A Bond Undone

by Jin Yong

  “Too bad he passed away; he would have liked you so very much, little brother. You’re kind, honest and forgiving. He’d have been able to pass on all his knowledge to you. Everything.”

  Tears began to roll down Zhou Botong’s face. “How I wish he were still alive! But even he, with all his martial might, still couldn’t escape from the plague that is death.”

  He buried his face in his hands and began to sob loudly.

  Guo Jing had not quite grasped Zhou Botong’s point, but his grief was infectious.

  Suddenly, the Hoary Urchin stopped crying and looked up. “Hey, we haven’t finished the story yet! I can cry later. Where were we? Why didn’t you stop me crying?”

  Guo Jing was amazed by how quickly his brother’s moods could flip. He answered, with a smile, “You were telling me how Immortal Wang hid the Manual under a flagstone and sat over it, on his prayer cushion.”

  “Ah, yes, that’s where we got to!” Zhou Botong slapped his thigh. “Of course, I asked Brother if I could take a peek. He fixed me with a really stern stare and gave me a proper scolding. He had never snubbed me like that and I knew better than to ask again. Anyway, the wulin got to enjoy a bit of peace and quiet after Mount Hua, but things began to stir up again in Brother’s last days.”

  Zhou Botong was speaking louder and faster, his emotions running high in anticipation of the drama to follow.

  “He knew the end was nigh, the plague that none of us can escape was knocking at his door. So, after he had made arrangements to settle the Sect’s affairs, he commanded me to bring him the Nine Yin Manual. When I got there, a fire was already burning. I knew what he was thinking. I handed him both volumes and he held them for a long time. I heard him mumble to himself, ‘Can I be the one to destroy the life’s work of our Elder?’ Then he sighed and declared, ‘Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it. Let the world decide how it will use the Nine Yin Manual. However, disciples of the Quanzhen Sect are forbidden to learn the kung fu within, lest we are accused of taking the Manual for selfish reasons.’ When he had finished speaking, he closed his eyes and left us. We let his body rest in the temple, and placed the Manual on the altar as an offering. And, that very night, trouble broke out, even before the third watch was sounded.

  “I was standing vigil with my brother’s seven disciples when we were attacked by a group of martial masters. My martial nephews drew the fight beyond the temple so no harm would come to Brother’s body. I was left behind to guard him. Once they were gone, I heard a voice saying, ‘Hand over the Nine Yin Manual, or I’ll raze this place to the ground.’

  “I peeped outside and my chest tightened. A man stood at the very tip of a branch, swaying and bobbing in the wind. Such amazing lightness kung fu, I told myself. If he would teach me, I’d gladly call him Shifu – no, no, I can’t – he’s here to take the Nine Yin Manual; he’s not worthy of the name.

  “Obviously, I knew I was no match for him, but I had to try to protect the Manual. I charged outside and leapt up into the tree. There, balanced on its branches, we exchanged thirty or forty moves. I got more and more scared as we fought. We were about the same age, but my kung fu was just that little bit less accomplished than his. Every move he made was so brutal and merciless. I couldn’t really block them, but I had to, for Brother. Then he struck me on the shoulder and I fell out of the tree.”

  “Your kung fu is so strong and yet you couldn’t beat him? Who is this man?”

  “Guess!”

  When Guo Jing finally spoke, for once, it was with utmost certainty. “Venom of the West.”

  “Yes! How did you know?”

  “There are only five people whose kung fu is stronger than yours and they all took part in the Contest of Mount Hua. My shifu Count Seven is righteous and just. He wouldn’t do a thing like that. The King of the South is the head of a state. I imagine his actions must befit his status. Lord Huang has a dignified air and an elegant bearing. I doubt he would stoop so low as to take advantage of another’s misfortune.”

  “This knave is more perceptive than he seems.” The words echoed among the trees.

  Guo Jing sprinted to where he thought the voice had come from, but he only found swaying trees and drifting petals.

  “Come back, brother. The Heretic is gone – far, far away.”

  “Old Heretic Huang knows the rules of the Mysterious Gates and the Five Elements inside out,” Zhou Botong explained when Guo Jing returned to the cave. “He planted these trees according to the Eight Tactical Formations devised by the military strategist Zhuge Liang. Once among these trees, all he has to do is dart to the left, or make a few leaps right, and no-one can find him.

  “The Heretic is exceptionally gifted, you know. He’s not just a martial great, he’s also a master of the four scholarly arts – zither, chess, calligraphy and painting. And he’s an expert in medicine, divination, astrology, physiognomy, agriculture, irrigation, economics and military strategy. It’s a shame he has to torment the Hoary Urchin, and an even greater shame that I can’t beat him. But you’re right. The Heretic may be eccentric and unpredictable, but he is no villain.”

  Guo Jing stood for a moment in awe of Apothecary Huang’s vast knowledge, and then he remembered Zhou Botong’s tale. “What happened after you fell from the tree?”

  “Ha! You finally think of asking me to continue the story!” Zhou Botong slapped his thigh merrily. “That palm strike from Viper Ouyang took the wind out of me. The pain was unbearable. For a moment, I thought I was paralysed. But, when I saw him march inside the temple, I made myself run after him in spite of my injury. He was already standing at the altar, his hand reaching over my brother’s coffin for the Manual. It was so frustrating. I was already hurt, and I couldn’t beat him anyway. My martial nephews were still dealing with the other attackers. Suddenly – pang! – slivers of wood flew from the casket. The lid splintered—”

  “Viper Ouyang smashed—?”

  “No! It was my brother!”

  Guo Jing’s eyes widened and he gaped at Zhou Botong, unsure if his ears were deceiving him.

  Chapter Eight

  Competing Hands

  1

  “NO, NO, NO, NO, HE DIDN’T RISE FROM THE DEAD, IT WASN’T his ghost – he wasn’t actually dead.”

  “He faked his death?”

  “Yes. You see, my martial brother got wind that the Venom of the West was lurking around our temple. He knew he was waiting for him to die so he could grab the Nine Yin Manual. Brother used a neigong technique to conceal his breathing, and kept his plan from us, in case our grief didn’t seem genuine. The Venom is cunning. He’d probably have seen through the ploy and then have found another way to ambush us.

  “Viper Ouyang saw my martial brother die with his own eyes. You can imagine his horror when the dead man burst out of the coffin – very much alive. The Venom was paralysed with shock. Brother jabbed him right between the eyebrows with a Yang in Ascendance mixed with the power of Cosmos neigong.

  “The Venom had always been wary of my brother. And he was so stunned by the resurrection that he couldn’t react fast enough to defend himself. Brother managed to negate his Exploding Toad kung fu with ease. Viper Ouyang had put many years of hard work into this ultimate series of moves. But all he could do now was run, with his tail between his legs.

  “With the Venom gone, my martial brother sat cross-legged on the altar table, laughing. The Yang in Ascendance really drains one’s internal energy, so I left him alone to channel his qi around his body, and ran off to find my martial nephews. They were thrilled to hear their shifu was alive, but we came back to a terrible sight.

  “Brother had slumped to one side. There was a strange look on his face. I rushed over to him. He was ice cold to the touch. This time, he really had left us. He had beaten off Viper Ouyang for the time being, but we all knew the Venom would be back when he had recovered his strength. We were no match for him, so I took the Manual and headed south.

  “My plan was to h
ide it in a cave in Yandang Mountain. Who would have guessed I’d bump into the Heretic along the way? He has a high opinion of himself. He would never try to take the Manual by force, like that shameless Viper Ouyang. But his young wife was with him and everything went wrong from there.”

  This must have been Lotus’s mother! Guo Jing wondered how she had got involved with the Nine Yin Manual.

  “The Heretic was looking very pleased with himself. He told me he was newly wed. She was beautiful. But I’ve never understood why anyone would want to get married. You know, keep a woman at home all the time. Why? I mean, even someone as clever as Apothecary Huang had fallen for this trap! Naturally, I teased him about it. He was in very good spirits, he wasn’t offended at all. He even invited me to their celebrations.

  “It was very nice of him, but you will remember that I was on my way to Yandang Mountain. I knew I mustn’t tarry and so I made my excuses. And I ended up telling them about how my martial brother had died after striking Viper Ouyang.

  “When I finished my story, the young madam begged me to show her the Manual. She was very persistent. She kept saying she didn’t know any martial arts. She just wanted to understand how a book could have caused the deaths of so many martial masters.

  “Of course, I refused, but the Heretic never said no to his beloved wife. So, he said to me, ‘I can vouch that she has no martial knowledge – she just loves anything out of the ordinary. It won’t do any harm, letting her take a look. If I, Apothecary Huang, so much as glance at it, I will gouge out my own two eyes and present them to you.’

  “I kept shaking my head. I knew a master like Old Heretic Huang would for certain be a man of his word, but the Manual was too important. He was getting impatient. ‘I know you’re in a difficult position. If you do this for my wife, I promise to repay the Quanzhen Sect’s kindness. But, if you continue to refuse me, well . . . I won’t do anything to you – after all, we are acquainted – but I don’t have any such relationship with your Quanzhen disciples.’

  “I understood his meaning. He wouldn’t pick a fight with me over the Manual, because it wouldn’t be gentlemanly. But, if I didn’t comply, he would take it out on my martial nephews. I’d bring trouble on everyone if I crossed him.”

  “Elder Ma and Elder Qiu couldn’t beat Apothecary Huang,” Guo Jing said.

  “So, I said, ‘Heretic, if you have a problem with the Hoary Urchin, take it out on the Hoary Urchin. Why involve my martial nephews? Surely that would be seen as picking on your juniors?’

  “His wife giggled at my nickname. ‘Brother Zhou,’ she said, ‘we’re just joking with you – don’t get upset! I don’t need to see your precious Manual.’ Then she turned to her husband. ‘It sounds like this Viper Ouyang has taken the Manual. I don’t think Brother Zhou has it with him. Don’t press him any further. It will only make him lose face. After all, he can’t show me what he hasn’t got.’ The Heretic laughed and said to me, ‘Hoary Urchin, I’ll help you find the Venom. You can’t beat him alone.’”

  “They were trying to rile you!” Now Guo Jing understood where Lotus got her temperament.

  “I knew what they were trying to do, of course, but I couldn’t let it go like that, so I replied, ‘The Manual is here with me and I don’t mind letting Madam take a peek. But I can’t have you saying the Hoary Urchin can’t keep the Manual safe. We’ll have to fight that one out first.’

  “Apothecary Huang was in an incredibly good mood. ‘Fighting causes bad blood. Let’s test our mettle with childhood games.’ His wife clapped and cheered before I could even answer. ‘That’s a great idea! What about marbles?’ That game was my speciality, so I agreed immediately. Then she added, ‘Brother Zhou, if you lose, you’ll have to let me look at the Manual. If you win, what would you like?’

  “Apothecary Huang spoke before I could answer her: ‘The Quanzhen Sect has its treasures and so does Peach Blossom Island.’ He pulled a black shirt covered in little spikes from his bag. Can you guess what it was?”

  “Hedgehog Chainmail,” Guo Jing replied instantly.

  “Correct! So you know about it too? Old Heretic Huang held the steel shirt up and said, ‘You don’t need this to protect you, but, one day, when you find your lady urchin and give birth to a little baby urchin, this might come in very handy. No-one would pick on them. If you win, this most treasured object from Peach Blossom Island is yours.’ And I said to him, ‘Nothing can persuade me to marry and I definitely don’t want any little urchins. But I’d be delighted to wear your Hedgehog Chainmail over my clothes, so everyone will know that the Lord of Peach Blossom Island lost to the Hoary Urch—’ Madam Huang cut me off and said, ‘Enough talking! Show us your skills!’

  “So, we agreed on the rules. Nine marbles each, eighteen holes; whoever pots all nine marbles first, wins.”

  Guo Jing smiled. He had played the same game when he was little, against his anda Tolui, on the Mongolian steppe.

  “I never go anywhere without my lucky marbles. It didn’t take us long to find a spot for our contest. It gave me a chance to observe Madam Huang, too. I could tell she had never had a day’s martial training, from the way she moved and held herself.

  “Anyway, I dug the holes in the ground and let Apothecary Huang choose his marbles. He grabbed them without looking. He must have thought he’d win for sure, with his skill with secret weapons and Divine Flick kung fu. But the holes I dug were a little different. If you don’t use a particular blend of force and spin, the marble will pop right out after it’s gone in. You have to pull back your strength just before you send the marble flying, to dampen the force of the rebound.”

  Guo Jing was impressed. These techniques were certainly not familiar to the Mongolian children he knew, and he could hear the pride in Zhou Botong’s voice as he relived the game.

  “The Heretic flicked three marbles, but they all bounced out again. By the time he understood the trick, I had scored five times. He learned fast, though. He started flicking my marbles into tough spots as he fired his towards the holes. He managed to get three points. But I already had such a lead, how could he catch up? We tussled for a good while, and eventually I scored again. I was so far ahead now, even if the gods descended right at that moment, they couldn’t have turned the game around for him. Apothecary Huang had lost! I was jubilant. Then he started to play dirty . . .”

  “Did he lock your pressure points?” Guo Jing asked.

  “Of course not! He’s nasty, but not a brute! He knew he couldn’t win, so he started putting greater strength into his flicks. He sent his three remaining marbles into mine. I also had only three left. Somehow, he managed to shatter all of mine into tiny bits and yet not a scratch appeared on his!”

  “What? So you didn’t have any marbles left!”

  “Exactly. I had to watch him slowly flick his marbles into the holes, one by one . . .”

  “But that’s cheating!”

  “I protested too, but the Heretic said, ‘My dear Hoary Urchin, we did say whoever bags all nine marbles first wins, didn’t we? You can’t deny that, can you? Let’s not get upset about your smashed marbles right now. After all, I could have taken them by force.’

  “He played dirty, but I had no-one but myself to blame, since I agreed to the rules. I had to admit defeat. So, I said to Madam Huang, ‘I will lend you the Manual, my lady, but you must return it to me today. Before nightfall.’

  “I had learned my lesson. If I didn’t specify a time, she could have easily told me, ‘We didn’t say how long you’d lend it to me.’ You know, ten years, a hundred years – it’s still a loan!”

  “Brother is very clever to have thought of that! I would have fallen for their tricks again.”

  Zhou Botong shook his head. “There are very few people in the world as smart and quick-witted as the Heretic. I’ve no idea where he found this wife of his. She was just as clever, if not more so. But I can’t understand how such a clever man still fell for the whole stupid trap of marriage!

&nb
sp; “Anyway, Madam Huang gave me a smile and said, ‘Brother Zhou, you might be known as the Hoary Urchin, but your mind is very sharp! Don’t worry, I’ll sit right here and give it back to you as soon as I’m done. I promise it will be before sunset. You’re welcome to sit with me.’

  “So I took the Manual from inside my shirt and handed both volumes to her. She sat down on a rock under a tree and started to thumb through it. Apothecary Huang could tell I was worried. ‘Hoary Urchin,’ he said, ‘how many people under the heavens could hope to defeat us?’ ‘You?’ I replied. ‘Perhaps none. But at least four or five can beat me, and you’re one of them.’

  “He laughed, then said, ‘You’re too kind. The four of us – the Venom, the King, the Beggar and myself – each have our strengths, but we are more or less evenly matched. You said your martial brother sent Viper Ouyang fleeing back to the west. Iron Palm Water Glider wasn’t at the contest, and, however wonderful his kung fu might be, I doubt he’s better than us. Hoary Urchin, I dare say you’re next in line among the Greats. If we were on the same side, we’d be invincible. So why are you so nervous? Who could steal your precious Manual with us standing guard over it?’

  “I nodded and relaxed a little. Madam Huang pored over each page, mouthing the words silently. It was absurd. She was reading the most advanced and intricate martial tract ever written, yet she didn’t know any kung fu. She might recognise every character, but she wouldn’t be able to make out the meaning of half a sentence.

  “She read it slowly, from cover to cover. It took more than two hours. I was getting impatient. You couldn’t imagine my excitement when she reached the final page. At last, I thought, she’s done. Then she started all over again. But it was much quicker, this time; it only took her the time it takes to drink a pot of tea to finish it.

  “She handed the Manual back to me with a smile and said, ‘You were tricked by the Venom of the West. This is not the Nine Yin Manual!’ I couldn’t believe my ears, so I asked her, ‘How could that be? It was in my martial brother’s possession at all times. The covers look the same!’ She replied with absolute certainty, ‘Viper Ouyang swapped it for a common book about fortune telling and divination.’”