by Jin Yong
By this time, the horse in the front was not too far away, while the two riders chasing behind him were flying close to him, perhaps about twenty, thirty ‘zhang’s away from him. As the first rider got closer, in a low voice Zhang Wuji said, "It is Song Qingshu, Song Dage [big brother]!”
"Stop him, quick!” Zhao Min said.
"What for?” Zhang Wuji was surprised.
"Don’t ask too much,” Zhao Min replied, "Have you forgotten what they said in the Mi Le Temple?”
Zhang Wuji’s heart was stirred; he picked a chunk of ice from the ground and flicked it out. ‘Swish!’ the chunk of ice flew straight to the front leg of Song Qingshu’s mount. The horse neighed in pain and knelt down to the ground. Song Qingshu leaped up and tried to pull his horse back up, but as the horse fell, it broke its left leg.
Seeing the pursuers were getting closer, Song Qingshu hastily ran to the side. Zhang Wuji flicked another piece of ice and hit the acupoint on his right leg. Zhao Min reached out and successively sealed the Four Heroes’ mute acupoints, to stop Song Yuanqiao from calling out.
"Ah!” they heard Song Qingshu cry out and tumble down on the snowy ground. Because of these two hindrances, the two riders quickly overtook him; they were none other than the Beggar Clan’s Chen Youliang and Zhang Bo Longtou.
Zhang Wuji felt strange, "The three of them are going to Mount Changbai together to get the necessary poison to make the drug; how come one was running away and the other pursued to this place?” he thought, but then he remembered, "That’s right, it must be that Song Dage was pricked by his own conscience and was not willing to do this unfilial and unrighteous thing. Fortunately he came across me, so I can save him.”
Chen Youliang and Zhang Bo Longtou dismounted their horses. They only knew that Song Qingshu had been riding the horse for a long time, perhaps he was exhausted, so that when the horse stumbled, Song Qingshu also fell down from his mount. But they also thought that Song Qingshu’s martial art was not weak; even if he was injured, his injury must be light. Two people came close with their weapons pointed toward Song Qingshu’s body.
Zhang Wuji had prepared another piece of ice in his hand, ready to be flicked toward Chen Youliang. Zhao Min touched his arm and shook his hand. Zhang Wuji turned around to look at her. Zhao Min placed her own left palm on her ear, and then pointed her finger toward Song Qingshu. Her meaning was clear, she wanted to listen to what they were going to say.
"Surnamed Song,” they heard Zhang Bo Longtou indignantly said, "You sneaked out in the middle of the night, what is your intention? Are you going to leak our secret by telling your father?” In his hand was a purple-gold eight-trigram [ba gua] saber, which he brandished above Song Qingshu’s head, ready to be chopped down.
Hearing the wind the Ba Gua saber produced, Song Yuanqiao was concerned over his beloved son’s safety; he grew exceedingly anxious. Zhang Wuji happened to turn his head around and saw the anxious look on his face, which very soon turned into a pleading look. Zhang Wuji nodded his head, meaning, "Don’t worry, I will in no way let Song Dage suffer any harm.” While thinking in his
heart, "The love parents have for their children is very profound [lit. as high as the sky, as thick as the earth]. Da Shibo [first martial (older) uncle] is very angry with me; if he could, he would chop me into thousand pieces, yet as he sees Song Dage is facing a danger, he immediately asks me for help. If it was Da Shibo himself who is facing a danger, as a brave warrior, he would never show any weakness by asking somebody else’s help.” Almost instantly he also thought that Song Qingshu was very fortunate to have people who cherished and showed loving care to him, while he was an orphan without any parents’ love.
He heard Song Qingshu reply, "I am not about to tell my Father.”
Zhang Bo Longtou said, "Bangzhu [Clan Leader] ordered you to come with me to Mount Changbai to pick some medicine, why are you disobeying the order by leaving?”
"You were also born from your parents,” Song Qingshu said, "You want me to harm my own father, how can my heart endure it? I refuse to do this beastly act.”
In a stern voice Zhang Bo Longtou said, "You have made up your mind to defy Bangzhu’s order, then? Do you know what punishment we impart to those who revolt against the Clan?”
"I am a criminal in this world,” Song Qingshu replied, "I do not hope to be alive. In these past few days, as soon as I closed my eyes, I saw Mo Qi Shu come to demand my life. His ghost does not want to go away, it keeps entangling me. Zhang Bo Longtou, please just chop me dead, I will be very grateful to you.”
Zhang Bo Longtou lifted his Ba Gua Saber high, and shouted, "Very well! I will help you!”
"Longtou Dage,” Chen Youliang stopped him, "If Song Xiongdi is not willing, killing him won’t do us any good. Let’s just let him go.”
"Are you saying we should let him go in just like that?” Zhang Bo Longtou was surprised.
"That’s right,” Chen Youliang said, "He has killed his own martial uncle Mo Shenggu, there will be people from his own Sect who’d kill him. This kind of injustice involves a sinful disciple’s blood, do not defile our chivalrous weapons.”
At the Mi Le Temple, Zhang Wuji had heard Chen Youliang bringing up Mo Shenggu’s name to Song Qingshu, he said something about ‘a junior defying his senior’. At that time, Zhang Wuji suspected that Song Qingshu had offended his martial uncle, but never in his wildest imagination Zhang Wuji would guess that Mo Shenggu died under Song Qingshu’s hands. Although Song Yuanqiao and the others were hidden behind a large rock, they were able to hear Song Qingshu clearly; they were all greatly shocked. Zhao Min was the only one who had guessed about 30% of the story; a smile of disdain appeared on the corners of her mouth.
"Chen Dage,” they heard Song Qingshu’s trembling voice, "You have given me a heavy oath that you will never divulge this secret. How can my father find out as long as you do not say anything?”
Chen Youliang smiled dryly, "You only remember my oath, but you don’t remember your own even heavier one. You said that from that day forward, you would obey what I say. Was it you who break your promise first, or was it I who did not keep my word?”
Song Qingshu hesitated for half a day before saying, "You wanted me to put poison in Tai Shifu and my father’s food; I would rather die than obeying your word. Just get your sword and kill me.”
"Song Xiongdi,” Chen Youliang said, "There is a saying that to understand the directions of the age
is an outstanding talent. We do not want to murder your father and elders, we only want to drug them so they will lose consciousness. Didn’t you agree to it at the Mi Le Temple?”
"No, no!” Song Qingshu said, "I did agree to drug them, but the poison Zhang Bo Longtou gathered was from vipers and centipede; this is a poison to kill people, not a common drug to lose someone’s consciousness.”
Slowly and unenthusiastically Chen Youliang raised his sword, saying, "Emei Pai’s Miss Zhou is as beautiful as a goddess, there is no other girl like her, yet you resign to the fact that she is going to fall into that guy Zhang Wuji. This is really strange. Song Xiongdi, that day, deep into the night, you went to peep into the room occupied by Emei Pai’s female disciples. Your Qi Shishu caught you doing that, and he pursued you down. You fought him by the rocky ridge, and thus a nephew killed his uncle. Why did you do that? Wasn’t it for the sake of this gentle and tender, good-looking Miss Zhou? This matter has come this far, once you have done it, you can’t stop. Can the horse turn back once it enters a narrow pathway? I see that you have climbed the mountain 90% of the way, but fail for lack of a final effort. It’s a pity! It’s a pity!”
Song Qingshu stood up shakily. "Chen Youliang,” he angrily said, "Your words are sweet but insincere! You have forced me. That night I was defeated by Mo Qi Shu; I was not his match. I have brought disgrace to Wudang Pai. It would be a hundred times better if I died under his hands; who wanted you to interfere by giving me a hand? I have fallen into your scheme so deep that my reputation is swept awa
y and I cannot free myself.”
"Fine, fine!” Chen Youliang laughed, "Mo Shenggu died because of the ‘zhen tian tie zhang’ [iron palm shaking the heaven] on his back; was it you who hit him, or was it me, Chen Youliang who hit him? Isn’t it your Wudang Pai’s martial art? Certainly I cannot do that. That night I helped you, not only I saved your life, but protected your reputation as well; so you say I was wrong? Song Xiongdi, you and I came across each other, let’s not raise the matters of the past up. About you killing your uncle, my mouth is as tight as a drum; I will never leak even for half a word. The mountain is far, the river is long, we will see each other again in the future.”
In a trembling voice Song Qingshu said, "Chen ... Chen Dage, you ... what are you going to do to me?” His voice was full of doubt and uncertainty.
Chen Youliang laughed. "What am I going to do to you?” he said, "I am not going to do anything. Let me show you something. What is this?”
From their hiding place behind the rock, Zhang Wuji and Zhao Min were dying to stick out their heads to see the thing Chen Youliang took out, but in the end they decided against doing so.
"Ah!” they heard Song Qingshu cried out in alarm, "This ... this is the iron ring of Emei Pai’s Sect Leader,” his voice was trembling, "It is Miss Zhou’s ... You ... you ... where did you get it from?”
In his heart, Zhang Wuji also shuddered, he thought, "When I left Zhiruo, I plainly saw her still wearing this Sect Leader iron ring; how did it fall into Chen Youliang’s hand? Most likely it is a fake one, he forged it to swindle other people.”
But he heard Chen Youliang laugh lightly and said, "Look carefully, whether this is the real thing or a fake one.”
A moment later Song Qingshu said, "In the Western Region I asked Miejue Shitai for some pointers in martial art, I saw this ring on her finger. I believe this is real.”
A ‘clang!’ noise was heard, a sound of metal striking against metal. Chen Youliang said, "If it was
fake, this sword should cut it into two. Look here, there is an inscription inside the ring, ‘liu yi xiang nu’ [bestowed to daughter Xiang] four characters, it can’t be fake, can it? This is the Emei Pai founder, Guo Xiang Nuxia’s [heroine Guo Xiang] xuan tie [black/mysterious iron - Yang Guo’s heavy sword] ring.”
Song Qingshu said, "Chen Dage, you ... where did you get it from? Miss Zhou, she ... is she all right?”
Chen Youliang laughed again, he said, "Zhang Bo Longtou, let’s go. From now on, the Beggar Clan has nothing to do with this person.” Footsteps were heard, the two of them turned around and left.
"Chen Dage, come back!” Song Qingshu called out, "Has Miss Zhou fallen into your hands? Is she still alive, or is she dead?”
Chen Youliang came back. With a smile on his face he said, "That’s right. Miss Zhou is in my hands. A beautiful woman like her, no man’s heart in this world will not be moved upon seeing her. Until now I am still single. I am thinking of asking Bangzhu earnestly to grant me Miss Zhou as my wife, chances are, Bangzhu will grant my request.”
Song Qingshu mumbled indistinctly, apparently, he was at a loss of what to say. Chen Youliang continued, "Actually, a gentleman should not take someone else’s prized possession. In order to win this Miss Zhou, Song Xiongdi has braved a grave disaster; how could for the sake of a beauty Chen Youliang ruin the ‘yi qi’ [spirit of loyalty and self-sacrifice/code of brotherhood] between brothers? But since you have revolted against the Clan, there is no more kindness and righteousness between us; nothing is out of question anymore, right?”
Song Qingshu mumbled some more. From the corner of his eye, Zhang Wuji noticed there were two streams of tears flowing down Song Yuanqiao’s cheeks; it was obvious that the grief in his heart had reached its peak. Suddenly they heard Song Qingshu say, "Chen Dage, Longtou Dage, as your little brother, I was confused; I beg your forgiveness. I hereby admit my guilt.”
Chen Youliang laughed out loud and said, "Right, right! Now, that is my good brother. I put my hand on my heart to guarantee you that you only need to take this drug [orig. ‘mengl han4 yao4 -a medicine to knock someone’s consciousness] to Mount Wudang, and then quietly put it into everybody’s cup of tea. Your honorable elders’ lives will not be harmed; the beautiful Zhou Zhiruo will certainly be your wife. We only want to coerce Zhang Sanfeng, Zhang Zhenren [respectable term to address a Taoist priest] and the Wudang heroes into forcing Zhang Wuji to listen to our command. Supposing that we harmed Zhang Zhenren and your honorable father’s lives, Zhang Wuji will only come to the Beggar Clan to exact the revenge; what good will that do to us?”
"That’s correct,” Song Qingshu said.
Chen Youliang continued, "Wait till the Beggar Clan has subdued the Ming Cult, driven out the Tartars, and ruled the earth; our Bangzhu will ascend to the throne [orig. long2 wei4 - dragon position], you and I will render meritorious service to the founder of the kingdom, needless to say, not only our wives and descendants will enjoy titles and positions, but your honorable father will benefit from your bright face.”
With a bitter smile Song Qingshu said, "My Father does not seek fame and fortune. I only hope he will not kill me; then I will be satisfied.”
"How can your father know about the party before it is over?” Chen Youliang said with a smile,
"Unless he is a deity who can predict the future. Song Xiongdi, is your foot injured from the fall? Come, we can share the ride. We’ll buy another horse in the next town.”
Song Qingshu said, "A chunk of ice has bumped my calf because I was in such haste. As bad luck has it, it hit right on my ‘zhu bin’ [lit. building visitor] acupoint. There is indeed such a coincidence in this world.” Because he was so preoccupied by Zhang Bo Longtou and Chen Youliang who were pursuing him, he had never thought that there were people who were plotting against him behind the large rock ahead. He only knew that he was being careless and the piece of ice happened to strike him on his acupoint.
"What bad luck?” Chen Youliang laughed and said, "I’ll say it was Song Xiongdi’s lucky day, to marry a beautiful woman as your wife. If there was no such strike, we would not be able to overtake you, and then you would be lost in your own confusion. Not only your reputation would be swept away, but you would ruin our major undertaking. If this sweet smelling, tender Miss Zhou become Chen Youliang’s possession, wouldn’t it be like a phoenix married a crow, a fresh flower stuck into a pile of manure?”
"Hmm,” Song Qingshu said, "Chen Dage, it’s not that Xiongdi is unable to tell good from bad, and does not believe you .”
Without waiting for him to finish, Chen Youliang cut him off, "You want to see Miss Zhou, don’t you? That’s easy. At this moment Bangzhu and the elders are in Lulong [a city in Hebei], Miss Zhou is with them. As soon as we get to Lulong, you can see her. When the Mount Wudang task is accomplished, your Gege [elder brother] will hold the wedding celebration for you, to fulfill your greatest desire; and then you will be grateful to your Chen Youliang Dage for the rest of your life.
Ha ha, ha ha ...!”
"All right,” Song Qingshu said, "Let us go to Lulong. Chen Dage, how did Miss Zhou ... how did she join our Clan?”
Chen Youliang laughed and said, "That was to Longtou Dage’s credit. That day Zhang Bang Longtou and Zhang Bo Longtou went eating and drinking in a restaurant. They saw three strangers who dressed like our Clan disciples, mingled among us. Later, they sent some people to investigate, and unexpectedly found one of them is this lovable and charming Miss Zhou. Zhang Bo Longtou then sent someone to invite her to come with us. Don’t worry, Miss Zhou is auspiciously well; not a single strand of her hair is injured.”
Zhang Wuji groaned inwardly, "Turned out that we were already detected on the restaurant that day. If only Yifu were not blind, he would certainly raise the alarm. Ay, to think that all along Zhiruo and I were not aware. But I wonder if Yifu is also well?”
However, all throughout the conversation, Chen Youliang did not mention a single word about Xie Xun. He said, "Miss Zhou and
you are engaged, Emei and Wudang two Sects will be under the Beggar Clan’s command, add to that the Ming Cult; just how powerful can we be? We only need to defeat the Mongolians, and then this beautiful country [orig. jiang1 shan1 - river and mountain], heh, heh, will change its master.”
His voice was full of smugness, as if not only the Beggar Clan had already conquered the world, but he, Chen Youliang, had already ascended to the throne, and was sitting comfortably in the imperial courtyard. Zhang Bo Longtou and Song Qingshu followed him laughing ‘heh, heh’, hollow laughs.
"Let’s go,” Chen Youliang said, "Song Xiongdi, Mo Qixia died around here; the cave where we hid
his corpse is not far from this place, is it? You ran to this place and suddenly stumbled, could it be that Mo Qixia’s spirit showed up? Ha ha, ha ha!” Song Qingshu did not reply. The three of them walked toward the horses and then left that place.
Zhang Wuji waited until they had gone far before he quickly unsealed Song Yuanqiao and the others’ acupoints, and then he knelt to the ground and kowtowed over and over again. "Shibo, Shishu,” he said, "Nephew was under suspicion and could not explain myself. I have offended you heavily, please punish me.”
Song Yuanqiao heaved a deep sigh, tears streaming down from his eyes; he looked up to the sky without saying anything. Yu Lianzhou busily raised Zhang Wuji up and said, "We all have wrongly accused you. It was our own fault. We are as close as a flesh and blood family, let’s not talk about this anymore. I just can’t believe Qingshu ... ay, if we did not hear it with our own ears, who could have believed it?”
Song Yuanqiao pulled his sword out and said, "Turned out Qidi came across Qingshu, that little animal ... when he was peeking into Emei heroines’ bedroom. We must put our school’s internal affair in order. Three Shidi’s, Child Wuji, let us pursue them; let me slay that animal with my own hand.” Finished speaking, he launched his qing gong and ran to the direction Song Qingshu went.
