Fox Volant of the Snowy Mountain by Jin Yong (43 page)

The Commissioner reddened to the tips of his ears. Thereupon, he held out his left hand, commanding his contingent to plant themselves in all corners to close in on the provoker. Boiling with rage, Sai cried out, "I presume you are the so-called Fox Volant of the Snowy Mountain?"

Smiling complacently, Fox retorted, "Undeserving of the honour though I am, that is precisely who I am. I have also heard that in Peking, there is a Sai, a so called Commissioner. He is counted as a somebody, but it turns out he is a villainous character. Such a cowardly ragamuffin, and yet he has the nerve to claim a title. Do me the favour of taking an early retirement and go home to look after your baby!"

Commissioner Sai had always thought very highly of himself and he was not prepared to swallow this humiliating insult. He tried to convince himself that, although Fox was thickly bearded, he was after all a young chap. He was sure that the might of Fox's martial arts could never rival the strength of his feats. But the sight of Fox grabbing Wish and Profundity with measured ease and lifting them up like feathers threw Sai once again into frightful apprehension, dampening his aggression and preventing him from declaring an open challenge to Fox.

While Sai was thus pondering, a voice was heard coming from Fox: "Come on, come on, come on. Let us test out our feats. If I fail to beat you within three tricks, the one bearing the family name Hu will concede and kowtow to you!"

Still torn by his own personal dilemma, Fox's blatant challenge speedily fired a thought through Sai's mind: "I never possessed the confidence and prowess to overpower you initially. But now even if you are a divine incarnation of martial ability, you will never stand a chance of beating me within three tricks, unless I am a corpse."

Thereupon, Sai's extreme anger transformed itself instantly into a mirthful smile, and he remarked good-humouredly, "Fine. The person bearing the surname Sai will oblige himself to take this feeble exercise."

At length, Fox posed Sai another question, "If you were outmanoeuvred within the next three tricks, how should I deal with you?"

"It will be up to you to punish me," Sai responded. "I, who bear the surname Sai and rank among celebrities, would never again have the face to appear before the public. No more jawing now. Let us begin!"

Thrusting his fists straight out with lightning speed, Sai aimed true and fast at Fox's chest, pummelling blow after blow. As Fox had not yet loosened his grip on Wish and Profundity, Sai feared that his opponent might parry his blows with them. Thereupon, he advanced towards the side of his assailant, commanding him to release the two victims and to guard against himself suffering his own strokes.

When the punch came driving fast into his front, Fox surprised the onlookers by attempting neither a dodge nor a parry. Suddenly his chest tucked inwards, dissolving the impending blow instantaneously into thin air. Sai was shocked at finding such prowess in one so young. A chill smote his heart. He instantly sprang backward, lest his enemy mobilize his strength for a counter-blow. Loud applause at once broke from the enthusiastic audience: "Trick One!" In the previous trick, Sai had been the sole combatant staging an attack. No counter-attack had yet been launched by Fox. Apparently the on-lookers were siding with the Commissioner, and they assessed that last move as one trick.

Fox exploded in a little laugh. Suddenly he hawked up phlegm. A gob of spittle darted from his throat, straight at the face of the Commissioner. Simultaneously displaying the move Multiple Encircling, Fox whipped out his legs in front.

The Commissioner felt a sudden chill run through him and clutch at his heart. Dodging the flying discharge demanded either leaping upward or ducking with a bowed head. But leaping upward would certainly invite a blow to his midriff by his opponent snapping up his left leg. As to ducking, it would mean proffering his jowl to the right leg of his enemy, attracting another blow. Shooting up presented just as difficult an alternative as slipping down. Sai finally resorted to parrying with the edges of his palms, guarding his vulnerable parts. The phlegm landed with a plop, nuzzling neatly between Sai's brows. This sordid matter would have been shunned by a child of seven. But under the belief that his adversary had more savage moves in store for him, the crestfallen and out-manoeuvred Sai had to accept the slaver with the heroic courage befitting a commissioner.

The snivel plastering with a smack on the Commissioner's face put all his comrades on the alert. Afraid they might be the next targets of a similar clandestine attack, none could muster enough courage to lift his finger to wipe the gluey slime from the face of the assaulted. Amidst such dreadful embarrassment exploded the decree "Trick Two", sounding far less authoritative than the previous acclaim.

Sai the Commissioner then told himself, "Though I have been humiliated, as long as I can maintain my guard against the opponent's offensive moves, meeting him head-on in another trick could be done more easily than said. I shall see what he has to say about that afterwards." Thereupon, Sai bawled out his command, "One trick left. Fall to, quick!"

With smiling briskness, Fox strode one step forward. Suddenly plucking up Wish and Profundity, he thrust them straight into his adversary. Already perceiving such an onslaught, Sai had designed some devilry to fall back onto: A common saying goes that ruthlessness is the mark of a truly great man. In a precarious and dangerous situation like this, one has no alternative but sorely to hurt his friends. Sai whipped up his arms just as the two bodies came sweeping in his face, pummeling blows fierce and furious on his comrades.

Just as the two miserable captives started to hurl their trunks into Sai, stopping short of making direct contact, Fox suddenly loosened his grip on their principal paralytic points, switching abruptly to clutching their sinews peripheral to the paralytic points.

For a while Wish and Profundity went whirling in mid air as if reeling and tottering in a void. Suddenly the senses in their paralytic points woke up and their limbs regained their normal functions. Whipping out their hands instantaneously, they brought every muscle of their bodies into play and directed all force in their fists, intending to wrestle themselves free of the grapple of their enemy. Each fell to expediting his esoteric killer trick learned over a life-time, smiting blows with the utmost savagery. A thunderous roar escaped Commissioner Sai instantly. The deadly, deafening strokes caught his sternum, heart, midriff and axilla, causing his feet to collapse and forcing his knees to crumple and his body to tumble backwards. By merely relaxing his hold and immediately tightening his grip, Fox once again piqued Wish and Profundity at their damoclean points. "Trick Three!" exploded the victor.

Heralding his own triumph, Fox doubled the power in his blows. Wish and Profundity passed out without even the time to let out a sound. Fox's pique proved stunning. The recovery of the two injured would take at least two weeks, even in the hands of adepts. Finally, Fox hauled up the victims and hurled them head-on at two enemies in front. Awe and fear fell upon them, and they immediately dodged the impending onslaught lest Wish and Profundity should defeat them as they had done the poor Commissioner. Immediately Fox bounded forward, seizing them both, whilst their limbs were still smarting, in mid-air before they touched the ground. Holding both captives in his hands, Fox turned round and addressed Sai, "What say you now?"

Utterly crushed, Commissioner Sai felt all his bright, ambitious hopes for the future turn into dust and ashes. Completely devoid of ambition and hope, he was heard to mumble, "It is entirely up to you what to do with me. Why do you bother to ask me?"

Fox put forward his terms, "Set Phoenix the Knight-errant free immediately."

The Commissioner motioned to two of his guardsmen with his hand to free Phoenix. The two subordinates at once unfettered the chains on the captive.

* * *

Commissioner Sai was the one who had piqued Phoenix on his paralytic points. The two guardsmen were at a loss as to how to revivify him. Just as Fox was reaching out his hand to invigorate him, Phoenix channelled energy appropriately within his internal system, thus taking the lead in resuscitating his own body. His limbs having been set free, Phoenix drew in a deep breath. By tucking in his midriff slightly, he had his paralytic points reinstated in a moment. Suddenly, without warning, his left foot swept up from the floor towards Spirituality the Buddhist Devotee and sent him soaring like a rocket. Thrusting out his fist at the same instant, he threw a straight punch at an opponent, propelling him forward.

Fan the Ringleader, it may be remembered, who was sent plunging through the wooden partition by Sai the Commissioner a while before, struggled to pick himself up, after some time had lapsed. Just as he was making his way back into the room through the hole in the panel, he was smashed head-on by a flying comrade whom Phoenix sent plunging straight into him. Taking their comrade as adversaries, they each at once paraded their respective killer tricks, engaging themselves in a death grapple.

Though Spirituality the Buddhist Devotee had been sent flying by Phoenix whipping out his leg, he managed to survive the ordeal. After all, he was a renowned hero fighter of the Kunlun School, who had attained a unique level of martial ability. Whilst his body was in mid-air, Spirituality reversed his position by twisting around at the waist, pointing his head again upward and his feet downward. In a flash, he landed on his posterior with a thump, sitting himself on the edge of the bed.

This acrobatic feat, brought off by Spirituality, inspired terror in Fox. As he was on the verge of rushing forward to shoulder Spirituality aside, a strong gust of air suddenly swept across his front. Blades soon came hurling down on his right. Jiang the Senior Mentor in Pugilism and one of the guardsmen were now setting themselves against Fox. Fox easily warded off all the blows coming from the sentry, but had great difficulty absorbing the Dipper's Handle Pointing East emanating from Jiang the Senior Mentor in Pugilism. Planting his feet firmly on the ground, Fox channeled the strength in his body, thereby cushioning the move thrown at him by his assailant. But moves of Unfathomable Pugilism unfolded by the elderly pugilist of the Absolute Lodge came plunging like a toppling wave, rippling in endless lines, one immediately following on another. Fox was baffled, unable to draw on any of his limbs to mount an offensive.

After plumping himself down on the bed's edge, Spirituality ripped off the half drawn gauze curtain with a swish, then bounded up in a leap. His right leaping foot chanced to catch the coverlet snugly wrapping round Orchid, causing it to scrape aside and baring Orchid's maidenly bosom to manly eyes.

While engaging himself feverishly in a battle raging fast and furious, Phoenix suddenly glimpsed a young lady sprawling on the bed, scantily clad in a chemise, staring at him with a scarlet, shamed-filled face, but lying there still and motionless. It was his only child, his darling girl. This gave Phoenix the fright of his life, causing him to cry out, "Orchid, my child, what is the meaning of this?" Not a word could Orchid force from her mouth. She only stared up helplessly at her father, seized with a sudden attack of shame and frustration.

Phoenix lashed out his arms, fought his way through four enemies and pulled up Orchid, only to find her utterly limp and immobilized; without a doubt the piquing she had received was the work of an expert fighter. As Fox had been seen springing out from the quilted cover a short while before, Phoenix strongly suspected that he was the one guilty of brutalizing his daughter. Phoenix was thrown into an evil temper. The palpable evidence of his own eyes now gave him a spasm of wrath which almost made him swoon. Before he could start revivifying the paralytic points of his daughter, Phoenix thundered at Fox, "Dastardly coward!" Thrusting out his fists, the father pummelled mighty punches straight at Fox.

Phoenix's face was white with anger and his eyes wild and dangerous, almost darting fire. His fists, mustering all the might accumulated through the vigorous training of a life-time, showered horrendous blows, all aimed fast and furious at Fox. Oblivious of the other goings-on around him, Fox failed to notice how Phoenix had pulled Orchid out of the bed. Curiosity gripped him. He failed to understand why Phoenix should rage in battle against him, after he had rescued him from danger. The situation was becoming dangerous. In the confusion, Fox ducked to the left without time to demand an explanation. Suddenly there came a resounding snap: Phoenix had buried his punches in the back of a pugilist instructor.

The victim had vigorous training in footwork and was able to plant his feet firmly on the ground, like a pedestal. He would stand fast, assuming a horse stance, not giving way even to the combined efforts of several burly fighters. This unfortunate fighter was standing with his back to Fox just as Phoenix was advancing, pummelling with his fists. By a stroke of bad luck, Phoenix moved slightly too fast in delivering his punches while Fox reacted too quickly in dodging his blows, hence the unfortunate who stood in their way received a solid pair of brawny fists on his back. Had another victim been dealt these two punches, they would have been sufficient to throw him instantly to the ground. But so endowed was this pugilist instructor in his footwork that when the blow came, his ribs snapped with a cracking sound; thereafter, his body dropped limp as if in two halves and yet his two feet remained still nailed to the ground. The pugilist instructor was never able to stand erect again in his life.

Phoenix's might put the group in a state of apprehension. His howls froze their blood and dispersed the crowd in a flash. Presently, Phoenix swept up his left leg from the floor and it flew at Fox.

The light from the candle exposed the nakedness of Orchid instantly to curious eyes. Amongst the group, the eyes of those who harboured secret lusts were ogling her nudity. For Fox, preventing this decent, respectable young lady from being contaminated was a matter of burning importance. Thereupon, he grabbed a guardsman standing nearby and stood him like a screen between himself and Phoenix. Having warded off his foe, Fox then tilted his body sideward and leaped to the side of the bed, snatched a quilt and threw it over Orchid. So deft and swift were his moves that before anyone knew what had happened, Fox had vanished through the hole in the wall, clasping Orchid to his bosom.