A Bond Undone

by Jin Yong

  Papa used to take her down here to see Mama all the time. He would carry her in his arms and report to his wife in great detail all the little things they had done that day. In recent years, these trips had become few and far between.

  Hearing her father’s voice right now did not surprise Lotus, but she was still angry with him and preferred not to make herself known. She decided to stay hidden behind the drapes until he had left.

  “I made you a promise. I promised to find the Nine Yin Manual and burn it as an offering to you, so your spirit up there can learn its full contents again. You tried so hard to remember it. For fifteen years, I failed you. Today, I can at last fulfil my word.”

  Did Papa get the Nine Yin Manual today? Lotus was confused.

  “I do not intend to kill your son-in-law. They insisted on taking that boat.”

  Does he mean Guo Jing? Why is he talking about the boat again? Lotus was worried, but her father said nothing further on the matter. Instead, he launched into a repetitive soliloquy detailing the solitude he had endured since her mother’s passing. She had never heard him open up like this, and she realised how much pain she would heap upon him if she were to run away again.

  We have years ahead of us, Guo Jing and I, she told herself. One day, we will meet again. We’re not even twenty yet.

  “The Hoary Urchin’s kung fu is now superior to mine; I will not be able to send his soul to you. He destroyed the Manual today, the copy he lent you, all those years ago. I thought he had made me break my word to you. Who knows what higher powers induced him to insist on sailing out in the pageant boat I had built for our reunion?”

  Papa has always forbidden me to play on that boat . . . but how can a boat bring Papa to Mama?

  Lotus did not know that, when her mother died, her father planned to take his life, as the ultimate act of devotion. For a man of his martial skills, killing himself by hanging or poison would take a long time. His lifeless body would be left undefended from the abuse of his servants, too. So he decided to turn to the sea. He travelled to the mainland to capture the most skilled shipwrights. He had them build a very particular boat: the wooden hull was held together with glue and ropes, instead of being nailed tight with iron. In the bay, it was the most lavish of vessels, but, in open waters, as waves lapped and crashed, it would quickly come apart and sink.

  Apothecary Huang’s plan was to sail out with his wife’s remains. He would play the “Ode to the Billowing Tide” as the ship disintegrated, and together they would find their final resting place beneath the waves. Such a death would be worthy of his status as a martial great and a fitting end to his life. Yet, each time he built up his resolve to take to the seas, he found he could not bear to take his infant daughter along or leave her behind. In the end, he built a tomb to inter his wife’s body temporarily. At the same time, he continued to maintain and repaint the boat every year, to keep it in the best possible state of repair. He would set sail once his daughter had grown up and found a suitable home, when no earthly worries could hold him back.

  Since Lotus did not know the story behind the boat, she had no idea of the danger Guo Jing was in, until she heard her father say, “Cyclone did return the Manual she took. But I know that you weren’t able to set down that final strange passage accurately. Even with your extraordinary memory, how could it be possible to remember something you couldn’t comprehend?

  “Now sailing to you on the boat I made for us are the Hoary Urchin, who knows the Manual inside out, and the lad, Guo Jing, who can recite the text without a single mistake. When the sea takes them, I will have fulfilled my promise to you.

  “I have sent as offerings two sets of the Nine Yin Manual – living flesh, instead of dead paper. Your spirit above must have the memory of heavenly creatures. Your mental abilities now must far exceed those of your mortal self, all those years ago. You can check the Manual in their minds against your memory, so you can at last rest in peace. Though, it’s perhaps a little unfair on Old Beggar Hong, making him give his life for no reason.

  “In one day, I will kill three supreme martial artists to keep the promise I made to you. When we meet again, you can proudly proclaim, ‘My husband lives by his word – he carries out every vow he makes to his beloved wife!’”

  A bitter laugh echoed in the stone chamber.

  “Guo Jing didn’t lie. He couldn’t have taken the Manual from Cyclone, as the Hoary Urchin claimed. The passage of nonsense that came out of Guo Jing’s mouth was structured, and longer than our incomplete, garbled version. Cyclone also wrote down a few lines of poetry, before she lost her sight. Knowing that lad’s intellect, he’d have taken them to be part of the Manual and recited them out loud. But he didn’t. The Hoary Urchin was pulling my leg. No doubt he lied when he said Guo Jing knew he was learning the Nine Yin Manual, too. It’s not plausible, with his history with Cyclone and Hurricane.

  “Lotus is so very fond of this honest fool. Her heart will hurt so much when she finds out he died at sea. But who in this world goes through life without a broken heart? Joy is limited, sorrow plentiful, the soul breaks, always! I never intended to kill Guo Jing! Lotus, Lotus, I have not done you wrong!”

  The last words were spoken directly to Lotus, as if Apothecary Huang had sensed her presence in the burial chamber.

  The boat must be fitted with some horrible, deadly contraptions! The thought made Lotus’s hair stand on end and sent a chill to her heart, freezing her whole being. Given her father’s precision and rigour, his design would not fail. Guo Jing, her shifu and Zhou Botong might have already fallen victim.

  She wanted to rush out and beg her father to save them, but fear and shock had made her legs weak and she could not even stand. She tried to cry out, but her voice would not obey her. Slumped against her mother’s coffin, all she could do was listen to his departing footsteps and the fading echoes of his melancholy laugh, ringing like a song and a sob.

  Lotus tried to gather her wits. I must find Guo Jing. If I can’t rescue him, then I’ll die with him! Knowing her father’s temperament and his obsessive love for her mother, there was no point asking him for help, especially after what he had said about offering the Manual to her spirit.

  When she recovered her strength, she sprinted from the entrance of the tomb, all the way down to the shore, and leapt onto the first boat she could find. She shook the sleeping crew awake and ordered them to set sail immediately. As they emerged from the bay, she heard the sound of thundering hooves and her father’s flute song floating on the breeze.

  Lotus looked back to shore and saw Ulaan galloping back and forth along the shoreline, his coat glistening in the moonlight.

  Ulaan must feel so sad, so constricted, here, on this island, she said to herself. He might be an exceptional steed, but his strength would be of little use if he boarded the boat with her.

  Where do I start to look for Guo Jing on this boundless sea?

  Appendix I

  Chinese Martial Arts and Philosophy

  CHINESE MARTIAL ARTS ARE INTRINSICALLY LINKED TO Chinese philosophy and its worldview, not dissimilar to the way that yoga is rooted in the Hindu tradition.

  When practising martial arts, one is searching for a path towards spiritual cultivation through movement. It is an effort to attain focus and clarity of mind, the first step in preparing oneself to face the familiar existential questions: of life and death, and beyond. In a way, it is a form of meditation. Martial prowess is simply a by-product of this process, rather than its goal; becoming the greatest fighter would never be the original reason for training.

  The exercises in martial-arts training are often a physical manifestation of aspects of the philosophies that underpin particular branches of kung fu. For example, in tai chi, grounded in Taoist beliefs, every stance, posture and movement expresses the circular, continuous interplay of growth and decline between yin and yang – very crudely put, relaxation and strength – in a search for balance through unceasing motion.

  So far, in
the Legends of the Condor Heroes, the theories and ideas behind the moves described do correspond to actual martial practice and classical Chinese writings. That said, the more fanciful ones are fictional, by and large.

  For instance, Count Seven Hong’s explanation of the underlying concept of the Dragon-Subduing Palm quotes directly from the I’Ching, also translated as the Book of Changes. This divination text is a cornerstone of Chinese culture and its beliefs, serving as a guide to moral, social and familial decisions, particularly important to Taoist thought. The names of individual moves also come from the I’Ching, with several drawn from the description and commentary of the first hexagram, called Dynamic.

  Meanwhile, the opening lines of the Nine Yin Manual are taken from another text of the Taoist canon, Classic of the Way and Virtue, sometimes known by the Romanisation of its Chinese title, Tao Te Ching. The text, written by Laozi, a thinker believed to have lived around the sixth century B.C., is of central importance to the Taoist philosophy and religion, and was also influential in the development of Confucianism and Buddhism. Classic of the Way and Virtue is fundamental to the values and principles held by Chinese people over centuries, even to this day.

  Quotes from these classic texts in this volume are phrased in the way that best relates to, and explains, a martial skill or a particular concept that is key to the narrative. Any readers interested in exploring these Chinese philosophical writings, and their influence on civilisation in East and South-East Asia, are encouraged to consult full translations of the original works, all of which have been rendered into many different languages.

  Appendix II

  Notes on the Text

  PAGE NUMBERS DENOTE THE FIRST TIME THESE CONCEPTS OR names are mentioned in the book.

  P. 21 OUYANG XIU

  Poet, historian and statesman, Ouyang Xiu (1007–72) exerts a lasting influence on Chinese culture. He led the compilation of two major histories, one on the Tang dynasty (618–907) and one on the Five Dynasties period (907–60). His prose and poetry departed from the strict, ornate conventions popular at the time, pioneering a new simpler style, cementing his reputation as a literary master. His works are still studied in Chinese schools to this day.

  P. 23 ZHU XIZHEN

  Xizhen is the courtesy name – acquired when a man comes of age, at twenty – of Zhu Dunru (1081–1159), a poet and statesman who lived at a time when the Song Empire was losing half its realm to the Jurchen. He is best known for his ci poems, whereby he set lyrics to the prosody of standard musical tunes, a literary form that reached its apogee during the Song dynasty.

  P. 24 GRIEF FOR THE GREY HAIR REFLECTED IN THE MIRROR

  Apothecary Huang quotes Li Bai’s (701–62) poem “Bringing in the Wine”, also translated as “Drinking Song”. This Tang dynasty poet’s name is sometimes spelled Li Bo, Li Po or Li Pai. He is regarded as China’s greatest poet, alongside Du Fu (712–70).

  P. 26 CENSOR-IN-CHIEF

  The Censor-in-Chief was one of the highest-ranking officials at court, holding almost as much power as the Chancellor. The Censor was tasked with keeping corrupt and illegal practices in check, with the power to question fellow officials. The Censor’s office – often called the Censorate, in English – controlled the lines of communication between officials and the Emperor: petitions and memorials to the throne had to be submitted through it; indeed, imperial edicts had to be countersigned by the Censor before they were passed on to the court. Though the power and remit of the Censor varied somewhat as dynasties rose and fell, this powerful role came into existence as early as the Han dynasty (206 B.C.–A.D. 220) and remained in place until the end of imperial rule in China, in 1911.

  P. 26 THE GAOZONG EMPEROR

  In 1126, the Jurchen Jin dynasty laid siege to the Song capital, Kaifeng. By 1127, they controlled the northern half of the Song Empire’s realm, holding the Song Emperor Qinzong hostage, along with his father, the abdicated Huizong. Qinzong’s brother, Gaozong (1107–87), fled south, re-establishing the Empire – subsequently known as the Southern Song dynasty (1127–1279) – in Lin’an. Gaozong was the first Emperor of the Southern Song, reigning from 1127 to 1162.

  P. 26 CHANCELLOR QIN HUI AND GENERAL YUE FEI

  Chancellor Qin Hui (1090–1155) is regarded as a traitor in Chinese history, due to his role in the death of the beloved patriot General Yue Fei (1103–42).

  After the Song Empire lost its capital, Kaifeng, and the northern half of its territory to the Jin, Qin Hui became the leader of a faction in court which favoured maintaining the status quo with the Jin, negotiating treaties and paying tributes. However, Yue Fei, the commander of the Song forces, believed in taking the fight to the enemy and marching north to recover annexed territory; he had already successfully halted the Jin cavalry’s advance south.

  Chancellor Qin persuaded the Gaozong Emperor that General Yue was a threat: a successful campaign into the Jin-occupied north would likely result in Gaozong himself being dethroned if his captured brother and father were freed. Gaozong recalled Yue Fei from the frontline, sending twelve successive orders to urge the General’s return, even though the Song army was on the verge of recapturing the capital, Kaifeng. Yue Fei had no choice but to abandon his campaign. Once he arrived in the southern capital, Lin’an, he was imprisoned and eventually executed.

  Nonetheless, Yue Fei’s reputation as a loyal subject was rehabilitated just twenty years later, and his name became synonymous with righteous loyalty, appearing frequently in novels, poems, plays and films throughout the centuries.

  P. 26 JANG SATAM

  Jang Satam is the region of modern-day Lijiang, Yunnan province.

  P. 32 SHE POINTED AT TWO VOLUMES ON HER DESK

  Bound volumes in Song-dynasty China were structurally very similar to books today. By the ninth century, printed books were already in mass production. Usually, they were made by carving words and pictures into wood. These wooden blocks were then inked and paper was pressed onto them. Placed in order, leaves then had a front and back cover added – often made of a thicker paper, or silk glued to a paper backing – before being stitched together using silk cord. When the binding of a book wore out or was damaged, the cover or stitching could be easily replaced or repaired.

  Traditionally, Chinese books were bound on the right-hand edge, with the first word appearing at the top right and characters running down the page vertically; one turned the page from left to right – in the opposite direction to books in the West.

  P. 32 MOON FESTIVAL

  Moon Festival, also known as Mid-Autumn Festival, is the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, when the full moon is closest to the autumn equinox. On this night, it is believed that the moon is at its roundest and brightest. As the full moon appears as a perfect circle to the eyes, it becomes an image in the Chinese language for coming together and reunion. Therefore, it was, and remains, an important day for family and friends to gather and spend time together. The festival is rooted in thanksgiving rituals for the autumn harvest, not unlike similar celebrations in the West. Even today, Moon Festival is celebrated in Chinese communities with family dinners, outdoor strolls to admire the moon, and, in some cases, by making offerings to the moon and to related deities. Sweet or savoury pastries, known as mooncakes, are commonly gifted and eaten, with fillings and flavourings differing from region to region across China.

  P. 35 SILVER STREAM / WEAVER GIRL AND THE COWHERD

  Silver Stream is the Chinese name for the Milky Way; the Weaver Girl refers to the star Vega; similarly, Cowherd is the star Altair. In Chinese mythology, the Silver Stream was created by one of the most important deities of the heavens, Queen Mother of the West. Angry to discover that her daughter, the Weaver Girl, had fallen in love with a Cowherd from the mortal realm, she brandished her hairpin in rage: it became the Silver Stream, forcefully separating the lovers. However, the magpies of the heavens pitied the young couple and formed a bridge to allow the lovers to meet. The Queen Mother eventually relented, allowing Wea
ver Girl and the Cowherd to meet on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month each year, with the help of the magpies.

  P. 35 NORTHERN DIPPER

  The Northern Dipper is the constellation known as the Plough or the Big Dipper, formed by the seven brightest stars of the larger constellation Ursa Major. The position of the Northern Dipper was of great importance to the ancient Chinese: the constellation’s unique outline meant it was easy to see with the naked eye, so it was a useful way to locate the Polaris and determine where north was; in addition, the Northern Dipper rotates east to west around the Polaris during the year and its position helped to mark seasonal changes. This group of stars also symbolised the imperial carriage trailing after the Emperor, who was represented by the star Polaris. In Taoism, the seven stars are sometimes regarded as a single deity, or separated into seven individual deities, each with unique celestial responsibilities.

  P. 39 SPIRIT TABLET

  Writing the name of an ancestor or deity on an object imbues it with their spirit. Usually taking the form of a wooden or stone plaque set on a stand, the spirit tablet is placed on a shrine or altar table and offerings are made. They are most commonly found in temples, but also in homes.

  P. 73 SCRIBE’S BRUSHES

  A weapon similar in shape and size to a Chinese calligraphy brush, with a slender cylindrical body and a pointed tip at one end. The weapon’s main purpose is not to cut through the skin and draw blood like a dagger, but to disable opponents when targeted at acupressure points. Sometimes, it has a ring in the middle, or towards the rounded end, so that it can be twirled easily. Scribe’s Brushes are usually made of metal or hardwood and most often wielded in pairs.

  P. 96 HIS ART IS ROOTED IN THE FIRMNESS OF HIS STRENGTH

  “Firmness” is used here as the opposite of “suppleness”. Together, the two words form a fundamental concept that first appeared in the I’Ching, and are often used interchangeably with yin and yang.