6
The men ate and drank, and the sixth prince explained his plan to travel to Lin'an to seize the last writings of General Yue Fei. Would Master Ouyang do him the honor of assisting him in this mission?
Viper Ouyang had, in fact, already been acquainted with the plan by his nephew, but the request insulted him. Who do you think I am? Do you imagine that I, the Venom of the West, would submit to you? And yet, General Yue Fei's kung fu skills were almost as legendary as his military prowess. Perhaps these writings contain the key to his learning? If I agree to help him, then maybe I can get something out of it, too.
And so it was: every man scheming for himself. Wanyan Honglie was the mantis hunting the cicada, unaware of the finch lying in wait behind him. One side bathed the other in flattery and received soft words of compliance in return.
Graybeard Liang was doing his best to liven the feast, keeping the wine flowing. Only Gallant Ouyang, still recovering from his injuries, abstained from drinking. After a few mouthfuls of food, he asked to be carried to bed.
As the festivities continued, Viper Ouyang's countenance suddenly grew dark. His cup hovered by his mouth, but he did not drink. Had someone offended him? The others were startled and anxious. Just as the Sixth Prince was about to ask him what the matter was, Viper interrupted him: "Listen!"
They all froze. But all they could hear was the sound of the waves.
"Can't you hear it? A flute."
Viper was right. A halting tune from a flute was just about audible over the ocean's song. But they would never have noticed it had he not pointed it out.
Viper Ouyang walked to the bow and let out a long, loud whistle. The others followed him.
The sky was already black, and the moon had just risen beyond the horizon. In the distance, a dark green blob was slowly coming into focus: three sails. A ship was slicing through the waves toward them. Was the music coming from the ship? But it was still so far away.
Viper Ouyang cried out to the sailors to turn the ship to face the oncoming vessel. Now, they were approaching each other. In time, a man became visible at the prow. He was wearing a long, emerald green robe, and, indeed, he carried a flute in one hand.
"Brother Ouyang!" he cried. "Have you seen my daughter?"
"With a temper like hers, I wouldn't dare go near her!" Viper replied.
The boats were now only meters apart, but still nobody saw how or when the other man leaped. There was a quick green blur, and then, there he was, standing on their deck.
Yet another warrior to recruit to his cause, Wanyan Honglie thought.
"Your name, sir?" he said, stepping forward. "We are most honored to have you join us."
It was a particularly modest tone for a prince of the Jin to take, but the man glanced at his Jurchen robes, gave him a contemptuous look and proceeded to ignore him.
"Brother Huang, let me introduce you to the Sixth Prince of the Great Jin." Viper Ouyang then turned to Wanyan Honglie. "This is the Lord of Peach Blossom Island, the most accomplished martial fighter across the wulin. He is unparalleled."
Tiger Peng and the others shuffled back in astonishment. They had found out only after the event that the girl they had encountered in the Zhao Palace was Lotus Huang. And Lotus's father had a reputation for being formidable—fierce, even. Twice Foul Dark Wind were originally his disciples, after all, and they had terrorized the wulin. The thought that they had offended his daughter made them shake with fear. No one said a word.
Apothecary Huang knew that his daughter must have run away to look for Guo Jing. He had been angry, at first. But, after a few days passed, he began to worry. She might find him on the special boat he had built, and then they would both end up at the bottom of the sea. Unable to contain himself any longer, he had set sail in search of her.
He knew that Guo Jing and his companions were heading in the direction of the mainland, so he set out west. But it was no easy task to find one boat on such a vast and boundless sea. Apothecary Huang may have been able to call on extraordinary talent and knowledge, but still he could not find her. He decided to gather his inner strength and play his flute in the hope that his daughter might hear his song carried far over the waves. Little did he know he would come across Viper Ouyang instead.
Apothecary Huang had never met the others, nor did he know who they were, but an introduction to a prince of the Jin was enough to make him want to turn and leave at once.
"Please excuse me; I must continue the search for my daughter. My apologies for not staying." Then he turned.
Yet another rude, arrogant man, Lama Supreme Wisdom thought. He had heard Viper Ouyang's introduction, but could there really be so many exceptional men of the wulin? It was more likely that they were versed in witchcraft and demonic sorcery. Maybe he could trick this newcomer?
"Is your daughter of about sixteen years of age?" he said in a loud voice.
Apothecary Huang paused, then turned, a smile spread across his face. "Yes. Have you seen her?"
"I did see a young lady," the lama replied coldly. "She was dead."
"What?" His heart froze and his voice trembled.
"About three days ago. Her body was floating in the sea. She was dressed all in white and wore a golden ring in her hair. Oh, she must have been pretty when she was still alive. What a shame. Her body was swollen by the water."
Exactly the outfit Lotus had been wearing when he last saw her. Apothecary Huang's mind was a muddle, his limbs shook and his cheeks drained of all color. "Is this really true?"
Everybody had watched Lotus board the small boat, only moments before. The lama was clearly taking pleasure in this deception, but even the sight of Apothecary Huang's agonized features was not enough to make them speak up.
"There were three other corpses," the lama continued. "One of a young man with thick eyebrows and big, round eyes. Another was an old beggar, who carried a dark red calabash on his back, and the third was an old man with long hair and a wispy beard." He was, of course, describing Guo Jing, Count Seven Hong, and Zhou Botong.
Apothecary Huang was completely taken in. He looked at Viper Ouyang and thought, If you knew about my daughter, why didn't you say?
Viper Ouyang noticed his expression and the mounting grief in his eyes. Here was a man intent on revenge. "I only just came aboard," he began quickly. "This is the first time I've met these people. This young woman's body—it needn't be your daughter's." He sighed, then continued. "She is such a good girl. If she really has passed on at such a young age, it would be a tragedy indeed. If my nephew were to find out, he would die of a broken heart." It was a clever speech, pushing the blame from his shoulders without causing it to land elsewhere.
Apothecary Huang's heart sank. He liked nothing more than to take indiscriminate revenge—otherwise, why did he break the legs of his other disciples and cast them from the island, when it was Twice Foul Dark Wind who stole the Nine Yin Manual from him?
His chest felt like ice, but his blood was boiling over. His reaction had been just the same when his beloved wife passed away, all those years ago. His hands shook and his cheeks alternated between pasty white and crimson red.
The others watched in silence, fear coursing through their hearts. Viper Ouyang, too, was nervous. He prepared himself by gathering his qi to his abdomen.
The deck was still—until a burst of laughter broke the silence, loud and carefree, like the roar of a dragon.
Apothecary Huang's reaction surprised them. They watched as he raised his face toward the sky and laughed madly, louder and louder. His laughter sent a chill through the air, which only intensified as the seeming mirth gave way to heaving sobs. His grief was fierce. The sight of him moved the others almost to tears.
Only Viper Ouyang was familiar with the Heretic's wild mood swings, where he could shift between singing and sobbing in seconds. He did not find the display so remarkable. And yet, he could not help but hope that such crying might cause the old man an injury. In ancient times, the poet Ruan Ji cried for his dead mother until he vomited blood. The Heretic followed the customs of old more than he knew. What a shame that I lost my iron zither when our ship sank, Viper Ouyang said to himself, or I could play now, stoking his grief until it causes him real harm. Then, when the time comes for the second Contest of Mount Hua, I will have already defeated one of my opponents. Ah, what a pity to lose such an opportunity!
Apothecary Huang cried for a while longer, before lifting his jade flute and thumping it against the edge of the boat. Then he began to sing:
God, who grants life,
why make us guess how long it lasts?
Some may live until their heads are crowned white,
while others do not survive the womb.
The last tragedy not yet passed
and a new one is upon me.
The flower withers, burned dry
like dawn's dew.
The departed cannot be pursued
but the emotions arrive swift and relentless.
With skies so far away, so far above,
to whom may I empty the sorrow that fills my breast?
At that moment, the flute cracked in two.
Lama Supreme Wisdom rushed forward and blocked him. "You laugh and cry like a madman."
"Reverend," Wanyan Honglie started, "please don't—"
Apothecary Huang's right hand shot out and grabbed the back of the lama's neck. He then spun the lama's body one hundred and eighty degrees, so that he was upside down, before throwing him head first at the deck, crashing his shiny bald pate through the wooden boards.
Lama Supreme Wisdom's weakest point was in his neck. All three Masters—Viper Ouyang, Zhou Botong, and Apothecary Huang—had seen that instantly.
Huang started to sing once more:
Skies eternal earth enduring,
man lives but how long?
Past and future do not feel it,
yet everything has Time bestowed.
And, with an emerald blur, he was back on his boat, where he swung the rudder and sailed away.
Unsure if he was alive or dead, the others rushed to help Lama Supreme Wisdom. They heard a grunt coming from below deck, and, a moment later, a cabin door opened and out came a young man with rosy red lips and white teeth. He bore a jade crown on his head. It was Wanyan Honglie's son, Yang Kang.
After the unfortunate disagreement with Mercy Mu, he had recalled his father's promise of infinite wealth. He had made contact with Jin officials in the north and, with their help, located his father not long afterward, joining him on his journey south. As soon as he saw Guo Jing and Lotus climb aboard, he had slipped down below deck, too scared to come out, and watched the events unfold through a crack in the door. He had remained below during the feasting, listening to their conversations, fearful that Viper Ouyang was an associate of Guo Jing. Only now, after Apothecary Huang's departure, did he dare to make a reappearance.
Despite the force of the move and his weak neck, Lama Supreme Wisdom's strong skull had spared him from serious injury. He was merely a little dizzy. Placing both hands on the deck, he concentrated his qi and, with one push, popped himself out of the hole and landed back on his feet.
The others glanced at each other in amazement. It was a funny sight, but they felt it would be inappropriate to laugh. Instead, they all looked away in awkward amusement.
Wanyan Honglie broke the silence. "Son, come and meet Master Ouyang."
Yang Kang dropped to his knees and kowtowed four times. It was quite out of character and the others watched in surprise.
In fact, Yang Kang had been impressed by Lama Supreme Wisdom, back at the Zhao residence, but, having watched three martial Masters cast him around as if playing with a baby, he recalled the humiliation he had felt when held captive at Roaming Cloud Manor by Lake Tai, and the fear that Guo Jing and Lotus might have discovered him helping Wanyan Honglie evade them at the Liu ancestral temple in Baoying. He was acutely aware of the shortcomings in his own martial training, whereas the man standing before him was truly a great. "Father, I wish to call this great man Master."
Wanyan Honglie was most pleased. He stepped toward Viper Ouyang and made a quick bow. "My son is fond of the martial arts, but he is yet to find himself a suitable shifu. If sir would deign to honor the request and bestow instructions upon the boy, father and son, princes both, would be most grateful."
Who would not want to take the boy as their disciple? thought the others. But Viper Ouyang made a perfunctory gesture of respect by cupping his hands and nodding, before saying, "There is a rule in my school of martial training that a master may only take one disciple. And I already have one: my nephew. I am, therefore, not at liberty to take another. May I beg for the Prince's forgiveness."
Wanyan Honglie did not press him further. Instead, he ordered his men to bring out more food and wine. But Yang Kang was bitterly disappointed.
"I do not deserve to call myself Master to the young Prince," Viper Ouyang said with a smile. "But I can give you a few tips. We can talk later."
Yang Kang had seen Gallant Ouyang's many concubines at the Zhao residence. They had supposedly been trained by Gallant himself, but, as they were not considered proper disciples, their kung fu was mediocre at best. Yang Kang was not enthused by Viper's offer, but he obliged the old man with some polite words of gratitude. He did not know that the man's nephew was nothing compared to his uncle in terms of learning and skill, and that a few words of advice from the senior Ouyang would be enough to boost his powers and his prestige no end in martial circles.
Viper Ouyang sensed the young man's lack of enthusiasm, however, so decided not to mention the matter again.
As they feasted, conversation turned to Apothecary Huang's rudeness and arrogance. Lama Supreme Wisdom had done well to fool him.
"Who would have thought that a master of the wulin could have that little vixen as a daughter!" Browbeater Hou said. He turned to study the lama's bald head. After staring at it for a while, his gaze shifted down to the rolls of fat at the back of his neck. Suddenly, he reached to seize his own and cried, "Brother! The three of them were using some sort of grabbing technique. What was that?"
"Keep quiet!" Hector Sha shushed him.
Lama Supreme Wisdom could not restrain himself any longer. He reached out and grabbed Browbeater Hou's three horns. Browbeater Hou shrank back and slid under the table. The crowd jeered and clapped.
Browbeater Hou struggled back to his chair and turned to Viper. "Master Ouyang, you are so accomplished! Can you teach me how to grab the back of someone's neck?"
Viper Ouyang smiled, but did not answer. The lama glared at Browbeater Hou, but the latter merely turned to Hector Sha and asked, "Brother, what was Apothecary Huang singing through his tears?"
Hector Sha did not know what to say. "Who knows? It was just the gibbering of a madman."
"They were poems written by Cao Zhi during the period of the Three Kingdoms," Yang Kang explained. "Two verses lamenting the death of his daughter. Some live long lives, others die before they are born. Why is God so unfair? The heavens are too distant, they do not hear his grief, even if he climbs onto his throne. The pain is so deep that he will soon follow her to the grave."
"Truly, the young Prince is a scholar," Browbeater Hou said. "We are merely rough men of the wulin. What do we know?"
7
Apothecary Huang's heart was overflowing with grief and rage. Pointing at the sky, he cursed the heavens, the earth, the ghosts and the gods for such unjust treatment, for such cruel fate. Then he commanded his boatman to head for land.
Once ashore, anger took hold again. He looked up to the sky and shouted, "Who killed my Lotus? Who killed my Lotus?"
The Guo boy. It was him. If it had not been for him, she would never have gone aboard the boat. But he too perished. Upon whom can I vent my anger?
At once, he recalled Guo Jing's shifus, the Six Freaks of the South. They are the ones who have killed my Lotus! Lotus would never have met this boy if it had not been for them. I will cut their legs off, one by one!
Anger gave way to sorrow. He arrived at a small town and stopped to eat, his mind still fixated on how he would find the Six Freaks. They are not great masters, but they do carry a certain reputation, he thought. There must be something that sets them apart. Maybe just a bag of tricks. If I pay a simple visit to their homes, chances are they won't be there. I must go in the dead of night, take them by surprise. Their families, young and old, must all pay—I will kill them all.
With large strides, he walked in a northerly direction toward Jiaxing.