by Jin Yong
Hearing the cries of 'Long live, unify the Jianghu! Long live, unify the Jianghu!' shaking the ground, the people around the mountain also started to call out. The echoes resounded throughout the mountain. Ren Woxing smugly stood up.
When the sect's disciples saw him stood up, they all paid their respects by prostrating on the ground. All of a sudden, Peak of Morning Sun became quiet and there wasn't the slightest noise heard. Sunshine covered Ren Woxing's face and his entire body. The majestic looking Chief of the Sun Moon Sect looked like a god. Ren Woxing laughed aloud and said, "If only I could live forever like to..." When he spoke till here, he was suddenly mute. He moved his energy to say the word 'today', but he felt his chest contracting and the word couldn't come out from his mouth. He pressed his chest using his right hand wanting to press down the blood bubbling up on his throat but he felt dizzy and the sunshine dazzled him.
Chapter 40 Harmony
The slipcover for the chair was embroidered with nine golden dragons surrounding a rising son from the ocean. On the edges, it was studded with many pearls, diamonds, and gems.
Linghu Chong went down the mountain in a drunken state and it wasn't until midnight that he finally woke up. When he woke up, he discovered he was lying in the wilderness with the Heng-Shan's disciples sitting far away to guard him and that he was also having a splitting headache. He was thinking that he wouldn't be able to see Yingying ever again and his heart ache thinking about it. When their party finally arrived at Xianxing Peak on Mount Heng-Shan, they first went to Dingxian, Dingjing, and Dingyi Shi Tai's altar to report they had taken their revenge.
They anticipated Sun Moon Sect would attack anytime whether it was dawn or dusk. After the fighting finished, Heng-Shan School would definitely be destroyed. They already foresaw this defeat a long time ago and instead of worrying, they instead felt relief. Monk No Commandment and his wife, along with Yilin and Tian Boguang, already met with them at the foot of Mount Huashan and they went back together to Mount Heng-Shan. Everyone was thinking that if they diligently practised their martial art, they still wouldn't be able to kill that many more people from the Sun Moon Sect. So thinking that it was of no benefit to them, they simply didn't practice their sword art at all. Some people would read the scripture diligently every day, while the rest would play around the mountain. Heng-Shan School originally had very strict commandments and they had lessons day and night without any idle time. But these days, they were very relaxed.
A few days had passed when they suddenly saw ten monks walking up towards the Xianxing Peak. They were headed by the Shaolin Temple's Abbott, Great Master Fangzheng. Linghu Chong was in his living hut drinking wine and singing songs when he suddenly heard Great Master Fangzheng was coming. He couldn't help feeling startled and happy at the same time, and he quickly came out to welcome him. Great Master Fangzheng saw both his feet were bare, and he didn't even have time to put on his shoes. He smiled and said, "When the ancient people were in a hurry to welcome guests, they still had time to wear shoes. But Headmaster Linghu doesn't wear shoes to welcome us. Your sincerity is even more than those ancient people."
Linghu Chong bowed to give his propriety. "When Great Master Fangzheng comes, Linghu Chong has never welcomed you from far. So I'm actually very afraid. Great Master Fangsheng has also come."
Fangsheng smiled.
Linghu Chong saw the remaining eight monks all had white beards floating on their chins. When he inquired their names, he found out they were all reverend monks of the 'Fang' generation. Linghu Chong welcomed all the reverend monks to enter his living hut and they sat on the putuan. This living hut was originally Dingxian Shi Tai's place and it had no dust around. But when Linghu Chong lived here, the whole place was filled with jugs of wine, wine bowls, and everywhere was a mess. Linghu Chong's face turned red and he said, "It's messy, please don't blame me."
"I came today to pay respect to the mountain then to discuss an important matter," said a smiling Fangzheng. “Headmaster Linghu, you don’t need to be so polite.” He waited for a tick before continuing, “I heard Headmaster Linghu didn’t accept the Vice Chief position in Sun Moon Sect in order to protect Heng-Shan School. You’ve also disregarded your own life by doing this and you were also willing to abandon Young Lady Ren, who’s such a good companion to you. Everyone from the orthodox path admires you very much for this."
Linghu Chong was startled and he thought, “I wasn’t willing because of Heng-Shan School as well as not to implicate all of Wulin. I didn’t allow the school’s disciples to leak this matter out to prevent Shaolin and Wudang Schools from coming to help and getting involved in the big fight and increasing the number of deaths and injuries. I didn’t expect Great Master Fangzheng to still manage to get the news.” He then said, “Great Master absurdly praised me, making me very ashamed. Junior and Sun Moon Sect’s Chief Ren have a lot of grudges and disputes between us. I also lost Young Lady Ren’s love. There’s nothing I can do about this. Great Master, don’t wrongly praise me, I don’t deserve it.”
"Chief Ren wants to lead his men to give your honourable school trouble," Great Master Fangzheng said. "Right now, Songshan, Taishan, Hengshan, and Huashan Schools have all deteriorated and Heng-Shan School is standing by itself without asking for help from outside. Headmaster Linghu, you didn't send anyone to my humble temple to ask anyone to come. Could it be that all the monks in my Shaolin School are afraid of dying and want to preserve their lives? And they also don't care about justice and righteousness in Wulin?"
Linghu Chong stood up and replied, "I don't dare to assume that. In the past, Junior didn't check myself and got to know many people from the Sun Moon Sect. Then all sorts of difficult matters came up because of this. Junior thinks a man must take responsibilities for what he has done. My heart is already restless since I've implicated the whole Heng-Shan School in this. How can I dare to startle Great Master and Priest Chongxu? If Shaolin and Wudang Schools came to help and lost a lot of people, then it'll be Junior's fault that even ten thousands death wouldn't be able to repay."
"Headmaster Linghu, what you said was wrong," said a smiling Fangzheng. "The Devil Sect has wanted to destroy our Shaolin, Wudang, and five mountains sword schools since a hundred years ago. At that time, I wasn't even born, so how does that have to do with Headmaster Linghu?"
Linghu Chong nodded. "My deceased master often taught me that the demonical and the orthodox can't stand together. The Devil Sect and our orthodox schools have been fighting for years and the enmity between both is very deep. Junior's understanding of this was shallow and I thought both parties were able to yield a step and change for the better. Junior never knew that even though Chief Ren and I have a deep origin, at the end, we must still bear arms at each other."
"You said both parties yielding a step and change for the better. What you said is right," Fangzheng said. "Sun Moon Sect and our orthodox schools have been fighting for years. Actually, the reason for this wasn't something so great that we want them to all die or they want us to all die. The only reason was because the leaders of both parties want to control Wulin by himself and wished the other party to be destroyed because of it. That day, when Priest Chongxu, Headmaster Linghu, and I talked at the Hanging Temple, we were there because of the worry that Songshan's Headmaster Zuo wanted to merge the five mountains sword schools into one. We were afraid of his wild ambition in ruling Wulin by himself." He let out a long sigh when he spoke till here. He then continued, "I heard Sun Moon Sect's Chief has a motto, something like 'Long live to Chief, unify the Jianghu'. Since this is already in his heart, how can Wulin have a day of peace? In Jianghu, each clan and each school has its own purpose and they're all very different. Unify the Jianghu, this will never happen."
Linghu Chong agreed with this and nodded. "Great Master Abbott said it right."
"Chief Ren said that within a month he won't spare a dog or a bird on Mount Heng-Shan," Fangzheng said. "His words are like the mountain and they couldn't be altered. Right now, the maste
r-hands from Shaolin, Wudang, Kunlun, Emei, and Kongtong Schools are already assembled at the foot of Mount Heng-Shan."
"Ah!" Linghu Chong was startled and he jumped up. "Really? All the schools' seniors have come to help, Junior didn't know. I really should be punished."
Since Heng-Shan School knew that the Devil Sect would one day attack, no one there was feeling lucky so they had not bothered putting up sentries and guards around the place. So much so that the sentries at the foot of the mountain had even been withdrawn.
Linghu Chong continued, "Reverend monks, please rest up here. Junior will lead my school's disciples down the mountain to welcome them."
Fangzheng shook his head. "All the schools are on the same boat in this and are helping each other to fight the enemy. There's no need for small talk, we've arranged everything."
"Yes," Linghu Chong acknowledged, and he asked, "When did Great Master Abbott find out that Sun Moon Sect wants to attack Heng-Shan School?"
"I received a letter from a senior and found out everything," Fangzheng replied.
"Senior?" Linghu Chong was thinking that Great Master Fangzheng's position in Wulin was already very high, so how could there be someone even more senior than him?
Fangzheng smiled and answered, "This senior is a famous elder from Huashan School. He once taught sword art to Headmaster Linghu."
"Grand martial uncle Feng!" Linghu Chong excitedly said.
"It is Senior Feng," Fangzheng confirmed. "Senior Feng dispatched six friends to Shaolin Temple to reveal what Headmaster Linghu said on top of the Peak of Morning Sun. These six friends speak in somewhat a roundabout manner and aren't very clear, so it's a little troublesome, and they also like to dispute what each other say. But after talking to them for a few hours and patiently listening to them, I finally understood." When he said till here, he couldn't help smiling.
"They're the Peach Valley Six Fairies?" a smiling Linghu Chong asked.
Fangzheng smiled. "They are the Peach Valley Six Fairies."
"When Junior arrived at Huashan, I wanted to pay my respect to Grand martial uncle Feng," Linghu Chong happily told Fangzheng. "But many things kept coming up until I finally went down the mountain. From beginning to the end, I didn't manage to see him to kowtow. I never thought he'd know everything."
"Senior Feng's conduct is like a divine dragon, you can see his head but not his tail," Fangzheng replied. "He already conceals himself living in Huashan, and when the Sun Moon Sect was at Huashan going around without any fear, how could he just not care? Peach Valley Six Fairies were at Huashan to play around and they were captured by Senior Feng and locked up for several days. Later, he ordered them to go to Shaolin Temple to deliver the letter."
Linghu Chong thought, "Peach Valley Six Fairies were captured by Grand martial uncle Feng. They would definitely hide this matter and won't talk about it. But if I just talk at random about things, they'll finally reveal this." Then he said, "What does Grand martial uncle Feng want us to do?"
"Senior Feng was very modest in his words, he only said that he heard something unusual that needs to be told to me," Fangzheng told him. "He also said Headmaster Linghu is his beloved disciple and how you resisted the Devil Sect's invitation on top of the Peak of Morning Sun. He really liked what he saw and wanted me to take care of you. Actually, Headmaster Linghu's martial art is far above mine. This word 'take care', he was too serious."
Linghu Chong felt appreciative and he bowed before saying, "Great Master Abbott has been taking care of Junior more than once."
"You flatter me," Fangzheng replied. "When I found out about this, don't mention that Senior Feng ordered this, I would've done it myself solely relying on the deep origin between your honourable school and my school. Also, I couldn't just put my hands in my sleeve on account of our friendship. Moreover, this matter concerns each school's survival. Once the Devil Sect destroyed Heng-Shan, do you think he'd let go of Shaolin and Wudang Schools? That's why I immediately sent out an epistle notifying each school to assemble at Heng-Shan and fight to the death together against the Devil Sect."
When Linghu Chong came down from the Peak of Morning Sun that day, he was already feeling dejected. He saw the Sun Moon Sect and felt that Heng-Shan School couldn't match them. So he was only waiting for the day that Ren Woxing would attack them, then everyone from Heng-Shan School would exert themselves in resisting and fight to the death. Even though there were people who offered the idea to ask for help from Shaolin and Wudang Schools, Linghu Chong asked them, "Even if Shaolin and Wudang Schools come to help, can they stop the Devil Sect?" That person immediately shut up. Linghu Chong also said, "Since there's no way to help Heng-Shan, why should we implicate Shaolin's and Wudang's disciples and make a lot of them lose their lives here?" In his heart, he actually didn't want to fight with Ren Woxing and Xiang Wentian. Also, when his hope of marrying Yingying disappeared, he unwittingly tortured himself and felt his life in this world was no longer useful, and that it was better if he died first.
At this time, when he saw Fangzheng received Feng Qingyang's trust and came here to help, his spirit was roused. But he still had no interest to really fight to the death against those people from the Sun Moon Sect.
Fangzheng also said, "Headmaster Linghu, Buddhists have mercy in their heart and I'm not a brave person who would fight violently. If this matter can be settled in a friendly manner, then of course it's the best. But if we yield a step then Ren Woxing would advance a step. We can't yield in this matter at all or Chief Ren will annihilate each school from the orthodox path. Only if each of us kowtow to him and praise him with 'Long live to Sacred Chief, unify the Jianghu! Amituofo!'"
In his 'Long live to Sacred Chief, unify the Jianghu', he added the word 'Amituofo'. It was really comical and Linghu Chong couldn't refrain from smiling. "That's right. Junior only has to hear of that 'Sacred Chief', that 'Long live to Chief, unify the Jianghu', and I had goose bumps all over my body. Junior doesn't get drunk after drinking thirty bowls of wine but to hear a lot of this 'Long live to Chief, unify the Jianghu', I couldn't help feeling dizzy and become drunk on the spot."
Fangzheng smiled. "Their Sun Moon Sect's incantation is definitely very formidable." He paused for a tick before continuing, "When Senior Feng was at the Peak of Morning Sun, he saw Headmaster Linghu getting dizzy. So he especially ordered the Peach Valley Six Fairies to bring over a secret formula for an internal energy technique, and he wanted me to give this to Headmaster Linghu. The Peach Valley Six Fairies don't speak clearly, but when it came to telling me the inner energy technique, they became clear. It was really rare. I think Senior Feng must've forced them to memorise this until they're very familiar with it. Headmaster Linghu, please lead the way to the inner hall so I can impart you this technique."
Linghu Chong respectfully led Great Master Fangzheng into a quiet room. This was the formula that Feng Qingyang had asked Fangzheng to impart to him so it was as if he had come personally to impart it to him. He immediately knelt in front of Fangzheng and said, "Grand martial uncle Feng treats disciple with so much kindness."
Fangzheng didn't decline his modesty and received his respect. "Senior Feng has a lot of expectation on Headmaster Linghu. He hopes you can practise diligently according to this technique."
"Yes," Linghu Chong replied. "Disciple will do as ordered."
Fangzheng slowly read aloud the formula for the technique while Linghu Chong tried to memorise it. The formula wasn't that long, from beginning to the end, there were only around one thousands words. When Fangzheng finished reciting it, he wanted Linghu Chong to remember it. After some time, he recited it again. In total, he recited it five times. Linghu Chong was able to memorise it and recited it from the beginning to the end without mistake.
"Even though there's only around a thousand words in this internal energy formula that Senior Feng is passing on, it is actually very profound and it's not a small matter," Fangzheng said. "We're good friends, please forgive me for speaking frankly. Headmaster
Linghu's sword art is profound, but it seems you're not good at internal energy technique."
"Junior only knows some trivial things about internal energy," Linghu Chong replied. "If Great Master doesn't mind, I'd still like to ask for some pointers."
Fangzheng nodded. "Senior Feng's inner energy technique and Shaolin School's inner energy technique are quite different. But all martial arts in this world have the same goal but use different approaches. The basic essence doesn't differ by too much. If Headmaster Linghu doesn't mind me being meddlesome then I'll try to explain it."
Linghu Chong knew he was the current Wulin's number one or two master. Obtaining his advice was no different than getting Grand Martial Uncle Feng's advice. That was why Grand Martial Uncle Feng had imparted him this technique so his internal energy could also be profound. Linghu Chong quickly bowed and said, "Junior will respectfully listen to Great Master's instructions."
"You flatter me!" Fangzheng replied. Then he immediately started to analyze the inner energy technique sentence by sentence, and he also told him all kinds of different things like breathing, energy movement, tuna(a breathing method), and the method to move the energy. Linghu Chong had learned the formula by heart and he originally remembered it very well. But when Great Master Fangzheng was analyzing the formula, only then did he realise how each sentence contained numerous refined principles.
