Gongsun Valley Master.

Fan Yiweng¹ watched Yang Guo² snap off a willow branch to use as a weapon, as casually as a child at play, clearly showing he did not take him seriously at all. His anger flared higher. What did he know of it? That willow branch, supple yet resilient, when used to execute the Dog-Beating Staff Technique³, though it could not match the bamboo staff passed down through generations of the Beggar’s Sect, was no less formidable in deadly effect than any treasured sword or precious blade.

Ma Guangzuo⁴ called out, “Brother Yang, use my sabre!” With a sharp ring, he drew the blade from its sheath. Cold light flashed in all directions, it was indeed a fine, keen-edged weapon. Yang Guo cupped his hands and smiled. “Many thanks! This short old fellow here is not a bad man at heart. His only mistake was taking the wrong master, and his martial skill is poor. A single willow twig will be more than enough for him.” With a flick of the willow branch, he sent it darting toward the steel staff.

Hearing Yang Guo once again insult his shifu in his words, Fan Yiweng resolved that this bout would truly decide life or death. He would hold nothing back. With a rushing roar of wind, he unleashed the eighty-one stances of the Water-Splashing Staff Technique.⁵ The technique was named “Water-Splashing” to signify that not even splashed water could penetrate it, so tight and seamless were its moves.

As the staff technique unfolded, the first few strokes rang out fierce and sharp. But after several moves, Fan Yiweng gradually sensed that his thrusts were being deflected slightly off course, the head of the staff tilting just a fraction, the wind stirred by its passage growing perceptibly weaker. Yang Guo had deployed the “Entwine” formula of the Dog-Beating Staff Technique.⁶ The willow branch clung to the head of the staff, wherever the steel staff went east, the willow branch followed east. When the staff thrust upward, the willow branch rose with it. But always, from the lateral edge of his opponent’s force, it applied a subtle push or pull, causing the staff head to shift direction against its wielder’s will. This “Entwine” formula of the Dog-Beating Staff Technique was derived from the advanced martial principle of “four ounces deflecting a thousand jin,”⁷ exquisitely subtle and profound, far surpassing ordinary methods of “borrowing force to strike force” or “pushing the boat along with the current.”

The onlookers grew more astonished by the moment. None had imagined that one so young as Yang Guo could possess martial skill of such miraculous calibre. They watched as the steel staff’s force steadily diminished, while the willow branch’s power grew without cease. One waned as the other waxed. After thirty stances, Fan Yiweng was entirely under the willow twig’s control. The more force he exerted through his arms, the less command he held over his own staff moves, until it was as if he had been sucked into the heart of a violent whirlwind, spun until his head swam and he could no longer tell which way he faced.

Gongsun Valley Master⁸ struck the stone table with his palm and called out, “Yiweng, withdraw!”

That cry split stone and startled heaven. Even Yang Guo felt his heart clench. He thought, “Think I’ll let you withdraw now?” With a shake of his arm, he switched to the “Turn” formula.⁹ His body stood rooted and still, but his wrist traced tight, rapid circles, spinning Fan Yiweng like a top at furious speed. The faster Yang Guo’s wrist flicked, the faster Fan Yiweng spun, the steel staff in his hands like the stem of the spinning top, whirling round and round. Yang Guo snapped the willow branch sharply upward and leaped back a full zhang.¹⁰

Fan Yiweng’s mind and body were now in complete chaos. His head lolled wildly. A few more spins and he would surely topple. Gongsun Valley Master suddenly vaulted high, brought his palm down on the head of the steel staff with a light pat, and drifted gently back. That pat appeared feather-light and effortless, yet the force it carried was tremendous, driving the steel staff more than a chi deep into the ground and stopping its rotation instantly.¹¹ Fan Yiweng clung to the staff with both hands, which was all that kept him from collapsing, but his body swayed east and west as though drunk, and for some time he could not steady himself.

Xiaoxiang Zi¹² and Yin Kexi¹³, and the others, looked from Yang Guo to the Gongsun Valley Master and back, thinking that neither man would be easy to deal with. They were content to watch this clash of dragon and tiger and see who would prevail, harbouring the attitude of those who watch a fire from across the river. Only Ma Guangzuo threw his full support behind Yang Guo, bellowing at the top of his voice: “Brother Yang, fine skill! The short beard lost!”

Fan Yiweng drew a deep breath, steadied his mind, turned, and suddenly knelt before his shifu. He bowed several times and knocked his head to the ground four times. Then, without a word, he hurled himself headfirst at a stone pillar. Everyone gasped in shock. None had imagined he would be so fierce of spirit that a setback in a martial contest would drive him to take his own life. Gongsun Valley Master cried, “Ai-yo!” He rushed from his seat, stretching out a hand to seize Fan Yiweng by the back, but the distance was too great, and Fan Yiweng’s suicidal charge was desperately swift. The grasping hand closed on empty air.

Fan Yiweng threw his full, rigid strength into that headlong collision with the pillar. Yet the instant his forehead made contact, what he felt was strangely soft. He raised his head and found Yang Guo standing before the pillar, both palms extended. “Brother Fan,” Yang Guo said, “what is the most grievous sorrow in this world?”

Yang Guo had seen Fan Yiweng kneel and bow to his shifu and knew at once that something extraordinary was about to happen. He had been on full alert. Being close to Fan Yiweng and having mastered the superlative qinggong of the Ancient Tomb Sect, which allowed one to advance or retreat within halls and chambers like a spirit, he had dashed ahead and blocked the collision with his palms, saving Fan Yiweng’s life at a moment when rescue seemed utterly impossible.

Fan Yiweng stared blankly. “What is it?” he asked.

Yang Guo answered with desolate sorrow, “I do not know either. But the grief in my heart is ten times greater than yours, and I have not yet taken my own life. Why must you?” Fan Yiweng said, “You won the contest. What grief could you have?” Yang Guo shook his head. “Winning or losing a bout, what does that count for? In my life, I have been beaten by others more times than I can remember. When you tried to end your life, your shifu was frantic with worry. If I were to end mine, my own master would not care in the slightest. That, that is the most grievous sorrow of all.”

Fan Yiweng still did not understand. Gongsun Valley Master said sharply, “Yiweng, if you entertain such foolish thoughts again, you defy your shifu’s command. Stand to the side and watch me deal with this whelp.” Not daring to disobey, Fan Yiweng withdrew to the side of the hall and stood glaring at Yang Guo, not knowing himself whether what he felt toward the young man was resentment, rage, or gratitude and admiration.

Xiaolongnü¹⁴ heard Yang Guo say, “If I were to end mine, my own master would not care in the slightest.” Her eyes reddened, and more tears slipped down. She thought, If you died, do you think I would go on living?

Gongsun Valley Master glanced at Xiaolongnü every few moments, constantly studying the expression on her face. Now he saw fresh tears fall. Jealousy and fury surged through him. He clapped his hands together three times and shouted, “Seize this whelp!” Conscious of his status, he disdained to engage Yang Guo personally. The green-robed disciples flanking the hall answered in unison. Sixteen of them took up positions in four directions. Then, with a sudden rushing roar, groups of four each unfurled a fishing net and surrounded Yang Guo.

The Valley Master glanced aside and saw his daughter Lü’e urgently signalling Yang Guo with her eyes, tilting her head slightly to indicate he should flee the hall at once. He thought, A daughter’s heart turns outward. In this fishing net formation, every person must exert full effort. If anyone holds back, a gap will appear. He called out, “Lü’er, withdraw and rest. Fourteener, take your Senior Sister Gongsun Lü’e¹⁵’s place.” A youth of fourteen or fifteen answered and stepped forward, replacing Gongsun Lü’e.

Yang Guo had come together with the Imperial Preceptor and the others, and the Imperial Preceptor was implicitly the leader of their party. Now that matters had escalated to this point, whether to make peace or fight, the Imperial Preceptor should by rights have stepped forward to take charge. Yet he merely smiled coldly and said nothing.

Gongsun Valley Master did not understand the Imperial Preceptor’s intentions, supposing the monk was mocking his inability to deal with Yang Guo. Sooner or later I will let you see the methods of the Passionless Valley¹⁶, he thought. He clapped his hands three more times. The sixteen green-robed disciples crossed and shifted positions, tightening the encircling ring by several steps. The four fishing nets, now horizontal, now vertical, now level, now slanting, constantly transformed.

Yang Guo had twice witnessed the green-robed disciples use the fishing net formation to capture Zhou Botong¹⁷. Its transformations were inexhaustibly varied and exceedingly difficult to resist. In refinement, it matched the Quanzhen Sect’s “Big Dipper Formation,”¹⁸ each having its own merits. He thought, Even with Old Urchin’s martial skill, he was caught by the fishing nets. How can I deal with them? And besides, he only wanted to escape, by hurling Fan Yiweng and Ma Guangzuo into the nets, he seized the chance to slip away. But I am determined to remain in this valley.

Each net, when spread, covered an area roughly one zhang square. The wielders hid behind the nets. To break the formation, one had to first strike down the green-robed disciples holding the nets, but the moment one drew near, one would inevitably be caught in the nets first. There was simply no way to begin. The sixteen disciples pressed closer and closer. For a time, Yang Guo could not think how to respond. He could only deploy his qinggong, racing back and forth across the great hall, darting at angles, dashing in sudden bursts, weaving in all directions, making it impossible for his opponents to determine where to strike.

As he roamed, his eyes searched for a flaw in the formation. He saw that although the nets shifted with great speed, the four edges where they met always overlapped, leaving not the slightest gap. He thought, There is no way except to injure them with concealed projectiles. Whirling around, he had already palmed a handful of Jade Bee Needles.¹⁹ Seeing the four disciples to the west closing in, he flung seven or eight needles at the four to the north with his left hand.

He had expected all four to be struck. Instead, ding ding ding ding, a series of light clinks rang out, and every one of the seven or eight golden needles was caught and held by the fishing nets. At the crossing points of the nets’ golden threads, small magnetic stones had been attached. Thus no matter how formidable the enemy’s concealed projectiles, the great net would catch them all. The Jade Bee Needles were sixty percent gold and forty percent steel. It was precisely because of that forty percent steel that the magnetic stones in the nets drew them in.

Yang Guo had been fully confident of succeeding in a single strike. He had never imagined the nets would have so many ingenious uses. In the midst of his haste, he shot a glare at Gongsun Valley Master, knowing that launching any more projectiles would be useless. He thrust his right hand into his robe and returned the needles, preparing to think of another way to break the formation, but the net to the east had already closed in beside him. The net commander gave a whistle, and a net slanted down over his right shoulder. Yang Guo crouched sharply, about to slip out to the northwest, but the nets to the north and northwest converged at the same moment.

Yang Guo abruptly deployed the “Heavenly Net, Earthly Snare” body technique,²⁰ slipping through the gap between two nets with indescribable speed. This was precisely the qinggong Xiaolongnü had taught him soon after he entered the ancient tomb, when eighty-one sparrows flew up to escape, he could leap swiftly and block them with his palms. The disciples of the Passionless Valley, casting nets to ensnare a person, could never match such swiftness. The onlookers gasped as they saw Yang Guo already standing beside Xiaolongnü with a smile on his face.

Xiaolongnü, seeing him escape danger using the qinggong she had taught him, could not help but breathe a sigh of relief. Delighted, a hint of a smile appeared at the corner of her mouth, though she immediately straightened her face again. Yang Guo, catching that fleeting, barely-there smile, was overjoyed. “Gugu²¹,” he said, “was that move of Guoer’s not bad?” She meant to ignore him, but in the end she could not help herself and nodded slightly.

Since Yang Guo was now standing right beside Xiaolongnü, if the fishing net formation pressed in again, Xiaolongnü would be caught in the net as well. The sixteen green-robed disciples looked to the Valley Master, waiting for his signal. Gongsun Valley Master struck his palms together. The sound rang metallic, as though he were beating upon iron and steel. Darkly, he said, “Whelp, come and take my Iron Palm. If you dare not, then leave the valley at once. I will not trouble you further.”

Yang Guo cast a sidelong glance at Xiaolongnü. The memory of the smile she had just given him surged hot blood through his chest. He declared in a ringing voice, “So long as my Gugu does not leave, I will not leave even if I die ten times. If you have the skill, then strike me dead!” He sprang forward abruptly, and in a flash had reached the Valley Master’s back. Crooking his right hand, with a sharp pak he struck the knuckle of his finger against the Dazhui acupoint at the back of the Valley Master’s neck.²² This strike resembled a sneak attack, yet his body movement was so impossibly fast, he leaped facing the Valley Master, spun in midair, and reached his opponent’s back, that the Valley Master had only just begun to turn when the vital point at his nape was already struck.

Yang Guo’s move, swift as a ghost, as uncanny as a phantom, was something that even the Imperial Preceptor, Xiaoxiang Zi, and the others, for all their vast experience, had never witnessed, a technique as instantaneous as lightning. It was a technique from the Jade Maiden Heart Sutra,²³ the wondrous skill that Li Mochou²⁴ had sought so desperately but never obtained. Since mastering it together, neither Xiaolongnü nor Yang Guo had ever used it even once. This set of fist and palm techniques had no move names. When Lin Chaoying created this martial art,²⁵ her only pursuit was speed, like a fierce gale and driving thunder, dozens of moves unleashed in an instant, the second move arriving before the first was complete. The person executing the moves had no time to think of move names. The moment one thought of a name or sequence, the hands and feet slowed. In essence, it was like a raging tempest, moves pouring forth in an unbroken torrent.

Amid the acclamations of the onlookers, the Valley Master’s back was struck repeatedly. beng beng beng beng, pak pak pak pak, the sounds rang out without pause. Yang Guo seemed half-mad, fists and palms raining upon the Valley Master’s back. “Had enough?” he shouted, leaping back several steps and clapping his hands together. He looked at the Valley Master, who stood motionless, then stepped forward once, stepped back at an angle once, and said, “Whelp, my thanks for massaging my back!”

Xiaolongnü had watched Yang Guo execute this Jade Maiden fist technique with fluid speed, deeply capturing the intent of the founding matriarch. Inwardly she admired him, and her face could not help but bloom like a flower. But then she saw that the Valley Master had taken strikes to several vital points and seemed entirely unaffected. She could not help but turn pale with shock. Yang Guo was equally alarmed. He had clearly struck several vital acupoints on his opponent’s back, yet the man acted as if nothing had happened.

Yang Guo had heard Hong Qigong²⁶, Ouyang Feng²⁷, Huang Yaoshi²⁸, and other great masters discuss martial theory. He knew that when a person’s neili²⁹ cultivation reached the true upper tier, they could temporarily seal their own acupoints at the moment an enemy’s strike arrived. But this could only be done once, for an extremely brief interval, and certainly could not be sustained continuously over a long period. Alternatively, there was Ouyang Feng, who practised unorthodox martial arts and had trained his meridians to flow in reverse, shifting all the major acupoints of his body, but in that case, he had been upside down, immediately recognisable. Yet here was this Valley Master, showing absolutely no response to Yang Guo’s punches and finger strikes. Unless he were a reanimated corpse, or his body simply bore no acupoints, or he had mastered some bizarre “Golden Bell Cover” or “Iron Cloth Shirt” technique, perhaps this person was not even human, or possessed some sorcery or dark art. Fear crept into Yang Guo’s heart.

Gongsun Valley Master flipped his palms upward. A faint black vapour seemed to gather in his palms. Yang Guo dared not meet them head on, relying solely on qinggong to evade. But he saw that the Valley Master’s palm technique was not especially unusual, it bore some resemblance to Wanyan Ping³⁰’s “Iron Palm” skill.³¹ He focused his mind, parrying and countering, and his fear gradually subsided. The Jade Maiden Heart Sutra techniques flowed from him with growing fluency. He reflected that he did not know whether this opponent was a man or a zombie, so he dared not use the Soul-Shifting Art³² that had defeated Da’erba³³, nor the Beauty Fist Technique.³⁴ He relied solely on the orthodox palm techniques of the Ancient Tomb Sect that Xiaolongnü had taught him. As the fight intensified, Yang Guo darted to the Valley Master’s left side and sent a flying kick toward his leg.

The Valley Master neither dodged nor evaded, letting the kick land on his Qimen acupoint. His left hand swept back and seized Yang Guo’s left calf. Yang Guo braced his right foot and pulled free of the grip. A thought stirred in his mind. He recalled that when practising moves with Xiaolongnü outside the ancient tomb, she too had once seized his left foot and thrown him. At the time, he had only just entered the tomb and his martial skill was still low. Grabbed and flung by his shifu, his forehead had struck a stone. Half playing the spoiled child, half playing the rogue, he had sprawled on the ground and wailed loudly in fake tears. Xiaolongnü had smacked him heavily on the backside with her palm and barked, “Get up! No crying!” He had leaped to his feet, not a single tear in his eyes, and made a funny face at her. Xiaolongnü, who was ordinarily so sparing in both joy and anger, had at that moment been unable to suppress a smile. “Shame, shame, shame!” she had said. “Crying and laughing at the same time!” Yang Guo had grinned roguishly and said, “Gugu, if I don’t cry, can you smile?”

Now, the circumstances were roughly similar. He wanted to make Xiaolongnü recall the warmth of their days together in the ancient tomb. Deliberately riding the momentum, he lunged forward and sprawled on the ground before Xiaolongnü, lay there motionless, opened his throat, and let out a long wail of fake weeping. This move was extremely dangerous, he was presenting his back to Gongsun Valley Master. If the Valley Master stepped forward with a palm strike or a kick to a vital point, he could take Yang Guo’s life on the spot. But at this moment, in his fight with the Valley Master, Yang Guo had long since ceased to care for his own life. His purpose lay not in victory but in emotion, not to defeat the Valley Master, but to stir the feelings in Xiaolongnü’s heart.

Xiaolongnü, seeing this scene so suddenly, felt the memories of those teaching days rush back to her heart all at once. Unable to stop herself, she stretched out her palm and gave Yang Guo a heavy smack on the backside. Laughing, she said, “Get up! No crying!” The timing of her smack was perfectly judged. Gongsun Valley Master had stepped forward and was just about to drive his fist down on Yang Guo’s back. Xiaolongnü’s slap placed her squarely between them. Yang Guo leaped to his feet with a great laugh, seized Xiaolongnü’s hands, and cried joyfully, “Gugu, you’ve acknowledged me! Then I won’t cry!”

Gongsun Valley Master shot Yang Guo a glare of pure hatred and clapped his hands four times. The sixteen disciples abruptly retreated at speed into the inner hall. Yang Guo stared, puzzled. Can it be you admit defeat? As he wondered, he turned and saw Gongsun Lü’e’s expression filled with alarm, her eyes urgently signalling him to flee the valley at once. From the look of it, some great calamity was about to descend upon him. But Yang Guo, having just been smacked by Xiaolongnü, was bursting with joy. He pulled over a chair and sat down. Suddenly, from the inner hall came a series of light clinking sounds. ding ding dang dang, and the sixteen disciples reemerged, still holding the fishing nets.

The moment the onlookers saw the nets, every face changed colour. The four fishing nets had been replaced. All over them now bristled barbs and daggers, their cold light glittering, clearly razor-sharp. Whoever was caught in these nets would be stabbed all over the body, there could be no hope of survival. Ma Guangzuo bellowed, “Hey, old Valley Master, using such vicious implements against your guests, have you no shame?”

The Valley Master pointed at Yang Guo. “It is not that I wish to harm you. I have urged you time and again to leave, yet you insist on causing trouble here. One last word of good counsel, leave the valley now, quickly.”

Ma Guangzuo, seeing these four fishing nets, felt his very flesh tremble despite his rough and fearless nature. The clashing of blades and barbs against the nets, producing that ding-dang ringing, shook his heart and soul even more. He rose, seized Yang Guo’s hand, and said, “Brother Yang, with vicious contraptions like these, to hell with it, why tangle with him over spite?”

Yang Guo looked toward Xiaolongnü, waiting to see what she would say.

Xiaolongnü had watched the Valley Master bring out the blade-studded fishing nets. In her heart, she had already settled on one word: death. The moment Yang Guo was caught in the net, she would throw herself upon it and die locked in his embrace. Having reached this thought, her heart grew calm instead. She felt that all the sorrow and suffering of the human world would thus be ended, once and for all. A faint smile lingered at the corner of her lips.

Yang Guo had been reminiscing about the training days in the ancient tomb. Now, seeing the blade-studded nets, a thought flashed through his mind. He rose, walked to Xiaolongnü’s side, and said, “Gugu, please lend me your Golden Bell Chain and palm gloves.”³⁵

Xiaolongnü had been thinking only of the joy of dying together with him. No other thought occupied her mind. Hearing his request, she at once took a white silk band from her bosom and handed it to him, then produced a pair of white gloves and fitted them onto his hands, one by one. As she drew the gloves on, clasping his hands, she could not help but gaze at him with deep, tender affection, unable to let go.

Yang Guo gazed into her face. “Do you acknowledge me now?” he asked.

Xiaolongnü held his hand, her tenderness boundless, and smiled. “In my heart, I acknowledged you long ago!”

Yang Guo’s spirits soared. In a trembling voice, he asked, “Then you have decided to come away with me, and not marry this Valley Master, is that right?”

Xiaolongnü smiled and nodded. “I have decided to come away with you. Naturally, I can marry no one else. Guoer, from this day forward, I am your wife.”

In her words, the phrase “come away with you” meant dying together with him. Even Yang Guo did not fully grasp this, and the others naturally understood it even less. But the seven words “I am your wife” could not have been spoken more clearly. Gongsun Valley Master’s face turned deathly pale. He clapped his hands together fiercely four times, urging the green-robed disciples into action. The sixteen disciples shook out the nets and crossed in their advance.

Hearing Xiaolongnü’s words, Yang Guo felt as though he had returned to life from death itself. Instantly, his courage swelled a hundredfold. Even if before him now stood a mountain of blades or a cauldron of boiling oil, he would not have given them a second glance. His right hand flicked the silk band, and with a chiming ring the band shot forth like a white serpent. At the band’s tip was a small golden bell that rang as it moved. With one extension and one retraction, the golden bell struck the Yingu acupoint of a disciple to the south,³⁶ then on the return stroke struck the Quze acupoint of a disciple to the east. The Yingu acupoint was located precisely at the inner side of the knee crease, the disciple could not keep his footing and buckled to his knees. The Quze acupoint lay at the bend of the arm, the struck disciple’s arm went numb and weak, and the fishing net slipped from his grasp.

These two preemptive strikes were devastating. The moment the Golden Bell Chain was deployed, the fishing net formation revealed its flaws at once. The four disciples holding the western net, caught off guard, slowed their advance by a fraction. Yang Guo reversed the Golden Bell Chain, and with another silvery chime, struck down two more disciples. But at that very instant, the fishing net to the north had already descended over his head. The blades and barbs of the net were less than half a chi from his crown, too close now to counter with the Golden Bell Chain. Yang Guo flipped his left palm upward, seized the net, and using the borrowed momentum, flung it away. His hand was protected by the gold-thread palm gloves. Though his palm closed around daggers and keen barbs, it suffered not the slightest injury. The net, caught and shaken by him, suddenly reversed and swept back over the four green-robed disciples.

When the disciples practised the fishing net formation, their only concern was that an enemy might slip through and escape. They sought only to envelop their target completely. Never had any of them imagined that a fishing net could turn back and devour its own casters. Seeing the glittering blades and barbs rushing toward their own heads, and knowing all too well the net’s fearsome lethality, they cried out in unison and leaped away, abandoning the net. The youth who had replaced Gongsun Lü’e was somewhat weaker in skill. His thigh was grazed by one of the net’s daggers. Instantly, fresh blood flowed freely. He collapsed to the ground, howling in pain.

Yang Guo laughed. “Little brother, don’t be afraid. I won’t hurt you.” With his left hand he shook out the fishing net, while his right hand danced the Golden Bell Chain. The sounds rang out together. qiang-lang-lang, the clashing of blades and barbs. ding-ling-ling, the chiming of golden bells, crisp and delightful to the ear. At this, what disciple dared advance any further? They stood pressed against the far walls, not daring to admit defeat and flee without their shifu’s command. Yet even if they would not admit defeat, they were already defeated.

Ma Guangzuo clapped his hands and stamped his feet, roaring his approval. But in that crowd, he was the only one cheering, which made his cries seem a touch lonely. After shouting a few times, he glared at the Imperial Preceptor. “Monk, is Brother Yang’s skill not high? Why don’t you cheer?” The Imperial Preceptor smiled. “Very high, very high. But there is no need to raise such an earth-shaking din.” Ma Guangzuo glared. “Why not?” The Imperial Preceptor saw Gongsun Valley Master’s brows rising, saw him pace slowly to the centre of the hall. He concentrated his attention on the Valley Master’s movements and paid Ma Guangzuo no further heed.

When Gongsun Valley Master heard Xiaolongnü speak those seven words. “I am your wife”, he knew that the beautiful dream he had cherished for half a month had, in the end, dissolved into emptiness. He was both disappointed and enraged, yet he thought, Even if I cannot have your heart, I must at least have your person. I will strike this little beast dead with one palm. Then, whether you follow me willingly or not, you will have no choice but to follow me. Given enough time, I will surely make you change your mind.

Yang Guo watched the Valley Master’s brows rise higher and higher, until his eyes and brows seemed to stand perfectly vertical. He had no idea what school’s formidable martial art this might be, and he could not suppress a shiver of dread. His right hand held the silk band, his left hand clutched the net. Fully alert, he knew that his own life or death, and Xiaolongnü’s, hung upon this single battle. He dared not relax his vigilance by even a hair.

The Valley Master slowly circled Yang Guo once. Yang Guo slowly turned his head in place, never once daring to take his eyes off his opponent’s gaze. He knew the longer the Valley Master delayed, the more ferocious his strike would be when it came. He saw the Valley Master raise both hands and level them forward three times, then bring his palms together with a sharp clap. The sound rang out metallic, like the clash of iron and steel. Yang Guo’s heart tightened. He retreated a step. Gongsun Valley Master’s right arm shot out abruptly and seized the edge of the fishing net, giving it a yank. He seemed impervious to blades, his palm showing no fear of the net’s daggers and keen barbs. Yang Guo felt the tremendous force of that pull. An agonising pain shot through his five fingers. He had no choice but to release his grip. The Valley Master tossed the net to four empty-handed disciples standing in a corner of the hall, then barked, “Withdraw!”

Yang Guo’s net had been snatched away. He could not allow his opponent to seize the initiative again. With a shake of the silk band, the golden bell quivered and shot toward the Jugu acupoint at the Valley Master’s shoulder and the Tianding acupoint at his neck. Gongsun Valley Master’s right arm lengthened as he suddenly clawed at Yang Guo’s arm. Two sharp ding-ding sounds rang out, the Valley Master’s Jugu and Tianding acupoints were both struck. He acted as though he had felt nothing. With a rushing roar, his clawing hand transformed into a palm, striking toward Yang Guo’s left breast. Greatly alarmed, Yang Guo twisted aside in desperate evasion. It was fortunate that his qinggong was superb. Only thus did he avoid that sudden, instantaneous palm strike.

The lethal power of the Jade Maiden Heart Sutra’s martial arts lay purely in using neili as the foundation. Once one had cultivated peerless qinggong, in combat one could suddenly, with rapid body movement, race to strike the enemy’s acupoints or attack their vital points. But Gongsun Valley Master had trained in the bizarre skill of sealing his acupoints, rendering every acupoint in his body immune to harm. Thus the Jade Maiden Heart Sutra’s offensive methods were useless against him. In Yang Guo’s earlier bout with the Valley Master, he had risked his very life to stir Xiaolongnü’s feelings toward him, to make her acknowledge him. He had placed life and death out of mind. Now that Xiaolongnü had acknowledged him, if he were injured or captured by the Valley Master, Xiaolongnü would be trapped in this valley with no way out. Thus, in this renewed battle, the matter of victory or defeat could not be taken lightly.

When the Valley Master’s Iron Palm came, the force of his strikes was devastatingly heavy. Yang Guo took two palm strikes and was already shaken until a dull pain throbbed in his chest. Thereafter, whenever the Valley Master’s fists and feet attacked, Yang Guo relied solely on qinggong to evade, not daring to meet the blows directly. Yet each time, the margin was a hair’s breadth, perilous beyond measure. When Yang Guo seized a gap to counterattack, even if his counter landed, it could not harm his opponent, and was therefore useless. In this situation, defeat was inevitable. Ma Guangzuo and the others were all clenching sweat-slicked fists on his behalf.

Yang Guo dodged twice more, then abruptly darted forward, slipping behind the Valley Master. Suddenly he drove his fist against the Dazhui acupoint on the Valley Master’s back. pak pak pak pak, four rapid strikes in succession. The Valley Master laughed heartily. “Very comfortable! Hit me again!” He swung a backhand palm that swept past Yang Guo’s face, missing by barely an inch. Yang Guo cried, “Ai-yo!” He stumbled back several steps, nearly falling. Immediately, he deployed the “Heavenly Net, Earthly Snare” technique, vaulted high, and again reached the Valley Master’s back. Once more he struck four times in rapid succession. pak pak pak pak, dense as a drumbeat, all landing on the Zhiyang acupoint at the Valley Master’s waist.

The Valley Master said again, “I thank you for your trouble! Very comfortable!” He swung a backhand punch. Yang Guo tumbled several steps away, his footing unsteady, then abruptly leaped up and once more reached the Valley Master’s back. Both hands struck in rapid succession, eight blows in all. The Valley Master let out a great roar of fury, spun around, and cursed, “Little beast!” His palms struck horizontally and vertically, his face filled with rage as though he meant to fight to the death. Yang Guo sprang away at speed and called out, “Very comfortable, was it?”

Gongsun Valley Master vaulted into the air. His ten fingers crooked like claws, he plunged down with savage ferocity. Yang Guo evaded at an angle. The Valley Master’s feet touched the ground, and suddenly, an unbearable numbness and itching erupted all over his body. He crashed to the ground, moaning and wailing. Gongsun Lü’e was horrified. She rushed forward to support him, urgently crying, “Father, Father, what is wrong?” The Valley Master thrust her away with his left palm, sending her stumbling back several paces. Gasping in desperate rage, he rasped, “The little beast used a poisoned concealed weapon! Quick, quick, fetch the antidote!”

Xiaolongnü looked at Yang Guo. She had clearly seen him being driven into miserable defeat. How had he suddenly turned the tables? Yang Guo grinned. “Jade Bee Golden Needles.³⁷ He was very comfortable, for my trouble!” Only then did Xiaolongnü understand. She moved to fetch the Jade Bee honey to save him. Yang Guo said, “Let us first escape the valley, then give him the bee honey. This man is fickle, his word cannot be trusted. He is thoroughly unreliable.” Xiaolongnü nodded.

The truth was that striking the Valley Master’s acupoints had been useless. In this contest, Yang Guo was certain to lose without any chance of winning. In his desperation, it had suddenly occurred to him to use the same method by which he had earlier defeated Prince Huodu. Twice he had darted behind the Valley Master and struck his acupoints. The Valley Master could seal his own acupoints, so the strikes were naturally useless. Those two attacks had been feints, lulling him off guard. On the third attempt, Yang Guo had secretly held Jade Bee Golden Needles in his hand. With his eight strikes, he had driven two poisoned golden needles into the Valley Master’s Zhongshu acupoint.³⁸ This acupoint lay beneath the tenth vertebra, an essential passage for the energy of the Governing Vessel meridian, truly one of the body’s great vital points. Even if the poisoned golden needles had merely pierced ordinary skin, the numbness and itching would have been unbearable. How much worse, then, when they struck a major acupoint? Yang Guo, still fearing that the Valley Master might seal his acupoints and render all poisons harmless, had aimed two needles squarely at the Zhongshu acupoint, while the other four needles struck the areas around it.

Though Gongsun Valley Master had trained in a unique and bizarre martial art that allowed him to seal his acupoints, he was after all no man of bronze skin and iron bones, impervious to blades. In truth, even masters of the “Golden Bell Cover” or “Iron Cloth Shirt” external techniques could, at a critical moment, only stiffen against a single blade strike or punch. Against fine, sharp needles like the Jade Bee Golden Needles, one prick and they would naturally slide right in. And even if the needle failed to penetrate, rubbing the poison-tipped point against the skin a few times would still cause the toxin to enter the flesh, producing unbearable numbness and itching. The toxicity of the Jade Bee Golden Needles was even more potent than Li Mochou’s Soul-Freezing Silver Needles.³⁹ The difference was that while the Soul-Freezing Silver Needles killed within moments, the Jade Bee Needles did not draw blood or kill, but they made a person itch deep into their very organs. The victim could not help but roll and howl, the suffering impossible to endure. Gongsun Valley Master was a great master who prized his dignity. Even if an arm or a leg were hacked off, he would not have changed expression. But with Jade Bee Needles pricking his back eight times, six of them penetrating the flesh, he could not restrain himself from mad howling and thrashing upon the ground.

Gongsun Lü’e walked before Yang Guo, bowed at the waist, and said, “Young Master Yang, I beg you to bestow the antidote to relieve my father’s wound poison.” Yang Guo nodded. “There is no need for such courtesy, miss.” Raising his voice, he declared, “Gongsun Valley Master, if you agree to let us leave the valley in peace, without hindrance, the antidote shall naturally be provided.” Gongsun Valley Master forced himself upright and rasped, “Fine! I will let you leave the valley in peace. I will not hinder you. Quickly, the antidote.”

Yang Guo turned to Xiaolongnü. “Gugu, can we give him the bee honey?” Xiaolongnü nodded. From her bosom she took a small bottle of Jade Bee honey and handed it to Lü’e, saying, “Gongsun Valley Master, I beg your forgiveness for my disciple’s offence. From now on, let us be friends, not foes. I ask your magnanimity in all things. I offer you my apologies.” So saying, she curtsied deeply, bowing with grace.

Lü’e said, “Miss Liu, many thanks.” She bowed slightly in return, then walked quickly over and handed the small bottle to her father. Gongsun Valley Master snatched it from her hand and demanded, “Is it to be taken orally?” Xiaolongnü said, “First the golden needles must be extracted. Then take the honey orally to stop the itching.” Gongsun Lü’e took the magnetic stone Xiaolongnü handed her and drew the golden needles from her father’s back. The Valley Master pulled out the stopper and poured the entire bottle of honey into his mouth.

Gongsun Valley Master turned to his daughter. “Fetch my weapons.” Lü’e hesitated, not answering. The Valley Master said harshly, “Did you not hear me?” Lü’e’s face went pale. She could only answer, “Yes.” She retreat into the inner hall.

Yang Guo observed the expressions of father and daughter. He thought, This Valley Master probably has another scheme. If we do not leave now, when will we? He walked before Xiaolongnü, extended his hand, and said softly, “Gugu, come away with Guoer.”

The numbness and itching on the Valley Master’s back had not yet subsided. He gathered force in both palms, ready so that the moment Xiaolongnü rose and reached out her hand to clasp Yang Guo’s, he would immediately pounce and strike Yang Guo’s spine with his Iron Palm. He had resolved: Even if Sister Liu blames me, I will beat this whelp to death. If Sister Liu goes away with him, what meaning would there be in the rest of my life?

But Xiaolongnü merely said lightly, “Of course I will go with you. But the Valley Master here saved my life. We must explain everything clearly to him, ask his forgiveness, and offer our proper thanks.” Yang Guo was frantic. He thought, Gugu understands nothing. You explain everything clearly, offer thanks on top of that, do you think he will forgive us?

Xiaolongnü asked, “Guoer, have you been well these days?” As she asked this, her concern and affection overflowed in her expression. Yang Guo, hearing this tender tone, seeing this look of loving care, would not have cared if the heavens themselves collapsed. How could he still think of fleeing quickly? He asked, “Gugu, you are not angry with me?” Xiaolongnü smiled faintly. “How could I be angry with you? I have never been angry with you. When I refused to acknowledge you before, it was because I would rather break my own heart, it was all for your good. How can you not understand? Turn around.” Yang Guo obeyed and turned his back, not knowing her intention.

Xiaolongnü took a small sewing kit from her bosom, threaded a needle, and measured the tear in the back of his robe where Fan Yiweng had clawed it. She sighed. “All these days, I kept thinking, when I am not by your side, who mends your clothes when they tear? Who patches them when they wear through? I had already resolved never to see your face again, yet sometimes I wondered if you would come looking for me. Ah, I never imagined you truly would find your way here.” As she spoke, her sorrowful expression shifted to one of joy. She took a small pair of scissors, cut a piece of white cloth from the hem of her own robe, and slowly began to mend his. The outer robe Yang Guo now wore had been sewn by Cheng Ying⁴⁰. Beneath it, he still wore the tattered robe Xiaolongnü had made for him. After a long and dusty journey, the outer robe was no longer new. Xiaolongnü said, “Who sewed this robe for you?” Yang Guo recounted how Cheng Ying had rescued him and sewn him a new robe. The two of them talked on and on, as if this den of dragons and lair of tigers were their secluded home in the ancient tomb.

In the days when the two had lived together in the ancient tomb, whenever Yang Guo’s clothes tore, Xiaolongnü would draw him to her side and mend them, just like this. It had happened countless times over the years. Now, reunited after great tribulations, it felt as though they had been parted across separate lifetimes. They were utterly oblivious to everyone around them. Though every eye in the great hall was upon them, the two were exactly as they had been in the ancient tomb, relying on each other for life itself.

Yang Guo’s joy knew no bounds. Hot tears spilled from his eyes. Choking, he said, “Gugu, just now I provoked you until you vomited blood. I… I am truly terrible.” Xiaolongnü smiled faintly. “That has nothing to do with you. You know I have long had this underlying ailment. When I had not seen you for so long, I thought of you every day. Your martial skill has advanced so quickly. You vomited blood too just now, are you all right?” Yang Guo laughed. “It’s nothing. I have plenty of blood in my belly.” Xiaolongnü smiled. “You always love to talk such nonsense.”

As the two spoke back and forth, their words were plain and unremarkable. Yet everyone present could clearly perceive the depth of their mutual love and affection, and the profound bond they shared from the past. The Imperial Preceptor saw the two reconciled and knew this did not bode well for him. For the moment, he could think of nothing to do. The Valley Master was torn between shock and jealousy, standing frozen in place, not knowing what to do. The numbness and itching on his back, however, were gradually subsiding.

Yang Guo said, “These past few days I have met several interesting people. Gugu, guess where I got this great pair of scissors.” Xiaolongnü said, “I was wondering about that myself. It almost seems as though you knew in advance there would be a man with a long beard here, and had these scissors made especially to cut it. Ah, you are so mischievous. That man spent decades painstakingly growing his long beard, and you snipped it off in an instant. Is that not a pity?” As she spoke, she pressed her lips together in a smile. Her bright eyes flowed, her bearing was enchanting.

The Valley Master could endure no more. He thrust out a hand to grab Yang Guo by the chest and roared, “Little bastard, you carry your insolence too far!” Yang Guo did not even raise a hand to block. “No need to hurry,” he said. “Wait until Gugu has finished mending my robe, then I will fight you.”

The Valley Master’s fingers hovered mere inches from Yang Guo’s chest. After all, he was a grandmaster of the jianghu⁴¹. Though his chest heaved with rage, he could not quite bring himself to deliver this blow upon Yang Guo. Suddenly he heard Lü’e’s voice behind him: “Father, the weapons are here.” Without turning, he shrugged his shoulders, retreated several chi, and took the weapons in hand.

Everyone looked. In his left hand, the Valley Master held a serrated sabre, thick of spine and broad of blade, gleaming with a golden light, clearly a steel blade plated with gold. In his right hand he held a black sword, slender and long, trembling faintly in his grip, its blade evidently extremely flexible. Both edges glowed with a blue light, a sure sign of exceptional sharpness. The two weapons were complete opposites, one supremely hard and heavy, the other the very extreme of softness and lightness.

Yang Guo glanced at the bizarre pair of weapons. “Gugu,” he said, “a few days ago I met a woman. She told me who my father’s killer was.” Xiaolongnü’s heart tightened. “Who is your enemy?” she asked. Yang Guo ground his teeth and said with bitter hatred, “You could guess for a lifetime and never guess it. All this time, I thought they treated me wonderfully well.” Xiaolongnü said, “They? They treated you wonderfully well?” Yang Guo said, “Yes, they are…”

A humming sound rang out, pure, resonant, lingering long in the air. It was the Valley Master’s black sword striking against his golden sabre. With a flick of his wrist, he thrust three times in rapid succession. weng weng weng. One thrust toward the crown of Yang Guo’s head, one toward his left neck, one toward his right neck. Each passed so close it grazed the skin, missing by less than half an inch. The Valley Master, conscious of his status, would not strike an opponent who offered no resistance. Yet the precision of those three thrusts was indeed a display of divine skill.

Xiaolongnü said, “All mended!” She gave Yang Guo a light pat on the back. Yang Guo turned his head and smiled at her, then walked to the centre of the hall holding the Golden Bell Chain. In a clear voice, he said, “Gongsun Valley Master, just now when the numbness and itching were unbearable and you were rolling on the ground, you agreed to let us leave the valley in peace, without hindrance. Do those words no longer count?”

The Valley Master’s brows shot up. Darkly, he said, “How have my words not counted? But it will have to be after ten years. Miss Liu must first perform the wedding rites with me. And you, young brother, will stay in the valley to chop firewood and tend the flowers. After ten years, then I shall let you leave the valley in peace, without hindrance. Did I specify when I would release you? All my life, my word has been my bond. I never go back on what I say!” Had this been Gongsun Valley Master’s ordinary temperament, he would never have broken his word and lost face before so many people, especially before his own disciples, among whom he had always maintained an unblemished dignity of benevolence, righteousness, and moral integrity. But over these past days, his entire heart and soul had been consumed by the infatuated dream of marrying Xiaolongnü, a woman as transcendent as a celestial immortal descended to earth. How could a single slip of the hand make him release them from the valley, turning all his hopes and longings into painted cakes? By uttering the phrase “after ten years,” he felt he was not reneging on his promise, merely playing a trick with words, far cleverer than Yang Guo.

Ma Guangzuo, hearing this, bellowed in fury: “Your mother’s dog fart! Speech that doesn’t sound like human speech! Brother Yang, use your concealed weapon on him again. Let him itch to death, and don’t give him the antidote even then!” Xiaoxiang Zi and Nimoxing, who had been neutral, and Fan Yiweng and Gongsun Lü’e, who had originally sided with the Valley Master, all, upon hearing the Valley Master’s sophistry that inverted right and wrong, felt it was thoroughly unreasonable and could not approve.

The Valley Master raised the black sword in his right hand and traced rapid circles, weaving a black ring of sword light around his body in every direction. Even if Yang Guo’s body technique were ten times faster, he could never slip close enough to prick the man’s skin with needles and then withdraw unscathed. This sword circle first shielded the Valley Master himself, making it impossible for Yang Guo to draw near. Then, gradually, it pressed forward. The sword tip traced whirling rings before Yang Guo’s body.

Yang Guo had no idea where the black sword would thrust next. In great alarm, he sprang backward. But the Valley Master’s hand was impossibly fast. Even as Yang Guo leaped back to evade, the circles traced by the black sword had already shifted to face him again. The rings grew larger and larger. At first, they had merely circled before his chest. After several moves, they encompassed his abdomen as well. A few moves more, and the sword rings gradually expanded to cover his head and neck. From crown to belly, every vital point of Yang Guo’s body now lay within the envelope of the Valley Master’s sword tip. Jinlun Guoshi, Yin Kexi, Xiaoxiang Zi, Nimoxing, none of them had ever seen a sword technique that traced circles to press an opponent in this manner. All were deeply astonished.

Each time the Valley Master made a move, Yang Guo immediately darted away. Ten times the Valley Master traced sword circles, and ten times Yang Guo fled, unable to land even a single counterstrike. He could see the enemy’s moves growing sharper by the moment. Darting to the left, he shook the Golden Bell Chain. ding-ling-ling, the golden bell flew forth, striking at the enemy’s left eye. Gongsun Valley Master tilted his head to evade and thrust his sword in counter. Yang Guo flicked the bell chain and wrapped it around the Valley Master’s right leg. Just as he was about to pull it tight, the Valley Master’s black sword swept down. With a soft chi, the Golden Bell Chain was severed in two. That black sword was a blade of matchless sharpness.

A collective gasp of “Ah!” rose from the onlookers. The wind howled as Gongsun Valley Master swung the serrated sabre down at Yang Guo. Yang Guo dropped and rolled desperately. A tremendous dang rang out, shaking the walls on all four sides, he had snatched up Fan Yiweng’s steel staff to block. Staff met sabre, and both men’s arms went numb from the reverberation. The Valley Master slashed horizontally with the sabre in his left hand and thrust diagonally with the sword in his right. By nature, sabre technique emphasises fierce strength, while sword technique favours lightness and agility. The natures of the two weapons are diametrically opposed. For one person to wield both sabre and sword simultaneously is nearly impossible. Yet Gongsun Valley Master’s two weapons moved faster and faster, the sabre technique and sword technique kept clearly distinct, hardness and softness complementing each other, yin and yang in mutual support. It was truly a rare and peerless skill in the jianghu.

Yang Guo gave a great shout, hefted the steel staff, and deployed the “Seal” formula of the Dog-Beating Staff Technique,⁴² tightly guarding his defensive perimeter. The Valley Master attacked with sabre and sword together, yet for a time could not break through. The Dog-Beating Staff Technique, however, was founded on subtlety and refinement of transformation. A light, handy bamboo staff could naturally be wielded with smooth versatility. With a long, heavy steel staff in his hands, after several moves Yang Guo already felt his transformations growing clumsy.

Gongsun Valley Master suddenly spotted an opening. His golden sabre lifted upward, levering the steel staff horizontally into the air. The black sword swept down. With a sharp ka, the steel staff was severed by the black sword. Yang Guo flourished the half-staff. Shorter now, it actually became more nimble. The Valley Master’s golden sabre in his left hand slashed down fiercely. This stroke, a direct downward cleave, seemed rather stiff and dull in technique. Yang Guo had only to shift his body slightly and he could have evaded it with ease. Yet the Valley Master’s black sword traced a sword circle that enveloped him on all sides, front and back, left and right, leaving him nowhere to dodge or retreat. Yang Guo had no choice but to raise the half-staff in the stance “Single Pillar Propping the Heavens,”⁴³ meeting the blow head on. A thunderous dang rang out as sabre and staff collided, sparks bursting in all directions. Yang Guo felt a wave of sore numbness sweep through both arms.

Gongsun Valley Master’s second sabre strike followed immediately. The technique was identical to the first. Yang Guo’s martial knowledge was broad, and in combat he was exceptionally quick-witted. But the Ancient Tomb Sect martial arts he had mastered excelled in speed, not in brute force. He had no way to neutralise this clumsy, heavy, bludgeoning strike. Apart from blocking it the same way, there was no better tactic. Sabre and staff collided a second time. The sore numbness in Yang Guo’s arms deepened. He thought, If he hacks at me like this a few more times, the sinews in my arms will be shaken to shreds. Before the thought had settled, the Valley Master’s third sabre strike came crashing down. After blocking several more strikes, the half of the steel staff in Yang Guo’s hands was already notched and scarred all over by the golden sabre. Blood seeped from the tiger’s mouth of his right hand.⁴⁴

Gongsun Valley Master saw that even in this desperate peril, Yang Guo still wore a slight smile on his face. After the sabre in his left hand hacked across, the black sword in his right hand abruptly thrust toward Yang Guo’s lower abdomen. By now, Yang Guo had been forced into a corner of the hall. He saw the sword tip thrusting toward him and hurriedly extended his hand, palm flat, to block. The sword tip pierced his palm, and the blade bent into an arc before springing back. It turned out that Xiaolongnü’s palm gloves were exceptionally tough and dense. Though the black sword was sharp, it could not harm them.

Yang Guo had now tested that the palm gloves could withstand the black sword. He flipped his palm over and suddenly reached out to grab the blade, intending to emulate the trick Xiaolongnü had once used to snap Hao Datong’s long sword.⁴⁵ He had not anticipated that Gongsun Valley Master would give his wrist the faintest tremor. The black sword suddenly curved around in a sweeping arc, and its tip pierced Yang Guo’s lower arm. Fresh blood gushed forth. Startled, Yang Guo sprang backward in haste. The Valley Master did not pursue. He merely laughed coldly a few times, then advanced once more at a leisurely pace.

If the Valley Master had wielded only the single, crushingly heavy serrated golden sabre, or only the single, impossibly sharp black sword that could bend and curve to stab a man, Yang Guo would surely have found a way to resist. But now, the two weapons, one hard, one soft, attacked in complementary concert, and Yang Guo was instantly thrown into frantic disarray. The Valley Master swung his sabre down. Yang Guo raised the half-staff to block. With a cha, the Valley Master’s black sword sliced off another section of the half-staff in Yang Guo’s hands, leaving only about a chi of length, too short to be of any use.

The Valley Master’s left sabre slashed past. His right sword thrust sharply. Yang Guo was struck again on the shoulder, his robe now dappled with bloodstains. The Valley Master said in a deep voice, “Do you submit?” Yang Guo smiled. “You fight me with an overwhelming advantage in weapons, and still you come asking whether I submit. Ha ha, Gongsun Valley Master, how can you be so utterly shameless?” The Valley Master withdrew sabre and sword. “What advantage have I taken? I would like to be enlightened.” Yang Guo said, “In your left hand, a bizarre sabre. In your right hand, a strange sword. I doubt you could find a third of either if you searched the whole world. Am I right?” The Valley Master said, “And what if I am? Your palm gloves and bell chain are hardly ordinary either.”

Yang Guo tossed the remaining foot or so of steel staff to the ground and laughed. “That belonged to your long-bearded disciple.” He stripped off the palm gloves, picked up the Golden Bell Chain that had been cut in two, and tossed them back to Xiaolongnü. “Those belong to my Gugu.” He clapped his hands together, brushed the dust from his robes, and paid no attention to the blood still flowing freely from his three wounds. Smiling, he said, “I came to your valley empty-handed. Did I come with hostile intent? If you wish to kill me, then kill me. Why waste words?”

The Valley Master observed Yang Guo’s easy, unhurried bearing, his handsome features, his several wounds, yet the young man talked and laughed with perfect ease, as though nothing had happened. Meanwhile, the Valley Master himself, for all his sophistry that seemed to make sense in argument, knew in his heart that he had indeed broken his word, conduct unbefitting a gentleman. Comparing the two, he could not help but feel ashamed of his own inferiority. He thought, If this person remains in the world, Sister Liu will surely pour her heart into him. He levelled his sword and thrust straight at Yang Guo’s chest.

Yang Guo had long since made up his mind: Since I cannot beat him, I will let him stab me to death. Seeing the sword come, he neither dodged nor evaded, but turned his head to look at Xiaolongnü. He thought, If I die gazing at Gugu, that too will be a happy death. He saw Xiaolongnü, a sweet smile on her face, walking toward him step by step. Their eyes met. Neither of them spared a single glance for the Valley Master’s black sword.

The Valley Master and Yang Guo had never met before. What enmity lay between them? His desire to put Yang Guo to death sprang entirely from his feelings for Xiaolongnü. Thus, as the sword shot forth, he could not help but glance toward Xiaolongnü. That single glance overturned a vat of vinegar in his heart. He saw her gazing at Yang Guo with tender, entangled emotion. He glanced sidelong at Yang Guo and saw that his expression was exactly the same as hers. By now, the tip of the black sword was pressed against Yang Guo’s chest. The slightest increase of force from his arm, and the sword tip would pierce through into the heart. Yet Xiaolongnü showed neither alarm nor concern, and Yang Guo made no attempt to resist. The two stared at each other in a daze, their hearts in perfect communion, having long forgotten everything beyond themselves. The Valley Master’s fury and resentment could not be quelled. He thought, If I kill this whelp now, it seems Sister Liu will immediately follow him in death. I must force her to marry me first. Once the bridal chamber is passed, it will not be too late to kill this whelp. He called out, “Sister Liu, do you want me to kill him, or spare him?”

When Xiaolongnü gazed at Yang Guo, she had not thought of the Valley Master at all. Suddenly called by his loud voice, she started awake and cried in alarm, “Take your sword away! Why are you pressing the tip against his chest?” The Valley Master smiled coldly. “It is not difficult to spare his life. Tell him to leave the valley at once and not obstruct our auspicious occasion.”

Before seeing Yang Guo this time, Xiaolongnü had resolved never to meet him again, willing to spend her own life in sorrow and misery if only he could find peace and joy. Now that they had truly met, how could she ever agree to marry the Valley Master? She knew that the resolve she had held these past days could never be carried out. She would rather die herself than abandon him and marry another. Turning to the Valley Master, she said, “Master Gongsun, I thank you for saving my life. But I cannot marry you.”

Gongsun Valley Master knew this perfectly well, yet he still asked, “Why?”

Xiaolongnü stood shoulder to shoulder with Yang Guo, linking her arm through his. Smiling, she said, “I have decided to become husband and wife with him, to stay together all our lives. Can you not see that?”

The Valley Master’s body swayed twice. He said, “If you had firmly refused that day, how could I have taken advantage of your distress to force you with circumstance? You personally agreed to the marriage. That was given willingly, from the heart.” Xiaolongnü said, “That is true. But I cannot bear to leave him. We must go now. Please do not take offence.” So saying, she took Yang Guo’s hand and headed straight for the entrance of the hall.

The Valley Master sprang forward in desperation and blocked the doorway. His voice hoarse, he said, “If you wish to leave this valley, you must first kill me.” Xiaolongnü smiled faintly. “You showed me the great kindness of saving my life. How could I harm you? Besides, your martial skill is so high, there is no way I could defeat you.” As she spoke, she tore a strip from her own robe to bandage Yang Guo’s wounds.

Jinlun Guoshi suddenly spoke up loudly: “Gongsun Valley Master, you would do better to let them go.” The Valley Master gave a cold snort, his face iron-grey, and said nothing. The Imperial Preceptor continued, “If the two of them join their twin swords, how can your golden sabre and black sword possibly prevail? Rather than lose the wife and lose your soldiers too, you might as well do them a favour and let them go.” He had been defeated by Xiaolongnü and Yang Guo’s combined “Pure-Hearted Jade Maiden Swordplay,”⁴⁶ and regarded it as the greatest shame of his life. Ever since, he had pondered bitterly, yet still could not devise a way to break it. Now, seeing the Valley Master’s Yin-Yang blade technique was extremely formidable, hardly inferior to his own golden wheels, he spoke up to provoke him, wanting the three of them to fight. This would serve two purposes: he could take the chance to further study the flaws in the two youths’ combined sword technique, seeking an opportunity for revenge. And he also hoped they would all injure each other.

In truth, even without the Imperial Preceptor’s provocation, Gongsun Valley Master could never have allowed Xiaolongnü and Yang Guo to leave the valley hand in hand. He turned and shot Jinlun Guoshi a glare of fury, thinking, You dare speak such words before me. I have no time for you now. I will settle accounts with you later. He turned back and stared at Xiaolongnü, grinding his teeth. In his heart, he thought, If you will not give me your heart, you must at least give me your body. If you will not marry me alive, then dead, I will still have you buried in this valley. At first, he had planned to use Yang Guo’s life as a threat to force Xiaolongnü’s submission. But seeing that neither of them feared death, he resolved that even if both had to die, he would never release them. His brows slowly rose again. The killing aura on his face thickened. He calculated that his own Yin-Yang Reversed Dual Blades technique was divinely subtle and unfathomable, even if this young couple joined forces, they could never defeat him. He would make the two of them admit defeat with full conviction, dying without resentment.

Suddenly Ma Guangzuo bellowed in his rough voice, “Hey, Old Man Gongsun, the lady has said she won’t marry you. Why are you still blocking their way? Clinging shamelessly like this, have you any face left?” Xiaoxiang Zi interjected in his sinister tone, “Brother Ma, don’t talk nonsense. Gongsun Valley Master has laid out a wedding feast today and means to treat us to a grand meal.” Ma Guangzuo roared, “His plain water and vegetable dishes, what is there to eat? If I were that young lady, I would never marry him either. With beauty like hers, she could be an empress. Why suffer a lifetime of greens and bean curd with a fierce-faced, yellow-skinned old man? Even if she didn’t die of rage, the blandness would kill her!”

Xiaolongnü turned her head and said gently, “Uncle Ma, Master Gongsun showed me the kindness of saving my life. In my heart… in my heart, I will always be grateful to him.”

Ma Guangzuo shouted, “Fine then, Old Man Gongsun! If you want to show great benevolence and great righteousness, why not let this young couple perform their wedding rites right here today, and spend their wedding night in the bridal chamber? If you save a young lady and then try to monopolise her body, isn’t that exactly the same as the lowest, most despicable bandits and thieves?” He was blunt and outspoken, and every word he said stabbed the ears and pierced the heart, yet was impossible to refute.

Gongsun Valley Master’s killing intent had now fully awakened. He had decided to wipe out every outsider who had entered the valley. Lightly, he said, “This Passionless Valley of mine may not be any particularly remarkable place, but for people to come and go as they please, that would make me, Gongsun, far too easy to look down upon. Miss Liu…” Xiaolongnü gave a radiant smile. “I lied when I said my surname was Liu. My surname is Long. It was because his surname is Yang that I said Liu.”⁴⁷ The Valley Master’s jealousy flared even hotter. He acted as though he had not heard these words and continued, “Miss Liu, this…” Before he could finish, Ma Guangzuo cut in: “The young lady clearly said her surname is Long. Why do you call her Miss Liu?” Xiaolongnü said, “Master Gongsun is used to calling me that. It is only my own fault for deceiving him earlier. Let him call me whatever he wishes.”

Gongsun Valley Master paid no attention to either of them. He continued, “Miss Liu, if this one surnamed Yang can defeat the Yin-Yang Dual Blades in my hands, I shall naturally permit him to leave the valley in peace. The private matter between us two, we shall settle ourselves. It has nothing to do with anyone else.” In the end, he still meant to use martial force to detain Xiaolongnü.

Xiaolongnü sighed. “Master Gongsun, I truly did not wish to fight with you. But he alone cannot defeat you. I will have to help him.” Gongsun Valley Master’s brows rose into two vertical lines. “Are you not afraid, after vomiting blood just now? Then both of you may come at once.” Xiaolongnü felt deeply regretful toward him. She said further, “Neither he nor I have any weapons. Fighting your sabre and sword empty-handed, we are certain to lose. Be magnanimous, great master, just let us go.”

Jinlun Guoshi interjected, “Gongsun Valley Master, your valley contains everything under the sun. Are you lacking two long swords? But I must warn you first, if the two of them join their twin swords, I fear your life will be hard to keep.”

Gongsun Valley Master pointed to the west. “The third room that way is the sword chamber. Go and select whatever weapons you wish. I suspect that among the fine weapons I have collected, these honoured guests here may not even possess their equal.” He gave a cold, dark laugh. Confident in his divine skill, certain of victory even in a rematch, he wished to avoid breaking his word before his disciples and losing prestige.

Yang Guo and Xiaolongnü exchanged a glance. Both thought the same: If we two could set aside all others and spend a moment together in a quiet room, we could die content. Hand in hand, they walked west, exited through a side door, passed two rooms, and arrived before the third.

Xiaolongnü’s gaze had never left Yang Guo’s face. Seeing the door was closed, she did not examine it closely. She reached out and pushed it open. Just as she was about to step over the threshold, a thought struck Yang Guo. He hurriedly reached out and pulled her back. “Careful,” he said. Xiaolongnü asked, “What is it?” Yang Guo placed his left foot outside the threshold, then extended his right foot over the threshold and tapped the floorboards lightly before immediately withdrawing it. Nothing unusual appeared. Xiaolongnü said, “Are you afraid the Valley Master means to ambush us? He is a good man. He would never…”

The words were barely out of her mouth when a sharp chi chi sound rang out, and white light flashed before their eyes. Eight sharp swords thrust forth from above, below, left, and right of the door frame, crossing and interweaving, filling the entrance entirely. If anyone had stepped through that door at that moment, no matter how high their martial skill, they could hardly have avoided being pierced through the body by those eight blades.

Xiaolongnü let out a long breath. “Guoer, this Valley Master is so vicious. I truly misjudged him. We need not compete with him in any sword contest. Let us just leave.” Suddenly, a voice behind them said, “The Valley Master invites the two of you to enter the chamber and select your swords.” The two turned. Eight green-robed disciples stood blocking the path behind them, holding the blade-studded fishing nets. The Valley Master had naturally feared that Yang and Long would try to escape together and had sent men to cut off their retreat. Xiaolongnü’s Golden Bell Chain had been severed by the black sword and could no longer be used to strike the green-robed disciples’ acupoints from a distance as before.

Xiaolongnü said to Yang Guo, “What other tricks do you think this chamber holds?” Yang Guo took her hands in his palms and said, “Gugu, now that you and I are together, what regret could remain? Even if ten thousand swords pierce our hearts, you and I will die together.” Xiaolongnü’s heart, too, was filled with tender feeling. Together, they stepped into the sword chamber. Yang Guo closed the door behind them.

Inside the chamber, the walls, tables, shelves, cabinets, and stands were all arrayed with weapons. The variety was vast, eight or nine out of ten were ancient swords. Some were over seven chi long. Others were short, barely a few inches. Some were mottled with rust. Others gleamed with a cold light that dazzled the eyes. The two of them were bewildered by the profusion. For a moment, they could not take it all in.

Xiaolongnü gazed at Yang Guo for a long while, then suddenly, with a soft cry, threw herself into his embrace. Yang Guo held her tight and pressed his lips to hers. Under his kiss, Xiaolongnü’s heart and soul melted into intoxication. She stretched out both hands to wrap around his neck and returned his kiss.

Suddenly, with a peng, the chamber door was thrust open. A green-robed disciple said sternly, “The Valley Master commands: select your swords and leave the chamber at once. No lingering.” Yang Guo’s face flushed red. He released his hands at once. But Xiaolongnü thought that she loved Yang Guo, and there was absolutely nothing wrong with the two of them embracing and kissing. It was only that having someone interfere made it hard to fully savour the moment. She sighed and said softly, “Guoer, wait until we have defeated that Valley Master. Then you may kiss me like this again.” Yang Guo smiled and nodded. He wrapped his left arm around her waist and said tenderly, “I could never kiss you enough in all eternity. You choose the weapons.”

Xiaolongnü said, “The weapons here truly seem to be rare pieces, every one. Not a single one is inferior. Even in our ancient tomb, we do not have so many.” She began examining them one by one, starting from the wall. She wanted to pick a pair of sharp swords equal in length and weight. But as she looked, every sword was different from the next. As she browsed, she asked, “When we entered just now, how did you know there was a mechanism here?” Yang Guo said, “I guessed from the Valley Master’s expression and the look in his eyes. He originally wanted to marry you. But the moment he heard you say you would join forces with me against him, he decided to kill you. Knowing his character, I did not believe he would be so kind as to let us come here and choose weapons.”

Xiaolongnü sighed again softly. “If we use the Pure-Hearted Jade Maiden Swordplay, can we defeat him?” Yang Guo said, “Though his martial skill is high, it is not above Jinlun Guoshi’s. The two of us together defeated the Imperial Preceptor. It stands to reason we can defeat him too.” Xiaolongnü said, “That is right. The Imperial Preceptor kept provoking him to fight the two of us, he wants to observe clearly.” Yang Guo smiled. “You have come to understand some of the treachery in men’s hearts. I am only worried about your health. You vomited blood again just now.”

Xiaolongnü’s smile bloomed like a flower. “You know that I only vomit blood when I am grieved or angered. Right now, I am overjoyed. This minor internal injury is nothing. You vomited blood too. Is it not serious?” Yang Guo said, “Now that I have seen you, nothing troubles me.” Xiaolongnü said tenderly, “It is the same for me.” She paused, then continued, “Your martial skill has advanced greatly of late. When we fought the Imperial Preceptor together, we could still win. How much more so today?” Hearing this, Yang Guo felt their chances of victory in this contest were high. Holding her hand, he said, “I want to ask you to promise me one thing. I wonder if you will.”

Xiaolongnü said softly, “Why do you still need to ask? I ceased to be your shifu long ago. I am your wife now. Whatever you say, I will follow your wishes.” Yang Guo said, “That… that is wonderful. I… did not know.” Xiaolongnü said, “Ever since that night on Mount Zhongnan, when you and I were so intimate, how could I still be your shifu? Though you were unwilling to take me as your wife, in my heart, I have long been your wife.” Yang Guo did not know what exactly had happened that night on Mount Zhongnan to make her suddenly ask such a question. Perhaps it was a momentary surge of emotion, or perhaps her long-suppressed feelings had at that moment burst forth and revealed themselves. Naturally, he could never have guessed the matter of Zhen Zhibing’s vile deed.⁴⁸ He thought, That day, my godfather Ouyang Feng taught me martial arts and sealed your acupoints. I certainly did not share any intimacy with you. But hearing her speak such tender, lingering words in that soft voice, he felt intoxicated as though with wine. For a moment, he could not speak.

Xiaolongnü leaned against his chest. “What did you want me to promise?” Yang Guo stroked her fine hair. “Once we defeat the Valley Master, we will immediately return to the ancient tomb. After that, no matter what happens, you must never leave my side again.” Xiaolongnü raised her head and looked into his eyes. “Do you think I wanted to leave you? Do you think my heartbreak after leaving you was any less than yours? Of course I promise. Even if the heavens collapse, I will never leave you again.”

Yang Guo was overjoyed. He was about to speak when the head green-robed disciple called out loudly, “Have you chosen your weapons yet?”

Xiaolongnü smiled faintly and said to Yang Guo, “Let us go as quickly as we can.” She turned, intending to simply take any two swords at random. But then she noticed a large patch of scorch marks on the western wall, and several tables and chairs also burned and broken. She could not help but stare. Yang Guo laughed. “That Old Urchin burst into this sword chamber once and set a fire. These scorch marks are naturally his handiwork.” Beneath a half-burnt scroll painting in the corner of the room, he spotted the ends of two sword sheaths protruding. A thought stirred: These two swords were originally concealed by the painting. Only because Old Urchin burned away half the scroll were the swords exposed. For the master to arrange them thus, these two swords must be especially precious. He reached up and took them from the wall, handed one to Xiaolongnü, and grasped the hilt of the other, drawing it from its sheath.

The moment the sword left the sheath, both felt a chill on their faces. The blade was jet black, without the faintest gleam, like a length of black wood. Xiaolongnü also drew her sword. It was identical to the one in Yang Guo’s hand, same size, same length, no difference whatsoever. With the twin swords placed side by side, the chill in the chamber intensified greatly. Yet both swords lacked points and lacked edges, round-tipped, blunt-sided, resembling thin wooden rods, just like the pointless, edgeless blunt swords they had used when practising the Pure-Hearted Jade Maiden Swordplay. Yang Guo turned the sword over and saw two characters engraved upon it: “Gentleman.”⁴⁹ He looked at Xiaolongnü’s sword, it was engraved “Lady.”⁵⁰ Yang Guo was delighted by these paired, complementary sword names. He looked at Xiaolongnü to see what she thought.

Xiaolongnü said happily, “These swords have neither points nor edges, perfect for crossing moves with the Valley Master. He saved my life once. I never wished to harm him.” Yang Guo laughed. “The swords are named Gentleman and Lady. I hardly deserve the name. If that ‘Gentle’ character were changed to ‘Rogue,’ the sword would suit me far better.”⁵¹ As he spoke, he thrust the sword twice in empty air. It felt perfectly balanced in the hand, extremely nimble. “Good,” he said. “Let us use this pair.”

Xiaolongnü returned her sword to its sheath. Just as she was about to leave the chamber, she noticed a bouquet of flowers in a vase on the table, delicate and enchanting, extraordinarily beautiful. But the arrangement was messy and unkempt, without pattern. Most likely, Zhou Botong had messed it up during his rampage. She reached out casually to tidy it. Yang Guo cried, “Ah, no, you mustn’t!” But it was already too late. Xiaolongnü’s finger had been pricked several times by the flower’s thorns. Startled, she turned back. “What is it?” Yang Guo said, “Those are passion flowers. After all these days in the valley, did you not know?” Xiaolongnü sucked her injured finger several times and shook her head. “I did not know. Passion flowers? What flowers are those?”

Yang Guo was about to explain when the green-robed disciples urged them repeatedly. The two returned to the great hall. Gongsun Valley Master had long been waiting with the utmost impatience. He glared at the green-robed disciples, clearly blaming them for their incompetence, how could they have allowed Yang and Long to delay so long? The disciples were terrified, and every face changed colour.

When the two drew near, Gongsun Valley Master said, “Miss Liu, have you chosen your swords?” Xiaolongnü drew the Lady Sword and nodded. “We will use this pair of blunt swords. We would not dare truly fight the Valley Master to the death. Shall we agree to stop at the touch?” The Valley Master’s heart clenched. He demanded harshly, “Who told you to take these swords?” As he spoke, his gaze swept toward Gongsun Lü’e, then settled on Xiaolongnü’s face. Xiaolongnü felt slightly puzzled. “No one told us. Is this pair not to be used? Then we shall go exchange them for two others.” The Valley Master shot a furious glare at Yang Guo. “Exchange them? Would that not take another half a day? No need. Begin.”

Xiaolongnü said, “Master Gongsun, let us make things clear beforehand. Neither he nor I, fighting you alone, is your match. Now, two against one, we hold the advantage. We do not truly wish to be your enemies, nor do we care about victory or defeat. So long as you do not obstruct us, we will admit defeat and offer our thanks.” The Valley Master gave a cold laugh. “Defeat the sabre and sword in my hands, and naturally I will leave you to your own devices. But if you lose, the marriage pact can no longer be reneged upon.”

Xiaolongnü smiled faintly. “If we lose, he and I will die together, buried in this valley. That is all.” Gongsun Valley Master said no more. The golden sabre in his left hand swept out with a rushing roar, slashing diagonally at Yang Guo.

Yang Guo raised his sword and returned a stance called “White Crane Spreads Its Wings”, an orthodox technique of the Quanzhen Sect.⁵² Gongsun Valley Master thought, Though this stance is rigorous in form, it is merely steady and unremarkable. His right sword swept back and thrust straight at Yang Guo’s shoulder. He had set Xiaolongnü aside entirely, directing both sabre and sword at Yang Guo. Yang Guo concentrated his spirit to meet the enemy, tightly guarding his defensive perimeter, and took three stances.

Xiaolongnü waited until the Valley Master had delivered three moves, then advanced with her sword. Gongsun Valley Master did not use his golden sabre to parry her sword moves. Only when her attack came with extreme speed did he deploy the black sword to deflect it. His moves showed deliberate deference. The Imperial Preceptor watched seven or eight stances, then smiled. “Gongsun Valley Master, showing such tender regard for beauty. I fear you will suffer greatly for it.” The Valley Master said, “Great Monk, if you look down on me, you are welcome to come down and instruct me later. For now, spare me your guidance.” As he spoke, he urged sabre and sword onward, and the wind in the hall grew steadily louder.

After several more exchanges, Yang Guo used a Quanzhen Swordplay stance called “Sweeping Across the Northern Desert,”⁵³ while Xiaolongnü used a Jade Maiden Swordplay stance called “Painting Eyebrows with Colour.”⁵⁴ Both were horizontal, slanting slashes, but Yang Guo’s long sword swept from left to right across several chi, while Xiaolongnü’s sword merely trembled twice, ever so slightly. The two stances combined into one move of the Pure-Hearted Jade Maiden Swordplay. “Dressing Before the Curtain.”⁵⁵ The Valley Master was startled. He raised the black sword to block Yang Guo’s long sword and brought the golden sabre across to guard his brow. Xiaolongnü’s blade brushed just past his eyes. Sabre and sword clashed. dang! The head of the golden sabre was sheared off by the Lady Sword.

The onlookers were all astonished. None had imagined that the seemingly ordinary, unremarkable blunt sword in her hand could be so impossibly sharp. Yang Guo and Xiaolongnü were equally taken by surprise. They had originally chosen this pair of blunt swords only because they resembled the edgeless swords of the ancient tomb and were identical in form. They had never expected that, by a happy accident, they had selected a pair of treasured swords. This boosted their spirits tremendously, and the twin swords pressed the attack with move after move.

The Valley Master was secretly perplexed. Sister Liu and this whelp are both inferior to me in martial skill. Even if they join forces, I should have nothing to fear. How is it that their twin swords in combination are so formidable? It seems that thieving monk’s words were not false. If I lose to these two today… if I lose to these two today… At this thought, he suddenly launched his left sabre in a rightward attack and his right sword in a leftward thrust, unleashing the ultimate technique of his life, the “Yin-Yang Reversed Blades Art.”⁵⁶ The black sword, originally yin and soft, now suddenly hacked and slashed with fierce power, becoming a yang-hard sabre technique. Meanwhile, the heavy, cumbersome serrated golden sabre now thrust, picked, sliced, and washed, following entirely the light, agile path of the sword. The sabre became sword, the sword became sabre, bewildering, unfathomable.

Jinlun Guoshi, Xiaoxiang Zi, and Yin Kexi were all men of vast experience. Yet this Yin-Yang Reversed sabre-and-sword technique was something none of them had ever seen or heard of. Ma Guangzuo shouted, “Hey, you rotten old man, what kind of bizarre nonsense are you stirring up with this chaos? You… you… the older you get, the worse you get! More and more disgraceful!”

The Valley Master was barely past forty, not particularly old. Today, having set his heart on marrying Xiaolongnü, to be called “rotten old man” this and “rotten old man” that by this oaf, how could he not be enraged? But at this moment, he had no leisure to settle scores. He poured his full strength into this martial art he had trained in bitterly for over twenty years, determined to defeat Yang and Long first, then deal viciously with Ma Guangzuo.

Yang Guo and Xiaolongnü, with their twin swords combined, had already been gradually gaining the upper hand. But now their opponent’s sabre and sword suddenly fell into chaos, his moves bizarre and strange. The two were thrown into frantic disarray. In an instant, they faced several perilous strikes in succession. Yang Guo perceived that the black sword’s power exceeded that of the golden sabre. He immediately took upon himself all the sabre techniques coming from the sword, letting Xiaolongnü block the serrated golden sabre. He reasoned that she held an advantage in weaponry, the golden sabre dared not clash with her Lady Sword, so she should face no great danger. But in doing this, the two were fighting independently. The Pure-Hearted Jade Maiden Swordplay was split in two, and its power diminished at once.

The Valley Master was delighted. He swung his sword. dang dang dang, three hacking blows, while his left-hand sabre simultaneously executed the four stances “Fixing the Yang Needle,” “Dividing Gold in Empty Form,” “Jing Ke Stabs the Qin King,” and “Nine-Ranked Lotus Throne.”⁵⁷ These four sword techniques were fluid and graceful, the four sword moves woven among the three sabre strikes. Yang Guo could barely hold his ground, but Xiaolongnü’s mind was flustered and her heart panicked. She tried to swing her sword and shear off the sabre’s edge, but the golden sabre darted like a phoenix in flight, impossible to catch. Yang Guo knew the situation was dire. Risking injury to himself, he used a Quanzhen Swordplay stance called “Horse Hooves Trample Fallen Flowers,”⁵⁸ levelling his shoulder and extending his sword, the blade tip rising to take both the opponent’s sabre and sword together. Xiaolongnü immediately withdrew her sword to protect the crown of Yang Guo’s head. The two came together and merged again, returning to the Pure-Hearted Jade Maiden Swordplay. The true essence of this sword art lay in the two sword-wielders’ hearts being in perfect communion, as though they were a single person. This move, in which Yang Guo abandoned his own defence to save her, was precisely the supreme heart method of this sword art. Xiaolongnü, seeing him leave his guard open to rescue her, feared he would be harmed and hastily extended her sword to guard him in his stead. Thus, neither guarded themselves, yet both were guarded. The power of the twin swords surged abruptly.

After several moves, beads of sweat appeared on the Valley Master’s brow. His sabre and sword strained left and right, the signs of defeat already visible. Xiaolongnü and Yang Guo, by contrast, grew smoother and more fluid with every move. Yang Guo formed a sword seal with his left hand⁵⁹ while his right-hand sword slanted to stab the enemy’s left waist. Xiaolongnü gripped her sword hilt with both hands and raised the blade in an upward tilt, the stance “Lifting the Tray to the Brow,”⁶⁰ its sword intent warm and graceful, rich with romantic charm.

At this moment, the Pure-Hearted Jade Maiden Swordplay the two were executing was seamless and without flaw. The sword intent that Lin Chaoying had created all those years ago was now fully manifest in their every move, reaching the ultimate pinnacle, without the slightest crack or crevice. Gongsun Valley Master watched as their twin swords moved as though wielded by a single person. The black sword in his right hand was blocked by Yang Guo’s Gentleman Sword. The golden sabre in his left hand was lifted aside by the Lady Sword that Xiaolongnü raised.

Gongsun Valley Master retreated a step and channelled every ounce of his strength into his right arm, hacking down with ferocious force. Just as his blade was about to meet Xiaolongnü’s long sword, he suddenly turned the sabre on its side, slamming the spine of the blade against the flat of the Lady Sword. This move was light, ingenious, and subtle, a technique of superior swordplay, something no sabre technique could possibly produce. It was the ultimate skill of the Valley Master’s “Yin-Yang Reversed Blades Art.” The golden sabre acting as a sword, its spine smashed against the Lady Sword, yet the force it carried was as fierce and unyielding as any sabre strike. Xiaolongnü’s entire body shook violently. Her long sword nearly flew from her grasp. She clenched the hilt with all her strength, refusing to let the sword escape, but a torrent of force surged into her chest, rattling her ribs and sending pain through her heart and lungs. She could not keep her footing and toppled to the right. Afraid that if she exerted force to steady herself, the shock to her heart would make her vomit blood, she simply let herself fall to the right side, yielding to dissipate the ferocious impact of the golden sabre’s strike.

Yang Guo saw Xiaolongnü fall and, terrified that the enemy would pursue, threw himself over her body to shield her in his terror. This lunge happened to form the first half of the move “Canopy Like a Pavilion” from the seventh chapter of the Jade Maiden Heart Sutra.⁶¹ In the days when Yang Guo and Xiaolongnü had trained in the seventh chapter of the Jade Maiden Heart Sutra, they had once practised this move, “Canopy Like a Pavilion.” Because the posture was suggestive, Yang Guo had been unable to resist trying to kiss his shifu. Xiaolongnü had pulled back at the cliff’s edge and commanded that they must never practise it again. Now, under the ferocious strike of a powerful foe, Xiaolongnü had fallen, and Yang Guo threw away his own life to save her, using his own body to shield his shifu from the enemy’s keen blade. He had not even thought of this move, wholly unpractised, utterly unfamiliar. “Canopy Like a Pavilion.” Yet now, without thinking, he had executed it.

The moment he lunged over Xiaolongnü’s body, the instinctive reverence for his shifu arose naturally within him. The nature of their bond had long since completely transformed from what it once was, yet he still dared not touch his shifu’s body. He propped himself up on his hands, his feet also braced and arched, his chest and abdomen hovering about half a chi above Xiaolongnü’s side. Gongsun Valley Master was overjoyed. He rushed forward two steps and swung his sabre down toward the crown of Yang Guo’s head. Xiaolongnü was horrified. She urgently thrust the Lady Sword upward, stabbing through the gap between Yang Guo’s braced legs. Gongsun Valley Master’s vision was blocked by Yang Guo’s body, he saw nothing. Bending at the waist to deliver the sabre stroke, before the blade could reach Yang Guo’s head, a sudden, savage pain erupted in his lower abdomen. With a great cry of “Ah!”, he toppled backward. A stream of blood jetted upward from his belly. Xiaolongnü had only sought to save Yang Guo and had no desire to wound the Valley Master. The moment she felt her sword tip touch the enemy’s body, she immediately withdrew her hand. Though the Jade Maiden Sword had pierced his lower abdomen, because Xiaolongnü had pulled back at once, the sword tip had not penetrated deeply. The wound was neither fatal nor even severe.

Yang Guo immediately sprang up, pulled Xiaolongnü to her feet by her left hand, and the two rushed to Gongsun Valley Master’s side. Both swords thrust out together, one pointing at the Valley Master’s left eye, one at his right eye. If either sword advanced a mere half chi, Gongsun Valley Master would not only be blinded in both eyes, but would die on the spot. The Valley Master lay on his back on the ground, having cast aside his weapons. He pressed his hands against the wound on his lower abdomen and gasped hoarsely.

The exchanges of the last several moves had been swift as a rabbit starting, sudden as a falcon descending, utterly unpredictable. The Valley Master had first used the bizarre moves of the Reversed Blades to shake Xiaolongnü to the ground. Yang Guo had then thrown himself forward, risking his life to shield her. The Valley Master had rushed in to deliver the finishing blow. Xiaolongnü had suddenly thrust her sword from between Yang Guo’s legs to wound the enemy. This move, “Canopy Like a Pavilion,” had already reached the absolute peak of the unimaginable. The hearts of nearly every onlooker had stopped beating. Not a single gasp of “Yi?” or cry of “Ah!” had escaped anyone’s lips. Only when the Valley Master fell and the twin swords pointed at his eyes did everyone release a great breath. Many had palms soaked with cold sweat. All thought that the contest was over, that no one had died, and that this matter could be resolved peacefully.

Seeing his expression, Xiaolongnü recalled the kindness he had shown in rescuing her. Her heart softened at once. She turned to Yang Guo and said, “Shall we spare him? Let us go home.” When she said “go home,” she meant returning together to the ancient tomb. Yang Guo was overjoyed. Laughing, he said, “Good! Let us go home!” The two withdrew their long swords and handed the twin blades to Gongsun Lü’e, who stood nearby.

Yang Guo extended his right arm and wrapped it around Xiaolongnü’s slender waist. Xiaolongnü turned her head and smiled at him, her charm boundless. Yang Guo could not resist leaning forward and giving her a light kiss on the cheek. Xiaolongnü’s heart was brimming with joy, filled with tender affection and sweet intimacy. Suddenly, it was as though a great iron hammer had struck her chest. A fierce pain shot through the finger of her right hand, as though the finger were being severed. Yang Guo knew the passion flower poison was acting up. She had been pricked by the passion flower’s tiny thorns back in the sword chamber. Now, stirred by emotion, the pain in her finger had erupted with unbearable intensity. Having suffered this agony himself, Yang Guo felt deep pity for her. Gently, he asked, “Does it hurt terribly?” He lifted Xiaolongnü’s hand in both of his and placed her aching finger in his mouth, sucking it to try to ease her pain. Who could have known that this act of tenderness would trigger his own pain as well, his own hand immediately erupted in agony.

The Valley Master saw his chance. Before he had even risen, he had seized the black sword and thrust it forward, pressing the tip against Yang Guo’s chest. Yang Guo, his hands empty of weapons, had no way to parry. The Valley Master’s left hand then scooped up the golden sabre. Xiaolongnü, horrified, rushed to save him, but the Valley Master blocked her with the golden sabre. Without a sword in her hand, she could not draw near. The Valley Master shouted, “Seize this whelp!” Four green-robed disciples answered and stepped forward, casting their net. They wrapped it around Yang Guo, winding it several times to bind him fast.

Gongsun Lü’e was aghast. She cried, “Father!” The twin swords she had been holding dropped from her hands to the floor. With a sharp cha, the Gentleman Sword and the Lady Sword sprang toward each other, joining together and never again separating, for both blades carried an intensely powerful magnetic force. Xiaolongnü said calmly, “Even the swords are like this, how much more so people? Kill the two of us together, and be done with it.”

Gongsun Valley Master gave a cold snort. “Come with me.” He raised a hand in salute toward the Imperial Preceptor and the others. “Excuse me for a moment.” He turned and entered the inner hall. Four disciples dragged the fishing net, hauling Yang Guo, and followed him in. Xiaolongnü followed as well.

Ma Guangzuo shouted, “You yellow-faced, rotten old man, base and shameless! They had clearly spared your life, and you launched a sneak attack! Worse than pigs and dogs!” The Imperial Preceptor, Xiaoxiang Zi, and the others all felt that Gongsun Valley Master’s character was low and contemptible, a poor match for his dignified bearing and imposing manner.

Gongsun Valley Master strode ahead with his head held high, entered a small stone chamber, and applied wound medicine to the sword cut on his abdomen. He said, “Cut several bundles of passion flowers.”

Yang Guo and Xiaolongnü, having already resolved to die, merely smiled at each other. They paid no attention whatsoever to whatever Gongsun Valley Master did or said. Before long, a heart-intoxicating floral fragrance drifted through the stone chamber’s entrance. The two turned to look. Before their eyes spread a riot of colour, delicate reds, tender yellows. Over ten green-robed disciples entered the chamber carrying armful after armful of passion flowers. Their hands and arms were padded with cowhide to prevent injury from the passion flower’s small thorns. Gongsun Valley Master waved his right hand and said coldly, “Pile them all on this whelp.”

In an instant, it was as though Yang Guo’s entire body were being stung by ten thousand wasps simultaneously. Every limb, every bone, the agony was beyond endurance. Seeing the expression of pain on his face, Xiaolongnü felt both pity and fury. She shouted at Gongsun Valley Master, “What are you doing?” She rushed forward to sweep the passion flowers off Yang Guo’s body.

Gongsun Valley Master stretched out his arm and blocked her. “Sister Liu,” he said, “today was originally to be the auspicious day of our wedding. Yet this whelp burst into the valley and turned a joyous occasion into utter chaos. He and I have never met before, there is no enmity between us. And besides, since he is your disciple, so long as he observed the propriety of a guest, I would naturally have treated him with courtesy and respect. But now that matters have come to this…” At this point, he waved his left hand. The disciples withdrew from the stone chamber and closed the door behind them. He continued: “…whether this turns to calamity or blessing rests entirely upon a single thought of yours.”

Under the siege of the passion flowers’ countless thorns, Yang Guo suffered misery beyond words. Yet, unwilling to let Xiaolongnü grieve on his account, he clenched his teeth and uttered not a sound. Not a single word of Gongsun Valley Master’s speech entered his ears. Xiaolongnü gazed at his tormented expression, and a surge of pity rose within her. At that very moment, the passion flower poison in her own finger erupted, bringing another wave of fierce pain. She thought, I was merely pricked slightly by a passion flower, and the pain is already so terrible. His whole body pierced by a thousand needles and ten thousand thorns, how can he possibly endure it?

Gongsun Valley Master guessed her thoughts. “Sister Liu,” he said, “I am wholly sincere in wishing to join with you in a hundred-year bond of blessed matrimony. Toward you, I harbour only a heart full of admiration and devotion, absolutely no ill intent. This, you surely understand.” Xiaolongnü nodded and said mournfully, “You showed me the kindness of saving my life. You have always treated me well, with attentive care and the utmost courtesy…” She lowered her head for a long moment, then let out a long sigh. “Master Gongsun, if you had not encountered me that day in the desolate mountains, if you had not saved my life, if you had let me die silently and unnoticed, it would have been better for all three of us. You are forcing me to marry you, knowing full well that I would be unhappy for the rest of my life. What benefit is that to you?”

Gongsun Valley Master’s brows slowly rose again. In a low voice, he said, “All my life, I have said one is one and two is two. I will not tolerate being bullied or humiliated. Since you agreed to marry me, marry me you shall. As for joy or sorrow, the affairs of this world are inherently hard to predict. Who knows what tomorrow will bring? Let us all walk forward and see.” With a sweep of his sleeve, he said, “This person is wounded all over by passion flowers. With every passing shichen⁶², the pain will intensify by one degree. After thirty-six days, he will die in total-body agony. Within twelve shichen, I have a secret, specially prepared wondrous medicine that can heal him. After one day, not even an immortal could save him. Whether he lives or dies, that is for you to say.” So speaking, he walked slowly toward the chamber door, stretched out his hand, and pushed it open. Turning his head, he said, “If you would rather let him slowly suffer to death, that is also up to you. You may stay here and watch him for thirty-six days. I have absolutely no intention of harming you, rest assured of that. If within twelve shichen you change your mind, you need only call out once, and I will bring the antidote to save his life.” He made to step out of the chamber.

Xiaolongnü saw Yang Guo’s whole body trembling. He was biting his lip until it bled. His eyes, originally bright as falling stars, had now grown dim and lustreless. She could imagine the agony his body was enduring. If it was already this unbearable now, and if the pain intensified with every passing shichen, lasting a full thirty-six days, she feared not even the tortures of hell could match such suffering. Gritting her teeth, she said, “Master Gongsun, I agree to marry you, then. Quickly, release him. Fetch the antidote and save him.”

Gongsun Valley Master had been pressing her relentlessly for precisely these words. Now, hearing them spoken, his heart was filled with both joy and bitter jealousy. He knew that from this day forward, this woman would feel only resentment and hatred toward him, never the slightest trace of affection. He nodded. “If you can change your mind, it is better for everyone. Tonight, after you and I have spent our wedding night in the bridal chamber, tomorrow morning I will fetch the medicine and save him.” Xiaolongnü said, “Your words have not counted before. Heal his wounds first.” The Valley Master sighed. “Sister Liu, you think far too little of me. It was only with the greatest difficulty that I made you agree. You are clearly not sincere in your heart. Even if I were the greatest fool, how could I not know that? Could I possibly heal him first?” He turned and left the chamber.

Xiaolongnü and Yang Guo faced each other in shared misery. For a long time, neither spoke. At last, Yang Guo said slowly, “Gugu, Guoer has received your wholehearted love. Even in the Nine Springs below, my heart will be at peace. Strike me dead with one palm.” Xiaolongnü thought, I will kill him first, then immediately take my own life. She raised her hand and silently gathered her neili. Yang Guo’s face showed a faint smile. His gaze was gentle and sweet as he gazed at her. Softly, he said, “This moment, this is the time of our wedding night.”

Xiaolongnü saw his spirit shining so brightly. She thought, A handsome, charming young gentleman like this, why is heaven so cruel, demanding that he die a violent death today? A sour ache rose in her chest. She suddenly felt a sweetness in her throat, as though she would vomit blood again. The strength drained from her arm. Abruptly, she threw herself onto Yang Guo. The thousand needles and ten thousand thorns of the passion flowers pierced into her own body simultaneously. “Guoer,” she said, “let us share this pain together.”

Suddenly, from behind them, came Gongsun Valley Master’s startled cry: “You… you…” Then, coldly: “Why suffer so unnecessarily? Does the pain in your body lessen his pain by even half?” Xiaolongnü gazed at Yang Guo with infinite, deep affection and did not turn around. Gongsun Valley Master said to Yang Guo, “In ten more shichen, I will bring the spirit medicine to save you. During these ten shichen, so long as your heart is pure and free of desire, even if there is pain, it will not be hard to endure.” He took Xiaolongnü by the arm and pulled her out of the chamber. Xiaolongnü’s entire body was weak. She could only let him pull her away.

Yang Guo suffered in his body, but the grief in his heart was worse: All the pains and torments I have endured before, compared to today, none of them count for anything. This Valley Master is so base and venomous. How can I simply die and let Gugu fall into his hands to suffer torment? And besides, my father’s death remains unavenged. How can I allow that hypocritical, false-righteous Guo Jing⁶³ and Huang Rong⁶⁴ to have committed their evil deeds without facing retribution? At this thought, hot blood surged through him like boiling water. He grew fierce with determination and resolve. I must not die! No matter what, I must not die! Even if Gugu becomes this Valley Master’s wife, I must still rescue her. I must still train bitterly in martial arts to avenge my dead parents. He clenched his teeth, sat cross-legged, and though bound inside the fishing net he could not assume the proper meditative posture, he still sank his qi to his dantian and began to practise his neili cultivation.

After two shichen had passed, it was already past noon. A green-robed disciple entered carrying a tray with four unleavened steamed buns. “The Valley Master celebrates his wedding today,” the disciple said. “He lets you eat your fill as well.” He placed the tray beside the fishing net. His hands were wrapped in thick layers of coarse cloth, for fear of being injured by the passion flowers. Yang Guo reached through the net, took the four buns, and ate them all. He thought, Since I must fight this thieving Valley Master to the bitter end, I cannot abuse my own body. The disciple laughed. “I wouldn’t have guessed you’d have such a good appetite.”

Suddenly, a green shadow flickered at the doorway. Another green-robed disciple slipped inside, crept up behind the first without a sound, raised a fist, and brought it crashing down on the crown of the first disciple’s head. The first disciple, never having seen who had come, was knocked senseless.

Yang Guo saw that the one who had launched the sneak attack was none other than Gongsun Lü’e. Startled, he said, “You… you…” Gongsun Lü’e turned and first closed the chamber door. In a low voice, she said, “Brother Yang, be quiet. I have come to rescue you.” So saying, she untied the knots of the fishing net, moved aside the heaps of passion flowers, and released Yang Guo. Her hands, too, were wrapped in coarse cloth. Yang Guo hesitated. “If your father learns of this…” Gongsun Lü’e said, “I am prepared to suffer severe punishment.” She casually plucked a small cluster of passion flowers and stuffed it into the mouth of the green-robed disciple so that when he awoke, he could not call for help. Then she bound him inside the fishing net and piled passion flowers all over his body. Only then did she say in a low voice, “Brother Yang, if anyone comes in, hide behind the door. You are poisoned throughout your body. I will go to the pill room to fetch the antidote for you.”

Yang Guo was deeply grateful. He knew the extraordinary danger she was courting. He had known her barely a day, yet she was betraying her own father to save him. “Miss,” he said, “I… I…” His heart was so stirred that he could not continue. Lü’e smiled faintly. “Wait just a moment. I will return immediately.” She drifted out of the chamber.

Gongsun Lü’e was eighteen years old, at the very age when the heart first opens to love. The neili cultivation taught in the Passionless Valley was originally designed to teach people to cast aside emotion and sever desire. But wherever there is life, there is emotion. Buddhists call all living beings “sentient”, not only men and women, young and old, but even oxen, horses, pigs, sheep, fish, birds, snakes, and insects all possess emotion. If living beings were truly without emotion, they could not help but go extinct, and would cease to reproduce. What the Passionless Valley cultivated ran contrary to human nature and the nature of living things, it was by no means the proper path. Though there were men in the valley, everyone’s speech was flavourless, everyone’s expression cold. Gongsun Lü’e had, since childhood, received little of the affection between parents and children. Everyone she met took emotionlessness as the highest virtue. All the fine foods, splendid clothes, cosmetics, powders, and precious ornaments of the world, all things that gladdened the heart and pleased the nature, were rejected. Then, suddenly, she had encountered Yang Guo. This person not only praised her beauty lavishly, but his every gesture was spirited and unrestrained, his every word delightful. All at once, she had met with life’s ultimate joy and delight. She could not help but feel her heart and soul melt into intoxication, powerless to resist. Throughout this single day, in her quiet self-reflection, there had not been a moment when her thoughts did not dwell on Yang Guo. A single thread of tender emotion had bound itself fast to this young man, and she could no longer pull free. Though it was one-sided longing, the silkworm spinning its own cocoon, what she was bound by, she would bind herself to unto death, no less than if the love were mutual.

Yang Guo stared blankly into space, lost in thought. Why does she treat me so well? Though my life has been marked by misfortune, bullied and humiliated since childhood, the people in this world who have treated me with true sincerity are not few. Gugu, of course, goes without saying. Then there are Granny Sun, Old Clan Leader Hong, my godfather Ouyang Feng, Island Master Huang, and people like Cheng Ying, Lu Wushuang⁶⁵, and now this Miss Gongsun Lü’e, every one of them has shown me the utmost sincerity. The eight characters of my birth time must be extraordinarily strange. Otherwise, why would those who treat me well treat me so well, and those who treat me badly treat me so badly? What he failed to realise was that his own life’s encounters were peculiar, the people he met either treated him extremely well or extremely badly, and this was the result of his own extreme, biased nature. Those whose hearts and temperaments matched his own, he treated with utter sincerity. Those whose words displeased him, he regarded as mortal enemies. As he treated others, so others naturally treated him in return.

He waited a long time, but still Gongsun Lü’e did not appear. The longer Yang Guo waited, the more worried he grew. At first, he reasoned that there must be someone in the pill room and that stealing the medicine was temporarily impossible. But as time stretched on, he thought that even if she could not obtain the medicine, she would surely have come to tell him. It seemed the matter had already turned from good to ill. She had risked such great danger for him, how could he not try to rescue her? He pushed the chamber door open a crack and peered outside. The corridor beyond was silent, not a soul in sight. He slipped out at once, but had no idea where Gongsun Lü’e might be.

Just as he was hesitating in uncertainty, he suddenly heard footsteps around a corner. He hastily shrank back behind the turn. Two green-robed disciples walked past side by side, each carrying a thorned rod, clearly instruments of punishment. Yang Guo was enraged. Gugu would rather die than submit, and this shameless Valley Master means to torture her into submission! Softening his footsteps, he followed behind the two disciples. They noticed nothing and wound their way through several corridors until they reached a stone chamber. In a clear voice, they announced, “Reporting to the Valley Master: the thorned rods have been fetched.” They pushed the door open and entered.

Yang Guo’s heart pounded. He saw that the stone chamber had a window on its eastern side. He crept beneath the window and peered inside. To his surprise, Xiaolongnü was not within. It was Gongsun Lü’e who stood with head bowed before her father. The Valley Master sat in the centre. Two green-robed disciples stood to either side of Lü’e, long swords in hand.

The Valley Master took the thorned rod and said coldly, “Lü’er, you are my own flesh and blood. Why, in the end, have you betrayed me?” Lü’e lowered her head and said nothing. The Valley Master said, “You have taken a fancy to that young man surnamed Yang. Do you think I do not know? I originally said I would release him. Why were you so impatient? Tomorrow, I will speak with him and betroth you to him. What do you say?” Yang Guo knew perfectly well that Gongsun Lü’e harboured strong feelings for him, but hearing it spoken aloud now still set his heart pounding.

Gongsun Lü’e kept her head lowered in silence. After a moment, she suddenly raised her head and said clearly, “Father, at this moment your entire mind is set on your own marriage. Do you still have any regard for your daughter?” The Valley Master gave a cold snort and did not reply. Lü’e continued, “It is true, your daughter admires Young Master Yang for his upright character, his sense of affection and duty. But your daughter knows that in his heart there is only Miss Long. The reason your daughter rescued him was precisely… precisely because she could not bear to watch her father’s conduct, nothing more.” Yang Guo’s heart stirred with emotion. This thieving Valley Master is perverse and reckless, yet the daughter he has begotten is so righteous.

The Valley Master’s face remained wooden, showing no trace of anger. Lightly, he said, “According to what you say, then I am not upright in character. I am without affection or duty?” Lü’e said, “How would your daughter dare speak of her father in such terms? It is only… it is only…” The Valley Master said, “Only what?” Lü’e said, “Young Master Yang suffers the thousand needles and ten thousand thorns of the passion flower. How can he endure such agony? Father, show great mercy and great virtue, release him.” The Valley Master laughed coldly. “Tomorrow, I will naturally save him and release him. What need is there for you to meddle?”

Lü’e tilted her head, pondering, as though weighing whether certain words should be spoken. At last, a look of resolve appeared on her face. “Father,” she said, “your daughter has received the great kindness of your begetting, nurturing, and raising. Young Master Yang is an outsider I have only just met. How could your daughter turn against you to help him? If you truly intended to heal his wounds and release him tomorrow, why would your daughter have taken the risk of entering the pill room?” The Valley Master said harshly, “Then why did you come?” Gongsun Lü’e said, “Your daughter knew that you harboured no good intentions toward him. After forcing Miss Long to marry you, you planned to use a venomous scheme to kill Young Master Yang, to cut off Miss Long’s hopes once and for all. After you were struck by the poisoned needles, when you asked for the antidote, you said you would let them leave the valley without hindrance, those words you did not keep. Just now, in the sword contest, it was clearly they who spared you, everyone present saw it…”

The Valley Master’s two long brows immediately shot upright. Coldly, he said, “Hmph. Truly, raising a tiger invites disaster. I raised you to such an age, never imagining that today you would turn around and bite me. Hand it over!” He extended his hand. Lü’e said, “What does Father want?” The Valley Master said, “Still pretending? The Passion-Cutting Pill, the antidote for the passion flower poison.”⁶⁶ Lü’e said, “Your daughter did not take it.” The Valley Master rose to his feet. “Then where is it?”

Yang Guo surveyed the chamber. The tables and cabinets were lined with medicine bottles. Bundles of dried medicinal herbs hung in clusters from the walls. Three pill furnaces stood side by side against the western side. This stone chamber was naturally the so-called pill room. Judging by the Valley Master’s expression, Lü’e was certain to suffer severe punishment today. He heard her say, “Father, your daughter did enter the pill room in secret, and did intend to take the Passion-Cutting Pill to save Young Master Yang. But I never found it. Otherwise, how would you have discovered me?”

The Valley Master said harshly, “This medicine storage of mine is extremely secret. Those outsiders have been in the hall the entire time, never leaving for a single step. Yet the Passion-Cutting Pill has suddenly vanished. Did it grow legs of its own?” Lü’e knelt on the ground and wept. “Father, spare Young Master Yang’s life. Order him to leave the valley and never return. That will do.” The Valley Master laughed coldly. “If my own life were hanging by a thread, I doubt you would kneel and weep to beg for me.” Lü’e did not answer. She merely wrapped her arms around his knees.

The Valley Master said, “You took the Passion-Cutting Pill. How am I supposed to save him now? Fine. If you will not confess, so be it. You will stay here for one day. Though you stole my pill, you could not deliver it into that whelp’s mouth. It is all in vain. After twelve shichen, I will release you.” He walked toward the chamber door. Gongsun Lü’e clenched her teeth and cried, “Father!”

The Valley Master said, “What more do you have to say?” Lü’e pointed at the four disciples. “Send them out first.” The Valley Master said, “In my valley, all hearts are as one. There is nothing that cannot be spoken before others.” Lü’e’s face flushed deep crimson, then turned deathly pale. “Fine,” she said. “If you do not believe your daughter’s words, then see for yourself whether I have the pill on my body.” So saying, she began to unbutton her upper garment, then moved to unfasten her skirt. Gongsun Valley Master hastily waved his hand, ordering the four disciples outside, and closed the chamber door. In moments, Lü’e had removed her outer garment and skirt, leaving only her innermost underclothes. Indeed, there was nothing on her body.

Outside the window, Yang Guo saw her entire form, crystalline white and flawless. His heart gave a sudden leap. He was a young man, and Lü’e’s figure was full and shapely, her face lovely. At a single glance, his blood surged and desire arose, and instantly, agony erupted throughout his entire body. Then he remembered: She risked her life to save me. For that, she did not hesitate to bare her body. Yang Guo, oh Yang Guo, if you look one more time, you are worse than a beast. He shut his eyes in haste. But in his agitation, his forehead lightly bumped against the window lattice.

Though the sound was barely a whisper, Gongsun Valley Master had already detected it. He walked to the three pill furnaces, pushed the middle one aside, moved the eastern one to the middle, shifted the western one to the east, and finally moved the one originally in the middle to the west. “Since that is the case,” he said, “I shall grant your wish and spare that whelp’s life.” Lü’e was overjoyed. She prostrated herself on the ground and said in a trembling voice, “Many thanks, Father!”

The Valley Master walked to a chair against the wall and sat down. “You know the rules of my valley. What is the penalty for entering the pill room without authorisation?” Lü’e lowered her head. “The penalty is death.” The Valley Master sighed. “Though you are my own daughter, I cannot break the valley’s rules. Go in peace.” He drew the black sword and raised it halfway into the air. Gently, he said, “Ah, Lü’er. If from this moment on, you never plead for that whelp again, I will spare you. I can only spare one, you, or him?” Gongsun Lü’e said in a low voice, “Spare him.” The Valley Master said, “Good. My daughter is truly of great benevolence and great righteousness, surpassing her father by far.” He swung the sword down toward the crown of her head.

Yang Guo was horrified. “Hold!” he cried, and leaped through the window into the chamber. “It is I who should die!” he shouted. His right foot touched down, and he was about to reach out and seize Gongsun Valley Master’s wrist to stop the black sword’s downward sweep, when suddenly the sole of his foot gave way beneath him, as though he had stepped into empty air. Yang Guo urgently lifted his true qi. The two fingers of his left hand curled against the ground, and his body shot upward. The Valley Master thrust both palms against his daughter’s shoulders. Lü’e was propelled helplessly backward, hurtling toward Yang Guo.

Yang Guo had vaulted upward and was now falling back down. Gongsun Lü’e collided with him, and the two of them plummeted straight down together. They felt nothing but emptiness beneath their feet. It was as though they had fallen dozens of zhang and still not reached the bottom. Though Yang Guo was alarmed, his thoughts still turned to protecting Lü’e’s life. In his desperation, he lifted her body with both hands. Before his eyes was utter darkness. He had no idea where they would land, upon a mountain of blades, a forest of swords, or jagged rocks and boulders? Before the thought could settle, with a great putong, the two of them crashed into water and sank rapidly. It turned out that beneath the pill room lay a deep abyss.

樊一翁 – Fán Yīwēng. His name meaning “Fan, the one old man”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
杨过 – Yáng Guò. His name meaning “fault or transgression”; his courtesy name Gaizhi means “to correct it”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
打狗棒法 – Dǎgǒu Bàngfǎ. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
马光佐 – Mǎ Guāngzuò. His name meaning “bright assistance”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
泼水杖法 – Pōshuǐ Zhàngfǎ. Staff technique of the Passionless Valley. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
缠字诀 – Chán Zì Jué. One of the eight formulae of the Dog-Beating Staff Technique, using coiling motions. ↩
斤 – jīn. Traditional Chinese unit of weight, approximately one pound or half a kilogram. ↩
公孙止 – Gōngsūn Zhǐ. His name meaning “to cease” or “to stop”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
转字诀 – Zhuǎn Zì Jué. One of the eight formulae of the Dog-Beating Staff Technique, using rotational force. ↩
丈 – zhàng. Traditional Chinese unit of length, about 3.3 metres. Ten chi make one zhang. ↩
尺 – chǐ. Traditional Chinese unit of length, about a third of a metre. Ten chi make one zhang. ↩
潇湘子 – Xiāoxiāng Zǐ. Literally Master of the Xiao and Xiang rivers. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
尹克西 – Yǐn Kèxī. His name meaning “overcome the west”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
小龙女 – Xiǎolóngnǚ. Literally little dragon maiden. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
公孙绿萼 – Gōngsūn Lǜ’è. Her name meaning “green calyx”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
绝情谷 – Juéqíng Gǔ. Hidden valley ruled by Gongsun Zhi, known for its deadly Passion Flowers and the Passionless Divine Palm technique. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
周伯通 – Zhōu Bótōng. His name meaning “elder who understands all”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
天罡北斗阵 – Tiāngāng Běidǒu Zhèn. Quanzhen battle formation based on the Northern Dipper. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
玉蜂针 – Yùfēng Zhēn. Fine needles coated with Jade Bee poison, a signature concealed weapon of the Ancient Tomb School. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
天罗地网势 – Tiānluó Dìwǎng Shì. Ancient Tomb School qinggong for intercepting and capturing. 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. ↩
大椎穴 – Dàzhuī Xué. GV-14 acupoint on the Governing Vessel meridian, located below the seventh cervical vertebra at the base of the neck. Major acupoint governing the flow of qi between the upper body and head. ↩
玉女心经 – Yùnǚ Xīnjīng. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
李莫愁 – Lǐ Mòchóu. Her name meaning “do not sorrow”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
林朝英 – Lín Cháoyīng. Her name meaning “facing the hero” or “morning hero”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
洪七公 – Hóng Qīgōng. Literally Hong the Seventh Lord; the numeral seven marks seniority among sworn brothers. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
欧阳锋 – Ōuyáng Fēng. His name meaning “blade” or “cutting edge”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
黄药师 – Huáng Yàoshī. His name meaning “medicine master”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
内力 – nèilì. Literally internal force. Kinetic manifestation of cultivated qi. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
完颜萍 – Wányán Píng. Her name meaning “duckweed”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
铁掌功 – Tiězhǎng Gōng. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
移魂大法 – yíhún dàfǎ. Technique from the Nine Yin Manual that allows the practitioner’s spirit to depart from the body, achieving a state of dissociation. ↩
达尔巴 – Dá’ěrbā. Golden Wheel National Preceptor’s second disciple. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
美女拳法 – Měinǚ Quánfǎ. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
银索金铃索法 – Yínsǔo Jīnlíng Suǒfǎ. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
阴谷穴 – Yīngǔ Xué. KI-10 acupoint on the Kidney meridian, located at the inner side of the popliteal fossa (back of the knee). Striking it causes the leg to buckle. ↩
玉蜂金针 – Yùfēng Jīnzhēn. Ancient Tomb Sect’s signature hidden weapon, extremely fine golden needles coated with a unique poison derived from the jade bees kept in the Ancient Tomb. ↩
中枢穴 – Zhōngshū Xué. Literally central pivot. Acupoint on the lower back along the spine on the governing vessel meridian. See Wikipedia. ↩
冰魄银针 – Bīngpò Yínzhēn. Li Mochou’s signature concealed weapon. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
程英 – Chéng Yīng. Her name meaning “heroine” or “outstanding”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
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. ↩
封字诀 – Fēng Zì Jué. One of the eight formulae of the Dog-Beating Staff Technique. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
“Single Pillar Propping the Heavens.” 独柱擎天 – Dú Zhù Qíng Tiān. Defensive staff technique in which the weapon is raised vertically to block a downward strike, like a single pillar holding up the sky. ↩
虎口 – hǔkǒu. Literally tiger’s mouth. Web of flesh between the thumb and forefinger. ↩
郝大通 – Hǎo Dàtōng. His name meaning “great penetration”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
玉女素心剑 – Yùnǚ Sùxīn Jiàn. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
杨/柳 – Yang and Liu. Play on Chinese surnames. Xiaolongnü originally told the Valley Master her surname was Liu (柳, “willow”). Yang Guo’s surname is Yang (杨, “poplar”). Both are tree names, forming a natural pair — hence Xiaolongnü chose “Liu” as her false surname to match Yang Guo’s. ↩
甄志丙 – Zhēn Zhìbǐng. His name meaning “aspiring to the third stem”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
君子剑 – Jūnzǐ Jiàn. One of a legendary pair of swords. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
淑女剑 – Shūnǚ Jiàn. Counterpart to the Gentleman Sword. “Shunü” means a virtuous, refined lady — the feminine counterpart to the junzi ideal. ↩
Gentleman/Rogue wordplay. Character 君 (jūn, “gentleman”) resembles 浪 (làng, “rogue” or “dissolute”). Yang Guo jokes that the “rogue” sword would suit his wild, unrestrained nature better. ↩
“White Crane Spreads Its Wings.” 白鹤亮翅 – Bái Hè Liàng Chì. Fundamental defensive stance in many Chinese martial arts, including Quanzhen Swordplay, in which the arms are spread like a crane displaying its wings. ↩
“Sweeping Across the Northern Desert.” 横行漠北 – Héng Xíng Mò Běi. Quanzhen Swordplay stance featuring a broad horizontal sweep, named for the vast deserts north of China. ↩
“Painting Eyebrows with Colour.” 彩笔画眉 – Cǎi Bǐ Huà Méi. Jade Maiden Swordplay stance whose name evokes the intimate, tender act of a husband painting his wife’s eyebrows — a classic Chinese romantic image. ↩
“Dressing Before the Curtain.” 帘下梳装 – Lián Xià Shū Zhuāng. Combined stance of the Pure-Hearted Jade Maiden Swordplay, evoking the image of a woman dressing and arranging her hair before a curtain. ↩
阴阳倒乱刃法 – Yīnyáng Dàoluàn Rènfǎ. Gongsun Zhi’s signature technique. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
Four sword stances. “Fixing the Yang Needle” (定阳针, Dìng Yáng Zhēn), “Dividing Gold in Empty Form” (虚式分金, Xū Shì Fēn Jīn), “Jing Ke Stabs the Qin King” (荆轲刺秦, Jīng Kē Cì Qín, referencing the famous failed assassination attempt on the Qin king by the assassin Jing Ke), and “Nine-Ranked Lotus Throne” (九品莲台, Jiǔ Pǐn Lián Tái, a Buddhist reference to the nine grades of the Lotus Throne in the Pure Land). ↩
“Horse Hooves Trample Fallen Flowers.” 马蹴落花 – Mǎ Cù Luò Huā. Quanzhen Swordplay stance evoking the image of a horse’s hooves trampling fallen blossoms — graceful destruction. ↩
剑诀 – Jiàn Jué. Hand gesture formed with the left hand while the right wields the sword, used to focus qi and direct energy in Chinese swordsmanship. ↩
“Lifting the Tray to the Brow.” 举案齐眉 – Jǔ Àn Qí Méi. Combined stance of the Pure-Hearted Jade Maiden Swordplay, named after the classical idiom describing the ideal married couple: the wife lifts the food tray to the level of her eyebrows when serving her husband, signifying mutual respect and devotion. ↩
“Canopy Like a Pavilion.” 亭亭如盖 – Tíngtíng Rú Gài. Technique from the seventh chapter of the Jade Maiden Heart Sutra, named after the image of a pavilion’s canopy. Its suggestive posture led Xiaolongnü to forbid further practice. ↩
时辰 – shíchén. Traditional Chinese unit of time equal to two hours. Day was divided into twelve shichen, each named after one of the Earthly Branches. ↩
郭靖 – Guō Jìng. His name meaning “tranquillity” or “pacification”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
黄蓉 – Huáng Róng. Her name meaning “lotus” or “hibiscus”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
陆无双 – Lù Wúshuāng. Her name meaning “peerless” or “without equal”. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩
绝情丹 – Juéqíng Dān. Antidote for passion-flower poison from the Passionless Valley. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

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