by Jin Yong
Zhang Sanfeng and his disciples went out to the hall. He sighed: "The cold poison has seeped into the top of his head, his chest and his dantian (the area below the belly-button, where internal energy is stored). It cannot be drawn out with external strength. It looks like our hard work over these thirty-plus days has been in vain.”
He brooded for a long while, thinking: "Outsiders can no longer help him draw out the cold poison from his body. If he cultivates the unparalleled internal energy technique in the ‘9 Yang Manual’, he may then be able to use the Yang to disperse the Yin. But when my late Master Jueyuan imparted the Manual to me, I was unable to learn it fully. Even after meditating in seclusion the last few times and trying to work it out, I can only comprehend about 30 to 40 per cent of it. For now, I can only teach him to practice the skill. If he can live an extra day, let him have that extra day.”
So he taught the techniques and the formula of the 9 Yang Manual to Wuji. The skill had many complicated variations and could not be taught all at once. He started by teaching Wuji the ‘Da Zhou Tian Ban Yun’ (Heaven transporting everywhere), to circulate the warm energy from the dantian to the ren, du and chong meridians through the ‘Yin Xiang Wei Lu (Guide Yin Through the Back Door) Gate’. And after that, to divide the energy into two and channel it through the lower back to the ‘Lu Lu (Windlass) Gate’ located on both sides of the fourteenth spinal bone. From there, the energy would be directed to the ‘Yu Zhen (Jade pillow) Gate’ on the back, shoulders and neck. This was called ‘Ni Yun Zhen Qi Tong San Guan’ (transporting the energy in reverse through
three gates). After that, the energy would be directed through the ‘Bai Hui (Hundred Meetings)’ acupoint at the top of the head, divided into five streams, and channeled through the whole body through the ‘Shan Zhong’ acupoint. The energy would then be divided into two again, before coming back together in the dantian. After one complete cycle, there would be a sweet feeling in the body and the energy in the dantian would feel like incense smoke was curling upwards and circulating freely around.(Translator’s note: I have no idea what Jin Yong is talking about here. Translation might not be accurate)
This was called ‘Yin Yun Zi Qi (Dense/enshrouding Purple Qi)’. When the Yin Yun Zi Qi was practiced to a high level of achievement, the cold poison in the dantian would be expelled. There was no great difference between each school’s internal energy principles, but each school’s method of practice was different. The method taught by Zhang Sanfeng was extremely powerful and could be considered the best in the world. Zhang Wuji practiced this technique for two years, developing a significant amount of Purple Qi (Yin Yun Zi Qi) in his dantian. However, the cold poison in his body stuck firmly within his meridians and would not be dispersed. The green tinge in his face grew more noticeable each day. Each time the cold poison attacked, his suffering worsened.
During these two years, Zhang Sanfeng painstakingly watched over Wuji’s internal energy cultivation. Song Yuanqiao and the others went in search of precious medicines, hundred year old ginseng, mature Chinese knotweed (Polygonum multiflorum), mountain Fuling (Wolfiporia extensa), and other types of rare herbs. Wuji consumed all of these, but the effect was like throwing a rock into the ocean. Everyone watched him become thinner and more sickly. Even though Wuji put on a brave and cheerful front, they all could not help but feel despondent, thinking that in the end, they would not be able to save Zhang Cuishan’s only heir.
Wudang Sect were preoccupied with caring for Wuji, so they had no time to search out their enemies who had injured Yu Daiyan and Wuji. During these two years, the Heavenly Eagle Sect Leader Yin Tianzheng had, a few times, sent people over to visit his grandson and deliver many valuable presents. However, the Wudang Heroes hated the Heavenly Eagle Sect for indirectly bringing disaster upon Yu Daiyan and Zhang Cuishan. Each time a representative from the Heavenly Eagle Sect arrived, the presents were rejected. On one occasion, Mo Shenggu even fiercely beat up one of the representatives. After that incident, Yin Tianzheng stopped sending people over.
During the Mid-Autumn festival, the Wudang Heroes and their Master got together for a celebration. Before the banquet could begin, Wuji suddenly became ill. His face turned green and the cold surged through his body. He did not want to ruin the festive atmosphere, so he gritted his teeth and endured the pain. But who could fail to see what was happening? Yin Liting took Wuji to his room, covered him with a blanket and lit a big fire. Zhang Sanfeng suddenly said: "Tomorrow I’ll take Wuji to the Shaolin Temple in Songshan.” Everyone understood what his intention was. In order to save Wuji’s life, he had no other alternative but to humble himself and personally beg Shaolin’s Abbot Kong Wen for help to fill the gaps in the 9 Yang Manual.
Two years ago on Wudang Mountain, Shaolin and Wudang fostered a deep enmity between them. Zhang Sanfeng was a senior master of already a hundred years of age. To now surrender his position of honour and go begging for help was a big disgrace for him. Everyone knew that from now onwards, Wudang would be unable to raise their heads with pride everytime they met Shaolin. But because of their love and relationship with Zhang Cuishan, they were willing to put aside their pride. E-Mei School too had a portion of the 9 Yang Manual, but their Headmaster (Zhang Men) Mie Jue Shi Tai’s character was extremely strange. Zhang Sanfeng had written a few letters to her and ordered Yin Liting to deliver them. However, Mie Jue Shi Tai did not even open the envelopes and merely sent them back. It looked like that apart from humbling themselves before Shaolin Sect, there was no other alternative.
If Song Yuanqiao led his martial brothers up to Shaolin to beg for help, that would be better for Wudang’s face. But Reverend Kong Wen would never have revealed the secrets of their 9 Yang Manual to them. When everyone thought about how the mighty Wudang School would be humbled before Shaolin from now on, they all felt depressed. Instead of enjoying the banquet and the festivities, they simply drank a few cups of wine in melancholy before cleaning up.
Early the next day, Zhang Sanfeng and Wuji set out on their journey. His five disciples initially wanted to follow along, but Zhang Sanfeng said: "If so many of us go, Shaolin School is definitely going to become suspicious. It will better if only the two of us, one old and one young, go.”
Zhang Sanfeng and Wuji mounted black horses and headed north. Shaolin and Wudang Schools were located quite close to each other. It only took a few days to travel from Wudang in Hubei to Shaolin in Henan. After Zhang Sanfeng and Wuji crossed the Han River, they arrived in Nanyang. They then traveled north to Ruzhou, then turned to the west and headed for Mt. Song. When they reached Mt Shaoshi (a mountain the Song Shan range, Shaolin is located at its foot), they tied their horses to a tree and continued on foot. Zhang Sanfeng reminisced about the past - how over eighty years ago, his Master Jueyuan ran away from Shaolin while carrying him and Guo Xiang inside a pair of buckets. With a heart heavy with regret, he held Wuji’s hand and walked up the mountain slowly. He saw that the Five Peaks (of Mt Song) and the Pagoda Forest were unchanged, but Jueyuan, Guo Xiang and the rest had long passed away.
The two of them reached a pavilion and looked at Shaolin Temple. They saw two young monks talking and laughing while walking towards them. Zhang Sanfeng stopped them and asked:
"Please report that Zhang Sanfeng of Wudang Mountain humbly requests a meeting with the Abbot.”
The two monks were shocked when they heard Zhang Sanfeng’s name. They looked at him to size
him up. What they saw was a very tall man with a silver beard, a shinny red face, a kindly smile
and wearing a filthy green Taoist robe. Zhang Sanfeng was carefree
and never paid attention to his appearance. When he was a young man, some people in the
Jianghu called him the "Scruffy Priest” behind his back. Others called him "Scruffy Zhang”. Then
later on, when Wudang’s martial arts were great and its name famous, no one dared to call him
such.
The two monks thought: "Zhang Sanfeng is the founding
master of Wudang School. Wudang is on par with our Shaolin School. Could it be that he has come to make trouble and to fight?” They saw that he was accompanied with a skinny, green-faced boy of around eleven to twelve years old. Neither of them looked special and the monks could not see any power or prestige. One of the monks asked: "Are you really Wudang’s Ven. Venerable (Zhang Zhen Ren - respectful form of address to a Taoist priest)?” Zhang Sanfeng laughed: "Yes I am, I wouldn’t dare be an impersonator.” Listening to him, the other monk felt that he did not have the bearing of the founding master of a school and disbelieved him even more. The monk asked: "You are really not joking?” Zhang Sanfeng laughed: "What is so special about Zhang Sanfeng? What is the use in impersonating him?” Half believing and half not believing him, the two monks quickly returned to the temple to report.
After quite a long time, the temple door opened and Abbot Kong Weng, Kong Zhi and Kong Xing came out. The three men were followed by about ten old monks in yellow robes. Zhang Sanfeng knew that these were the Damo Hall Elders, who may even be from a more senior generation than the Abbot. They stayed in the temple and studied martial arts, with not a care of the outside world.
It was likely that they only accompanied the Abbot out when they heard that the Head of Wudang Sect, who was no ordinary person, had arrived.
Zhang Sanfeng left the pavilion, bowed and said: "How could I trouble the Abbot and all the Reverends to come out and welcome us?” Kong Wen and the others put their hands together and bowed Buddhist-style. Kong Wen said: "Venerable Zhang has come from a far, it is really beyond my expectations. What instructions do you have for me?” Zhang Sanfeng replied: "I have a request to make.” Kong Wen said: "Please sit, please sit.”
Zhang Sanfeng sat down in the pavilion and some monks served tea. Zhang Sanfeng could not help thinking with annoyance: "Regardless of anything, I am still the founding master of a Sect and your senior. Why am I not invited into the temple, but merely made to sit here halfway up the mountain? Let’s not talk about me, it would not even be appropriate for them to treat any other guest in this manner.” But he had an open-minded personality, so he did not take it to heart.
Kong Wen said: "Venerable Zhang, you have humbled yourself by coming to our mountain. By right we should invite you into the temple. But you left Shaolin Temple as a young man. You would know that our rules dictate that all disciples who forsake our Sect or are expelled are not permitted to enter the temple again. If they do, they will be subject to punishment.” Zhang Sanfeng laughed and said: "So that’s the reason. When I was young, all I did was attend to Reverend Jueyuan performing tasks like sweeping floors and making tea. Since I never shaved my head or entered into any master’s tutelage, I could not be considered a Shaolin disciple. Kong Zhi replied coldly: "But you nevertheless secretly learnt Shaolin martial arts.”
Anger surged through Zhang Sanfeng, but he thought: "Wudang’s martial arts are the product of my diligent work and study. But if Reverend Jueyuan had not taught me the ‘9 Yang Manual’ and Heroine Guo had not given me the Shaolin Iron Lohans (Arhats), the martial arts that came later would not have come into being. So it is not wrong to say that my martial arts originate from Shaolin.” So he calmed down and said: "It is regarding this matter that I came here today.”
Kong Wen and Kong Zhi glanced at each other, thinking: "Why did he come here? He can’t have good intentions. It is more likely than not that he is here over Zhang Cuishan’s death.” Kong Wen said: "Please elaborate.” Zhang Sanfeng replied: "Reverend Kong Zhi said that my martial arts originated from Shaolin. What he said is not wrong. At that time, I was Reverend Jueyuan’s attendant and learnt the 9 Yang Manual. But the Manual was too profound. As I was very young then, I was unable to learn it completely. This is one of my deepest regrets. When Reverend Jueyuan recited the Manual on that remote mountain, there were three fortunate people who heard him. One of E-Mei School’s founder Heroine Guo, one was your honourable school’s Reverend Wuse, and the last person was me. I was the youngest and had the least ability. I also had no martial arts foundation. So among the three sects, I probably absorbed the least.”
Kong Zhi said coldly: "That may not necessarily be the case. Venerable Zhang attended to Jueyuan when you were young. How could it be that he did not secretly pass on the skills to you? Wudang’s fame of today is all down to Jueyuan’s efforts.” Jueyuan was three generations more senior than Kong Zhi. By right, Kong Zhi should have called him "Martial great-granduncle”. But after Jueyuan escaped from Shaolin, he was considered an expelled disciple of Shaolin and his name had been removed from the list of disciples. So in his anger, Kongzhi simply dispensed with manners. Zhang Sanfeng stood up and respectfully said: "I have never forgotten my late master’s debt of kindness to me.”
Among the Four Great Monks of Shaolin, Kong Jian was the most merciful, but unfortunately he passed away the earliest. Kong Wen was a person of deep thoughts, who did not openly display his emotions. Kong Xing was simple-minded and naive, he did not pay attention to the affairs of the
world. Kong Zhi was temperamental and narrow-minded. He had always felt that Zhang Sanfeng had stolen Shaolin’s martial arts. He could not help feeling angry that Wudang’s name was renown through the world. Furthermore, before Yin Susu died, she pretended to tell the whereabouts of Xie Sun to Kong Wen. This ‘Moving Disaster to Jiangdong’ scheme was very devious. During the last two years, Wulin fighters had incessantly come to Shaolin every two or three days to find out about Xie Xun’s location. Some of them came openly, others furtively and some pleaded, while others demanded. Kong Wen swore and insisted that he did not know where Xie Xun was. But that day in Wudang’s Zi Xiao Palace/Hall, hundreds of people from many sects had seen Yin Susu whisper in Kong Wen’s ear. No matter how Kong Wen tried to explain, nobody believed him. Because of this, battles were fought a few times each month, causing many injuries and deaths on both sides.
When all things were considered, how could Shaolin lay the blame on anyone but Wudang? The monks had been suppressing their anger for the last two years. Beyond their expectations, Zhang Sanfeng turned up on their doorstep so they vented their anger and insulted him. Kong Zhi said: "Zhang Sanfeng has admitted stealing martial arts from Shaolin Temple, it is a pity that there are no witnesses to hear it. Otherwise this would be spread through the wulin for everyone to know.”
Zhang Sanfeng said: "All the martial arts under heaven are from the same family. For hundreds and thousands of years, the strengths of some have been incorporated to offset the weakness of others ("take from the long to patch up the short”). We can no longer differentiate the true origins of each martial art. But Shaolin School has been recognized as the leader of the wulin for the last few hundred years. I came here today because I admire your noble school’s martial arts. Knowing I have not reached that level, I came to learn a few things from you, the various reverends.”
When Kong Wen, Kong Zhi and the others heard Zhang Sanfeng say "I can to learn a few things from you”, their expressions changed as they thought he was trying to challenge them to a fight. They thought this old priest had cultivated his skills for a hundred years, so his martial arts must be without measure. There was no one who was his match in the whole wide world, and he feared no one. Who knew what sort of peerless martial arts he had been practicing during the last two years? The three monks were momentarily silent.
Finally Kong Xing said: "Good Old Priest, so you want to test our abilities. I, Kong Xing, am not afraid of you. Shaolin has hundreds and thousands of monks. You may not necessarily be able to defeat us all.” Though he said he was "not afraid”, in his heart he was truly afraid. So he came up with this idea of attacking Zhang Sanfeng with hundreds and thousands of monks.
Zhang Sanfeng hastily clarified: "Please don’t misunderstand me. When I said learn a few things, I really meant that I came to ask for some pointers. I have been practicing the ‘9 Yang Manual’ that my late master passed on to me, but there are few things that I don’t understand
so I have not mastered it all. Shaolin has many monks who have reached a profound level of cultivation. If Shaolin is willing to teach me, you will have Zhang Sanfeng’s eternal gratitude.” As he said this, he stood up and made a deep bow.”
These words of Zhang Sanfeng were far outside the expectations of the Shaolin monks. His martial arts were without equal, he was the founder of a school and had practiced and cultivated for ninety years. Among the denizens of the wulin in this era, there was no grander name. His status was so high that no one was his equal. The monks could never have imagined that Zhang Sanfeng would now come to Shaolin to beg for instruction. Kong Wen hurriedly bowed and said: "Venerable Zhang, you must be joking. We, your juniors, have shallow knowledge. We cannot measure up to the saying ‘the stone of the mountain studies the jade’ (this is a proverb that basically means "to remedy one’s defects by learing from other’s strenghts”; ie their level of learning is so low/inferior that they cannot measure up to that). How can we give you any pointers?”
Zhang Sanfeng knew that the whole matter appeared very strange. It would be difficult for the monks to understand and trust him, so he told them the whole story right from the beginning - how Wuji was injured by the Xuan Ming Divine Palms and how they had failed to purge the cold Yin poison from his body despite trying everything. He also spoke of how Wuji was Zhang Cuishan only beloved son, and that no matter what, he had to save Wuji’s life. He said that the current situation was that apart from learning the complete ‘9 Yang Manual’, there was no other way. He offered to relate the part of the 9 Yang Manual that he had learnt in exchange for Shaolin’s part, in order to form a more complete whole.
