A Snake Lies Waiting

by Jin Yong

  Grinning, Guo Jing ran outside and whistled. Ulaan caught sight of his master and bounded over, then rubbed his muzzle against him in delight.

  “Lotus, you and Guo Jing must hurry and retrieve the cane,” Apothecary Huang said. “You will soon catch up with him on that fine horse.”

  He turned and suddenly noticed the young woman who had just entered. There was something in her features that seemed familiar. Tempest Qu, his own disciple! “Is your surname Qu, by any chance?” he asked.

  The girl laughed. “I don’t know!”

  Apothecary Huang had long known that Tempest Qu had sired a daughter. She should be around eighteen years of age, by now.

  “Papa,” Lotus cut in, “come and look!” She took him by the hand and led him inside the room behind the cupboard.

  Apothecary Huang looked around and observed that its arrangement was in full accordance with his own teachings. This was surely the work of Tempest Qu.

  “Papa, the chest. Look inside. I’m sure you know what they are.”

  But Apothecary Huang was distracted by a sideboard located in the southwesterly corner of the chamber. Behind it was a hole. He reached inside and removed a scroll. Instantly, he leaped back out.

  Lotus scurried after him and peered down at the paper in her father’s hands. It was tattered and covered in dust, but she could make out a few shaky lines. She began to read.

  To the most venerated Lord Huang of Peach Blossom Island:

  Your disciple has acquired a collection of assorted pieces of calligraphy, painting, and other precious artifacts from within the Imperial Palace, which I wish to present to thee, Lord, for your appreciation.

  I call thee Lord, not wishing to be so presumptuous as to use Benevolent Teacher, even if I do so in my dream-filled slumbers.

  I have had the misfortune to be surrounded by palace guards, but I am survived by a daughter.

  That was all he had written. The page was otherwise blank, apart from a few dark patches that looked like bloodstains.

  By the time of Lotus’s birth, all the disciples of Peach Blossom Island had been expelled. Tempest Qu had been the first. Lotus knew that they had all been accomplished scholars and martial artists, each in their own way. This note troubled her.

  Apothecary Huang understood at once how hard his disciple had taken his banishment, and that stealing the artifacts from the palace was part of a plan to regain his Master’s affection. He had taken great risks because he knew how much Apothecary Huang valued such items. Indeed, in the end, it had been his undoing. Having sustained a grave injury, he had returned home to write his will, but never finished it. A guard had followed him, and, in this hidden chamber, they had fought and killed each other.

  Apothecary Huang had felt regret at his recent reunion with Zephyr Lu, and, with the death of Cyclone Mei and this new revelation, his feelings of guilt were overwhelming. He turned to face Tempest’s daughter.

  “Did your father teach you how to fight?” he asked gravely.

  The girl shook her head, then ran to the door, closed it, and peered through the crack. Satisfied, she turned and launched into a sequence of some half a dozen moves from Jade Ripple Palm.

  “Papa, she taught herself by watching Brother Qu as he practiced.”

  Apothecary Huang nodded and then murmured, “Tempest would never have dared to pass on what I had taught him, as long as he was cast out from Peach Blossom Island.” He paused and then added, “Lotus, try tripping her.”

  Lotus approached the girl and smiled. “Let’s play together. Watch out!” She feinted left and then launched two rapid-fire kicks, in a move known as the Mandarin Duck. The girl was dumbstruck. One of Lotus’s feet was about to connect with her right hip. She stumbled out of harm’s way, only for the other foot to greet her back. The girl fell, face-first.

  Seconds later, she was back on her feet. “Cheat! Let’s go again, little sister,” she cried.

  Apothecary Huang’s expression darkened. “Little sister? She is your martial senior.”

  The girl laughed, not understanding what he meant.

  Lotus realized that her father was testing her footwork. Brother Qu’s legs had both been broken, therefore she could not have picked up any such skills from him, just by watching. But, if he had trained her, he would have included such fundamental techniques.

  And yet, by referring to Lotus as her martial senior, he was accepting the girl into his tutelage.

  “You are a silly girl,” he could not help but say.

  “Call me Silly!” she exclaimed, and laughed.

  Apothecary Huang scowled. “And what about your mother?”

  The girl pretended to cry. “She’s gone to be with Grandma.”

  Apothecary Huang continued to ask questions, but her answers gave him little to go on. Eventually, he sighed and gave up.

  2

  Together, they buried cyclone Mei in the courtyard of the inn. Then, Guo Jing and Lotus carried out Tempest’s skeleton and interred him next to Cyclone. The Freaks considered Twice Foul Dark Wind their mortal enemies, but even they paid their respects.

  Apothecary Huang stood in silence before the two graves, a hundred different feelings washing over him. “Lotus,” he began sadly, “why don’t we take a look at the treasures your Brother Qu collected?”

  Father and daughter walked back inside and into the secret chamber.

  One by one, they pulled out the items and examined them. Apothecary Huang was silent. Tears rolled down his cheeks. Eventually, he spoke: “Of all my disciples, Tempest Qu was the best fighter, with the most brilliant mind. Had his legs not been broken, not even a hundred palace guards could have bested him.”

  “Of course. Are you going to teach his daughter?”

  “I will teach her to fight. But I will also teach her to write poetry, play the qin, and I’ll teach her the mysteries of the Five Elements … All the things that your Brother Qu wanted to learn but never did. I will teach her everything.”

  That will not be easy, Lotus thought.

  Apothecary Huang opened each layer of the chest. The more valuable the items he uncovered, the deeper the grief he felt. “These items make for pleasing diversions, to be sure, but they must never be allowed to get in the way of what is really important—that is, real ambition. Emperor Huizong was a fine painter of mountains and rivers, but he rolled them up and gifted those landscapes straight to the Jin.” He took out another scroll. “Huh?”

  “What is it, Papa?”

  “Look at this.”

  The painting depicted a mountain with five sharp peaks, among which one in particular towered at a dizzying height above a ravine below, piercing the clouds overhead. A row of pine trees clung to the slope, their trunks reaching for the sun in the south, their branches laden with snow. On one side, a lone pine stood against the northern winds, old and brittle, but majestic nonetheless. Beneath it, a few vermillion brushstrokes depicted a general, practicing with his sword. His features were obscured as his sleeves danced on the wind. From his posture, it was evident that he was an extraordinary fighter. He was the only dash of color in an otherwise monochrome landscape.

  There was no signature, only a poem:

  In uniform beclad in years of dust

  I take in the perfume

  of the Emerald Hills.

  Never could I tire of such beauty

  but the moon and the hooves urge me on.

  Lotus recognized the poem from the Pavilion of Emerald Hills.

  “Papa, this is the calligraphy of Han Shizhong. The poem is by the great Yue Fei.”

  “That’s right, dear Lotus! You’re so clever. The poem is written about the Emerald Hills, but the landscape there is most treacherous and is far from the paradise he describes. The painting is assured, but it lacks subtlety. It is not the work of a master.”

  That day, in the Pavilion, Guo Jing had traced his fingers over Han Shizhong’s calligraphy. Lotus knew he would like this painting very much. “Papa, can Guo Jing ha
ve it?”

  “Your heart belongs to him, now,” her father said with a laugh. “Very well.”

  He gave it to her and then reached once more into the metal chest, picking out a necklace. “Every pearl is of exactly the same size. Most unusual.” He handed it to Lotus so that she might wear it. Delighted, Lotus threw her arms around him. He pulled her close, and there they took comfort, cheek to cheek.

  Lotus had just rolled up the painting for Guo Jing when she heard the urgent screech of two birds outside.

  Her white condors! They were back. She bounded outside to greet her friends.

  Once outside, she spotted Guo Jing standing beneath a large willow tree. One of the condors was tugging at the shoulder of his robe with its talons, trying to get him to follow it. The other was circling above, screeching. Tempest Qu’s daughter was dancing around Guo Jing, clapping her hands and laughing.

  “Lotus!” Guo Jing cried, as soon as he saw her. “They’re in trouble; we have to save them!” He looked very agitated.

  “Who’s in trouble?”

  “My sworn brother and sister!”

  Lotus pouted. “You can go on your own.”

  “Lotus, don’t be so childish. They need us! Come on.” He ran over to Ulaan and jumped up into the saddle.

  “Do you still want me, or not?”

  Guo Jing was baffled. “Of course I want you. I want you more than life itself.”

  Clutching the reins with one hand, he reached out toward her with the other.

  Lotus flashed a dazzling smile and cried out, “Papa! We’re off on a rescue. Why don’t you and the Six Heroes come too?” She jumped up and landed behind Guo Jing, on the back of the horse.

  Guo Jing bowed to Apothecary Huang and his shifus, before spurring his horse on. The condors were already up ahead, crying out to show the way.

  3

  Ulaan and Guo Jing had been separated a long time, but feeling the weight of his master on his back brought the little horse nothing but joy. On he galloped, as if his hooves were powered by the wind. The condors were swift on the wing, but Ulaan had no trouble keeping up with them.

  Before long, the birds dropped down through a dense tree canopy and into a dark forest. Ulaan sped straight for them.

  Just as they drew close, a voice came booming from between the trees.

  “Brother Qiu.” It was Viper Ouyang. “Your reputation precedes you, of course. I am honored to meet you and witness firsthand your consummate skill and virtuosity. What a shame you could not take part in the Contest of Mount Hua, all those years ago. May I invite the Master to demonstrate his awesome Iron Palm by offering a few of my own paltry skills?”

  A howl. The treetops swayed. Then a crash echoed around them as a large tree fell.

  Guo Jing jumped down from his horse and ran toward the sound.

  Lotus dismounted and patted Ulaan on the head. Then she pointed back in the direction from which they had come. “Go and find my papa and bring him here.”

  Ulaan snorted and galloped off.

  I hope Papa gets here quick, Lotus thought. Otherwise, we will have to confront Viper Ouyang on our own, once again.

  She slipped between the trees, being careful not to be heard or seen. The scene that waited for her was a surprise indeed: Tolui, Khojin, Jebe, and Boroqul had each been tied to a separate tree, while Viper Ouyang and Qiu Qianren were standing facing each other. There was another man too, dressed in scale armor and bound to a tree that had recently been felled. It was the Song general who had been sent to escort Tolui. By the look of it, he had met with the force of Viper Ouyang’s palm. His armor was bright with blood, his eyes were closed and his head hung limply to one side. He was dead.

  Lotus looked around. The other soldiers had clearly fled.

  Qiu Qianren had no desire to fight Viper Ouyang and was still racking his brains for a little trick to get himself out of it when he heard footsteps behind him. He turned and, to his delight, saw Guo Jing. Just in time! Surely he could contrive to make Viper Ouyang turn his wrath on the boy instead.

  Viper Ouyang was just as surprised as Qiu Qianren. Guo Jing had been given the full force of his Exploding Toad kung fu and yet here he was, standing before them, seemingly unharmed.

  “Guo Jing!” Khojin cried. “You’re still alive! How wonderful!”

  Lotus, too, was making her own plans. I must slow things down to give Papa time to get here.

  “Scoundrels!” Guo Jing cried suddenly. “What are you doing here? Hasn’t enough blood been shed today?”

  Viper Ouyang smiled, but did not say anything. This would be his chance to assess the extent of Qiu Qianren’s martial skills.

  “Won’t you show Master Ouyang the respect he is due?” Qiu Qianren piped up.

  Guo Jing had listened to Qiu Qianren stir up all kinds of trouble with his lies, and this time, he assumed, would be no different. He stepped forward, bellowed, and threw a Haughty Dragon Repents.

  He was now well-practiced in the Dragon-Subduing Palm, and this particular move was four parts release and six parts restraint; its power, once unleashed, was instantly withdrawn. Qiu Qianren tried to lean out of the way, but he was too slow and fell on his face instead.

  Guo Jing roared and aimed a reverse palm straight at Qiu’s wagging tongue. He wanted nothing more than to knock the chicanery out of him.

  His hand moved slowly, but his aim was true. Qiu Qianren was powerless to fend it off. But, just as it was about to meet with his face, a voice cried, “Stop!”

  It was Lotus. Guo Jing grabbed Qiu Qianren by the neck instead, lifted him up and then turned to face her. “What is it?”

  Lotus was worried that, if Guo Jing hurt Qiu Qianren, Viper Ouyang might go on the attack.

  “Let go! If you hit his face, the force will rebound on you and you will be injured. He is famous for this facial kung fu!”

  Guo Jing, incredulous, did not realize that she was mocking the old trickster. “Facial kung fu? What nonsense!”

  “Master Qiu can strip the hide from an ox with his breath alone. Quick, get out of the way!”

  This only angered Guo Jing even more, but he knew better than to question Lotus, so he dutifully placed the old man back on his feet and let him go.

  Qiu Qianren chuckled. “The girl knows danger when she sees it! But I have no grievance with you two youngsters. Why would I, your senior, seek to injure those beneath me?”

  “Very well, then,” Lotus said, and smiled. “I am a great admirer of yours, Master Qiu. I would be honored if you might share with me some of your famed kung fu. Just try not to hurt me!” She then raised her left hand, curled it into a tube, put it to her lips and blew. “This move is called Blowing One’s Own Conch.”

  “The young lady is most bold!” Qiu Qianren said. “Master Ouyang is a great master of the wulin; how dare you ridicule him!”

  Slap! Lotus’s hand met squarely with the side of his face. “And this one is called Brazen Cheek!”

  A burst of laughter echoed from the woods. “Excellent! Another!”

  It was her father. His arrival only emboldened her further. As she made as if to slap Qiu Qianren with her right hand, he ducked, only to be met with her left. He tried to block with a swipe of his arm, in a move from Palm of Connected Arms and Six Unions, but her palms fluttered before his eyes like two beautiful butterflies. Thus distracted, he left his right cheek open to another whack.

  The situation was close to getting out of his control, so Qiu sent out two punches, forcing the young girl back. Then he leaped to the side and cried, “Stop!”

  “What is it? Have you had enough already?” Lotus replied with a grin.

  Apothecary Huang and the Six Freaks had now arrived. The sight of Tolui and the others tied to tree trunks puzzled them.

  Viper Ouyang knew full well of Qiu Qianren’s legendary abilities. He had, in years gone by, laid waste to the mighty Hengshan School with the use of nothing but his Iron Palm kung fu. The Hengshan fighters never again recovered thei
r position in the wulin. So, how could it be that he was unable to prevail against Lotus? Was there really such a thing as facial kung fu? Viper had never heard of it, and judging by the fight taking place before his very eyes, it did not appear to be too impressive if it did indeed exist.

  Viper looked up and spotted a white pouch, made from Sichuan silk, slung across Apothecary Huang’s shoulders. There was a camel embroidered on it. He recognized it as his nephew’s. Dread filled his heart. He had returned to the inn to find Gallant, only to stumble upon Apothecary Huang’s struggle with the Quanzhen Sect. But could the Old Heretic have killed him as revenge for the death of Cyclone Mei?

  “Where is my nephew?” he asked, his voice trembling.

  “The same place as my disciple.”

  Viper Ouyang felt his body turn to ice. Gallant Ouyang had been born of an illicit encounter between the Venom and his sister-in-law. He had always referred to the young man as his nephew to save face, but in truth he was of his own flesh, his most beloved son. Gallant had been helpless, his legs injured; there was no way he could have caused Apothecary Huang or the Quanzhen Taoists any trouble. They were honorable men of the jianghu. Surely they could not have gone against the code of xia.

  Apothecary Huang watched and waited. He knew the Venom would soon attack, that he would mete out upon him a righteous fury that could move mountains and shake oceans. He prepared himself for an unstoppable force.

  “Who did it?” Viper Ouyang snarled. “One of yours? Or one of the Taoist dogs?” Apothecary Huang would not have lowered himself to kill a man thus incapacitated, Viper told himself. He must have had someone else do it for him.

  “A young squirt who has studied the skills of both the Quanzhen Sect and Peach Blossom Island. You know him well. I suggest you go looking for him.”

  Apothecary Huang meant Yang Kang, of course. But Viper Ouyang turned and locked eyes upon Guo Jing. Rage was bursting from his eye sockets. He then turned back to Apothecary Huang. “Why do you have my nephew’s pouch?”

  “He had a map of Peach Blossom Island, which, as I’m sure you understand, belongs to me. It pains me to admit it, but your nephew was forced to have daylight on his face once again. Unfortunately, when I recovered the pouch, there was no map to be seen. What a waste of my efforts! Still, I did make sure that your nephew was given a proper resting place. Of that, I can assure you.”