by Jin Yong
In times past, educated Chinese men assumed a courtesy name zi 字 when they turned twenty. This would be the one used in polite company, as opposed to the name given to them by their parents at birth, known as a ming 名.
PENG THE MYTHICAL BIRD
The peng 鵬 is a gigantic mythical bird, similar to the roc or garuda, that can also fly great distances. In some versions of the myth, once airborne, it does not land for another six moons. It is, therefore, often used as a metaphor for the act of reaching higher knowledge or enlightenment, or achieving great deeds.
JIN YONG (1924–2018) (pen name of Louis Cha) is a true phenomenon in the Chinese-speaking world. Born in Mainland China, he spent most of his life writing novels and editing newspapers in Hong Kong. His enormously popular martial arts novels, written between the late 1950s and 1972, have become modern classics and remain a must-read for young readers looking for danger and adventure. They have also inspired countless TV and video game adaptions. His death in October 2018 was met with tributes from around the globe.
Estimated sales of his books worldwide stand at 300 million, and if bootleg copies are taken into consideration, that figure rises to a staggering one billion. International recognition came in the form of an OBE in 1981, a Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur (1992), a Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur (2004), an honorary fellowship at St. Antony’s College, Oxford, and honorary doctorates from Hong Kong University and Cambridge University, among others.
ANNA HOLMWOOD translates from Chinese and Swedish into English. She was awarded one of the first British Center for Literary Translation mentorship awards in 2010 and has since translated novels and short stories for publication and samples for agents and rights sellers. In 2011 she co-founded the Emerging Translators’ Network to support early career translators, and served on the UK Translators Association committee in 2012. Anna was editor-in-chief for Books from Taiwan from 2014 to 2015, and has previously worked as a literary agent, representing some of China’s top writing talent. She is now a producer alongside her translation work.
GIGI CHANG translates from Chinese into English. Her translations include classical Chinese dramas for the Royal Shakespeare Company and contemporary Chinese plays for London’s Royal Court Theater, Hong Kong Arts Festival, and Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center.
THE NEXT VOLUME OF LEGENDS OF THE CONDOR HEROES
VOLUME IV: A HEART DIVIDED
Guo Jing’s love for Lotus Huang is tested when he becomes convinced that her father has murdered someone dear to him. Upon his return to Mongolia, he discovers Genghis Khan wants to enlist him to help conquer the Chinese. Guo Jing must prove his loyalty to the country of his birth if he is to be worthy of bearing the name of his patriot father, Skyfury Guo.
ALSO BY JIN YONG
A HERO BORN
A BOND UNDONE
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jin Yong (pen name of Louis Cha) was a true phenomenon in the Chinese-speaking world. Born in Mainland China, he spent most of his life writing novels and editing newspapers in Hong Kong. His enormously popular martial arts novels, including the epic Legends of the Condor Heroes series--beginning with A Hero Born--have become modern classics and remain a must-read for readers looking for danger and adventure. You can sign up for email updates here.
Thank you for buying this
St. Martin’s Press ebook.
To receive special offers, bonus content,
and info on new releases and other great reads,
sign up for our newsletters.
Or visit us online at
us.macmillan.com/newslettersignup
For email updates on the author, click here.
CONTENTS
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Characters
Chapter One
The Fake Manual
Chapter Two
Ten Thousand Tons of Rock
Chapter Three
On the Back of a Shark
Chapter Four
Trouble in the Palace
Chapter Five
In the Secret Chamber
Chapter Six
A Desolated Inn in a Desolated Village
Chapter Seven
New Pacts and Old Alliances
Chapter Eight
Danger at the Terrace of the Yellow Emperor
Chapter Nine
At the Summit of Iron Palm Mountain
Appendix
Also by Jin Yong
About the Author
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
First published in the United States by St. Martin’s Griffin, an imprint of St. Martin’s Publishing Group
A SNAKE LIES WAITING. Copyright © 1959, 1976, 2003 by Jin Yong (Louis Cha). English translation copyright © 2020 by Anna Holmwood and Gigi Chang. Illustrations © Jiang Yun Xing. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Publishing Group, 120 Broadway, New York, NY 10010.
www.stmartins.com
Cover design by Ervin Serrano
Hand-lettering by Jonathan Bush
Cover art: illustration by Chang Jung Shan; background texture © rusm / Getty Images; snake symbol © freestore / Shutterstock.com; dragon © Christopher Brewer / Shutterstock.com
The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.
ISBN 978-1-250-25012-4 (trade paperback)
ISBN 978-1-250-22066-0 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-250-22067-7 (ebook)
eISBN 9781250220677
Our ebooks may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at 1-800-221-7945, extension 5442, or by email at [email protected].
First published in the Chinese language as Shediao Yingxiong Zhuan (3) in 1959; revised in 1976, 2003
First published in the English language in Great Britain by MacLehose Press, an imprint of Quercus Publishing Ltd., an Hachette UK Company
First U.S. Edition: 2020
