RoCH Chap 33 Onwards

[Tazzy1972]

now juz left with chpt 34

[Candide]

Well done fellas! Hope you've had a great lunar new year festival.

IcyFox, fox-s and whoever that have offered help (apology for not listing all ), I'd very much appreciate your help to proof-read and tidy up things before they're published on wuxiapedia. To avoid taking threads off topic, could you please PM me with your email addresses? I prefer communicating via email than relying on this flakey forum which goes down every now and then.

Cheers,
Linh

[SkineePanda]

GJ and HR was surprisingly quiet in the last chapter, so is YD and HYS. Wished all of them had some lines.

[IcyFox]

GJ and HR was surprisingly quiet in the last chapter, so is YD and HYS. Wished all of them had some lines.

Actually the last chapter didn't even need them around. It was just to create the setting for HSDS. Jin Yong could have just hired some extras for that chapter.

[JamesG]

Congrats to fox-s on the birth of his new son.

[Tazzy1972]

more sleepless nites ahead

[IcyFox]

Congrats to fox-s on the birth of his new son.

Ditto.

Oh yeah, I just noticed my posts exceeded yours. And where is 'Her Highness' Da Bao? I want to compete posting with her.

[fox-s]

Thank you all.

Some people who confessed they are not Chinese literate have expressed their willingness to contribute something to this wonderful novel. I received a pm from Huang Yushi, which I feel very appropriate to forward to y'all. I hope somebody would step in and take this challenge:

-----------------
Now that ROCH is almost done where translations are concerned, I was wondering if one or both of you might be interested in working on some companion materials to the novel. You could it individually or as a team (with each other or anyone else you desire), whichever suits your style.

Here are some ideas:

1. A "Facts and Figures" compilation about ROCH, an example of which can be found here.

2. A collection of FAQs about ROCH, culled from the discussions in the Wuxia Fiction forum. These FAQs could cover anything, including why one person is better than another at a particular skill, but all answers have to be supported with actual quotations from the novel text. If you find any inconsistency between one passage and another, you could even write a separate article to explain it.

3. Research-based articles on real-life things mentioned in ROCH. For example, JY wrote about the divine condor in the end-notes [后记]. You could expand on what JY wrote into a short 300-word article with scientific facts, website links, etc.

4. Character biographies. Pick a character and write a bio on him/her.


Let me know if you have any other ideas.

Huang Yushi
-----------------

Any takers?

[Candide]

Congrats, mate! Pics of the baby?

[fox-s]

CHAPTER 40

Translated by Foxs. Edited by IcyFox, JamesG. Further addition from the second edition by Foxs.

THE SUMMIT OF HUA SHAN

Early the next morning Guo Jing and the others quietly left Xiang Yang through the north gate for Mount Hua (Hua Shan). They avoided the troops and the people’s festive farewell. They walked slowly since Zhou Bo Tong, Lu Wu Shuang, the Wu Brothers and the Fisherman (Secret Fisherman from Si Shui ‘si shui yu yin’) still had not recovered from their injuries. They covered only about 10 li everyday.

By the time they arrived at Mount Hua, those who were injured had already recovered. Yang Guo showed them Hong Qi Gong and Ou Yang Feng’s graves, which were side by side. Huang Rong had purchased chicken, vegetables and other supplies. She lighted a fire and prepared the food just as Hong Qi Gong liked it, as a memorial to him. Immediately they performed the ritual ceremony.

Guo Jing did not want to show respect toward Ou Yang Feng’s grave. He still remembered how his five masters died by the Western Poison’s hands. True, it had been decades ago, but he could not forget it. Yang Guo was different. Together with Xiao Long Nu they knelt in front of Ou Yang’s grave. Zhou Bo Tong only clasped his fists in front of the grave and said, “Old Poison, Old Poison! You committed countless crimes in your lifetime. And after you died, your grave is right next to the Old Beggar’s. I’d say you are very lucky! Today everybody else is kneeling in front of the Old Beggar, except these two kids. If you knew this, you would probably regret your ruthlessness!”

Everybody was amused to hear the Old Urchin’s (Lao Wan Tong) jabbering.

They were about to eat dinner after the ceremony when suddenly they heard distant sounds of weapons clashing and people cursing. Zhou Bo Tong was always ready to have fun. He was the first to run toward the battle noise. The others followed behind.

After a couple of bends the path led them to a plateau. There they saw about thirty or forty people battling each other. Some were short, some were tall, some were old, some were young, and there were priests, monks, men and women. They did not pay any attention to the newcomers. Perhaps they thought these newcomers were tourists or pilgrims.

“Ladies and Gentlemen hold on a moment!” a big burly man shouted. “Fighting chaotically like this will not determine who will be the ‘Number One Valiant Hero under Heaven’. Let us take turns fighting. Whoever wins last shall hold the title.”

“That’s right!” said a priest with long whiskers. “There were Sword Meets on Mount Hua back then. Why don’t we do the same? Let us see who will win.” That proposition was unanimously accepted.

“All right, who will go first?” Several people stepped forward.

Bo Tong and the others looked on. They did not know who these people were.

When the first Swords Meet on Mount Hua was held, Guo Jing was not even born yet. The Eastern Heretic, Western Poison, Southern Emperor, Northern Beggar and Central Divinity were fighting for the Nine Yin Manual. In the end the Central Divinity won the title of ‘Number One Valiant Hero under Heaven’.

The second Swords Meet on Mount Hua was held twenty years later. Wang Chong Yang, the Central Divinity had passed away by then. Eastern Heretic, Western Poison and Northern Beggar, Zhou Bo Tong, Qiu Qian Ren and Guo Jing all attended. This time there was no clear winner. Who would have guessed that after decades there would be a third Swords Meet on Mount Hua, with unknown people as contestants? Therefore, Huang Yao Shi and the others were bewildered. Could the saying be true: “The later waves of the Chong Jiang River always push the previous ones. The newer generation is competent to gain victory over the older one.” Could it be that they, Huang Yao Shi and the others, were like ‘a frog at the bottom of the well’ and were ignorant of ‘heaven above a heaven’, ‘people above the others’?

They saw six people fight in three pairs. As soon as they fought, Huang Yao Shi and the other were laughing, even the composed Reverend Yi Deng smiled. We don’t need to compare them with the experts; they were far inferior even to Guo Fu or Guo Xiang.

Hearing the laugh, the six people stopped the fight, leaped back and somebody barked, “You reckless bunch! Your masters are having a contest here, and you are laughing there? Go away, we may show mercy to you!”

Yang Guo laughed and whistled loudly. His voice echoed throughout the valley. Those people were shocked, and they were scared to death. They threw away their weapons, and then they scrambled away.

“Ladies and Gentlemen…Come to me!” Yang Guo shouted.

The people looked up, screamed and ran away. Somebody shouted indistinctly, “Go! Go away quickly! That was the Condor Hero!” A moment later the plateau was empty. Cheng Ying, Guo Fu and the others chuckled.

“There are useless people out there, but I couldn’t dream they would dare hold a Swords Meet on Mount Hua,” Huang Yao Shi sighed.

“There were Five Experts,” said Zhou Bo Tong. “With the death of Western Poison, Northern Beggar and the Central Divinity, who could take their places?”

Five Experts Zhou Bo Tong referred to were: Eastern Heretic, Western Poison, Southern Emperor, Northern Beggar and Central Divinity. Among them only Eastern Heretic Huang Yao Shi, and Southern Emperor Reverend Yi Deng were left.

Huang Rong chuckled, she said, “Reverend Yi Deng and my father have always improved their skills. Therefore, they were among the Five Experts then, they should be now. Frankly speaking, my husband has inherited Northern Beggar’s skills; he is one of the Experts. Guo’Er is young, but his martial arts are extraordinary. He is unmatched in his generation, plus he is Ou Yang Feng’s adopted son. Therefore, he deserves to be one of the Experts so he inherits Western Poison’s title.”

Hearing her Zhou Bo Tong shook his head. “No, it’s not right!” he said.

“Why not?” Huang Rong asked.

“Because Western Poison was venomous, while this kid Yang Guo is not! We dare not call him ‘Western Poison’?”

“Well, Brother Jing is not a beggar!” Huang Rong laughed, “While Reverend Yi Deng is not an emperor anymore. I think we’d better modify their titles a little bit. Father is the Eastern Heretic. It is a trademark; no modification is necessary. Reverend Yi Deng has become a monk; let us call him the Southern Monk. Now, about Guo’Er, I’d like to propose a title, ‘Passionate Hero’. How’s that sound?”

Huang Yao Shi was the first to say: The “Eastern Heretic” and “Western Passionate Hero, the old and young. Yes! This is a good title.”

“Pardon me,” said Yang Guo, “I am too young, I do not dare to be compared with the Seniors …”

“Ha-ha... Little Brother!” said Huang Yao Shi. “You are wrong! You are called ‘Passionate Hero, why can’t we act it out for a moment? Besides, your name, your skills, don’t they exceed those of the Old Urchin?”

Huang Yao Shi understood Huang Rong’s intention. She did not mention the Old Urchin’s name to provoke him. Yang Guo also understood the father and daughter’s intention. He exchanged glances with Xiao Long Nu; they both laughed. He thought, “These words ‘Passionate Hero’ is so appropriate …”

“Southern Monk and Western Passionate Hero have been settled. How about the Northern Beggar?” asked Bo Tong.

“I propose the word ‘Hero’, hence the Northern Hero,” said Zhu Zi Liu. “The valiant people of this era call Brother Guo Jing as Great Hero Guo [Guo Da Xia]. He did a great service for his country. He has defended Xiang Yang for decades; he protects the people and secured the peace. His valor is superior to Zhu Qi or Guo Gai of the yesteryear. I believe it is very appropriate to call him the ‘Northern Hero’.”

“Agreed!” Reverend Yi Deng, Wu San Tong and the others voiced their support.

“Eastern Heretic and Western Passionate Hero, Southern Monk and Northern Hero, we have four experts,” said Huang Yao Shi, “What about the Central? Who deserves to hold the title?” He cast a glance to Bo Tong, but he continued, “Madam Yang is the only heir of the Ancient Tomb Sect [Gu Mu Bai]. I reckon it is appropriate for her to hold the title! When she was still alive, Heroine Lin Chao Ying roamed the Jiang Hu, even Wang Chong Yang held her in the highest regard. Who does not know the “Jade Maiden Swordplay” from the Ancient Tomb Sect? If Heroine Lin Chao Ying attended the Swords Meet at Mount Hua, not only the titles of the ‘Five Experts’ would have changed, but the title ‘Number One Valiant Person under the Heaven’ would be hers. Yang Guo’s skill was acquired from his wife. If the disciple is one of the experts, can we question the master? Therefore, Madam Yang deserves to hold the Central position in place of the Central Divinity!”

Xiao Long Nu laughed. “I really don’t deserve it,” she said.

“If not, Huang Rong should be one of the experts,” Huang Yao Shi continued. “She is still inferior in terms of martial arts skill, but she is intelligent and smart. Wasn’t there a saying: ‘brain over brawn’?

“Good, good!” Bo Tong clapped his hands. “What is Eastern Heretic? What is Great Hero Guo? I am not happy will all those names. This little girl Huang Rong is different. She is so smart. I, the Old Urchin, got a headache whenever I dealt with her. My limbs are weak, I cannot move! She should become one of the Five Experts; nobody deserves it better!”

Hearing him, everybody was amazed and impressed. They knew Zhou Bo Tong liked to fool around but he had a big heart. Others deliberately did not mention his name to provoke him. Who knew he was really naïve? He did not have any intentions to boss anybody about; he did not desire fame.

“Old Urchin, you are great!” said Huang Yao Shi. “For me fame is nothing. For Reverend Yi Deng, it is emptiness. You are not like that. Your heart is free. You are superior to us. Because we have already had Eastern Heretic and Western Passionate Hero, Southern Monk and Northern Hero, you should hold the Central position, you are the Central Urchin!”

Huang Yao Shi’s speech was applauded by loud cheering and clapping. Everybody was happy; the Five Experts had been decided. They scattered around Mount Hua sightseeing.

Yang Guo pointed to the Jade Maiden Peak. “Our sword technique is called “Jade Maiden Swordplay”. We cannot miss a visit to the peak,” he said to Xiao Long Nu.

“That’s true,” answered his wife. Holding hands they climbed the peak.

On the peak there was a small temple with a statue of a horse next to it. It was the Jade Maiden Temple. Inside the temple was a big rock - its center was hollow. It contained clear water. Yang Guo had climbed Mount Hua before, and Hong Qi Gong had explained to him the points of interest on the mountain. He pointed to the rock and told Xiao Long Nu, “This is the water basin of the Jade Maiden. This clear water never dries up.” Xiao Long Nu nodded. “Let us go to the hall to pay our respect to the Jade Maiden,” she said.

Yang Guo complied. They went to the hall. There was a statue of a very beautiful woman. She looked so dignified. What amazed them was that the face of the statue bore a close resemblance to the picture of Lin Chao Ying inside the Ancient Tomb.

“Could it be that the Jade Maiden is actually our Grand Martial Master?” asked the wife.

“Very possible,” answered Yang Guo. “Grand Martial Master Lin liked to wander around. She helped many people. It could be that some people remembered her kindness and built this temple.”

“That’s right. If it was a Jade Maiden temple, how could there be a horse statue here? Looks like Grand Martial Master roamed around riding a horse.”

The two of them then knelt in front of the altar. They prayed silently for protection and happiness as husband and wife.

They heard footsteps coming near from outside. They turned their heads and saw Guo Xiang.

“Little Sister, let us look around together!” Yang Guo was delighted. “Oh yes!” answered Guo Xiang.

Xiao Long Nu held her hand and together they left the hall. They followed a stone corridor and climbed to a big cave. Guo Xiang looked inside, she felt cold breeze coming from the cave and she shivered. The cave was like a deep well, one could not see its bottom. It was different from the one at the Passionless Valley, which was covered by heavy fog so that nobody could see the bottom. This cave was almost vertical as far as the eye could see and made people looking down feel very nervous.

“Be careful,” Xiao Long Nu warned her, holding her hand.

“I heard the water of this cave flows to the Yellow River [Huang He],” said Yang Guo. “It is one of the eight Water Palaces in China. During the Tang Dynasty there was a drought in northern China. The Emperor Tang Xuan Zong wrote a letter to Heaven, asking for rain. He threw the letter down into this cave.”

“From here flowing to the Yellow River, how peculiar!” said Guo Xiang.

“Well, it was a legend!” Yang Guo chuckled. “Nobody has ever gone down into this cave. Who would prove it?”

“When the Emperor Tang Zong threw his jade board letter, did Concubine Yang stand next to him?” asked Guo Xiang. “Did it really rain?”

Yang Guo laughed. “How can I answer your question?” he said, “Whether it rained or not, that was the Heaven’s decision. Even a king could not force its will …”

Guo Xiang looked at the cave, she softly said, “That’s true, even a king could not have everything his heart desires …”

Yang Guo was amazed to hear her say that. “This girl is still young, but she is mature,” he thought. “I must try to make her happy.” He was going to open his mouth when suddenly Xiao Long Nu said, “Ah, who’s that coming our way?” She pointed her finger.

Yang Guo turned around. Under the steps there were two people stealthily creeping nearer. Xiao Long Nu’s eyes were really sharp; she could see them in the dim light of dusk.

“Their skills are not bad,” said Yang Guo softly, “Judging from their movement, they must have some ulterior motive. Let’s hide and see what’s going on.”

Xiao Long Nu and Guo Xiang complied. They hid behind a big rock next to a big tree. Not too long after they could hear footsteps approaching. It was evening, the moon had risen.

Guo Xiang stood next to Xiao Long Nu. She did not care about those two men, she looked at Yang Go and thought in her heart, “If only I could be like this forever, being with Big Brother and Sister Long, I would desire nothing else …” She wanted the time to stand still …

Xiao Long Nu inadvertently looked toward her direction and she saw tears welling up in her eyes; she was puzzled. She thought, “This is strange, what is she thinking about? I’ll talk with my husband later and see what we can do to make her happy.”

Meanwhile those two men had reached the peak, where they hid themselves behind a big rock. After some time one of them said, “Brother Xiao Xiang, Mount Hua has so many thick forests where we can hide. I think even though that bald donkey [derogatory term for Buddhist monks] is good, he wouldn’t be able to find us here. Let’s just stay here for a few days, and then we can go farther west.”

Yang Guo could not see the speaker, but he guessed it was Yin Ke Xi and his companion must be Xiao Xiang Zi. Yang Guo thought, “Among the martial arts experts in the Mongolian camp, Jin Lun Fa Wang and Ni Mo Xing have died. Da Er Ba and Ma Guang Zuo were not that bad. Only Yin Ke Xi and Xiao Xiang Zi left. I have shown them mercy, but looks like they didn’t repent. I wonder what they are up to?”

“Don’t be happy yet, Brother Yin,” said Xiao Xiang Zi, his voice eerie. “If the baldheaded donkey could not find us, he might guard the mountain entrance. If we are not careful, he would certainly find us …”

“Brother Xiao Xiang is right. What is your thought?”

“There are so many temples scattered around this mountain. I think we’d better find the most remote one. No matter if the priests were Taoists or Buddhists, we kill them, we take over their temple and then we stay there. That bald donkey would not wait for us forever. Maybe months or years, but in the end he’ll have to leave.”

“Great idea Brother Xiao Xiang!” said Yin Ke Xi. His voice loud from excitement.

“Hush!” Xiao Xiang Zi reminded him.

“Uh, I was too excited,” said Yin Ke Xi apologetically. Then the two of them talked in low voice that Yang Guo wasn’t able to hear.

“I wonder who the monk is,” Yang Guo thought, “These two are experts, yet they are afraid of him. Actually, other than Island Master Huang, Reverend Yi Deng, Uncle Guo and their peers, these two are already unmatched. Why would someone want to capture them? No, I can’t let them go. Didn’t they say they are going to kill people and take over their temple?”

At that time Guo Fu was calling from a distance, “Brother Yang, Sister-in-law! Sister Xiang! Come and have dinner!” She repeated her calls a couple more times.

Yang Guo turned to his wife and Guo Xiang, signaling them not to make any noise.

After a while Guo Fu was gone. But from the mountain they heard a shout, “Book thief! Show yourself!” That voice was loud and powerful, a sign of strong internal energy. Yang Guo was astonished, the voice was not inferior to his. He wondered, “How come there is an expert I do not know?”

By moving his body a little bit, Yang Guo was able to see the source of the voice. He saw a grey shadow ran lightning fast toward the hill where they were. Very soon he could see that the shadow was actually two people: a grey-robed monk holding a youngster’s hand.

Yin Ke Xi and Xiao Xiang Zi have already hidden themselves among the tall grasses. They did not dare to breathe.

Yang Guo kept staring, he thought, “In term of lightness kungfu, he is not superior from Long Er or me, but he is able to carry someone on this difficult path. His strength is comparable to Reverend Yi Deng and Uncle Guo. How come I’ve never heard of him?”

Very soon the monk arrived at the top. His eyes gazed around him, but he didn’t see Yin Ke Xi and Xiao Xiang Zi. A moment later he dragged the youngster west.

“Hey, Reverend!” suddenly Guo Xiang shouted, she could not contain herself. “Reverend, those two people are here!” She was just shutting her mouth when three projectiles flew her way! They were two [flying awls] and a [nail of death].

Yang Guo’s eyes were sharp and he was quick. He waved his sleeve and caught all three projectiles.

Guo Xiang’s internal energy was not too strong; the monk could not hear her. They moved further away. “Big Brother, please go after them!” she said.

Yang Guo did not answer, but he spoke softly, like he was reciting a poem, “If it meant to be, a distance of a thousand li’s does not hinder; if it wasn’t meant to be, standing face to face yet cannot meet.”

His voice reached far. The monk stopped abruptly, turned his head and said, “Thank you Expert for showing the way!”

Yang Guo responded with similar voice, “Searching until iron shoes worn out yet do not meet; once you see it, it’s right in front of your eyes.”

The monk was delighted, pulling along the youngster they came back.

Xiao Xiang Zi and Yin Ke Xi were very shocked to hear Yang Guo’s voice. They looked at each other and leaped toward the east, running away.

Yang Guo saw them started to move while the monk was still a distance away. The monk would certainly miss these two criminals no matter how fast he could run. Thus he flicked one of Xiao Xiang Zi’s awls toward them. He didn’t want to take their lives; hence the awl was flying in front of them, to block their way.

The two were shocked; their faces were hot just from the wind of the projectile. They turned around and ran to the north. Yang Guo flicked again, and another projectile flew in front of them, forcing them to turn around once more. By that time the monk had arrived.

Seeing their escape route was blocked, both Yin Ke Xi and Xiao Xiang Zi unsheathed their weapons. They stood shoulder to shoulder. One wielding a golden dragon whip, the other wolf-fang staff. Yin Ke Xi’s jeweled whip was destroyed by Yang Guo at Chong Yang Palace; this new whip of his –although inlaid with gold, was inferior to the old one.

The monk looked around. He didn’t see the man who gave him direction. Ignoring those two, he clasped his fists to the air and said, “Little Monk Jue Yuan from Shaolin Temple thanks the Benevolent Sir!”

Yang Guo did not answer immediately. He looked intently at the monk. The monk stood straight, his countenance fresh and ruddy. If he weren’t baldheaded and wearing a robe, he would look like a scholar. He was about fifty years of age; therefore, Yang Guo did not dare to be disrespect; he quickly came out and returned the greeting, “Junior Yang Guo paid his respect.” Yang Guo thought in his heart, “The Abbot of the Shaolin Temple, the Head of the DaMo Hall, I know them all. Their level is not as high as his, how come I’ve never heard them mentioning his name?”

The monk again paid his respect. He was so polite and scholarly. “It’s an honor for Little Monk to make acquaintance with Benevolent Mister Yang!” he said, then he bade the youngster, “Quickly pay your respect to Benevolent Mister Yang!”

The youngster complied; he kneeled in front of Yang Guo. Quickly Yang Guo stood him up. In the meantime Xiao Long Nu and Guo Xiang came out; hence Jue Yuan also paid them his respect, which they reciprocated.

Yin Ke Xi and Xiao Xiang Zi were still standing alert, ready to fight, but they were thinking about escaping too. They knew they were no match for these people. Jue Yuan alone had scared them.

Yang Guo said, “About six years ago I was fortunate to receive an invitation from the Shaolin’s Abbot Tian Ming. I visited Mount Shao Shi and made acquaintance with Reverend Wu Xiang from the DaMo Hall and a number of other reverends. I gained a lot of knowledge because of that. Wu Se from the LuoHan Hall befriended me as well. It seemed like Reverend was not in the temple at the time, that I was not fortunate enough to make your acquaintance.”

By that time the name Condor Hero was very well known, yet Jue Yuan seemed oblivious to him. He said, “Oh, looks like Benevolent Sir knew Martial Uncle Tian Ming and both Martial Brothers Wu Xiang and Wu Se and the others. Little Monk abides in the library and has never left the temple even for a single step. My position is very low; I do not dare to meet any honorable guest, including you, Benefactor Sir …”

Yang Guo was amazed, he thought, “It is true that in this wide world there are many experts. Reverend Jue Yuan’s skill is very high, yet he hides himself. It is very possible the people of Shaolin are not aware of his skill; if not, my good friend Wu Se would’ve had mentioned him …”

Meanwhile Huang Yao Shi and the others had arrived; they heard Yang Guo and Jue Yuan’s shouts earlier and believed something must’ve happening on the peak. Yang Guo immediately introduced everybody to Jue Yuan. Strangely, even though Huang Yao Shi, Reverend Yi Deng, Zhou Bo Tong, Guo Jing and Huang Rong were very well known, he didn’t seem to recognize their names. He simply paid his respect and told the youngster to do the same. Huang Yao Shi and the others automatically noticed the reverend’s grandeur from the way he moved and talked and couldn’t help but feel deep respect toward him.

Only after all these formalities did Jue Yuan turn to Yin Ke Xi and Xiao Xiang Zi. He clasped his fists in respect and said, “Little Monk in is charge of the library. I would be responsible and even punished if even a sheet of paper is lost. Therefore, I respectfully request two gentlemen to return the books you borrowed. I will be very grateful to you two.”

Hearing this Yang Guo realized that Yin Ke Xi and Xiao Xiang Zi had stolen books from the Shaolin Monastery’s library. Only he did not know what kind of book would make Jue Yuan pursued the thieves this far. Also, he was amazed that Jue Yuan was very courteous toward the thieves.

“Reverend, you are wrong!” said Yin Ke Xi, laughing. “We are so grateful that you have helped us while we were so unfortunate. How could we repay your kindness by borrowing books from you? We regret that you have made a long journey to find us here. Besides, we are not disciples of Buddhism, why would we borrow some scriptures?”

Yin Ke Xi was a merchant specializing in jewels; he was very eloquent, hence his words were very reasonable. But Yang Guo knew he must have been lying. Both he and Xiao Xiang Zi were criminals. Also, the books they stole must not be any ordinary books; the books must be either a palm technique or swords play manual. Yang Guo thought talking is cheap; it would be best to immobilize them, and then searched their bodies over. But Jue Yuan was very courteous. He turned to Huang Yao Shi and the others and said, “Little Monk is going lay the case in front of you, please adjudicate for us.”

Guo Xiang was straightforward and impatient, she loudly said, “Elder Monk, these two were hiding here and planning to kill people and take over their temple. They intend to hide themselves from you. Why would they be so scared if they were innocent?”

“Mercy, mercy,” Jue Yuan said. “Benefactor Sirs, you two must repent if you indeed were having that thought.”

Huang Yao Shi and the rest were amused. This Monk was very naïve. Why would he talk like that to criminals? On the other hand, Yin Ke Xi was relieved; Jue Yuan obviously did not want to resort to violence, he still had hope of escaping.

Jue Yuan continued, “That day Little Monk was inspecting the books in the library. I heard a commotion on the hill behind the temple; I heard people fighting, some were crying for help; therefore, I went out to see. There I saw these two gentlemen were lying on the ground, being beaten by four Mongolian officers; they were dying. I couldn’t stay silent. I asked those four officers to let them go, and then I took them to my room. Now Benevolent Sirs, did I say anything untrue?”

“No, it was indeed the truth,” answered Yin Ke Xi. “We are very grateful to the Reverend.”

“Hm!” Yang Guo intervened, “With your skill, forty or even four hundreds Mongolian officers would not be able to harm you, let alone only four! You were deceiving Reverend Jue Yuan!”

Jue Yuan ignored Yang Guo and continued, “After a day of recuperation they said that they were bored and wanted to borrow something to read. Little Monk thinks that proselytizing is an honorable thing. These two gentlemen showed interest in the Buddhism; therefore, Little Monk loaned them several books. Only when I was meditating one evening, these two gentlemen have taken away four volumes of the NiJia scripture being read by my disciple Jun Bao. They took the books without permission. That was an improper thing to do. Therefore, Little Monk would respectfully ask Benevolent Sirs to return the books.”

Listening to the monk, Reverend Yi Deng and Zhu Zi Liu were amazed, and then they speculated. Yi Deng was a monk and he had read all kind of books. Zhu Zi Liu was a scholar and because of his association with his master, he was also familiar of different kinds of scriptures. They thought, “These two stole some books from the Shaolin Monastery. I thought they must be some kind of martial arts manual; who knew they only stole the NiJia scripture. That book was brought by Master DaMo to the east. The content was the fundamental teaching of Buddha, which he preached in Sri Lanka. There is no relation with martial arts whatsoever. Why would these two steal them? This book has been around for a while, there is no secret within it. Why would Jue Yuan waste his time chasing these two? I think there is more to it than what meets the eye …”

Jue Yuan continued, “These four volumes of NiJia scripture were brought by Master DaMo from the west. They were written in Sanskrit. I am sure Benevolent Sirs are not able to read them, but for us, they were our treasures.”

Only then did the others understand that Jue Yuan was talking about the original Sutra, the one Bodhidarma wrote in India. No wonder the books were very important.

Yin Ke Xi laughed, he said, “That gave us a stronger reason not to borrow the book. We do not read Sanskrit. Even if we wanted to sell the books, just how much would we gain? Other than devout Buddhists and monks, nobody wants them anyway!”

Everybody was dissatisfied listening to this man’s sharp tongue, they started to get angry. Jue Yuan, on the other hand, was really calm and patient. He continued, “The NiJia scripture has four different Chinese translations, but only three left. The first one was the work of Luo family of the Song Dynasty. It consists of four volumes, we call it the Four NiJia scriptures [si juan leng qie]. The second one was first translated during the Wei Dynasty by a Buddhist saint. It was called [ru leng qie jing – not sure what it means, lit. entering the (wooden) beam scripture] and consisted of ten volumes, hence the name Ten NiJia scriptures [shi juan leng qie]. The third one came from the Tang Dynasty. It was a revision of the [ru leng qie jing]; consisted of seven volumes, hence the name Seven NiJia scriptures [qi juan leng qie]. This is the most clear and easiest to understand. Little Monk had brought a copy of Seven NiJia scriptures. I am so pleased you are interested in the teaching of Buddha. I will gladly present these books to you. If you desire the other copies, I will get them for you too.”

Jue Yuan groped his pocket and handed out a copy of the Seven NiJia scriptures. He gave them to his disciple, who in turn presented them to Yin Ke Xi and Xiao Xiang Zi.

“Jue Yuan is so naïve, yet so exceptional. No wonder these two scoundrels were able to steal the books under his care,” Yang Guo thought.

Suddenly the youngster opened his mouth, “Shifu, these two criminals did not have good intention, they only want the treasured book! I don’t believe they have any interest in our religion.”

Everybody was surprised hearing this youngster’s voice. He was only a boy, yet his voice was loud and clear like a bell. They looked at him and saw his extraordinary features. He had a narrow forehead, slim neck, broad chest, round eyes, and big ears. His skin ruddy. He looked about twelve or thirteen years of age, but acted like an adult.

“Little Brother, what is your great surname and given name?” asked Yang Guo.

“The Little Monk’s disciple surnamed Zhang, given name Jun Bao,” Jue Yuan answered on his disciple’s behalf. “He had helped me in the library since he was really young, sweeping the floor and watering the plants. He calls me Master, but he has not shaved his head, since he is a layman disciple.”

Yang Guo was impressed, he praised, “Excellent Master will produce excellent disciple. Reverend’s disciple is an extraordinary one.”

“It’s not ‘excellent master’, it’s just that this boy have a flawless talent,” said Jue Yuan humbly. “It’s a pity Little Monk did not know anything. I am afraid I will not do him any good. Jun Bao, you are very fortunate to meet such experts today. You have to ask for advice. Remember the saying that goes like ‘listening to a master’s word is more precious than reading books for ten years’.”

“That’s right,” answered Jun Bao, while he thought in his heart, “Right now the most important thing is getting the books back. I can ask advice later …” He kept his thought to himself, and did not say anything.

Zhou Bo Tong could not contain himself any longer listening to Jue Yuan’s gentle words.

“Hey Yin Ke Xi and Xiao Xiang Zi!” he said, scolding those two. “You can deceive Elder Monk, but you cannot deceive me, the Old Urchin! Do you know who the Five Experts of today?”

“I do not know,” answered Yin Ke Xi. “Please enlighten me.”

“Good!” said Bo Tong proudly. “Stand straight and listen! They are the Eastern Heretic, Western Passion, Southern Monk, Northern Hero and Central Urchin! The first and foremost is the Central Urchin! Those books I say, you stole them, and therefore, you are the thieves! If you were not the thieves, those books must be in your possession somehow! You have to present those books to this Reverend! If you lingered, watch out, I am going to cut one of your ears!”

Having said that, the Old Urchin moved forward, his arms opened wide. He wanted to carry out his threat.

Xiao Xiang Zi and Yin Ke Xi creased their brows. They knew Old Urchin’s skill, they also knew he would do what he said he would. While they are contemplating what to do, Jue Yuan opened his mouth again, “Benevolent Master Zhou, you are wrong! There are rules in everything. On the matter of NiJia scriptures, if they said they borrowed them, then they borrowed them. If not, then they didn’t borrow them. But if they did borrow and did not admit it, then we can say they broke the rules.”

Bo Tong heartily laughed. “You see?” he said, “Elder Monk is remarkable! I helped him to get his books back, yet he helped them speak! What kind of rule is that? Elder Monk, I want to say something! I want to make sure they steal the book. If they didn’t, I’ll take them back to Mount Shao Shi for them to steal the books. Either they did or did not steal, they are the thieves!”

Bo Tong spoke unreasonably, but Jue Yuan nodded his head. “Benevolent Master Zhou, now you are talking!” he said. “Only let us not use the word ‘steal’, let’s just say that they ‘took without permission’. These two gentlemen had the desire to borrow; yet they did not have any permission. They have taken the book without permission.”

Listening to this discussion, everybody smiled in amusement. They talked without logic. Yang Guo could not contain his anger. He stood up in front of Zhou BoTong, facing Yin Ke Xi and Xiao Xiang Zi. “You have assisted the tyrant commit atrocities!” he said, “You have betrayed our country by being allies to the Mongolians! You deserve death for this crime! We have Reverend Yi Deng and Reverend Jue Yuan here. These two Reverends wouldn’t let me beat you to death. Therefore, I am going to give you two choices. First, you return the books you stole and never set foot on the central plains. Second, each of you will receive one blow from me. Whether you’ll live or you’ll die, let your fate decides!”

The two looked at each other. They did not dare to give an answer. They knew the fierceness of this man surnamed Yang. They realized they would not be able to take even one of his blows. Yin Ke Xi thought, “Only this one day! If I can survive this day, I can train myself and have revenge later on … Looks to me that among this bunch the monk is the easiest one to talk to. I’d better try him.” He said, “Great Hero Yang [Yang Da Xia], let’s sort out the business between you and I later. In term of martial arts skill, you are way superior than I am, I do not dare to offend you. But about the books, let us talk to Reverend Jue Yuan. You don’t have any business in it, do you, Yang Da Xia?”

Before Yang Guo could answer, Jue Yuan had already nodded his head repeatedly. “That’s true!” he said, “This Benevolent Sir had spoken reasonably.”

Yang Guo could only shook his head. He grinned and turned to Zhang Jun Bao. He saw the youngster’s eyes were shining; looked like he wanted to attack. Therefore, Yang Guo winked at him, encouraging him to go. Yang Guo then positioned himself behind the boy.

Zhang Jun Bao understood his signal; he moved toward Yin Ke Xi and harshly said, “Benevolent Mister Yin, I was reading the book that day. You sneaked up on me, sealed my accupoint and disabled me; then you stole the four-volume NiJia scripture. Is that true?”

Yin Ke Xi shook his head. “If I wanted to borrow the book, I would ask you,” he denied, “I believed Little Master would not deny me. Why would I seal your accupoint?”

Jue Yuan nodded. “Yes, yes, that’s true,” he said.

“Both of you said you did not borrow the book, do you mind if I search your body?” Jun Bao asked.

“Body search is not proper,” said Jue Yuan, “But this business is complicated. Benevolent Sirs, do you have a better idea on how you can remove away my suspicion?”

Yin Ke Xi was about to deny further when Yang Guo suddenly said, “Reverend Jue Yuan, I believe these two would not have any interest in the teachings of Buddha! Reverend, is there anything special in those books?”

Jue Yuan was silent for a while, he was thinking hard. But then he answered with a deep voice, “As a monk I cannot tell lies. Since Benevolent Master Yang had asked, Little Monk has to give you the truth. Inside the NiJia scripture there is another book written by Master DaMo himself. That book is the Nine Yang Manual [Jiu Yang Zhen Jing].”

Everybody was stunned. In the past, the Nine Yin Manual [Jiu Yin Zhen Jing] had caused people to fight to death; blood had been shed. It was at the Mount Hua’s Sword Meet that Wang Zhong Yang won the right to that book. But Wang Zhong Yang was a man of honor; he was not greedy. He won the book not to take advantage of its content. On the contrary, he did not even read the book. He divided it into two parts. He wanted to avoid further bloodshed due to people fighting over it. But still, the book had created more disasters. For instance, Huang Yao Shi had expelled his disciples, Zhou Bo Tong was kept captive on the Peach Blossom Island, Ouyang Feng turned crazy, and (indirectly) Emperor Duan had become a monk.

Actually, beside the Nine Yin Manual Master DaMo had written another book, which was the Nine Yang Manual. This book had the same value as the Nine Yin Manual; as a matter of fact, these two books complement each other. Only the name of Nine Yang Manual was not as widely known as the Nine Yin Manual. It was the first time that everybody heard this book was mentioned. No wonder Huang Yao Shi and the other was astonished and amazed.

Jue Yuan ignored these astonished people and continued his explanation, “Little Monk is in charge of the library. It is my duty to inspect every single book of the library’s collection. The Nine Yang Manual is different from any other book. It contains a lesson to make our body healthy and strong, like [replacing muscles cleaning the marrow]. I have mastered the lesson for many-many years, and true enough, I have never been sick. I have taught Jun Bao the rudimentary lesson from the Nine Yang Manual for the last several years. Even though it was Master [DaMo]’s original work, but it was not as valuable as the NinJia Scriptures, which contains great teachings. Benevolent Sirs do not read Sanskrit, the book is useless for you. You’d better return it to me.”

Yang Guo was puzzled. He didn’t understand what the Monk was saying. “A lesson in health? This is very peculiar. The Monk is also very remarkable. If I didn’t know better, I would say the Monk is just acting. I wonder why Reverend Wu Xiang and Wu Se – who literally live together with this Monk for decades, are not aware there is an expert this caliber in their midst.” Reverend Yi Deng on the other hand, recognized that Jue Yuan had reached perfection, that was the reason he could act so naïve.

Yin Ke Xi patted his body. “I don’t have anything on me, how could I keep the book?” he said loudly. “I don’t either!” Xiao XiangZi said, shaking his clothes.

“Let me see!” suddenly Jun Bao shouted. His body flew toward Yin Ke Xi. He grabbed his chest.

Yin Ke Xi turned his left arm around, eluding the attack. His right arm pushed Jun Bao’s shoulder. It looked like his movement was light, but it resulted in Jun Bao’s body collapsed to the ground.

“Aha! That was incorrect, Jun Bao!” cried Jue Yuan, “You have to be patient. Your strength concentrated like a mountain. You will see whether he can push you down or not …”

Zhang Jun Bao leaped up. “That’s right, Shifu!” he said. Then he leaped toward Yin Ke Xi again.

Everybody else had lost their patience, but they were delighted hearing Jue Yuan’s advice. They thought, “This gentle monk could encourage his disciple to fight after all …”

Yin Ke Xi repeated his former moves; he eluded the attack and then pushed down. But this time JunBao’s was only staggered, not collapsed to the ground like before. Yin Ke Xi was astonished, he was scared of Zhou Bo Tong, Guo Jing and Yang Guo and their peers, who would have thought that he was not even able to overcome the boy? He was anxious and pushed harder.

Zhang Jun Bao held his ground. But Yin Ke Xi’s force abruptly disappeared. Therefore, he fell down, face to the ground. Yin Ke Xi quickly stood up and laughed, “Little Master, you shouldn’t have kneeled to me.” Of course he was mocking.

Jun Bao’s face flushed. He came to his master and said, “I failed, Shifu.”

Jue Yuan scratched his head. “He purposely made an emptiness,” he said. “He uses nothingness to defeat something. When you are exerting your energy, you must use it freely, don’t mind your opponent’s force’s direction. You see that mountain peak over there?” He pointed to a mountain peak toward the west. “It stood strong from thousands of years ago until today. Storms came from the west, rains from the east, it didn’t budge, but it did not purposely challenge the force of the nature either.”

Jun Bao was smart, he understood easily. He nodded. “Very well Shifu. I understand,” he said. “Let me try again.” Having said that he slowly walked toward Yin Ke Xi.

Yang Guo kept his gaze on the youngster. He saw him leaped, and now he was walking slowly. Yang Guo knew it must be the principle taken from the Nine Yang Manual. So the book did not only teach how to keep one’s body healthy, but also how to defeat an opponent.

When he was about four feet away from Yin Ke Xi, JunBao stretched his arms to hold Yin’s hand. Yin Ke Xi laughed. He put forth his left arm as bait, and his right hand punched the boy’s chest. He had no intention to hurt him, so his punch was not frontal; it was slanted toward the boy’s side. He only wanted the boy to experience a little bit of pain and learned his lesson.

Zhang Jun Bao did not elude the attack. In a flash his chest was hit. “Shifu, I can hold it!” he said.

Yin Ke Xi was shocked. His fist hit its target, yet he felt the boy’s body imparted an opposing force, which made his punch bounced back. Fortunately he was skilled. He quickly neutralized the force. His left hand moved toward the boy’s shoulder. He wanted to grab and lift, to throw the boy away. When he lifted, the boy did not budge. He was shocked and amazed, and finally anxious. Several times he changed his tactics, JunBao only swayed back and forth, left and right, but he could not make him fall down. He kept throwing punches, and out of embarrassment said, “Little Master, I am not fighting with you! A valiant man would use diplomacy, not brute force. You go away, let us talk as decent people do.”

Each one of Yin Ke Xi punches was stronger than the previous one, but Jun Bao did not budge. His body kept imparting opposing forces. The harder he was hit, the stronger the opposing force was. After a while JunBao cried, “Ah, Shifu, he hit me hard! I feel pain! Shifu, help me!” Yin Ke Xi said, “I won’t hit you if you don’t hit me first. Elder Master, if you want to hit me, do so. If you show mercy to me, I won’t dare to retaliate.”

Jue Yuan shook his head. “What Benevolent Master Yin said was true!” he said, “You don’t need to use brute force … No, I can’t help you. You have to overcome your own problem. You have to know which one is empty which one is not. Everything is either empty or full. Remember what I said, your body must be like a drum, with nothing inside. Don’t put too much, don’t put too little, and don’t let it break.”

Jun Bao understood. He had been with Jue Yuan since he was only six or seven years old, and his master had bestowed the Nine Yang Manual to him. He readied himself. Now he only felt a little bit of pain, not as severe as it was.

Acutually, a man of his skill Yin Ke Xi could hurt the boy severely. But there were Yang Guo, Xiao Long Nu, Zhou BoTong, Guo Jing and the others stood nearby. He was scared of them, thus he did not dare to kill or harm the boy. He could not hit the boy down, but the boy could not touch him either. So the two of them kept fighting.

Yang Guo and the others were amused. Xiao Xiang Zi creased his brows, he was perplexed and anxious. Guo Xiang also had lost her patience. “Little Brother, hit him!” she urged, “Why do you let him beat you without you retaliate?”

“No! Don’t!” Jue Yuan cried, “Don’t be anxious, don’t be angry! Don’t hit, don’t curse!”

“You hit him!” Guo Xiang encouraged, “If you can’t, I’ll help you!”

“Thank you, Miss!” said JunBao. He hit Yin Ke Xi’s chest.

“What a sin! What a sin!” cried Jue Yuan shaking his head. “Your mind is no longer clear like a bright mirror stopping the water flow …”

JunBao fought as one who had never learned martial arts before, he just threw punches randomly; how could he injure the opponent? Yin Ke Xi heartily laughed, but actually he was distressed. He had been well known in the Jiang Hu world for dozens of years, nobody had the audacity to mock him. Who would have thought that he had to suffer humiliation by fighting with a young boy? The worse part was: he was not able to do anything … Even if JunBao’s punches were not hard, he eventually felt the pain.

(This part from the first edition, perhaps Jin Yong thought it didn't make a lot of sense, so he took it away:
Jun Bao complied, he hit again. But Yin Ke Xi thrust a fist and hit his [guo di] accupoint. His arm fell down, losing strength. But suddenly Yin Ke Xi’s face was squarely hit!

Everybody was puzzled. They clearly saw that the boy’s accupoint was sealed. Where did the punch come from? Yin Ke Xi himself was startled. They speculated that the boy knew some kind of sealing one’s blood flow that his accupoints could not be sealed.

That speculation was incorrect. JunBao had mastered the elementary level of the Nine Yang Manual. His accupoint was sealed, but not for long. He managed to restore his energy.

In his confusion Yin Ke Xi repeatedly sealed [feng shin], [jing zhen] and [fan diao], that Jun Bao was screaming from pain, but he was still able to move his limbs.

Huang Yao Shi and the others were impressed. They quietly discussed the boy’s amazing skill. It was easy for them to help, but they were curious at this master and disciple. Guo Fu, Guo Xiang, Cheng Ying and Lu WuShuang were ready to step in, but Huang Rong held them back. They were amazed Yin Ke Xi’s sealing accupoint technique was rendered worthless by the boy.

“Big Wu, Little Wu, did you see?” asked Zhou Bo Tong to the Wu Brothers. “The two of you think your skill is excellent, but let me ask you this: if your four accupoints were sealed like that, would you or would you not fall down?”

“I can’t,” answered Dun Ru. “We have never learned how to seal our blood flow.”

“Elder Zhou, we have never boasted our own skills,” said Xio Wen. “If Elder is willing to teach us, we will certainly can defend ourselves. If you have spare time, would you teach us?”

Bo Tong laughed heartily. “Smart Little Wu,” he said. “Actually, the basic of defending against sealed accupoint is holding one’s breath. Western Poison was the expert. He is dead, who could match him?”

“That Old Poison was really good,” Huang Rong said. “Back in the west Brother Jing and I had buried him in the sand, sunk him in the water, he survived. Guo Er had received his tutelage, but I don’t think he learned more than 20% of his skills. It’s a pity those skills are gone forever …”

Guo Jing shook his head. “Martial arts skill has no limit,” he said. “Just remember what Xiang Er told us. She sealed Jin Lun Fa Wang’s accupoints, but in the end she freed him from others sealed accupoints. That skill was also lost forever at Xiang Yang when he was burned to death.”)

Yin Ke Xi was anxious. His attacks were in vain. He wanted to kill the boy, but he was scared of the others. He kept throwing punches, but the boy stood his ground. He was screaming of pain that Jue Yuan repeatedly implored, “Benevolent Master Yin, please don’t kill my disciple; he is a very smart boy. He is bothering you because of the lost books. The treasured scriptures of our Sect. If the Abbot finds out, we will be severely punished. Little Monk implores you …” While to Jun Bao he said, “Jun Bao, remember you lesson. Use your brain, not your brawn. Follow opponent’s movement, be flexible. Put your mind where he hits you …”

“That’s right!” Jun Bao loudly answered. Afterward, he did not scream anymore. Where Yin Ke Xi’s attack was, his mind was there. No more pain. Again Yin Ke Xi was puzzled. “Watch out, I will hit your head!” he threatened.

Jun Bao lifted his hand in anticipation, but he was tricked. Yin Ke Xi did not hit his head, but kicked with left leg that the boy rolled around to the ground. He kept rolling and came near Yang Guo.

“Benevolent Master Yin, why did you lie?” Jue Yuan rebuked. “You said you were going to hit his head, you told him to watch out, but you kicked instead. You used trickery to deceive others.”

Huang Yao Shi and the others were very amused. In battle, emptiness is full, fullness is empty. One must use any trick that is unpredictable to the opponent.

Jun Bao was displeased. He rubbed the kicked part of his body and said, “I won’t stop until I search you!” He strode toward Yin Ke Xi.

Yang Guo stretched his arm to hold the boy. “Little Brother, wait a moment!” he said. Jun Bao was startled; he turned his head. He felt numbness from Yang Guo’s grip.

Yang Guo whispered, “All you did was let him hit you without hitting him back. You can’t do that. Let me teach you a move. And then you hit him and see what happen.” He then flicked his empty right sleeve in front to JunBao’s face while thrusting his left hand to the youngster’s chest. About half a foot away he suddenly changed direction to the boy’s waist. He whispered again, “Your Master was right, he said ‘put your mind where the opponent hits’. It is the same thing with your punch. Put your mind where your punch goes. As your Master said, use your brain, not your brawn.”

Jun Bao was delighted; he followed Yang Guo’s direction. He moved toward Yin Ke Xi, lifted his right arm toward Yin Ke Xi’s face while thrusting his left hand toward Yin’s chest. Yin Ke Xi lifted his hand to parry. Jun Bao could see the opponent’s movement; he suddenly moved his hand toward Yin’s ribs.

Yin Ke Xi had experienced the youngster’s punch before; it was not too hard. He also saw Yang Guo was giving the boy some pointers. He did not pay too much attention since he thought what harm could come from the kid’s hundred or two hundreds punches anyway? But he was wrong. When the punch hit his ribs he felt an excruciating pain that his body shrunk. He almost screamed. Of course he was surprised, but also livid. He saw Jun Bao was going to repeat his attack. He waved his right hand toward Yin’s face and thrust his left hand toward Yin’s chest. Yin Ke Xi was already familiar with this move. He parried the thrust. Jun Bao was thrown toward a rock that his forehead was bleeding.

The youngster did not utter any word. He quickly wiped his blood and walked toward Yang Guo. Kneeling in front of Yang Guo he said, “Benevolent Mister Yang, please teach me another one.”

Yang Guo nodded. He knew Yin Ke Xi was paying attention now, so he whispered, “This time I teach you three moves. In the first your left and right hands are interchangeable. It will look like you use your left, but in actuality it will be your right. When you thrust your right, actually it will be your left.”

Jun Bao nodded. Yang Guo taught him the stance [tui xin zhi fu – repelling the heart pressing the stomach]. The boy memorized it well.

“And now the second move,” Yang Guo continued. “This time left is left and right is right.” He taught him the stance [si tong ba da – to extend in all directions, li. four pass through, eight reached]. Jun Bao went through it in his head twice, and he would remember it forever.

“The third move is [lu si shui shou – who killed the deer]. It involves front and rear exchange, it is more complex than the others, you can’t make mistake. You don’t understand accupoints sealing technique, that’s fine. I will mark his back. If you press that, you will be able to control him.” While talking Yang Guo also moved his finger to give an example, he said, “Remember, this move relies on footwork. Get it?”

“Yes,” Jun Bao nodded and walked toward Yin Ke Xi.

Yin Ke Xi had watched Yang Guo carefully; he said in his heart, “These three stances are good. They are difficult to counter if they came from Yang Guo himself, but he taught that kid in front of my eyes. Did he think Yin Ke Xi is as stupid as an ox or a wooden horse? Ah Yang Guo, you underestimate me too much!”

Because he was filled with anger, Yin Ke Xi did not think straight. As soon as Jun Bao came in front of him, he immediately attacked the boy’s shoulder. His punch was right on target.

Jun Bao remembered Yang Guo’s instructions, he let the attack went, he didn’t even dodge it, he only gritted his teeth. Yin Ke Xi hit using five parts of his strength, his objective was to frighten the kid. Jun Bao screamed in pain, his shoulder made a popping sound; but he ignored it and attack with the first move.

Yin Ke Xi had watched Yang Guo’s instructions; he had thought of ways to fend off the attack, but he did not hear Yang Guo’s words. He thought he would punch the kid to the ground as he did before.

But Jun Bao’s attack was beyond his expectation: he parried the boy’s right hand punch with his left, but the attack was a fake one; while his right hand also grabbed in vain. Suddenly his stomach was hit real hard that he sweated profusely.

“Brother Yang, that was a well executed [repelling the heart pressing the stomach]!” Zhou Bo Tong praised while laughing heartily.

Yin Ke Xi was stunned, but Jun Bao had already attack him with the second stance, [to extend in all directions], which could be interpreted that the punch would come from all directions. He still felt pain when the boy flashed in front of his eyes. He thought this attack would be similar to the previous one; from left to right and vice versa; therefore, he counterattacked by moving to the left; half defense, half counterattack. But again he was tricked.

Jun Bao was able to execute his stance well. Both his hands hit Yin’s shoulder, chest and back. He moved nimbly, his hands fast; it was a pity his inner strength was still weak. Yin Ke Xi did not feel excessive pain, but he was frantically fending off the punches and dodging here and there.

Jue Yuan watched his predicament and shouted, “Benevolent Mister Yin, you are wrong! You must remember that there is no definite meaning of front and rear, left and right. Who lags behind will actually gain the initiative; and who initiate the attack will be under the opponent’s power.”

Yang Guo was impressed. “This Monk is right,” he thought. “He happens to know very well the essence of martial arts. His words were very valuable. I originally thought he only let his disciple fight; but he also gives valuable instructions. Yin Ke Xi had achieved a high level of martial arts, but I doubt he would grasp this lesson even if he were given five more years to ponder it.”

He was right, Yin Ke Xi did not realize the meaning behind Jue Yuan’s words. He thought the monk was just mocking him to disturb his concentration.

“Hey donkey head [derogatory name for monk], don’t talk rubbish!” he snapped. “Oh, ouch … ouch!”

He screamed in pain because his left thigh had been kicked by Zhang Jun Bao. He was enraged and lifted both his hands he intended to attack at the top of his strength. He ignired Jun Bao’s attack all he wanted was venting his anger.

Jun Bao was nervous to see his fierce countenance; his hair and whisker stood up. Jun Bao cried and was about to leap back when he heard his master say, “Jun Bao, our strength against his! Quick, quick! Take rigidity from flexibility. Borrowing strength with [si liang bo qian jin – four taels against a thousand jins]!”

Jue Yuan was teaching the essence of Jiu Yang Zhen Jing; too bad it was too late. No matter how smart JunBao was, he could not grasp it in a short moment. Because of his anxiety, Jun Bao could not breathe. He saw Yin Ke Xi was really angry and was going to kill him.

At that critical moment he heard a swishing noise of a small stone flying toward Yin Ke Xi. The stone was really small, yet it made Yin Ke Xi clenched his teeth and moved a step backward. It was Yang Guo who helped JunBao. He had picked a couple of flowers, squeezed them in his hand and made a small flower ball. He then flicked the small stone with [Divine Flicking Finger] and immediately flicked the flower ball right after that.

Yin Ke Xi was trying to avoid the stone by moving backward, but the flower ball which came later hit his [da zhui xue] accupoint on his back accurately. The ball did not hit hard, but it left a flower juice mark on his clothes.

Jun Bao was saved from danger. He leaped to the west, but did not run away. On the contrary, he continued his attack with Yang Guo’s [who killed the deer].

Yin Ke Xi hesitated. He had experienced several punches from this youngster, “On the first move the left and right were interchangeable, the second move were straight, I wonder what the third move will be?” Yang Guo was ingenious, he developed that move based on the old saying, ‘qin shi qi lu, tian xia gong zhu zhi’ [lit. Qin (Dynasty) lost its deer, everybody were chasing after it]; how could Yin anticipate the move?

No matter how hard he tried, Jun Bao had moved fast, flashing to the left and right, and in no time he was behind Yin’s back. At that time the moon had already high in the sky. Jun Bao could see the thumb-size flower mark. Without wasting any time he hit the mark. He thought, “Benevolent Mister Yang is so good, without I am able to see it, he had given me the promised mark …”

Yin Ke Xi did not move quick enough, before realizing it his back had been hit by Jun Bao’s finger. This [da zhui xue] is the meeting point of three arteries. He felt a sudden numbness and without realizing it he collapsed to the ground.

Except for Xiao Xiang Zi, everybody cheered! They praised, “A very nice [who killed the deer].”

“Excuse me!” JunBao said and searched his fallen opponent’s body. Unfortunately he did not find the sutra book he was looking for. He turned his eyes to Xiao Xiang Zi.

Xiao Xiang Zi was not stupid. He understood the boy’s intention. His skill level was almost the same as Yin Ke Xi’s. Therefore, if Yin Ke Xi was fallen, he would not gain victory either. Without waiting he brushed his long robe and said, “I don’t have the books you are looking for. Farewell!” He paid no attention to Yin Ke Xi and immediately leaped southward to escape.

Unexpectedly Jue Yuan flicked his sleeve, his body flew blocking Xiao Xiang Zi’s way. Xiao Xiang Zi was fast, JueYuan was even faster. Without further ado Xiao Xiang Zi attacked the monk’s chest. He exerted his whole energy toward his both hands.

“Watch out!” Yang Guo, Zhou BoTong, Reverend Yi Deng and Guo Jing cried simultaneously. They knew the fierceness of this blow. While they were still shouting, a loud crash was heard. The monk’s chest was squarely hit by the ‘book thief’. They groaned inwardly, “Darn it!”

Even though his attack hit the monk’s chest, Xiao Xiang Zi was the one suffered from this blow. He was thrown away like a kite without the string; his body flew several meters and fell to the ground, unconscious.

Jue Yuan did not have any martial arts, but he has mastered the Nine Yang Manual. His body could be controlled at will. He did not dodge Xiao Xiang Zi’s attack, but his body reacted to external force naturally. A soft blow would produce a softer reaction, and a hard blow would produce an even harder reaction. Xiao Xiang Zi’s blow was very forceful; therefore, the reaction force was also enormous. Xiao’s strength bounced back and injured himself severely.

The spectators were pleasantly surprised; they secretly praised this monk’s profound internal energy. But Jue Yuan was dumbfounded, he softly murmured, “Amitaba Buddha, Amitaba Buddha.” Zhang Jun Bao immediately leaped and searched his body. As with Yin Ke Xi, he did not find any books. He stood still in bewilderment.

“I overheard their conversation. I am sure they stole the books,” Yang Guo said, “I wonder where they keep it.”

“Let us torture and force their confession,” Wu Xiu Wen proposed.

“Please, please …” Jue Yuan said, “don’t …”

“I believe they won’t confess even if we chop one of their arms or legs,” Huang Rong quipped. She knew very well these two’s characters.

While everybody was at loss of what to do next, they heard a monkey’s cry from the western peak. They turned their head and saw the Divine Condor was chasing a dark green ape. The ape was big, but it was no match of the Condor. The ape frantically ran and shrieked incessantly.

“Brother Condor, have mercy on the monkey, let him go,” Guo Xiang ran toward the Condor.

The Condor understood, it stopped and stood still.

Yin Ke Xi woke up and stood. He helped Xiao Xiang Zi to stand; then beckoned to the ape. The ape rushed to his side; looked like it was tamed by them. They leaned against the ape and limping walked away down the mountain. Yang Guo and the others felt pity and let them go.

Guo Xiang saw Jun Bao’s forehead was still bleeding; she took her handkerchief out and dressed the wound. Jun Bao was very grateful; he was about to open his mouth to express his gratitude when he saw tears welled up on Guo Xiang’s eyes. He did not know why the miss was heartbroken.

(Partially Translated by IcyBlade) At that moment he heard Yang Guo’s clear voice, “We are having a great time gathering in this beautiful evening. We shall chat over a cup of wine when we meet again. Let’s part here.” He waved his sleeve, held Xiao Long Nu’s hand and walked down the mountain together with the Divine Condor.

The moon was bright like it was day, the cool breeze stirred the leaves, the night birds chirped cheerfully but Guo Xiang could not hold back her tears and the tear drops fell to the ground.

So it said:

“The autumn wind is clear and bright, the fallen leaves clump together, the birds go south for the winter. When can they meet again; the time is hard to decide.”

The End.

The story of Guo Xiang, Zhang JunBao, JueYuan, and the Nine Yang Manual can be found in the Yi Tian Tu Long Ji [Heaven Sword and Dragon Slaying Saber].

End of Chapter 40

[Demonic Swordsman]

nice...great translation

so is the 9 yang better than 9 yin?

[fox-s]

That's for you to find out in HSDS ...

BTW, about the post I made earlier, with ideas from Huang Yushi, I'd like to add a note:

Would whoever is interested to pm Huang Yushi or Candide personally so as not to clutter this thread, please?

Candide, send me an e-mail, I will send it to you. I don't want to publish it in this thread.

[IcyFox]

I already replied to Huang Yushi about this. I'll be doing something related to Idea 2 and 3 and I'll also do Idea 4. Anyone wants to work with me on this? PM me or e-mail me pls.

[IcyFox]

RETURN OF THE CONDOR HEROES


UPDATED CONTENTS PAGE


Chapters 1 - 30
http://wuxiapedia.com/novels/jin_yon...gallant_knight

Note : Chapter 25 is HERE.


Chapter 31
http://www.spcnet.tv/forums/showpost...&postcount=555

Chapter 32
http://www.spcnet.tv/forums/showpost...&postcount=622

Chapter 33
http://www.spcnet.tv/forums/showpost...4&postcount=49

Chapter 34
Coming Soon...

Chapter 35
http://www.spcnet.tv/forums/showpost...8&postcount=97

Chapter 36
http://www.spcnet.tv/forums/showpost...&postcount=182

Chapter 37
http://www.spcnet.tv/forums/showpost...&postcount=197

Chapter 38
http://www.spcnet.tv/forums/showpost...&postcount=391

Chapter 39
http://www.spcnet.tv/forums/showpost...&postcount=428

Chapter 40
http://www.spcnet.tv/forums/showpost...&postcount=432

Chapter 40 (Extended Version)
http://www.spcnet.tv/forums/showpost...&postcount=630


HAVE FUN READING!

[Tazzy1972]

looking forward to chapter 34 being finished and posted here

[JamesG]

Me too!

[Bangs]

Congrats to fox-s on the birth of his new son.

Congrats Mr.Foxy-s! Did you name him yet?

[Tazzy1972]

fox junior

[eliza bennet]

Congratulations Fox-s!!! Baby's lucky to have an intelligent and kind hearted dad

[fox-s]

Thanks again folks. No, not foxs junior ... although that might be interesting. His name is Adrian Henry. Thanks Eliza, you are always encouraging.

I work with JYF on Chapter 34. Hopefully we will have something soon. I have finished the second half of the chapter, but as I said before, she is busy with school work. So just be patient.

Oh, almost forget, I think you will be happy to know that William and I are teaming up with xfiberfloss and sunnysnow to work on LoCH. We just started, so it will be a while, but rest assured that LoCH is not forgotten.