1
Drawing strength from Lotus's warm grasp, Mercy was at last ready to share her tale. She kept her eyes focused on the flowers floating over water so clear she could see the riverbed.
"I thought he had changed his ways," she said. "And then the two Masters from the Beggar Clan appeared. They were the men I had helped all those years ago, and they were trusted by Master Hong. They traveled with us to Yuezhou for the Beggar Clan Assembly.
"On the way, he told me that Master Hong, as he breathed his last, had asked him to take over as Chief of the Clan, but that I must keep it a secret. Of course, I found that hard to believe, but part of me was thrilled. I had seen with my own eyes the deference shown to him by Clan members, and, by the time we reached Yuezhou, the idea didn't seem so far-fetched.
"On the night of the meeting, I stayed behind in the city because I wasn't part of the Clan. I was so full of hope for the future. I thought that, once he was named leader, he would at last be able to do something great—for our people and our country. And, one day, he would avenge his parents with his own hands. I couldn't sleep. Everything was finally coming together in perfect harmony. I had never been happier in my life. I eventually dozed off when it was almost dawn, and that was when he jumped in through the window.
"I was still half asleep. I thought he was being reckless again. Then I heard him whisper: 'Something terrible has happened. We must go now.' I asked him to explain. 'The Unwashed refused to accept Chief Hong's last command,' he told me. 'They fought with the Washed over who should be the new leader and many died … I couldn't stand by and watch them slaughter each other, so I offered to give up the title. But the Elders of the Washed wouldn't let me go. Luckily, Leader Qiu of the Iron Palm Gang happened to be there and he helped me get away. We have to go now. To Iron Palm Mountain, where we can lie low for the time being.'
"Of course, it wasn't welcome news, but I thought it was noble of him to step down so he could stop the fighting. I didn't know if the Iron Palm Gang was a force for good or evil, but, the way he put it, we had no choice, so I went with him.
"When we got to Iron Palm Mountain, we were told that Leader Qiu was away traveling. I started to notice the furtive ways his men crept about their business, and it didn't feel right, so I said to Yang Kang, 'You can't walk away from the Beggar Clan. Why don't you seek out your shifu, Reverend Qiu the Eternal Spring? He can gather influential heroes from the jianghu to talk to the Beggar Clan and persuade them to select someone well respected in their ranks as chief. By stopping the bloodshed, you will still be honoring Master Hong's last wish.'
"He didn't answer me directly and kept changing the subject to our union. I told him off and he got upset. We ended up arguing. The next day, I regretted my harsh words. Although his priorities were misplaced—for he cared more about his private emotions than avenging his parents—he had always been good to me.
"By nightfall, I was so troubled I decided to write him an apology. I tiptoed to his room. I was about to slip the note through a gap in his window, when I heard voices within, so I peered through the opening. There was a little old man in his chamber. Small, speckled beard. He wore an arrowroot shirt and he was waving a palm-frond fan."
Guo Jing and Lotus exchanged glances. Qiu Qianren or Qiu Qianzhang?
"The man took a ceramic flask from inside his shirt and put it on the table. 'Brother Yang,' he said, 'worry not about your wife-to-be. She may be shy now, but, with a smidgeon of this powder in her tea, I guarantee you shall enjoy nuptial bliss tonight.'"
Qiu Qianzhang! The young couple shared a grin.
"Yang Kang was all smiles. He seemed so grateful to this old fox. I almost fainted from rage. The fossil took his leave not long after and I followed him. I punched him in the back and he fell. He'd have tasted my saber if I were somewhere safe, but instead I gave him a good beating, then I emptied his pockets. He had all manner of queer contraptions in them. Rings, bricks, sword stumps … I didn't know what he used them for, but I knew it was for making mischief. There was also a thread-bound notebook. It looked important. I got more and more cross as I went through the old man's things and I decided that I had to confront Yang Kang about the flask and everything else—we needed clarity between us.
"He was expecting me. I found him standing at the door with a smile on his face. 'Sister, please come in.' I stepped inside, and he pointed to the flask on the table. 'Guess what's in the bottle?' I was seething, so I said, 'Who knows what vileness it contains!' He was in excellent humor. 'A friend gave it to me earlier,' he said. 'He told me to put a little of this powder into your tea and everything would go as I wish.' This was not how I had expected our exchange to go and I felt my outrage slipping away. I picked up the bottle, opened the window and threw it out. 'Why did you keep it?' To which he replied, 'I respect Sister as I would a celestial being. How could I commit such a base crime?'"
Guo Jing nodded with approval. "Brother Yang did right."
Mercy scoffed, but said nothing more.
Lotus thought back to when she had seen Yang Kang and Mercy on Iron Palm Mountain. They were sitting side by side on the edge of the bed. His lips were brushing her ear, whispering, and his arms were pulling her close. Mercy was smiling, bashful.
We must have come upon them after this episode, Lotus said to herself. I bet Yang Kang saw her beating up Qiu Qianzhang, and that's why he came clean, the snake!
"What happened next?" Guo Jing asked, just as Zhou Botong had taught him. Always show interest and prompt the storyteller to continue.
Mercy's response was not one he had ever seen from the Hoary Urchin.
She flushed crimson and twisted away, her head bent even lower.
"Oh, Big Sister, I know!" Lotus cried. "You bowed to the heavens and earth and became man and wife!"
Mercy's head snapped up, her gaze fixed on Lotus. She had gone as white as a sheet, biting down hard on her lip. There was a peculiar glint in her eyes.
Lotus knew she had spoken out of turn. "I'm so sorry, my tongue ran away with me. My dear sister, please don't take it to heart."
"Your tongue didn't run away," Mercy muttered. "It was my senses that took their leave. I—I became … man and wife with him … but we—we didn't … didn't bow to the heavens and earth. I detest myself for my lack of self-control…" She trailed off as tears coursed down her cheeks.
Lotus put her arm around Mercy's shoulders, trying to find some soothing words for her friend. A moment later, she pointed at Guo Jing. "Sister, don't feel bad. It's nothing to be ashamed of. Not long ago, in Ox Village, he wanted that with me too."
Now it was Guo Jing's turn to feel awkward. "We … didn't … I…"
"You thought about it, though?"
Even the tips of Guo Jing's ears were burning a fiery red. He bowed his head and whispered, "I was bad."
Lotus patted him on the shoulder. "It makes me very happy that you want me to be your wife. Nothing bad about that."
This little exchange made Mercy ache deep inside. She may be smart, but she's too young to really grasp that … Still, she's very blessed to have met someone so pure of heart.
"What happened afterward, Sister?"
Mercy was staring vacantly at the stream once more. Her voice was very small. "Afterward … I heard yelling. Orders being bellowed out. It was chaos. He told me to keep quiet and said it had nothing to do with us—it was an Iron Palm Gang matter. Men began to assemble in the courtyard outside our room and they were told to fetch weapons and prepare torches so they could capture the trespassers.
"I looked out the window. The man issuing commands turned out to be that old fossil I had beaten up. I had not realized he was the leader of the Iron Palm Gang. I was worried that he would come in and confront me. And how … how could I face anybody after what had just happened? But, once his men were ready, they marched away."
"That old codger isn't the one you punched, Sister," Lotus said.
"What do you mean?"
"There are two of them. Twins. They look exactly the same. The one you beat up was called Qiu Qianzhang. Awful kung fu, nothing but a trickster. The one giving orders was Qiu Qianren, the actual leader of the Gang. One wave of his Iron Palm and you wouldn't be talking to us now."
"Really? If I had met him and died at his hands, everything would've been so much simpler."
"But our Brother Yang would miss you."
Mercy twisted away from Lotus's touch with disgust.
Lotus stuck her tongue out. "Then I'd miss you."
"I should go now," Mercy said, standing up. "Take care of yourselves. Beware of the Iron Palm Gang."
Lotus shot to her feet and grabbed Mercy's hand, pleading, "My dearest, dearest big sister, please don't be angry with me. I won't talk nonsense like that again."
"It's not you I'm angry with. It's … it's just that my heart hurts."
Lotus pulled Mercy back to their seat under the tree. "What did that villain do to upset you?"
"When the old man and his followers were gone, I asked him about our plans. He said, 'Since we are now man and wife, I'm not going to hide the truth from you. The army of the Great Jin Empire will soon march south, and, with the Iron Palm Gang's help from this side of the border, the Two Hus will be ours.'
"He was so excited by this grand plan. He said that once they had destroyed our Song armies, his father the Prince of Zhao would ascend the throne as the Great Jin Emperor, and he would be named the Crown Prince.
"And then he said to me, 'And you—you will become Her Highness the Consort.' I … I slapped him, very hard, and I ran. I ran out of the room and down Iron Palm Mountain. No one paid me any attention, they were all rushing the other way. Toward the summit.
"Every spark of life in here –" she put her hand over her bosom—"had gone out. Only ash remained. I didn't want to live anymore. I kept running. I didn't know where I was going. I just ran. Then I came upon a Taoist nunnery and barged inside. I stepped through the gate and I fainted. The old abbess took pity and let me stay. I succumbed to an illness and was bed-bound for days. When I recovered, she gave me this gown for the road, so I could return to Ox Village…"
"We're going in the same direction. Let's travel together!" Lotus said. "We're heading to Peach Blossom Island. I can share some kung fu with you along the way."
Mercy shook her head. "No, I—I'm fine. Thank you for thinking of me." She got to her feet and took a bound volume from inside her robe. "Big Brother Guo, this notebook contains affairs related to the Iron Palm Gang. Please pass it on to Master Count Seven when you see him. Perhaps it could be of some use."
"Of course."
She pressed the book into Guo Jing's hands and disappeared between the weeping willow branches without saying goodbye.
2
"I hope no wicked men bother her along the way," Guo Jing said, a little while after Mercy's abrupt departure. "She has to travel alone for thousands of li to reach the Two Zhes. At least she knows enough kung fu to deal with any common rogues she comes across."
"Mm … hard to say. Even we get plagued by wicked men."
"Second Shifu has often said, 'In times of chaos, men are less than curs.' Maybe that's why?"
"Perhaps. Now, let's deal with that mute dog!"
"We'll still sail with him?"
"Of course! I suffered so much at the hands of that old fossil Qiu Qianren. I can't let him get away with it. We may not have the kung fu to beat him, but we can start by taking out a few of his minions."
So, they returned to the tavern, where they found the boat-master still skulking around the entrance. He spotted his passengers and bounded over to greet them. Guo Jing and Lotus acted as though they did not know his secret and followed him down the quay to the canopied riverboat he had pointed out earlier. Vessels of this size dominated the Yuan River, cruising down with produce from the hills in western Hunan and sailing up with rice from paddy fields downstream.
Two youths, stripped to the waist, were scrubbing the deck as they boarded. The boat-master waited for his passengers to settle in, then unmoored the craft, sculled to the middle of the river and raised the sail. Propelled by a brisk southerly wind, the barge shot downriver like a singing arrow.
Lounging on the deck under the awning, Guo Jing could not take his mind off Yang Kang and Mercy. We have sworn to share our blessings and hardships as brothers, he said to himself. I can't stand by and watch him take a wrong turn. I should make him see his mistake and bring him back to the path of righteousness …
"Can I see the notebook Sister Mu gave you?"
Absentmindedly, Guo Jing pulled the thread-bound volume out of his inside shirt pocket.
Lotus flipped through the pages, her eyes scanning their contents. "A-ha, that's how it got there! Come, look."
Guo Jing pushed himself up and read over Lotus's shoulder, but he was more taken by the view before him. The eventide sun floated just over the river surface. The water, mirroring the rosy clouds overhead, painted everything—Lotus's face, her clothes and the book—with a rippling, rubescent glow.
THE VOLUME turned out to contain a chronicle of the Iron Palm Gang, penned by Qiu Qianren's shifu and predecessor, Shangguan Jiannan.
Before Shangguan became the Gang's thirteenth leader, he was an officer serving under General Han Shizhong, a Song patriot. Han, like Yue Fei, had successfully stemmed the encroachments of the Jin Empire and believed in actively repelling the Jurchen army, instead of angling for a fragile peace by making treaties and paying tribute.
And yet, with the rise of Qin Hui to the post of Chancellor, it was the faction that preferred peaceful negotiations which gained power in court. Qin Hui used his influence to recall General Yue Fei from the frontline and thereafter engineered his demise. Han Shizhong, who held a lower official rank, was demoted and his troops were taken away. The majority of units under his command were disbanded, the soldiers sent back to their old lives, toiling once more in the fields.
When Shangguan Jiannan was released, he traveled to Jinghu with his decommissioned brothers-in-arms, so they could be closer to the war against the Jin. They were all furious that their homeland was in the grip of treacherous officials. Some volunteered to join the force defending the city of Xiangyang, a strategic stronghold near the border, against the Jin's invasion from the north, while Shangguan became a member of a small local outfit known as the Iron Palm Gang.
When the Iron Palm Gang leader passed on, Shangguan was named as his successor, though he was relatively new to the group. He took on this duty with great zeal, improving the members' discipline and encouraging them to act in ways that were moral, righteous and good for the country. Soon, heroes and patriots of the Two Hus were flocking to join the Gang, and, within a few years, its influence in the south was compared to the Beggar Clan's hold on the north.
Although Shangguan Jiannan was no longer a soldier, he held fast to his responsibilities as a loyal son of the Song Empire: to protect the homeland, to vanquish its foes, and to restore lost territories. He often sent men to the southern capital of Lin'an and through the enemy lines to Bianliang—the Song Empire's main capital, now under Jin occupation—to gather intelligence so he could keep abreast of the latest news and troop movements, looking for a chance to strike back at the invaders.
Some years later, Shangguan was told that an Iron Palm Gang member had befriended a jailer who had stood guard over General Yue Fei in his last days of imprisonment. According to this man, the General wrote a military tract while confined and it was among the objects interred with him when he passed on. Shangguan made it his mission to track down this text and later discovered that it was most likely hidden within the grounds of the Imperial Palace in Lin'an.
Shangguan summoned every capable fighter in the Gang to go east with him. They stole into the royal complex under the cover of darkness and were able to find The Secret to Defeating the Jin without any complications.
Shangguan then went straight to his old commander Han Shizhong, who was leading the life of a hermit by the shore of West Lake after his forced retirement from the Imperial Court. The sight of Yue Fei's handwriting brought back a flood of reminiscence for the aged warrior—the patriot's unjust death and his thwarted dreams of freeing his people from their Jurchen shackles. Han was so roused by his memories that he drew his sword and swung it at his desk.
When the older man had collected himself, he said to Shangguan that he was too old to make use of the military treatise, but insisted that it could be a powerful weapon in the hands of a younger man. He then took out a bound volume and gave it to Shangguan. It contained General Yue's poems, letters, memorials to the Emperor and other writings that Han had compiled and copied out by hand to commemorate his old friend. He bade his former officer to take on General Yue's mantle, to rally the heroes of the Central Plains, repel the invaders and restore the realm to its rightful ruler.
For it occurred to Han Shizhong that Yue Fei would not have written the military text just for it to keep him company in the grave. The General had never been one for empty words and gestures, and the book stressed the importance of serving one's country with loyalty and righteousness—it must have been intended for a practical purpose. Perhaps Qin Hui had kept the General guarded so closely that the writings failed to make it out of his jail.
Still, Han Shizhong was certain that the General would have made provision to get his vital work into the right hands. Could it be that the news had never reached the intended recipient? What if they had come to the palace but could not find the treatise because Shangguan Jiannan had already taken it?
The two men decided to leave a message in its place. Shangguan painted a landscape of Iron Palm Mountain, and within the mounting concealed another piece of paper with a message of sixteen characters:
Yue Fei's final writings
In Iron Palm Mountain
Beneath the Middle Crag
In the Second Segment.
Han Shizhong added a poem by his old comrade, in case the painting alone was too cryptic a clue. He believed that Yue Fei must have set down the military strategy for his officers, and hoped that the presence of the General's verse would prompt them to study the painting, thereby discovering the hidden message. And so, Shangguan went back to the palace and placed the hanging scroll where he had found Yue Fei's book.
Shangguan Jiannan then returned to Iron Palm Mountain and studied General Yue's guide to training troops and vanquishing the enemy on the battlefield. In those years, the Jin army's incursions were increasing in frequency and ferocity, but the Iron Palm Gang barely had enough strength to protect itself, let alone rally patriots to mount a campaign north to repel the Jurchens. His dream of chasing the Jin from Song territory was never realized.
Decades later, Shangguan Jiannan departed this life a disappointed man, and the leadership was passed on to his disciple Qiu Qianren. The older man had no illusions about his student's nature. Qiu cared only for the martial arts and had no interest in any higher principles. The fate of his country had never concerned him, so, although Shangguan shared all his knowledge of kung fu, he never instructed him in the art of war and battle formations, or told him about Yue Fei's writings, since it would mean nothing and served no function for a man of Qiu Qianren's inclination.
When Shangguan Jiannan realized his end was nigh, he took Yue Fei's military tract with him on his final journey—to the cave in the middle crag of Iron Palm Mountain—to prevent it from falling into the hands of false-hearted men.
"LEADER SHANGGUAN held Yue Fei's writings close to his chest as he breathed his last," Guo Jing said with a sigh. The sun had now dipped below the horizon and dusk was fast descending.
"I assumed he had conspired with the Jin, like the Qiu brothers. If I had known, I would have shown his remains the respect he deserved. I can't imagine how aggrieved he must feel in the underworld right now. The once patriotic Iron Palm Gang is now made up of double-dealers."
Their boat was now moored by a village and the boat-master was busy slaughtering a chicken for dinner. Worried that their food might be tampered with, Lotus snatched the ingredients from him, grumbling about his unhygienic cooking area. The man glared at her as she went ashore with Guo Jing. He had no hope of browbeating the eloquent girl using sign language, but nor could he blow his cover by regaining the use of his tongue. All he could do was storm into the cabin to let out a string of profanities and groans of frustration the instant they stepped off the boat.
Lotus found a farmstead whose owners allowed her to use their kitchen, and, after they had eaten, they sat under a tree to enjoy the evening breeze.
"What do you think Qiu Qianzhang was planning to do with Leader Shangguan's chronicle?" Guo Jing asked. "How did he get hold of it?"
"It wouldn't have been difficult for the old swindler to steal the book, since he looks exactly like his brother. And he's been posing as the leader of the Iron Palm Gang, so he'd need to know their history, or else people would see through his act … I bet Brother Tempest Qu knew nothing about his great contribution to the cause."
Guo Jing looked at Lotus in confusion.
"Remember the cave behind the waterfall? By the Hall of Wintry Jade in the Imperial Palace in Lin'an?"
He nodded.
"That was where General Yue Fei's last writings were believed to be hidden. And wouldn't Shangguan Jiannan have put the painting back in the place where he found the book?"
"Yes…"
"Brother Qu was banished from Peach Blossom Island by Papa, but he always hoped he would be allowed back one day. He knew how much Papa loves painting, calligraphy and antiques. Tell me, where in the world has the best collection of such treasures? The Imperial Palace in Lin'an, of course. So, Brother Qu stole into the royal residence and carried off many great works of art—"
"I see what you mean now. It was one of the paintings your Brother Qu took. He kept everything in the hidden room in Ox Village. He was planning to present them to your father one day, but he died at the hands of the Imperial Guard before he was ready to make the journey. And, when that scoundrel Wanyan Honglie came after General Yue's writings, all he found was an empty casket. The book was long gone, and the painting that would have pointed him to its new location had been taken too … If we'd known, we wouldn't have needed to fight so hard outside the cave. I wouldn't have been injured by the Old Venom, and you wouldn't have had to worry for seven whole days."
"There, you're mistaken. If we hadn't spent all that time in the secret chamber, we'd never have found the painting, and we wouldn't have…" Lotus trailed off. Her eyes were drawn to the newly risen moon and her heart ached at the memory of that fateful encounter with Khojin. "I wonder how Papa is … We haven't got long until the fifteenth. Moon Festival. The mid-autumn full moon. We'll be at the Tower of Mist and Rain in Jiaxing, fighting Tiger Peng and his motley crew … After that, you are going back to Mongolia, aren't you?"
"No, I have to avenge my father and Uncle Yang first. I have to take Wanyan Honglie's life."
Lotus was still gazing at the luminous crescent in the sky. "And then?"
"We have to help Shifu heal his injury, we have to make sure Brother Zhou meets with Madam Ying, we have to visit my shifus' homes in Jiaxing, all six of them, one by one, and we have to find my father's grave."
"When we have done all those things, you'll have to go back to Mongolia, won't you?"
"No…" But he could not come up with another excuse. He would have to return for his mother, so she could at last come home to the South, where she was born.
"Guo Jing, listen. I know you're trying to delay the inevitable, I know you don't want to be parted from me." A sigh. "I don't want it either … But why are we being so foolish, dwelling on it? We should enjoy each moment together to the full. One merry day lived is one merry day less. Let's head back to the boat. We can have some fun with that imposter."
When they boarded, the boat-master and the two deckhands were already asleep in the stern.
"I'll keep watch." Guo Jing kept his voice low.
"Let me teach you a few signs to show them tomorrow," Lotus whispered back.
"Why don't you do it yourself?"
"They're too foul for a maiden's hands."
Guo Jing was amused by the thought of cussing with gestures. "Teach me tomorrow. It's late."
Lotus was more tired than she would admit, since she had yet to fully regain her elemental power. She laid her head on Guo Jing's lap and was soon dozing off. She was careful not to press her shoulders or back into him, for fear of pricking him with the Hedgehog Chainmail.
Guo Jing wanted to meditate and work on his internal strength, but he knew that if he sat cross-legged in the usual position, he might arouse the boat-master's suspicion. So, he lay flat on his back and channeled his energy according to the instructions from the final section of the Nine Yin Manual, as interpreted by Reverend Sole Light. An hour later, he sensed an invigorating pulse coursing through his limbs and reverberating in his bones.
Satisfied by these results, he was brought back to the present by Lotus's voice. "Don't marry her, please," she murmured. "I want to marry you … No, no, ignore me. I was wrong. I won't ask anything of you. I know I'm the only one in your heart. That's good enough."
"Lotus, Lotus…" Guo Jing whispered.
The soft breathing of slumber was her only reply.
He watched the pale moon caress her face, with a heavy heart. The rosy glow had yet to return to her cheeks, so her skin was almost translucent. He did not know how long he had been gazing at her when a light frown creased her brow and a tear rolled from the corner of her eye.
She must be dreaming about our future, Guo Jing thought. Her carefree giggles are just an act. She laughs to hide the great weight she carries, and I'm the cause of it. It would be better for her if we hadn't met in Kalgan. What about me? Can I bear to cast her aside?
The sound of water sloshing against the side of the boat broke into Guo Jing's thoughts. He was astounded that anyone would be so reckless as to raise their sail in the dark, especially as the Yuan River was notorious for its rapid currents and treacherous shallows. It sounded to him as though the craft was coming downriver toward them. He was just about to push himself up so he could peer through the gap between the gunwale and the awning, when three muffled claps from the stern gave him pause. The dull noise carried a long way in the dead of the night. Suddenly, the slop of an oar slipping into water and the rustle of sails being lowered could be heard. Moments later, the unknown vessel drew abreast.
Guo Jing woke Lotus up with a nudge as their boat bobbed in the water. He peeled back the canopy in time to catch a glimpse of a black silhouette—their boat-master, perhaps—hopping across onto the barge that had just arrived.
"Stay here, I'll take a look."
Lotus nodded.
Crouching low, Guo Jing tiptoed to the prow. The other craft was still swaying from the boat-master's impact, providing the perfect cover for him to come aboard without being detected. He leaped high and touched down in the middle of the crossbeam up on the mast. The vessel dipped a little from his weight, but otherwise remained steady. He waited a little before climbing down and finding a gap in the woven canopy he could spy through.
Three men. Clad in black, in the manner typical of the Iron Palm Gang. One of them wore a blue-green kerchief over his brow. Burly and tall, he seemed to be in command, for the boat-master was bowing to him.
"Fort Master Qiao," the boat-master said in a deferential tone.
"They're both aboard?"
"Yes."
"Do they seem wary?"
"No, but they won't eat what we cook, so we can't—"
"Huh! We'll finish them on Blue Dragon Shoal. When you leave Blue Dragon Market, the day after tomorrow, smash the tiller three li from the shoal, at precisely midday. We will take over from there. Remember, these two are very skilled in kung fu. Be vigilant. When the deed is done, our leader will reward you handsomely. Go back by water and take care not to rock the boat. You don't want to wake them."
"Yes, Fort Master Qiao." The boat-master retreated with a bow and slipped into the river, portside.
Guo Jing flexed his toes and landed lightly back on his own craft. He told Lotus what he had heard.
"Blue Dragon, White Tiger, we won't be cowed by a shoal. We rowed up raging rapids to get to Uncle Sole Light. Now, bedtime for us both!"
They slept soundly through the night, safe in the knowledge that they would not be attacked and thus had no need to keep a lookout. The next day, they sat on the deck to admire the landscape as they sailed past.
On the morning of the third day of the voyage, Lotus signaled to the boat-master as he weighed anchor and prepared to set sail: "Put the horse ashore. I don't want him to drown if we capsize at Blue Dragon Shoal."
The man shot her an odd look, but promptly recovered from his slip, feigning incomprehension. Lotus threw her hands up, overwhelmed by the urge to swear at him. She had picked up a most colorful repertoire of curses from the servants of Peach Blossom Island, who were all fearsome criminals made deaf and mute by her father. She touched two fingers to form a circle and decided it was too unbecoming. She abandoned the gesture with a giggle and led Ulaan onto dry land with Guo Jing.
"Lotus, let's ride away."
"Why?"
"I want us to be together always, safe and sound. What's the point of getting even with these scheming crooks?"
"Together always?" she scoffed.
Smarting from this snub, he watched her let go of the reins and point north. Ulaan understood that he would be reunited with his masters soon and galloped off, disappearing into the distance.
"Back to the boat."
"Why take such a risk? You haven't regained your strength."
"It's fine if you don't want to come." With that, she returned to the barge and went aboard. Guo Jing had no choice but to follow her.
As he climbed over the gunwale, she gave him a radiant smile. "You really are a dolt sometimes. The more adventures we share, the more memories we'll have of our time together. So, when we part, we'll have plenty to remember each other by—that's good, isn't it?"
"Do we—do we have to part? I don't want to—I won't. No matter what!"
She just looked at him in silence.
Her blank expression elicited a wretched feeling in his heart. A giant hammer was pummeling the core of his being out of shape and he knew not how to stop it. He had promised Tolui on a hotheaded impulse that he would honor his betrothal to Khojin, but now he had to live with the bitter agony he had inflicted upon Lotus and himself.
3
Standing together on the prow, Guo Jing and Lotus surveyed the undulating hills, which were fast growing into jagged mountains as they sailed closer to noon and Blue Dragon Shoal. While they were being swept downriver at dazzling speed, the upstream traffic struggled against the strong current, even though the vessels were being hauled along with thick ropes from the shore. The larger barges they passed could only make progress thanks to the combined strength of several dozen men, and lighter craft still required a minimum of three or four pairs of hands. Often a vessel would appear nailed to the riverbed, beaten about by the frothing waves, for just to stay where it was already took its best efforts in this tug of war against the power of nature.
The tow-men trudged forward, one step at a time, huddled and bent low, their foreheads almost scraping the uneven path. Stripped down to the waist, they had each wound a flimsy piece of white cloth around their heads. Glistening sheets of sweat clung to their sun-scorched backs, making their skin iridescent in the midday sun. They howled with each heave of the rope. A cacophony of cries rose and fell, unceasing, echoing between rock and river.
Trepidation mounted in Guo Jing as their barge washed downstream. "We've misjudged the Yuan River. This stretch of dangerous water seems to go on and on." He was careful to keep his voice low. "What if we do capsize? You've yet to regain your strength. The risk is too great."
"What do you think we should do?"
"Take out the boat-master and steer the boat ashore."
A shake of her head. "That's no fun."
"This isn't the time for fun."
"But I like fun!" Lotus said, giggling into her hand.
The sight of the waterway ahead being squeezed ever narrower by steep slopes either side disturbed Guo Jing. What could he do to make sure they got through safely? He asked himself over and over again, but his brain failed to offer up a solution.
After a bend in the river, cottages could be seen dotted high and low on a mountain in the distance. The boat raced along with the fast-flowing water like a galloping horse, and, in a flash, they were bearing down on the settlement. Scores of burly men stood on the waterfront awaiting their approach. They caught the hawsers tossed their way by the boat-master and looped them onto a large capstan. It took fifteen men turning the winch with all their might to pull them to shore.
At the same time, a second vessel of a similar size was being dragged to the dock from downstream. The moment its anchors were dropped, the tow-men flopped to the ground, puffing and panting, unable to move.
Guo Jing eyed the exhausted men with alarm, for it could only mean one thing: the stretch of river ahead was more treacherous. He also noted there were graybeards among the laborers, as well as teenage boys of no more than fourteen or fifteen. Young or old, they were, without exception, jaundiced and stick thin, their ribs protruding out so prominently that he could count them from afar. He felt a lump in his throat to witness the harsh conditions endured by the common people.
By now, their barge had also set anchor among the twenty or so vessels lining the dock of this hillside village.
"Brother, what is this place?" Lotus called to one of the men who had hauled them in.
"Blue Dragon Market."
She nodded in acknowledgment and edged toward the back of the boat with Guo Jing to keep an eye on their boat-master. He was gesturing at a brawny man on the water's edge. Then, a hatchet appeared in his hands. He swung, once, twice. The mooring lines were cut clean through. He dropped the hatchet and yanked both anchors out of the water.
The boat careened sharply, caught in the grip of the raging river, before spinning a full circle. Seized by the brute force of nature, the craft tore downriver to cries of dismay from the dock. In a trice, the shrieks died away, as they were swept out of earshot of Blue Dragon Market and over a steep drop in the watercourse. The barge plunged and plummeted. Water sprayed and splashed. The boat-master clasped both hands over the tiller, his eyes reading every crest and billow. The two deckhands, each clutching a barge pole, flanked their captain. There was no way to tell whether they were poised to fend off boulders or to guard the boat-master from Guo Jing and Lotus.
The river boiled with relentless fury. The craft hurtled onward, as if flung over a cliff, in free fall. They could crash into rocks and be smashed into a thousand pieces at any moment.
"Take the helm, Lotus!" Guo Jing bellowed as he made for the stern.
The deckhands raised their poles, ready for combat, but what chance did they have against Guo Jing?
Rushing after him, Lotus yelled—"Wait!"—then dropped her voice to a whisper and pointed to two white dots in the sky. "The condors."
Guo Jing at last understood why Lotus had been so composed. They could fly off on the birds' backs when the boat crashed. He beckoned the raptors down to join them.
The boat-master allowed himself a smile at Guo Jing's aborted attack. The unweaned wretch must be scared stiff by the turbulence, he told himself.
The distant rhythmic chants of a tow party could now be heard above the river's rumble. Presently, a canopied boat came into view, inching steadily forward against the current. A black flag flew from the mast.
The boat-master brought down the hatchet, slicing through the tiller handle. The foaming water instantly devoured the splintered wood as he readied himself to leap onto the oncoming vessel.
The condors were now perched on the gunwale. Guo Jing held one hand out toward Lotus and pressed the other down on the female condor's back to keep her steady.
"Not yet!" she called. "Grab an anchor. Smash that boat!"
With the tiller sabotaged, leaving no way to control the rudder, the river was hurling them into the other craft. They were just one zhang apart and closing fast. The helmsman of the oncoming vessel pushed the tiller as far as it would go and managed to edge his barge a fraction to port, avoiding a head-on collision.
Right then, Guo Jing launched the anchor. It ripped through the air, powered by a Drawn by Six Dragons from the Dragon-Subduing Palm.
Screams and shouts sounded above the roar of the river.
The anchor's metal bulk crashed into the other boat's bow, where a half dozen or so bamboo cables were fastened to the vessel's tow pole.
Already strained out of shape by the opposing forces of the roiling river and the hauling men, the post exploded on impact. Taut towlines fell slack. The laborers tumbled headlong to the ground.
Like a kite with its string snapped, the barge swiveled round and round, then rushed stern-first toward Guo Jing's and Lotus's boat.
The shrieks of men, rising above the bellowing of the river, reverberated between the cliff faces either side.
"Heeeelp!" the boat-master cried.
"The mute speaks!" Lotus could not pass up the chance to mock him.
Taking a deep breath, Guo Jing gripped the second anchor rope with both hands and tossed the metal weight into the air with a Dragon in the Field. He whirled it over his head as he wheeled round three times to build momentum.
Then he let go, propelling the heavy load with a blast of his neigong power. This time, he aimed for the rudder.
A man shot out of the cabin, snatched up a barge pole and swatted it down on the airborne anchor's shank. The bamboo shaft bent and arced—crack!—and broke in two.
Still, the contact was enough to deflect the anchor away from the boat. It crashed into the river, where it sunk without trace.
The man stood at the stern, steady, in control, unaffected by the violent lurching of his vessel. Gusts of wind tugged at his arrowroot short jacket, sweeping his speckled beard to one side.
Qiu Qianren!
4
Paaaang! guo Jing and Lotus were thrown into the air, their backs slamming against the cabin doors. Their boat had rammed into a cluster of rocks. In a trice, they were ankle-deep in water. Too late to escape on the condors now—they had flown away in fright at the impact.
"Follow me!" Guo Jing called to Lotus and he stamped his feet against the deck.
Up he shot in a Dragon Soars in the Sky, angling his body so that he was hurtling his full weight into Qiu Qianren.
A desperate gambit, but in this life-and-death moment, what option did he have?
If he tried to land anywhere else on Qiu's barge, the martial Master would strike at him before he could touch down, and there would be nothing he could do to defend himself.
But, if he launched his body at Qiu Qianren in a frontal assault, he might be able to force him back on his heels, which might give him the chance to gain a foothold.
Yet, Guo Jing's reasoning was apparent to Qiu Qianren too. The seasoned fighter brandished the broken bamboo pole. Its jagged point ripped through the air in a succession of feints and firm thrusts.
Rather than trying to fend off the sharp severed pole, the airborne Guo Jing hit back with a Thick Clouds Without Rain, striking his hands in quick succession at the crown of Qiu's head. Then he swiped his arm against the makeshift weapon, pushing its vicious point aside as he dived toward the deck.
With a howl, Qiu let go and drew his palms together, propelling them toward Guo Jing's chest. Once he made contact, he would send the boy flying into the bubbling water. After all, his feet were firmly planted, and the whelp had nothing to stand on but the wind.
Just then, Lotus hopped up and tapped the Dog Beater against the broken barge pole as it fell through the air. Riding on the residual internal force contained in the discarded weapon, she vaulted over to Qiu's vessel, raining down three ferocious jabs with the cane as she descended.
The rapid-fire onslaught almost caught Qiu Qianren out, very nearly striking him in the eye, and he turned away from Guo Jing to deal with Lotus.
As Guo Jing landed on the deck, he sent forth a Withdraw to Gain, a Dragon-Subduing Palm move rarely used in combat.
Qiu twisted away from the Dog-Beating Cane and swept his foot sideways, forcing Guo Jing to take a step back. Instantly, Qiu thrust out his palms—swoo-oosh—one after the other.
For centuries, the Iron Palm Gang's fame had been sustained by this very kung fu, which took the group's name. When it was passed down to Shangguan Jiannan and his disciple Qiu Qianren, they had enriched the repertoire with their own interpretations. Although the Iron Palm was less powerful than the Dragon-Subduing Palm, it had the advantage of greater variety.
Half a dozen moves were exchanged in the twinkling of an eye. Confined to the barge's narrow deck, Qiu Qianren and Guo Jing fought warily, pulling back before their moves reached their full potential. Still, the deafening rush of the river could not mask the shrill hiss that followed each lash of their palms.
Qiu's helmsman had regained some control of the vessel, in spite of the initial chaos and the ongoing fight, wresting the boat the right way round as it reeled downstream.
The other craft, by now, had been ripped in two by the angry river. Spars of wood, stretches of sail and the three-man crew were churned about in circles, dragged deeper and deeper into a whirlpool.
Lotus had her hands full tackling the crew of Qiu Qianren's barge, but, when the boat-master's shrieks reached her ears, she felt compelled to fling a hurried insult his way as he and his two deckhands thrashed and flailed. It did not matter how hard they paddled, they could not escape the pull of the vortex. They were sucked down to the riverbed together with what was left of the wreckage. Meanwhile, the condors wheeled in the sky, cawing in distress.
Barely any time had passed and the rapids had already carried them a couple of li from where the other boat had sunk. All the while, Lotus had been jabbing and thrusting with the Dog-Beating Cane, forcing Qiu's minions back through the cabin, toward the bow, so she could help Guo Jing deal with their leader. Just when she was about to join the fight, she caught the glint of steel from the corner of her eye.
One of the retreating men. Hacking down with his saber.
Lotus could not see who the man was attacking, but time was of the essence, so she flicked her wrist and sent a handful of sewing needles flying into his arm. The blade fell from his hand as he uttered a blood-chilling wail. Lotus darted into the cabin and, with one swift blow, sent him sprawling. Then she turned to check on his intended victim.
Madam Ying. On the floor. Her arms and legs bound. The only acknowledgment she gave her rescuer was a cold glare.
Lotus was astonished to find the vindictive woman here, of all places. She picked up the saber and hacked through the rope binding her wrists.
The moment her hands were free, Madam Ying snatched the blade from Lotus's grasp.
It flashed once.
The man was left twitching in his own gore. She now turned the bloodstained weapon on the restraints around her ankles.
"You saved me, but don't hope for anything in return."
"Fine, we're even now."
Lotus hastened back to the deck. She had no time for petty wrangling with the likes of Madam Ying. Whirling the Dog-Beating Cane, she wove a web of attack over Qiu Qianren's back.
The martial Master was not particularly concerned by Lotus entering the fray; he merely responded by channeling more neigong power into his palms. He had been dominating the boy. What could a teenage girl bring to the fight?
But, as he listened to his followers being chased overboard by Madam Ying, their muffled screams swallowed by the river, a thought chilled his heart: No human being, not even an expert swimmer, would stand a chance in this water.
A dozen moves in, he also had to face a rude awakening. The girl's little green stick was peskier than he had assumed. Feeling the strain of the double onslaught, he edged backward and hopped onto the gunwale. With the wild waves at his back, he no longer had to worry about being harassed from behind.
Guo Jing let rip with a series of his most potent strikes, but Qiu Qianren held his ground without shifting half an inch, as though his feet were nailed in place. It gave Lotus an idea: You call yourself Iron Palm Water Glider, let's see if you can really walk on water!
She renewed her attack, but Qiu's risposte was calm and precise, his palms a blur of motion as he kept one eye on the river.
Expecting reinforcements? She continued to taunt him in her head. Well, your kung fu may be better than ours, but there are three of us! Together, we can throw you overboard.
"Step aside, little girl," Madam Ying said. She had been keeping track of the battle as she swept the Iron Palm Gang members off the boat, sparing only the helmsman.
Annoyed by her disparaging tone, Lotus thrust twice with the Dog Beater, forcing Qiu Qianren to twist away and disengage. She grabbed the chance to jump back a couple of paces.
"Let her have a go." She gave Guo Jing's robe a tug and he also gave ground.
"Master Qiu, I never imagined that a celebrated personality of the jianghu would stoop so low as to use a doping incense on a sleeping woman," Madam Ying said in her haughtiest tone.
"Had I time to deal with you myself, you would know I have no need of incense," Qiu Qianren shot back. "I can catch ten of you with my bare hands."
"How might I have offended the Iron Palm Gang?"
"These two befouled our hallowed site. And you gave them shelter."
"Oh, them? Do what you like. They're nothing to me."
Madam Ying's prickly antagonism vanished as swiftly as it had surfaced. She perched on the gunwale, ready to enjoy the spectacle.
Under normal circumstances, it would not have been possible for the mistrustful woman to be abducted by the mediocre martial men of the Iron Palm Gang, whom she had just cast into the river, but, since her descent from Sole Light's mountain sanctuary after her failed attempt at revenge, she had been in a state of intense distraction.
The way Guo Jing took the knife for Sole Light and the monk bared his chest for her, had awakened the natural sympathy she had suppressed for so long. And yet, as she made her way down the mountain to find a guest house for the night, the memory of her infant son's death came flooding back—his face distorted by pain, his eyes pleading—and her heart had turned to stone again. Sitting alone in her room, haunted by her past and tortured by her fleeting weakness, she failed to detect the waft of incense smoke laced with incapacitating herbs.
Now she redirected her bile at Guo Jing and Lotus, hoping she would see them dragged away by the current along with Qiu Qianren.
Lotus glared at the capricious woman. Once we've dealt with him, you'll be next! She stood shoulder to shoulder with Guo Jing, and together they rained down a torrent of flying palms and sweeps of the Dog-Beating Cane.
Madam Ying soon came to the conclusion that Qiu Qianren, despite his superior strength, could not outlast the young couple in a battle of attrition. Then she noticed that he seemed to be changing his tactics, shifting his footing along the narrow gunwale. Could he be trying to find a way to catch the young couple unaware?
"Don't overstretch yourself. Rest a little."
Guo Jing's tender concern filled Madam Ying with a bitter pang of longing.
Nobody ever treated me how he treats her, she said to herself. Envy warped into jealousy and, once more, hate consumed her.
"What kind of fight is this, two against one? Let's make it fair." Madam Ying pulled a pair of bamboo slips from her robe, and, without another word, began to jab and swipe at Lotus.
"You really are a mad crone. Now I know why the Hoary Urchin wants nothing to do with you!"
Thus provoked, Madam Ying attacked so viciously that Lotus struggled to defend herself, even with the aid of the sophisticated Block technique from the Dog-Beating repertoire, for her agility was still hampered by her damaged inner strength. Madam Ying had many years of training over her, and the efficacy of the woman's kung fu—inspired by the slick movement of fish—was amplified by the unpredicatable motion of the barge.
"I know you miss the Old Urchin, but you can't win him back by acting like him." Lotus hoped to buy time by poking at the woman's sore spot. "He doesn't care for the deranged."
Guo Jing, for the time being, was just about scraping by on his own against Qiu Qianren, drawing on Reverend Sole Light's instructions to maintain an uninterrupted circulation of neigong energy around his body between each chop of his palms.
Buoyed by Madam Ying's support, Qiu Qianren struck back with renewed vigor. He did not understand her change of heart, but that did not concern him, since he knew it would not be long before he had sapped the boy's strength.
He avoided a razor-sharp slice from his opponent with a nimble twist of his waist, then thrust his palms out, his right above his left.
Guo Jing twirled his hands and pushed back with a Withdraw to Gain.
A clash of inner forces.
Huh! They each grunted as they scuttled back by three steps.
Qiu Qianren promptly regained his balance, but Guo Jing tripped over a coiled rope. He went with the fall, flipping into a roll to give himself time to find his footing, while drawing his arms in to protect his chest.
Cackling at the clumsy tumble, Qiu closed in to secure his victory.
5
Lotus, meanwhile, was hard pressed by Madam Ying's relentless assault. Her breathing was getting shallower and beads of sweat were forming on her hairline. She knew she could not hold out much longer, and that fact was obvious to Madam Ying too, judging from the way she was relishing their duel.
Then, the sound of Qiu Qianren's laughter boomed above the roaring torrent, the creaking timbers of his battered vessel. Abruptly, the flush of victory was wiped from Madam Ying's face and she froze mid-move. She had just stabbed a bamboo slip at Lotus, and, though she should have pulled back to guard against a counter-thrust, she let her arm remain extended, leaving her core exposed.
Seeing her chance, Lotus speared the Dog Beater toward Madam Ying's heart, aiming for her Spirit Repository pressure point.
The woman took no notice.
"It was you!" Madam Ying shrieked. A shudder racked her body, as though she had been swept by a demonic gust.
Then she pounced, arms flung wide, teeth bared, at Qiu Qianren.
To lock the man in her arms and tear at his flesh.
Qiu leaped sideways and barked, "What are you doing?" His heart quailed at her wild eyes and fearsome countenance.
Growling like an enraged tiger, Madam Ying launched herself at him again, without a thought for her own safety.
Qiu hammered a heavy blow down on her shoulder, one he was sure would shock her into drawing her arms up to block. Nay, he was wrong. She had only one concern: to seize him.
If she gets me in a body lock, the boy can strike me at will … A sudden fear for his life compelled Qiu to cut short his attack and scuttle portside, away from the possessed woman. An undignified retreat unworthy of a great Master, but, right now, staying alive mattered more than saving face.
Lotus took Guo Jing's hand and pulled him aside to give Madam Ying more room.
Qiu ducked and dodged. His sophisticated skills had little chance to shine against an opponent who cared nothing for her own life.
She lunged. She clawed. Forcing him back toward the stern.
Her eyes bloodshot. Her face twisted in a mask of rage.
She sprang. She swiped. She had him trapped by the tiller.
This is it! This mad hag is my reckoning! The martial Master resigned himself to his fate as he shrank back.
She raised her hand again. Thump! The helmsman flew into the white water. A kick. The tiller splintered.
The boat began to whirl in wild circles.
Lotus groaned. Why does she have to go berserk now? She'll kill us all! She pursed her lips to whistle for the condors.
Paaang! The vessel slammed sideways into a cluster of rocks.
A breach in the hull.
Qiu Qianren took a deep breath and got ready to jump. They were not that far from the shore. He might be able to leap all the way to safety. Either way, he would sooner try his luck with the rapids than let this demented woman drag him down to the netherworld.
He pushed off with all his might, but his momentum was spent one zhang from land. He plunged down and was dragged to the riverbed by a fierce undertow. Next thing he knew, he was spat out and swept downstream. It was his good fortune that spars of wood from his barge had been scattered far and wide by the collision. He grabbed hold of the first piece of flotsam that came his way, and kicked and splashed with every last drop of his neigong as the current churned him about. He was not a good swimmer, drinking a bellyful of murky water with each breath he took, but decades of martial training had fortified his strength and resilience. He fought tooth and nail against the rapids and eventually crawled ashore, bone-weary.
He slumped against a rock, gulping as much air as he could. When he looked up, he realized he had been washed a dozen li downriver. The wreck of his boat was a mere dark spot on the horizon, but he was convinced that he could still make out the bloodthirsty face of Madam Ying flashing her teeth and snapping her jaws at him.
"YOU CAN'T run from me!"
Madam Ying prepared to cast herself overboard after Qiu Qianren. Guo Jing could not bear to see her drown, so he dashed forward, pulling her back by the hem of her robe. The boat lurched, drawn by the turbulence into the heart of the river. She swung her palms in fury. He ducked, but held on tight.
"Leave her be! We have to go!" Lotus called, gesturing at the condors perched on the gunwale.
Guo Jing let go and all resistance went out of Madam Ying. She flopped onto her knees, her tearstained face buried in her hands.
"My son! My son!"
The wild water, sloshing around their ankles, was fast claiming the barge. Lotus urged Guo Jing once more to escape while he still could.
"Go!" he cried. "Send the condor back."
"There isn't time!"
"We promised Reverend Sole Light. We can't leave her. Go!"
Lotus wavered. The monk had given up years of martial training to bring her back to life …
A thunderous crash. The barge groaned and shuddered. They had crashed into another cluster of boulders. The impact almost sent them flying.
Water gushed in from every joint and crack.
They were going under. Fast.
"The rocks!" Lotus cried.
Guo Jing nodded and pulled Madam Ying to her feet. She complied, her body yielding and pliant, her blank eyes fixed on the swirling billows. He looped his arm around her back and heaved.
"Jump!" he said.
The three of them landed on the boulder at the same time.
The rapids lashed at the rock, drenching them with spray. In the short time it took them to secure their footing on the slippery surface, the barge was devoured by the ravenous torrent.
The condors had flown over, following Guo Jing's call, but they too were intimidated by the feral river and would only circle overhead.
Lotus was no stranger to fierce currents, having grown up on an island, yet even she felt faint and dizzy at the sight of the water tearing past. She held her eyes averted to keep her head from spinning. Once she had steadied herself somewhat, she scanned the shore in search of a way out of their predicament.
A stout willow tree. About ten zhang from their refuge.
"Hold tight!" She grabbed Guo Jing's hand, slipped into the water and dived down toward the sunken vessel.
Guo Jing wedged his feet into a crevice and lowered himself into the water, stretching as far as physically possible. He clutched Lotus's wrist with his neigong strength, praying that his grip was firm enough and trying not to think about what might happen if …
Lotus unwound the halyard connecting the sail to the mast and tugged it free. With Guo Jing's help, she climbed back onto the boulder and hauled in the rope.
"Dagger," she said, when she had gathered a coil about twenty zhang in length. She cut the line and whistled, beckoning the female condor to land on her shoulder, but Guo Jing reached out and intercepted the bird, worried that his beloved's small frame could not take the weight.
Lotus tied one end of the rope around the condor's leg and pointed at the willow, gesturing that she should fly across to it and then come back.
The condor spread her wings and circled over the tree several times before returning.
"No! Loop it around the tree!" Lotus hissed, but, of course, the bird could not comprehend her words or her frustration.
Lotus sent the condor to the tree again and again, and each time it wheeled high above the branches. But, on the eighth attempt, she succeeded in persuading the raptor to fly low enough so that, when she turned back, she looped the rope around the willow's robust trunk.
Thrilled, Lotus pulled the line taut and secured it with Guo Jing's help.
"Go on," he said to her.
She gestured at Madam Ying. "Let her go first."
Glowering, the woman grabbed the rope and hauled herself forward, one hand at a time, wading through the water at first, before hoisting herself above it.
Lotus cast Guo Jing a knowing grin. "Great Lord, if you enjoy this little trick, be generous with your tip." With those words, she leaped up and landed on the line, holding out the Dog-Beating Cane to keep herself steady. Then, like an acrobat, she tightrope-walked over to the willow tree using lightness qinggong.
Having never before attempted such a feat himself, Guo Jing decided to imitate Madam Ying's more down-to-earth method, trusting to his grip rather than his balance.
He was a short distance from the shore when he heard Lotus yell, "Hey! Where are you going?"
He pulled himself forward faster, afraid that Madam Ying, in her frenzied state, might rush headlong into harm's way, then he swung down to the ground.
"She's gone."
Guo Jing looked toward where Lotus was pointing. Madam Ying was scuttling south over rocks and boulders.
"We have to follow her," he said. "She's not in her right mind. She may run into danger."
"Of course." Lotus tried to take a step forward, but her legs buckled and she sank to her knees. Shaking her head, she realized that the escapade had been too much for her recovering body.
"Rest here, I'll find her." Guo Jing took off after Madam Ying, but soon he came to a gully full of craggy rocks and chest-high weeds. Three paths fanned out before him, and there was nothing to indicate which of them she had taken.
As light began to fail, Guo Jing thought of Lotus, alone and defenseless by the river, and turned back.
6
Guo Jing and Lotus spent a fitful night on the rocky shore, their empty stomachs growling in protest. Once it was light enough, they picked their way along the river, calling for Ulaan. On and on they walked, but there was no sign of the horse. It was past midday when they came across a small tavern, where they bought three roosters from the innkeeper. They gave the condors one each, while Lotus roasted the third over a fire—their first meal since the wreck of their barge.
The birds flew up a nearby tree with their roosters and tore at the flesh with glee, raining down a shower of fluttering feathers. Then, out of the blue, the female condor screeched and took to the sky, flinging away the half-eaten carcass. The male raptor arched his pinions and joined his mate, filling the air with urgent caws.
"They sound tetchy." Guo Jing had never seen them act like this.
"Let's see what they're up to."
They hurried after the birds, which were now wheeling high in the sky some distance away. The condors swooped in a synchronized dive, plunging beneath the treeline before shooting back up wing to wing.
"They're attacking something on the ground!" Guo Jing exclaimed.
Two or three li later, they found themselves at the edge of a market town. The condors flew back and forth over the houses, searching for their prey.
Guo Jing whistled, but they ignored him.
"What has upset them so much?" He was perplexed.
At length, the birds returned to them, though they were in a troubling state. Blood streamed from a deep cut on the male condor's foot. A lesser creature would have lost it altogther.
The female condor was clutching something in her talons. It took Guo Jing some time to coax her into letting go of it, and, when she finally relented, he was aghast to find a gory, hairy mess in his hand.
"The condors have never attacked anyone for no reason. What do you think happened?" He turned the freshly torn scalp this way and that, unable to fathom what would have made the bird sink her claws into someone's head.
"We'll know when we find whoever it belongs to," Lotus said as she tended to the male condor's cut.
They found a guest house for the night, then split up to search for the scalped man. The market was bustling and full of people—they combed every street and alleyway until sundown, but found nothing.
"I looked everywhere, but I didn't see anyone with a raw wound on his head," Guo Jing said, dejected.
"He probably covered it up."
"Oh!" He had seen many men in hats … but he couldn't have gone up and ripped a stranger's cap off, could he?
THE NEXT morning, they woke to find Ulaan outside the guest house, having been guided there by the condors. Although they still wanted to know who the raptors had mutilated, there were more pressing matters at hand and they knew they should not tarry in the town. They had to get to Lin'an to find Count Seven Hong so they could share the method that would allow him to recover from his injury, then to Peach Blossom Island to check on Lotus's father, and then to Jiaxing in time for the martial contest with Tiger Peng and his cronies on Moon Festival, which was less than a fortnight away.
Lotus was in high spirits, chuckling and chattering away as they were whisked along on Ulaan's back. The condors watched over the three of them from the sky. Each night, she sat on the bed in their inn or guest house, hugging her knees, and prattled on about nothing in particular until it was long past midnight. Guo Jing could see that she was exhausted, but she ignored his pleas to get some sleep and kept drawing him into conversation.
Several days of hard riding later, they found themselves within reach of the Eastern Sea, crossing from West Jiangnan to the eastern part of the Two Zhes, where they found an inn for the night. After a short rest in their room, Lotus asked the innkeeper for a basket so she could shop for dinner.
"Let them bring us our meal," Guo Jing said. "We've been on the road all day. You must be exhausted."
"But I want to cook for you! Don't you like my food?"
"Of course, I love all your dishes, but, right now, you need rest. There'll be plenty of time to cook for me when you're better."
"Plenty of time…?" Lotus froze in the doorway, one foot in the courtyard outside. A faraway, vacant look in her eyes.
Guo Jing took the basket from her arm. "We'll find Shifu and the three of us will enjoy your wonderful cooking together."
A moment later, she turned back and cast herself facedown onto the bed.
Guo Jing had not the faintest idea what was going through Lotus's mind. He assumed the journey was catching up with her and she was having a nap, but, in actual fact, tears were staining her cheeks and the bedclothes. He stayed still and quiet, lest he woke her, and only tiptoed over when he heard the call for dinner.
"We're not eating here. Come with me." She gave him a broad grin and jumped to her feet.
Lotus wandered through the town until they heard blaring trumpets and crashing cymbals coming from an imposing mansion guarded by white walls and a sturdy gate. She observed the steady stream of guests flowing in through the wide-open main entrance and led Guo Jing along the perimeter until they arrived at the rear garden. Without a word, she leaped over the wall and marched across the courtyard, making straight for the main hall. Guo Jing trailed after her, out of habit.
The main hall was the grandest part of the house and it glittered with candles and lamps. Inside, a magnificent spread of food and drink was laid out on three round tables, each seating ten to twelve men, merrily feasting.
A banquet in full swing.
"Marvelous! We've come at the perfect time," Lotus said aloud to no one in particular.
She strolled in, giggling to herself, then announced to the whole room: "Begone!"
The host and his thirty-odd guests just stared at the teenage girl.
Lotus pulled the man sitting closest to her from his chair and hooked her foot against his ankles. His fleshy bulk crashed to the floor. The guests needed no further persuasion. They shot to their feet, knocking over chairs and each other in the scrum to get away.
A dozen men armed with sabers and spears rushed into the hall in response to their master's cry of distress. Lotus turned to face them, beaming, and, within two moves, she had subdued the two brawlers leading the ragtag band and snatched up one of their blades. Brandishing the weapon, she charged at the rest of the men. They pushed and shoved their way out of the banquet hall, shrieking for clemency.
Spying that the aged master of the house was attempting to slink away, Lotus darted after him and grabbed him by his grizzled beard. She held the saber menacingly over his head.
"K-kind and merciful miss!" The man fell to his knees. "I-i-if you want gold … take it! Spare this old fellow. Please…"
"Who says I want gold? Get up and drink with us." Still gripping his beard, Lotus pulled him to his feet. His chin and cheeks burned with searing pain, but he dared not make a sound in protest. She beckoned Guo Jing to join her at the head table, in the place set for the guest of honor.
"C'mon, sit!" She grinned at the shivering merrymakers who had remained in the hall, paralyzed with fear.
"Why are you all standing?" A flourish of her hand. The saber stood quivering, its point driven into the tabletop.
The guests fell over themselves in their haste to sit at the unoccupied tables.
"You don't want to sit with us?" Lotus's eyes swept over their stupefied faces before settling on the blade. It was still trembling from the force that had planted it upright in the wood.
Now, the men jostled for a place at the head table, sending chairs crashing to the floor as they fought for a seat.
"A pack of three-year-olds would have better manners than you lot!"
More shoving and elbowing. At last, the guests were evenly spread among the three tables.
Lotus poured herself a cup of wine. "What's the occasion? Why this banquet tonight?"
"Ummm … i-it-it's for my s-s-son. B-b-born one m-moo-moon ago," the master of the house stammered.
"A newborn babe at your ripe old age! Aaah, how sweet! I want to meet him."
The man's face turned an earthen hue. What if she…? But, after a quick glance at the saber sticking out from the table, he sent for the wet nurse.
Lotus cradled the baby and studied his chubby little face by the candlelight, then, tipping her head to the side, flicked her eyes up to take in his father's features.
"Can't see any resemblance. He can't be yours."
Mortified, the man muttered, "Yea—yes…"
It was impossible to tell if he was agreeing with her, or if he was trying to say that he had indeed sired the boy.
"The kind miss speaks the truth," he added after a pause, quaking in terror.
There were some among the frightened guests who were sorely tempted to make a joke at the man's expense, yet they were also aware that the slightest reaction could provoke the mercurial girl, so they tried to remain as still and as silent as possible.
Lotus took out a sycee ingot of gold, pressed it into the nurse's hand then returned the child to her trembling arms.
"A little gift from your grandmama," she cooed.
The guests were gobsmacked. Such generosity! But why did she call herself grandmother when she was not much older than a child herself? None of it made sense.
The boy's father thanked the kind miss profusely, relieved that danger had passed.
Lotus picked up a large bowl and set it before him with an exaggerated show of good humor.
"A toast to you!" she said, filling it to the brim.
"Begging your pardon, Auntie." The host, assuming that the girl liked being treated as a senior, decided to play along. "I don't have the constitution for drink."
But that was not what Lotus wanted to hear.
"Is this a birthday or a funeral?" She yanked his beard. Her arched eyebrows mirrored the aggression in her tone.
The man raised the bowl and glugged down its contents.
"That's more like it!" She nodded her approval. "Shall we play a drinking game?"
The guests were eager to obey, but this bunch of moneyed merchants, landed gentry and minor scholars, though literate, did not possess the mental dexterity or poetic flair for clever puns and wordplay required for the kind of literati drinking games Lotus had in mind.
Irritated by the uninspired responses they were cobbling together, Lotus jabbed her finger toward the back wall. "Stand over there!"
The sound of chairs scraping the tiled floor gave way to the patter of scrabbling feet. A sense of relief filled the room. The men felt like they had been granted a stay of execution.
Just then—thump!—the master of the house crashed backward in his chair. He had succumbed to the wine.
Lotus roared with laughter and turned to a bemused Guo Jing. She helped herself to food and wine and began chattering about everything and nothing, as though they had the hall to themselves.
The guests, afraid to utter a sound, stood on ceremony. The young couple drank and feasted until well into the second watch of the night. Only then, after repeated pleas from Guo Jing, was Lotus ready to leave.
When they were at last back at the guest house, Lotus asked with a cheeky smile, "Did you have fun?"
"I don't see the fun in frightening those poor souls."
"I do what gives me peace. It's not my concern if other people live or die."
Guo Jing was struck by her strange tone, and he could not fathom the meaning of her words.
A moment later, she said, "I'm going for a walk. Are you coming?"
"Now? It's late."
"Grandmama can't stop thinking about her cute little babe."
"You can't—"
She cut him off. "Stop fretting! I'll bring him back. In a few days. When I'm done playing with him."
Laughing, she bolted through the doorway and hopped over the guest house's outer wall.
Guo Jing hastened after her and seized her by the arm.
"Lotus! Enough!"
"No!" She whipped round to confront him. "Not enough! I only have fun when I'm with you, but you're leaving—leaving me—in a few days. You're leaving me to spend your life with Princess Khojin. She'll stop you from seeing me. I know she will.
"Each day I spend with you is one less I have in your company. That's why I'm cramming so much into every moment. I want to do two, three—nay—four days' worth of things with you in just a single day. Yet, I still want more, it's not enough, do you understand, Guo Jing? Do you see why I won't go to sleep? By staying up late, I get to talk with you that little bit longer … Do you get it, now? Do you still want to stop me?"
"You know I'm a muddlehead, Lotus." Guo Jing clasped his hands over hers. "I—I'm sorry that I didn't realize this is how you … I—I … I can't leave you…" He did not have the words to make sense of this jumble of feelings.
Lotus gave him a rueful smile. "Papa taught me so many lyric poems and I never grasped why they always seemed to be about some kind of anguished woe. I thought perhaps they spoke to him because he missed Mama. Now I understand what they're trying to say: joy and good spirits are fleeting, but gloom and misery stay with you for a lifetime. And now I see why Papa keeps telling me, 'None in this world lives with a heart unhurt.' Because that's how it is…"
The tips of the willow trees shimmered in the silver moonlight. A gentle breeze tugged at their robes, washing over their skin like cool water.
Guo Jing had never been perceptive when it came to feelings—his own or another's. Although he was aware of the depth of Lotus's affection for him, he had never imagined that, when love took root in the heart, it could wreak such havoc. Her words made him see the last few days in a different light.
Yes, I'll miss her very, very much when I'm back in Mongolia, but I'll find ways to cope, he told himself, because I'm rough-hewn and thick-skinned. What about her? She's nothing like me. She'll be on her own on Peach Blossom Island, with just her father for company … and, one day, he'll leave her for the next world. Who will she have then? Just a handful of deaf and mute servants. And her own thoughts, turning round and round in her head, day after day. That's the fate I've condemned her to—I'm burying her alive.
The realization cut deep, making his whole body tremble. He clasped her hands tighter, his eyes drinking in her forlorn face.
"Lotus, let the heavens crash down, I'll keep you company on Peach Blossom Island all my life."
His words sent a jolt through her body.
"What—what did you say?" she asked in a quavering voice, meeting his eyes.
"I don't care what Genghis Khan wants. I don't care what Khojin wants. I want to spend my life with you."
Since he had agreed to honor his promise to marry Khojin, he had been plagued by his decision. Now that he had cast off his scruples to follow his heart, he felt unfettered for the first time in weeks.
Guo Jing clasped Lotus close to his chest. She melted into his embrace, and her breath caught in her throat. The world fell away when they were in each other's arms.
They stayed like that for a long time without exchanging a word. At length, Lotus muttered into his chest, "But your ma…"
"I'll bring her back south, and she can live with us on Peach Blossom Island."
"And your teacher, Jebe? Your sworn brother, Tolui?"
"I'll just have to owe them a debt of friendship. I can't split my heart into two."
"What would your six shifus say? What about Reverend Ma and Reverend Qiu?"
"I'll live with their scorn and implore them to accept us." Guo Jing heaved a sigh. "Lotus, you won't part from me, and I'll never part from you."
"I have an idea." She broke into giggles. "We'll stay on Peach Blossom Island. They can come looking for us, if they wish, but they'll never find you, if you don't want to be found. They'll never work out the labyrinthine layout Papa designed."
Guo Jing was about to protest that it would be disrespectful to hide from his elders, when he heard the sound of distant footsteps. Two men, a dozen zhang or so south of them, hurrying northward with the aid of lightness kung fu.