To the South
“I will go with the Southern Maniac, master.” You speak your words calmly and loudly, despite the confusing mix of emotions in your heart. You feel that it is a disservice to leave before you have repaid your master and Cao’er for all they have done for you, but you would never be able to live it down if they risked their lives for your own folly.
Yao turns, looking at you and through you with his wrinkled eyes. Then, he nods. “You have made up your mind.” It is a statement, not a question. He understands why you have come to this decision. Your master returns to his seat. “If you are serious about this, I cannot stop you. I do not think this is the wisest choice to make, but it may well be the kindest.”
You walk over to the table. The teapot is still warm – picking it up, you refill Master Yao’s cup. “Please accept this last gesture from your disloyal disciple.” With the briefest hint of hesitation in his aged hands, he takes the cup from you and drinks it with a firm nod. Then, he draws out a pale brown pill from his medicine box and tosses it to you. Catching it, you swallow the medicine. The mark on your wrist begins to fade almost instantly. You are now free from the Killer Physician.
You turn to Cao’er, forcing yourself to smile. She looks confused and shocked. Her mouth opens and closes like a fish gulping water, as she can find no words to say to you. Grabbing your sleeve, she casts her red, watery eyes downwards and begins glaring at the floor in silence. “Cao’er-“
With a sigh, Master Yao’s fingers stab into the side of Cao’er’s neck. Her eyes roll back up in her head as she slumps into his arms. “I will have some words with her. She will be in a stubborn mood for a while, but it’ll pass. Go with your new master before he gets bored.”
Zhang stands up, his bulky body straightening out with a surprising grace. “That would be a wise option, master physician. Perhaps we may call upon you some day, when he is nostalgic for his old friends.” The Southern Maniac walks out of the room without looking back. It is clear that he expects you to follow. You see no point in dragging out the farewell any further. With a quick bow to your old master, you hurry after the new one.
***
Zhang Jue leads you out of the city and towards the river. At the bank you see a crude raft lashed to a rock. He stops and turns around. “Sisters of Emei. Why do you persist in following us?”
The six nuns stand a safe distance away, having tailed you from the inn in Xuzhou. “I am afraid we must ask for that sword to be given back to us,” says one of the nuns.
“I’m afraid that question has to be posed to my new master,” you say, smiling. “By the way, I am curious; how did you know I had it?”
“We have been investigating its whereabouts for a long time,” says a nun. “It was only recently that we found out that the great grandfather of Rong Muben was responsible for its theft. We visited Songfeng Sword School recently, and Master Rong pointed to you, saying that you slew his son and took the sword. You haven’t exactly been conspicuous in Xuzhou; you were easy to find.”
“Actually, both the young and old Rongs gave it to me, but that’s besides the point. So, master,” you say acidly, “is it alright for me to return the sword now? Or does the Great Southern Maniac care so much for a fish knife?” Now that Master Yao and Cao’er won’t get involved, you see no reason to hold back your tongue.
“That is an interesting tone you’re taking with me, my apprentice,” smiles Zhang Jue. “Do you think I will not kill you for being rude?”
“I think that you will not kill me over mere words. Judge a man by what he does, not what he says.”
“A lofty standard. Would that all men held such views. Unfortunately, words are in themselves deeds. They are spoken, and speaking is amongst many actions a man can do,” laughs Zhang, challenging you to rebut him.
“I hate to interrupt,” says the nun with slight trepidation and annoyance, “but can we have the sword back?”
“Xu Jing,” says the Southern Maniac with a bored look on his face, “draw the Yuchang Sword and fight the Emei nuns with it.” You bite back the urge to let out a cry of “What?”, instead settling for, “Yes, master.”
The nun frowns. “That would be… inadvisable,” she mutters. “We do not seek bloodshed here.”
“Neither do I,” says Zhang. “Defeat the boy and the sword is yours. I am sure you can accomplish that without killing him. As for my apprentice… well, be careful with where you point that blade.” He winks. “I will try not to wound anyone with a sharp sword,” you say sarcastically as you draw the Yuchang Sword from its sheath.
“That is right. If you wound any of the nuns, I will inflict that wound upon you in return.” You are not sure if the Southern Maniac is serious, but you have to assume that he is. The rest of the nuns begin stepping back, leaving their leader at the fore. As she assumes her stance, Zhang frowns.
“A duel? I want all of you to attack my apprentice at once.”
“Master Zhang,” says the nun testily, “Emei does not gang up on a child. I alone will be enough.”
“If you do not attack him together, I will join the fight. This is a good chance to gain the sword you so desire. Besides, he is my apprentice. Do not underestimate him.”
“I may be your apprentice, master, but I have yet to learn any skills from you,” you say. “I do not think I will be able to handle all of them at once.”
“We’ll see about that,” says Zhang confidently. “Lose and I will kill you.”
The nuns retreat away to confer. When they come back, they seem to have made up their minds to secure the sword today. “We will make this quick, Xu Jing.” They spread out, getting into formation.
“The Guihe Formation (閨鶴陣 ,Maiden Crane Formation), eh?” muses Zhang. The nuns begin to surround you, as if enclosing you in the wings of a crane. As the first nun leaps to the attack, Zhang calls out, “Two steps backwards.” Confused at his words, you dodge the nun’s palm strike by jumping to the left, only to run right into the clutches of two others. Redirecting your motion, they spin you about and toss you to the ground. You rapidly scramble to your feet, sword at the ready. “One step to your right, then three steps forwards,” calls out Zhang again. You decide to follow his instructions. You take one step to the right. A horsetail whip narrowly misses you as you do so – surprised, you decide to press the advantage and grab the whip. Before you can do so, a nun strikes at your spine from behind, sending you sprawling to the floor again.
“Roll to the left before getting up, leap to the right, then take four steps backwards,” says Zhang lazily. He’s leaning back on the rock, looking rather bored with the whole thing. You aren’t so stupid as to not perceive what he is doing. Casting away any misgivings you may have, you devote your body wholeheartedly into replicating the Southern Maniac’s instructions. You roll, avoiding an outstretched hand aimed at grabbing your crotch. Stumbling to your feet, you immediately jump to the right, evading a nun’s flying kick. You take four steps backwards the moment your feet touch the ground, barely taking the time to balance yourself. The head nun’s leg sweep barely misses your feet. It looks like the bastard knows what he’s doing after all.
With a snarl of irritation, the nuns continue their attack, and Zhang continues calling out his directions. You will yourself to follow his words as faithfully and as precisely as you can; the nuns’ formation is too fast and confusing for you to fight alone. As you dart, dodge, and roll around the battle, you find it easier and easier to catch their movements, but there is still no opening for you to attack. You cannot hit them, but neither can they hit you as long as you follow Zhang’s directions.
Suddenly, the nuns stop, retreating back into a single line. Their old faces are scowling heavily.
“Hm, what is this? Have you gotten bored already?” asks Zhang.
“We will not be training your apprentice for you, Zhang Jue,” snaps the head nun. “This mockery is pointless.”
The Southern Maniac just laughs. “Do you not want the sword, then?”
“We have waited for years. We can wait a little longer,” she hisses.
“If you do want the sword, the Abbess will know where to find me,” says Zhang cheerfully. “I have not changed my residence. I would suggest that you try again regularly as once we reach my island, I will not lift a finger to direct my apprentice. That would be your best chance.”
Glaring at the both of you, the nuns retreat, muttering decidedly unnunly curses from their mouths.
“Island?” you ask, when they are out of sight. “That is the place where your talent will blossom.” Zhang Jue’s grin is now cruel and wide, his eyes gleaming with mad glee. “I will turn you into a peerless warrior, my apprentice.”
He leaps onto the raft, laughing in anticipation. “We head now to Yinhu Island, Xu Jing. Be prepared.”
***
Yinhu Island is located some ways to the south – it takes you half a month to reach the island, braving the waves along the coast. The locals call it Maniac Island; it is the home of the Southern Maniac when he is not wandering the land. The climate of the island is humid – the greenery is more jungle than forest.
Zhang’s large house, built in the style of a mansion, is perched near a precipice. You do not know how it remains standing; it looks like it would fall at any moment. As you gaze at the sight, your new master speaks up.
“Let us not waste any time getting started.” His fist buries itself in your stomach. You can feel a snap as he channels his qi into you, inciting your dormant internal energy beyond the pills’ capacity to suppress. Your qi gushes forth – this is the first time you have experienced it while conscious. It is as if a million knives are shredding you up from the inside. Forced to your knees, your numb fingers reach into your clothes, fumbling for more of your medication. You spill the pouch onto the ground as another sharp wave of pain tears through your body, causing you collapse to the muddy ground, unable to even scream from the pain.
“This is your nature, Xu Jing,” says Zhang Jue calmly. “Embrace it, even as it kills you…”
---CHAPTER END---
