The Heavenly Sword & the Dragon Sabre Chapter 5 Part 4

Zhang Cuishan’s¹ fury erupted. “I bear you no grudge! Why must you scheme against me so?”

Yin Susu² smiled serenely. “I meant you no particular harm. It is simply that the Shaolin and Wudang schools are hailed as the two supreme pillars of the jianghu. I wished to set you against each other and see which proved the stronger.”

A chill of horror ran through Zhang Cuishan, and the blazing anger in his chest subsided into wary dread.

So her true design was grander still, he thought. Not merely to frame me, but to ignite a war between Wudang and Shaolin. Had our two sects truly come to blows, the devastation would have shaken the entire wulin.³

Yin Susu flicked her folding fan with elegant composure. “Zhang the Fifth Xia, might I trouble you to let me see the calligraphy on your fan?”

Zhang Cuishan was about to reply when a voice rang out from Chang Jinpeng’s⁴ vessel ahead, “Is that a Giant Whale Guild ship? Who is aboard?”

From the right side of the river came the answer, “The Young Guild Chief of the Giant Whale Guild,⁵ bound for Wangpan Island⁶ to attend the gathering.”

The man on Chang Jinpeng’s ship called back, “Miss Yin of the Heavenly Eagle Order⁷ and Altar Master Chang of the Vermilion Bird Altar are present, together with a distinguished guest of a renowned school. Your vessel will fall behind!”

The man on the other ship replied gruffly, “Were your Grand Master himself here, we would gladly yield. For anyone else, there is no need.”

Zhang Cuishan’s mind stirred. The Heavenly Eagle Order—what manner of faction is this? Their influence and bearing suggest no small power. They must have risen to prominence recently. We of Wudang seldom venture into the Jiangnan region, which is why I have not heard of them. The Giant Whale Guild, on the other hand, is long known by reputation—and not for anything good.

He pushed open the cabin window and peered out. The rival vessel had been fashioned in the shape of a great whale, its prow studded with scores of gleaming blades arranged to form the creature’s teeth. Its stern curved upward like a whale’s tail. The whale-ship carried a larger sail on a lighter hull and cut through the water far faster than Chang Jinpeng’s boat.

Chang Jinpeng strode to his prow and called out, “Young Guild Chief Mai,⁸ Miss Yin is aboard. You will not even grant her this small courtesy?”

A young man in yellow garments emerged from the whale-ship’s cabin and laughed coldly. “On dry land, the Heavenly Eagle Order may reign supreme. But upon the waves, the Giant Whale Guild holds sway. Why should we yield passage?”

Zhang Cuishan thought, The river is broad enough for hundreds of vessels abreast. Why insist on them yielding? This Heavenly Eagle Order is altogether too overbearing.

The whale-ship hoisted a second sail and surged ahead, the distance between the two vessels widening rapidly until there was no hope of pursuit. Chang Jinpeng snorted. His voice carried across the water in fragments, “Giant Whale Guild… Dragon-Slaying Sabre… also… Dragon-Slaying Sabre…”

The wind and waves were fierce, and the ships had drawn far apart. Zhang Cuishan could not make out the full meaning.

Young Guild Chief Mai, hearing the words “Dragon-Slaying Sabre” repeated twice, sensed the gravity of the matter. He ordered his crew to angle the whale-ship’s hull, gradually drawing nearer to Chang Jinpeng’s vessel.

“Altar Master Chang, what did you say?” he called. Chang Jinpeng replied haltingly, “Young Guild Chief Mai… our Black Tortoise Altar’s Altar Master Bai… that Dragon-Slaying Sabre…”

Zhang Cuishan found this odd. Why does he speak so brokenly?

The whale-ship drew closer still, no more than twenty or thirty feet separating the two vessels. Then, with a sudden whoosh, Chang Jinpeng heaved the great iron anchor from his prow and hurled it across the gap. The anchor chain rattled and clanged. Two sailors aboard the whale-ship screamed as the massive anchor hooked fast into their hull. Young Guild Chief Mai bellowed, “What are you doing?”

But Chang Jinpeng, moving with terrifying speed, had already seized the second anchor and flung it across as well. The twin anchors killed three of the whale-ship’s crew and lashed the two vessels together.

Young Guild Chief Mai rushed to the gunwale and seized the anchor, straining to wrench it free. Chang Jinpeng swung his right arm, and with a rattle of chains, a great round object flew through the air and struck the whale-ship’s mainmast with a resounding crash. Zhang Cuishan now perceived that this object was Chang Jinpeng’s weapon—a steel melon,⁹ lacquered a deep green to resemble an actual watermelon. He wielded a pair of them, connected by steel chains, not unlike meteor hammers. Each melon was enormous and monstrously heavy, easily fifty or sixty jin.¹⁰ Without prodigious strength, no man could wield them.

The first melon struck, and the mainmast groaned. Chang Jinpeng hauled it back and sent the left melon flying. Then the right struck again, and the mainmast snapped in two with a splintering crash. The whale-ship’s crew cried out in alarm. Chang Jinpeng launched both melons at once, and they struck the rear mast simultaneously. Being thinner, it broke on the first blow.

Through all of this, Young Guild Chief Mai could only watch helplessly as both masts toppled, powerless to intervene. His curses rang across the water. Chang Jinpeng roared, “With the Heavenly Eagle Order present, the Giant Whale Guild shall not claim dominion upon the waves!”

His right arm swept out again, but this time the steel melon struck the whale-ship’s hull with a thunderous bang, punching a gaping hole through the planking. Seawater flooded in, and the crew screamed.

Young Guild Chief Mai drew a pair of emei piercers,¹¹ planted both feet, and launched himself toward Chang Jinpeng’s prow. Chang Jinpeng waited until he had reached the apex of his leap, then sent the left melon hurtling into his face. The timing was vicious—the melon arrived precisely as Mai’s upward momentum was spent but not yet reversed. Mai cried out and thrust both piercers against the melon to deflect it, straining to redirect his momentum. But a crushing pressure seized his chest, his vision went black, and he tumbled backwards onto his own deck.

Chang Jinpeng’s twin melons rose and fell in rapid succession, and in moments he had smashed seven or eight great holes in the whale-ship’s hull. Then he hauled on the anchor chains, pulling with tremendous force. The whale-ship’s planking shattered, and the two anchors tore free, returning to his own prow.

Without waiting for their master’s command, the crew of the Heavenly Eagle ship hoisted sail, turned the rudder, and drove forward.

Zhang Cuishan watched the destruction of the enemy vessel with silent alarm. Had my shifu not taught me the art of absorbing and redirecting force, that enormous palm strike to my back would have shattered my organs. This man lured the enemy close and destroyed them in the space of a few breaths. Not only is his martial skill terrifying, but his cunning and ruthlessness reveal him as a truly formidable figure of the unorthodox sects.

He glanced at Yin Susu. Her expression remained perfectly composed, as though such scenes were so commonplace as to be beneath notice.

Thunder rumbled in the distance. The night tide of the Qiantang River¹² was approaching. Though the men of the Giant Whale Guild were all expert swimmers, the two vessels had by now entered the waters where river met sea. The river mouth stretched scores of li¹³ across; both shores lay far beyond reach. When the sound of the approaching tidal bore reached them, the Giant Whale Guild’s men began to cry out for help. Chang Jinpeng and Yin Susu’s two vessels drove eastward at speed, paying no heed.

Zhang Cuishan leaned from the window and looked back. The whale-ship had already sunk by a third. When the tidal bore struck, it would be smashed to splinters. The desperate cries of drowning men reached his ears, and he could not suppress his compassion. Yet he knew that both Yin Susu and Chang Jinpeng were of a ruthless disposition. Any plea to turn back would be refused and merely earn him ridicule. He held his tongue.

Yin Susu read his expression and smiled faintly. Then she called out, “Altar Master Chang! Our honoured guest Zhang the Fifth Xia has been moved to great mercy. Do turn around and rescue those fellows from the whale-ship!”

This was entirely unexpected. From the leading vessel came Chang Jinpeng’s reply, “As the honoured guest commands!”

The ship swung about and drove upstream against the current.

Chang Jinpeng bellowed, “Men of the Giant Whale Guild, hear me! It is Zhang the Fifth Xia of the Wudang Order who saves your lives! Those who wish to live, swim down to us!”

The Guild members swam with the current while Chang Jinpeng’s vessel surged upriver to meet them. Racing the tidal bore, they managed to pull Young Guild Chief Mai and eight or nine out of every ten men from the water. Even so, eight or nine sailors perished in the waves.

Zhang Cuishan’s heart eased, and he said gratefully, “My thanks to you.”

Yin Susu replied coolly, “The Giant Whale Guild are pirates and murderers. Not one of those men has clean hands. Why bother saving them?”

Zhang Cuishan had no answer. The Giant Whale Guild’s infamy was well known. They were one of the Four Great Villainous Guilds of the waterways. He had long heard their name, yet here he was, responsible for their rescue.

“Had I not pulled them from the water,” Yin Susu continued, “Zhang the Fifth Xia would have cursed me even more. ‘That young woman has a heart more venomous than a serpent’s. I, Zhang Cuishan, rue the day I helped her extract those poisoned darts!’”

Her words struck precisely at the thoughts he had been harbouring. His face reddened.

“Your tongue is sharper than any blade,” he conceded with a wry smile. “I cannot match you in debate. As for saving those men, that was your own act of virtue. It has nothing to do with me.”

At that very moment, the roar of the tidal bore reached a deafening crescendo, drowning out all speech. Their vessel lurched violently upward. Zhang Cuishan peered from the window and saw the bore rushing in like a vast wall of translucent water. Had the men of the Giant Whale Guild not been rescued, they would surely have been swallowed whole by the churning waves.

Yin Susu withdrew to the rear cabin and closed the door. When she emerged a short while later, she had changed back into women’s garments. She gestured for Zhang Cuishan to remove his robe. He could no longer refuse, and so he took it off. He assumed she intended to mend the tear left by Chang Jinpeng’s palm strike. Instead, she picked up the men’s robe she had just changed out of, indicated that he should put it on, and took his torn garment into the rear cabin.

Zhang Cuishan stood in only his inner garments and had no choice but to don Yin Susu’s robe. Though she was far smaller, the garment had been cut generously and did not look too tight on his larger frame. A faint, lingering fragrance drifted from the fabric. Zhang Cuishan’s thoughts scattered. He dared not look at her. He sat rigidly upright, pretending to admire the calligraphy and paintings upon the cabin walls, but his heart surged and rolled like the waves beneath the hull, and he could take in none of it. Yin Susu, for her part, said nothing.

A sudden swell tilted the boat sharply, and the cabin candle guttered and went out.

We are alone, a man and a woman, in a darkened cabin, Zhang Cuishan thought. Though I would do nothing dishonourable, I must not risk damage to Miss Yin’s reputation.

He pushed open the rear cabin door and went to stand beside the helmsman, watching as the man held the tiller steady through the heaving waves.

After more than half a shichen,¹⁴ the incoming tide reversed and swept back out to sea. Riding the wind and current, the vessels made excellent time. By dawn they were approaching Wangpan Island. The island lay in the Eastern Sea at the mouth of the Qiantang, a barren and desolate place—all jagged rock, uninhabited. As the two ships neared the island’s southern shore, still several li distant, the sound of horns echoed mournfully across the water. Two men stood upon the beach, each bearing a great banner, waving them in signal. As the vessel drew closer, Zhang Cuishan made out the device upon the flags: a great eagle with wings spread wide, fierce and commanding.

Between the two banners stood an elderly man. His voice carried clearly across the water, “Bai Guishou¹⁵ of the Black Tortoise Altar respectfully welcomes Miss Yin.”

The words were long and measured, neither loud nor strident, yet imbued with a deep, resonant power. In moments the vessel reached shore, and Bai Guishou himself laid the gangplank. Yin Susu gestured for Zhang Cuishan to disembark first, then introduced him to Bai Guishou.

Bai Guishou perceived from Yin Susu’s manner that she held Zhang Cuishan in high regard. When he learned this was Zhang the Fifth Xia, one of the Seven Xias of Wudang, his wariness sharpened.

“The fame of the Seven Xias of Wudang has long preceded them,” he said. “It is a great honour to make your acquaintance at last.”

Zhang Cuishan offered a few modest words in return.

Yin Susu laughed. “You are both being insincere, speaking words you do not mean. One of you is thinking: ‘Heavens, Wudang has come as well—another formidable rival for the Dragon-Slaying Sabre.’¹⁶ The other is thinking: ‘I would not deign to associate with a creature of your unorthodox creed.’ I say, speak what you truly mean. There is no need for honeyed tongues and hollow courtesies.”

Bai Guishou gave a hearty laugh. Zhang Cuishan, however, said, “You do me too little credit, Altar Master Bai. Your internal cultivation is formidable. Hearing just now the power with which you projected your voice across the sea, I was deeply impressed. I have come only to accompany Miss Yin and observe the proceedings. I harbour no designs upon the sabre.”

Footnotes

1. 张翠山 – Zhāng Cuìshān. His name meaning “Verdant Mountain.” Fifth disciple of Zhang Sanfeng and member of the Seven Heroes of Wudang. His epithet is the Silver Hook Iron Brush. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

2. 殷素素 – Yīn Sùsù. Her name meaning “Plain and Unadorned.” See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

3. 武林 – wǔlín. Literally martial forest. Another term for jianghu, referring to the world of martial arts and its practitioners. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

4. 常金鹏 – Cháng Jīnpéng. His name meaning “Golden Roc.” Altar Master of the Vermilion Bird Altar of the Heavenly Eagle Sect. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

5. 巨鲸帮 – Jùjīng Bāng. The Giant Whale Guild, a seafaring faction. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

6. 王盘山 – Wángpán Shān. Wangpan Island, an island at the mouth of the Qiantang River. ↩

7. 天鹰教 – Tiānyīng Jiào. The Heavenly Eagle Sect. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

8. 麦少帮主 – Mài Shàobāngzhǔ. Young Guild Chief Mai of the Giant Whale Guild. ↩

9. 钢瓜 – gāng guā. Literally steel melon. Chang Jinpeng’s signature weapon, a pair of massive steel spheres shaped like watermelons and connected by chains. They function similarly to meteor hammers but with far greater mass. ↩

10. 斤 – jīn. A traditional Chinese unit of weight, approximately 500 grams or 1.1 pounds. Four hundred jin would be roughly 440 pounds or 200 kilograms. ↩

11. 峨眉刺 – éméi cì. Literally Emei piercer. A distinctive weapon consisting of a thin spike with a ring in the centre that rotates around the wielder’s finger, allowing rapid thrusting and spinning attacks. Named after Mount Emei. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

12. 钱塘江 – Qiántáng Jiāng. The Qiantang River, famous for its tidal bore. Flows through modern-day Hangzhou. See Wikipedia. ↩

13. 里 – lǐ. A traditional Chinese unit of distance, approximately half a kilometre or one-third of a mile. ↩

14. 时辰 – shíchén. A unit of time in ancient China, equivalent to two hours. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

15. 白龟寿 – Bái Guīshòu. His name meaning “White Tortoise Longevity.” Altar Master of the Black Tortoise Altar of the Heavenly Eagle Sect. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

16. 屠龙刀 – Túlóng Dāo. The Dragon-Slaying Sabre; literally dragon-slaying dao. A legendary blade and the supreme weapon of the jianghu. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩