paragon of a warrior, bold and brazen, he still felt something close to fear when confronted by a company of deft fighters. He said quietly to himself, "The first thing to do is to depart from the eyrie. My enemy has mustered a force of other hands to injure me. There are far too many for me to handle alone." Thereupon, he quietly stole from the chamber. Just as he was about to scale the wall, a few pattering sounds came from the rooftop. More fighters had arrived, making escape impossible.
Fox at once retraced his steps. He discovered that another reinforcement of expert fighters, totalling seven, were crouching on the tiles overhead. Three clapping sounds came from the roof, echoed immediately by three answering claps outside. Seven unidentified figures leapt down, landing quietly in the courtyard. They were coming towards the eastern wing. Fox was clearly in a very vulnerable position. The enemies were far too many to be challenged single-handed. Fox's last hope rested in taking all his enemies by surprise. He had anticipated that Wish might enlist support from others; but it had never dawned on him that Wish would have invited so many expert fighters. Suddenly, Fox heard the footsteps of the seven enemies trooping towards the door. He immediately ducked behind a screen, hoping to spy on his foes. He was intent on finding out the snares they had in store for him.
He smelt burning. Someone had lit the firebrand. The screen would soon threaten his safety, Fox told himself. He looked around and caught sight of the gauze curtain hanging down from the side of the bed. No shoes were placed beside the bed. Apparently no one was sleeping on it. Summoning his pneuma in one breath, Fox stole speedily to the side of the bed. He raised the curtain, sat on the edge of the bed, and then slipped under the bedding. Fox congratulated himself quietly on the ease with which he had escaped open confrontation with his enemies. So deftly nimble were his movements that the seven strangers, adept fighters though they were, failed to detect him.
The minute Fox slid his body under the coverlet, he started in horror: his hand felt a human form which was flawlessly fine and smooth-skinned. To his surprise, a woman was already cocooned beneath the quilted cover. Just as he was about to roll from the bed, the light flickered. Footsteps drew closer. Soon the fighters filed into the room. A man carrying a candle stole a peep behind the screen and began, "No one is here. We can talk." Then he sat down on a chair.
A waft of subtle fragrance assailed Fox's nostrils, similar to the thin wisp of faint sweetness which had drifted through the air when Orchid was intoning her thanks and appreciation a while before. His heart almost bursting, Fox was troubled in his thoughts, thinking to himself, "Could she really be Miss Miao? My indecently abrupt entry deserves death a thousand times over; but if I suddenly emerge at this moment, people will believe that we are engaged in an affair as we will be seen to have been swathed in the same coverlet on the same bed. I would then have defiled Miss Miao's untainted reputation. I shall wait until those people have left the room; then I can get out of bed and apologize to her."
Fox turned around slightly. The back of his hand inadvertently touched the lady's upper arm again. Her limb was like immaculate satin to the touch, as though she were naked. Taken aback, Fox immediately withdrew his hand. Orchid was left yet with her chemise on when Sign had stripped her of her clothes. Believing that she was unclothed, Fox closed his eyes. He dared neither look at her nor move his limbs. He immediately tightened his chest and stomach, drawing them both in. Quietly he inched his way towards the outer edge of the bed, keeping himself at a safer distance.
Though Fox had closed his eyes, the delectably musky fragrance stole into his nose. The scent irresistibly caressed him, seeming to toy with the soul of this martial man. Fox soon lost command of his senses. Re-opening his eyes wide, he caught a glimpse of a young maiden, lying on her back. Like a cherry apple, her oval face was flushed and abashed. If she were not Miss Miao, who else could she be? The shimmering firelight filtering through the gauze curtain played upon the beautiful face pillowed next to his own. Such loveliness in a living being Fox had never seen before, nor ever dared to dream of.
Fox had meant to steal only one glance at Orchid, and then close his eyes. The minute his eyes were closed, his mind was in a frenzy of infatuation, yet touched with indecision and the need to forget her. Once again he had to open his eyes and look fully at her.
Orchid, piqued at the paralytic points, lay on her back immobilized; but her mind remained as sharp as a razor. Panic had pierced her heart when Fox had slipped suddenly into the bed, lying next to her so that their heads touched. She dreaded assault. Orchid had immediately closed her eyes, resigned to her fate. But Fox, after lying down for only a short while, had decided to sidle towards the outside of the bed, away from her. He had not attempted to move any closer. This diminished her fear. She opened her eyes minutely to assuage her curiosity. At this moment Fox happened to gaze at her soulfully with his wide open eyes. The two pairs of eyes met, less than six inches from each other. Fox and Orchid both blushed hotly.
Suddenly, a voice was heard from beyond the screen: "Master Sai, your plan is ingenious, and would surprise anyone. Once that warrior fighter, even supposing he is truly Invincible Under the Sky, is caught like a fly in a spider's treacherous web, he will find not a single weak thread."
Thereupon, the enemy holding the torch broke into deep laughter. He put the candlestick down and moved in front of the screen, remarking, "Master Zhang, cease all these glittering compliments. Once we have the matter settled, I shall certainly see to it that you are all handsomely rewarded."
Fox and Orchid were shocked to hear them. The adversaries had hatched some vile schemes aimed at Phoenix, the Gilt-faced Buddha. Ignorant of the facts of life among the outlawry, Orchid paid little heed to their remarks. Knowing well that her father was truly invincible, she trusted that no harm could ever come to him. Fox, however, regarded the matter differently. Sean Sai, Commissioner of the Imperial Guardsmen and the champion fighter of Manchuria, had already excelled himself by transcending the techniques of martial ability. Both his endomarts and exomarts had attained a state of artfulness, growing from his unconscious. Ruthless and cunning, Sai had inflicted countless brutal and agonizing deaths on loyal officials and righteous warriors. As Principal Imperial Guardsman and henchman to Emperor Qianlong, Sai had travelled as an emissary to the Jadeite Pinnacle in person, bringing his contingent of picked hands all the way from Peking. Zhang seemed to have indicated that they had d
evised some evil trick to ensnare Phoenix. Accomplished though he was in martial feats, he would surely have to succumb to their treacherous designs. Sensing that Commissioner Sai had moved away from the screen, Fox seized this opportunity to act. Quietly he raised the gauze curtain and lashed out his right palm in the direction of the fire. A gust of wind immediately swept across the room, putting out the flame instantly.
Suddenly a voice was heard: "Oh, the fire has gone out." More people stepped inside the room at this moment, crying, "Strike a flame! Kindle the fire!" The Commissioner interrupted. "It would be better to talk in the dark. Phoenix is exceptionally nimble-witted. The light may deter him from entering this room. He is very much like a fish which has already swallowed the bait, and yet manages to swim away, wrestling itself free of the hook." The party applauded his plan, echoing each other's praise. "The Commissioner is indeed far-sighted. His moves are indeed meticulously contrived. He is both exceptional and remarkable."
At length, someone was heard quietly moving the screen to the side. By now fighters and warriors had packed the room. Some were sitting on the floor and others on the table. Three of them were even sitting by the edge of the bed. The feeling of immediate danger never left Fox; rather it grew increasingly stronger.
Fox was afraid that the three fellows sitting by the edge of the bed might lean back when they grew tired. The worst that might happen would be if they should decide to stretch out on their backs. Mindful of this imminent danger, Fox involuntarily edged his way slightly inward, bringing himself closer to Orchid. Orchid's breath filtered through his nose, like the musky perfume of orchids, drowning his senses and bewitching his soul. Fox was haunted by the fear that he would tarnish Orchid's reputation if ever the three fighters sitting by the edge of the bed discovered him. He was also obsessed by another fear that the stubble of his beard might injure her delicate face. Thereupon, Fox vowed to himself: should he be discovered, he would dispatch all eighteen of the fighters assembled in the room, sparing not a soul, even if it meant sacrificing his own life. He vowed not to let anyone escape, lest the life of this pure and immaculate maiden be endangered.
