Fox Volant of the Snowy Mountain by Jin Yong (17 page)

"The Great Master is correct," answered Valour and Fortune in unison.

Immediately, Tree continued, beaming, "With the passage of time, the proteges of the Dragon Lodge came to regard the poniard as an heirloom of their Lodge, and yet few took the trouble to trace the origin of this house treasure. Well, this should not come as a surprise as so many years had already elapsed. But there is still this one thing that puzzles the monk, and I hope Brother Curio will be able to enlighten me on this matter."

"Just ask!" said Curio.

Tree then put his question, "This old monk was told that on the day the poniard was passed from the retiring Grand Master to the Grand Master designate, the old Grand Master always made it a point to brief the new one on the history of the heirloom. Brother Curio has had the honour to become the Grand Master, and yet he is ignorant of its history. Does this mean that Pastoral, the old Grand Master, has overlooked this sacred duty of the Lodge?"

Curio's face reddened. As he was about to make a reply, Sign interceded, "It was a misfortune to the Lodge that my father was taken away so suddenly, before he could find time to expound all the details to Brother Curio."

"This may be so," answered Tree approvingly. "Well, well, well. This is the second time I have set eyes on the poniard. The first time, when I come to think of it, must have been more than twenty-seven years ago."

Immediately, a thought went through Sign's mind, "Miss Miao is around seventeen. She said the fatal incident took place ten years before she was born, which should make it over twenty years ago. Mostly probably what the old monk witnessed then in connection with the poniard must have some bearing on the intricacies of the matter revealed by Miss Miao."

Chapter Four: Tryst

Tree proceeded to treat the party to a lively account of what had actually taken place some twenty years before. "Before I took the vows of celibacy and abstinence of the Buddhist monk, I was a rural practitioner eking out a bare existence with my scanty medical knowledge in a small hamlet, a backwater of Cangzhou, which was directly attached to the Metropolitan circuit. Practising martial arts was part of the life of the people living in Cangzhou. All youngsters invariably received instruction in pugilism and swordplay, of one kind or another. I was then an osteopath bonesetter and martial artist of some sort. The village was situated in a remote countryside, with only five to six hundred inhabitants. I certainly had the means neither to support a family, nor to find myself a wife.

"In the twelfth moon of the lunar year in question, I went to bed after swallowing three bowlfuls of cold gruel. Then I was soon sound asleep and deep in dreams. I dreamt that I had inherited a large fortune and was going to take a beautiful maiden as my wife. Just at that damned moment, there came a noisy banging from outside: somebody was pounding on the door.

"It was piercingly cold outside. A strong gale was gusting from the north. The warmth in the kang I was sleeping on had long since died out and the cover was almost paper-thin. I was most reluctant to get myself out of bed, and was particularly vexed to be woken up in the middle of a wondrous dream. But the banging on the door gathered momentum.

"'Doctor! Doctor!' someone could be heard howling outside.

"It was the dialect of the region west of the Pass, definitely not a local brogue. It seemed as though the owner of the voice would certainly break into my place if the door was not opened immediately. Baffled by all that was going on, I quickly grabbed my coat, flung it over my shoulders and leapt out of bed. No sooner was the door unbolted than it was thrown open with a loud bang. I darted to the side, just in time to avoid being given a big bruise on the forehead by the swinging door. A light flickered. In a trice, a man marched into the room, holding a torch in his hand.

"'Quick! Doctor! Follow me quick!' shouted the man.

"'What's the matter? Who are you?' I demanded.

"'This is a matter of life and death,' puffed the man.

"Before I could put in another word the man flung down a silver ingot with his left hand. The precious metal landed neatly on the table with a clang. That object was a good handsome piece of twenty-tael silver. Such an offer was altogether too tempting. The payment I normally got from attending the village folks was merely a few tens or hundreds in cash. In truth it took some moments for me to believe that it was a twenty-tael silver ingot. Amazed by the sight of the metal, I speedily tucked the silver object away and pulled my clothes and shoes on. The fellow kept telling me to hurry. I stole a quick look at the man while struggling into some clothes. He had the typical rough, brazen and almost insolent look of a clandestine gangman, except for the worried look on his face.

"He snatched my kit-box with one hand before I could find time to button myself up. He then grabbed my hand with his other hand and dragged me out into the street.

"'Hey, let me lock the door!' I shouted out.

"'We'll pay for anything that is stolen,' he answered impatiently.

"He dragged me along with short, quick paces, and in no time we found ourselves at the entrance to the Pacific Staging Post. This was the only hostelry in the village which accepted muleteers and coolies on stage-coaches to and from the capital. The lodging was not only lacking in space; it was also filthy and squalid. I was wondering how it was possible that rich and wealthy people like my client could tolerate this place. Before I could find time to finish my thoughts, I was dragged into a corridor by the stranger. Lighted lamps and torches were swaying. Four or five men were sitting there.

"'The doctor is here!' shouted the man, still grasping my hand. The company's faces lit up with joy and they hustled me forward to a side-room on the eastern wing.

"I was appalled by what I saw right at the doorstep and I started as if I had seen the devil. On the kang were four men lying shoulder to shoulder, drenched in blood. I asked the man to move the lantern closer so that I could examine the wounded better. They were sorely wounded: some had their faces disfigured and others had upper limbs mutilated by blows from edged weapons.

"I at once posed the question, 'How did they come to suffer such cruel blows? Were they attacked by thugs?'

"To this the man answered sharply, 'Get them back on their feet quickly. I'll promise you more money as long as you mind your own business, do not pry in the affairs of others, and keep your mouth shut.'

"The fellows in the room were all armed, bold and ferocious. I dared not become any more involved in their business, but immediately set to dressing the wounds of the injured with a styptic concoction specifically prepared for wounds inflicted by edged weapons. The bleeding was finally staunched and the cuts bandaged.

"'More over there,' signalled the man. He led the way to a side-room on the western wing. Three more injured were lying on a kang, covered with wounds from edged weapons. I staunched their bleeding with a herbal preparation, then made them take a medicine brewed from herbs possessed of soporific and anodyne qualities to induce sedation and sleep. The seven wounded eventually all fell asleep.

"Seeing that my herbal preparations worked like magic, the man who had brought me to the inn then assumed a more friendly air, forgetting his previous fierce and ferocious looks. The others told the attendants to convert a door-board into a makeshift bed for me to sleep on so that I might tend immediately to the wounded should things take a turn for the worse.

"The next morning I woke up at the crowing of the cocks. The sounds of horses' hooves were heard coming from a distance. In no time the beasts halted in front of the staging post. The gang of fellows then marched to the doorway to receive the visitors. I pretended to be asleep, but all the while my narrow peeping eyes were intently following all that was going on around me. Presently two men entered the room. One was dressed like a vagabond, but had a penetrating gleam in his eyes. The other had fine, handsome features and appeared quite young. The two visitors walked straight across to the side of the kang and examined the wounded. The injured struggled to a sitting position despite excruciating pain, attempting to show great respect for the visitors. The vagabond fellow was heard being addressed as Fan the Ringleader and the other one as Tian the Young Master."

Tree paused at this point, and then addressed Sign, "The first time I met your father was long before you were born. Your father was shrewd and capable. To this very day, I can still recall the decisive, sharp look he had on that day." Sign's eyes moistened and she lowered her head.

Immediately Tree continued his tale: "One of the wounded men was heard whispering in the ears of the visitors, 'Master Fan and Master Tian, the Zhang Brothers have been tailing these two confidence artists all the way from beyond the Pass down south, and our investigation has led us to believe that the iron casket is now definitely in the possession of these two. All the information has already been verified.'"

On hearing the words "iron casket" the Company looked at one another, thinking to themselves, "Tree is now getting to the core of the story."

Tree soon continued his narration: "Fan the Ringleader nodded his head, acknowledging the man's words. The man then continued, 'We had all positioned ourselves at the town of Tang, ready to dispatch our men to take word to the two of you and to the Gilt-faced Buddha, Phoenix the Knight-errant. Unfortunately the confidence artist saw through our plan and detained us on our way, telling us, "We have never met and I do not believe I know any of you here. Why are you following me? You must be sent by the Miao, Fan and Tian Families; am I right?" Thereupon Big Brother Zhang answered, "Much better that you know it." Thereupon the confidence artist straightened his face and wrenched Brother Zhang's knife from him, pressing his hands to each end of the blade. The knife immediately snapped in two. The victor thrust the broken parts to the ground and remarked angrily, "I hate to hurt anyone more than I have to. Leave my sight!" Seeing that the confidence artist had really worked wonders with his hands, we all rushed forward to Brother Zhang's rescue. Immediately, Brother Zhang flung out his leg and dealt a blow on the belly of his pregnant wife. The confidence artist grew furious and bawled at us, "I intended to let you go, and yet you are so insolent!" Snatching up a knife, he showered blows and strokes on us, wounding seven of us in one breath.'

"At this juncture Master Tian broke in, 'What else did he say?' The man replied, 'The confidence artist meant to shower more blows and strokes, wounding more of us, but at that point his wife called out from inside the carriage, "Let them go! Earn a little merit and some good karma for your unborn child." At this, the confidence artist smiled faintly, withdrew his hands and snapped up his knife.' Tian looked at Fan with meaning in his eyes before addressing the man again, 'Are you sure he snapped it with his hands?' The man answered, 'I am positive. I was standing next to him and saw it all very clearly.' Tian expressed boredom and turned his face upward, staring into space. Fan quickly assured him, 'My dear Younger Brother, do not worry. Phoenix the Knight-errant can certainly aim his sword at this insolent fellow.'

"The man then continued, 'He is now on his way to the land south of the Yangtze River and will have to pass through this place also. If the two of you stay behind, he certainly cannot hope to get away.' His suggestion aroused serious looks in both Fan and Tian, and they began to discuss matters in low whispers. A few moments later, they both walked slowly out of the room.

"I kept on pretending to be fast asleep until they had left the room. Then I arose and changed the dressings for the seven wounded. I asked myself, 'I wonder who this confidence artist is? He harboured no intention of killing his assailants, but spared their lives instead. Though these seven here are seriously wounded, they have not been dealt a single fatal blow.'

"At dusk, while we were having supper in the hall, a man rushed into the room, shouting out, 'Here comes the man!' The fellows changed colour. They immediately flung away their rice bowls and chopsticks, whipped out their blades and rushed outside. I quietly followed them, very much frightened; yet I wanted to join the crowd, to be where the action was.

"The driveway was murky, covered with clouds of dust. A big carriage rumbled in from a distance. Fan and Tian, conducting their train of retainers, moved to the doorway, ready for the party's arrival. I was the last one to follow. The big carriage finally pulled to a halt in front of the group. Fan shouted to someone inside the carriage, 'Hu! Get yourself out into the open.' Presently an answer came from behind the blind of the coach, 'Paupers awaiting their alms, eh? Fine: some money, then, for whoever is present.' In no time, their eyes were dazzled by the glittering and glistening of gold and all dropped to the ground in a second, letting out cries. Fan and Tian, being proficient in martial arts, were the only two who survived the ordeal. They managed to maintain themselves in an upright position, even though each had caught one of the dispatched arhat quoits in the wrist, forcing them to slacken their grip on their weapons, so that they dropped to the ground. Tian reacted quickly, 'Big Brother Fan, move to the side quickly!'