Fox Volant of the Snowy Mountain by Jin Yong (33 page)

Curio was purple with anger, ready to shout abuse at Peace, but was deterred by Lute's wrathful gaze, which forced him to swallow the words that were already at his lips. Peace was heard continuing his account: "... my hand landed on a bundle of sorts, but Sister Sign was not in the bed. Gripped by curiosity, I groped further to see what was inside the bundle. My hand felt cold. It seemed like a baby, which gave me a start. Thereupon, I fumbled more carefully inside. What else could it be if it was not a baby? The only thing was that the body was cold all over. It must have been dead for quite some time. It seemed as if the child had been suffocated by the heavy cover."

Suddenly, to the ears came a loud crashing sound. Orchid's hand slipped and her tea-bowl fell to the ground, shattering in pieces. Her face turned ashen, and her lips were quivering.

Peace went on unaffected: "This incident may now strike you all as horrifying. It was the more frightening on that day when I touched the body with my hand in the dark. I was terribly frightened, and was on the verge of screaming. Just at that moment, I heard steps outside: someone was approaching. I speedily hid under the bed. The person entering the room walked to the side of the bed and sat down on its edge, sobbing quietly. It was Sister Sign. She held the dead baby closely in her hands, lavished kisses on it, and then addressed it softly, 'My son, do not be harsh on your mother for severing your young life with her own hand. The agonizing pain now gripping her is more heart-rending than that of the knife piercing her heart. Your mother would never be able to stay alive if you were also to breathe. Your mother is indeed cruel-hearted. She regrets her deed.'

"I could hardly believe the evidence of my ears. Her words sent cold chills down my spine. It was clear to me that the child was the product of fornication committed by her and a dastardly coward, and she had effected the death of her own child. Presently, she hugged the dead child, sobbing and kissing it by turns. Finally, she stood up, threw a cape over her shoulders and wrapped the child inside, and then left the room. I crawled out from under the bed only when she was far from the room. I stole behind her, with sorrow and wrath mingled in my breast. I resolved to find out who the dastardly coward was who had been her partner in fornication.

"She at once made for the rear garden, seizing a small spade from the wall. She left the garden by flitting over the wall. I followed her at a considerable distance in an effort to follow her to the end of her journey. After about three hundred yards, she reached a burying-ground. Just as she was about to commence digging with the spade, a clashing sound of metal upon rock came suddenly from some twenty yards away. Someone else was also digging in the middle of the night. This gave her a terrible fright. She crouched down immediately. After a considerable time, she crawled slowly to spy on the trespasser there ahead of her, bending her body until it was almost touching ground. I took it to be a tomb-robber. I also followed her over and silhouetted dimly against the light from a lantern by the side of a grave was a dark figure, digging feverishly.

"I strained my eyes to see more clearly. That somebody was not uncovering a grave, but was digging a pit beside a grave: he was also burying something. I began to wonder, 'This is very strange indeed. Could it be another person burying a bastard child?' The man dug for a while, picked up a long bundle, the size of a baby, and put it inside the pit. Then he shovelled earth to fill up the pit. Afterwards, he turned around. I was able to make out that the figure looming in the light from the lantern was none other than our Brother Radiant."

Radiant had looked anaemic to start with. On hearing Peace's words, he grew even more ashen.

Peace went on with his story: "I detected something suspicious, thinking to myself, 'Is this brute Sister Sign's fornicator? Is he here also to inter a dead baby?' Sister Sign had crouched closer to the ground the minute he had come into sight. Contrary to what I expected, she did not go up to greet him. Brother Radiant presently trod on the soil, shovelled some turf atop, and covered it with gravel. He then walked away from the site after making sure that the patch looked no different from its surroundings.

"After Brother Radiant had been gone for a considerable while, Sister Sign started digging feverishly. As soon as she had finished interring the dead baby she set to removing the gravel, which Brother Radiant had used a while before to cover the turf. She was intending to unearth the buried object to find out what he had buried. I thought to myself, 'I would have exhumed it even if you had not. Now that you have yourself undertaken this task, I may as well sit back and relax.' Sister Sign was no more than a few moments at the job when suddenly from behind the grave sprang Brother Radiant.

"'Sister Sign, what are you doing?' he demanded.

"Intending to leave nothing to chance, Radiant had merely pretended to walk away after burying his object, but in a trice he had retraced his steps to spy on any suspicious figure. Sister Sign was given a shock. She relaxed her grip and the spade fell to the ground. She could say nothing.

"Thereupon, Brother Radiant addressed her coldly, 'Sister Sign, you know what I was burying, but I also know what you were burying. If secrets are to be kept, it will take both of us to see to it properly, otherwise both secrets will be out.' To this, Sister Sign agreed, 'Then we must swear a solemn vow.' There and then Brother Radiant made a blood-curdling oath. Sister Sign swore a similar one. They vowed that, if they ever divulged the secrets, they should then be hacked to death, piece by piece. Afterwards, they both retraced their steps to the mansion.

"Their manner did not seem to suggest that there was some secret between them, although I was not entirely sure. But Brother Radiant did not strike me as having begotten Sister Sign's child. I followed them quietly. I had in my hands clandestine weapons treated with poison and was ready to poison him the second I sensed the slightest sign or word of intimacy between them.

"This was evidently his lucky day. The two kept a distance between them; not a word was exchanged as they walked the entire length from the graveyard back to the house. There were no signs to help me gauge their innermost feelings or intentions.

"Once Sister Sign was inside the room, she abandoned herself to inconsolable sobs. I stood by her window, my mind confused with wild and insane thoughts. I had an urge to storm in and deal her a fatal blow, or set the building on fire and raze the Tian family plot to the ground, or make public her shameful act. But at the same time I was also desperate to cry my heart out, holding her closely in my arms. Finally I came to a resolution: I had better pretend that nothing had happened, but wait until I discovered who the fornicator was.

"Presently I retired to my room, feeling cold all over. Father was sound asleep in his bed while I was rooted to the ground, lost in a daze. Some considerable time must have elapsed when suddenly Uncle Valour came striding into the room, informing me that Uncle Pastoral would like to speak with me. I reflected, 'Now the time is here, I wonder what he has to say about this? Will he force me to break off the engagement? Or will he exploit my ignorance to the full, making a cuckold of me?' As it was late in the night, Brother Valour excused himself, but urged me to go there on my own. Fearing that something untoward might occur, I woke up father asking him to be on guard. Then I set off armed, carrying edged and clandestine weapons. I even had my bow and arrows concealed underneath my robe.

"On entering Uncle Pastoral's room, I found him stretched out supine on his bed, staring vacantly at the space above. He was holding a piece of white parchment in his hand. He hardly noticed my entry. I presently let out a cough, addressing him, 'Father.' He started and immediately tucked the white paper under his bedding. Then he spoke, 'Oh, Peace, it is you.' I began to wonder, 'It is you who have sent for me, and yet you make all this pretence.' Nonetheless, the expression on his face convinced me that his fear was quite genuine. Immediately, he asked me to bolt the door but to leave the window open to forestall people from eavesdropping outside. Then he said with his voice trembling, 'Peace, my life is hanging by the slenderest of threads, resting solely on your having the mercy to run an errand for me.'"

Curio, provoked by a rankling antipathy for quite some time, bounced up like the devil. Pointing his finger at Peace, he bawled out, "What rot! What stuff! What nonsense! My Master is a fighter of such remarkable martial pedigree. What good can come from a novice like you?"

Peace did not even bother to look at Curio, but ignored his presence completely. He then turned to Tree and the others, and said, "Uncle Pastoral's words gave me quite a fright. I hastened to say, 'Your humble son-in-law will speed to do all the bidding of his father-in-law, even if it means losing his life.' Uncle Pastoral gave a slight nod. Then, he retrieved from under the quilt a slender parcel, wrapped in figured satin, and handed it to me, commanding, 'Take this parcel and proceed to the land beyond the Pass through the night, and then hide it away in a crevasse, beyond the reach of everyone. If you execute all this quietly, you might still have a chance to save my life.'

"I took the bundle in my hand: it was hard and heavy. It seemed like a metal object. Thereupon, I asked, 'What is inside? Who is going to harm you?' Uncle Pastoral then gestured with his hand, looking thoroughly worn-out, and remarked, 'Hurry on your way now. Remember, you cannot allow even your father to know about this. Be quick, or it might be too late. And do not ever open the parcel.' I dared not ask any more questions, but spun round to take my leave. When I got to the door, Uncle Pastoral suddenly blurted out, 'Peace, what is hidden underneath your robe?' His words gave me a start. I told myself, 'He does have penetrating eyes!' Then I told him truthfully, 'They are edged weapons, bow and arrows. Many people were invited this evening, and your humble son-in-law is taking the necessary precaution lest some villainous characters should have found their way into the crowd.' Uncle Pastoral applauded, 'Bravo, you are both sharp and capable. If only Curio could take after you a little. Hey, pass me your bow and arrows.'

"I fumbled inside my robe, retrieved my bow and arrows, and handed them to him. He at once drew out a long arrow, inspected it at close quarters for a few moments before fitting it to the bow, commanding, 'Be on your way, quick!' I was somewhat flustered, warning myself, 'I hope he does not catch me in the back!' Thereupon, I pretended to pay obeisance to him by bowing my body in respect while taking slow backward steps towards the door. Only on reaching the entrance did I turn around. I looked back over my shoulder after arriving safely outside his room: he was aiming an arrow head at the window, apparently guarding against enemies entering through the window.

"I returned to my room, becoming suspicious about the whole affair. I turned over in my mind the enigmatic expression and fear written on Uncle Pastoral's face, knowing that no good would come to me of his plan. Thereupon, I laid the whole business before father, only holding back the part about Sister Sign, lest he should get into a temper. Father offered me his advice, 'First, find out what is in there.' His words found an all-too-receptive ear. We immediately tore open the bundle and found this very same metal casket inside.

"Father was present at the time when Uncle Pastoral wrenched this casket from Gully's bereaved heir. Later, they kept the heirloom of the Dragon Lodge, the poniard, inside the box. Father immediately remarked, 'This seems strange.' He knew there were barbs hidden on the side of the casket, and he knew also how to go about opening it. Thereupon, he opened the lid following the set procedures. After looking inside the casket, father and I stared blankly at each other. We were both speechless: it was empty inside. Father broke out, 'What does this mean?'

"I myself had already sensed that there was something amiss. Now I had it clear in my mind that Uncle Pastoral had tried to frame me with this vile scheme of his. He already had the poniard hidden elsewhere, but had passed me an empty casket. He would then send his men to waylay me. After apprehending me, he would bring a false charge against me, of stealing the poniard. Uncle Pastoral might not have me killed when I failed to produce the weapon, but he would at least break off my engagement with Sister Sign so that she could marry Brother Curio. Father, for his part, had no idea of all this covert activity, and he therefore failed to see through this vile trick. Finding it inconvenient to inform him, I remained silent. After father and I had spent a long time brooding on the problem, we still found it incomprehensible."

Curio instantly shouted, "You murdered my Master, made away with the heirloom of our Dragon Lodge and now you are here talking rubbish. Not even a three-year-old would be convinced by your gibberish."

Peace returned with a sneer, "Uncle Pastoral is now dead and therefore cannot support me, but I have proof in my hands."

Curio was further infuriated by his words, and was incited to thunder, "Proof? What proof? Show us your proof."

Peace calmly answered, "I shall show you the proof when the time is right. Now just be calm. Ladies and gentlemen, this Brother Curio never stops interrupting, so perhaps we should allow him to speak"

Tree joined in, addressing Curio coldly, "Curio, You misbegotten cur. You wanted to hurl me down the mountain. This monk has a debt to settle with you, you dastardly coward! What is the use of averting your eyes now?" Curio was panic-stricken, not daring to utter a word.

Peace again spoke, "I was aware that the minute I went beyond the Tian Family property with the metal casket, though I might not run immediately into any mortal danger, I would at least have to forfeit the glory and honour befitting my station. I then consulted with my parent, 'Father, there is something strange about the entire business. I shall return the parcel to my father-in-law and wash my hands of the whole affair.' Thereupon, I wrapped the metal casket up again with the figured satin, and composed a few words in my mind to expose Uncle Pastoral's vile trick quietly.