by Jin Yong
Qian Erbai bowed in respect, walked backward three steps, turned around to mount his horse and galloped away.
Zhang Wuji handed over the golden case to Xiao Zhao. He was very concerned over his people’s condition that he did not care to look what was inside the case. Immediately he took the flower tree from his pocket and gave an order for someone to fetch some clear water. He crushed the deep purple root along with the dark green small beads and put them in the water. One by one he gave the concoction to Yin Tianzheng, Yang Xiao, as well as to the Five Elements Flags commanders and their second-in-commands. Practically every one of the Ming Cult leaders who joined the banquet at the pavilion, except Zhang Wuji who was protected by the Nine Yang Divine Energy, was poisoned.
Yang Buhui accompanied Yin Liting outside the pavilion; Xiao Zhao and the rest of the Ming Cult people ate at the side reception hall. Everybody followed their Cult Leader’s order; every dish was quietly tested with silver needles before they ate it; hence they were free from poisoning.
The antidote was very effective that in less than an hour the toxicity inside their bodies was neutralized; they no longer feeling dizzy, only they were still feeling very weak. Immediately they asked the whole story on how they got poisoned.
Zhang Wuji sighed and said, "We were being very careful; the water, wine and the food did not have any poison. I am sure about it. How would I know that that Miss Zhao’s evil mind was very cunning that she employed an unthinkable method? This kind of ‘shui xian’-like flower is called ‘zui xian ling fu’ [drunken immortal phantom lotus]. It is extremely rare but in itself it is not poisonous. The fake Yitian sword was made of a ‘qi ling xiang mu’ [marvelous pangolin fragrant wood], which grows on the ocean floor. In itself it is also not poisonous. But if these two fragrances are mixed together, they become violently poisonous.”
Zhou Dian slapped his thigh, "It was my bad; who told me to have an itchy hand and pull that Yitian sword out to take a look at it? Damn it!”
Zhang Wuji said, "She had already planned to harm us; even if Zhou Xiong did not pull it out, she would have sent someone else to draw it out and poison us. It was unavoidable.”
"Come!” Zhou Dian said, "Let us burn that Green Willow Manor to the ground!”
He barely closed his mouth when in the distant they saw black smoke rose up to the sky, red flame flickered; the Green Willow Manor was on fire. They looked at each other, dumbstruck; everybody had the same thought, "This Miss Zhao has anticipated everything; she knew that as soon as the poison in our bodies is neutralized we will settle the debt by burning the manor, so she beat us by setting the manor on fire first. This person is young, she is also a girl, yet she is a formidable enemy.”
Zhou Dian slapped his thigh, "She burned the manor, so what? We can still catch up and kill them all.”
Yang Xiao said, "Since she had already burned the manor, she must have prepared everything. We may not necessarily be able to pursue them.”
"Yang Xiong,” Zhou Dian said, "Your martial art is not bad, but when it comes to scheming, you beat Zhou Dian by half a notch.”
Yang Xiao laughed and said, "I wouldn’t dare, I wouldn’t dare! Zhou Xiong’s strategic ability is divine; how can Little Brother match it?”
Zhang Wuji smiled and said, "You two don’t need to be modest. This time we do not suffer too much damage, except for thirteen, fourteen brothers who suffer some arrow wound; we should thank our lucky stars. Let’s continue our journey.”
Along the way they asked Zhang Wuji how he knew the cause of their poisoning. Zhang Wuji replied, "I remember in the Poison Manual there is an article: If the fragrance of the ‘qi ling xiang mu’ is mixed with that of some kind of lotus flower, the resulting mixture oftentimes can cause someone to become intoxicated for a few days. It can be neutralized by drinking the mixture of the beads of the flower with water. If the poison is not dispelled immediately, the toxicity will greatly damage the heart and the lung. This ‘zui xian ling fu’ is several times more severe than regular lotus. That was the reason I asked everybody not to circulate your internal energy. Otherwise the fragrance would have entered all passages and pulses, and then your life would be in danger.”
Wei Yixiao said, "I am surprised that this little girl Xiao Zhao has rendered a great service today; if it wasn’t for her bravely stepped forward in critical situation, our casualty would be very heavy.”
Initially Yang Xiao believed that Xiao Zhao was the enemy’s spy; but her actions that day could be considered a great service to the Ming Cult. It was so totally beyond his anticipation that for the time being he did not know what to think.
Along the way they tried to guess Zhao Min’s origin, but nobody was able to offer a plausible explanation. Zhang Wuji did not tell anybody that they fell into the trap together, and that he touched her feet, ripped her skirt, and the circumstances surrounding that occasion. Although he felt that he did not do anything shameful, he still didn’t feel comfortable talking about it in public.
That evening they decided to stop by an inn a little bit early. The rest of the Ming Cult people went their separate ways to find temples and ancestral halls to spend the night. Xiao Zhao took some water to Zhang Wuji’s room for him to wash his face.
"Xiao Zhao,” Zhang Wuji said, "Today you have rendered a great service; you don’t have to act as my servant anymore.”
Xiao Zhao flashed one of her captivating smiles. "I am very happy to attend to your needs; what servant are you talking about?” After waiting for him to wash his hands and face; she took the golden case out and said, "I wonder what kind of poisonous bugs or secret projectiles are in this box?”
"Right,” Zhang Wuji said, "We have to be very careful.”
Placing the case on the table he pulled her away from it. Taking out a copper coin he tossed it away. ‘Ding!’ the coin hit the edge of the golden case and opened up its lid. Nothing strange happened. He came near to take a look. Inside the box was a pearl head ornament; it still vibrated lightly. It was precisely the head ornament he took from Zhao Min’s temples, except the two big pearls, which Zhao Min said were missing, were back on their golden stems. Zhang Wuji was taken aback; he could not guess Zhao Min’s real intention in doing this.
Xiao Zhao smiled and said, "Master, that Miss Zhao is very good to you, she sent somebody to deliver this precious pearl head ornament to you.”
Zhang Wuji said, "I am a man, what am I supposed to do with this kind of girl’s jewelry? Xiao Zhao, you can keep it.”
Xiao Zhao shook her hand; she laughed and said, "How can I? Others show their affection to you; how do I dare to take it?”
With three of his left hand fingers Zhang Wuji took the pearl ornament. "Catch!” he laughed, and tossed the ornament away. His strength was neither light nor heavy; the ornament landed on Xiao Zhao’s hair without the golden pin scratching her skin.
Xiao Zhao reached up to take it away, but Zhang Wuji shook his hand and said, "Can’t I give you some trinkets?”
Xiao Zhao’s cheeks blushed; in a low voice she said, "Thank you very much, then. I am only afraid my Miss will be angry with me.”
"What you did today was not a small matter,” Zhang Wuji said, "How can the Left Emissary Yang, father and daughter, still suspect you?”
Xiao Zhao’s heart was filled with joy; she said, "You have been gone for a long time, I was really worried; plus those Tartars came to attack. I don’t know how, but suddenly I was swept by a great courage. If I think about it now, I was really scared. Master, can you talk to the Five Elements Flags and the Heavenly Eagle Flag brothers: asking them not to be offended by Xiao Zhao’s boldness and unseemly behavior?”
Zhang Wuji smiled and said, "They can’t thank you enough, how can they blame you?”
Less than a day later they arrived within the Henan borders. By that time the world was in chaos; everywhere heroic and patriots raised their arms to fight the invaders. Mongolian officers and soldiers conducted an even stricter questioning and searching of
insurgents. It was inconvenient for the Ming Cult people to travel together as a large group, therefore, they traveled in smaller groups to the Mount Song [Song Shan] and regrouped at the foot of the mountain before they finally traveled together up the Shaoshi Peak.
The Gigantic Wood Flag Chief, Wen Cangsong, was sent ahead to deliver Zhang Wuji and the others’ name cards to the Shaolin Temple. Zhang Wuji knew that this time they went up to the Shaolin Temple to ask for justice and although they did not want any fight, the end result would be difficult to tell. Supposing that the Shaolin monks did not want to talk but resort to violence instead, the Ming Cult could not balk at the challenge. Thereupon he passed on an order: while the leaders
were entering the temple, the Five Elements Flags and the Heavenly Eagle Flag were to disperse around the temple and wait outside; as soon as they heard him whistle three times, they were to render their assistance. The flag leaders accepted the order and went their separate ways.
Not too long afterwards an old monk acting as the welcoming host went down the mountain accompanied by Wen Cangsong; he said, "The Temple Abbot and all elders are closing themselves in meditation; they cannot receive any guest.”
The Ming Cult leaders’ faces changed as they heard this. Zhou Dian indignantly said, "This is the Cult Leader of the Ming Cult, personally came to the Shaolin Temple to pay a visit; the Senior Monks do not want to see him, don’t you think this is a bit rude?”
That ‘welcoming host’ monk [Translator’s note: I can’t think of a single English word for this.
Literally it means ‘receiving guest’.] lowered his head with knitted eyebrows; his face full of anxiety, he said, "Can’t see!”
Zhou Dian angrily stretched out his hand to grab his collar. Shuo Bude raised his arm to block, he said, "Zhou Xiong, don’t be rude.”
Peng Yingyu said, "Since the Abbot is in seclusion, then it will be the same if we can see Reverend Kong Zhi or Kong Xing.”
That ‘welcoming host’ monk clasped his palms and said with an icy-cold voice, "Can’t see!”
Peng Yingyu said again, "How about the Head of the Damo Hall or the Head of the Luohan Hall?”
That ‘welcoming host’ monk maintained his cold and indifferent look. "Can’t see!” he said.
With a thundering voice Yin Tianzheng roared, "Bottom line: are you or are you not going to see us?” Both of his palms shot out with an earth-shattering force, ‘bang!’ he hit and broke a nearby pine tree into two; the top part, still with branches and leaves on it, collapsed to the ground, taking three crow nests with it.
The ‘welcoming host’ monk began to show fear on his face, he said, "You have come from afar, it is only proper for us to see you, but our elders are meditating in seclusion. Please come back later!” He bowed and clasped his palms, then turned around to leave.
Wei Yixiao’s shadow flashed, blocking in front of the monk, he said, "I wonder how should we address Reverend?”
The ‘welcoming host’ monk said, "I can’t say lowly monk’s Buddhist name.”
Wei Yixiao stretched out his hand and lightly slapped the monk’s shoulder twice; he laughed and said, "Very good, very good! You repeatedly said ‘Bu Jian’ [Can’t see] two words, turned out you are ‘Bu Jian Da Shi’ [Reverend ‘Bu Jian’ or Reverend Can’t See], you are Kong Jian Shen Seng’s [Divine Monk Kong Jian - the same ‘Jian’ character as ‘Bu Jian’] martial brother. I wonder if the Yan Luo Wang [King of the Underworld] called you, ‘Bu Jian Shen Seng’, will you answer him?”
As the ‘welcoming host’ monk took the slap, a cold air flew from his shoulder to his chest; his body shook, his teeth chattered and his mouth made ‘ge, ge’ noises. Enduring all these he leaned sideways and slipped past Wei Yixiao; trembling and staggering all the way he ran back up the mountain.
"This fellow’s internal strength is not Shaolin’s,” Wei Yixiao said.
Immediately Zhang Wuji recalled Yuan Zhen’s internal strength, and admitted that Shaolin’s internal strength was extraordinary. He said, "Bat King has slapped him twice with the ‘han bing mian zhang’ [cold-ice soft palm]; how can his grandmasters and his masters ignore it? Let us go up the mountain, I want to see if the senior monks truly do not want to see us.”
Everybody knew a fierce fight would be unavoidable, Shaolin Sect was known as the Wulin world’s ‘tai shan bei dou’ [Mount Tai and Big Dipper - meaning ‘the ultimate’]; over the last thousand of years it had enjoyed the reputation as the Undefeated Sect in the Jianghu. In the battle that would happen today finally they will see between the Ming Cult and the Shaolin Sect, which one was strong and which one was weak. Everybody’s spirit was boosted a hundred folds; picking up their speed they climbed up the mountain. They realized Shaolin Temple’s martial art experts were as abundant as the cloud; so the intensity of the incoming big battle would not be a small matter.
Less than the time needed to drink tea later they had arrived at the pavilion in front of the temple. Zhang Wuji recalled how as a kid he followed his grandmaster going up this mountain and saw the Shaolin Sect’s Three Divine Monks right here in this pavilion. Although it was only a few years, but back then he was a lone thin and sickly kid; while today he was the Cult Leader of the Ming Cult, with all the honor and respect belonged to the position. He felt like the two visits were a world apart.
He saw that two of the pillars of the stone pavilion were broken; the stone table in the middle of the pavilion was turned upside down on the ground.
Shuo Bude laughed and said, "Shaolin Monks are brave and fierce; these two pillars are broken recently. It looks like they had a big fight only a few days ago and have not had any chance to fix it.”
Zhou Dian said, "After winning the battle today, we can come back and tear this pavilion apart.”
They waited at the pavilion, expecting a lot of martial art experts to come out of the temple; after exchanging pleasantries they were going to ask straightaway why Yin Liting fell under such a cruel hand. If the monks did not give them a satisfying answer, then they will resort to violence. Who would have thought that after waiting for half a day they did not see any movement from the temple. A moment later they saw that some people came out from the back of the temple and were going toward the mountain, from the distant it looked like there were forty, fifty people.
"Humph,” Peng Yingyu said, "They are deploying people to set an ambush.”
"Let’s go into the temple!” Zhang Wuji said.
Immediately, with Yang Xiao and Wei Yixiao on his left, Yin Tianzheng and Yin Yewang on his right, Tie Guan Daoren [Priest Tie Guan], Peng Yingyu, Zhou Dian and Shuo Bude, Four Wanderers behind him, Zhang Wuji entered the temple gate. Upon entering the ‘da xiong bao dian’ [great hero precious hall] they saw the sacrificial table in front of the image of Buddha was laying on its side, the incense burner fell and the ashes were scattered on the ground; but they couldn’t see anyone there.
Shuo Bude laughed coldly and said, "As the Shaolin Sect people saw us coming, they were panic-stricken and confused that they knocked the incense burner over. Funny, very funny!”
In a clear voice Zhang Wuji said, "Ming Cult’s Zhang Wuji, joined by Yang Xiao, Yin Tianzheng,
Wei Yixiao, and the other Cult Leaders have come to pay a visit. We wish to see the Abbot.” His voice was not loud, but it was supported by abundant power that it echoed on the copper bell and the big drum hanging inside the hall, creating a buzzing noise throughout the hall.
Yang Xiao, Wei Yixiao and the others looked at each other, thinking, "Jiaozhu’s internal energy is so profound, it truly is amazing. Even if Yang Jiaozhu [Cult Leader Yang] were still alive, his internal energy would still be inferior to this. It looks like in the incoming battle today our victory is imminent.”
Zhang Wuji’s voice could be heard in the front and rear courtyards, and all over the Shaolin Temple; yet after waiting for half an afternoon nobody came out.
"Hey!” Zhou Dian shouted, "Shaolin Temple Monks! Brothers! Are you playing hide an
d seek? Are you pretending to be a new bride?” His voice was louder than Zhang Wuji’s, but the copper bell and the big drum were not buzzing.
They waited for a little bit longer; still nobody came out. Peng Yingyu said, "Suddenly I got a bad feeling about this temple; something is really wrong.”
Zhou Dian laughed and said, "You are a monk entering a temple; this is your appropriate place, what do you mean something is wrong?”
"Ah,” Tie Guan Daoren suddenly said, "Here is a piece of meditation stick cut by a blade.”
"Ah!” Shuo Bude exclaimed, "There is a blotch of blood here!”
Zhou Dian laughed, "They must have remembered the battle of the Brightness Peak,” he said, "Our Jiaozhu’s reputation has spread far and wide, Shaolin Temple hangs high the truce flag! You see, they were so panic-stricken that they ran away dropping everything, including their weapons.”
Tie Guan Daoren shook his head, "That’s not right!” he said.
"Why not?” Zhou Dian asked.
Tie Guan Daoren said, "What about this blood stain?”
Zhou Dian replied, "Most likely they cut themselves in fright .” Speaking to this point he stopped, since he realized his idea was too far fetched. Right that moment a gust of wind blew, rising everybody’s sleeve. "It’s nice and cool!” Zhou Dian exclaimed. Suddenly they heard a loud crashing noise from the west, a big pine tree about a dozen ‘zhang’s away from them fell down.
The crowd was startled; immediately they jumped toward the collapsed tree. The tree grew on the southeast corner of the courtyard; there was nobody in the courtyard, so nobody knew how such a big tree fell down just by a puff of wind and in the process crashed half of the surrounding wall. They examined the broken part only to see the core of the tree to be already ruptured, clearly it was shaken by someone with profound skill; so the tree had already withered and dried up, and not fell down because of the wind just now.
They looked around their surrounding and one after another exclaimed, "Ah, it’s strange!” "There was heavy fighting in here!” "So fierce, so many people were injured!” The courtyard was full of traces of intense fighting: there were blade marks and imprints of fists and palms on the green flagstones below, on the trunk and branches of the surrounding trees, and on the enclosing walls. They could also see bloodstains everywhere; obviously the battle was truly bloody. There were
