by Jin Yong
Zhang Wuji was just about to grab Xie Xun’s legs, ready to take him go; but suddenly the ‘da zhui xue’ [big spine acupoint] on his back went numb. It was Xie Xun. Zhang Wuji’s hands lost their strength and he did not have any choice but to relax his grip. In his anxiety he almost cried. "Yifu,” he called out, "You ... why are you being this difficult?”
"Good Child,” Xie Xun replied, "The wrong I have received, you have already explained it clearly to the three eminent monks. The sins I have committed, I have to pay the retribution myself. If you are not leaving, who will avenge my grievances for me?”
Zhang Wuji’s heart turned cold; but he saw the dozen or so Shaolin monks wielding Buddhist staff or saber had already attacked the eight people. ‘Bing, bing, bang, bang!’ the noise of the close combat can be heard.
The black-bearded old man with judge pens realized that if the battle was prolonged, not only they would fail their mission at the last minute; they may find it difficult to escape alive. He was enraged that a nameless young man had spoiled their important business. With a clear voice he shouted, "I beg to know the honorable surname and the great given name of the young man in the middle of the pine trees. Hao Mi and Bo Tai of Hejian [a city in Hebei province] want to know which expert has interfered with our business today.”
Raising his black rope up, Du E said, "The Ming Cult’s Zhang Jiaozhu, the number one martial art expert in the world; how can the Hejian Shuang Sha [twin evils of Hejian] not know?”
"Ah!” the judge pen wielding Hao Mi exclaimed. He raised his pair of pens up and then walked out of the loop. The other seven followed him. The Shaolin monks were about to stop them, but those eight’s martial art skill was considerably higher than the monks; side by side they proceeded going down the hill.
Du E and the others, three monks, had heard everything Xie Xun and Zhang Wuji said. They also knew that Zhang Wuji did not take advantage of their precarious situation, he simply stood on the side, did not help either side. When Bo Tai broke through their ‘Jin Gang Fu Mo Quan’ defensive line, based on the Twin Evils of Hejian’s cruelty, the three monks would have lost their lives by now. The three monks laid down their black ropes, stood up, and put their palms together in respect. "Many thanks for Zhang Jiaozhu’s benevolence,” they said in chorus.
Zhang Wuji hastily returned the propriety and said, "Such an insignificant deed; is it worth mentioning?”
Du E said, "In today’s business, although Lao Na would not allow Xie Xun to accompany Zhang Jiaozhu, but Zhang Jiaozhu has just saved our lives, Lao Na would be powerless to stop you from leaving. Only Lao Na, three martial brothers, have received order from our temple’s Abbot to watch over Xie Xun. We have established a heavy oath before Buddha’s presence, unless the three of us lose our lives, we will never let Xie Xun escape. This matter concerns our Sect’s thousand years of glory or disgrace; we beg Zhang Jiaozhu to understand of our difficulty.”
"Humph,” Zhang Wuji snorted, but did not say anything.
Du E continued, "About the animosity of Lao Na losing an eye, we can consider it over today. If Zhang Jiaozhu wishes to rescue Xie Xun, you may come back anytime. As long as you can break Lao Na, three martial brothers’ ‘Jin Gang Fu Mo Quan’, you can take Shi Wang [lion king] go.
Zhang Jiaozhu may bring as many helpers as you wish. You can take turn fighting us, or you can fight us as a group; we, three martial brothers, will accept the challenge by ourselves. Before Zhang Jiaozhu’s return, Lao Na, three brothers, will guard Xie Xun carefully. We will not let Yuan Zhen to insult him even for half a sentence, or harm a single strand of his hair.”
Zhang Wuji cast a glance toward Xie Xun; in the dark night he saw the silhouette of his well-built form, his long hair draped over his neck and shoulders; he was standing with lowered head, as if his heart was full of remorse over the transgressions he committed in the past. He looked totally different from his impressive, invincible former self. Zhang Wuji felt tears forming in his eyes as he considered, "I can’t defeat them today, and Yifu does not want to leave. I must bring [maternal] Grandfather, Yang Zuo Shi, Fan You Shi, and the others to help me fight. This three black rope formation is as impregnable as a copper wall or iron rampart. If Du Nan Dashi did not send me a palm attack, that Bo Tai would definitely not able to break through their defense line. Even with the help of Grandfather and the Left and Right Brightness Emissaries, there is no guarantee that we can break their formation. Ay, right now, all I can do is to deal with whatever comes my way using one step at a time.” Thereupon he said, "Since that is the case, I will return to receive instructions from the Three Reverends.” Turning around to embrace Xie Xun’s waist he said, "Yifu, your child is leaving.”
Xie Xun nodded. Gently stroking Zhang Wuji’s hair he said, "You don’t have to come back. I have made up my mind not to leave. Good Child, I hope in everything you will turn bad luck into good fortune. Don’t let the hopes of your Father and Mother and myself down. Follow your Father’s example; don’t follow your Yifu’s.”
Zhang Wuji replied, "Both Father and Yifu are heroes and real men; upright warriors who do everything in the open. Both are Child’s role models.” As he said that, he bowed in respect. His shadow swayed and he flew out of the three pine trees circle. Raising his hands toward the Shaolin Temple’s three monks, he launched his ‘qing gong’ and suddenly disappeared. They only heard his clear whistle, which in a very short time had reached about a ‘li’ [approx. 0.5 km] away.
The Shaolin monks standing on the peak of that hill looked at each other in astonishment. They had heard that the Zhang Jiaozhu of the Ming Cult possessed an outstanding martial art skill, but they had never expected his skill to be this divine.
Since his presence was no longer a secret, Zhang Wuji thought he might as well show his martial art skill. Perhaps the Shaolin monks would be scared and would treat Xie Xun nicely.
His whistle sound came out of his abundant ‘qi’; it was a continuous whistle, which rose up above
the noise of the thunderstorm. It sounded like a dragon roar as it flew through the sky. Putting his entire strength on his feet, he ran faster and faster, while his whistling was also getting louder and louder. Thousands of Shaolin monks were startled awake from their dreams. It was not until the whistle was far away they started to talk to one another. Kong Wen, Kong Zhi, and the others knew Zhang Wuji had arrived; which only served to increase their anxiety.
Zhang Wuji ran for several ‘li’s. Suddenly from behind a willow tree by the road side someone was calling out, "Hey!” Someone leaped out. It was Zhao Min.
Zhang Wuji stopped his whistle and halted his steps. Reaching out, he pulled her over, only to see that her whole body was dripping wet from the heavy rain; as she looked up, water streaming down from her face.
"Did you fight with the Shaolin Temple baldies?” Zhao Min asked.
"Yes,” Zhang Wuji replied.
"How is Xie Daxia?” Zhao Min asked, "Did you see him?”
Zhang Wuji pulled her arm along, and while they were strolling in the heavy rain, he told her briefly what had happened just now.
Zhao Min hesitantly asked, "Did you ask him how he got captured?”
"I was only thinking of how to help him escape,” Zhang Wuji replied, "I did not have time to mind other people’s business.”
Zhao Min sighed and no longer made any noise.
"You are not happy?” Zhang Wuji asked.
"To you, it is other people’s business, to me, it is a very serious matter,” Zhao Min replied, "All right, I’ll wait for Xie Daxia to be rescued. I don’t think it will be too late to ask him then. I am only afraid
33
"What are you afraid of?” Zhang Wuji asked, "Are you afraid we cannot save Yifu?”
"The Ming Cult is a lot stronger than the Shaolin Pai,” Zhao Min said, "If you really want to rescue Xie Daxia, I am sure you will eventually succeed. I am only afraid that Xie Daxia is determined to die because of Kong Jian Shen Seng.”
It was exactly what had been burdening Zhang Wuji’s heart. "Do you think he is?” he asked.
"I hope he isn’t,” Zhao Min replied.
Two people walking and talking until they arrived at the Du couple’s hut. Zhao Min laughed and said, "Your real identity has been exposed, you cannot hide from these two people anymore.”
Zhang Wuji noticed that the door of the hut was half closed, so he reached out to open it. After shaking the rain water from his head and body he went in, but suddenly smelled a burst of blood. He was shocked and immediately pushed Zhao Min back out of the door with his left hand. From the dark someone’s claw was reaching out. This claw was noiseless, without creating any wind, but it was shockingly fast. In a flash the fingers had reached Zhang Wuji’s cheek. He did not have
enough time to evade. His left foot flew up toward that person’s chest. The attacker pulled back his hand and his elbow struck the ‘huan tiao xue’ [lit. ‘jump-the-loop’] acupoint on Zhang Wuji’s leg with an extremely fierce and ruthless move.
Zhang Wuji knew that as soon as pulled back his leg slightly, the enemy’s left hand would immediately scoop out his pair of eyeballs. Therefore, he feigned a grab toward the enemy’s hand, expecting the enemy to pull back his elbow, but unexpectedly his grab was successful. He took the enemy’s left hand in his palm, but right at that moment, his ‘huan tiao xue’ went numb; he could not stand and was forced to kneel down on his right leg.
He was about to seize the opportunity by wrenching the enemy’s wrist when he suddenly realized the hand in his palm was soft, warm and smooth. It was a woman’s hand. His heart was stirred and he did not have the heart to treat her with a heavy hand. He lifted that person up and flung her outside. ‘Stab’, he felt a severe pain on his right shoulder as it was pierced by a knife.
As the enemy leaped out of the room, her palm struck toward Zhao Min’s face. Zhang Wuji knew Zhao Min would not be able to block it and would be killed on the spot. Thereupon, enduring the pain, he leaped up and sent out his palm to parry. ‘Bang’ two palms collided. That person’s body swayed, her feet staggered; but borrowing the momentum, she continued moving backward and ran several ‘zhang’s out, and then disappeared into the darkness.
"Who was that?” Zhao Min was still in shock.
"Hey,” Zhang Wuji mumbled. He tried to light a fire, but the flint inside his pocket was soaked wet from the heavy rain; he could not start the fire. Afraid that the enemy’s knife on his right shoulder was poisonous, he did not dare to pull it up.
"Light up the lamp,” he said.
Zhao Min went to the kitchen to get a flint and lighted the oil lamp. She was shocked to see the short knife on his shoulder. Zhang Wuji saw that the blade of the knife was without poison.
"Only a flesh wound,” he laughed, "Nothing to worry about.”
As he turned his head and pulled the knife out, he saw Du Baidang and Yi Sanniang curled up on the corner of the room. Ignoring the blood oozing out of his wound, he rushed to look; the couple had died for a while.
Zhao Min was scared. "They were still fine when I went out,” she said.
Zhang Wuji nodded. As Zhao Min wrapped his wound, he took up the short knife and examined it.
It was precisely the weapon the Du couple used. He looked around the room, and saw on the beam, on the pillars, on the table, on the ground, everywhere, there were short blades scattered around. Apparently, the enemy engaged the Du couple in fierce battle, forcing them to use up their blades one by one, and then began to injure them.
"This person’s martial art is very fierce,” Zhao Min said in amazement.
If Zhang Wuji was not quick enough in the battle in the dark just now, that person would have had gouged his eyes. Not only he would have been a blind man, but most likely Zhao Min and he would be lying on the ground, dead. He looked back at the bodies of the Du couple. Dozens of ribs on their chests were broken, as were ribs on their backs. It was obvious that the martial art which killed them was very cruel, with a very powerful palm strength behind it. He had fought countless
archenemies, undergone many dangerous situations, yet thinking back about the quick-paced, three-stance close combat in the dark room, he could not restrain from shivering in fear. He had fought two vicious battles tonight; the first was one against three, which lasted for a long time. But speaking of soul-stirring and hair-rising battle, it was nothing compared to the second one, which lasted for a twinkling of the eye.
"Who was that?” Zhao Min asked again.
Zhang Wuji shook his head without answering. Suddenly Zhao Min understood. Her eyes grew big in fright. After staring blankly for half a day, she threw herself into Zhang Wuji’s bosom and wept in fear. They both knew that if Zhao Min did not hear Zhang Wuji’s whistle and came out amidst the heavy rain to welcome him, and thus escape the great catastrophe, right now on the corner of the room there would not only be two corpses, but three.
Zhang Wuji gently patted her back and consoled her in gentle voice. Zhao Min said, "That person’s target must be me; she killed the Du couple first, and then hid to set up an ambush against me.
She simply did not mean to harm you.”
"You must not leave my side these next several days,” Zhang Wuji said. After thinking for a while he muttered, "How could her internal energy and martial art skill advance so rapidly in less than a year? I am afraid nobody in this world other than myself will be able to protect you.”
The next morning, Zhang Wuji took Du Baidang’s hoe and dug a deep hole to bury the Du couple. Together with Zhao Min they kneeled and bowed to express their respect. Recalling how Yi Sanniang had treated the two of them with loving care, they could not help but feel grief.
Suddenly from far away, from the direction of Shaolin Temple they heard a faint continuous ‘dang, dang’ sound. It sounded very urgent. At the same moment, from the east a blue-green rocket shot to the sky; from the south a red rocket, from the west white, and from the north black, while from several ‘li’s away they saw yellow smoke rise up. These five rockets and smoke encircled the Shaolin Temple in the middle.
"The Ming Cult’s Five-element Flags have arrived!” Zhang Wuji called out, "And they are going to deal with the Shaolin Pai frontally. Let’s go quickly.” Hurriedly they changed their clothes, washed the mud from their hands and faces, and walked quickly toward the Shaolin Temple.
Walking for only a few ‘li’s, they saw a company of white-clothed Ming Cult army, with small yellow banners in their hands, going up the mountain.
"Is Yan Qi Shi [Flag leader Yan] here?” Zhang Wuji called out.
As the leader of the Hou-tu Qi [thick earth flag/banner], Yan Yuan heard the call, he turned around and saw his Jiaozhu. In his delight, he quickly came forward to pay his respects. The people serving under him were also expressed their delights in thunderous voices and bowed down together.
Yan Yuan reported: As the leaderships of the Ming Cult learned about Xie Xun’s whereabouts, they held a discussion and decided that if they waited for the Duan Yang Festival to ask for Xie Xun, all the heroes under the Heaven would have flocked to the Shaolin Temple, then the Ming Cult would have to face the world’s heroes as their enemies. Since they were not able to report to their Cult Leader, they were forced to take the matter into their own hands. Thereupon, ten days before the Duan Yang Festival, Yang Xiao and Fan Yao led the masters of the Cult to the Shaolin Temple to ask for Xie Xun. They expected an open war would be unavoidable, but after looking everywhere,
they could not find their Cult Leader, so the group of warriors felt like a dragon without a head.
The Ming Cult people blew the bugle, announcing the arrival of their Cult Leader; so not too long afterwards, Yang Xiao, Fan Yao, Yin Tianzheng, Wei Yixiao, Yin Yewang, Zhou Dian, Peng Yingyu, Shou Bude, Priest Tie Guan, and the others came one after another, while the Rui Jin [acute gold/metal], Ju Mu [gigantic tree], Hong Shui [flooding water], and Lie Huo [blazing fire], four banners were surrounding the Shaolin Temple on all sides.
As they saw each other, everybody broke into delightful chatter.
Yang Xiao and Fan Yao admitted their guilt for acting without authorization. Zhang Wuji said, "You don’t have to be too modest. Everybody with one mind join forces to rescue Xie Fa Wang. That shows our Cult’s brethrens have a strong spirit of brotherhood [yi4qi4]. Everybody appreciates what we are doing, why do you feel guilty?”
He told everybody briefly how he went undercover and mingled among the Shaolin Temple’s workers, and how last night he battled with Du E three monks. As they heard Cheng Kun was behind everything, plotting and scheming, they were all furious. Zhou Dian and Priest Tie Guan shouted some curse words.
Zhang Wuji said, "Today our Cult is paying a formal visit to ask Shaolin Fangzhang [Abbot] to release the prisoner. It is best if we do not injure our friendship. We will fight only out of absolute necessity. Our goal first and foremost is saving Xie Fa Wang, next, we want to apprehend Cheng Kun. Other than that we should not harm the innocents.” The people acknowledged the order in one voice.
"Min Mei,” to Zhao Min Zhang Wuji said, "In order to avoid more trouble, it will be best if you would be in disguise, don’t let the Shaolin Temple monks to recognize your true identity.” Since she took the Shaolin monks prisoners to Dadu, she had sowed an extremely deep enmity with Shaolin Pai.
Zhao Min laughed and said, "Yan Dage [big brother Yan], let me pose as one of the brothers under your command!”
Yan Yuan immediately ordered one of his men to get the uniform for Zhao Min to wear. She quickly went to the woods behind the mountain and hurriedly put on the uniform and applied black grease onto her face. When she went out of the woods, she turned into a mean and ferocious thin man with a black face.
The bugle sounded again, the Ming Cult warriors went up the mountain in neat formation. Earlier that day, the Shaolin Temple had received the Ming Cult’s visiting card. Eminent Monk Kong Zhi, leading a group of monks, had been waiting at the pavilion in front of the Temple.
