A Snake Lies Waiting

by Jin Yong

  Apothecary Huang struck out at Sun Bu’er and Tan Chuduan simultaneously. They raised their hands to block, while Liu Chuxuan and Ma Yu moved to counter his attack.

  Suddenly, Viper Ouyang howled. “I’m here, Brother Huang!” He squatted and thrust his palms at Tan’s back.

  A force powerful enough to move a mountain threw Tan forward.

  “I don’t want your help!” Apothecary Huang snarled.

  Qiu Chuji and Wang Chuyi thrust with their swords. Huang flicked his sleeve and blocked with his free hand, simultaneously holding off Ma Yu and Hao Datong.

  “Then I will help your enemy!” Viper Ouyang cried with an amused look on his face. He struck out at Apothecary Huang’s back. He had only needed to use a third of his reserves of energy against Tan Chuduan, but now he put his full force behind his attack, a wellspring of power developed over a lifetime of neigong cultivation and practice. It was all part of a master plan: first, neutralize one of the Quanzhen seven, thus breaking the Northern Dipper formation; then, take Apothecary Huang out with one decisive blow.

  I’m done for! Apothecary Huang thought.

  He summoned the qi to his back, in order to hold off Viper’s Exploding Toad kung fu.

  Viper’s move was ungainly, but he knew, with all that power behind it, he was sure to prevail.

  But then a shadow flashed past him. Someone cried out, threw themselves between him and Old Huang, and took the blow.

  Everyone jumped back. Panting, they were amazed to see who it was who had come to Apothecary Huang’s rescue: Cyclone Mei.

  Apothecary Huang turned slowly to face Viper and sneered. “Old Venom, you really are a snake!”

  Viper Ouyang smiled, but knew he could not stay there a moment longer. If the Quanzhen Sect joined forces with Apothecary Huang and Cyclone Mei, he would never get out alive. He turned and launched himself out the door.

  Ma Yu knelt down beside Tan Chuduan and was shocked to see how badly injured he was. His body lay at a strange angle. He picked him up, only for Tan’s head to flop down to one side. Viper Ouyang had fractured his spine and broken his ribs. He was not long for this world. Tears, like summer rain, ran down Ma Yu’s cheeks.

  Qiu Chuji drew his sword.

  “Old Huang,” they heard Viper Ouyang cry out, clearly some distance away, now. “Don’t forget: I helped you break Wang Chongyang’s formation, and I taught your treacherous disciple a lesson, to boot! I’ll leave what’s left of these stinking Taoists to you. We shall meet again!”

  Apothecary Huang snorted. Yet more of the Venom’s poison. He was trying to put the blame for Tan’s death on Huang’s shoulders, thereby perpetuating the enmity between the Lord of Peach Blossom Island and the Quanzhen Sect. And yet, Huang made no attempt to clear the air with the Taoists. Instead, he reached out and helped Cyclone Mei to her feet. She spluttered and spat blood. To his regret, he knew she would not live.

  By this point, Qiu Chuji had rushed out into the courtyard in pursuit of the Venom. But he did not know which way he had gone.

  “Brother Qiu!” Ma Yu called after him. “Come back!” He did not want his martial brother to face Viper Ouyang alone.

  Qiu Chuji’s eyes were ablaze as he strode back inside. Then he raised his finger at Apothecary Huang. “What has the Quanzhen Sect done to deserve your malice? You are nothing but a demon. First you killed Master Zhou Botong, and now our martial brother. Why are you here?”

  “Zhou Botong?” Apothecary Huang was startled by the accusation.

  “You refuse to admit it?”

  Apothecary Huang, Zhou Botong, and Viper Ouyang had raced each other for several hundred li, but no clear winner could be determined. Then, suddenly, Zhou Botong had remembered that he had left Count Seven Hong alone in the Imperial Palace. If the Beggar was discovered, his life would be in danger.

  “I have some business I must attend to,” he had called to the other two men. “I’m done with this little competition!”

  They knew there was no arguing with the Hoary Urchin, so they let him leave—before Apothecary Huang could ask him about the fate of his beloved daughter.

  Apothecary Huang and Viper Ouyang had decided, therefore, to return to Ox Village.

  Qiu Chuji quivered with rage as Sun Bu’er held Tan Chuduan’s limp body, sobbing loudly.

  “I am departing,” Tan Chuduan said quietly.

  There had been a grave misunderstanding—Apothecary Huang knew this, now—but he considered it beneath him to try to explain the situation. Instead, he smiled coldly and watched as the Quanzhen Sect gathered around their martial brother, sitting cross-legged on the floor of the inn.

  “The Way is found not in beads or brush. Nature’s music comes not from the flute.” Those were Tan Chuduan’s last words before he closed his eyes and died.

  The Quanzhen Masters lowered their heads to pray. Once finished, Ma Yu took Tan Chuduan’s lifeless body in his arms and went outside. The others followed him. The Heavenly Northern Dipper formation was broken forever, and, without it, they could not prevail against Apothecary Huang. Revenge would have to wait for another day.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  NEW PACTS AND OLD ALLIANCES

  1

  Apothecary Huang could not quite understand how he had come into conflict with the Quanzhen Sect, nor how such hatred had grown between them so quickly. There was no reason for it. Meanwhile, Cyclone Mei’s breathing was deteriorating. For over a decade, he had held a grudge against her. The thought of it pressed on his heart with an unbearable weight and tears began to roll down his cheeks.

  The slightest smile graced Cyclone Mei’s lips. “Master,” she began, “please take me back as your pupil. I wronged you, beyond all limits. Let me return to your side. I am dying. Let me serve you … forever…” Her eyes implored him.

  “Yes, yes,” Apothecary Huang said, fighting back yet more tears. “Just like when you were a little girl. From now on, you must obey your teacher, Flora.”

  Of all the evil she had done in her life, betraying her Master was her biggest regret. Now, she finally had his forgiveness. Hearing him use her childhood name made her heart flutter. Trembling with joy, she clasped his hand.

  “I will always obey my Master … If only I could be twelve years old again. Teach me, Master, teach me…”

  With difficulty, she knelt down and began kowtowing three times. Then she collapsed to the floor, never to move again.

  Lotus had witnessed the entire, heart-wrenching scene from the secret room. If only Papa would stay a little longer; she could come out the moment Guo Jing’s breathing returned to normal. She watched as her father bent down to lift Cyclone Mei into his arms.

  The braying of a horse outside broke the contemplative mood.

  “This is Ox Village, yes,” they heard the Qu girl say. “How should I know if there is a man by the name of Guo here? Are you called Guo?”

  “This is not a large village. Don’t you know everyone who lives here?” an exasperated voice replied.

  At this, the door to the inn burst open and a motley group trooped inside.

  Apothecary Huang slipped behind the door, his expression grim. Here they were, the Six Freaks of the South. He had been searching for them everywhere.

  Just as they entered, Flying Bat Ke Zhen’e stopped dead and then hissed, “There’s someone here!” He had heard breathing behind the door. The Freaks turned. Apothecary Huang! And, in his arms, Cyclone Mei. She seemed to be dead.

  The Heretic of the East had stepped out from his hiding place and was now blocking the door.

  “Master Huang,” Zhu Cong said, then cupped his hands and bowed. “It is our honor! The Six Heroes of the South obeyed your summons to Peach Blossom Island and went to pay our respects in person, but it seems that the Master was otherwise engaged. How fortunate that we should find you here instead.”

  Upon arrival on Peach Blossom Island, they had searched and searched for Apothecary Huang’s residence, but they could not find it. In the end, they
chanced upon one of the many mute servants on the island, who managed to convey to them that the Master had left. At that moment, they came across Ulaan, grazing in the forest, by himself. Ryder Han had brought him back across the sea and on to Ox Village in their search for Guo Jing.

  Apothecary Huang had been intending to strike quickly and kill the Freaks himself, but one glance at Cyclone Mei’s white cheeks dissuaded him. The Freaks were her mortal enemies. I will let her finish them. It will be a comfort to her in the netherworld that she was the one to do it.

  He took her wrist with his left hand and launched himself at Ryder Han, channeling his inner strength through Cyclone’s claws.

  Ryder Han tried to move out of the way, but he was too late. A loud crack resounded from his arm, and he felt a tingling surge through his body. He could barely move for the pain.

  The Freaks were astonished. Such a vicious attack, and without a word of warning. And to use Cyclone Mei’s corpse as a weapon? With a chorus of howls, they drew their swords.

  Apothecary Huang held Cyclone Mei high and charged at Jade Han.

  Jade watched as Cyclone’s round blank eyes, long black hair and terrifying blood-soaked grimace came straight at her. Cyclone’s right hand was aimed straight at her head. Frozen with fear, Jade did not move.

  A long pole and a counterpoise came flying toward Apothecary Huang, who pulled back and swung with Cyclone’s other arm, landing it with a thud in Jade’s stomach. Jade doubled over. Ryder jumped, releasing the might of his Golden Dragon whip, but Apothecary Huang stepped forward and trapped the tip beneath his foot. Ryder Han tried to tug it free, but it was stuck. At that moment, he saw Cyclone Mei’s claw coming at him. He let go of the whip and rolled backward.

  At a safe distance, he felt his smarting cheek: blood. Five scratches. Fortunately for him, the deadly poison usually released from the tips of her nails had evaporated with her last breath, otherwise he would be dead by now.

  The other Freaks were still fighting. They would have been defeated already, had it not been for the fact that Apothecary Huang wanted to let Cyclone Mei take revenge herself, even in death.

  Guo Jing was listening with bated breath. His shifus were in grave danger—he could tell by their grunts and their strained, panicked breaths. He had yet to stabilize the qi in his Elixir Field, but he owed a filial debt to his Masters, no different to the one he felt with regard to his own parents. Holding his qi, he sent out a palm.

  Lotus was horrified. “No! Not yet!”

  Bang! The door to the secret room broke into several pieces.

  The moment his palm made contact with the door, Guo Jing felt a surge of qi in his Elixir Field, sending a wave of heat through his internal organs. He forced his inner breath back down in an attempt to block it.

  Apothecary Huang and the Freaks leaped back and turned in the direction of the sound. They were astonished, and delighted, to see the young couple sitting inside the cupboard.

  At first, Apothecary Huang was unsure if he was dreaming. “Lotus, my darling Lotus, is it you?” he cried, rubbing his eyes.

  Still holding Guo Jing’s hand, she smiled and nodded. Apothecary Huang placed Cyclone Mei’s body down on a bench, approached his daughter and sat before her on the floor. He crossed his legs and reached for his daughter’s wrist. Her pulse was strong and her breathing steady. He then reached behind her for Guo Jing.

  Guo Jing’s qi had been sizzling and roiling. The sensation was so strange that he had the urge to jump up and shout to relieve the pressure building inside him. But, the moment Apothecary Huang’s palm touched his, he felt the force of his senior’s inner strength calm and settle his. Apothecary Huang then used his other hand to massage Guo Jing’s pressure points. Within minutes, he had recovered in full.

  Guo Jing jumped to his feet, scrambled out of the cupboard, bowed to Apothecary Huang and then kowtowed before his six shifus.

  He began to tell his Masters about all that had happened since they had parted at Roaming Cloud Manor, while Apothecary Huang held his beloved daughter’s hand and listened to her giggle and chatter. The Freaks tried to follow Guo Jing’s story, but he was struggling to put his experiences into words. Lotus, by contrast, was a skilled storyteller. Before long, they had all slipped away to listen to her version of events, with all its dramatic twists and breathtaking turns. Guo Jing gave up and joined them instead. An hour passed in this way, as Lotus punctuated her story with witticisms and little asides, her audience drinking in every moment, as though savoring a vintage wine.

  Apothecary Huang was astonished to hear that his daughter had been made Chief of the Beggar Clan. “What an odd thing for Brother Hong to do!” he said. “Maybe he is after my nickname? Does he fancy himself the Heretic of the North? Would that make me the Beggar of the East?”

  Finally, Lotus brought them up to the fight that Guo Jing had interrupted. “And that’s the end,” she said, and laughed. “You don’t need me to tell you what happened next!”

  “They are scoundrels, all of them: Viper Ouyang, Lama Supreme Wisdom, Qiu Qianren, and Yang Kang. I will kill them. Come, child, you can watch the fun.” Apothecary Huang’s expression was tender, despite the ferocity of his words. He could not help himself; his daughter was returned to him, safe and sound.

  He then looked up at the Freaks and a wave of remorse came over him. He knew he had wronged them, but still he could not admit it. “Luck was on our side. At least none of us was badly hurt,” was all he could offer.

  In her heart, Lotus had long felt resentful that the Freaks disapproved of her betrothal to Guo Jing. But now that Yang Kang and Mercy Mu were to be wed, their objection was moot. “Papa,” she began, “why don’t you apologize to the Six Heroes of the South?”

  Apothecary Huang snorted. “I am off to find the Venom of the West,” he announced instead. “Guo Jing, come with me.”

  He was not exactly thrilled to be lumbered with this dunce of a boy. Am I, Lord of Peach Blossom Island, intelligent and sharp-witted as I am, to have such a blockhead for a son-in-law? I will be the laughing stock of the wulin. Not only that, but Zhou Botong had let slip in a moment of characteristic recklessness that Guo Jing had stolen Cyclone Mei’s Nine Yin Manual and made a copy. This had made Apothecary Huang furious. What a dirty trick to play on his blind disciple. But, after some reflection, he realized that Zhou Botong could not have been telling the truth. The version of the second volume Guo Jing had memorized was in fact far more complete than the one that had been in Cyclone Mei’s possession. There was no way Guo Jing had obtained the text from her. Zhou Botong was famous for his distortions of the truth. Huang also had to admit that he was easily deceived; Lama Supreme Wisdom had tricked him into thinking his own daughter was dead.

  All ill will he had felt toward the Freaks now dissipated. And yet, to apologize and admit to his own mistakes was unthinkable. He would have to make it up to them some other way—by helping them, if they ever found themselves in danger.

  He glanced over at his late disciple, Cyclone Mei. She had sacrificed her own life to save his, out of a feeling of debt to her Master. She and Hurricane had loved each other so deeply. If they had come to him and asked him to let them marry, he might have allowed it. There was no need to run away. But he had to admit that his moods were unpredictable. He swung from joy one moment to rage the next. They must have considered this and, ultimately, been too frightened to tell him. What if his daughter were to suffer the same fate as Flora, all because of his temper…? He shuddered at the thought.

  No, asking Guo Jing to join him was his way of showing that he now accepted the marriage.

  Lotus had understood this and was delighted. She glanced across at Guo Jing, but he appeared entirely unaware of the implication of her father’s demand. “Papa,” she said, “let’s first go to the palace and get Shifu Hong.”

  Ke Zhen’e turned to Guo Jing. “You have persuaded the Divine Vagrant to be your Master and the Lord of Peach Blossom Island to take you as a son. We are
delighted, of course. Why would we refuse? But what about the Great Khan of the Mongols…?”

  His betrothal to Khojin was a delicate matter that, if brought up in front of Apothecary Huang, would surely provoke his wrath. How was he to deal with it?

  Just then, the door creaked and in came the Qu girl, holding a piece of parchment folded into the shape of a monkey.

  “Sister, have you finished the watermelons? An old man asked me to give you this.”

  Lotus took the monkey without thinking too much about it.

  “He told me to tell you, don’t be angry, he will find you a new teacher.”

  Zhou Botong! Lotus glanced down at the parchment and saw that he had written something on it. She unfolded it and began reading his crooked scrawl:

  The Old Urchin was a very good boy. But he couldn’t find the Old Beggar.

  “Why didn’t he find him?” Lotus knitted her brow with worry.

  Apothecary Huang was thinking. “The Hoary Urchin may be mad,” he began, “but he is an accomplished fighter. As long as Count Seven Hong is still alive, he will find and rescue him. Right now, the more pressing problem is that of the Beggar Clan.”

  “What about them?” Lotus asked.

  “Yang Kang took the Dog-Beating Cane. He may not be much of a fighter, but he’s a nasty, cunning boy. He even managed to kill Gallant Ouyang. As long as the cane is in his possession, he will stir up trouble for the Clan. We should find him and retrieve it, or else the consequences could blight the Clan for generations. And it won’t reflect well on you, as the chief.”

  Normally, Apothecary Huang would not give the Clan and their troubles a second thought. On the contrary, he would take pleasure in their misfortune. But, now that his daughter was their chief, he had no choice but to act.

  The Freaks nodded in agreement.

  “But we haven’t seen him for days,” Guo Jing said. “I fear it will be no easy task.”

  “Your horse,” Ryder Han said, pointing at Ulaan. “Right when you need him!”