by Jin Yong
Huang Rong knew that things were desperate. She stepped back as she saw his fists coming towards her face. All that she could do was to duck her head, bend both her arms, point both elbows forward and strike at his chest.
Peng Lianhu expected her to try and block this strike and intended to follow up with the tenth stroke. However he was taken aback that she should actually try a counter attack against such a vicious strike. He had already half executed the tenth strike 'Falling Star Great Void', but immediately had to concentrate his internal energy to stop it, which was like trying to reign in a horse to keep it from running over a cliff. “You are a disciple of the 'Twin Killers of the Dark Winds’!” he called out with a shiver in his voice.
Huang Rong leapt back several feet. When Peng Lianhu called out these words a wave of fear went through the room. Everyone present, with the exception of Prince Zhao, knew of the dreaded 'Twin Killers of the Dark Winds'. Even the feared ‘Butcher of a Thousand Hands’ Peng was afraid to touch her now.
Before Huang Rong could say anything a cry sounded in the still night air. It was Guo Jing, and he sounded as if he was in real danger. Huang Rong was suddenly concerned about his safety and her face went white with fear.
Guo Jing's arms and legs were held down by Liang Ziwong. He wasn't able to move an inch, but as he saw Liang Ziwong coming closer ready to bite his throat he felt a sudden surge of strength born of desperation. Executing the ‘Carp Arching Backwards' he was able to free himself and leap upright. Liang Ziwong quickly struck again. Guo Jing tried to leap away but Liang Ziwong's speed was like the wind and there was no way Guo Jing could escape him.
"Smack!" a punch hit him square on his back and it was not at all like the earlier punches from Wanyan Kang. This one felt like it penetrated to the bone. Guo Jing was frightened out of his wits and didn't wait for another hit. He continued running straight ahead, away from everyone. His 'Qing Gong' (lightness skill) ability was very good and he used it to his maximum ability to speed through the trees and rockeries of the garden. Liang Ziwong was not able to keep pace.
Initially Guo Jing ran very fast but after a short while felt himself becoming slower and he began to pant heavily. There was a big hole torn in the back of his gown and he felt pain from where he had been hit. He thought that the Liang Ziwong’s last punch must have actually been a claw and had taken some of his flesh away along with the back of his gown. He was very worried now and looked frantically for some place to hide. Straight ahead was the Prince’s Consort's shabby compound. He rushed in with the hope that they wouldn't search there and he might be able to make his escape later. He lay down behind the wall at the back and didn't dare to move a muscle. Soon he heard Liang Ziwong and Wanyan Kang, one calling and the other answering, coming closer. Liang Ziwong was so angry he couldn't control his voice as he called out.
Guo Jing anxiously thought, “If I wait here by the wall it's only a matter of time before they find me. The Prince’s Consort seems to have a kind nature, perhaps she will save me.” Given the critical situation he didn't have any time to think further and he quickly slipped inside the house. There he found a lighted candle on the table in the middle of the room. The consort must be in another room. He quickly looked around the room and saw a wooden wardrobe in the east corner which he opened and slipped in before partly closing it, leaving only a crack to see through. He then pulled out his golden knife and allowed himself to relax a little.
He heard footsteps and saw the Prince’s Consort slowly walk in. She sat down at the table and looked at the candle as if in a daze. Before long Wanyan Kang entered and asked "Mother, did some bad man come in and give you a fright?"
The consort shook her head, so Wanyan Kang went outside again and continued searching elsewhere with Liang Ziwong.
Wanyan Kang’s mother then closed the door and seemed as if she was going to bed. Guo Jing thought, “As soon as she blows out the candle I'll slip out through the window and escape. No - I had better wait a while first, in case I run into the young prince and that white haired fellow again. That crazy guy tried to bite my throat. That sure is some weird kind of kung fu! My Shifu's never taught me anything like that. I really must ask them about it next time I see them. Going around and biting people’s throats! What's with that?” He then thought some more, “After fighting so much and being away for so long, Huang Rong must have gone by now. I had better get out as well otherwise she might be wondering what's been keeping me.”
Suddenly the window creaked open and someone leaped in. Both Guo Jing and the consort were shocked. She let out a gasp but Guo Jing noticed that the person who had just entered was none other than Mu Yi or now Yang Tiexin. Guo Jing couldn't have been more surprised. He had assumed that he and his daughter had fled the palace long ago.
When the consort recognized him she quickly said, “Please hurry and leave, before they find you.”
Yang Tiexin replied, “Many thanks for the consort's kind concern. If I didn't come here to thank you in person I would regret it to my dying day.” His words contained the element of sarcasm as if full of bitterness.
The Prince’s Consort sighed and said, “Please forget it. It is my son who has wronged you and your daughter.” Yang Tiexin looked around and saw that besides a table, lamp, bed and wardrobe there was not much else. Everything seemed to be old, worn and familiar. He suddenly felt a wave of sadness and he could not suppress a tear as it trickled down his cheek. He wiped his eyes with his sleeve and walked over to the wall where a lone spear was hanging. He took it down and saw that it was covered with rust. He could still make out the four characters ‘Tiexin Yang Clan’ written on the spear’s blade.
He gently stroked the spear’s shaft and sighed, “This iron spear is rusty. It has not been used for a long while.”
The Prince’s Consort spoke softly, “Please don't touch the spear.”
“Why?” Yang Tiexin asked.
“Because this is the most precious possession I have.” she murmured.
Yang Tiexin was suddenly angry. “Really?” he asked bitterly. He paused before going on, “This spear used to have a matching partner, today however only one remains.”
“What?” The Prince’s Consort asked surprised, but he didn't reply. He hung the spear back on the wall and gazed at the broken plough tip while saying absentmindedly, “This plough tip is worn.
Tomorrow you should call on Zhang Mu’Er in the east village to take a catty of iron and see if he can repair it.”
When the consort heard this she felt as if she had been struck by a bolt of lightning. For a moment she was speechless as she stared at him. Finally she stammered, “Who...who are you?”
Yang Tiexin replied slowly but evenly, “I said the plough tip is worn. Tomorrow you should call on Zhang Mu’Er in the east village to take a catty of iron and see if he can repair it.”
The woman felt her knees going weak. She again stammered, “Who...who are you? How...how could you know what my late husband said...said the night he died?”
The woman was none other than Yang Tiexin's wife, Bao Xiruo. When Wanyan Honglie was wounded by an arrow that day near Ox village, Bao Xiruo had saved his life. When he saw such a beautiful woman saving his life he couldn't stop thinking about her after he escaped that night. He bribed Duan Tiande to have his soldiers raid Ox village that night so that he could arrange to "save" Bao Xiruo and appear to be a hero. Once her husband and friends were dead she would be alone in the world and would naturally look to her "rescuer" to protect her. If he took her north and was patient enough she would sooner or later give up hope of return and agree to marry to him and start a new life together.
During the eighteen years at the palace, her face had not changed much at all. Yang Tiexin's face though had undergone changes from the hardships he’d encountered on the road searching for her. Now, when they’d met again, she could not at first recognize her former husband. After all these years of mutual longing to be together again, this night with so much danger made it se
em as if they were in a dream.
Yang Tiexin didn't reply, he just walked over to the table and pulled open a drawer. Inside, he saw a couple of sets of a man's blue coats exactly the same as the ones he used to wear. He picked one up saying, “I have enough coats to wear. You are tired and should rest now that you are pregnant. No need to make more clothes for me.” These words were the same ones spoken by him to her eighteen years earlier when she was pregnant.
Bao Xiruo rushed over to his side and grabbed his sleeve. When she pulled it up she saw an old scar. A mix of surprise and joy suddenly enveloped her. For the past eighteen years she had thought her husband dead and now to recognize him standing before her was like seeing a ghost coming back to life. She immediately hugged him, holding him tightly and crying, “Quickly! Quickly take me with you. Let us leave here now. I will show you a secret gateway where we can slip away unseen. I am not afraid of ghosts. I would rather become a ghost and be together with you than part with you again.”
Yang Tiexin held his wife as warm tears rolled down his cheeks. After a long while his asked gently, “Do you think that I am a ghost?”
“I don't care if you are a man or a ghost, I wont let go of you again.” she sobbed. “How is it that you are still alive? After all these years I can't believe that you are still alive. Where...what..”
Yang Tiexin was about to reply when Wanyan Kang's voice suddenly called from just outside the window, “Mother, why are you crying? Who are you talking to?”
Bao Xiruo had a fright. “It's nothing,” she called out, “I was just dreaming.”
Wanyan Kang had clearly heard the sound of a man's voice talking inside the room. He immediately became suspicious and walked around to the door, knocking gently saying, “Mother, I would like to have a word with you.”
“Tomorrow,” She replied, “Let's talk tomorrow. I'm very tired now and want to sleep.”
When Wanyan Kang heard that his mother was not willing to open the door, his suspicions only increased. “I just want to have a few words then I'll go.”
Yang Tiexin knew that Wanyan Kang was intent on coming in, so he went over to the window with the intention of making a quick get away. He tried to push open the shutter, but to his surprise he found that it wouldn't budge. Someone had locked it from the outside! Bao Xiruo was in a panic. She thought she would play for time and keep talking while Yang Tiexin found a place to hide. She hurriedly pointed to the wardrobe and motioned for her husband to hide inside. Imagine their surprise when they opened the door and found Guo Jing there! Bao Xiruo couldn't help but let out a little scream.
When Wanyan Kang heard this he became extremely worried. He thought someone was trying to harm his mother so he began trying to break open the door with his shoulder. There was no time to lose; Guo Jing grabbed Yang Tiexin and pulled him into the wardrobe and closed the door just as the wooden bar on the bedroom door gave a loud crack and flew open. Wanyan Kang rushed in. He saw his mother's face was pale with fear and her cheeks were wet with tears; but apart from her, there was no one else in the room.
“Mother, what's wrong? What’s been going on?” he asked anxiously.
Bao Xiruo made an effort to compose herself before saying, “Nothing. I’m just not feeling well.”
Wanyan Kang rushed over to her and said, “Mother, I promise I won’t be doing anything stupid again. Please don't be worried. I've been a bad son to make you so worried.”
“OK.” She said in a comforting way, “I'm feeling so tired. Please let me go to bed. I'm very tired and want to sleep.”
But Wanyan Kang heard a wavering in her voice and asked, “Mother, are you sure that no one has been here recently?”
“Who?” she asked.
“Recently a couple of bandits entered the palace.”
“Really?” She replied. “You really should be going off to bed too. Don't let these things concern you.”
Wanyan Kang said, “Yeah, I'm sure the guards, even though they’re a useless bunch, will be able to take care of them. You need not worry. Please have some rest.”
He was just on the point of leaving when he noticed the corner of a man's robe sticking out from a crack in the wardrobe door. Now he knew that something strange really was going on. He didn't say anything but instead sat down at the table and poured himself a cup of tea which he began to drink slowly while he mulled over what to do. “A man is hiding in the wardrobe, but I don't know if my mother knows this or not.” He took a few more sips of tea before standing up and slowly walking over to the wall where the spear was hanging. “Mother, what did you think of your son's spear skills that your saw earlier today.”
“I have already told you that I don't like you using your skills to bully other people.” Bao Xiruo said in a disapproving tone.
Wanyan Kang replied in a hurt tone, “Bully people? I was merely competing one to one in a fair competition with that stupid boy.” He then grabbed the spear off the wall and playfully tried a few strokes. The red tassel on the spear danced about as he executed the 'Rising Phoenix Soaring Dragon' strike aiming straight at the wardrobe. If this stroke went through the wardrobe, Yang Tiexin and Guo Jing, who could not see what was happening, would have no hope of fending off the attack. They would be dead for certain. Seeing this Bao Xiruo immediately fainted!
Wanyan Kang stopped short with his strike. Seeing his mother’s reaction he immediately knew that she knew about the man hiding in the wardrobe. Propping the spear beside him, he lifted his mother up, but watched the wardrobe for any signs of movement all the while.
Slowly Bao Xiruo regained consciousness and when she saw the wardrobe still intact with no spear hole she immediately felt immense relief. Having undergone so many extreme highs and lows of emotions over the past hour she felt very weak all over.
Wanyan Kang was very angry, “Mother, am I your son or not?” he demanded.
“Of course you are my son. Why do you ask?"
“Well then, why do you keep so many things secret from me?”
Bao Xiruo thought to herself, “I must tell him about today's events and let him be reunited with his true father. After that I will take my life since I have lost my virtue and thus deeply wronged my husband. In this life I can never be reunited with my husband Tiexin...” At this thought she again burst into tears which now flowed freely.
When Wanyan Kang saw his mother acting so strangely today he didn't know what to think. Finally Bao Xiruo said, “Please take a seat and listen to what I have to say very carefully.” Wanyan Kang sat down as told but he stayed near the spear and continued to watch the wardrobe.
Bao Xiruo asked, “Do you see the four characters written on the spear?”
“When I was a small boy I asked you about those characters, but you refused to tell me what 'Yang Tiexin' meant.”
“Well now I am going to tell you what they mean.”
Yang Tiexin hiding in the wardrobe could clearly hear every word that was being said between the mother and son. Having an impulsive nature he thought to himself, “She is a Prince’s Consort now.
How could she possibly want to live with me again in a shabby hut in the wilds as a villager’s wife? She is about to reveal my identity; could she actually be planning to have her son kill me?”
He heard her continue, “This spear is originally from a place call Ox Village in Jiangnan near the Song city of Lin’an. I sent men on a journey far away to fetch this for me. That plough, this table, lamp, bed, wardrobe, everything in this room was brought here from Ox Village."
Wanyan Kang interrupted, “I really don't understand why you insist on living in the shabby old shack. I can get you the most beautiful furnishings but you always refuse!”
“You say that this place is shabby. But to me it is better than the most intricately decorated palace! Child, you are not fortunate. You have never lived with your true mother and father in such a shabby place.”
When Yang Tiexin heard this he felt a sudden wave of emotion and could not keep himself fro
m shedding tears.
Wanyan Kang laughed, “Mother, the more you talk the stranger you become. How can father possibly live in this place?”
Bao Xiruo sighed: “Your poor father wandered all over the country for eighteen years living among the Jianghu [rivers and lakes]. He never had the opportunity to live peacefully in this house for even a day.
When Wanyan Kang heard this, his eyes opened wide and asked in a trembling voice, “Mother, what are you saying?”
Bao Xiruo asked in a sharp voice, “Who do you think your real father is?”
Wanyan Kang, mystified, said, “My father is the great Jin Prince Zhao. Mother. ..why are you asking me this?”
Bao Xiruo stood up and took the spear, cradled it in her arms, and with tears flowing again, said. “Child, you don't know, so I can't blame you. This...this is your real father's spear that he used many years ago...” Pointing to the characters on the spear she continued, “This is your real father's name!”
Wanyan Kang felt his body shake. “Mother!” he cried out, “You are talking rubbish. You must be going crazy. I'm going to call for the doctor.”
“Am I talking rubbish? You say that you are a Jin? You are Chinese! Your name is not really Wanyan Kang, it's Yang.. .Yang Kang!”
Wanyan Kang was shocked and very angry. He turned to go, shouting, “I'm going to ask father.”
Bao Xiruo called out, “Your father is in there!” With this she took a bold step towards the wardrobe, pulled open the door and taking Yang Tiexin's hand led him out into the room.
Chapter 10 - Enemies Meet
Translated by Rayon
Following her instructions Guo Jing placed Mei Chaofeng on his shoulders, made an evading move, then hastened forward and they engaged the enemy. His lightness kungfu was not weak and Mei Chaofeng’s body was not heavy; with her on his shoulder Guo Jing’s agility was not reduced.
