Fox Volant of the Snowy Mountain by Jin Yong Page 23

  Fox nodded approvingly. Then he reached inside his gown, retrieved a scarlet tablet and put it in Quad's mouth, telling him, "Uncle Quad, take this medicine now for your wounds."

  Fox felt much relieved after Quad had chewed the tablet into powder and swallowed it all. Presently, he returned to the hall and made a low bow to Orchid, placing both his hands in front of him with his head almost touching ground. He addressed her, "Thank you for saving Uncle Quad's life."

  Orchid immediately returned his obeisance, remarking, "Your humble sister has always held in respect a man as honest, upright and helpful as Quad. This is too trivial to deserve a mention."

  Fox returned her thanks, "It was a matter of life and death: how could that be trivial? I am truly grateful to you."

  Though Fox struck her as being rough and brazen, yet he conducted his speech in a gentlemanly manner. Presently, Orchid addressed him apologetically, "Brother Fox has come a long way to the eyrie, but the place is inadequately stocked at the moment to honour your arrival."

  Orchid next told her maid, "Lute, prepare some wine and food quickly."

  Fox alerted Orchid, "The lord of the eyrie has arranged a meeting with me at precisely noon today. How is it that he is not here to meet me in person?"

  Orchid replied, "The Master has been summoned away on matters of importance and must have been detained on his way back. Please allow your humble sister to apologize in advance for his failing to keep the appointed hour."

  Fox found her answer very sensible and well expressed. He mused, finding himself more baffled. "There has never been a lack of prime fighters among the Miao, Fan and Tian Families, and yet all these manly fellows are retreating at the first opportunity, abandoning a fragile maiden to assume their duties. Could it be possible that she is martially adept beneath her cloak of innocence?"

  Presently, Lute entered the room carrying a wooden tray, resting on which was a large wine-kettle and a cup. She carried the tray in her left hand while pouring wine into the cup with her right. Similingly Lute remarked, "Master Fox, I am afraid all the chicken, duck, fish, meat, vegetables and fruits have been ravaged by that Master Quad of yours. I am sorry we can afford to offer you only wine."

  Fox instinctively sensed that the wooden tray was placed too close to both him and Orchid. He at once reached out his left hand and gave its edge a slight push, sending the wooden tray lunging straight at Orchid's shoulder. Though very little energy was expended in the pushing, it was channeled propitiously to strike at his enemy. If Orchid failed to ward off the attack in time, the blow would be as fatal as one inflicted by an edged weapon. Orchid, being ignorant of martial arts, met the impending danger by shifting her body slightly to the side, attempting no timely move to dissipate the deadening energy driving towards her. Great danger was imminent.

  The clandestine attack launched at Orchid frightened the steward terribly. Fully aware of the fact that he was far inferior to Fox in martial ability, he was almost convinced that his efforts would prove futile even if he endeavoured to charge forward, risking his life. Thereupon, he reacted by only letting out a loud cry,

  "Aiya!"

  Fox arrested the wooden tray with two nimble fingers of his his left hand. It was a timely rescue achieved at the last possible moment. The tray recoiled immediately after glancing Orchid's outer garment with its rim. Never would it dawn on the maiden that she had passed through the hands of Death with only a hair's breath to spare. She had been so close to greeting Fate in the transient Nether World, riding the Wheel of Incarnation.

  At length, Fox asked Orchid, not without surprise in his voice, "I understand that your father is the Invincible Under the Sky. Why did he not transmit to you his esoteric martial feats? I have heard that both genders in your house have equal entitlement to the Miao's Swordplay, as the esoteric techniques of your family are passed on to all male and female descendants alike."

  To Fox, Orchid gave the explanation, "My father vowed to dissolve the deadly feud which has become increasingly entangled during the past hundred or so years. That explains why he ceased to accept any disciples. So, the Miao's Swordplay will die out after him."

  Fox was stunned to learn this: it took him a second to raise to his lips the wine cup which he had been holding for a while in mid air. He emptied its content in one gulp, crying aloud, "Phoenix Miao, Phoenix the Knight-errant, Bravo! Your title 'the Knight-errant' is certainly befitting!"

  Orchid responded at once, "My father has told me what happened to your father on the day in question. On that particular day, your father served wine to my father. The others warned him against poisoning. But he only answered, 'Gully is an authentic hero fighter, one who is open and aboveboard in all matters. How can he be capable of playing such vile tricks?' I am now also serving you wine. Brother Fox has drained it down in one gulp. Are you not afraid that people may attack you underhandedly?"

  Fox let out a laugh. He spat out a yellow pellet, saying, "My late father died as a result of deceit. I would be a fool if I did not take any precaution. This pellet is an antitoxin, a miraculous drug. I have been made to look deceitful by what you have just said." Thereupon, he poured out a cup of wine and again drained his cup.

  Orchid went on, "I must apologize for the eyrie's being short of delicacies with which to enhance your wine. As the humble sister does not have a good head for wine, she cannot, therefore, join the gentleman in drinking. The ancients used to recite the History of the Western Han Dynasty to enhance the wine. This humble sister has a Han qin and would like to play a piece to add merriment to your drinking, but is afraid that it may bring displeasure to your ears."

  Fox was delighted and answered encouragingly, "I would be glad to listen to you play."

  Before Orchid could go any further, Lute had already returned from the inner chamber with an antique qin, a horizontal, zither-like musical instrument. She placed the qin on the table before Orchid. Then she replenished the censer with lighted incense.

  Presently, Orchid raised her hands deftly and gracefully, feathering lightly the strings on the qin with her fingers and tuning the instrument to a few notes from the air 'Immortal Sage'. Then she began fingering the strings, chanting softly, "Calamity will the future behold, all lips parching and tongues sweltering. Merry-making of the moment throws everyone into ecstatic joy. The ancients travelled far and wide in search of the elixir plant on famed mountains. Finally Wang Qiao the Immortal advanced offering a bolus." The stanza soon came to an end, while strains of music still lingered in the air.

  Fox had experienced many hardships and agonies during his tender years and hence had devoted himself vigorously to the mastery of martial arts. He had, however, also applied himself in earnest to books after reaching some twenty years old. He knew that the piece she chanted was "Act of Benevolence", which was played by hosts and guests at banquets to offer mutual thanks when the feast neared its end. But this piece was seldom played after the Han and Wei Dynasties. It therefore came as a great surprise to Fox that he should encounter an ancient practice like the present one on a trip up the mountain which he had made expressly for wreaking vengeance. The first half of the stanza chanted by Orchid contained the lines pressing the guests to drink, whereas the remaining half stanza consisted of lines bestowing congratulatory wishes of longevity upon the guests. One of the lines alluded to the elixir plant, an apt pun on the miraculous drug Fox had held a while before in his mouth.

  Presently, Fox began tapping gently on the table and started intoning in turn, "I regret to say that my sleeves are short and I feel cold in my arms. I am sorry that I do not possess a ceremonial chariot to repay the kindness of Zhao Xuan." The lines described the hospitality of the host and how the guest felt ashamed at not being able to reciprocate the generous gesture with a propitious gift.

  Orchid was assailed by a joyous feeling on finding that Fox was able to return her chanting with lines from the same piece of music "Act of Benevolence". Thereupon, she told herself, "He is both a martial artist an
d a scholar-gentleman. My father would be overjoyed to learn that Uncle Gully had an heir as accomplished as this."

  After a brief pause, Orchid began chanting again, "The moon wanes to its close, with the Dipper lying across the sky. Friends arrive at the door, and there is no time to gratify hunger." What Orchid was trying to convey through these lines was that, although it was getting late, one was so overjoyed by the arrival of guests that dinner was ignored.

  Thereupon, Fox picked up where Orchid had ended and started chanting, "The days endured in agony outnumber those filled with joy. Drinking and singing to the music of the harpsichord can drown all worldly cares. Eight elders from Huainan are relentless in their quest of enlightenment. Borne on six dragons, they wander delightedly in the clouds." The second half of the stanza was a congratulatory note wishing the host longevity, which mirrored cleverly the lines intoned earlier by Orchid, the host.

  Having finished chanting, Fox held up the wine-cup and downed the contents. He paid Orchid respects, folding his hands. Immediately, Orchid stopped the string, brushing her finger along a fret on the qin. She arose facing Fox and they exchanged respects.

  Fox returned the wine-cup to the table, announcing, "As the lord of the eyrie is away, I shall pay him another visit tomorrow." Thereupon, he strode to the side room in the western wing and hoisted Quad on his back. After making an obeisance to Orchid, bending his body slightly, Fox took leave of the eyrie. Orchid saw him to the gate. Soon, his back was seen fleeting across the edge of the cliff, skimming down the mountain, grasping the rope.

  Orchid stared rigidly at the snow blanketing the whole mountain, lost in a daze. Presently, Lute addressed her, "Miss Miao, what are you doing? Hurry inside or you will catch cold."

  "I am not cold," answered Orchid. Her heart jumped. She did not know herself what was turning over in her mind. After being pressed twice by her maid, Orchid then retraced her steps slowly to the eyrie.

  * * *

  Entering the hall, Orchid found it full of people. They were all seated. Those who had vanished a while before, had all suddenly returned to life seemingly from nowhere. The party stood up, crowding around Orchid and throwing questions at her: "Has he gone?" "What did he say?" "Did he say when he would return?" "What injury did he seek to avenge by ascending the mountain?" and "Whom is he seeking?"

  Orchid secretly held their cowardice in disdain. They had retreated at the first opportunity, leaving only a fragile lady to keep guard. Thus, she answered coldly, "He said nothing."

  Tree remonstrated, "It cannot be true. You were here in the hall with him for some time. You must have at least exchanged a few words."

  Orchid was never fond of practical jokes but her heart, full of mirth, was beating fast. Her present mental state and the strange expressions on their faces made her bold enough to feel a little daring. She therefore decided to play a joke on them; and so she said, "That Brother Fox made it known that he ascended the mountain for the express purpose of avenging the death of his father. He said it was a shame that all his enemies had gone into hiding. He is now remaining at the foot of the mountain. He will dispatch his foes as soon as they reach the heel of the mountain. If people descend in pairs, he will dispatch them both."

  The Company shuddered at the thought of descending the mountain, thinking to themselves, "What is to be done now that the mountain is empty of provisions, and yet, as bold as can be, at the foot of the mountain, is this ferocious, powerful ruffian?"

  Orchid continued, "Brother Fox said that each person on the mountain had some debt to settle with him, each of varying degree. He draws a distinct line between the good and the evil. Those who have incurred more displeasure will be seriously dealt with, while those who have committed minor offenses will be leniently treated. He will not harm the innocent, though. He also asked me to discover from you the reason why you all journeyed to beyond the Pass, to a land as piercingly cold as this? Are you trying to combine against him?"

  While Tree was keeping silent, the rest of the Company answered in unison, "Never have we heard of someone by the sobriquet of Fox Volant of the Snowy Mountain. How could we have contracted his ill-will or planned to dispatch him in concert?"

  Orchid turned next to Century, "Uncle Century, the niece is still ignorant of one thing and hopes you may enlighten her on this."

  "The young lady should not hesitate to ask any question," said Tree encouragingly.

  Orchid put forward her question, "A while ago, Master Quad said that Uncle Gully had entrusted Tree the Great Master with the task of giving information to my father about three separate matters; but my father never once mentioned this to me when recounting the incident. Earlier, Uncle Century suggested that he knew the reason behind all this. I wonder if you can shed light on this?"

  Century hastened to reply, "I was prepared to deliver what I know, even without your asking the question of me."

  Thereupon, he snarled, pointing his finger at Valour, Fortune, Curio and his party, "These hero fighters of the Dragon Lodge brought a false charge against my son, accusing him of having taken the life of Pastoral Tian, my son's father-in-law." Century had a powerful voice to start with, and the volume of his voice grew as his anger increased. "I shall explain the whole story, from the very beginning. I hope that you will all assess, strictly from facts, the right and the wrong."

  Fortune broke in, "That is fine. We were about to approach Chief Century, to unravel this mystery for us."

  Chapter Seven: Death

  Having let out a cough, Century began to treat the Company to his story: "When I was young, I joined with Pastoral Tian to run a business which entailed no capital funds ..."

  The Company already accepted as a fact that Century was the Principal Chieftain of the Horse Spring Banditry. However, it was the first time that they knew that Pastoral had also once been a highwayman, and this set them staring at one another. Curio suddenly cried out, fuming with rage, "What rubbish! My Master was a celebrated fighter of the Martial Brotherhood. Stop all this nonsense, or you will blacken my Master's name."

  Century voiced his indignation directly, "So you treat heroic figures of our underworld as despicable characters. I wish you to know that we outlaw warriors despise cowards like you! We are responsible for ourselves in life and we achieve much by scraping out a living by wielding our own swords and spears, and yet we are in no way inferior to riffraff like you who take to guarding mansions, overseeing residences, conveying merchandise or claiming officialdom. Why should we be treated like this?"

  Curio started from his seat. He had more to say, but just then Sign gave the front of his gown a discreet tug, entreating him, in a whisper, "Brother, do not be rash. Just let him speak." Curio was crimson in the face, fuming with rage. He darted a threatening glance at Century, and then re-seated himself.

  Century continued to speak roughly, "I, Century Tao, began at an early age, burgling mansions and breaking into homes. I have never once concealed the truth. Being a man of fortitude and courage, I pronounce myself bold and daring. What should I fear?"

  Seeing that he had digressed from the point, Orchid interrupted, "Uncle Century, my father also told me that no one ever dared to belittle the famed heroes and celebrated fighters of the Greenwood. Please carry on with your story about Uncle Pastoral."

  Century then pointed a finger at Curio, barking, "Listen, you! Phoenix the Knight-errant also thought the same. Are you in any way tougher than Phoenix the Knight-errant?" Curio snorted, but refrained from saying more.

  After thus releasing some of his pent-up fury, Century picked up his story: "When Pastoral was young, he and I together had our hands in several serious matters. I was always his henchman. It was only after he had a family that he decided to wash his hands clean. If he had indeed spoken disparagingly of the underworld figures, why then was he willing to betroth his only daughter to my son? Well, if I were to analyse things from another point of view, I would seriously query his true intention in uniting our two families. He intende
d this as a lure to prevent me from revealing a big secret.

  "On the day in question, Pastoral and Fan the Ringleader were to ambush Gully and his wife in Cangzhou. I was then only his henchman. I, Century Tao, was one amongst the many who were piqued at the paralytic point by the arhat quoits that came whirling from Gully's carriage. Later on, I, Century Tao, was also one amongst the many who were hurled down from the roof by Gully's wife, wielding a silk cord on the rooftop. I, Century Tao, was one amongst the many whom Phoenix vehemently denounced as dastardly cowards. The only striking difference between what I once was and what I am now is that at the time in question I had grown no beard and my hair had not yet turned grey.

  "I was at the scene in question witnessing with my very eyes the immediate circumstances surrounding the death of Gully and his wife. What I witnessed, in fact, matches closely the accounts rendered by Miss Miao and Quad. Tree the Great Master has in fact invented a pack of lies. Miss Miao raised the question that if Phoenix had already found out that Gully was not the one responsible for his father's death, why did he still seek him out and challenge him to a duel? You all must have been considering this puzzle in your minds, that Tree must have harboured ill intentions, and therefore purposely held back some information from Phoenix the Knight-errant."

  The Company had all in fact been pursuing that line of thought, but dared not reveal their views in Tree's prescence.

  Century only shook his head, commenting, "You are entirely wrong. Imagine Yama the osteopath was then only a novice in martial ability: how would he dare to hatch plots behind the backs of Phoenix and Gully? He had indeed followed Gully's instructions and delivered the message relating to the three major matters in question. However, the message never reached the ears of Phoenix the Knight-errant. When Yama went to see Phoenix at his mansion, he happened to be away on errantry, leaving only Pastoral there to receive him. Yama, therefore, passed the message onto Pastoral, sparing no details. I was then standing at the side, overhearing all his words.