Feast of heroes.

The next day, Yang Guo¹ was having breakfast in the main hall when he saw Guo Fu² beckoning to him from the courtyard, while the Wu brothers³ hovered nearby, craning their necks. Suppressing a smile, Yang Guo walked over to her. “Were you looking for me?”

Guo Fu smiled. “Yes. Walk outside the gate with me. I want to ask what you have been doing all these years.”

Yang Guo let out a long sigh. Where would I even begin? Three days and three nights would not be enough to tell it all. And besides, how could I possibly tell you any of it?

The two walked out through the main gate side by side. Yang Guo glanced back and saw the Wu brothers following at a distance. Guo Fu had noticed them long ago but pretended not to. She simply pressed Yang Guo with questions. He gave her a rambling account: how her father had routed the Quanzhen⁴ Taoists on his first day at the Chongyang Palace,⁵ how he had played tricks on Lu Qingdu,⁶ deliberately picking out all the trivial, meaningless episodes and spinning them into yarns. Guo Fu giggled endlessly.

They strolled to the shade of a willow tree when a long neigh rang out. A mangy, scrawny horse came galloping over and rubbed itself affectionately against Yang Guo. At the sight of this ugly beast, the Wu brothers burst out laughing and drew near. Wu Xiuwen⁷ laughed, “Brother Yang, what a marvellous thousand-li steed⁸ you have there. Wherever did you manage to find one? You must find me one too someday.” Wu Dunru⁹ said with mock gravity, “That is a priceless treasure from the Arabian Empire.¹⁰ How could you possibly afford it?” Guo Fu looked from Yang Guo to the ugly horse, saw that both were equally ragged and dishevelled, and could not help letting out a laugh.

Yang Guo laughed too. “The man is ugly, the horse is ugly, they suit each other. Your mounts, I imagine, must be magnificent beyond compare.”

Wu Xiuwen said, “Our horses are only a little better than your mangy nag. Sister Fu’s red horse¹¹, that is a true steed. You saw it before, years ago, on Peach Blossom Island.”¹²

Yang Guo said, “So Uncle Guo gave the red horse to you, miss.”

The four of them walked on, talking as they went. Suddenly Guo Fu pointed west. “Look, my mother is teaching the staff technique again.”

Yang Guo turned his head. Huang Rong¹³ and an old beggar were walking side by side toward a mountain hollow, each carrying a bamboo staff. Wu Xiuwen said, “Elder Lu¹⁴ really is hopeless. He has been studying the Dog-Beating Staff Technique¹⁵ all this time and still cannot master it.”

The words “Dog-Beating Staff Technique” made Yang Guo’s heart tighten, but he kept his expression perfectly still and turned his head to gaze elsewhere, pretending to admire the scenery.

Guo Fu said, “The Dog-Beating Staff Technique is the Beggar Clan’s¹⁶ treasured art. My mother says it is wondrous beyond compare, the deadliest weapon technique under heaven. It is not something you learn in ten days or half a month. You call him stupid, are you so clever yourself?”

Wu Dunru sighed. “It is a pity that apart from the Beggar Clan chief, the technique is not passed to outsiders.”

Guo Fu said, “If you become chief of the Beggar Clan someday, Chief Lu will naturally teach you. Even my father does not know this technique, so there is no need for you to be envious.”

Wu Dunru said, “With my meagre talents, how could I ever become chief of the Beggar Clan? Sister Fu, why do you think our teacher’s wife chose Elder Lu to succeed her?”

Guo Fu said, “All these years, my mother has held the title in name only. All the Beggar Clan’s affairs, large and small, have been managed by Elder Lu Youjiao. The endless petty troubles of the clan give my mother a headache just hearing about them. She says, why go on holding the title without the substance? Better to let Elder Lu become chief outright. Once Elder Lu has mastered the Dog-Beating Staff Technique, my mother will formally transfer the position to him.”

Wu Xiuwen asked, “Sister Fu, how exactly is the Dog-Beating Staff Technique performed? Have you seen it?”

Guo Fu said, “I have not seen it. Oh, wait, I have!” She picked up a branch from the ground, tapped him lightly on the shoulder, and laughed. “Like this!”

Wu Xiuwen cried out, “Fine! You are treating me like a dog. Let us see if I forgive you!” He reached out as if to grab her. Guo Fu fled, laughing, and Wu Xiuwen chased after her. The two made a full circle and returned to where they had started.

Guo Fu laughed. “Little Brother Wu, stop fooling around. I have an idea.”

Wu Xiuwen said, “All right, tell me.”

Guo Fu said, “Let us sneak over and take a look. See what this Dog-Beating Staff Technique really looks like.”

Wu Xiuwen clapped his hands in approval. Wu Dunru, however, shook his head. “If our teacher’s wife catches us spying on the technique, we will get a proper scolding.”

Guo Fu said crossly, “We are only looking at what it looks like, not stealing the technique. Besides, with a martial art this profound, do you think a few glances would be enough to learn it? Big Brother Wu, you really are something.”

Wu Dunru only smiled faintly at her reproach. Guo Fu went on, “Yesterday, when we hid in the study and eavesdropped, did my mother scold anyone? You are always so timid. Little Brother Wu, the two of us will go.”

Wu Dunru said, “All right, all right. Your reasoning is sound. I will go with you.”

Guo Fu said, “The finest martial art under heaven, do you mean to say you have no desire to see it? If you do not go, that is fine. Once I learn it, I will come back and use this technique to beat you.” She raised the branch in her hand and brandished it at him.

The three of them had long yearned to see the Dog-Beating Staff Technique. They had heard its name spoken in awe for years, but what it actually looked like, none of them had ever seen. Guo Jing¹⁷ had once told them how Huang Rong, at the Beggar Clan assembly on Mount Jun,¹⁸ had used the Dog-Beating Staff Technique to overcome every challenger and seize the chief’s position. The three children had listened with boundless admiration. Now that Guo Fu proposed going to see it for themselves, Wu Dunru voiced objections with his lips, but in his heart he was a hundred and twenty percent willing. He only put on a show of reluctant compliance, so that if they were discovered, their teacher’s wife could not blame him.

Guo Fu said, “Brother Yang, you come with us too.”

Yang Guo was gazing into the distant mountains, seemingly lost in thought, and had not heard a word. Guo Fu called again. Only then did Yang Guo turn his head, his face a mask of bewilderment. “All right, all right, I will go with you. Where to?”

Guo Fu said, “Do not ask. Just follow me.”

Wu Dunru said, “Sister Fu, why bring him along? He cannot understand what he sees. If he stumbles around clumsily and makes some noise, our teacher’s wife will discover us.”

Guo Fu said, “Relax. I will look after him. You two go first. Brother Yang and I will follow. Four people walking together makes too much noise.”

The Wu brothers were far from pleased, but they knew better than to defy Guo Fu. Sullenly, they set off ahead. Guo Fu called after them, “We will take the shortcut and wait in that big tree. Everyone be careful not to make a sound. My mother will never know.”

The Wu brothers shouted their agreement from a distance and quickened their pace.

Guo Fu looked Yang Guo over. His clothes were truly in wretched condition. “Later,” she said, “I will ask my mother to make you some new clothes. Once you are properly dressed, you will not look so shabby.”

Yang Guo shook his head. “I was born ugly. Dressing up will not help.”

Guo Fu let the matter drop without a second thought. She watched the Wu brothers’ retreating figures and suddenly let out a soft sigh.

Yang Guo asked, “Why do you sigh?”

Guo Fu said, “My heart is troubled. You would not understand.”

Yang Guo saw her delicate, rosy face and her faintly furrowed brows. She was truly a girl of surpassing beauty, even more beautiful by three parts than Lu Wushuang,¹⁹ Wanyan Ping,²⁰ or Yelu Yan.²¹ His heart stirred slightly. “I know what is troubling you.”

Guo Fu laughed. “Now that is strange. How could you know? You are just talking nonsense.”

Yang Guo said, “Fine. If I guess correctly, you are not allowed to deny it.”

Guo Fu pressed one fair, slender finger against her right cheek. Her bright eyes sparkled, and a smile played at the corners of her mouth. “All right. Guess.”

Yang Guo said, “That is easy. Both Wu brothers like you. Both want to win your favour. You cannot decide between them.”

With her secret laid bare, Guo Fu’s heart pounded wildly. This was something she knew, the Wu brothers knew, her parents knew, even her grand-master Ke Zhen’E²² knew. Yet everyone felt the matter was too awkward to speak of. Each of them thought about it constantly, but no one had ever breathed a word of it aloud. Now, out of the blue, Yang Guo had said it. Her face flushed crimson. She felt happy and miserable at once, wanting to laugh and wanting to cry, tears brimming in her eyes.

Yang Guo went on, “Big Brother Wu is refined and steady. Little Brother Wu is steady in his speech. Both are young and handsome, clever by nature, and both are utterly devoted, showering me with every attention. Truly, the elder brother has the elder brother’s virtues, and the younger brother has the younger brother’s brilliance. But there is only one of me, how can I marry two men?”

Guo Fu listened, stupefied. At the last line, she spat. “What nonsense you talk. Who is paying you any attention?”

But Yang Guo had already seen from her expression that he had guessed everything correctly. He hummed a little tune under his breath: “But there is only one of me, how can I marry two men?”

He hummed several bars, but Guo Fu was too distracted to hear. After a long pause, she finally spoke. “Brother Yang, who do you think is better. Big Brother Wu, or Little Brother Wu?”

The question came out of nowhere. She and Yang Guo had been childhood playmates, but there had been friction between them even then, and they had not seen each other for many years. Now both were grown. How could she confide such maidenly thoughts to him? Yet Yang Guo was naturally lively. As long as you did not offend him, he would laugh and joke with you, and within moments you felt as though bathed in spring breezes, as though drinking fine wine. Besides, Guo Fu had turned this question over in her mind countless times. She did indeed feel that each brother had his merits. In daily play and idle chatter, she got along better with Wu Xiuwen, but when it came to serious matters, Wu Dunru was far more reliable. A young girl in the first stirrings of love, she had by turns scolded them, sulked at them, smiled at them, frowned at them, driving the brothers to distraction. Yet in her own heart, she was deeply troubled, unable to decide whom to favour. She had no one to talk to about it. Now that Yang Guo had hit upon her secret, the question slipped out before she could stop herself.

Yang Guo laughed. “I think neither of them is any good.”

Guo Fu stared. “Why?”

Yang Guo grinned. “Because if either of them were any good, what hope would there be for me, Yang Guo?”

Along the road he had grown accustomed to teasing Lu Wushuang with reckless banter, though he had never harboured any real improper thoughts. Now, joking with Guo Fu, the words slipped out again. Guo Fu froze. She was a girl who had been pampered since birth. No one had ever dared speak a single frivolous word to her. For a moment, she did not know whether to be angry or not. Her face hardened. “If you will not tell me, then do not. Who is joking with you?” She launched into her lightness skill²³ and took a winding path toward the hollow behind the hill.

Yang Guo had been snubbed, and it left him feeling thoroughly out of place. What am I doing wedged between the three of them? He turned and began walking slowly away. The Wu brothers treat this girl as though she were a celestial immortal, terrified she will not marry them. But the truth is, if you actually married her and had to spend every day keeping company with such a spoiled, wilful woman, the bitterness would far outweigh the pleasure. Heh. How ridiculous.

Guo Fu had run a fair distance, assuming Yang Guo would come chasing after her to apologise. She stopped to wait, and there was no sign of him. He does not know lightness skill, she thought. Of course he cannot catch up. She retraced her steps and found him walking in the opposite direction. Puzzled, she ran up to him. “Why did you not come?”

Yang Guo said, “Miss Guo, please tell your father and mother that I am leaving.”

Guo Fu was startled. “Why would you leave, out of the blue?”

Yang Guo gave a faint smile. “No reason. I never came here for any particular purpose. Since I have been here, it is time to go.”

Guo Fu had always loved excitement. Though in her heart she looked down on Yang Guo completely, she found that listening to his banter had a fresh flavour quite different from talking with the Wu brothers. She desperately wanted him to stay. “Brother Yang, we have not seen each other for so long. I have so many things to ask you. Besides, tonight they are holding the Hero Assembly. Heroes from every school and sect will be gathering. How can you miss it?”

Yang Guo laughed. “I am no hero. If I attended, would I not make all those great heroes laugh?”

Guo Fu said, “That is true.” She thought for a moment. “Well, there are plenty of people at Lu Manor who do not know martial arts either. You can just drink and eat with the accountants and stewards.”

Yang Guo’s anger flared. So that is how it is. You see me as a lowly, third-rate nobody. But he showed not a trace of irritation on his face. He smiled and said, “That would be fine.”

He had been ready to walk away and be done with it, but now his resolve hardened. He would stay and do something to vent his spleen.

Guo Fu had been spoiled since childhood and understood nothing of human feelings. Her words had not been meant as an insult, but without knowing it, she had given deep offence. Seeing that Yang Guo had changed his mind, she smiled and said, “Hurry, then. If we are late and my mother gets there first, we will not be able to spy on anything.” She ran ahead with rapid steps. Yang Guo followed, gasping for breath, his feet landing heavily, the picture of clumsy ineptitude.

At last they drew near the place where Huang Rong customarily taught Lu Youjiao the staff technique. The Wu brothers had already climbed into the treetops and were peering in every direction. Guo Fu leapt onto a branch and reached down to pull Yang Guo up. Yang Guo grasped her small hand, soft and warm as silk, and his heart rippled. But he immediately reminded himself: Even if you were ten times more beautiful, you could not compare to one half of my Gugu.²⁴

Guo Fu whispered, “Has my mother not arrived yet?”

Wu Xiuwen pointed west and said quietly, “Elder Lu is over there waving a staff around. Our teacher’s wife and teacher have stepped away to talk.”

Guo Fu feared only one person in the world: her father. Hearing that he had come too, she felt a little uneasy. But seeing Lu Youjiao holding a bamboo staff, pointing east, circling west, with nothing remarkable about it, she whispered, “Is this the Dog-Beating Staff Technique?”

Wu Dunru said, “Most likely.”

Guo Fu watched a few more moves. They seemed stiff and dull. She could see no profundity in them. “Elder Lu still has not learned it. There is nothing interesting to see. Let us go.”

But Yang Guo saw that the staff technique Elder Lu was performing matched, move for move, what Hong Qigong²⁵ had taught him on the summit of Mount Hua.²⁶ He sneered inwardly. A little girl who understands nothing, yet she dares to speak with such authority.

The Wu brothers obeyed Guo Fu’s every word. Hearing that she wanted to leave, they were about to jump down when footsteps sounded beneath the tree. Guo Jing and Huang Rong approached, walking side by side.

Guo Jing was saying, “Fu’er’s lifelong happiness is naturally not something to treat lightly. But Guoer²⁷ is still young. Mischief and foolery are inevitable at his age. The trouble he caused at Quanzhen, it seems it was not entirely his fault.”

Huang Rong said, “I do not care in the least about the mischief he caused at Quanzhen. You feel bound by the generations of friendship between the Guo and Yang families, and rightly so. But this boy Yang Guo is cunning beyond his years. The more I look at him, the more he reminds me of his father. How can I feel easy about betrothing Fu’er to him?”

Yang Guo, Guo Fu, and the Wu brothers were all thunderstruck by these words. They knew that the Guo and Yang families shared some connection, but they had no idea how deep the ties between the previous generation ran, and they could never have imagined that Guo Jing intended to betroth his daughter to Yang Guo. These words bore directly on each of their fates. All four held their breath and listened intently, four hearts pounding wildly.

Guo Jing said, “Brother Yang Kang²⁸ had the misfortune to fall into the Jin imperial palace and fell in with evil men. That is why he met such a tragic end, his very corpse left incomplete. If he had been raised from childhood by Uncle Yang Tiexin,²⁹ it would never have come to this.”

Huang Rong sighed. After a moment, she said softly, “That is true.”

Yang Guo had never known the truth of his origins. He only knew that his father had died young, killed by another’s hand, but how he had died, who his enemy was, even his own mother had refused to speak of it. Now, hearing Guo Jing speak of his father, saying he had “fallen into the imperial palace and fallen in with evil men”, that his “corpse was left incomplete”, it struck him like a thunderbolt. His whole body trembled. His face turned ashen grey. Guo Fu glanced sideways at him. Seeing his expression, she was frightened, afraid he might suddenly tumble from the tree and die on the spot.

Guo Jing and Huang Rong had their backs to the great tree. They sat side by side on a rock. Guo Jing gently stroked the back of Huang Rong’s hand and said tenderly, “Ever since you conceived this second child, your health has been declining. You must hand over all the Beggar Clan’s affairs to Lu Youjiao as quickly as possible and rest properly.”

Guo Fu was overjoyed. So Mother is with child. I will have a little brother. How wonderful! Why did Mother not tell me?

Huang Rong said, “I have never truly worried much about the Beggar Clan’s affairs. It is Fu’er’s future that I cannot set my mind at ease about.”

Guo Jing said, “Since Quanzhen refuses to accept Guoer, I will teach him myself. I can see he is extremely intelligent. I will pass on all my martial arts to him. That way, I will not have failed the bond of brotherhood I swore with his father.”

Yang Guo heard the deep affection in Guo Jing’s words, and he was so moved that tears nearly fell.

Huang Rong sighed. “What I fear is that his cleverness will be his own undoing. That is why I only taught him to read, not martial arts. I hoped he would grow into a good man who understands righteousness, upright and honourable. Even if he never learned a single stroke of martial arts, we could still give him Fu’er’s hand with a peaceful heart.”

Guo Jing said, “Your intentions were good. But Fu’er has such a temperament, and such martial skills. To bind her for life to a weak, bookish scholar, would that not be unfair to her? Do you think she would respect Guoer? The way I see it, such a marriage could hardly be harmonious.”

Huang Rong laughed. “Have you no shame? So our own marriage is harmonious only because your martial arts surpass mine? Hero Guo, come, come, let us have a match.”

Guo Jing laughed. “Very well, Chief Huang. Name your terms.”

A soft pa sounded as Huang Rong gave Guo Jing a light pat on the shoulder.

After a pause, Huang Rong said, “Ah, this matter is truly difficult. Even if we set Guoer aside for now, what of the Wu brothers? Which do you think is better, the elder, or the younger?”

Naturally, the hearts of Guo Fu and the Wu brothers began pounding furiously. Yang Guo, though the matter did not concern him, was also eager to hear Guo Jing’s assessment of the two.

Guo Jing gave an “Mm.” A long silence followed. At last he said, “Small matters reveal nothing. Only when a man faces something great does his true character show.” His voice softened. “Fu’er is still young. Waiting a few years will not hurt. Perhaps by then everything will have arranged itself, and we parents will not need to worry at all. When you teach Elder Lu the staff technique, do not exhaust yourself. These past few days, I have felt your breathing is not smooth. It worries me. I will go find Guoer and talk with him.” He rose and walked back the way he had come.

Huang Rong remained seated on the rock, calming her breathing for a while, then called Lu Youjiao over to demonstrate the staff technique. By now, Lu Youjiao had learned all thirty-six stances of the Dog-Beating Staff Technique, but he still had not grasped the key to their application. Huang Rong patiently explained each stance in detail.

The moves of the Dog-Beating Staff Technique were profound indeed, but the essential principles and formulae were even more wondrous. Otherwise, how could a mere green bamboo staff have become the Beggar Clan’s most treasured heirloom? How could someone with martial arts as formidable as Ouyang Feng³⁰ have had to rack his brains in agony just to dismantle a single move? Huang Rong had already spent nearly a month teaching Lu Youjiao the forms. Now she repeated the formulae and transformation principles several times, instructing him to commit them firmly to memory. As for achieving full integration and mastery, that depended on each person’s natural gifts and powers of comprehension. It was not something a teacher could impart.

Guo Fu and the Wu brothers understood nothing of the staff technique. All they heard was droning about the “Block” formula this and the “Entwine” formula that, how the eighteenth variation transformed into the nineteenth, and how the nineteenth evolved into the twentieth. Several times they nearly slipped down from the tree, but they feared Huang Rong would discover them. They could only hope she would finish reciting the formulae quickly and leave with Lu Youjiao.

But Huang Rong had planned to transfer the chief’s position to Lu Youjiao before the Hero Assembly began. She had scheduled this time to complete the transmission of all the staff technique’s formulae. If he could not grasp them, she could always teach him more later, but according to the clan’s rules, he had to have formally learned the Dog-Beating Staff Technique before assuming the chief’s office. For this reason, she spoke for nearly an hour without finishing. And Lu Youjiao, whose natural gifts were limited and whose memory had declined in recent years, how could he possibly retain so much at once? Huang Rong went over it again and again, but he still could not remember it all.

Huang Rong had been accustomed to dealing with slow learners ever since she met Guo Jing at the age of fifteen. Lu Youjiao’s poor memory did not trouble her. The real hardship lay in the clan’s rules: the formulae and principles had to be transmitted orally and could never be committed to writing. If she could have written them down for him to study at his leisure, it would have saved a great deal of effort.

Years ago, when Hong Qigong competed with Ouyang Feng on the summit of Mount Hua, he had exhausted his neili. He taught Yang Guo every move and every variation of the staff technique for him to demonstrate to Ouyang Feng, but he did not pass on a single word of the combat formulae. He reasoned that Yang Guo, knowing the moves without understanding the principles, would gain no practical benefit, and thus the clan’s rules would not be violated. And since he had not truly been fighting Ouyang Feng at the time, there was no need to teach the combat formulae.

But now Yang Guo was hearing every word of those formulae, complete and in order. His natural gifts surpassed Lu Youjiao’s a hundredfold. After only three recitations, he had memorised every word without missing a syllable, while Lu Youjiao was still stumbling and tangling himself in knots trying to recite it.

After Huang Rong became pregnant the second time, she had carelessly injured her foetal energy³¹ during an internal cultivation session, leaving her physically weakened. After teaching for half the day, she felt quite fatigued. She leaned against the rock to rest, closed her eyes to gather her spirits, then called out, “Fu’er, Ru’er,³² Wen’er,³³ Guoer, all of you, come rolling down here!”

Guo Fu and the other three were badly startled. She knew all along, without showing a single sign!

Guo Fu laughed. “Mother, you are really something. Nothing escapes you.” She executed the move “Young Swallow Returns to the Forest”³⁴ and landed lightly before her. The Wu brothers jumped down after her. Yang Guo slowly climbed down the tree.

Huang Rong snorted. “With your level of skill, you think you can spy on me? If I could not even detect a few little thieves like you, I would not last half a day in the jianghu³⁵ without falling into some villain’s trap.”

Guo Fu looked a little sheepish, but she knew her mother had always been indulgent and would not scold her. “Mother,” she laughed, “I dragged the three of them here to see the famous Dog-Beating Staff Technique that shakes the jianghu. But Elder Lu’s performance was not impressive at all. Mother, you show us.”

Huang Rong smiled. She took the bamboo staff from Lu Youjiao’s hands. “All right. Watch carefully. I am going to trip a little puppy.”

Guo Fu focused every ounce of attention on her lower body, ready to leap up the moment the staff came at her legs. Huang Rong flicked the bamboo staff. Guo Fu hurriedly jumped, her feet leaving the ground by half a foot, and at that exact moment the staff swept across, tripping her effortlessly. Guo Fu scrambled up, crying, “No fair, no fair. That was my own fault.”

Huang Rong laughed. “Fine. Do whatever you like.”

Guo Fu planted herself in a Horse Stance,³⁶ steady and firm. After a moment’s thought, she said, “Big Brother Wu, Little Brother Wu, stand beside me in Horse Stance too.” The Wu brothers complied. Guo Fu hooked her arms through theirs, combining the strength of three people. They were as immovable as a mountain. “Now, Mother,” she declared, “I am not afraid of you any more. Only Father’s Eighteen Palms of Dragon Subduing³⁷ could push us over now.”

Huang Rong smiled faintly. She swung the staff horizontally toward their faces with fierce, urgent force. The three of them had to lean back to evade. The moment they did, the Horse Stances anchoring their lower bodies naturally loosened. Huang Rong swept the staff back in a “Turn” formula³⁸ that cut across their feet. All three lost their footing and toppled to the ground simultaneously. Fortunately, their martial foundation was already quite solid. The instant their upper bodies touched the ground, they sprang back up.

Guo Fu cried, “Mother, that was another trick. I do not accept it.”

Huang Rong laughed. “The eight formulae I was just teaching Elder Lu. Trip, Chop, Entwine, Jab, Hook, Draw, Block, Turn³⁹, which one relies on brute force? You say it is a trick, and you are right. In martial arts, nine parts out of ten are tricks. If you can trick a master into falling, you have won. Only martial arts like your father’s Eighteen Palms of Dragon Subduing rely on true power in direct confrontation, with no need for clever feints. But how many people under heaven can reach that level?”

These words made Yang Guo nod inwardly. He contemplated the Dog-Beating Staff principles that Huang Rong had described, cross-referencing them with the moves Hong Qigong had taught him, and the profound mysteries seemed inexhaustible. Guo Fu and the other two understood Huang Rong’s words, but they had not grasped the deeper truth within them.

Huang Rong continued, “The Dog-Beating Staff Technique is the most idiosyncratic martial art in the wulin.⁴⁰ It stands entirely on its own, unrelated to the techniques of any other school. If you learn only the moves without knowing the formulae, it is completely useless. Even the most brilliant mind could hardly invent a single formula from scratch to match the moves. But if you know the formulae without me personally teaching you the moves, all you have is the eight words: Trip, Chop, Entwine, Jab, Hook, Draw, Block, Turn. That is why I am not afraid of you four little imps eavesdropping. If I were teaching some other martial art, you must never spy or steal a lesson without my permission. Do you understand?”

Guo Fu hastily agreed. She laughed, “Mother, why would I need to steal your techniques? As if there were anything you would refuse to teach me.”

Huang Rong tapped her lightly on the bottom with the bamboo staff and smiled. “Go play with the Wu brothers. Guoer, I have a few words to say to you. Elder Lu, go and think it over slowly. If you cannot remember it all at once, I will teach you more another day.”

Lu Youjiao, Guo Fu, and the others took their leave and returned to Lu Manor. Only Yang Guo remained.

Yang Guo’s heart was pounding. He feared that Huang Rong knew he had stolen the Dog-Beating Staff Technique and meant to use lethal means to take his life.

Seeing the doubt and alarm on his face, Huang Rong took his hand and sat him down beside her. Gently, she said, “Guoer, there are many things about you that I do not understand, and if I asked, I doubt you would tell me. But I do not blame you for this. When I was young, my temperament was also extremely strange. It was only thanks to your Uncle Guo’s endless tolerance that I got through it.” She gave a soft sigh, and a faint smile touched the corners of her mouth as she remembered the mischief of her own youth. She went on, “I did not teach you martial arts because I meant well for you. I never imagined it would cause you to suffer so much instead. Your Uncle Guo loves me and cherishes me. This kindness, I naturally must repay with all my strength. He has a great wish for you: that you will grow into an upright man who stands between heaven and earth. I will do everything in my power to help you learn what is good, to fulfil his wish. Guoer, you must never let him lose heart. All right?”

Yang Guo had never heard Huang Rong speak to him with such tenderness and sincerity. He saw her eyes filled with love and compassion, and he was deeply moved. A hot rush of emotion surged through his chest, and he could not help bursting into tears.

Huang Rong stroked his hair and said gently, “Guoer, I will hide nothing from you. I did not like your father, so I have never liked you either. But from now on, I will treat you well. Once my health recovers, I will teach you all my martial arts. Your Uncle Guo has said the same.”

Yang Guo grew even more distressed. His sobs grew louder. Choking, he said, “Auntie Guo, I have hidden many things from you. I… I… I will tell you everything.”

Huang Rong stroked his hair. “I am very tired today. We can talk about it in a few days. As long as you are a good child, I will be happy. In a little while, the Beggar Clan will hold its assembly. You should come and watch.”

Yang Guo thought to himself that the news of Hong Qigong’s death certainly had to be announced at the assembly. He wiped his tears and nodded repeatedly.

Beneath that great tree, their words were spoken from the heart, and the old mutual resentment melted away. By the end, Yang Guo had gone from weeping to smiling. Thinking of the hope and goodwill in Guo Jing’s words, he felt, for the first time since parting with Xiaolongnü,⁴¹ a warmth of this kind.

After talking a while longer, Huang Rong felt a faint pain in her abdomen. She slowly rose. “Let us go back.” She took his hand and walked at a leisurely pace.

Yang Guo thought he should tell her the news of Hong Qigong’s death first. “Auntie Guo,” he said, “I have something very important to tell you.”

But Huang Rong felt the flow of qi⁴² in her dantian⁴³ growing increasingly uneven. She furrowed her brow. “Tomorrow. I… I do not feel well.”

Yang Guo saw how ashen her face had become and grew worried. He felt that her hand was somewhat cold. Summoning his courage, he secretly circulated his neili and transmitted a stream of warmth through his palm into hers. During the time when he and Xiaolongnü had practised the Jade Maiden Heart Sutra⁴⁴ together on Mount Zhongnan,⁴⁵ they had trained this palm-to-palm transmission technique until it was extremely proficient. But he feared that Huang Rong’s neili might clash with his own. At first, he sent only a tiny thread through. Finding that it flowed without obstruction, he increased the force.

Huang Rong felt the neili he transmitted, dense, continuous, and wholly different from Quanzhen neili. Yet it was gentle and rich, no less than that of a Quanzhen master. It did her body great good. In moments, her disrupted blood and qi had returned to smooth flow, and colour bloomed in her cheeks. She was astonished. Where did this child learn such advanced neili? She smiled at him, full of approval.

She was about to question him when Guo Fu came running from a distance, shouting, “Mother! Mother! Guess who has arrived!”

Huang Rong laughed. “Today all the heroes under heaven are gathering. How could I guess who has come?” Then a thought struck her, and she said with delight, “Ah, it must be the Wu brothers’ senior uncles. We have not seen them for many years.”

Guo Fu said, “Mother, you are so clever. How did you guess at once?”

Huang Rong laughed. “What is so difficult about that? The Wu brothers never leave your side for an instant. If they are suddenly not with you, it must be because their own kin have arrived.”

Yang Guo had always prided himself on his cleverness, but seeing Huang Rong deduce matters with such accuracy, far surpassing his own abilities, he could not help feeling awed.

Huang Rong added, “Fu’er, congratulations. You will have the chance to learn yet another advanced martial art. I only fear you will not be able to master it.”

Guo Fu asked, “What martial art?”

Yang Guo blurted out, “The Yiyang Finger!”⁴⁶

Guo Fu ignored him and said offhandedly, “What do you know? Mother, what martial art is it?”

Huang Rong laughed. “Did Brother Yang not already tell you?”

Guo Fu said, “Oh, so Mother told you already.”

Both Huang Rong and Yang Guo smiled and said nothing. Huang Rong thought to herself, Guoer’s intelligence surpasses the Wu brothers’ tenfold. Fu’er is a fool, that goes without saying. He knows that the Yiyang Finger is Great Master Yideng’s⁴⁷ signature art. The Wu brothers’ senior uncles have arrived, and out of pity for the orphaned brothers, they will certainly teach them. And the brothers, eager to please Fu’er, will naturally pass on to her whatever they learn.

Guo Fu, meanwhile, was thoroughly perplexed. Why had her mother told Yang Guo about this first? Could it really be that she intended to betroth her to this little beggar? At the thought, she could not help rolling her eyes at Yang Guo and making a face.

Among Great Master Yideng of the Dali Kingdom’s⁴⁸ four great disciples. Fisherman, Woodcutter, Farmer, Scholar⁴⁹, the Wu brothers’ father, Wu Santong,⁵⁰ was the third, the Farmer. Ever since he had been wounded in battle with Li Mochou,⁵¹ his whereabouts had been unknown, and no one knew whether he lived or died. The two who had come to attend the Hero Assembly this time were the Fisherman, Master of the Hidden Waters,⁵² and the Scholar, Zhu Ziliu.⁵³

Zhu Ziliu and Huang Rong began trading verbal jabs the moment they met. Separated now for more than ten years, they renewed their battle of wits with relish. After the pleasantries, Master of the Hidden Waters and Zhu Ziliu indeed found a quiet room and taught the Wu brothers the fundamentals of the Yiyang Finger.

That morning, still more heroes and gallants arrived at Lu Manor. The Lu Manor was large, but it was now packed to bursting.

After the midday meal, the Beggar Clan members assembled in the grove outside Lu Manor. The transfer of leadership from old chief to new was the clan’s most solemn ceremony. Senior disciples from every direction, east, south, west, and north, were all in attendance. The heroes who had come to Lu Manor for the Hero Assembly were also invited to observe.

For more than ten years, Lu Youjiao had managed the clan’s affairs on Huang Rong’s behalf, fair, upright, daring in action. Both the Dirty Clothes and Clean Clothes factions⁵⁴ of the Beggar Clan held him in genuine respect. By this time, Elder Jian of the Clean Clothes faction had passed away, Elder Liang was long confined to his sickbed, and Elder Peng had turned traitor. There was no one left in the clan to contest the succession. The transfer proceeded without a hitch. After Huang Rong announced the succession according to the clan’s rules, she handed the Dog-Beating Staff, passed down through generations of chiefs, to Lu Youjiao. The assembled disciples spat upon him, drenching his head, his face, his whole body with spittle. With that, the new chief’s investiture was complete. The guests offered their congratulations.

Yang Guo found the peculiar rituals of the chief’s succession deeply strange. He was just about to rise and announce the news of Hong Qigong’s death when an old beggar leapt onto a large rock and cried out loudly, “Old Chief Hong has issued an order, which he commanded me to relay!”

At these words, the clan members burst into a single, thunderous cheer. They had received no word of their old chief for more than ten years and worried about him constantly. To suddenly hear that he had sent an order, every one of them was wild with joy. From the crowd, a beggar shouted, “We wish Old Chief Hong long life and good health!” All the beggars roared in unison. The sound shook heaven and earth. Wave after wave of cheers rose and fell, taking a long time to subside.

Yang Guo watched the beggars, every one of them stirred to the core, some with tears streaming down their faces. He thought, To be such a man, only then is a life not lived in vain. But with the crowd in such high spirits, how can I bear to tell them that Old Chief Hong has passed away? Besides, I am a nobody with a weak voice. If I tried to announce something of this magnitude, they might not even believe me. The assembly would dissolve into a chaos of argument, and what good would that do? Why spoil their joy? He thought further, If they ask how Old Chief Hong died, I cannot conceal the fact that my foster father fought him. The Wu brothers know I learned the Toad Skill⁵⁵ from my foster father, how could they resist telling everyone? With so many beggars here, they would surely suspect that I helped my foster father and together we killed Old Chief Hong. Then I would have a hundred mouths and still be unable to defend myself. Better to wait until the assembly is over, then tell Auntie Guo everything in detail and let her relay the news. He silently congratulated himself that the old beggar had spoken first. If he himself had blurted out the news without thinking, it would surely have stirred up serious trouble.

The old beggar was saying, “Half a year ago, in Shixing County, Shaozhou, in Guangnan East Circuit,⁵⁶ I met Old Chief Hong and had the honour of drinking with him. His health is excellent, his appetite is superb, and his capacity for liquor is exactly the same as before.” The beggars burst into another great cheer, mixed with abundant laughter. The old beggar continued, “All these years, the Old Chief has killed many a corrupt official and wicked tyrant who brought ruin to the nation and suffering to the people. He said he had just received word of five great villains called the Five Uglies of the Sichuan Border,⁵⁷ who, under orders from the Mongol barbarians, have been committing all manner of evil in eastern Sichuan and the Huguang⁵⁸ region. He was going to investigate personally. If the report proved true, he would naturally take those five dogs’ lives.”

A middle-aged beggar rose and said, “The Five Uglies of the Sichuan Border were indeed rampaging not long ago, but their movements were erratic, and our brothers in western Sichuan could never track them down. Recently, however, they have vanished without a trace. Old Chief Hong must have dealt with them.”

The Beggar Clan disciples and the assembled heroes all applauded. Yang Guo’s heart was heavy. None of you know that after Old Chief Hong and my foster father beat the Five Uglies into cripples, those two great men soon after departed this world.

The old beggar continued, “Old Chief Hong said: The realm is in chaos, and the Mongol barbarians press south day by day, devouring our Great Song’s⁵⁹ territory. Every member of our clan must hold loyalty and righteousness⁶⁰ in his heart, vow to fight to the death, and resist the foreign invaders with all his might.” The beggars roared their assent, their expressions fierce with passion.

The old beggar said, “The court’s governance is corrupt, and wicked ministers hold sway. To expect those stinking officials to protect the nation and its people is impossible. The foreign threat deepens with every passing day. Every man must harbour a heart willing to sacrifice himself for his country. Old Chief Hong commands me to exhort all my good brothers to engrave the words ‘loyalty and righteousness’ upon their hearts.” The beggars thundered their response, shouting in unison: “We vow to obey Old Chief Hong’s command!”

Yang Guo had lacked proper instruction since childhood and did not understand what profound significance the words “loyalty and righteousness” carried. But seeing the beggars’ righteous dignity, he was deeply stirred and filled with admiration.

The remainder of the Beggar Clan assembly dealt with internal matters, rewards and punishments, promotions and demotions. Guests from outside the clan were not privy to these affairs and took their leave one after another.

By evening, Lu Manor was ablaze with lanterns and coloured streamers, candles blazing brilliantly. In the main hall, the front hall, the rear hall, the side halls, the flower hall, more than two hundred tables had been laid out. The better part of all the renowned heroes of the jianghu were in attendance. A Hero Assembly on this scale was a rare event, seen perhaps once in several decades. Only a host of boundless connections, universally respected, and possessed of ample wealth to bear such enormous expense could possibly have drawn so many wulin luminaries.

Guo Jing and Huang Rong accompanied the principal guests in the main hall. Huang Rong arranged Yang Guo’s seat right beside her own. Guo Fu and the Wu brothers were seated far away.

At first, Guo Fu found this strange. This man does not know martial arts. Why would Mother seat him in such a place of honour? Then a sudden thought chilled her heart. Oh no. Father said he wanted to betroth me to him. Could it be that Mother has agreed? The more she thought, the more frightened she became. She remembered how, just now, she had seen her mother holding Yang Guo’s hand as they walked, the two of them looking so close. And she knew that her father and mother shared deep mutual respect. If Father insisted on this, Mother would not refuse. She glanced sideways at Yang Guo, anxious and angry in equal measure. How can I marry this little beggar? She was on the verge of tears.

Just then, Wu Xiuwen said, “Sister Fu, look, that fellow surnamed Yang is sitting here too. What kind of hero does he think he is?”

Guo Fu said huffily, “If you are so capable, go and chase him away!”

The Wu brothers had originally regarded Yang Guo with nothing more than contempt, but after overhearing Guo Jing in the tree say he intended to betroth his daughter to Yang Guo, their attitude had hardened into open hostility. Wu Xiuwen, hearing Guo Fu’s words, thought, Why not go and humiliate him thoroughly? Make him lose face in front of all these heroes. Our teacher’s wife has always been fiercely proud. If this fellow Yang suffers a great humiliation in public, she will never accept him as a son-in-law.

He had just learned the Yiyang Finger from his senior uncle and was eager to try it out. “Since he wants to pass himself off as a hero,” he said, “let us give him a chance to shine, let him show his face in a big way.” He rose, filled two cups of wine to the brim, walked over to Yang Guo, and said, “Brother Yang, these past years must have treated you well. Let me offer you a toast.”

Yang Guo saw Wu Xiuwen glancing repeatedly back at Guo Fu with a sly expression. His intentions were clearly not friendly. He is coming to offer me wine, Yang Guo thought. There must be a trick. He would not dare poison it, but I must guard against drugging. He rose, accepted the cup, and said, “Thank you.” He touched it to his lips without drinking.

At that moment, Wu Xiuwen suddenly thrust out the index finger of his right hand toward Yang Guo’s waist. His body shielded the gesture from the view of others. The finger was aimed at Yang Guo’s “Laughing Waist” acupoint.⁶¹ His senior uncle had told him that when the Yiyang Finger struck a person’s Laughing Waist point, the victim would laugh and shout uncontrollably, and unless the point was released, the laughter would never stop.

But Yang Guo had been on full alert from the start. How could he fall for such a sneak attack? In truth, even if the ambush had come completely without warning, with his current martial arts, he would never have been caught. By his usual temper, Yang Guo never suffered the slightest loss without retaliating fiercely, he would have thrown Wu Xiuwen to the ground or struck his own Laughing Waist point in return. But after his conversation with Huang Rong today, his heart was light and at peace. He thought, You may pick a fight with me, but you are still Uncle Guo and Auntie Guo’s disciple. I will not stoop to your level. He secretly circulated the neili that Ouyang Feng had taught him, and in an instant, all the meridians throughout his body reversed direction. Every acupoint shifted position. However, since he was not standing upside down on his head, and his mastery of this technique was still shallow, his meridians could only remain reversed for a brief moment, one breath in, one breath out, and they would revert. To reverse them a second time, he would need to circulate his neili again. But that one brief moment was enough to render Wu Xiuwen’s finger strike completely useless.

After striking with his finger, Wu Xiuwen saw Yang Guo merely smile faintly and return to his seat without the slightest reaction. Greatly puzzled, Wu Xiuwen went back to his own table and whispered, “Brother, why did our senior uncle’s technique not work?”

Wu Dunru asked, “What do you mean, not work?”

Wu Xiuwen explained what had happened. Wu Dunru sneered. “You must have pointed wrong, or misjudged the acupoint.”

Wu Xiuwen said anxiously, “How could I be wrong? Look.” He extended his finger and mimed striking toward his brother’s waist. The posture and force were exactly as their senior uncle had taught.

Guo Fu pursed her lips. “And here I thought the Yiyang Finger was something remarkable. Hmph. It seems it is nothing much after all.” She was already displeased that the Wu brothers had learned the Yiyang Finger while she had not, even though she knew they would certainly teach her later.

Wu Dunru abruptly stood. He too filled two cups of wine and walked over to Yang Guo. “Brother Yang, we brothers have not seen you in years. Now that we meet again, let me also offer you a toast.”

Yang Guo laughed inwardly. Your younger brother has already shown his hand. Let us see what clever trick the elder brother has. He picked up a large piece of beef with his chopsticks, not bothering to put it down. With his left hand, he accepted the cup. “Thank you,” he said, smiling.

Wu Dunru did not even bother with pretence. His right arm shot out, his sleeve whipping through the air, his finger thrusting swiftly toward Yang Guo’s waist. Yang Guo saw the ferocity of the strike and knew his own skill in the meridian-reversal technique was limited, he might not be able to withstand it. This time, he did not reverse his meridians. Instead, he dropped his arm and placed the large piece of beef directly over his Laughing Waist point. His movement came after Wu Dunru’s but arrived first, and Wu Dunru never noticed a thing. His finger shot forward and struck, squarely into the beef.

Yang Guo set down his chopsticks and smiled. “After the wine, a bite of beef is best.”

Wu Dunru raised his hand. There, impaled on his fingers, was a great slab of beef, dripping with juice. He could neither hold it nor throw it away. Thoroughly discomfited, he glared fiercely at Yang Guo and strode back to his seat.

Guo Fu saw him clutching a large piece of beef and found it very strange. “What is that?” she asked.

Wu Dunru’s face flushed crimson. He could not find words to answer.

Just as he stood there in embarrassment, the Beggar Clan’s new chief, Lu Youjiao, raised his wine cup and stood.

He lifted his cup in a toast to the assembled heroes and declared in a ringing voice, “Our clan’s Old Chief Hong has sent word that the Mongol invasion of the south grows more urgent by the day. He commands every member of our clan to give their utmost, even their lives, in resisting the foreign threat. Now, with all the heroes of the realm gathered here, every heart filled with loyalty and righteousness, we must devise a sound strategy to keep the Mongol barbarians from daring to invade our Great Song’s territory.”

The heroes rose one after another, each adding their voice in assent. Most of those who had come to the Hero Assembly were men of hot blood. They had long watched with deepening worry as the nation’s affairs deteriorated and catastrophe loomed on the horizon. When someone finally raised the matter, these loyal heroes responded as an echo answers a sound.

An old man with a silvery beard rose to his feet. His voice boomed like a great bell. “With all us heroes gathered here today, we should swear a blood oath and form an alliance to resist the foreign enemy together. We shall call it the ‘Resist the Mongols and Defend the Nation Alliance.’⁶² As the saying goes, a snake without a head cannot crawl. We may have hearts full of loyalty, but without a leader, great things cannot be accomplished. With all the heroes present, let us elect one man of exalted virtue and universal respect to lead us, and let everyone obey his commands.”

The heroes cheered in unison. Someone had already called out, “Let the old gentleman himself take the lead!” “No need to elect anyone else!”

The old man laughed heartily. “What sort of figure does this stinking old man cut? The supreme masters of the jianghu have always been the Eastern Heretic, Western Venom, Southern Emperor, Northern Beggar, and Central Divinity.⁶³ Central Divinity, the Perfected One Chongyang,⁶⁴ passed away many years ago. The Eastern Heretic, Island Master Huang,⁶⁵ goes his own way alone. The Western Venom is not a Han man of our Central Plains. The Southern Emperor is far away in Dali, neither is a subject of our Great Song. The leader of this Resist the Mongols and Defend the Nation Alliance must, without question, be the Northern Beggar, Old Senior Hong.”

Hong Qigong was the Taishan and Beidou⁶⁶ of the jianghu, the people’s choice. The heroes applauded in unison. There were no objections.

From the crowd, a voice said, “Old Chief Hong is naturally the right man to lead the alliance of heroes. Apart from him, who else possesses the martial skill to command respect and the virtue to surpass all others, fit to shoulder this great responsibility?” The voice was loud and clear. Everyone turned toward the source but could not see the speaker, the man was extremely short and hidden by those around him. Someone asked, “Who said that?”

The short man leapt onto a table. He stood less than three feet tall and was past forty, his face radiating a fierce, capable energy. Some recognised him as the Jiangxi⁶⁷ gallant, “Short Lion” Lei Meng.⁶⁸ The crowd had been about to laugh, but seeing the intimidating glare he swept left and right, they swallowed their mirth.

Lei Meng said, “But Old Chief Hong moves like a spirit and appears like a ghost. In ten years, he rarely shows his face. If some urgent matter of resisting the enemy and defending the nation arises, and we happen to be unable to consult him, what then?”

The heroes thought, He has a point.

Lei Meng continued, “Everything we do today is for the sake of loyalty to our country. There is not the slightest selfish motive. Let us elect a vice-leader. When Old Chief Hong is away roaming the four seas, we will obey the vice-leader’s every command.”

Amid cheers and applause, someone shouted, “Guo Jing, Hero Guo!” Someone else called, “Chief Lu would be best.” Another said, “The Beggar Clan’s former Chief Huang is resourceful and wise, and she is Old Chief Hong’s disciple. I nominate Chief Huang.” Yet another said, “Our host here, Master Lu.” Still others shouted, “Quanzhen’s⁴ zhangmen Ma.[^ma yu] The Perfected One Changchun, Qiu Chuji.”⁶⁹ For a time, opinions flew in every direction.

[^ma yu]: Ma Yu (马钰). “Perfected One Danyang”, the eldest of the Seven Masters of Quanzhen and the sect’s leader.

Amid the confusion, four Taoists strode briskly into the hall: Hao Datong,⁷⁰ Sun Bu’er,⁷¹ Zhao Zhijing,⁷² and Zhen Zhibing.⁷³ Yang Guo saw that they had returned after leaving earlier and thought, Hmph. Have you come back to fight me again?

Guo Jing and Lu Guanying[^luguan ying] were delighted. They hurried from their seats to greet them. The Quanzhen Sect was acknowledged as the orthodox source of all martial arts under heaven. For a Hero Assembly to lack Quanzhen masters would be a regrettable shortcoming.

[^luguan ying]: Lu Guanying (陆冠英). Master of Lu Manor at Dasheng Pass, son of Lu Chengfeng of Peach Blossom Island.

Hao Datong whispered in Guo Jing’s ear, “Enemies have come to make trouble. We must be on guard. We came back especially to warn you.”

Guo Jing thought, Hao Datong, the Master of Broad Serenity,⁷⁴ is one of Quanzhen’s top masters. In the jianghu, those whose martial arts surpass his can be counted on one’s fingers. His voice trembled slightly as he spoke, the opponent must be someone truly formidable. He asked quietly, “Ouyang Feng?”

Hao Datong said, “No. The Mongol who once defeated me.”

Guo Jing’s heart eased. He nodded. “Prince Huo Du?”⁷⁵

Before Hao Datong could answer, horns sounded from beyond the main gate. wu wu, followed by the intermittent striking of stone chimes.⁷⁶ Lu Guanying called out, “Welcome, honoured guests!” The words had barely left his mouth when several dozen figures, tall and short, appeared before the hall.

The heroes in the hall had been drinking and celebrating noisily. They were mildly surprised to see so many people barge in, but assumed these were latecomers to the Hero Assembly. Seeing no familiar faces among them, they paid little heed.

Guo Jing quietly relayed Hao Datong’s message to Huang Rong, then rose. Husband and wife, together with Lu Guanying and his wife, went out to receive the newcomers.

Guo Jing recognised the one with refined features and the bearing of a noble scion. Prince Huo Du of the Mongols. The lean, gaunt monk beside him was Huo Du’s senior brother, Darba.⁷⁷ Guo Jing had met both of them before at the Chongyang Palace on Mount Zhongnan. Though they were first-rate masters, their martial arts were still inferior to his own, nothing to fear. But he saw that the two stood to either side, and between them was a monk draped in a crimson cassock, extremely tall and extremely thin, his frame like a bamboo pole, with a slight depression in the crown of his skull like an inverted saucer.

Guo Jing and Huang Rong exchanged a glance. They had heard Huang Yaoshi⁶⁵ speak of the strange martial arts of the Esoteric Sect’s⁷⁸ Vajra School.⁷⁹ At the highest levels of attainment, the crown of the head sank slightly inward. This monk’s crown was deeply depressed, could his martial arts truly be that profoundly advanced? Both silently steeled themselves as they bowed in salute.

Guo Jing said, “You have come from afar. Please, be seated and have some wine.” Knowing they were enemies, he offered none of the usual empty pleasantries about “honoured guests” and “welcome”.

Lu Guanying ordered the household staff to lay new tables and refresh the cups and dishes.

The Wu brothers had been helping their teacher and teacher’s wife manage affairs. Wu Xiuwen, quick-handed and sharp-witted, was especially adept at such work. The two brothers directed the servants, arranging seats in the place of highest honour while apologising profusely and asking guests to shift their seats. Guo Fu watched Yang Guo sitting there calmly, not budging an inch, and found it deeply irritating. What kind of hero do you think you are? she fumed. Even if every hero under heaven dropped dead, it still would not be your turn. She shot Wu Xiuwen a meaningful look and jerked her chin toward Yang Guo.

Wu Xiuwen understood. He walked over to Yang Guo and said, “Brother Yang, your seat needs to be moved.” Without waiting for a response, he directed the servants to carry Yang Guo’s cup and chopsticks to the most obscure corner of the hall. Yang Guo’s anger simmered, but he said nothing, only smiling coldly to himself.

On the other side, Prince Huo Du said to the tall, gaunt monk, “Master, allow me to introduce two of the Central Plains’ most renowned heroes…”

Guo Jing was startled. So he is this Mongol prince’s master.

The monk nodded, his eyes half-open, half-closed.

Prince Huo Du said, “This is Hero Guo Jing, who once served as Marshal of the Right Army in our Mongol western campaign. And this is Lady Guo, who is also Chief Huang of the Beggar Clan.”

At the words “Marshal of the Right Army in our Mongol western campaign”, the monk’s eyes snapped open. A fierce, piercing light shot from them. He swept his gaze across Guo Jing’s face, then let his eyes fall half-closed once more. The chief of the Beggar Clan seemed not to concern him.

Prince Huo Du declared in a ringing voice, “This is my master, the Sacred Monk of the Mongol Empire, whom all men honour as the Golden Wheel National Preceptor.⁸⁰ Her Majesty the Empress Dowager of the Great Mongol Nation has named him the Foremost Guardian Master of the Empire.”[^huguo dashi]

These words, spoken with great clarity, made the assembly exchange bewildered glances. Everyone thought, Here we are, discussing how to resist the Mongol invasion of the south, and in walks some Mongol Guardian Master?

Yang Guo felt a deeper chill. He remembered how, on the summit of Mount Hua, both his foster father and Hong Qigong had praised the martial arts of the Five Uglies of the Sichuan Border as “formidable”, and had told them to send word for their grand-master, the Golden Wheel National Preceptor, to come and test his skills. Now that the Golden Wheel National Preceptor had arrived, together with the Five Uglies’ master, Darba, but his foster father and Hong Qigong were no longer in this world. Grief washed over him, and he knew at once that this tall, gaunt monk must be a truly fearsome opponent.

Guo Jing, at a loss for how to deal with these people, merely said flatly, “You have come a long way. Please, drink more wine.”

After three rounds of wine, Prince Huo Du rose. He flicked open his folding fan to reveal a peony blossom of intoxicating delicacy painted on its surface, and declared loudly, “My master and I come today without invitation to this Hero Assembly. We have the thick-skinned audacity to be uninvited guests. But when we thought of the chance to meet so many worthy men, we could not let it pass. A grand occasion like this is rare, and the moment will not come again. All the heroes under heaven are gathered here. In this prince’s humble opinion, we must elect a leader for the alliance, a chief of the wulin to serve as head of all the realm’s gallants. What do you all say?”

“Short Lion” Lei Meng boomed, “Well said. We have already elected the Beggar Clan’s Old Chief Hong as leader of the alliance. We are now in the process of electing a vice-leader. What suggestions do you have?”

Huo Du gave a cold laugh. “Hong Qigong returned to his rightful place long ago. Electing a ghost as alliance leader, do you take us all for dead men?”

At these words, the assembly erupted. The Beggar Clan members were especially furious, shouting in outrage.

Huo Du said, “Very well. If Hong Qigong is not dead, let him come out and show himself.”

Lu Youjiao raised the Dog-Beating Staff twice and said, “Old Chief Hong roams the world. His whereabouts are never fixed. You think you can see him just by asking?”

Huo Du sneered. “Never mind whether Hong Qigong is alive or dead at this moment. Even if he were sitting right here, in good health, how could his martial skill and moral stature possibly compare to my master, the Golden Wheel National Preceptor? Hear me, all you heroes: for the position of alliance leader of the jianghu today, aside from the Golden Wheel National Preceptor, there is no second man fit to hold it.”

By now, everyone understood these men’s purpose. They had clearly learned that the Hero Assembly would be detrimental to Mongol interests and had come to contest the leadership. If the Golden Wheel National Preceptor seized the position by force of martial arts, the Central Plains heroes would never obey his orders, but it would still weaken the Han people’s momentum in resisting the Mongols.

Everyone knew Huang Rong was resourceful and cunning. Without any prior agreement, they all turned their eyes toward her, thinking: These few dozen men, no matter how strong their martial arts, can hardly be a match for several thousand of us here. Whether in single combat or group battle, we will not be at a disadvantage. Let us simply follow Chief Huang’s commands.

Huang Rong knew that without a contest of force, this could not be resolved peacefully. A mass battle would certainly end in victory, but it would not make the other side submit in their hearts. She declared in a clear voice, “The heroes here have already elected Old Chief Hong as alliance leader. Now this Mongol gallant comes disrupting matters, wanting to elect some Golden Wheel National Preceptor whom no one has ever heard of or met. If Old Chief Hong were here, he could naturally display his divine skills against the National Preceptor to determine who is superior. But he is travelling the world, putting Mongol barbarians to death and rooting out Han traitors who serve as the tiger’s claws.⁸¹ He could not have anticipated that you would come here today, and so he was unable to be present to receive you. When he learns of this later, he will surely regret it. Fortunately, both Old Chief Hong and the Golden Wheel National Preceptor have passed on their arts to disciples. Let the disciples of each side compete on their masters’ behalf. What do you say?”

Most of the Central Plains heroes knew that Guo Jing’s martial arts were astonishing. In the prime of his life, he was perhaps already the finest in the world. Even Hong Qigong himself might not surpass him now. If he fought the Golden Wheel National Preceptor’s disciple, victory was assured beyond any doubt. They roared their approval. The sound shook the roof tiles. The heroes drinking in the side halls and rear halls, hearing the news, came flooding in. Soon the corridors, the courtyard, even the doorways were packed with people, all shouting encouragement. The Mongol fighters, far fewer in number, were utterly outmatched in the din.

Huo Du had fought Guo Jing once before, at the Chongyang Palace, and had been defeated in a single exchange. At the time, he had thought Guo Jing was a Quanzhen disciple, but after making inquiries later, he naturally learned the truth. His senior brother Darba was roughly his equal. Even if the two of them fought together, they would probably be no match for Hong Qigong’s disciple, the great hero Guo Jing. But if he refused Huang Rong’s proposal, the alliance leadership today would be lost. This turn of events was something he had never anticipated, and he found himself at a loss.

The Golden Wheel National Preceptor said, “Very well. Huo Du, go down and test your skills against Hong Qigong’s disciple.”

His voice was thick and turbid, and he spoke the entire sentence in a single breath, without the slightest pause for air. He had been living in Karakorum,⁸² the Mongol court’s seat, where he was supported by the Empress Dowager who ruled as regent and had been enfeoffed as National Preceptor. He had assumed that with the martial arts of his personally trained disciple Huo Du, there would be few rivals in the Central Plains, at most, he might not match a handful of old masters like the Northern Beggar, Eastern Heretic, or Western Venom. He had no idea that Huo Du had already been defeated by Guo Jing.

Huo Du answered his assent, then said quietly, “Master, that old beggar’s disciple is extremely formidable. This disciple fears he may not be able to win and bring shame upon your name.”

The Golden Wheel National Preceptor’s face darkened. He snorted. “You cannot even defeat someone’s disciple? Get down there.”

Huo Du was in an awkward spot. He had kept his defeat by Guo Jing hidden from his master, and now, with the moment upon him, he dared not confess. He had assumed his master’s abilities reached to heaven and penetrated the earth, that no man alive could match him, that the mere presence of his master’s dharma-form at the Hero Assembly would make the alliance leadership fall into their hands as easily as reaching into a bag. He had never imagined he would be ordered to fight Guo Jing himself.

Just as he was growing frantic, a stout, burly man in Mongol official robes came close and whispered a few words in his ear. Huo Du’s face lit up with joy. He rose, flicked open his fan and fanned himself a few times, then declared loudly, “I have heard that the Beggar Clan’s treasured heirloom is something called the Dog-Beating Staff Technique. Old Chief Hong’s most formidable art. This prince, unworthy as I am, wishes to use this fan of mine to break it. If I succeed, it seems Hong Qigong’s abilities are nothing extraordinary after all.”

At first, Huang Rong had paid no attention to the man whispering in Huo Du’s ear. But when Huo Du suddenly mentioned the Dog-Beating Staff Technique, brushing aside Guo Jing, the strongest fighter present, with a few light words, she wondered who had offered this clever stratagem. She looked at the Mongol and recognised him at once: it was Elder Peng,⁸³ one of the Beggar Clan’s four great elders. He had gone over to the Mongols, changed into Mongol attire, and grown a thick, bushy beard. His hat was pulled low over his eyes. Without careful scrutiny, he would have been hard to recognise. And only he would know that the Dog-Beating Staff Technique was passed exclusively to the Beggar Clan chief, that Guo Jing, for all his martial prowess, did not know it.

Huo Du’s words were clearly a challenge directed at herself and Lu Youjiao. Lu Youjiao had only just learned the staff technique and his grasp of it was still limited. He could not possibly use it in combat. She would have to step forward herself.

Guo Jing knew his wife’s Dog-Beating Staff Technique was wondrous beyond compare and believed she could defeat Huo Du. But in recent months, her pregnancy had unsettled her foetal energy, and her internal breath was unsteady. She absolutely could not engage in combat. He therefore stepped out from his seat and stood in the centre of the hall. In a ringing voice, he declared, “Old Chief Hong’s Dog-Beating Staff Technique is reserved for the finest masters under heaven. I fear your meagre skills are not worthy of witnessing it. Come, experience his Eighteen Palms of Dragon Subduing instead.”

The heroes roared their approval.

The Golden Wheel National Preceptor, his eyes still half-open and half-closed, watched Guo Jing step forward and stand there. He was like a deep pool and a towering peak, his presence was extraordinary. The National Preceptor was secretly taken aback. This man is truly formidable.

Huo Du gave a hearty laugh. “At the Chongyang Palace on Mount Zhongnan, this prince had the honour of meeting you once. That day, you claimed to be a disciple of Ma Yu,[^ma yu] Qiu Chuji,⁶⁹ and the other Taoists. How is it that now you are posing as Hong Qigong’s disciple?”

Guo Jing was about to answer, but Huo Du cut him off. “A man studying under several masters is, of course, nothing unusual. But today is a contest between the Golden Wheel National Preceptor and Old Chief Hong. Your martial arts, sir, are strong indeed, but your skills span many schools. You cannot demonstrate Old Chief Hong’s true abilities.”

This argument was not without reason. Guo Jing had never been good with words, and for a moment he could find no rebuttal.

But the heroes were shouting: “If you have the guts, fight Hero Guo! If you are a coward, tuck your tail and run!” “Hero Guo is Old Chief Hong’s direct disciple. If he cannot stand in, who can?” “If you insist on tasting the Dog-Beating Staff Technique, you are admitting you are a dog!”

Huang Rong declared clearly, “The alliance we form today is the ‘Resist the Mongols and Defend the Nation Alliance’. What we resist is the Mongols. The nation we defend is the Great Song. If you three wish to contend for the alliance leadership, you must first join the alliance. Is the National Preceptor prepared to resign his position as the Mongol Empire’s foremost National Preceptor and join our alliance, to resist the Mongols together and defend the Great Song together?”

The heroes roared with laughter. “Right, right! Come join us in resisting the Mongols and defending the Song! You would be welcome!”

Huo Du tilted his head back and laughed. As he laughed, he secretly circulated his neili: ha ha ha ha, ho ho ho ho. His laughter drowned out the crowd’s chaotic shouting. The candles in the great hall flickered unsteadily. The heroes exchanged glances, alarmed. Who would have thought that this young man, with his aristocratic bearing, possessed such formidable neili? In an instant, silence fell.

Huo Du declared loudly, “What my master wishes to be is the alliance leader of all heroes under heaven. Once he becomes alliance leader, whatever he says, everyone will obey without question. If he says defend the Mongols, everyone will defend the Mongols. If he says destroy the Song, everyone will destroy the Song.”

The heroes shouted back: “First make it clear: do you three wish to join our Resist the Mongols and Defend the Nation Alliance? Do you wish to resist the Mongols and defend the Song?” Someone bellowed, “Excellent! We welcome the Mongol National Preceptor to abandon darkness for light, to understand the great righteousness, and to join us in resisting the Mongols and defending the Song!”

Huo Du swept his hands apart and declared, “Whether we resist the Mongols and defend the Song, or serve the Mongols and destroy the Song, that will be decided by a single word from the alliance leader. You nominate Hong Qigong, Old Chief Hong. We nominate the Mongol Empire’s Sacred Monk, the Golden Wheel National Preceptor. I am the National Preceptor’s disciple. I wish to test myself against Old Chief Hong’s signature art, the Dog-Beating Staff Technique. Whichever member of the Beggar Clan knows this technique, step forward at once and fight on Old Chief Hong’s behalf. Otherwise, let everyone acknowledge my master as alliance leader and obey the alliance leader’s commands. The Beggar Clan need only admit defeat to my master, surrender, and abandon darkness for light. We Mongols may yet show mercy and forgive your ignorance.”

Amid the Central Plains heroes’ jeers and curses, Lu Youjiao raised his bamboo staff and strode to the centre of the hall. “I am the Beggar Clan’s new chief, Lu Youjiao. I have not yet mastered even one part in ten of the Dog-Beating Staff Technique and should not be using it. But since you insist on tasting what it feels like to be beaten by the Dog-Beating Staff, I will strike you a few times.”

Lu Youjiao’s martial arts were already quite refined. Though he had not fully mastered the Dog-Beating Staff Technique, it had still enhanced his existing skills considerably. He saw that Huo Du was barely thirty and assumed that even with instruction from an expert, his power could not be deep. He knew Huang Rong was unwell, he could not let her take the risk.

Huo Du wanted only to avoid fighting Guo Jing. Anyone else, he feared not. He clasped his fist in salute and bowed. “Chief Lu, an honour, an honour. Sparring with you could not be better.”

Huang Rong was secretly anxious, but she thought, Lu Youjiao is the new chief. Since he has already issued the challenge, I cannot obstruct him. That would damage his prestige and make it seem as though my authority still exceeded that of the Beggar Clan chief. She could only let him fight for a while and see what happened.

The Lu Manor’s steward directed the servants to move aside the banquet tables, clearing a space of seven or eight tables in the centre of the great hall. More red candles were brought in, making the centre of the hall as bright as day.

Huo Du called, “Begin!” The two words had barely left his mouth when he swept his fan forward. A gust of forceful wind rushed toward Lu Youjiao’s face, and strangely, the wind carried a faint, delicate fragrance. Lu Youjiao, fearing the wind might be poisoned, quickly turned his head aside to evade it. Huo Du’s fan swept past, then. cha, the fan folded into an eight-inch point-striking pen, thrusting toward his opponent’s ribs.

: 寸 – cùn. A traditional Chinese unit of length, about 3.3 centimetres. Ten cun make one chi.

Lu Youjiao raised his bamboo staff and, ignoring the point strike entirely, used the Entwine formula⁸⁴, a hook and a lift. The Dog-Beating Staff Technique was truly wondrous beyond compare, its trajectory arriving from angles no one could possibly anticipate. Huo Du leapt lightly to evade, but the bamboo staff suddenly flipped and struck his shin. He stumbled, retreating three steps before regaining his balance. The watching heroes roared in approval. “The dog has been struck!” “Now you have tasted the Dog-Beating Staff Technique!”

This setback flushed Huo Du’s face red to the ears. He spun lightly and launched a palm strike with his left hand. Lu Youjiao kicked out with his left foot as his bamboo staff swept across. Staff shadows flew in all directions, endlessly transforming. Huo Du was secretly alarmed. The Dog-Beating Staff Technique truly lives up to its reputation! He summoned every ounce of concentration, fan in his right hand, palm in his left, giving his all.

But Lu Youjiao’s staff technique was, after all, incomplete. Several times he had victory within reach, only to fall short at the last moment. Guo Jing and Huang Rong watched from the side, silently lamenting: What a pity!

After another dozen or so exchanges, the flaws in Lu Youjiao’s staff technique grew increasingly obvious. Yang Guo, watching every move clearly, could not help frowning. Fortunately, the Dog-Beating Staff had seized the initiative from the start, striking Huo Du’s shin on the very first exchange. Huo Du, wary of it, dared not press too close, otherwise, Lu Youjiao would have been defeated long ago.

Huang Rong saw the situation turning dangerous and was about to call him back when Lu Youjiao suddenly launched the move “Striking the Dog’s Back at an Angle.”⁸⁵ The bamboo staff flickered and struck Huo Du across the left cheek. But this strike was too heavy-handed and lost the lightness of touch the move required. Huo Du, burning with humiliation and pain, reached out and seized the staff. With nothing left to fear, he slammed a palm squarely into Lu Youjiao’s chest, then followed with a sweeping kick. Crack. Lu Youjiao’s leg bone snapped. A mouthful of fresh blood sprayed from his lips as he pitched forward. Two Seven-Pouch⁸⁶ disciples rushed forward to catch him and carry him away.

Seeing the vicious ruthlessness of Huo Du’s attacks, the heroes were seething with fury. Their curses filled the air.

Huo Du held the crystalline green bamboo staff horizontally in both hands, looking immensely pleased with himself. “So the Beggar Clan’s treasured heirloom, the Dog-Beating Staff, is nothing special after all.” Intent on humiliating this great clan of the Central Plains chivalric tradition, he gripped both ends of the staff, preparing to snap it in two.

Suddenly, a green figure flickered. An elegant, beautiful young woman stood before him. “Wait!” she said. It was Huang Rong.

Huo Du was startled by her uncanny speed. He managed only a single “You…” before Huang Rong’s left hand swept gently aside and her right hand darted toward his eyes. Huo Du hurriedly raised his hands to block, and in that instant, Huang Rong had already plucked the bamboo staff from his grasp with effortless grace.

This move for seizing the staff was called “The Mastiff Snatches the Staff,”⁸⁷ one of the most advanced techniques in the Dog-Beating Staff repertoire. Years ago, at the Beggar Clan assembly on Mount Jun by Lake Dongting,⁸⁸ Huang Rong had used this very move to snatch the staff from Yang Kang’s²⁸ hands three times in succession. The move was so unpredictable that it never failed, even the strongest masters could not evade it.

A storm of applause erupted from the hall and courtyard. Huang Rong turned and returned to her seat, leaning the bamboo staff beside her, leaving Huo Du standing there in utter discomfiture.

Though Huo Du’s martial learning was profound, he had absolutely no idea how Huang Rong had seized the staff. Can this woman work illusions? he wondered. Hearing the crowd’s jeers and seeing his master’s face darken like iron, he reasoned that such a beautiful young woman’s true abilities must be limited. He declared loudly, “Chief Huang, I have returned the staff to you. Now, please, let us spar. Surely you are not afraid?”

At these words, some in the crowd indeed thought that Huo Du had voluntarily returned the staff in order to request a match, rather than having it snatched away. Only those with the highest martial arts could see that Huang Rong had forcibly taken it.

Guo Fu was infuriated by his words. In all her life, she had never seen anyone dare to treat her mother with such disrespect. Shing, she drew her sword. Wu Xiuwen said, “Sister Fu, let me vent your anger for you.” Wu Dunru had the same thought. The two of them, without prior agreement, leapt into the centre of the hall together.

One said, “Our teacher’s wife is an honoured personage.” The other continued, “How could she lower herself to fight a barbarian like you?” The first added, “First, test yourself against these young masters’ skills.”

Huo Du saw that though they were young, their stances were steady and well-founded, they had clearly received instruction from a renowned master. He thought, We came today to display our might and humble these Han fighters. The more bouts, the better. But they outnumber us vastly. If this turns into a mass brawl, we will be in serious trouble. He therefore announced, “Heroes under heaven, hear me. These two wet-behind-the-ears children wish to fight me. If this prince raises his hand, I fear people will accuse me of bullying the young. But if I refuse, it will look as though I am afraid of two children. Let us agree to three matches. Whichever side wins two shall claim the alliance leadership. My bout with Chief Lu just now does not count. We begin anew. What do you all say?” These words were impeccably calculated to make him appear magnanimous.

Guo Jing and Huang Rong conferred quietly with the honoured guests. They felt the proposal was difficult to refuse. Among those present today, aside from Huang Rong, who could not fight, the three strongest were Guo Jing, Hao Datong, and Great Master Yideng’s fourth disciple, the Scholar, Zhu Ziliu. Zhu Ziliu was a high minister of Dali, not a man of the Song, but Dali and the Great Song were as close as lips and teeth and had also faced Mongol pressure in recent years. They were allies in a common cause. Besides, he was close friends with Guo Jing and Huang Rong and would certainly not refuse. They decided: Zhu Ziliu would fight the first match against Huo Du. Hao Datong the second against Darba, and Guo Jing would anchor the third, against the Golden Wheel National Preceptor.

Whether this formation could win was far from certain. If the Golden Wheel National Preceptor’s martial arts were truly supreme, so much so that even Guo Jing could not withstand him, they might lose all three matches. That would be utter defeat.

As the discussion continued without resolution, Huang Rong suddenly said, “I have a way to guarantee victory.”

Guo Jing was overjoyed and was about to ask when the sound of clashing metal rang out. huo huo. Everyone turned. The Wu brothers, each wielding a longsword, were already locked in combat with Huo Du and his single fan. Guo Jing and Huang Rong, along with Great Master Yideng’s disciples, the Hermit Fisherman of Diancang⁸⁹ and Zhu Ziliu, all watched intently, concerned for their disciples’ safety.

What had happened was this: the Wu brothers had heard Prince Huo Du’s insolent words, calling them wet-behind-the-ears children to their faces. With the girl of their hearts listening, how could they endure such loss of face? Besides, they had just seen their teacher’s wife snatch his staff as easily as reaching into a bag. They reasoned that although Huo Du had defeated Lu Youjiao, Lu Youjiao was simply too dull and useless, it was not that this man was truly formidable. They also thought that since they had received their teacher’s true transmission in martial arts, even if one of them alone could not beat him, the two of them together could not possibly lose. Ignoring all talk of three matches or four, like newborn calves unafraid of tigers, they exchanged a glance and attacked together with both swords.

Guo Jing’s martial arts were supreme, but he was not skilled at teaching disciples. He himself grasped the essence of advanced martial theory, yet when he tried to pass it on, his words always fell short of conveying the meaning. The Wu brothers’ natural gifts were mediocre, and what could they possibly have learned in just a few short years? Within a few exchanges, Huo Du had pinned down both of their swords, and they could barely move.

Huo Du saw that he was certain to gain the upper hand and paid no heed to the fact that he was fighting two against one. When Wu Xiuwen’s sword thrust toward him, he pressed his left index finger upward, catching the flat of the blade, while his fan swept in from the side and struck the blade at the waist. Zheng, the sword snapped in two.

The Wu brothers were horrified. Wu Xiuwen hastily leapt back. Wu Dunru, fearing for his brother, thrust his sword straight at Huo Du’s back to prevent him from pursuing. But Huo Du had anticipated this move. Without turning his head, he swept his fan backward, timing it perfectly to catch the back of the sword. He twisted his fingers twice. If Wu Dunru let his sword follow the fan’s rotation, his shoulder joint would dislocate. He had no choice but to release his grip and leap back. The sword flew straight up, its blade flashing several times in the candlelight before clattering to the ground.

The Wu brothers were shocked and furious, but even bare-handed, they were not afraid. Wu Dunru spread his left palm horizontally, assuming the stance of the Eighteen Palms of Dragon Subduing. Wu Xiuwen let his right hand hang down, index finger slightly crooked, if the enemy attacked, he would counter with the Yiyang Finger.

Huo Du saw the gravity of their stances and dared not treat them lightly. I have won enough, he thought. Better not push my luck and invite trouble. The Eighteen Palms of Dragon Subduing and the Yiyang Finger were both supreme martial arts. Though the Wu brothers’ skill was shallow, their postures were flawlessly correct. An ordinary person would see nothing remarkable, but in the eyes of an expert like Huo Du, they were not to be taken lightly. He gave a hearty laugh, clasped his fist, and said, “Please, return to your seats. We are only determining victory and defeat, not fighting to the death.” His tone had become considerably more polite.

The Wu brothers, their faces burning with shame, knew that fighting him bare-handed would probably only result in an even worse defeat. They retreated dejectedly to the side, but not to Guo Fu’s side.

Guo Fu rushed over and declared loudly, “Brothers Wu, the three of us will fight him together!” All eyes turned toward them. Guo Fu raised her sword in her right hand and waved with her left. “The three of us, fellow disciples, will fight him as one!”

Guo Jing barked, “Fu’er! Do not make trouble!”

Guo Fu feared her father above all else. She could only retreat a few steps, glaring angrily at Huo Du.

Huo Du saw how lovely and beautiful she was and nodded at her with a broad smile. Guo Fu shot him a fierce glare and turned her head away, ignoring him.

The Wu brothers had dreaded Guo Fu’s ridicule. Seeing her rush to defend them so wholeheartedly, they were deeply comforted, clearly, she cared for them.

Huo Du opened his fan and fanned himself a few times. “That match, naturally, does not count either. Hero Guo, our side’s three are my master, my senior brother, and this unworthy prince. My skills are the weakest, so I will fight the first match. Who from your side will step forward to instruct me? Victory and defeat, this is no game.”

Guo Jing had heard his wife say she had a sure path to victory. He knew her resourcefulness was boundless. Though he did not yet know what brilliant stratagem she had in mind, he was already confident. “Very well,” he declared loudly. “Three matches shall decide the outcome.”

Huo Du knew that the strongest on the opposing side was Guo Jing. His master was invincible under heaven and would certainly defeat him. Huang Rong had used that bizarre move to seize the staff, but judging by her delicate, frail appearance, in a real fight she might not be so formidable. The rest were beneath notice. He swept his gaze across the crowd and said, “If anyone has objections, speak now. Once victory and defeat are decided, everyone must obey the alliance leader’s commands.”

The heroes wanted to agree, but seeing how Huo Du had defeated Lu Youjiao and the Wu brothers in succession, all with apparent ease, as though he had strength to spare, and not knowing how much of his ability he had yet to reveal, no one dared answer. They all turned to look at Guo Jing and Huang Rong.

Huang Rong said, “You will fight the first match, your senior brother the second, and your master the third. That is fixed and unchangeable. Is that correct?”

Huo Du said, “Exactly.”

Huang Rong turned to those beside her and said quietly, “Victory is certain.”

Guo Jing asked, “How?”

Huang Rong said softly, “Now, use our inferior steed against their superior steed…” She said only these two lines, then looked at Zhu Ziliu.

Zhu Ziliu smiled and continued in a low voice, “Use our superior steed against their middle steed. Use our middle steed against their inferior steed. Once the three races are run, though Tian Ji⁹⁰ lost one and won two, he still took the king’s thousand pieces of gold.”⁹¹

Guo Jing stared blankly. He had no idea what they were talking about.

Huang Rong whispered in his ear, “You are well-versed in military strategy. How can you have forgotten the brilliant stratagem of the art of war’s founding ancestor, Sun Bin?”⁹²

Guo Jing suddenly remembered. When he had been young and studying the Posthumous Writings of Duke Wu Mu,⁹³ Huang Rong had told him this story: Tian Ji, a great general of the Qi kingdom, raced horses against the King of Qi, wagering a thousand pieces of gold. Sun Bin taught Tian Ji a method of certain victory, match his inferior horse against the king’s superior horse, his superior horse against the king’s middle horse, and his middle horse against the king’s inferior horse. The result: one loss and two wins, gaining a thousand gold. Huang Rong was clearly applying this same strategy.

Huang Rong said, “Brother Zhu, with your Yiyang Finger, defeating this Mongol prince should not be difficult.”

Zhu Ziliu had once served as prime minister of the Dali kingdom. He was a man of profound learning and surpassing intelligence. The martial arts of the Dali Duan⁹⁴ school placed great emphasis on natural understanding. When Zhu Ziliu first entered the Southern Emperor’s tutelage, his martial arts had ranked last among the four great disciples. Fisherman, Woodcutter, Farmer, Scholar. Ten years later, he had risen to second place. By now, his martial arts far surpassed those of his three senior brothers. Great Master Yideng treated all four disciples equally and taught them every art without reservation, but in the end, it was Zhu Ziliu who had absorbed the most, especially the Yiyang Finger, which he had trained to a state of transcendent mastery. At present, his martial arts were still inferior to Guo Jing, Ma Yu, and Qiu Chuji, but he had already surpassed Wang Chuyi⁹⁵ and Hao Datong.

Hearing his wife’s words, Guo Jing immediately said, “But asking Perfected Hao to face the Golden Wheel National Preceptor, that is extremely dangerous. Victory or defeat is not the main concern. I only fear the enemy’s strikes will be too ruthless and vicious to withstand.” Guo Jing was straightforward and blunt. He did not bother to hide the fact that he considered himself the superior steed and Hao Datong the inferior, which was, admittedly, rather impolite.

But Hao Datong understood deeply that this contest bore on the fate of the nation. It was entirely different from ordinary contests for fame in the jianghu. If the Mongol National Preceptor seized the position of alliance leader of all heroes under heaven, the Han gallants would certainly never obey the commands of this “barbarian alliance leader”, but the Han fighters would not only lose face, their morale would shatter. It would be nearly impossible to unite them in alliance against the enemy and face the national crisis together. He declared with solemn determination, “There is no need to worry about that. As long as it benefits the nation, even if this old Taoist perishes at that monk’s hands, it counts for nothing.”

Huang Rong said, “If we win the first two of the three matches, the third need not even be fought.”

Guo Jing was overjoyed and voiced his agreement repeatedly.

Zhu Ziliu laughed. “I carry a heavy responsibility. If I cannot defeat this Mongol prince, the heroes under heaven will curse my name for all time.”

Huang Rong said, “No need to be modest. Please, take the field.”

Zhu Ziliu walked to the centre of the hall, clasped his fist toward Huo Du, and said, “For this first match, I will be the one to seek your instruction. My surname is Zhu, given name Ziliu. My lifelong pleasures are reciting poetry, composing couplets, practising calligraphy, and reading books. In martial arts, I am quite crude. I must ask for your generous guidance.” He bowed deeply and drew a writing brush from his sleeve, tracing a few empty circles in the air. He looked every inch the pedantic scholar.

Huo Du thought, It is precisely this kind of person who possesses the most profound martial arts. I absolutely must not underestimate him. He clasped his fist in salute. “This prince seeks instruction from you, senior. Please, draw your weapon.”

Zhu Ziliu said, “Lands of barbarians, untouched by the teachings of the sages, since you seek instruction, I shall naturally provide guidance.”

Huo Du was inwardly enraged. You insult my Mongol people. I will not spare you. He flicked open his fan and said, “This is my weapon. Do you use a sabre or a sword?”

Zhu Ziliu raised his brush and wrote the character for “brush”⁹⁶ in the air. He laughed. “I have spent my life in the company of the brush. What weapon could I possibly use?”

Huo Du studied the brush intently. It was bamboo-shafted with a goat-hair tip, the point still carrying half an inch of ink. It was utterly unremarkable, nothing like the pure steel point-striking pens used in the jianghu. He was about to ask when a young woman in white walked in through the entrance.

She stood at the doorway of the hall, her gaze slowly sweeping across every face, as though searching for someone.

The heroes in the hall had all been focused on Zhu Ziliu and Huo Du. But the moment the girl in white entered, every person there involuntarily turned to look at her. Her face was pale, as though touched by illness. Even with the candlelight glowing like sunset clouds, her face showed not the slightest trace of colour, yet this only made her appear more elegant, more transcendent, her beauty beyond compare. People often use the phrase “beautiful as a celestial immortal” to describe a woman’s beauty, but what exactly a celestial immortal’s beauty looks like, no one really knows. Yet at the sight of this girl, the words “beautiful as a celestial immortal” welled up unbidden in every heart. She seemed to be enveloped in a thin haze of smoke and mist, half-real and half-illusory. She was surely no creature of the mortal world.

The moment Yang Guo saw her, a wild joy seized him. It felt as though his chest had been struck with tremendous force by a great iron hammer. He sprang from his corner and threw his arms around her, crying out, “Gugu! Gugu!”

The girl was none other than Xiaolongnü.

After parting from Yang Guo, she had wandered in the wilderness for a time, then dived back through the underwater passage into the ancient tomb’s stone chamber. Before the age of eighteen, she had lived in the ancient tomb with a heart as still as water, undisturbed by the slightest ripple. But after meeting Yang Guo and going through all that had happened, to return to her old state, untroubled by any concern, was utterly impossible. Whenever she sat in meditation on the Cold Jade Bed,⁹⁷ she would remember that Yang Guo had once slept on this very bed. Sitting at the table to eat, she would recall that she had once shared her meals with Yang Guo. She could not practise for more than a few moments before restlessness seized her heart and she could not continue.

More than a month passed this way. At last, she could bear it no longer. She resolved to go find Yang Guo. But what she would do once she found him, of that, she had no idea. She had heard Li Mochou’s provocative words and knew that Yang Guo’s heart had changed. In that moment, she had turned and left in grief. But after a few days, she thought, If his heart has changed, let it change. I cannot leave him, no matter what.

She descended the mountain. Everything she saw was new and strange. And how could she possibly know the roads? Whenever she met someone, she would ask, “Have you seen Yang Guo?” When she was hungry, she would take other people’s food and eat it, not knowing she was supposed to pay. Along the way, she caused no end of amusing incidents. But others, seeing her innocent beauty, could not help indulging her. No one gave her trouble.

One day, by chance, she overheard two burly men talking at an inn. They said that all the famous heroes and gallants of the realm were heading to Lu Manor at Dasheng Pass⁹⁸ for the Hero Assembly. She thought Yang Guo might be there too, so she asked for directions and made her way to Lu Manor.

Aside from Hao Datong, Zhen Zhibing, and Zhao Zhijing, none of the two thousand people in the great hall knew who Xiaolongnü was. They saw only that she was beautiful beyond imagining, and each person felt a peculiar stirring in their hearts. Sun Bu’er knew of her but had never met her. Zhen Zhibing’s face turned deathly pale, his body trembling. Zhao Zhijing watched him from the corner of his eye with a faint sneer. Guo Jing and Huang Rong saw how excessively intimate Yang Guo was with her and were greatly astonished.

Xiaolongnü said, “Guoer, you really are here. I have found you at last.”

Yang Guo’s tears streamed down. Choking, he said, “You… you will not abandon me again?”

Xiaolongnü shook her head. “I do not know.”

Yang Guo said, “Wherever you go from now on, I will go with you. Even if you kill me, I will not be parted from you.”

Xiaolongnü was overjoyed. “Wonderful!”

A thousand people packed the great hall, yet the two of them spoke as though no one else existed. Xiaolongnü held Yang Guo’s hand, sorrow and joy mingling in her heart. Though he still called her “Gugu”, he clung to her tightly, his passion blazing like fire. His feelings for her ran deep. He was nothing like the faithless, heartless betrayer her senior sister had described, ready to abandon her. She was deeply comforted.

Huo Du, seeing Xiaolongnü’s appearance, felt a stir in his heart, but he did not recognise her as the girl to whom he had once proposed marriage on Mount Zhongnan. Seeing Yang Guo in his ragged clothes, yet so intimate with her, disgust welled up in him. “We are about to compete in martial arts,” he said. “Clear some space, will you?”

Yang Guo had no mind to answer him. He led Xiaolongnü by the hand to the side and sat down with her on the stone plinth of a hall pillar. His heart felt as though it would burst with joy. His left arm held her tightly around the shoulders, as if afraid she might suddenly leave again.

Huo Du turned to Zhu Ziliu and said, “Since you will not use a weapon, let us decide this with fists and feet.”

Zhu Ziliu said, “Not so. Our Chinese nation is a land of ritual and righteousness. A gentleman debates with the brush, befriends with the brush. I have a brush but no blade, what need have I for a weapon?”

Huo Du said, “In that case, watch this!” He flicked open his fan and swept it toward Zhu Ziliu.

Zhu Ziliu leaned sideways and stepped, swaying his head. His left palm swept lightly in front of his body while the writing brush in his right hand streaked directly toward Huo Du’s face. Huo Du ducked aside, but seeing his opponent’s light, peculiar body movements and strange techniques, he dared not seize the initiative. First, he would observe what school of martial arts this man used, then formulate a response.

Zhu Ziliu said, “My brush sweeps aside a thousand armies. You had best be careful.” The brush tip thrust forward with lightning speed.

Though Huo Du had learned his martial arts in Mongolia, the Golden Wheel National Preceptor’s knowledge was vast and deep as a lake or sea. He knew every famous martial art of the Central Plains without exception. When Huo Du began his training, he had already resolved to go to the Central Plains and establish his name, so the Golden Wheel National Preceptor had analysed the signature moves of every renowned school of the Central Plains with him, one by one. But today, facing Zhu Ziliu, he found that not only was his opponent’s weapon bizarre, his moves were utterly unprecedented, beyond anything he had ever heard of. The brush tip traced horizontal and diagonal strokes through the air, as though writing characters. Yet wherever the tip pointed, it was always aimed at a vital acupoint on the human body.

The Dali Duan clan had originally come from Wuwei Commandery in Liangzhou.⁹⁹ When they gained their kingdom and took the imperial title in Dali, their ancestors had been of the Xianbei Tuoba people,¹⁰⁰ but over the generations they had intermarried extensively with the Han and absorbed Chinese culture. They had long since become indistinguishable from Han people and considered themselves Han. Chinese civilisation and culture spread throughout the southern frontier. Zhu Ziliu was the foremost calligrapher south of heaven. Though he had taken up martial arts, he had never abandoned his literary pursuits. Later, as his martial arts grew increasingly refined, he achieved a breakthrough through cross-fertilisation, fusing the Yiyang Finger with the art of calligraphy. This style of martial art was his own original creation. No matter how strong an opponent’s martial arts might be, if he lacked a foundation in literary studies, he would find it nearly impossible to defend against this art, literature within martial arts, martial arts within literature, both reaching the highest realms of mastery.

Fortunately for Huo Du, he had studied the classics and learned poetry under a Han Confucian scholar in his youth. He could just barely hold his own. He watched the opponent’s brush weave and sway, pressure-point striking within calligraphy, calligraphy within pressure-point striking. Each stroke was like silver hooks and iron whorls, fierce and piercing, yet within the majesty lay an elegant, scholarly refinement.

Guo Jing, who knew nothing of literature, watched in silent wonder. But Huang Rong, inheriting her father’s tradition, was accomplished in both literary and martial arts. Seeing Zhu Ziliu’s wondrous martial art, she could not help but be deeply impressed.

Guo Fu walked to her mother’s side and asked, “Mother, what is he doing, scribbling with that brush?”

Huang Rong was completely absorbed in watching the fight. She answered absently, “The Fang Xuanling Stele.”¹⁰¹

Guo Fu was baffled. “What Fang Xuanling Stele?”

Huang Rong was enjoying herself too much to reply.

The Fang Xuanling Stele was a stele inscription written by the great Tang¹⁰² minister Chu Suiliang,¹⁰³ a masterpiece of regular script.¹⁰⁴ Earlier critics had described Chu’s calligraphy as “a celestial maiden scattering flowers”, robust yet graceful, every stroke alive with poise, each character poised in midair, fully exploiting the subtleties of lift and press, release and restraint. Zhu Ziliu’s “Yiyang Calligraphy Finger”¹⁰⁵ used the brush in place of the finger, and every move was as rigorously disciplined as a character in regular script, not a single stroke careless. Though Huo Du did not understand the profound mysteries of the Yiyang Finger, he had at least once copied out the Fang Xuanling Stele as a model. He could roughly anticipate that after a horizontal stroke, a vertical stroke would follow, and he defended himself in orderly fashion, showing no sign of defeat.

Seeing that Huo Du recognised this style of calligraphy, Zhu Ziliu cried out in approval, “Careful! Here comes the cursive script!”¹⁰⁶

Suddenly, he snatched off his cap and flung it to the ground. His long sleeves flew as he dashed and darted in a frenzy, his moves abandoning all conventional structure. He seemed mad, drunk, possessed, his brushwork unrestrained, his strokes like dragons and serpents coiling through the air.

Guo Fu laughed in alarm. “Mother, has he gone mad?”

Huang Rong said, “Mm. Three more cups of wine, and his brushwork would be even finer.” She lifted the wine pot and poured three cups. “Brother Zhu,” she called, “drink three cups to spur your spirits!” She held the cup in her left hand and flicked it with the middle finger of her right. The wine cup flew through the air, perfectly steady. Zhu Ziliu thrust out his brush, forcing Huo Du back a step, caught the cup, and drained it in one gulp. Huang Rong flicked the second cup, then the third, in quick succession.

Huo Du saw the two of them serving wine to each other in the middle of a fight, as though he did not even exist. He tried to knock the cups away with his fan, but Huang Rong timed her flicks to match the rhythm of Zhu Ziliu’s brushwork, always sending the cup through an opening, beyond Huo Du’s reach.

Zhu Ziliu drained the three cups in a row and called out, “Many thanks! What fine Divine Finger Flick¹⁰⁷ skill!”

Huang Rong laughed. “What keen-edged ‘Autobiography’!”¹⁰⁸

Zhu Ziliu smiled. All my life I have prided myself on my intelligence, yet I always fall a step short of this young woman. A unique art that I spent more than ten bitter years perfecting, she sees through it at a single glance.

What he was now writing was the Tang dynasty calligrapher Zhang Xu’s¹⁰⁹ “Autobiography.” Zhang Xu was known as the “Sage of Cursive Script”¹¹⁰, the supreme master of the cursive hand. Du Fu’s¹¹¹ poem “Song of the Eight Immortal Drinkers”¹¹² says: “Three cups, and Zhang Xu’s cursive sage is born. Cap doffed, head bared before princes and dukes. Brush sweeping paper like clouds and smoke.” By urging him to drink three cups, Huang Rong had, first, perfectly matched the persona of this particular martial style. Second, let the wine sharpen the edge of his brushwork, and third, further humbled Huo Du’s fighting spirit.

Zhu Ziliu had now written his way to the character dao¹¹³ in the phrase “the porter struggles for the path”,¹¹⁴ and the final upward hook of that stroke swept across Huo Du’s robe. Amid the heroes’ roaring laughter, Huo Du stumbled backward.

杨过 – Yáng Guò. His name meaning “fault or transgression”; his courtesy name Gaizhi means “to correct it”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
郭芙 – Guō Fú. Her name meaning “lotus”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
Wu Brothers. Wu Dunru (武敦儒) and Wu Xiuwen (武修文), sons of Wu Santong, disciples of Guo Jing and Huang Rong. ↩
Quanzhen Sect (全真教). Major Daoist school founded by Wang Chongyang. In Jin Yong’s wuxia universe, it is one of the most powerful martial arts sects, based at the Chongyang Palace on Mount Zhongnan. Its seven senior disciples are known as the Seven Masters of Quanzhen. ↩ ↩²
重阳宫 – Chóngyáng Gōng. Main temple of Quanzhen Order on Zhongnan Mountain. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
鹿清笃 – Lù Qīngdú. His name meaning “pure and sincere”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
武修文 – Wǔ Xiūwén. His name meaning “cultivate literature”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
Thousand-li steed (千里马). Literally “thousand-li horse.” A term for a horse of exceptional speed and endurance, capable of covering a thousand li in a single day. Term is also used metaphorically for a person of outstanding talent who has not yet been recognised. ↩
武敦儒 – Wǔ Dūnrú. His name meaning “earnest scholar”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
Arabian Empire (大食). Historical Chinese term for the Arab Islamic caliphates. Arab horses were famed for their speed and endurance. ↩
Red Horse (红马). Prized steed originally belonging to Guo Jing, known for its extraordinary speed and stamina, raised on Peach Blossom Island. ↩
桃花岛 – Táohuā Dǎo. Huang Yaoshi’s island stronghold, continued from LOCH era. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
黄蓉 – Huáng Róng. Her name meaning “lotus” or “hibiscus”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
鲁有脚 – Lǔ Yǒujiǎo. His name meaning “having feet”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
打狗棒法 – Dǎgǒu Bàngfǎ. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
丐帮 – Gàibāng. Largest martial arts organisation in the jianghu, continued from LOCH era. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
郭靖 – Guō Jìng. His name meaning “tranquillity” or “pacification”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
君山 – Jūn Shān. Island in Lake Dongting, site of the Beggar Clan assembly where Huang Rong became chief. ↩
陆无双 – Lù Wúshuāng. Her name meaning “peerless” or “without equal”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
完颜萍 – Wányán Píng. Her name meaning “duckweed”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
Yelu Yan (耶律燕). Sister of Yelu Qi, a young woman of Khitan aristocratic descent whom Yang Guo encountered during his travels. ↩
柯镇恶 – Kē Zhèn’è. His name meaning “subduing evil”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
轻功 – qīnggōng. Literally lightness skill. Martial art of body lightness; masters can leap great heights and move with extraordinary speed. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
Gugu (姑姑) — Literally “paternal aunt,” but used here as a term of respectful address for a young woman of the older generation. Yang Guo uses this to address Xiaolongnü, his shifu. ↩
洪七公 – Hóng Qīgōng. Literally Hong the Seventh Lord; the numeral seven marks seniority among sworn brothers. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
华山 – Huáshān. One of China’s Five Sacred Mountains, site of martial arts competitions. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
过儿 – Guò’ér. Affectionate diminutive of Yang Guo’s name, with the diminutive suffix -er indicating affection or familiarity. ↩
杨康 – Yáng Kāng. His name meaning “health” or “peace”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩ ↩²
杨铁心 – Yáng Tiěxīn. His name meaning “iron heart”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
欧阳锋 – Ōuyáng Fēng. His name meaning “blade” or “cutting edge”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
Foetal Energy (胎气). In traditional Chinese medicine, the vital energy that nourishes the foetus during pregnancy. Disturbance of foetal energy can cause illness in the mother. ↩
Ru’er (儒儿). Affectionate diminutive for Wu Dunru. ↩
文儿 (Wen’er). Affectionate diminutive for Wu Xiuwen. ↩
“Young Swallow Returns to the Forest.” 乳燕投林 – Rǔyàn Tóu Lín. Qinggong move named after poetic imagery. ↩
江湖 – jiānghú. Literally rivers and lakes. Term refers to the jianghu: the subculture of wandering knights-errant, martial artists, and sect members who live outside mainstream society, governed by its own codes of honour, loyalty, and vengeance. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
Horse Stance (马步). Fundamental martial arts stance where the practitioner squats with feet wide apart as though riding a horse, building leg strength and stability. ↩
降龙十八掌 – Xiánglóng Shíbā Zhǎng. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
转字诀 – Zhuǎn Zì Jué. One of the eight formulae of the Dog-Beating Staff Technique, using rotational force. ↩
八诀 – Bā Jué. Trip, chop, entwine, jab, hook, draw, block, and turn; the eight core principles of the Dog-Beating Staff Technique. ↩
武林 – wǔlín. Literally martial forest. Martial arts community and its schools and practitioners. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
小龙女 – Xiǎolóngnǚ. Literally little dragon maiden. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
气 – qì. Vital energy or life force that circulates through the body. In martial arts, qi cultivation is the foundation of neili. ↩
丹田 – dāntián. Cinnabar field, a key energy centre in the body in Daoist internal alchemy and Chinese martial arts. Lower dantian, below the navel, is the primary centre for storing and cultivating qi. ↩
玉女心经 – Yùnǚ Xīnjīng. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
终南山 – Zhōngnán Shān. Sacred Daoist mountain housing both Quanzhen Order and Ancient Tomb School. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
一阳指 – Yīyáng Zhǐ. Literally One Yang Finger. Dali Duan family’s signature finger technique. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
一灯大师 – Yīdēng Dàshī. Literally one-lamp master; a Buddhist honorific title. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
大理 – Dàlǐ. Historical kingdom in present-day Yunnan Province (937–1253), contemporaneous with the Song dynasty. In the Condor Trilogy it is associated with the Duan imperial family and Great Master Yideng. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
渔樵耕读 – Yú Qiáo Gēng Dú. Four great disciples who followed Emperor Duan Zhixing into monkhood, representing the four idealised occupations of traditional Chinese culture: fisherman, woodcutter, farmer, and scholar. Wu Santong is the Farmer. ↩
武三通 – Wǔ Sāntōng. His name meaning “three penetrations” or “three communications”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
李莫愁 – Lǐ Mòchóu. Her name meaning “do not sorrow”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
Master of the Hidden Waters (泗水渔隐). Fisherman among Great Master Yideng’s four great disciples. ↩
朱子柳 – Zhū Zǐliǔ. His name meaning “master willow”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
Dirty Clothes and Clean Clothes Factions (污衣派/净衣派). Two internal factions of the Beggar Clan. Dirty Clothes faction maintains traditional beggar appearance; the Clean Clothes faction wears ordinary clothing. ↩
蛤蟆功 – Hámá Gōng. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
Guangnan East Circuit (广南东路). Song dynasty administrative region roughly corresponding to modern Guangdong province. ↩
Five Ugly Men of Sichuan (川边五丑). Five martial artists from the Sichuan border region, known for their villainy. “ugliness” in their name refers more to their evil conduct than their physical appearance. Hong Qigong has been tracking them to eliminate them all at once. ↩
Huguang (湖广). Historical province encompassing present-day Hubei and Hunan. ↩
Great Song (大宋). Song dynasty (960–1279), the Han Chinese empire facing Mongol invasion from the north. ↩
Loyalty and Righteousness (忠义). Core Confucian virtues. Zhong (忠) is loyalty to one’s country and sovereign; yi (义) is righteousness, justice, and honour-bound duty. ↩
Laughing Waist acupoint (笑腰穴). Acupuncture point that, when struck with the Yiyang Finger, causes uncontrollable laughter until the point is released. ↩
Resist the Mongols and Defend the Nation Alliance (抗蒙保国盟). Patriotic alliance proposed at the Hero Assembly to unite the jianghu against the Mongol invasion. ↩
Eastern Heretic, Western Venom, Southern Emperor, Northern Beggar (东邪西毒南帝北丐). Four surviving members of the Five Greats of the jianghu, determined at the first Huashan Sword Summit. Fifth, Central Divinity Wang Chongyang, has passed away. ↩
王重阳 – Wáng Chóngyáng. His name meaning “double yang”, the ninth day of the ninth lunar month. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
黄药师 – Huáng Yàoshī. His name meaning “medicine master”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩ ↩²
Taishan and Beidou (泰山北斗). Mount Tai and the Northern Dipper — a classical metaphor for the foremost authority in a field, the ultimate standard of respect. ↩
Jiangxi (江西). Province in southeastern China. ↩
Lei Meng (雷猛). “Short Lion”, a Jiangxi gallant known for his fierce spirit despite his diminutive stature. ↩
丘处机 – Qiū Chǔjī. His name meaning “dwelling in opportunity”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩ ↩²
郝大通 – Hǎo Dàtōng. His name meaning “great penetration”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
孙不二 – Sūn Bùèr. Her name meaning “not two”, signifying non-duality. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
赵志敬 – Zhào Zhìjìng. His name meaning “aspiring to reverence”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
甄志丙 – Zhēn Zhìbǐng. His name meaning “aspiring to the third stem”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
Master of Broad Serenity (广宁子). Hao Datong’s Taoist title. ↩
霍都王子 – Huòdū Wángzǐ. Literally Prince Huo Du; a Mongol princely title. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
Stone Chime (磬). Traditional Chinese percussion instrument made of stone, often used in religious ceremonies. ↩
达尔巴 – Dá’ěrbā. Tibetan personal name. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
密教 – Mìjiào. Esoteric school, referring to Tibetan Esoteric Buddhism (Vajrayana), associated in wuxia fiction with distinctive martial arts. ↩
金刚宗 – Jīngāng Zōng. Vajra (Diamond/Thunderbolt) school of Esoteric Buddhism, known for distinctive martial arts including the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill. ↩
金轮国师 – Jīnlún Guóshī. Mongol Empire’s national teacher and martial arts adept. See Wuxia Wiki. [^huguo dashi]: Foremost Guardian Master of the Empire (第一护国大师). Title bestowed on the Golden Wheel National Preceptor by the Mongol Empress Dowager. ↩
Serving as the Tiger’s Claws (为虎作伥). Chinese idiom: the ghost of someone killed by a tiger helps the tiger find new victims. Metaphor for helping an evildoer do evil. ↩
Karakorum (和林). Capital of the Mongol Empire, located in present-day Mongolia. ↩
Elder Peng (彭长老). One of the Beggar Clan’s four great elders who betrayed the clan and joined the Mongols. ↩
缠字诀 – Chán Zì Jué. One of the eight formulae of the Dog-Beating Staff Technique, using coiling motions. ↩
Striking the Dog’s Back at an Angle (斜打狗背). One of the thirty-six stances of the Dog-Beating Staff Technique. ↩
Seven-Pouch (七袋). Senior rank in the Beggar Clan hierarchy. Number of pouches on a beggar’s garment indicates their rank, with nine being the highest. ↩
Mastiff Snatches the Staff (獒口夺棒). Advanced Dog-Beating Staff technique for disarming an opponent and seizing their weapon. ↩
洞庭湖 – Dòngtíng Hú. Great lake in Hunan province. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
点苍渔隐 – Diǎncāng Yúyǐn. Hermit Fisherman of Diancang; one of Great Master Yideng’s four disciples. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
Tian Ji (田忌). General of the Qi kingdom during the Warring States period, famous for winning a horse race against the King of Qi using Sun Bin’s strategy. ↩
Thousand Pieces of Gold (千金). Classical Chinese unit of wealth, also used metaphorically to mean “enormously valuable”. ↩
Sun Bin (孙膑). Legendary military strategist of the Warring States period, descendant of Sun Tzu. His strategy of matching inferior against superior, superior against middle, and middle against inferior horses is a classic example of tactical sacrifice for overall victory. ↩
Posthumous Writings of Duke Wu Mu (武穆遗书). Military treatise left by Yue Fei, the Song dynasty’s greatest patriot general. Guo Jing studied these writings in his youth. ↩
Duan Clan (段氏). Imperial clan of the Dali Kingdom, known for their hereditary martial arts, especially the Yiyang Finger. ↩
王处一 – Wáng Chùyī. His name meaning “dwelling in oneness”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
Brush (笔). Chinese writing brush, one of the Four Treasures of the Study. Zhu Ziliu uses it as both a calligraphy tool and a martial arts weapon. ↩
寒玉床 – Hán Yù Chuáng. Bed carved from rare deep-cold jade found by Lin Chaoying. Training on it greatly accelerates neili cultivation by forcing the practitioner to circulate qi constantly to resist the cold. ↩
大胜关 – Dàshèng Guān. Strategic pass between Henan and Hubei; site of Lu Manor and the Hero Assembly. ↩
Liangzhou (凉州). Ancient commandery in present-day Gansu, the ancestral homeland of the Dali Duan clan. ↩
Xianbei (鲜卑). Ancient nomadic people of the steppes. Tuoba clan of the Xianbei founded the Northern Wei dynasty and were ancestors of the Dali Duan imperial clan. ↩
Fang Xuanling Stele (房玄龄碑). Famous Tang dynasty stele inscription by the master calligrapher Chu Suiliang, renowned as a masterpiece of regular script. ↩
Tang Dynasty (唐朝). China’s golden age (618–907), a period of extraordinary cultural and artistic achievement including the peak of calligraphy. ↩
Chu Suiliang (褚遂良). One of the Four Great Calligraphers of the early Tang dynasty, known for his elegant, flowing regular script. His style was described as “a celestial maiden scattering flowers”. ↩
Regular Script (楷书). Standard, most formal style of Chinese calligraphy, where each stroke is clearly written and characters are perfectly proportioned. ↩
Yiyang Calligraphy Finger (一阳书指). Zhu Ziliu’s original fusion of the Yiyang Finger with calligraphy, creating a martial art where each stroke writes characters while striking acupoints. ↩
Cursive Script (草书). Highly abbreviated, flowing style of Chinese calligraphy where characters are written with swift, connected strokes. Most expressive and individualistic of the major scripts. ↩
Divine Finger Flick (弹指神通). Huang Yaoshi’s signature technique, passed to Huang Rong. Flick of the finger releases devastating force; can also be used to propel small objects with precision. ↩
Autobiography (自言帖). Famous piece of cursive calligraphy by the Tang dynasty “Sage of Cursive Script”, Zhang Xu. ↩
Zhang Xu (张旭). “Sage of Cursive Script” of the Tang dynasty, one of the Eight Immortal Drinkers celebrated by Du Fu. Known for his wild, unrestrained cursive calligraphy, often performed while drunk. ↩
Sage of Cursive Script (草圣). Title bestowed on Zhang Xu, recognising him as the supreme master of cursive calligraphy. ↩
Du Fu (杜甫). One of China’s greatest poets, of the Tang dynasty. His poem “Song of the Eight Immortal Drinkers” celebrates eight famous drinkers, including Zhang Xu. ↩
Song of the Eight Immortal Drinkers (饮中八仙歌). Du Fu’s famous poem celebrating eight legendary drinkers of the Tang dynasty, including Li Bai and Zhang Xu. ↩
Dao (道). “Path” or “Way”, a character with deep philosophical significance in Taoism. In the “Autobiography”, it appears in the phrase “the porter struggles for the path”. ↩
Porter Struggles for the Path (担夫争道). Famous passage in Zhang Xu’s “Autobiography”, referring to an anecdote where Zhang Xu gained insight into calligraphy from watching a porter navigate a narrow path. ↩

The Return of the Condor Heroes Chapter 12

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