A Snake Lies Waiting

by Jin Yong

  “They sound a bit too comfortable,” Lotus whispered. Together, she and Guo Jing slipped out of the dining room and into the yard at the rear of the complex. With a wave of a torch, Lotus set fire to the wooden buildings that surrounded the courtyard.

  Within moments, the flames had climbed high and people began pouring outside.

  “Fire!”

  “We need water!”

  Copper gongs were sounding all around.

  “Quick, to the front, or we’ll lose them,” Lotus said.

  “Tonight, we must kill that villain Wanyan Honglie!”

  “Only after we’ve made sure Shifu has had his fill from the palace kitchens. Then we can get the Old Urchin to fight the Venom of the West, while we deal with the other two.”

  “Good idea.”

  They made their way through the crowd to the front of the inn, just as Wanyan Honglie, Viper Ouyang and Yang Kang emerged. They followed the three men at a distance, along long streets and winding alleys, toward the city’s western market, where they entered the Crown and Seal Inn.

  Lotus and Guo Jing waited outside, until eventually concluding that the party must be staying there.

  “Let’s get the Old Urchin and bring him back here,” Lotus suggested, and with that they set off in the direction of the Brocade Mansion.

  6

  As they approached the inn, they could hear Zhou Botong’s voice. He was shouting. Fear surged through Guo Jing as the thought hit him: perhaps their shifu’s condition had taken a turn for the worse. He rushed forward, only to see Zhou Botong squatting on the ground outside the inn, squabbling with a group of half a dozen young boys. They had been betting who could throw coins the farthest, but one of them was refusing to pay up. As soon as the Urchin caught sight of Lotus, however, he quickly abandoned the fray and went inside.

  Once inside, Lotus presented him with the masks. He was delighted and began trying them on, playing the Judge of the Underworld one minute and a demon the next.

  Lotus told him of their plan and Zhou Botong quickly agreed. “Have no fear—these fists of mine will make short work of the Venom! I have two techniques I can use.”

  Lotus recalled the fight on Peach Blossom Island. Afraid that he might reveal moves from the Nine Yin Manual, Zhou Botong had tied his hands and thus had been injured by her father. “The Venom of the West is a bad man. Your martial brother, Master Wang Chongyang, once fought him, so it wouldn’t be going against his last decree to use some moves from the Nine Yin Manual.”

  “No, I can’t,” Zhou Botong said, looking at her intensely. “I’ve trained hard for many years; I don’t need the Manual.”

  Count Seven, meanwhile, was still dreaming of the food inside the palace. Waiting until evening was proving arduous. But, at the second watch that night, Guo Jing hoisted his Master onto his back and the four made their way across the rooftops of the city.

  The palace towered above the surrounding buildings, and its glazed roof tiles sparkled, making it easy to spot. Before long, they had leaped over the walls and were inside.

  Within the complex, guards patrolled the grounds and gardens. But, using their lightness kung fu—under the guidance of Count Seven Hong’s whispered instructions—they were able to make straight for the kitchens, located behind the Six Ministries Mount and east of the Radiance Hall, where the imperial family took their meals. The private chambers in which the Emperor conducted official business were adjacent, patrolled by personal attendants, eunuchs and guards. The Emperor had already retired for the night and the kitchen staff had left. As they entered, they were greeted by lit torches, however. Several young palace eunuchs were sleeping on the floor.

  Guo Jing helped Count Seven into position on one of the roof beams, while Lotus and Zhou Botong searched the cupboards for food. Before long, they were feasting.

  “Old Beggar,” Zhou Botong said with a shake of his head, “this food is nothing compared to Lotus’s cooking. I have no idea why you insisted on us coming.”

  “I want to eat Contrast of the Five Treasures. Tomorrow, we’ll capture the chef and force him to make it. Then you’ll see.”

  “I still think Lotus is a better cook.”

  Lotus smiled. She knew it was his way of thanking her for the gift.

  “I’ll stay here and wait for the chef,” Count Seven said. “Since you’re already bored, why don’t you and Guo Jing leave the palace? Lotus can stay and keep me company. You can come back tomorrow night to collect us.”

  Zhou Botong reached for the city bodhisattva mask and laughed. “No, I’ll stay. I’m going to wear this tomorrow and scare the old Emperor. You two young ’uns keep your eyes on Old Venom. Don’t let him get his hands on Yue Fei’s book.”

  “Good idea,” Count Seven said. “Go now. But be careful.”

  Lotus and Guo Jing gave him their word.

  “But don’t fight him!” Zhou Botong said. “Leave him to me. Tomorrow, I’ll get him.”

  “Of course we won’t,” Lotus said. “We could never beat him.”

  Together, the young couple slipped out of the imperial kitchens and through two halls. Suddenly, a cool breeze hit their skin and the faintest sound of trickling water met their ears. A sweet perfume wafted past on the night air. It was as if the palace had transformed into a remote mountaintop.

  There must be a flowering garden nearby, Lotus deduced, filled with the most marvelous and exotic specimens. She had to see it. Taking Guo Jing’s hand, she pulled him in the direction of the scent. Gradually, the sound of running water grew louder, and they were soon winding among tall pines and bristling thickets of bamboo. Flowers bordered the path and, to the sides, the ground rose into man-made miniature mountains. A beautiful stillness reigned.

  Lotus marveled at the scene. The landscaping may not have been as intricate as her father’s gardens on Peach Blossom Island, but the plants were more beautiful. They kept walking until they came across a waterfall that tumbled down like the finest woven silk and gathered in a pool, from which an overflow stream carried the water on elsewhere.

  Red lotus flowers dotted the surface of the pool, and to one side of it stood an ornate building with the characters Hall of Wintry Jade carved above the threshold. Lotus approached and peered inside. The steps leading up to the entrance were festooned in jasmine, musk vine, hibiscus, osmanthus, and scarlet banana—all fragrant, summer-flowering plants. Orchids and scented prayer beads hung on the back wall inside, and musk melon, lotus root, loquat, and other fresh fruits had been placed on a table in the middle. A fan had been dropped in a chair. This must be where the Emperor cooled down from the day’s searing heat, before bed.

  “The Emperor certainly knows the good things in life,” Guo Jing said.

  “Why don’t you have a try?” Lotus said, and with a chuckle she pulled Guo Jing down onto the bamboo chaise longue. She then brought him fruit, knelt beside him and said, “Your Majesty, please enjoy.”

  Guo Jing selected a loquat and laughed. “Please stand.”

  “An Emperor would never say that. It’s far too polite.”

  “Hark!” A voice interrupted their game. “Who goes there?”

  Startled, they scrambled out of the pavilion and hid behind a miniature mountain, listening as the footsteps grew louder. Two sets, but they could hear that the men approaching were not martial-arts practitioners.

  The guards ran up to the pavilion, brandishing their sabers, but found nothing.

  “A ghost,” one of the men said, laughing.

  “I’ve been seeing things for days,” the other man replied, as he walked back outside.

  Lotus smiled and took Guo Jing by the hand. At that moment, they heard a “Hey!” and then another. The two guards gasped and fell, their pressure points locked. Had Brother Zhou come to cause trouble?

  “According to the map of the palace, the building next to the waterfall is the Hall of Wintry Jade. That’s where we’re headed.” It was Wanyan Honglie.

  Lotus and Guo Jing dived b
ack down into their hiding place. Shocked, they did not dare make a sound. They peered out and, by the faint flicker of starlight, they saw shadows move across the front of the hall. Viper Ouyang, Tiger Peng, Hector Sha, Lama Supreme Wisdom, Graybeard Liang, and Browbeater Hou.

  What are they doing here? Have they too come to steal food from the kitchens?

  “I examined the letters Yue Fei left behind, as well as the documents from the Gaozong and Xiaozong reigns. According to what I could work out, the secret writings should be buried fifteen paces east of the Hall of Wintry Jade.”

  Their eyes followed his finger east. Fifteen paces … was the waterfall.

  “Just how he hid a book inside a waterfall is anyone’s guess. But that’s where it is, according to the documents.”

  Hector Sha’s skills in water were renowned. “Let me look,” he said, and, without waiting for any further instruction, he dived straight into the pool. The others waited, watching, until he re-emerged. They rushed forward to meet him.

  “Your Majesty, behind the waterfall there’s a cave with a locked door.”

  “It must be inside there!” Wanyan Honglie exclaimed with delight. “I’m afraid that I will have to ask you kind gentlemen to help me open that door.”

  Keen to show their willingness to serve, the men held their weapons high and ran straight for the waterfall. Only Viper Ouyang stayed by Wanyan Honglie’s side. Such an errand was beneath him.

  Hector Sha pushed to the front and ducked under the stream. A rush of air hit his face. An enemy attack? He dodged, but someone grabbed his left wrist and pushed him back out, under the waterfall, into Graybeard Liang. Luckily, neither man was injured.

  The others looked on in surprise, but Hector Sha was determined to go back. Placing his hands over his face, he entered the waterfall. And, sure enough, another punch came from behind the sheet of water. Blocking with his left fist, he sent out his right. Before he could see who it was, Graybeard had joined him.

  A stick swept at shin height, crashing into Graybeard Liang and knocking him off his feet and into the waterfall. Water pounded at his chest, while the stick struck at the soles of his feet, sending him shooting out into the pool.

  Moments later, Hector Sha followed.

  Dismissing the voice in his head telling him that, if his martial brother was so easily defeated, he would stand little chance, the Three-Horned Dragon, Browbeater Hou, stepped forward. No, he would try. He could see underwater. With a roar, he charged through the curtain of water.

  Aware that the situation was precarious, Tiger Peng was just about to rush into the fray when something black and shiny flew over his head, before crashing to the ground. Browbeater Hou cried out. Tiger Peng rushed to his side.

  “Shhh, brother, what happened?”

  “Damn it! My backside has been broken into four.”

  Tiger Peng could not help but be amused, despite his astonishment. “Is that even possible?” he asked, reaching out and stroking Browbeater’s buttocks. He could only feel two, but he did not dare make a closer inspection. “Who are they?”

  “How would I know?” Browbeater huffed in irritation. “I keep getting knocked back out as soon as I go in!”

  Lama Supreme Wisdom’s red robes fluttered in the starlight as he strode toward the waterfall, before plunging through it. The others listened as his cries rose above the noise of rushing water. It sounded like an intense fight.

  Through the curtain of water, they could just about make out the silhouettes of a man and a woman. They exchanged glances. The man was fighting with his fists, the woman with a stick. Then came the monk’s roar; he too had been severely dealt with.

  “What’s that idiot monk doing?” Wanyan Honglie hissed, his brow knitted. “His shouting will attract more guards. Then how will we get the book?”

  Just then, a flutter of red came flying out of the waterfall and splashed through the surface of the pond. This was followed by the two copper cymbals the monk had been using as weapons. Afraid that the sound of them landing would alert the guards, Tiger Peng rushed forward to catch them.

  A curse from behind the waterfall. Then, a large body.

  As the monk came crashing to earth, he managed to steady himself and land on his feet, thus avoiding the same buttock-splitting fate as Browbeater Hou.

  “It’s the boy and the girl from the boat.”

  7

  Lotus and Guo Jing listened as Wanyan Honglie gave the order to bring him the book. If he were to get his hands on Yue Fei’s strategies, the Jin army could use them to invade the south, to disastrous effect. They may have been scared of Viper Ouyang, but they would never have forgiven themselves if they had stood by and done nothing to prevent such a disaster for the common people.

  Lotus had first thought of scaring them off, but Guo Jing could see they did not have time for such a plan. Instead, he pulled Lotus with him behind the waterfall. From there, they could ambush the Old Venom. Luckily, the roar of the waterfall ensured that no one heard them slip through it.

  They were surprised to find how easily they had repelled Hector Sha and the others. The Transforming Muscles, Forging Bones chapter of the Nine Yin Manual was exceeding all expectations. Lotus was using all the various and fantastic permutations of Dog-Beating Cane, rendering Hector Sha and Lama Supreme Wisdom confused and helpless. This enabled Guo Jing to supply the coup de grâce with his palms.

  They knew, however, that, once the others were dispatched, Viper Ouyang would step forward, and there was no way they could defeat him.

  “Let’s go, and shout as we leave,” Lotus said. “That way, the guards will come and drive them off.”

  “Good idea! You raise the alarm. I’m going to stay.”

  “But you mustn’t fight Old Venom.”

  “I won’t. Go!”

  Just as Lotus was about to slip out and scurry away, they heard a snort, followed by a burst of energy that came blasting through the waterfall. Rather than attempting to block it, they jumped aside.

  Thwang!

  Viper Ouyang had used his Exploding Toad kung fu to send a wave of energy through the cascading water, to crash against the metal door. Water splashed Lotus and Guo Jing where they watched, in astonishment.

  Lotus had been struck in the back. Her breathing became labored and her vision blurry. She managed to regain focus, then rushed outside.

  “Assassin in the palace! There’s an assassin in the palace!”

  The nearby guards were awoken with a start. Lotus jumped onto a rooftop and watched the men spring into action. Then she started grabbing tiles and throwing them—Bing! Bing! Bang! Bang!—down below.

  “Let’s get the girl,” Tiger Peng snarled, and launched himself in pursuit of her, using his lightness kung fu. Graybeard Liang leaped up onto a nearby rooftop, trying to block her way.

  Wanyan Honglie remained calm, however. He turned to Yang Kang and said, “Son, go with Master Ouyang and get the book.”

  Viper Ouyang was crouching behind the waterfall. With a grunt, he pushed out another wave of energy and blasted the door inward.

  Just as he was about to enter, a shadow flew at him from the side, palm first, in a Dragon Soars in the Sky. In the darkness, he could not make out who it was, but he could tell from the move that it was Guo Jing.

  This is my chance to capture the boy and get him to explain the Nine Yin Manual to me, Viper said to himself as he dodged the palm and grabbed at Guo Jing’s back.

  Guo Jing was determined to stop Viper from getting inside. If he could hold him off for just a few moments longer, it would be long enough for the guards to arrive, and even a martial master of the Venom’s caliber would be forced to flee. But Viper appeared to be trying to capture him, rather than hurt him. He brushed Ouyang’s hand away with his left and attacked with his right, using Luminous Hollow Fist. This technique may have offered less in terms of strength than the Dragon-Subduing Palms, but it made up for it in its light, swift feints and turns.

  “Excellent!�
�� Viper cried, dipping his shoulder and reaching out for Guo Jing’s. His movements brought with them a gust of energy like a thunderclap.

  Viper Ouyang had spent his time on the deserted island studying the pages Guo Jing had written out for him, but, the more he practiced, the more it felt that something was not right. It never occurred to him that it had been deliberately scrambled. Instead, he had taken its impenetrability for profundity, judging that the manual’s teachings required time to be understood. Later, when on the raft, he had heard Count Seven chant some strange language, and he wondered if it might be the key to unlocking the Manual’s secrets. Furthermore, Guo Jing’s martial skills had improved. It surprised him that the boy had been able to unlock the Manual’s powers, when thus far they had eluded him, but he was also pleased, assuming that, now he had his hands on the text, he would, in time, become unassailable.

  He had fought Lotus and Guo Jing on the raft and had been close to losing both his life and his reputation. But, now he was in control, he could study the boy’s moves in order to help crack the Manual. He would unravel the mystery, blow by blow. In truth, he did not care if he managed to get hold of Yue Fei’s writings. His heart was intent on mastering the martial lessons of the Nine Yin Manual.

  The lanterns were now lit, and guards were flooding this area of the palace grounds. Yang Kang had followed Viper Ouyang behind the waterfall. He was growing increasingly anxious as the guards gathered, but their attention was taken up by Tiger Peng and Graybeard Liang chasing Lotus across the rooftops. Indeed, they did not realize there was another fight unfolding. Wanyan Honglie knew it would not be long until they were discovered, however. “Quickly!” he cried, waving his hands, unable to stop himself.

  “Worry not, Your Highness—I will go in again,” Lama Supreme Wisdom announced. With a flick of his left palm, he entered the waterfall.

  By now, the bright lights of the lanterns had penetrated the sheet of water, and the lama was able to make out Viper Ouyang and Guo Jing exchanging blows at the entrance to the cave. Yang Kang was trying to sneak around them. But how could he make it past the furious tempest being whipped up by their fast-moving palms?