Fox Volant of the Snowy Mountain by Jin Yong (3 page)

Others

Miao the Myrmidon 苗衛士

Myrmidon to the Dashing King; ancestor of Phoenix Miao and Orchid Miao

Tian the Myrmidon 田衛士

Myrimidon to the Dashing King; ancestor of Pastoral Tian and Sign Tian

Hu the Myrmidon 胡衛士

Myrmidon to the Dashing King; known also as Lynx of the Sky, ancestor of Gully Hu and Fox Hu

Fan the Myrmidon 范衛士

Myrmidon to the Dashing King; ancester of Fan the Ringleader

Orchid Miao 苗若蘭

Daughter of Phoenix

Lute 琴兒

Maid to Orchid

Elder Twin 左僮

Varlet of Fox Volant of the Snowy Mountain

Younger Twin 右僮

Varlet of Fox Volant of the Snowy Mountain

Gully Hu 胡一刀

Father of Fox Hu; descendant of Hu the Myrmidon

Madam Gully 胡夫人

Wife of Gully Hu

Quad 平阿四

Fox Hu’s benefactor and friend

Fox Hu 胡斐

Fox Volant of the Snowy Mountain, son of Gully Hu

Dragon Lodge

The Four Families

Chapter One: Casket

An arrow came whistling from the col to the east; it cut through the sky and sunk deep into the neck of a wild goose in mid-flight. The great bird, with the arrow still in its neck, spun a few times in the air before falling to the snow-covered ground.

A few hundred yards to the west, four horses could be seen galloping through the glistening snow. Hearing the sound of the arrow, the riders reined in their steeds which were fine, sturdily-built beasts. The four riders thrilled at seeing the wild goose shot down. They wished to discover who it was who had fired the arrow.

They waited.

There was no sign of a human soul on the col, only the sound of horses' hooves. The archer had simply vanished. One of the riders, a tall, thin, old man of agile and brave bearing, frowned, then spurred his horse on towards the col. The other three followed closely behind. They sped towards the other side of the mountain. About half a mile further on, five horses were galloping headlong, their hooves churning up the snow and their grey manes waving in the wind. There was no chance of catching up with them. The old man signalled to the others to halt. "Brother Fortune," he said. "Something sinister is in the air. We must be on the alert."

Brother Fortune was an old man too, but more heavily built, and with a moustache which tapered at both ends. He was dressed in the pelt of a marten and had the distinguished bearing of a wealthy merchant. He nodded at the thin man's words and wheeled his horse round to where the wild goose lay. He brandished his whip, and cracked it across the snowy ground. The big bird was lifted from the ground by the tip of the thong. He held the arrow in his left hand and examined it.

He gave a cry.

Hearing it, the other three set spurs to their horses and came to him. Brother Fortune thrust the wild goose, with the arrow still in its body, towards the old man.

"See, Brother Valour!" he shouted.

The thin old man held out his left hand and took the bird. He cried out the moment he saw the arrow, "He is here! We must be quick."

Wheeling his horse round, he set off down the mountain in pursuit.

The mountainside was a blanket of snow stretching into the distance, with not a soul in sight; it was easy to follow a trail. The other two riders were men in their prime. One was tall and broad-shouldered, gallant and dignified, riding a fine horse. The other was of medium build and had a pale complexion; his nose was red with cold. The horses panted as they galloped, their breath clouding around their nostrils.

It was the fifteenth day of the third month, of the forty-fifth year of the reign of the Qing Dynasty Emperor Qianlong. In the south, the flowers were already in full bloom. But here, in the foothills of the Changbai Range in Manchuria, the heavy snow was only just beginning to melt. Spring was still far away. When the sun rose behind the mountains in the east and cast its dim rays on the world, there was no warmth in it.

The riders were galloping hard and soon beads of sweat appeared on their foreheads. The tall one took off his cloak and placed it on the pommel. He was clad in a blue, silk robe lined with fur, and from his belt hung a long sword. He looked grave and threatening and there was rage in his eyes; they seemed to dart fire. He urged his horse wildly on.

This was Curio Cao. He had recently become Grand Master of the Northern Branch of the Dragon Lodge in Liaodong Peninsula. He was also known as Leaping Dragon Sword and was already well advanced in the double skill of pugilism and swordplay, a martial ability unique to the Dragon Lodge. The fellow with the pale complexion was his Junior Brother, Radiant Zhou, known as Winding Dragon Sword. The taller of the two old men was their Senior, Valour Ruan, also known as Seven Stars Hand; he was considered champion of the Northern Branch of the Dragon Lodge. The old man with the bearing of a wealthy merchant was the Grand Master of the Southern Branch of the Dragon Lodge, Fortune Yin, known as Might of the Southern Sky. Their meeting here today was of paramount importance to both the Northern and the Southern Branches. Fortune had travelled hundreds of miles to the northeastern border to be with them.

The Dragon Lodge had been founded in the early Qing dynasty, in the mid-seventeenth century. It had started as one single house but at the turn of the eighteenth century, during the Reign of Emperor Kangxi, two elder protégés of the Founder Grand Master had fallen out with each other. Consequently, the Lodge had divided into the Northern Branch and the Southern Branch on the demise of the Grand Master. The Southern Branch was known for its agility and bravery, the Northern Branch for its intensity and ruthlessness. The origin and structural form of the martial arts practised by the two branches were similar in every respect, but they differed drastically in their application.

* * *

The animals which they rode were thoroughbred horses of the border region and they made good speed. Soon the five horses in front were within sight.

Curio cried out, "Halt, if you are with us!"

The five riders took no notice of his command, but spurred their horses on.

Curio shouted at the top of his voice, "Halt or we will attack."

One of the five wheeled his stallion while the others galloped on. Curio rode ahead. The stranger fitted an arrow to his bow and aimed it at Curio's chest. Curio was a man of courage and skill, and was not a bit shaken. Cracking his whip, he cried, "Is that Peace, our family friend?"

The man had fine features and slanting eyebrows. He was in his early twenties and was very beautifully dressed. At Curio's cry, he laughed out aloud, "Watch out for the arrows." Instantly three arrows sped through the air, one above the other, aimed in quick succession at his head, trunk and lower limbs respectively.

Curio was surprised by the great speed at which the three arrows travelled; his heart trembled. Lashing his whip, he managed to ward off the arrows aimed at his head and trunk. He simultaneously pulled in his reins hard, and his horse reared. The third arrow sped between the beast's four limbs, narrowly missing the belly. The young man laughed aloud, pulled round his horse and galloped off into the distance.

Curio was purple with rage and wanted to spur his horse on in pursuit of the archer. Valour cried out, "Easy, now. He will never get away." Dismounting, he picked up the three arrows from the snowy ground. They were the same as the arrow that had killed the wild goose. Fortune's face darkened and he muttered, "So it is that brat!"

"Let us wait for our Sister," said Curio. "We shall see what she has to say."

The four waited a while but no sound of horses' hooves reached their ears. Curio became impatient. "I'll go and find her," he cried. He put his spurs to his horse and charged back in the direction from which he had come. Valour watched him disappear into the distance and sighed, "It's hard for him."

"I beg your pardon, Brother Valour?" asked Fortune. Valour shook his head and made no reply.

Curio rode a few miles and found an unattended grey horse. A lady in white was kneeling, searching for something in the snow. Curio cried, "Sister, is everything well?"

The lady did not reply but drew herself up to her full height suddenly. In her hand was a thin, golden object that glittered in the sunlight. Curio moved closer, and took it from her. It was a tiny bodkin made of gold, about three inches long, tapering to a sharp point, and of very fine craftsmanship. On the side of the bodkin was engraved a tiny character, "An," meaning "Peace." The bodkin looked like a plaything, and at the same time like a secret weapon. Curio frowned.

"Where did you get it?" he asked.

The lady replied, "You were all gone and I just followed. When I got here, a horse suddenly caught up with me from behind. It was making great speed and overtook me in no time. The rider waved and threw me this little bodkin. I was .... I was ...." She suddenly blushed and could say no more.

Curio gazed at her. She lowered her eye-lashes. She was extremely beautiful, and Curio's heart contracted within him. Then he grew suspicious and asked, "Don't you know whom we are after?"

"Whom?" returned the lady.

To this he replied coldly, "Are you sure you really don't know?"

She raised her head and answered, "How could I know?"

"It is your true love," said he.

"Peace Tao?" burst forth the lady. No sooner was this out of her mouth than her face crimsoned completely.

Curio's brows darkened. "I only said that it was your true love and now you have given yourself away."

Hearing his words, the lady flushed even more. Tears glistened in her clear, dark eyes.She stamped her foot in protest. "He ...."

"What about him?" asked Curio.

To this the lady replied, "He is my husband-to-be. Of course he is my true love."

Curio was wild with rage and whipped out his long sword. But the lady advanced one step and cried, "Kill me if you have the stomach for it." Curio gnashed his teeth, gazed at her slightly uptilted face and was at once full of tender affection for the girl.