Smiling Proud Wanderer Vol 02, page 22
Since Wang Zhongqiang landed so steadily without any sign of sore straits, people in the crowd who didn’t know any martial arts skills actually thought that he had leapt up all by himself to show off his Qing-Gong. The many servants and chairmen put their hands together and cheered happily. Many couldn’t wait to start praising the superb martial arts skills Master Wang had just put on display.
Wang Yuanba had been greatly surprised when he had found out that the Elder Bamboo-Green dislocated his two grandsons’ arms so easily in a bump without even batting an eyelid. He figured that he could achieve the same effect himself, but it would have been very forceful and overwhelming, never as subtle as the way the old man did it, and never as swift either. By the time he saw his son sent into the air from the bump, it was no longer surprise in his heart but rather terror. He knew very well that this second son of his had mastered all of his skills and techniques. Not only could he wield a saber in an unruffled yet fierce manner, his skills in fighting barehanded and his accomplishment in inner energy were also very adequate, no less than what he himself had achieved in his prime of life. But before the two even exchanged one move, his son had already been knocked flying in the air. That was something he had never seen in his life. Noticing that his son wanted to run back for a fight after the setback, he called out immediately.
“Zhongqiang, come here!”
Wang Zhongqiang turned around and leapt back onboard. Spitting on the floor angrily, he cussed resentfully, “What a stinking, old rascal! He probably knows some kind of witchcraft!”
“How do you feel? Any injuries?” Wang Yuanba asked in a whisper.
Wang Zhongqiang shook his head.
Wang Yuanba pondered upon the situation, but only concluded that it was likely that he still lacked enough skills to take on this old man. And if he asked Yue Buqun to fight the old man together with him, it would be no glory winning the fight. So the best way out probably would be pretending that nothing had happened and just get on with it. The old man did show some mercy by not wounding his son or throwing his son off balance. That had already saved him from losing face. He watched the Elder Bamboo-Green slowly walking away, his heart filled with some kind of indescribable discomfort.
“This old man, of course, is a friend of Linghu Chong,” he thought to himself, “and because my grandsons broke Linghu Chong’s two arms, he came to get even by breaking their arms. I have ruled the martial arts society in the Luoyang region for all my life. Could it be possible that I am destined to fall hard in my old age?”
By then Wang Bofen had put his two nephews’ dislocated parts back in place. Two sedan chairs carried the two dripping wet young men back to their home.
“Mr. Yue, do you know who he is? I am so dim-sighted from my old age. I couldn’t tell who that elite was at all,” Wang Yuanba glanced at Yue Buqun and asked.
“Chong, who is he?” Yue Buqun asked.
“He is Elder Bamboo-Green,” Linghu Chong answered.
Wang Yuanba and Yue Buqun both uttered a cry of surprise. Even though they both went to that small alley the other day, neither of them had a chance to meet Elder Bamboo-Green face to face. And it just happened that the only one who would be able to recognize Elder Bamboo-Green, Mr. Yi, decided to see the guests off at the gate of the Wang house instead of coming to the wharf. That was why no one had a clue as who this old man was.
“What did he give you?” Pointing at the package wrapped in blue cloth, Yue Buqun asked.
“I haven’t opened it yet,” Linghu Chong answered.
He opened the package and found a short zither inside. The zither’s body looked ancient and obsolete. Obviously, the zither was an invaluable antique. Two characters “Yan Yu” in ancient script were calved on the tail of the zither. Inside the package was also a booklet with the words “Song of Peace and Serenity” written on the cover. Feelings of gratitude swelled Linghu Chong’s heart. He couldn’t help but let out a cry of joy.
“What?” Yue Buqun stared at him and asked.
“This senior master not only gave me a zither, but also copied down the entire music score for me,” Linghu Chong explained.
He turned the booklet open and flipped through it. Every page was filled with beautiful calligraphy in small fonts. Not only were there words and symbols recording the music tone, there were also a great deal of notes and comments explaining in detail about the fingering techniques and various keynotes about zither play in general. The papers and the ink prints all looked new, apparently, the granny had just hand printed the entire booklet. Deeply moved by the granny’s affectionate love and care, Linghu Chong found tears rolling in his eyes.
Wang Yuanba and Yue Buqun saw with their own eyes that the booklet only contained techniques relating to zither play, and some of the strange characters and symbols were indeed similar to the ones inside the “Smiling Proud Wanderer” music score booklet. Although there were still many suspicions in their hearts, they had nothing else to add.
“A true master never reveals his abilities unless necessary. Who would have thought that this Elder Bamboo-Green is actually an elite in the Martial World? Chong, do you know which school or clan he is from?” Yue Buqun asked. He had figured that even if Linghu Chong did know the answer, he would still not tell the truth, but he asked anyway, for it disturbed him very much to not know any details about such an elite fighter with such superb Kung Fu skills.
Not to his surprise, Linghu Chong answered, “I only studied zither from this senior master. I didn’t even know he had martial arts skills.”
After Yue Buqun and Madam Yue bid their farewell to Wang Yuanba and the Wang Bofen, Wang Zhongqiang brothers, the boat set sail toward the north, and soon were hundreds of feet away from ashore. The many apprentices soon engaged each other into a hearted discussion. Some were convinced that Elder Bamboo-Green had unusually superb Kung Fu skills while some others believed that nothing could prove that the old man had great skills, the young Wang brothers only fell into the river because of their recklessness, and Wang Zhongqiang only leapt away because he didn’t want to take the old man up on it.
Linghu Chong sat at the back of the boat to read the music score by himself, having no interest listening to the discussion among his junior apprentice brothers and sisters. Following the directions from the booklet, he lay his finger on the strings and felt the keys. Afraid to disturb his Master and Master-Wife, he only practiced the positioning and didn’t really make any sound.
The boat was heading in the same direction as the wind and the wave, thus gained some good speed. Madam Yue walked to the bow and tried to enjoy the scenery, but that didn’t help her get rid of the image of the odd looking Elder Bamboo-Green in her head at all. Many disquieting thoughts surged in her mind when suddenly, her husband’s voice rose next to her ear.
“What do you think of that Elder Bamboo-Green?”
This question was the exact same one she had wanted to ask her husband, so even though he had asked it first, she still asked, “What do you think of him?”
“That old man’s technique was so unusual and strange. Without even moving his arms or legs, he was still able to knock the three members of the Wang Family flying far in the air. I’d have to say that his techniques aren’t from any orthodox school,” Yue Buqun answered.
“But he seems to be very nice to Chong, and it didn’t look like he was intentionally making trouble for the Golden Blade Wang Family,” Madam Yue remarked.
“I hope this is the end of it. Or else, the great reputation Grandmaster Wang had built up throughout his life might be at the very brink of ruin.” Yue Buqun heaved a sigh. He paused for a good while before speaking again, “Even though we are continuing our journey by water now, it is still wise to be cautious.”
“Are you saying that someone might come aboard to make trouble?” Madam Yue inquired.
Yue Buqun shook his head. “We are still kept in the dark. We still have no idea who those fifteen masked assassins are and where they came from. We are in the light while our enemy is still in the dark. Our journey might not be as peaceful as we’d like it to be.”
Ever since Yue Buqun became the Head Master of the Huashan Sword School, he had never experienced any serious setbacks until recently. But in the last couple of months, he had realized there was a good chance that many difficulties were awaiting them in the road ahead. But who was the enemy, and what did the enemy want? He couldn’t find an answer. Just because of this clueless feeling he was laden with more and more anxiety.
That day, the Yue couple urged their apprentices again and again to be on good guard days and nights, but as time went by, their boat entered the main river from near the Zigong County and then headed east following the flow of the river; not even one accident happened. The further away they were from Luoyang, the more relaxed each one became. And before long, their vigilance gradually slacked away.
Chapter 14: Wine Cups
Zu Qianqiu reached into his pocket and took out a wine cup. Smooth and soft, it was actually a white jade cup. He reached in again, and went on taking out more and more wine cups
People in Kaifeng started among the Yue Buqun couple and their apprentices.
“Even though Kaifeng is a big city, there’s not a great deal of interest in martial arts around here. And for people like old Escort Hua, senior Master Hai, or the Three Elites of Henan, they have neither truly outstanding martial arts skills nor great fame. Let’s just tour around some of the scenic spots and historical sites. We can skip visiting anyone or any studios so we won’t disturb anyone,” Yue Buqun suggested.
“But senior apprentice brother, have you forgotten that very famous figure in the city of Kaifeng?” Madam Yue grinned.
“A very famous figure? Who…who are you referring to?” Yue Buqun asked.
“‘Cure one and kill one; kill one then cure one. Cure as many as I kill; that shows my skill.’ Now who’s that?” Madam Yue gave a hint.
“Aha, you are talking about the ‘Killer Doctor’ Ping One-Finger. He is indeed very famous. But he’s so eccentric that he most probably wouldn’t want to see us even if we paid him a visit,” Yue Buqun said with a smile.
“That’s true. Or else we could have asked this Killer Doctor to take a look at Chong’s injuries since Chong’s inner wounds are not getting any better and we just happen to be coming to Kaifeng anyway,” Madam Yue agreed.
“Mom, what does the nickname Killer Doctor mean? If he is a killer, how can he be a famous doctor?” Yue Lingshan asked in curiosity.
“Well, this Doctor Ping is a weirdo…well…a strange fellow in the Martial World. He has profound medical knowledge and his magical hands can bring the dying back to life. It is said that regardless of how ill or how badly wounded the patient is, so long as he agrees to work on him the patient will be cured for sure. But he has this very odd rule. He says that God of Heaven and Lord of Underworld, of course, both know how many people are there in this world. If he cured too many people so that less people die, there would be too many living and too few dead. Certainly the Lord of Underworld is not going to be too fond of that. And when his final days come, even if the Lord of Underworld leaves him alone, his officers and goblins would for sure get even with him, therefore, his days in the underworld probably are not going to be easy at all,” Madam Yue explained with a light grin.
Quite amused by these words, all the apprentices giggled.
“That’s why he made an oath,” Madam Yue continued, “that so long as he cures someone, he must kill another one to even the numbers. And if he kills someone, he must cure another one to make up. He put up this big banner right in his office, which said clearly, ‘Cure one and kill one; kill one then cure one. Cure as many as I kill; that shows my skill.’ He says that because of this practice, the God of Heaven wouldn’t fault him for taking away lives, and Lord of Underworld wouldn’t blame him for taking over his business either.”
The entire audience burst into loud laughter.
“What a funny guy this Doctor Ping One-Finger is! But why does he have such a strange name? Has he only one finger?” Yue Lingshan asked.
“I think he has more than just one finger,” Madam Yue answered. “Senior apprentice brother, do you know why he picked such a name?” she asked her husband.
“Doctor Ping has all ten fingers. He called himself One-Finger because either to kill or to cure, he only needs one finger to do it. If he wants to kill someone, he just hits him with one finger, and if he wants to cure someone, he only uses one finger to check pulses,” Yue Buqun clarified.
“Oh, I see. Then I suppose he must be an expert in sealing acupoints,” Madam Yue remarked.
“That I am not too sure. There probably isn’t that many who has fought this Doctor Ping before. Everyone in the Martial World knows how good of a doctor he is. In one’s life, who can say that he is immune to unexpected misfortunes? Maybe one day he will need to ask for Doctor Ping’s help, that’s why no one wants to offend Doctor Ping. But unless it’s absolutely necessary, no one would just rashly ask for his help either,” Yue Buqun said.
“Why’s that?” Yue Lingshan couldn’t help but ask.
“Because whenever a fellow martial person asks him to cure a wound or disease, he would make this person swear an oath ahead of time that after the person is cured, he must obey Dr. Ping’s order to kill a person Dr. Ping specifies. This is called one life in exchange for another. It’s easier if the person is asked to kill someone totally unrelated to himself, but if he is asked to kill someone who’s a close friend of his, or even his father, brother, wife, or son, then wouldn’t it be real difficult?” Yue Buqun explained.
“This Doctor Ping is truly odd!” the apprentices remarked.
“Big apprentice brother, in that case, you can’t really ask him to work on you then,” Yue Lingshan concluded.
Linghu Chong had been propping against the door at the backside, listening to Master and Master-Wife discussing the peculiarity of the “Killer Doctor” Ping One-Finger. When he heard little apprentice sister’s words, he replied with a slight smile on his cheeks.
“That’s right! I would be very afraid if he asks me to kill my little apprentice sister, once he cures me.”
That brought loud laughter out from the rest of the apprentices.
Yue Lingshan also grinned. “This Doctor Ping has no grudge against me. Why would he ask you to kill me?” She turned her head and asked her father, “Dad, then is this Doctor Ping a good guy or a bad guy?”
“Well, it is said that he is quite grumpy, and always do things to his liking, sometimes chivalrous and sometimes irregular. He is really neither a good guy nor a bad guy. To say it nicely, he is a strange genius. But in plain words, he would be a freak,” Yue Buqun answered.
“Here’s what I think. Many of the rumors flowing around the Martial World are really exaggerations, and this might just be one of them. When we get to the city of Kaifeng, I’d like to go pay a visit to this Doctor Ping,” Yue Lingshan responded.
“Nonsense! Don’t be mischievous!” Both Yue Buqun and Madam Yue admonished almost in unison.
Seeing the solemn expression on her parents’ faces, Yue Lingshan was slightly stunned. “Why?” she asked.
“Meeting people like this? Are you out of your mind? Trouble will come looking for you if you do,” Yue Buqun reproached.
“Why would trouble come looking for me just for a visit? I am not asking him to cure me. What’s the big deal?” Yue Lingshan mumbled.
“We are here to enjoy visiting scenes, not to cause troubles.” Yue Buqun pulled a long face.
Seeing how angry her father had become, Yue Lingshan dared not speak another word. But her curiosity toward this “Killer Doctor Ping One-Finger” only grew bigger and bigger.
At early morning the next day, the boat entered the city limits of Kaifeng. But it was still quite a distance from the real city.
“Guess what?” Yue Buqun smiled a big grin. “There’s this place not far from here where a member of our Yue family once became the center of the limelight many years ago. We’d better pay a visit there.”
“Yay! I know! I know! It’s Zhuxian Town, where General Yue, Yue Pengju,18 kicked Jin Wushu’s19 behind big time,” Yue Lingshan cheered.
Yue Fei, who fought the Jin army and defended China, was a heroic figure all martial people admired deeply in their hearts, and Zhuxian Town was the place where Yue Fei had completely crushed the Jin army. Naturally, everyone in the group wanted to check it out.
“Hurry up! Let’s go to the Zhuxian Town first. Then we’ll have lunch inside the city of Kaifeng,” Yue Lingshan leapt ashore ahead of everyone else and shouted.
The passengers started walking off the boat except Linghu Chong who remained sitting by the backside of the boat.
“Big apprentice brother, aren’t you going?” Yue Lingshan asked.
Ever since Linghu Chong had lost all his inner energy, he often felt weary and tired and didn’t want to move much. He figured that since everybody else was going ashore to have fun, it would be the perfect opportunity for him to learn that “Song of Peace and Serenity.” Besides, seeing how Lin Pingzhi stood side by side with Yue Lingshan, looking intimate and affectionate, he felt even more uncomfortable.
“I am too tired. I won’t be able to keep up with you guys,” he answered.
“Alright, have a good rest then. I’ll get you some good wine from the city of Kaifeng,” Yue Lingshan replied.
Sorrow swelled Linghu Chong’s heart as he watched Yue Lingshan and Lin Pingzhi walk away abreast, leading the way ahead of everyone else.
“Even if learning the ‘Song of Peace and Serenity’ could really cure my internal wounds, why would I bother to cure and why would I bother to learn the music?” he thought to himself.
