The Heavenly Sword & the Dragon Sabre Chapter 6 Part 1

A raft adrift upon the boundless Northern Sea.¹

Yin Susu² had heard Xie Xun³ challenge Zhang Cuishan⁴ and watched as Bai Guishou,⁵ Chang Jinpeng,⁶ Yuan Guangbo,⁷ Mai Jing,⁸ Guo Sanquan,⁹ and the rest lay dead where they had fallen—every soul who had crossed weapons with him slain without exception. Zhang Cuishan’s martial arts were formidable, to be sure, yet he was plainly no match for this man either. She spoke up: “Senior Xie, the Dragon Slayer¹⁰ is already in your hands, and all here acknowledge the supremacy of your martial arts. What more do you want?”

Xie Xun said, “Concerning this Dragon Slayer, there are certain words passed down from the elders of old. You must have heard them as well?”

Yin Susu said, “I have heard them spoken of.”

Xie Xun said, “It is said that this dao is the supreme treasure of the wulin,¹¹ and that he who holds it may command all beneath heaven, with none daring to disobey. But what secret does this dao truly contain that could compel the submission of every hero in the realm?”

Yin Susu said, “Senior Xie’s knowledge is without equal. I was hoping you might enlighten me.”

Xie Xun said, “I confess I do not know either. I need to find some quiet place where I can ponder the matter at my leisure.”

Yin Susu said, “Mm, that would be most prudent. With Senior Xie’s extraordinary intellect, if even you cannot fathom the answer, no one else stands a chance.”

Xie Xun said, “Heh heh, this Xie is no arrogant fool. When it comes to martial arts, there are a good many in this world who surpass me. The Shaolin¹² zhangmen,¹³ Reverend Kong Wen¹⁴—” He paused at this, and a fleeting shadow of sorrow crossed his face. “—and Reverends Kong Zhi¹⁵ and Kong Xing,¹⁶ the Wudang¹⁷ School’s Daoist Priest Zhang Sanfeng,¹⁸ and the zhangmen of the Emei¹⁹ and Kunlun²⁰ Schools—which of them does not possess consummate mastery? The Qinghai School²¹ may be tucked away in the far west, yet their martial arts hold secrets all their own. Then there are the Ming Cult’s²² Left and Right Envoys of Brightness, the cult’s Protector Dharma Kings—every last one of them… heh heh, not to be trifled with. And your own Heavenly Eagle Cult’s²³ White-Browed Eagle King,²⁴ Cult Leader Yin—he too is a talent the likes of which the world seldom sees. I cannot be certain I could best him.”

Yin Susu rose to her feet and bowed. “I thank Senior for your generous praise.”

Xie Xun said, “I have won this dao, but others will naturally covet it just as fiercely. Not a soul on Wang Panshan Island²⁵ today could stand against me, and in this your Cult Leader Yin has miscalculated. He thought Altar Masters Bai and Chang would be more than sufficient to deal with the Sea Sand School,²⁶ the Giant Whale Guild,²⁷ and their ilk. He never reckoned that this Xie would come charging in halfway through…”

Yin Susu cut in: “It was no miscalculation on Cult Leader Yin’s part. He had other pressing matters and could not attend in person.”

Xie Xun said, “That is precisely my point. Had Cult Leader Yin been here himself, for one thing, I reckon my martial arts are at best evenly matched with his. For another, out of respect for an old acquaintance, I could hardly have seized the dao by force. Knowing all this, this Xie would naturally not have come at all. Cult Leader Yin has always prided himself on leaving nothing to chance, yet today the dao has fallen into my hands—a blemish, I should think, upon his sterling reputation.”

Yin Susu took heart at his mention of old ties with Cult Leader Yin and continued to engage him in idle discourse, hoping to divert his attention and keep him from pressing Zhang Cuishan to fight. She said, “Human affairs are unknowable, and the will of heaven is beyond reckoning—nothing in this world is ever certain. As the saying goes, man proposes but heaven disposes. Senior Xie’s fortune runs deep, and you have taken this dao with scarcely any effort, whilst others schemed and plotted with all their might yet came away empty-handed.”

Xie Xun said, “Since the day this dao appeared in the world, who knows how many masters have possessed it, and who knows how many have met their deaths on its account. I take it today and leave, but who is to say that some day hence a man mightier than I will not slay me and claim it for himself?”

Zhang Cuishan and Yin Susu exchanged a glance, both sensing a deeper meaning beneath his words. Zhang Cuishan’s thoughts turned at once to his third shixiong,²⁸ Yu Daiyan,²⁹ whose fate remained unknown after being entangled with this very dao—and to himself, who had done nothing more than lay eyes upon the treasured blade, yet whose life now hung upon another’s whim.

Xie Xun heaved a sigh. “The two of you are accomplished in both letters and arms, fair of face and fine of bearing. To slay you would be like smashing a pair of rare jade vessels—a terrible waste. And yet circumstances compel me, and I have no choice.”

Yin Susu asked in alarm, “Why?”

Xie Xun said, “I mean to take this dao and leave. If I allow anyone on this island to live, within days the entire realm will know the Dragon Slayer is in my hands. This one will come seeking it, that one will come hunting me, and this Xie is hardly invincible—how could I guarantee against mishap? To say nothing of the rest, the White-Browed Eagle King alone is someone I cannot be certain of defeating. And his Heavenly Eagle Cult commands legions, whilst I am but one man.” He shook his head. “Yin Tianzheng’s³⁰ inner and outer skills are fierce beyond measure. I hold him in the highest regard. In the old days …” He let out a long sigh. “… Ah …” He shook his head once more.

Zhang Cuishan thought, So the Heavenly Eagle Cult’s leader is called White-Browed Eagle King, Yin Tianzheng. He said coldly, “You mean to silence us by killing every last person here.”

Xie Xun said, “Precisely.”

Zhang Cuishan said, “Then why did you bother denouncing the crimes of the Sea Sand School, the Giant Whale Guild, the Divine Fist Gate,³¹ and the rest?”

Xie Xun threw back his head and laughed. “So that they might die without grievance—so their hearts would be at ease when the end came.”

Zhang Cuishan said, “How merciful of you.”

Xie Xun said, “All men must die. Whether a few years sooner or a few years later makes little difference. You, Zhang the Fifth Xia, and Miss Yin are in the flower of your youth, and to perish here on Wang Panshan seems a waste. But viewed from a hundred years hence, it is all the same. Had Qin Hui³² not murdered Yue Fei,³³ would Yue Fei have lived until this day? Qin Hui is dead too, is he not? If a man can die with his conscience clear and free of agony, that is enough. For those of us who practise martial arts, to die truly without regret is no easy feat. Therefore I propose we match our skills—whoever loses, dies. Nothing could be more fair. You are younger, so I shall give you the advantage: weapons, fists, neili,³⁴ hidden weapons, qinggong³⁵—whichever you choose, I will oblige.”

Yin Susu said, “Quite the boast—any discipline at all, is it?” She had listened to Xie Xun’s words and knew that the crisis before them could not be escaped. Wang Panshan Island sat alone in the sea, and the Heavenly Eagle Cult, confident that Altar Masters Bai and Chang would brook no failure, would send no reinforcements. Though her words were defiant, her voice trembled faintly.

Xie Xun started, thinking, If she challenges me to a contest of needlework and hair-pinning, what then? He declared, “Martial arts only, naturally. Or would you have me compete at eating and drinking? Though even in eating and drinking, you could not best this wine-sack and rice-bag. Let us settle it in a single bout. If you lose, you take your own lives. Alas, such a handsome pair—I truly cannot bring myself to strike the blow.”

At the words “handsome pair”, both Zhang Cuishan and Yin Susu coloured.

Yin Susu arched a slender brow. “And if you lose? Will you take your own life as well?”

Xie Xun laughed. “How could I possibly lose?”

Yin Susu said, “Where there is a contest, there must be a winner and a loser. This Zhang the Fifth Xia is the scion of a renowned school—who is to say he does not possess some skill that might surpass yours?”

Xie Xun laughed again. “At his age, his techniques may be refined enough, but his neili cannot run deep.”

Zhang Cuishan listened to the two of them parrying back and forth, his mind racing: In what discipline might I fight him to a draw? Qinggong? This new palm technique I have learnt? Then, in a flash of inspiration, he said, “Since Senior insists on forcing my hand, I have no choice but to make a fool of myself. Should I fall to Senior’s skill, I shall of course fall upon my sword. But if by some stroke of fortune we fight to a draw—what then?”

Xie Xun shook his head. “There will be no draw. If the first contest is drawn, we shall contest a second, and so on until there is a clear victor.”

Zhang Cuishan said, “Very well. Should I manage to win by even a single move, I would not presume to ask anything of Senior—only that you grant me one request.”

Xie Xun said, “Agreed. Name your terms.”

Yin Susu’s concern was palpable. She whispered, “What will you challenge him to? Are you confident?”

Zhang Cuishan whispered back, “There is nothing for it. I must do my utmost.”

Yin Susu whispered, “If it goes badly, we flee at the first chance. Better than waiting here to die.”

Zhang Cuishan gave a bitter smile but made no reply. The boats have all been destroyed, he thought. On this tiny island, where could we possibly flee? He straightened his sash and drew a judge’s pen³⁶ of refined steel from his waist.

Xie Xun said, “Throughout the jianghu,³⁷ men praise Zhang Cuishan the Silver Hook and Iron Stroke.³⁸ Today I shall see for myself whether my wolf-fang mace³⁹ is worthy of the challenge. But where is your tarnished silver tiger-head hook? Why do you not bring it forth?”

Zhang Cuishan said, “I do not propose a contest of arms with Senior. I wish only to match him in writing a few characters.” With that, he strode to the face of a great cliff to the left, drew a deep breath, and launched himself upward with a mighty push of both legs. The qinggong of the Wudang School was the finest of any school or sect, and now, with his very life hanging in the balance, he dared not show the slightest carelessness. His body surged upward over ten feet, and then he executed the Ladder Cloud Ascent⁴⁰—his right foot bracing against the rock face, borrowing its force—and vaulted another twenty feet higher. The judge’s pen in his hand found the stone, and with a rapid hiss of steel on rock, he had carved the character 武—“martial”.

The character complete, his body began to fall. His left hand lashed out, silver hook in its grip, and flicked upward in a single deft motion to catch a crevice in the cliff face, bearing his full weight. His right hand carved on without pause: 林—“forest”. Every stroke and every sweep of these two characters had been conceived by Zhang Sanfeng across a long night of tortured meditation, and within them were embodied the principles of yin and yang, hard and soft, spirit and vigour—the very pinnacle of Wudang martial arts distilled into written form. Though Zhang Cuishan’s neili was yet shallow and the strokes bit but shallowly into the stone, the two characters soared and danced with a fierce, commanding energy, each line like a swift blade or a thrusting halberd, bristling with power.

With the first two characters done, he carved 至—“supreme”—and then 尊—“exalted”. Faster and faster he wrote, stone chips raining down in a torrent, some strokes coiling like spirit serpents, others towering like crouching beasts, until in the span of a breath all twenty-four characters were complete. This feat of calligraphy upon the cliff was truly as the poet Li Bai⁴¹ once wrote: Wind and rain come in startling gusts; falling blossoms and flying snow, how vast, how boundless! Rising to face the wall, the hand does not pause; a line of great characters, each the size of a bushel. Dazzling, as if ghosts and spirits trembled; all one sees are dragons and serpents in flight. Coiling left, surging right, like a thunderclap; a scene of Chu and Han locked in battle.

As Zhang Cuishan reached the final stroke of the character 锋—“edge”—his pen drove downward with the force of a thunderbolt. Iron pen and silver hook braced against the cliff in unison, and he pushed off, somersaulting through the air to land lightly and gracefully at Yin Susu’s side.

Xie Xun stared at the three rows of great characters upon the cliff face. For a very long time he did not speak. At last he let out a sigh and said, “Such calligraphy I could never match. I have lost.”

For one must understand that the twenty-four characters—from “Martial Forest Supreme”⁴² to “Who Dares Contest the Edge”—had been conceived by Zhang Sanfeng in a flash of divine inspiration, refined and perfected through a full night of painstaking meditation, every horizontal, every vertical, every dot and every flick imbued with the most profound essence of martial arts. Even had Zhang Sanfeng himself stood here, without having undergone that night of agonised contemplation—lacking both the mood and the unhurried concentration of that singular moment—he could not have carved twenty-four characters upon a cliff face and achieved such transcendent mastery. Xie Xun had no inkling of these circumstances. He assumed that Zhang Cuishan, finding himself embroiled in a dispute over the Dragon Slayer, had simply dashed off the old adage handed down through generations of jianghu lore. In truth, had Zhang Cuishan been asked to write any other characters, the gulf in artistry and force between them would have been immense.

Yin Susu clapped her hands in delight and cried, “You have lost! You cannot go back on your word!”

Footnotes

1. 浮槎北溟海茫茫 – fúchá běimíng hǎi mángmáng. Literally a raft floating on the vast northern sea. An allusion to the Daoist philosopher Zhuangzi’s parable of the great Northern Sea (北溟 – běimíng), symbolising a journey into the unknown. See Wikipedia. ↩

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

3. 谢逊 – Xiè Xùn. His name meaning “Modest” or “Yielding.” See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

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

5. 白龟寿 – Bái Guīshòu. His name meaning “White Turtle Longevity.” See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

6. 常金鹏 – Cháng Jīnpéng. His name meaning “Constant Golden Roc.” See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

7. 元广波 – Yuán Guǎngbō. His name meaning “Vast Waves.” See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

8. 麦鲸 – Mài Jīng. His name meaning “Whale.” See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

9. 过三拳 – Guò Sānquán. His name meaning “Guo Three Fists.” See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

10. 屠龙刀 – Túlóng Dāo. Literally dragon-slaying dao. One of two legendary weapons in the jianghu, paired with the Heaven Sword. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

11. 武林 – wǔlín. Literally martial forest. The broader world of martial artists and their culture. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

12. 少林 – Shàolín. Literally young forest. Ancient Buddhist monastery renowned as the birthplace of Chinese martial arts. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

13. 掌门 – zhǎngmén. Literally palm of the gate. Head of a martial arts school. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

14. 空闻 – Kōngwén. His name meaning “Empty Hearing,” a Buddhist dharma name suggesting transcendence of worldly sounds. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

15. 空智 – Kōngzhì. His name meaning “Empty Wisdom,” a Buddhist dharma name. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

16. 空性 – Kōngxìng. His name meaning “Empty Nature,” a Buddhist dharma name referring to the Buddhist concept of śūnyatā. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

17. 武当 – Wǔdāng. Sacred Daoist mountain and martial arts school founded by Zhang Sanfeng. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

18. 张三丰 – Zhāng Sānfēng. His name meaning “Three Abundances.” Legendary founder of the Wudang School. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

19. 峨嵋 – Éméi. One of China’s Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains, home to the Emei School. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

20. 昆仑 – Kūnlún. Mountain range in western China, home to the Kunlun School. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

21. 青海派 – Qīnghǎi Pài. Literally blue sea school. A martial arts school based in the remote western province of Qinghai. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

22. 明教 – Míngjiào. Literally bright teaching. A religious cult derived from Manichaeism with formidable martial artists among its ranks. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

23. 天鹰教 – Tiānyīng Jiào. Literally heavenly eagle cult. A splinter faction of the Ming Cult led by Yin Tianzheng. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

24. 白眉鹰王 – Báiméi Yīngwáng. Literally white-browed eagle king. Epithet of Yin Tianzheng, one of the Ming Cult’s Four Protector Dharma Kings. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

25. 王盘山 – Wáng Pánshān. Literally king coiling mountain. An island in the sea. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

26. 海沙派 – Hǎishā Pài. Literally sea sand school. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

27. 巨鲸帮 – Jùjīng Bāng. Literally giant whale guild. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

28. 师兄 – shīxiōng. Senior male disciple of the same shifu. Shī means teacher. Xiōng means elder brother. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

29. 俞岱岩 – Yú Dàiyán. His name meaning “Mount Dai’s Rock,” evoking the steadfastness of Mount Tai. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

30. 殷天正 – Yīn Tiānzhèng. His name meaning “Heaven’s Justice” or “Heaven Correcting.” See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

31. 神拳门 – Shénquán Mén. Literally divine fist gate. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

32. 秦桧 – Qín Huì. Infamous Southern Song chancellor who orchestrated the execution of the patriotic general Yue Fei in 1142. His name became synonymous with treachery. See Wikipedia. ↩

33. 岳飞 – Yuè Fēi. Legendary Southern Song general and national hero, renowned for his loyalty and military brilliance. Unjustly executed at the age of thirty-nine. See Wikipedia. ↩

34. 内力 – nèilì. Literally inner strength. Internal energy cultivated through martial arts practice. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

35. 轻功 – qīnggōng. Literally light skill. Techniques that allow practitioners to move with extraordinary speed and agility. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

36. 判官笔 – pànguān bǐ. Literally judge’s pen. A short iron weapon resembling an oversized writing brush, used for both striking and acupoint attacks. In Zhang Cuishan’s case, crafted from refined steel. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

37. 江湖 – jiānghú. Literally rivers and lakes. The world of martial arts. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

38. 银钩铁划 – Yíngōu Tiěhuà. Literally silver hook, iron stroke. Zhang Cuishan’s epithet, referring to his mastery of both the silver hook and the iron judge’s pen, and evoking the bold strokes of classical calligraphy. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

39. 狼牙棒 – lángyá bàng. Literally wolf-fang mace. A heavy spiked club used as a bludgeoning weapon. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

40. 梯云纵 – tīyún zòng. Literally ladder cloud ascent. A supreme Wudang qinggong technique that allows the practitioner to gain altitude by bracing against vertical surfaces in rapid succession. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

41. 李白 – Lǐ Bái. Tang Dynasty poet (701–762 CE), widely regarded as the greatest romantic poet in Chinese history. This passage quotes his poem on the cursive calligraphy of the monk Huaisu. See Wikipedia. ↩

42. The full verse carved by Zhang Cuishan reads: 武林至尊，宝刀屠龙。号令天下，莫敢不从。倚天不出，谁与争锋 – Wǔlín zhìzūn, bǎodāo túlóng. Hàolìng tiānxià, mò gǎn bù cóng. Yǐtiān bù chū, shuí yǔ zhēngfēng. Literally: “Supreme of the martial forest, the precious Dragon Slayer. Command all under heaven, none dare disobey. While the Heaven Sword remains hidden, who dares contest the edge?” This ancient verse speaks of the two legendary weapons—the Dragon Slayer and the Heaven Sword (倚天剑 – Yǐtiān Jiàn)—whose possession is said to grant dominion over the entire jianghu. ↩