by Jin Yong
"Why's that important? You can only become bashful."
"No, I don't want others to know."
"Alright, I promise you not to say anything."
"I ordered them to called out those cultured and kind warrior, benefiting the common people, what long live the chief, unify the Jianghu, so other people wouldn't find out. I wasn't being rude to your Heng-Shan School and Great Master Fangzheng and Priest Chongxu."
"Don't worry about that, Great Master and Priest won't find out."
"Also, Sun Moon Sect and Heng-Shan School, Shaolin School, Wudang School are turning from enemies into friends. I also don't want others to say that it's my idea. In Jianghu, people will definitely say that it's because me... and you... and you is the reason, also the big fight was not fought, so I'll be really embarassed."
"Hehe, I'm not afraid."
"Your skin is thick, so of course you're not afraid. The news of dad passing away has been kept a secret by the Sun Moon Sect. Other people will only know my dad has come to Mount Heng-Shan and talked to you and reconciled with each other. This way my dad's reputation will be increased. When I get back to Dark Wood Cliff, I'll announce the death."
"Right, then as son-in-law I'll come to kowtow to him."
"You can come, that'll be best. That day at Mount Huashan on the Peak of the Morning Sun, my dad has personally agreed to our marriage, but... but after I agree......."
Linghu Chong heard the six of them were gradually revealing Yingying and his wedding arrangement so he quickly shouted, "Peach Valley Six Fairies, you're still not coming out, talking nonsense under there. I'm going to peel your skin and strip your flesh."
But he still heard Peachtree Trunk Fairy sighed quietly and mimicking Yingying's speech, "But I'm still worried about you. Dad hasn't given you the method on how to harmonize the different internal energies. Actually, even if he had imparted it to you, it's no use. Dad himself, sigh!" Peachtree Trunk Fairy pinched his throat and he sounded grieved. When Fangzheng, Chongxu, and Linghu Chong heard him, they couldn't help becoming sad too. Ren Woxing was a strange warrior of this era, and even though he had done bad things all his life, it was still very sad for his life to have ended this way.
Linghu Chong's feelings towards Ren Woxing was particularly strange. Even though he detested the way Ren Woxing handled his power and his overbearing behaviour, he still couldn't help admiring his ability, especially his unscrupulous and independent nature which was quite like his own. The only difference was that he didn't have the ambition of 'unifying the Jianghu'.
At that moment, in the three people's hearts, they all thought, "From time past, all the emperors, ministers, warriors, even bandits and murderers, they all die at the end."
Peachtree Fruit Fairy squeezed his throat and said, "Brother Chong, I'm... "
Chongxu felt that if they continued to talk then Linghu Chong would be embarassed. He laughed and said, "Peach Valley six brothers, sorry for the offence before. But enough with your talking, if you provoke Headmaster Linghu, he'll seal your 'lifelong mute acupoint'. I don't think it'll be worthwhile."
Peach Valley Six Fairies were greatly startled. They asked in unison, "What's a 'lifelong mute acupoint'?"
"Once that 'lifelong mute acupoint' is sealed, you'll be mute for the rest of your life and can't speak anymore," Chongxu answered. "But you'll still be able to eat and drink."
The Peach Valley Six Fairies shouted together, "Speaking is number one, eating and drinking are number two."
"The words you said just before, you mustn't say them again," Chongxu advised. "Headmaster Linghu, on accord of Great Master Fangzheng and I, please don't seal their 'lifelong mute acupoint'. Great Master Fangzheng and I will vouch for them. The conversation between you and Young lady Ren that the six of them eavesdropped from underneath the offering altar, they won't reveal a single word of it."
Peachtree Flower Fairy said, "Injustice, injustice! We weren't eavesdropping, the sound entered our ears so what can we do?"
"You've already heard it, no one cares about anything else," Chongxu said. "But talking about it after hearing them, that you can't do."
Peach Valley Six Fairies said in unison, "Ok, ok! We won't say it, we won't say it."
Peachtree Root Fairy said, "But Sun Moon Sect Sacred Chief, those two sentences that were changed, can we say it?"
"You can't say it, definitely not!" Linghu Chong shouted.
Peachtree Branch Fairy mumbled, "Can't say it then can't say it. Only you and young lady Ren can say it, we can't say it."
Chongxu pondered, "Two sentences that were changed by Sun Moon Sect? Those sentences must be 'Long live the Chief, unify the Jianghu'. Young lady Ren is the chief now, and she doesn't want to unify Jianghu. But I wonder what they've been changed to?"
Three years later, at the Plum Manor on Mount Gu at the West Lake of Hangzhou, bright lanterns were hung and there was a gathering of beautifully dressed people. This day was the day Linghu Chong and Yingying were to be married. At this time, Linghu Chong had already given the Heng-Shan School's headmaster position to Yiqing. Yiqing made every effort to give it to Yilin, saying Yilin had avenged Heng-Shan's big enmity. For avenging their masters, she should get the headmaster position. But Yilin said she would never agree and cried. When all is said and done, they followed Linghu Chong's idea and Yiqing was handed the headmaster position.
Yingying also resigned from being the Sun Moon Sect's chief and gave it to Xiang Wentian. Even though Xiang Wentian was a stubborn person, he didn't have any ambition to annex the orthodox sects. So over the last few years, Jianghu was peaceful.
Today, many Jianghu warriors had come to Plum Manor to congratulate them. After going through the ritual and finishing the banquet, it was time to have fun in the newlywed's house. The crowd wanted the bride and groom to perform a swordplay. In this world, everyone knew Linghu Chong's sword art was wonderful, and there were a lot of guests there who had not seen it yet.
Linghu Chong said, smiling, "Today, it'll ruin the atmosphere if we use sabres and swords. The bride and I will play a song, how about that?"
The crowd cheered.
Linghu Chong took a yaoqin and gave Yingying a jade flute. Yingying didn't lift her red cover, and extended her delicate hand to take the jade flute. She started playing a song with Linghu Chong. The tune they were playing was the 'Smiling Proud Wanderer'. In these three years, Linghu Chong was under Yingying's guidance in studying the qin and he was already quite good in playing this tune. Linghu Chong remembered of that day outside of Hengshan City out in the wilderness, he listened to Hengshan School Liu Zhengfeng and Sun Moon Sect elder Qu Yang playing this tune. The two of them were very friendly even though they were from different sects and both of them were finally killed. Today, he himself had married Yingying and no sect could stop them. Compared to the people who composed this tune, he was more fortunate. He also thought when Liu and Qu composed this tune together, they must've been doing it because of their sects' separation and to erase the years of enmity between the sects. This time, the tune was being played by husband and wife, at last their wishes had been fulfilled. As he thought till here, the qin and flute became even more harmonious.
Most of the people in the crowd didn't understand music, but they were very pleased to hear it. When the song was finished, they all clapped and cheered, and happily led the married couple to the newlywed room. Once the couple were in the room, they closed the door to the room.
Suddenly, a sad huqin sound rose from outside the wall. Linghu Chong happily said, "Martial uncle Mo Da..."
"Don't make any noise," Yingying whispered.
They heard the huqin sound playing the tune 'Courtship13' softly, but the mournful air of the song could be felt from start to finish. Linghu Chong were feeling very happy as he thought, "Martial uncle Mo Da really didn't die. Today, he's come to play this tune to congratulate Yingying and I getting married."
The huqin sound gradually went far until finally it couldn't be heard anym
ore.
Linghu Chong turned around and gently lifted up Yingying's red face cover. Yingying smiled captivatingly, with the red candles shining on her face, she looked beautiful as jade. She suddenly shouted, "Come out!"
Linghu Chong was perplexed. He thought, "What come out?"
Yingying laughed and shouted, "Still not coming out, I'm going to drench you!"
From under the bed, six people came out. They were the Peach Valley Six Fairies. They were hiding underneath the bed to hear to the newlywed's conversation. Then they'd go back to the hall and relate to the crowd what the newlyweds were talking about. Linghu Chong's mind was already drunk so he didn't realise anything. Yingying was still careful and she was able to hear their breathing under the bed.
Linghu Chong laughed aloud and said, "Six Peach brothers, I almost got trapped by your ambush!"
Peach Valley Six Fairies walked out of the room and started shouting, "Long Live, husband and wife forever! Long Live, husband and wife forever!"
Chongxu was at the Flower Hall chatting to Fangzheng. When he heard the cries of the Peach Valley Six Fairies, he couldn't help smiling. They had been keeping this a secret for three years and it was finally revealed now. This was the oath that Linghu Chong and Yingying had sword to that day in the Guanyin Hall. The oath that came from changing the two sentences of the Sun Moon Sect.
Four months later, it was evening during springtime. Grass was long and flowers were blossoming. Linghu Chong and Yingying were newlyweds, holding hands as they went to Mount Huashan. Linghu Chong wanted to bring his wife pay his respect to Grand martial uncle Feng Qingyang, and to kowtow to him for teaching him the sword art. But they had been going around Mount Huashan's five peaks and three mountain ranges, searched every dell, but they didn't find a single trace of Feng Qingyang's track.
Linghu Chong was displeased.
"Grand martial uncle is a highly skillful person who's out of this world, like a divine dragon that we can only see its head but unable to see its tail, so we don't know where he's gone to," Yingying said.
Linghu Chong sighed. "Grand martial uncle definitely has a godly sword art. His internal energy cultivation can also be regarded as unmatched in this world. In the last three and a half years, I've been practising the inner energy he imparted to me. Those different types of energies are almost all gone."
"Then we can thank Shaolin Temple Great Master Fangzheng," Yingying replied. "Since we can't find Grand martial uncle Feng, we'll go to Shaolin Temple tomorrow and kowtow to Great Master Fangzheng to thank him."
"Great Master Fangzheng brought the divine martial art and guided me in learning it, so he's like a half master to me. We should give thanks to him."
Yingying pursed her lips smiling. "Brother Chong, you still don't understand. That skill you learned, it's Shaolin School's 'Tendon Altering Sutra' inner energy."
"Ah!" Linghu Chong gasped and jumped up. "It's... it's 'Tendon Altering Sutra'? How do you know?"
"That day I heard you said that the inner energy was given orally by Grand Martial uncle Feng to Peach Valley Six Fairies for them to bring to Great Master Fangzheng," Yingying explained. "I had my doubts on this. That internal energy method is so profound and mysterious that when you're practising it, nothing can go wrong in the slightest. If something goes wrong then you'll fire deviate and lose your life. How is it possible to ask the Peach Valley Six Fairies to bring this and pass it on orally? The Peach Valley Six Fairies speak in a tangle, and how can they also talk clearly? Even though Great Master Fangzheng said it and it's likely that grand martial uncle Feng forced them to memorise it, it's still very dangerous. Later on, I asked these six brothers and they all said it's true. But when I told them to recite a few sentences, one said they've forgotten it long ago, one said they can only tell Monk Fangzheng and can't tell other people. The six of them said a few more words, but their words don't match head to tail, and there were hundreds of discrepancies. Later, they revealed this by denying it, they said in order for Great Master Fangzheng to save your life, he didn't want you to know and pretended Grand martial uncle Feng was the one who imparted this martial art. If you ask them about it, he asked them to keep it a secret."
Linghu Chong's mouth gaped wide open and he didn't make any noise for a long time. Yingying continued, "But Grand martial uncle Feng calling them was true. But he called them to tell Great Master Fangzheng that the Sun Moon Sect was going to attack Heng-Shan, and he asked Shaolin and Wudang Schools to help."
"You're so bad," Linghu Chong complained. "You knew about this a long time ago but you only said about this today."
Yingying smiled. "That day in Shaolin Temple, you were very stubborn. Great Master Fangzheng wanted you to join Shaolin and make him your master, then he'd impart you with the 'Tendon Altering Sutra', but you said you wouldn't agree. You brushed him away and walked out the door. If Great Master Fangzheng again mentioned this matter of imparting you with 'Tendon Altering Sutra', then he's afraid your old stubborness would come out again, rather dying then learning it. Wouldn't that be a waste? That's why he was forced to use Grand martial uncle Feng's name to make you think it was Huashan School's inner energy method, and you'd learn it willingly."
"Ah," Linghu Chong understood now. "I know, you didn't want to tell me this because you're also afraid I'll become stubborn and suddenly stop learning it? Since now you know the various inner energies is my body are almost gone, you told me everything."
Yingying again pursed her lips smiling. "Your stubborness, everyone knows it mustn't be provoked."
Linghu Chong let out a long sigh and pulled on her hand. "Yingying, back then you gave up your life at Shaolin Temple so Great Master Fangzheng would impart me with 'Tendon Altering Sutra'. Even though you didn't die, Great Master Fangzheng had already agreed to you to do this. He's a senior in Wulin and his words carry a lot of weight, so finally he gave me this divine martial art. This was the martial art that you used your life to trade with, even if I don't care whether I live or die, how can I... how can I not care about you and stop practising?"
Yingying whispered, "I also thought of this before, but I was still afraid."
"We'll go down the mountain tomorrow and go to Shaolin Temple. Since I've already learned the 'Tendon Altering Sutra', it's best if I go to Shaolin Temple and become a monk."
Yingying knew he was joking. "A wild monk like you, the big temples won't accept and the little temples don't want you. Shaolin Temple's rules and commandments are very strict, a monk who drinks wine and eats meat like you, they'll drive out of there within half a day."
They walked hand in hand, chatting leisurely. Linghu Chong saw Yingying was continuously looking left and right, looking like she was looking for something.
"What are you looking for?" Linghu Chong asked.
"Not telling, you'll know when we find it. This time coming to Mount Huashan, we didn't manage to pay our respects to grand martial uncle Feng and it's a regret. But if we also can't see that person, it'll be a pity."
Linghu Chong was confused. "We're seeing another person? Who is it?"
Yingying smiled and didn't answer. She said, "You locked Lin Pingzhi up in that jail underneath Plum Manor. It's actually a brilliant idea. You promised your little martial sister to take care of Lin Pingzhi for the rest of his life. While he's inside that jail, he has food to eat, clothes to wear, and no one can harm him. It's really looking after him for the rest of his life. I've also given your other friend a special treatment."
Linghu Chong was even more perplexed, he thought, "My other friend? Who's he?" He knew his wife's behaviour was often outside people's expectation. Since she wasn't willing to say it then there was no use asking. That night, they stayed in Linghu Chong's old room and drank wine. Even though Linghu Chong was looking at his lovable wife, he still thought of many past events and couldn't help feeling sad. After drinking more than ten cups of wine, he was rather intoxicated. Yingying suddenly looked happy and put down the wine cup. She whispered, "I think he'
s coming, let's have a look."
Linghu Chong heard sound of monkey's cries coming from the mountain in front. He didn't know who Yingying was talking about but he followed her out of the room.
Yingying followed the monkey's cry and walked quickly towards the mountainside in front. Linghu Chong followed behind her. Under the moonlight, he saw seven to eight monkeys gathered. There were a lot of monkeys on Mount Huashan. Linghu Chong didn't know what was going on but surprisingly he saw a person surroundeded by those monkeys. Squinting his eyes, he saw that person was Lao Denuo. Delight and anger mixed together inside him, he turned around wanting to take a sword from inside the room. Yingying pulled his arm and whispered, "We'll go closer and see clearer."
They went a hundred feet closer and saw Lao Denuo was held between two enormous monkeys, and was being dragged around here and there by them. He wasn't in control of his body at all. The martial art he had learned was all useless to resist against these two big monkeys.
Linghu Chong was perplexed. "What happened to him?"
"Have a look, I'll tell you slowly," said a smiling Yingying.
The monkeys were impatient, jumping up and down, and there wasn't a moment of respite at all. Lao Denuo was being pulled to the left and right, and he occasionally let out a roar which prompted the two monkeys to scratch his face. At this time, Linghu Chong had finally understood what was going on. Lao Denuo's right hand and right side were linked to the monkey on the left, while his left hand and left side were linked to the monkey on the right. It was obvious he had been shackled with iron manacles.
He had understood most of it as he asked, "You did this?"
"What do you think?" Yingying asked.
"You destroyed Lao Denuo's martial art?"
