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  CHARACTERS

  As they appear in this, the fourth volume of Legends of the Condor Heroes: A Heart Divided

  MAIN CHARACTERS

  Guo Jing, son of Skyfury Guo and Lily Li. He grows up with his mother in Mongolia, where they are looked after by Genghis Khan. He is now on his first journey to the Central Plains, the native land of his parents.

  Lotus Huang, daughter of Apothecary Huang; recently named Chief of the Beggar Clan. Witty and mischievous, a skilled martial artist and extremely fast learner. She befriends Guo Jing early on in his travels, and they now journey together, sharing many adventures.

  THE JIN EMPIRE AND ITS RECRUITS

  Wanyan Honglie, Sixth Prince, also known as Prince of Zhao, has made conquering the Song his personal mission, in the hope of securing his reputation and legacy among his own people. He is an astute politician, using rivalries within the Song court and the wulin to his own advantage.

  His recruits from the martial world include:

  The Dragon King Hector Sha controls the Yellow River with his four apprentices, whose lack of skill infuriates their Master, even though it is most likely his foul temper that has prevented them from learning anything more than their rather basic moves.

  Browbeater Hou, the Three-Horned Dragon, so named for the three cysts on his forehead.

  Graybeard Liang, also known as Old Liang, the Ginseng Immortal and, more disparagingly, the Ginseng Codger. He comes from the Mount of Eternal Snow (Changbai Mountains) up in the northeast, close to the current border with Korea, where he has practiced kung fu for many years as a hermit, as well as mixing special medicinal concoctions with the aim of gaining strength and prolonging his life.

  Lama Supreme Wisdom Lobsang Choden Rinpoche, from Kokonor, now known as Qinghai. He is famed for his Five Finger Blade kung fu.

  Tiger Peng the Outlaw, Butcher of a Thousand Hands, has command of much of the mountainous region surrounding the Jin capital Zhongdu, which would later become Peking.

  SUBJECTS OF THE SONG EMPIRE

  Yang Kang, son of Ironheart Yang and Charity Bao, sworn as brother to Guo Jing while both are still in their mothers’ bellies. He was raised as Wanyan Kang, the son of Wanyan Honglie the Sixth Prince of the Jin Empire, and only discovers the identity of his biological father at the age of eighteen.

  Mercy Mu, god-daughter of Ironheart Yang, takes part in martial contests her godfather stages to find her a suitable husband and is defeated by Wanyan Kang.

  Lily Li, Guo Jing’s mother. After the attack on Ox Village, she ends up in Mongolia and lives among Genghis Khan’s followers with Guo Jing.

  THE MONGOLIANS

  Genghis Khan, the Great Khan Temujin, is the mighty warrior who has united the various Mongolian tribes and conquered kingdoms to build an empire spanning Asia and Europe. He has many children, five of whom appear in this story:

  Jochi, his eldest son.

  Chagatai, the second son.

  Ogedai, the third son.

  Tolui, the fourth son, and Guo Jing’s sworn brother.

  Khojin, one of his many daughters whose names are mostly lost to history, betrothed by her father to Guo Jing.

  Among Genghis Khan’s followers, a number have fought alongside the conqueror since his humble beginning as a tribal leader. His most trusted retainers are the Four Great Generals—Muqali, Bogurchi, Boroqul and Tchila’un—and Jebe, who taught Guo Jing archery and wrestling.

  THE SIX FREAKS OF THE SOUTH

  Also known as the Six Heroes of the South when being addressed respectfully by other characters. They refer to themselves as a martial family, though they share no blood ties. They were known as the Seven Freaks until the death of Zhang Asheng the Laughing Buddha.

  Ke Zhen’e, Suppressor of Evil, also known as Flying Bat. The oldest of the Freaks, he is often referred to as Big Brother. Blinded in a fight, his preferred weapons are his flying devilnuts, iron projectiles made in the shape of a kind of water chestnut native to China.

  Quick Hands Zhu Cong the Intelligent is known for his quick thinking and even quicker sleight of hand. His dirty scholar’s dress and broken oilpaper fan, really made from iron, belie his martial skill. He is particularly knowledgeable in acupressure points, using them to disable his opponents in a fight.

  Ryder Han, Protector of the Steeds. Only three feet tall, but a formidable fighter and an expert horseman. His weapon of choice is a whip.

  Woodcutter Nan the Merciful, known for his kind, if not shy, nature, fights with an iron-tipped shoulder pole.

  Gilden Quan the Prosperous, Cloaked Master of the Market, is a master of the rules of commerce and is always looking for a good deal. He fights with a set of scales.

  Jade Han, Maiden of the Yue Sword, is the youngest of the group and the only female. She is trained in the Yue Sword, a technique particular to the region surrounding Jiaxing, developed when the Kingdom of Yue waged war on the Kingdom of Wu in the fifth century B.C.

  THE FIVE GREATS

  Hailed as the five greatest martial artists in the wulin after they demonstrated their skills at the Contest of Mount Hua.

  The Eastern Heretic Apothecary Huang. A loner and radical who practices his unorthodox martial arts on Peach Blossom Island. He holds traditions and their accompanying morals in contempt and believes only in true love and honor. His eccentricities and heretical views have earned him a dubious reputation, one that he himself cultivates.

  Double Sun Wang Chongyang, also known as Central Divinity, founded the Quanzhen Sect in the Zhongnan Mountains, with the aim of training Taoists in the martial arts so that they might defend the Song against the Jurchen invasion. A real historical figure, he lived from A.D. 1113 to 1170.

  The Northern Beggar Count Seven Hong, sometimes referred to as the Divine Vagrant Nine Fingers, was the Chief of the Beggar Clan, with authority over all the beggars in the Song and Jin Empires, until he appointed Lotus Huang as his successor after being wounded by Viper Ouyang. He is respected for his sense of righteousness, but few can point to his whereabouts at any given time, as he likes to roam the jianghu alone. He is also known for his great love of exceptional cooking.

  The Western Venom, Viper Ouyang, is an expert in taming venomous snakes and developing lethal toxins. His martial skills, including his Exploding Toad kung fu, are inspired by the deadly creatures he keeps. He will stop at nothing to get his hands on the Nine Yin Manual.

  The Southern King, Duan Zhixing, is the ruler of the Kingdom of Dali. He is known for his signature kung fu, Yang in Ascendance, a pressure-point locking system that also has great healing powers.

  THE QUANZHEN TAOIST SECT

  A real branch of Taoism, whose name means “Way of Complete Perfection.”

  The Seven Immortals, students of Wang Chongyang, are in fact real historical figures:

  Scarlet Sun Ma Yu, the oldest of the Immortals, teaches Guo Jing internal kung fu based on breathing techniques.
r />   Eternal Truth Tan Chuduan was a blacksmith in the Sect’s native province of Shandong before he became a Taoist monk.

  Eternal Life Liu Chuxuan, third student of Wang Chongyang.

  Eternal Spring Qiu Chuji befriends Ironheart Yang and Skyfury Guo at the beginning of the series and vows to protect their unborn offspring. To this end, he devises a martial contest with the Seven Freaks of the South. He becomes teacher to Yang Kang.

  Jade Sun Wang Chuyi, the Iron Foot Immortal, befriends Guo Jing after hearing of Qiu Chuji’s contest with the Seven Freaks of the South.

  Infinite Peace Hao Datong, born to a wealthy family in Shandong.

  Sage of Tranquility Sun Bu’er is the only female of the Sect. She was married to Ma Yu before they both found their spiritual calling.

  Zhou Botong the Hoary Urchin, sworn brother and student of Wang Chongyang, is a lay member of the Quanzhen Sect and the martial uncle of the Seven Immortals.

  Harmony Yin is one of Qiu Chuji’s students. He first met Guo Jing on the Mongolian steppe when he was sent by his Master to test Guo Jing’s developing martial skills.

  THE BEGGAR CLAN

  The Beggar Clan is a fictional group that has appeared in countless works of martial-arts literature. Despite having members all over China, its strength lies mostly in the north—in territories already annexed by the Jin Empire at the beginning of this novel.

  Beneath the Chief, who at the start of this volume is Lotus Huang, following Count Seven Hong’s injury, are the three Elders, each in charge of Clan affairs in a different part of China: Surefoot Lu, Elder of the West; Jian, Elder of the East; and Elder Liang. The fourth Elder, Peng, was demoted for plotting against his new Chief, Lotus Huang.

  IRON PALM GANG

  Led by Iron Palm Water Glider Qiu Qianren, the Iron Palm Gang are known for their greed and willingness to collaborate with the enemy for strategic gain. Despite his terrible moral reputation, Qiu is regarded as a great fighter. And yet, others suspect these skills to be nothing more than a result of sleight of hand and treachery. Little do they know that Qiu has a twin brother, Qiu Qianzhang, who is an inveterate trickster.

  THE INHABITANTS OF PEACH SPRING

  Reverend Sole Light lives atop a mountain near Peach Spring, with his four disciples—the fisher, the logger, the farmer and the scholar—and his martial brother, who is visiting from Sindhu, which we know today as the Asian subcontinent. One of his serving men, Old Yang, lives in Peach Spring and brings food and other essentials to Madam Ying the Supreme Reckoner, who dwells in a swamp not far away.

  CHAPTER ONE

  THE BLACK SWAMP RECLUSE

  1

  The condors flew through the dark and heavy night. Guo Jing, clinging to the bird’s neck, called to Ulaan using his internal strength, urging the Fergana horse to keep pace on the ground.

  The only light came from the mountaintop blaze they had fled. There was not a hint of the moon overhead. Not a single star in sight.

  The condors were exceptionally strong, but soon the load of a fully grown human began to tell. As each flap of their wings grew more strained, they dipped lower and lower.

  The moment they touched down, Guo Jing rushed over to check on Lotus. She was draped lifeless over the female condor’s back. Qiu Qianren’s Iron Palm strike had thrust her to the very brink of death. He quickly undid the sash that he had wound around the bird to keep Lotus secure in flight, and massaged her acupressure points. It was a long time before she opened her eyes.

  Guo Jing stood rooted to the spot, cradling her in his arms, unsure what to do. He wanted to ask her for advice, but she was too groggy to speak.

  He peered into the black wilderness, his wits still scrambled from their narrow escape. He wanted to summon Ulaan but feared giving away their position. The belligerent Qiu Qianren must still be hunting for them with his Iron Palm Gang followers.

  At length, he took small, cautious steps, his legs swallowed up by dense undergrowth. There was no path, no trail, just thorns tearing at his trousers, scoring his skin, but pain was the least of his concerns right now. He trudged on, deeper and deeper into the inky night.

  He forced his eyelids apart as wide as possible, yet he could make out little in the gloom. He advanced gingerly, worried that he might step into a void, a pit or a gorge. However slow his progress, he had to keep going, in case the Iron Palm Gang were still in pursuit.

  He plodded on for more than two li, until a star twinkling at the sky’s edge to his left caught his attention. He squinted at the faint glimmer, trying to work out its position in the heavens to get his bearings, and realized it was the glow of a lantern.

  It could be a settlement! Guo Jing was overjoyed.

  He shifted Lotus from his arms onto his back and broke into a jog, heading directly for the light. In no time at all, he had covered another li, and the shrubbery seemed to have thickened into a forest. The beacon, though dim, hailed him through the branches. He plowed on, and, before long, stumbled onto a track that twisted and coiled through the woods. Then, the flicker disappeared. He scaled the nearest tree to reorientate himself.

  The lamplight had somehow moved. It was now behind him.

  He hopped down and waded through the vegetation in the direction of the glow, only to stop when he realized it had moved again. He climbed up another tree, jumped down, darted ahead—again and again—but it kept shifting, so that it was always at his back.

  No closer to the light than when he had first spotted it, Guo Jing discovered they were now buried so deep in the thicket that the condors would not be able to locate them. His head spun from running round and round after the elusive gleam, and then it struck him. He had been disorientated like this before. There was something strange about the paths in these woods.

  Guo Jing ran through his options. I could jump from tree to tree. But what if I stumble? I’ve got Lotus on my back. She’ll be scratched by the branches! Yet I can’t sit here and wait for daybreak. Her injury needs tending …

  One thing became apparent: bumbling around like a headless fly would achieve nothing. He stood still, collected himself and smoothed his breathing.

  “Go right, at an angle,” Lotus whispered.

  “How are you feeling?”

  Relief washed over Guo Jing. She’s conscious! But all he got in reply was a worrying grunt into the back of his neck. He followed her directions without another word, and on the seventeenth step, he heard:

  “Left. Eight steps.”

  He obeyed.

  “Turn around. Thirteen steps.”

  Guo Jing forged ahead through the pitch-black forest, twisting and turning as Lotus instructed. Although shrouded in a fog of pain, she had gleaned enough about the trail from his blundering to realize that it was man-made and mapped out according to the principles of the Five Elements and the Mysterious Gates. If it were formed naturally, she would have been as hopelessly befuddled as Guo Jing was, but her father Apothecary Huang had devoted a lifetime of study to this very subject and taught her much about it. She had the ability to navigate a path through this wood with her eyes closed.

  Lotus pointed left, then right; from time to time, they were forced to backtrack to make progress. Guo Jing felt they were meandering farther and farther from their goal, but, before long, he found himself clear of the trees and saw what he had been chasing.

  Light, straight ahead. Not a lantern, but lamplight spilling from two thatched huts, diffused by a white mist.

  He ran.

  “No!”

  Too late.

  Aiyooo! Guo Jing found himself knee deep in mud, stuck fast in a bog. He mustered his qi and sprang, upward and back, freeing his legs from the mire. The stink of peat assaulted his nostrils.

  “Sir, we beg you to grant us entry. One of us is grievously hurt,” he said, projecting his voice. “We seek only a drink for our parched lips and a brief respite under your roof.”

  He waited for a reply. Nothing. Absolute silence. He asked again. Still no respon
se. He restated his request for the third time.

  “You’ve managed to get this far. You can surely find your way in,” a woman answered, making no effort to hide her displeasure.

  Guo Jing would rather camp in the wild than impose himself on an inhospitable stranger, but Lotus was in no state to brave the elements. She needed shelter. How were they going to cross this quagmire surrounding the shacks? He described their predicament to his half-conscious beloved.

  “Tell me about the huts,” she mumbled with difficulty. “One round, one square?”

  Guo Jing strained to make out their silhouettes through the haze. A heartbeat later, he cried, “You’re right!” She never ceased to surprise him.

  “We can cross the bog from the opposite side,” she said, wheezing. “Go all the way round.” Once he reached the spot she knew to be the starting point, she stopped him. “Now, face the light and walk straight ahead, three steps. Next, diagonal left, four steps. Then, straight again, three steps. After that, four steps to the right, also at an angle. Weave your way forward, straight, left, straight, right. Count your steps. Don’t get it wrong.”

  Guo Jing probed with his toes, and, as Lotus had foretold, he found a foothold—a wooden stake buried in the sludge. Feeling his way through the slough according to her instructions, he reached another post, then another. Some were at an angle, others wobbled. Were it not for his superb lightness kung fu, he would have toppled into the morass after a few steps.

  Keeping his mind focused and his breathing under control, he managed to cross the swamp by the one hundred and nineteenth step, alighting on firm ground in front of the square hut, but there was no opening or entrance along the perimeter wall.

  “Jump in from here. Land on your left,” she breathed.

  Guo Jing tightened his arms around Lotus, making sure she would not be jolted, and sprang over the wall as he had been told. When he touched down, he was awed by her ability to anticipate every detail of their new surroundings.