ON THE BACK OF A SHARK

1

Lotus watched as Viper Ouyang carried his Sandy Nephew to the shore. His usually spiteful expression was transformed to one of beaming delight, but he did not utter one word of thanks to either of them. Lotus tugged at Guo Jing's sleeve and together they strolled back toward the cave.

Guo Jing could see the look of concern on Lotus's face. "What are you thinking?" he asked when they were inside with Count Seven again.

"Three things, each of which present us with a grave problem."

"But you're so clever, you always think of a way to solve everything."

Lotus smiled before allowing the frown to wrinkle her brow again ever so slightly.

"The first is of no concern," Count Seven Hong said suddenly. "The second and third, however … Indeed, they do present a conundrum."

"But Shifu, how do you know what she's thinking?"

"A guess. The first is how to heal my injury. The island houses no doctor, no medicine, never mind a master of internal neigong kung fu. But the Old Beggar accepts his fate. Whether I live or die is hardly of import."

"Shifu, the Nine Yin Manual," Guo Jing said. "It contains a few passages entitled 'On Treating Wounds.' These explain how to cure internal injuries, although the language is a little odd and I don't understand much. I could recite them for you—I'm sure you can figure them out."

Slowly, Guo Jing began to recite the entire section, since he could not tell, himself, which parts were relevant.

"Enough!" Count Seven said, after listening for a few minutes. "It's of no use to me!"

"Why not?" Lotus asked.

"The Manual speaks of internal injuries, such as rattled blood vessels, damage to the diaphragm, divergent breathing, all different kinds of disturbances to internal strength and how to cure them. While the path to recovery may be long, its methods will lead to considerable improvements. I, however, am suffering the opposite problem. I was bitten by a venomous snake. My injuries are caused by an external trauma. Indeed, more worrying than that, the Venom's Exploding Toad kung fu disrupted the flow of blood around my body."

"Which the Manual is perfect for helping with!" Lotus cried in delight.

Count Seven shook his head. "The Manual's instructions state that one must find a secluded spot, untroubled by adversaries, idle passersby or wild animals. Then, someone well versed in the workings of qi places their palms against the palms of the injured party, who in turn should move their qi around their body. Should they be lacking in internal strength, the facilitator may transfer some of their own through their palms, thus repairing any damaged blood vessels. This should be done for seven days and seven nights continuously, transporting the qi around the body clockwise and anticlockwise a total of thirty-six times. It is vital, however, that the two do not lose contact via their palms during the process, as otherwise not only will there be no healing effect, on the contrary, they may suffer immediate injury or even death. No intruder or animal must be allowed to interrupt them, else they must accept any such attack without fighting back. This is the most difficult part, rather than the method itself. With Viper and his nephew around, we wouldn't manage a day and a night, never mind seven. Any attempt at healing me and they would be sure to attack."

"So, for seven day and seven nights, how do the two of them empty their bowels?" Guo Jing asked.

"Empty their bowels?" Lotus shook her head, then laughed. "This is an erudite text explaining profound theories of inner strength and qi."

Guo Jing grinned.

"If we hurry back to the mainland, we can surely find a secluded spot—or even on Peach Blossom Island," Lotus said. "Nobody would dare disturb you there. Guo Jing will sit with Shifu for seven days and seven nights, and I will stand outside with the Dog-Beating Cane and keep guard. No scoundrels, beasts, stray dogs, or poisonous insects will get in. Shifu, what about the second and third things that I was thinking about?"

"The second problem Lotus identified is the matter of defending ourselves against the venomous hand of Viper Ouyang," Count Seven continued. "His martial skills are quite extraordinary; the two of you together are no match for him. Which brings me to the third: how we are going to get back to the mainland. Isn't that right, Lotus?"

"Yes, these are our most pressing troubles—most of all, how to defeat Old Venom, or at least stop him from doing evil."

"Engage him in a battle of wits, in short. Old Venom may be cunning, but he is also conceited. He does not ponder things deeply, which means, therefore, it is not so difficult to fool him. But once he discovers deceit, he is quick to seek revenge with swift, savage reprisals."

Guo Jing and Lotus went quiet as they thought about this. Viper, Apothecary Huang, and Shifu were all once considered of equal standing in the wulin, but, even if her father came to the island, there was no guarantee he could defeat the Old Venom, Lotus realized. Then how could she possibly take him on? Their only hope would be to kill him in one stroke. Tricking him was never going to be enough.

Suddenly, Count Seven felt a sharp pain in his chest and he started to cough violently.

Just as Lotus was helping him to lie down, a shadow blocked the light at the mouth of the cave. Lotus looked up to see Viper Ouyang holding his nephew in his arms.

"Get out! Leave the cave to me and my nephew," he hissed.

Infuriated, Guo Jing leaped to his feet. "My Master lives here!"

"I don't care if the Jade Emperor himself lives here. Everyone has to leave!"

Guo Jing was about to answer him when Lotus pulled at his sleeve. Then she stooped down and helped Count Seven hobble out of the cave.

As they passed Old Venom, Count Seven opened his eyes and smiled. "How terrible, how ferocious!"

Viper's cheeks flushed red. He could have killed Count Seven with one thrust of his palm, but somehow the Old Beggar's righteous air cast a bolt of shame through him. He turned away so as not to see the old man's face. "And bring us some food. Don't try any tricks, or I'll kill all three of you."

The three walked far away from the cave, Guo Jing cursing all the way, while Lotus remained silent, lost in thought.

"Shifu," Guo Jing said, "rest here and I will go and find us somewhere suitable to seek shelter."

Lotus helped Count Seven to settle under a large pine tree. Only a few feet from where she was standing, two squirrels scuttled up and down a tree trunk, their big round eyes staring at the two humans as they did so. Amused, Lotus bent down, picked up a pinecone and held it out to them. One of the little creatures approached and sniffed it, before slowly reaching out a paw and grabbing it from her hand. The other squirrel, meanwhile, began to climb along Count Seven's sleeve.

"This island has never seen humans before," Lotus said. "They're not at all scared of us."

At that, the two squirrels ran up the tree. Lotus looked up into the dense tangle of needles and vines. Suddenly, an idea came to her.

"Guo Jing! Come back! We can climb this tree."

Guo Jing stopped and looked back at the tree. It was perfect. They snapped some branches from its nearby neighbors and wedged them between the pine's branches to fashion a platform. Then, standing either side of Count Seven, they put their hands under his armpits and—with a loud "Hup!"—they jumped up, depositing him safely in their tree house.

"We're just like birds, living in the treetops," Lotus said in delight. "Let them be beasts, down in that cave."

"Lotus," Guo Jing began, "are we going to take them food?"

"Unless we come up with some ingenious plan, we have no choice," she replied.

Guo Jing looked put out.

Together, they went to the far side of mountain, where they managed to catch a mountain sheep. They then made a fire and roasted it, before pulling the steaming carcass in half. Lotus took once piece and threw it on the ground.

"Pee on it!"

Guo Jing laughed. "They'll be able to tell."

"Don't worry about that, just do it!"

"I can't," Guo Jing said, his cheeks burning.

"Why not?"

"Not with you beside me."

Lotus nearly fell over with laughter.

"Throw me some meat!" Count Seven called from up in the tree. "I'll pee on it."

Laughing, Guo Jing took the meat and jumped up onto the platform. Count Seven drenched the mutton before Guo Jing left to take it to the cave.

"No, wait! Take this one," Lotus called out.

"But that's the clean one," Guo Jing said, scratching his head.

"I know. I want them to eat the clean one."

Guo Jing was confused, but, as usual, he obeyed Lotus without questioning her. In the meantime, Lotus placed the urine-soaked meat beside the fire to smoke, and went to pick some wild fruit.

Count Seven was just as confused. He had been looking forward to eating the succulent roast mutton, but now he had urinated all over their portion.

The meat gave off a mouth-watering aroma, which had wafted all the way inside the cave. Viper Ouyang did not wait for Guo Jing to enter, but stepped outside and grabbed the meat. "Wait—where is the rest of it?" he said suddenly.

Guo Jing gestured behind him with his thumb.

Viper strode over to the old pine tree, snatched the meat from beside the fire and threw the clean piece on the ground. Then he laughed coldly, turned and left.

Guo Jing knew that he must not give anything away, but it was not in his nature to hide what he was thinking. He turned away, so that Viper would not see his face, and waited for him to leave before running to find Lotus.

"How did you know he would come back and swap the meat?" he asked, grinning, as they returned together to their fire.

"My pa used to tell me, 'In artifice there is substance, in substance there is artifice.' Old Venom knew we would play a trick on him, but, in trying to outsmart us, he fell right for it."

Guo Jing listened in awe as he cut the meat into smaller pieces. Then, together, they climbed up into the tree and shared their meal.

"Lotus," Guo Jing said suddenly, as they were still eating. "That really was a wonderful trick you came up with. But it was a risky one."

"Why?"

"What if he hadn't come? Would we have had to eat meat soaked in pee?"

Lotus guffawed, bent over and promptly fell from her perch on the branch. Instantly, she jumped back up, unharmed. "Risky, indeed."

"Silly boy," Count Seven sighed. "Would you really have said no?"

The thought startled him, then he began to shake with laughter until he too tumbled out of the tree.

Viper and his nephew guzzled the mutton. It had a strange smell, to be sure, but they did not suspect a thing. Indeed, they even praised the young girl's cooking skills. She had brought out a slight saltiness in the meat.

2

Before long, the skies began to darken. Gallant Ouyang was in pain and he let out a groan.

"Little girl!" Viper said, approaching the pine tree. "Come down!"

Lotus was startled. She had not expected Viper to launch his attack so soon. "What is it?"

"My nephew needs water for his tea. Go and serve him!"

The three sitting in the tree listened in rage.

"Come on, hurry up! What are you waiting for?"

"Let's fight him," Guo Jing whispered.

"You two run beyond the mountain," Count Seven whispered in reply. "Don't worry about me."

Lotus had already thought through their options. Their Master was sure to perish, no matter if they chose to stay and fight or if they fled. Their only option was to try to seek a compromise to protect Count Seven.

"Fine," she said, leaping down from the tree. "I'll go and attend to his wounds."

"Guo, boy," Viper sneered. "You come with me."

Guo Jing swallowed his anger and jumped down.

"Bring me one hundred large tree trunks. Tonight. And if there is but one missing, I will break your leg. Two, and I will break both."

"What do you want all that wood for?" Lotus said. "And how are we going to find it in the dark?"

"You talk too much," Viper hissed. "What does it have to do with you? Go and see to my nephew. If anything happens to him, you will all suffer the bitter consequences."

With a nod, Lotus signaled to Guo Jing to do the best he could and not to do anything rash.

Guo Jing watched as Lotus disappeared with Viper Ouyang into the darkness. Then he dropped to the ground, cupped his head, and hot, angry tears poured from his eyes.

"When I was young," Count Seven said from above, "my grandpa, my pa and I were all enslaved by the Jin. Now that was real hardship."

This startled Guo Jing back to his senses. Shifu spent his childhood as a slave and yet he became a master of the martial arts. Surely I must be able to endure this one day of ill-treatment. Guo Jing lit a pine branch, hurried to the far side of the mountain and once again began felling trunks using Dragon-Subduing Palm. Lotus would escape unharmed, he was sure of that, just as she had when they were surrounded in the Zhao Palace. She always managed to get out of any situation, no matter how difficult. He would do his best to complete the task the Viper had given him.

Before long, however, the exertion had exhausted him. His limbs were aching. In an hour, he had managed to fell twenty-one pines. He performed a Dragon in the Field. The tree shook, but nothing more. His chest felt numb. The energy had not flowed out through his palms, but instead traveled back. This was exactly what his Master had warned him about. The eighteen moves that made up Dragon-Subduing Palm required great strength, but it was important that he hold something back in reserve to prevent self-induced injury.

Shocked, he sat down and tried to regulate his breathing. It took an hour before he had the strength to get up and try again, and, even then, his limbs were too weak and fatigued.

Guo Jing knew that forcing himself would cause him yet more harm. But, with no axe to be found on this deserted island, how was he to fell enough trees? He still had at least seventy more to collect, and his legs were about to give way beneath him. Viper's nephew was crushed under that rock, Guo Jing thought. He must hate me to the core. If he wants a hundred trees from me tonight, surely he will just ask me for a thousand tomorrow. How will I ever appease him? We can't beat him in a fight and there is no one on this island to help us.

He sighed. Even if the island weren't deserted, who on this earth could help me? Master Hong is already too weak to fight; we don't even know if he will survive. Lotus's father hates me, and neither the Seven Masters of the Quanzhen Sect nor my six shifus, the Heroes of the South, could hope to defeat the Venom of the West, even if they fought together. If only … If only my sworn brother Zhou Botong were here … But he died jumping into the sea.

The thought of Zhou Botong only made him despise Viper Ouyang even more. His sworn brother, a master of the Nine Yin Manual and the inventor of Competing Hands kung fu, forced to meet his end. The Nine Yin Manual! Competing Hands! The words lit up in his mind like stars twinkling on the horizon in a dark night's sky.

My kung fu may not be accomplished enough to take on the Venom of the West, but the Nine Yin Manual contains many secrets of the martial world. Add to that Zhou Botong's Competing Hands, and my skills will appear to be double what they really are. I will train with Lotus tonight and then we will give the Venom a real scare.

Even so, Guo Jing knew it would be a mighty task, no matter what type of kung fu they used. He stood among the trees, deep in thought. What if I were to ask Shifu? He may not be able to fight himself, but he still has all that knowledge; he will be able to point me in the right direction.

He went back to the old pine and explained his thoughts to Count Seven Hong.

"Recite the Nine Yin Manual for me," Count Seven began, "and we will see what of its mighty kung fu you may be able to learn quickly."

Guo Jing began chanting the manual, line by line.

"… Most only know that sitting in quiet contemplation will lead to virtue, but they do not realize the virtuous are also flexible in mind, and cultivate the body twofold, that is, in movement they find stillness, in attack they know peace." As soon as Count Seven heard this, he leaped to his feet.

Guo Jing stopped. "What is it?"

But Count Seven did not answer. Instead, he pondered the lines, before eventually saying, "Can you repeat that last section again?"

Master has found something we can use against Viper! Guo Jing recited the lines again slowly.

Count Seven was nodding. "Indeed. Yes, yes. Carry on."

Guo Jing continued. As he approached the end, he came to the following passage: "Mahaparas gatekras mahansighra pindaheya jinahuras ghosana…"

The words were nonsense, but he knew that he was reciting them correctly. Count Seven had not understood them then, and he did not understand them now.

"Lad," Count Seven said, shaking his head, "the Nine Yin Manual contains many forms of devastating kung fu, but they cannot be learned in a day and a night."

Guo Jing looked disappointed.

"Go and build a raft from the trunks you have already felled and then get as far away from here as you can. Lotus and I will stay and deal with Old Venom."

"No," Guo Jing said quickly. "How could I leave Shifu here?"

Count Seven sighed. "The Venom of the West is scared of Apothecary Huang; he won't do anything to harm Lotus. As for me, I'm just a useless old beggar, now. So, off with you!"

Grieved and indignant, Guo Jing ran with his palm raised straight at a tree.

The sound echoed around the mountain. Count Seven watched in amazement. "What kind of kung fu was that?"

"Why do you ask?"

"You hit it with such force, but the tree didn't even quiver."

Guo Jing felt embarrassed. "All my strength has been used up. My hands are sore. I don't have any power left. I didn't follow Shifu's instructions to leave some strength in reserve," he said, after a pause.

"No, no, it was just a little strange, that's all. Do it again. Let me see."

Guo Jing raised his palm and struck the tree again. As before, the sound was deafening but the tree did not move. Suddenly, he realized. "Oh, Brother Zhou taught me. It's one of the seventy-two moves of Luminous Hollow Fist."

"Luminous Hollow Fist? I've never heard of it."

"Brother Zhou was bored and had nothing to do while being held captive on Peach Blossom Island, so he invented it. He taught me the secret in sixteen characters: kong meng dong song, feng tong rong meng, chong qiong zhong nong, tong yong gong chong."

Count Seven looked amused. It sounded like yet more nonsense.

"Let me explain. Each character has its own significance. The fourth character, 'loose', means that the fist must be hollow—that is, lacking strength. The last character, 'worm', refers to the body, which must be soft and supple. The second, 'haze', tells you that the punches must be confused—foolish, even—to render your opponent unsure of their shape. The eighth, 'dream', I think means that you should fight as if in a dream. Why don't I give you a demonstration?"

"I won't be able to see in the dark. But it does sound like there's a logic to it. There's no need to show me, just keep explaining."

Guo Jing began with the first stance, Empty Bowl Filled with Rice, then went on to the second, Empty Cottage Inhabited, narrating the changes and transformations in the use of strength in each move as he went. Zhou Botong's mischievous nature was evident in the witty names he had given them.

By the time Guo Jing had reached the eighteenth move, Count Seven could not help but feel admiration. "That's enough. I know how to deal with Old Venom."

"Using Luminous Hollow Fist? I'm not nearly proficient at it," Guo Jing said.

"I know. But this is a grave situation, so we must at least try. Do you still have the golden dagger Genghis Khan gave you?"

A warm glint of metal flashed in the dark night as Guo Jing removed the dagger from the folds of his robes.

"Use the dagger in combination with Luminous Hollow Fist to fell the trees," Count Seven said.

The blade was only a foot in length. Guo Jing looked at it and hesitated.

"Your weapon is so sharp, it can slice through tree trunks. The blade is perhaps a little thick, but, as long as you follow the principles of empty and loose, the dagger should do the job."

Guo Jing pondered his shifu's words. Seeing him hesitate, Count Seven gave him further instructions until finally he understood. He jumped down from the tree and approached a cedar of medium girth. Channeling the techniques Zhou Botong had taught him—light and quick, using force as if without force—he plunged the dagger into its trunk. As it sliced into the tree, he turned in a circle and it fell to the ground. Guo Jing was delighted. He went on to chop another dozen. He would have a hundred before daybreak, after all.

"Boy!" Guo Jing suddenly heard Count Seven call. "Come up here!"

Guo Jing jumped up onto the platform. "It worked. And I don't feel tired."

"We can't be wasting energy, can we?" Count Seven replied.

"Exactly! That's what the kong meng dong song means. Brother Zhou spent so long trying to teach me, but I didn't get it."

"This kung fu is for more than merely chopping down trees. And yet, alone, it cannot beat the Venom of the West. You must train once again in the skills described in the Nine Yin Manual if we are to have any chance of overcoming him. Let's think of a plan to buy us time."

Guo Jing nodded, but maintained a respectful silence. When it came to clever plans, he knew he was not much help.

Eventually, Count Seven shook his head. "Nothing's coming to me. We'll have to ask Lotus to think of something tomorrow. Although, I did have a thought while listening to you recite the Manual. I don't think I am wrong about this. Help me down from the tree; I need to practice."

"But you're not well; how can you train?"

"The Manual said, 'the virtuous cultivate the body twofold, that is, in movement they find stillness, in attack they know peace'. These sentences helped me come to a realization. Come, now, let's get down."

Guo Jing did not understand what the sentences meant, but neither did he wish to defy his shifu. Holding his Master in his arms, he gently jumped down from the tree.

Count Seven took several deep breaths, assumed the opening stance and thrust with his right palm. In the darkness, Guo Jing watched him charge forward as if about to fall. He rushed to help, but Count Seven had already stopped.

"I'm fine," he panted.

Moments later, he repeated the move with his left palm. Guo Jing watched him stumble. He was clearly in pain. Several times, Guo Jing wanted to call out to him to stop, but, to his surprise, his Master was growing ever steadier and stronger with each attempt. Before long, the heavy breathing and labored movements had given way to elegant twists of his body and firm, deft footwork. He was making fantastic progress. He finished all eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms and moved straight into Wayfaring Fist.

Guo Jing waited until he was finished, before crying out, "You're healed!"

"Carry me back up."

Guo Jing wrapped his arms around his Master's middle and jumped up to the platform. "Well done, well done!" He could barely contain his delight.

Count Seven sighed. "Not well done, indeed. It was a fine display, but my kung fu is of no practical use."

Guo Jing was confused.

"After my injury, I took to rest, thinking it the best way to recover," Count Seven explained. "But my kung fu is external in nature, it only improves through sustained movement. I may be out of physical danger, but I will never recover my martial skill."

Guo Jing wanted to comfort his Master, but he did not know what to say. "I'll go back to felling trees," he said at last.

"Lad," Count Seven said suddenly, "I think I have a way to scare Old Venom. Let me know what you think." Count Seven explained his plan.

"Marvelous!" Guo Jing jumped down from the tree at once to prepare.

AT FIRST light the next morning, Viper Ouyang approached their tree and began counting the trunks piled up beside it. Ninety.

"Mongrel! Get down here at once! You still have ten more trees to fetch for me."

Lotus had spent the night by Gallant's side, tending his wounds. The sound of his groans softened even her heart. As the sun had risen, she had watched Viper leave the cave and had followed him. Now, she was worried for her beloved Guo Jing.

Viper waited, but no reply came. The only sound to be heard was the wind gathering speed behind the mountain. It reminded him of people practicing martial arts. Quickly, he followed it to its source. As he reached the top of the mountain, he was surprised to find Count Seven and the young boy locked in combat. Palms flew and kicks soared. It was an intense duel.

Lotus, too, was surprised to see her shifu thus recovered and able to fight.

"Boy! Watch out for this!" Count Seven cried and launched a palm. Guo Jing raised a hand to block, but, before they made contact, he flew back and crashed into a tree. It was not an old tree, but its trunk snapped and it fell to the ground.

In fact, it had been a perfectly ordinary palm strike, but it was enough to leave Viper dumbstruck.

"Shifu!" Lotus cried out. "Wonderful Splitting Sky Palm!"

"Protect yourself—don't let my palm hurt you!" Count Seven called out.

"Your disciple understands."

Just then, thwack! Another palm strike sent Guo Jing flying into another tree. Guo Jing dusted himself off and they repeated the sequence, and, before long, Count Seven's Splitting Sky Palm had felled eight more trees.

"That's ten!" Lotus called out.

Guo Jing was panting heavily. "Your disciple is exhausted."

Count Seven cupped his hands and laughed. "The Nine Yin Manual really is marvelous. I was so weak after my injury, and yet, after just one morning of training, I'm recovered."

Viper watched with suspicion. He bent down to inspect the tree trunks, but what he found only amazed him further. Apart from the inner core, the rest of the trunk had been broken off smoothly—not even a saw could have done it so perfectly. What manner of kung fu must be contained within the Nine Yin Manual? The Old Beggar had been restored. How could he fight three of them at once? There was only one option: he had to start training from the Manual at once.

He gave the three of them a baleful look before rushing back to the cave, where he grabbed the pile of papers wrapped in oil paper, containing Guo Jing's shaky characters, and began reading.

Meanwhile, Count Seven and Guo Jing waited until Viper was long gone before bursting into laughter.

"Shifu!" Lotus cried in delight. "The Nine Yin Manual is a true marvel."

Count Seven merely laughed even harder.

Guo Jing ran to her side. "Lotus, we were pretending."

He explained to her how they had done it. Guo Jing had used his blade to cut all but the center of the trees, taking care to leave them standing. Count Seven's palm strikes had carried next to no strength at all, but instead Guo Jing had used his own internal neigong to send himself flying backward into the pre-cut trees, toppling them to the ground. Viper Ouyang was not to know that the real work had been done by the dagger and Guo Jing's use of Luminous Hollow Fist.

Lotus laughed, but suddenly stopped, fell silent and then frowned.

"I can walk again," Count Seven said. "That's miracle enough for me. I don't care if it was real or fake martial skill. Lotus, you fear Old Venom will see through our ruse?"

Lotus nodded.

"The question is, can we fool him for any length of time?" Count Seven continued. "And yet, human affairs are never easily anticipated. There is no use worrying unnecessarily. Listen, there is a passage in the Nine Yin Manual that Guo Jing read to me, called 'Transforming Muscles, Forging Bones'. It is most interesting. Why don't we try to practice, seeing as we have nothing else to do?"

His tone was light, but Lotus knew the situation was grave. Their Master would have his reasons for picking this passage.

"Indeed. Please teach us, Shifu."

Count Seven asked Guo Jing to repeat the passage two more times, and then, based on what he heard, he gave them instructions before leaving to look for food. When he returned, he lit a fire and cooked them a meal. A few times, the young couple tried to help, but Count Seven would not allow it.

THE DAYS passed quickly, and Guo Jing and Lotus made significant progress with their training. Viper Ouyang, meanwhile, stayed in his cave, studying the Nine Yin Manual. It took all his energy and concentration.

Count Seven Hong turned to Lotus after lunch one day and said, "How was your shifu's roasted goat?"

Lotus merely smiled and shook her head.

"Indeed, I can't stomach it either. You two have finished your first lesson; now, you must relax your muscles, otherwise your qi will be stifled, causing you great harm. Lotus, you prepare the meal tonight. Guo Jing and I will make a raft."

"Make a raft?" Guo Jing and Lotus said in unison.

"Why, yes. Don't tell me you were planning to keep Old Venom company on this wretched island forever?"

The young couple were ecstatic and set to work immediately.

The one hundred tree trunks Guo Jing had felled the week before were still piled neatly nearby. They began slicing tree bark and Guo Jing plaited the strands into another rope. But when he tugged on it, it snapped. He had not made it strong enough. He made another, thicker rope, and repeated the action, only for it to break too. Confounded, he stared at the rope, at a loss as to what to do.

Just then, he heard Lotus shouting. He turned to see her running toward them, carrying a goat. She had taken some stones with her to throw at its head, but, without understanding how she had done it, she had overtaken the wild animal in a few steps and scooped it up into her arms. She had moved with such speed, it had taken even her by surprise.

"The Nine Yin Manual is mighty indeed," Count Seven said and smiled. "No wonder so many heroes of the wulin are willing to risk their lives to get their hands on it."

"Shifu," Lotus breathed with delight, "do you think we can beat Old Venom now?"

Count Seven shook his head. "No, we are still a long way off. You would have to train for another ten years. His Exploding Toad is no laughing matter; no kung fu has been able to overcome it, apart from Yang in Ascendance when combined with Cosmos neigong, which only Wang Chongyang knew."

"Another ten years and even then we might not beat him," Lotus said, pouting.

"Well, it's hard to say. I might be underestimating the powers of the kung fu contained within the Nine Yin Manual."

"Be patient, Lotus," Guo Jing said. "It's always good to learn something new."

A few more days passed, and Guo Jing and Lotus were getting to grips with the second part of Transforming Muscles, Forging Bones. The raft was also ready. Together, they wove a sail from yet more tree bark and prepared rations of fresh water and food.

The evening before they planned to set sail, just as they were preparing to go to bed, Lotus suddenly asked, "Aren't we going to say goodbye to them?"

"We will see them again in ten years, to fight," Guo Jing said.

"Exactly!" Lotus exclaimed, clapping her hands. "May the heavens guide those scoundrels back to the mainland and ensure Old Venom lives a long life, so that we might meet again in ten years. Either that, or ensure Shifu's quick recovery, so that we can get it over with in a couple of years' time instead. Yes, that would be even better."

Count Seven woke before sunrise the next morning to sounds coming from the shore.

"Guo Jing! Do you hear that? It's coming from the beach."

Guo Jing jumped down from the tree and ran toward the noise. As soon as he saw what was happening, he charged forward in fury.

By this time, Lotus was fully awake. "Guo Jing! What's happening?"

"Those evil thieves stole our raft!"

Lotus was shocked. By the time she reached the beach, Viper Ouyang had already placed his nephew on the pontoon, raised the sail and, together, they were floating several dozen meters from the shore, out at sea. Guo Jing was about to wade into the water to pursue them when Lotus tugged at his sleeve. "They're already too far out."

"Thank you for the raft!" Viper shouted, then cackled with laughter.

Guo Jing ran to a nearby red sandalwood tree and kicked at it, hard.

Suddenly, Lotus had an idea. "That's it!" She lifted a large rock onto one of the tree's branches and instructed Guo Jing to pull down. "A catapult!"

Guo Jing grinned, braced his feet against the roots and pulled down as hard as he could. The tree was strong but flexible, and the branch bent almost all the way to the ground without breaking. Then Guo Jing let go, and with a loud swoooooosh! the rock flew out, landing right beside the raft and causing a large splash.

"What a shame!" Lotus cried, and ran to fetch another rock. Together, they aimed and fired. This time, they hit the floating craft dead on—but they had crafted it so well, it did not break. They launched three more rocks, but each landed with a splash and sunk to the bottom of the sea.

Lotus had another idea, this one even crazier.

"Quick, fire me like a cannonball!"

Guo Jing was startled, unsure if he had understood her correctly.

"Launch me at them. I'll deal with them." She took out her dagger and held it in her hand.

She was a natural swimmer and her lightness kung fu had really improved, so he decided it was most likely safe. "Be careful." Then he pulled down the branch once more.

Lotus sat down carefully and cried, "Fire!"

Guo Jing released the branch and watched as Lotus flew through the air, somersaulting twice before diving gracefully into the water, only a few meters from the raft. It was a marvelous sight to behold. Viper Ouyang and his nephew watched, stupefied. What was she going to do?

Lotus swam down deep, and, instead of resurfacing, approached the raft underwater. As soon as she saw the boat's dark shadow above, she knew she was in the right place.

Viper struck at the water with his oar, but to no avail.

Her dagger between her teeth, Lotus was swimming up to cut the ropes holding the raft together, when a thought struck her, and, instead of sawing them the whole way through, she left them partially intact. That way, the raft would hold until they were farther out, in rougher seas. Then she swam away and resurfaced some distance from the raft, shouting and gasping for breath, pretending to have failed to reach them.

Viper laughed wildly as the sail caught the wind. Before long, they were far, far out at sea.

Guo Jing and Count Seven were waiting for Lotus on the beach, cursing their misfortune. That is, until they saw Lotus's satisfied grin. Lotus explained that the Ouyangs would soon find eternal rest at the bottom of the ocean, and the two men laughed with joy.

"But," Lotus added with a note of vexation, "it does mean we have to start all over again."

Nevertheless, the three ate their breakfast in high spirits, before getting to work cutting down yet more trees. It took them a few days to build a new raft. A southwesterly wind was blowing, so there was no time to lose. They hoisted the sail and set off in a westerly direction. Lotus gazed back at the island as it receded into the distance. "We almost lost our lives, back there, and yet, I feel quite sad to be leaving."

"We can always come back, one day," Guo Jing said.

"Yes!" Lotus cried and clapped her hands. "You've made me a promise. But, first, we need to give it a name. Shifu, what do you think?"

"It was the place where you crushed that scoundrel with the rock, so what about Ghost Crushing Island?"

"It's not very elegant," Lotus said and shook her head.

"If it was elegance you wanted, why did you ask an old beggar? It was also the place where we managed to trick Old Venom into consuming my urine, so what about Eat Piss Island?"

Lotus smiled and waved the idea away. She cocked her head and thought. On the horizon, a clutch of ruby clouds were gathering. "Rosy Cloud Island!"

"No, no, far too elegant," Count Seven replied.

Unable to contribute much himself, Guo Jing listened with a smile. He did not care if the island was given an elegant or a vulgar name, but deep down he preferred Shifu's suggestions.

3

Together, they traveled with the wind for two days. On the third night, Lotus and Count Seven were sleeping, while Guo Jing was keeping watch, when suddenly he heard a voice carried over the roar of the water.

"Help! Help!" The voice clanged like crashing cymbals as it struggled to make itself heard over the screaming of the wind and the roaring of the waves.

"Old Venom," Count Seven said, sitting up.

They heard him shout once more.

Lotus grabbed her Master's arm. "A ghost!" Her voice trembled.

There was no moon that night and only a mere scattering of stars filled the black sky. A voice emerging from the darkness would be enough to scare anyone.

"Old Venom?" Count Seven cried out. His internal energy had yet to recover, so his voice was quickly swallowed up by the wind.

Guo Jing gathered his qi to his diaphragm and called out, "Uncle Ouyang, is that you?"

"Yes, it's me! Help!" The voice sounded faint and distant, now.

"I don't care if it's a man or a ghost, let's get far away!" Lotus said.

"Save him!" Count Seven cried suddenly.

"No, I'm scared!" Lotus cried back.

"It's not a ghost."

"I don't care; we can't save him."

"Helping others in their time of need is one of the principles of the Beggar Clan," Count Seven said. "We represent two generations of Clan leadership. We cannot abandon the customs that have been passed down to us from our ancestors."

"But the custom isn't right," Lotus said. "Viper Ouyang is evil, and when he passes to the other side and becomes a ghost, he will be an evil spirit. Either way, he doesn't deserve our help."

"We cannot change the customs of the Clan," Count Seven said.

In her heart, Lotus was furious.

"Brother Seven, are you really leaving me to die?"

"Yes!" Lotus cried. "Guo Jing, wait until you have Viper in your sights and then strike him dead with the bamboo cane. You aren't a member of the Beggar Clan; you don't need to live by this ridiculous rule. Shifu, the Beggar Clan believes in helping people in need, not devils in need."

"Striking someone when he's down … Is that the righteous behavior of someone who follows the code of xia?"

"And yet, striking a devil when he's down…"

She gave Guo Jing an anxious look as he steered the raft toward the voice. In the gloom, they managed to make out two figures bobbing in the water. A large piece of timber was floating next to them. They must have been clinging to it since the raft fell apart.

"Insist that he swear never to harm another soul, and then we'll rescue him," Lotus said.

"You know the Old Venom," Count Seven sighed. "He would rather die than admit to being in the wrong. He would never promise to that. Boy, rescue them."

Guo Jing leaned over the side of their craft and grabbed the collar of Gallant's robe. Forgetting how weak he was, Count Seven rushed to help. He held out his hand to Viper Ouyang, who took it. Viper pulled hard and leaped up onto the raft, but, as he did so, he ended up pulling Count Seven into the sea, where he landed with a splash. A heartbeat later, Guo Jing and Lotus jumped after him.

"My shifu is so good-hearted as to save you, after all you have done," Lotus growled, as she and Guo Jing lifted Count Seven aboard once more, "and you pull him into the sea?"

Viper knew Count Seven was injured, otherwise there was no way he could have been so easily dislodged. But he himself had been floating in the water for days and his limbs were weak with fatigue. He was in no position to pursue any advantage. "I…" he said, his head held low. "I didn't mean to, Brother Seven. I apologize."

"Fine," Count Seven said with a hearty laugh. "But now you know the extent of my strength, these days."

"Miss," Viper said, turning to Lotus, "do you have anything for us to eat? We haven't eaten in days."

"We only have rations for three. If I give you some, what will we eat?"

"Fine. But please give a little something to my nephew, at least. He's badly injured and won't survive without nourishment."

"I will make you a deal. He may have something, as long as you give my shifu the antidote to your snake venom. My shifu has not recovered yet."

Viper Ouyang reached into his robes and found two vials. "Look, miss. They have been submerged in water for days; the antidote has been washed away!"

Lotus took them, shook the vials and sniffed. It was indeed seawater. "In that case, give us the method, so that we may make our own, once we land ashore."

"I could tell you anything in order to get my hands on food and water, and you'd have no way of knowing if I was giving you the real recipe or a fake one. But what kind of person would that make Viper Ouyang? Let me be frank. My snakes are the deadliest in the world. One bite is enough to severely injure a hero of the wulin. I can give you the recipe for the antidote, but the ingredients are extremely rare, and it takes three winters and three summers for the concoction to be ready. By then, it will be too late. Now that I have told you the truth, it's up to you whether or not I should pay with my life."

Lotus and Guo Jing listened in grudging admiration. To be so cruel, and yet still maintain the dignity befitting his standing in the martial world, even with his life hanging by a thread?

"Lotus," Count Seven said, "he's telling the truth. Our lives lie in the hands of fate. I fear nothing. Give them something to eat."

Lotus's heart was aching. She knew her Master would never recover. Silently, she took a hunk of roasted goat and threw it at Viper, who proceeded to tear it into two chunks, feeding one to his nephew before eating the other himself. The sight reminded Lotus of how they had tricked the two men into eating the urine-soaked meat, back on the island, and she could not help but laugh.

"Too late!"

Viper had no idea what she meant and merely stared back at her, wide-eyed.

"Now that you have injured my shifu in this way, Uncle Ouyang," Lotus said coldly, "you will surely be the winner of the next Contest of Mount Hua. May I extend my congratulations."

"Not necessarily," Viper replied. "There is at least one other person who could heal Brother Seven."

Guo Jing and Lotus jumped up at the same time, nearly tipping the raft. "Really!?" they cried in unison.

"Only, this person will be difficult to persuade," Viper said through his chews. "Your shifu knows who I mean."

The young couple turned to their Master.

"In which case, why did you mention it?" Count Seven replied with a smile.

"Tell us," Lotus said, tugging her Master's sleeve. "We have to try, at least. I will ask my father—he'll find a way."

Viper Ouyang snorted.

"What are you snorting for?"

But Viper did not answer her.

"He is laughing because you think your father is all powerful," Count Seven said. "The person in question is mighty indeed, but he is of no use. He's a formidable fighter, but even if he were so weak that he couldn't even strangle a chicken, this Old Beggar would never do harm to anyone merely for his own benefit."

"A formidable fighter?" Lotus began hesitantly. "No, wait! Is it King Duan of the South? Shifu, let's ask him. How could it possibly harm anyone else?"

"No more questions. Go to sleep! I forbid you from ever bringing this up again. Do you understand?"

Lotus did not reply. She was afraid that Viper might try to steal their food, so she leaned against the bucket containing their supplies and went to sleep.

4

Early the next morning, lotus awoke and looked over at Viper and his nephew. The sight of their pale faces nearly made her jump. Their bodies were swollen from having been in the water so long.

Master is a wonderful man, Lotus thought, but he is rather too righteous. To be so righteous in the face of evil was, in fact, to be evil to righteousness. I hope Guo Jing doesn't decide to copy this aspect of Shifu's character. It would be better for him to learn from his father-in-law. This last phrase made her smile: father-in-law!

By late afternoon, a black line had appeared on the horizon. Was it land? Guo Jing was the first to cry out. Before long, it was confirmed. The sea was calm, but the sun was beating down hard on them.

Viper Ouyang suddenly rose to his feet, wobbled and grabbed both Guo Jing and Lotus by the hand. Then, with the tip of his toe, he kicked at one of Count Seven's pressure points. Guo Jing and Lotus tried to get up, but Viper had locked the pressure points on their wrists, rendering each of them numb across half their body in an instant.

"What are you doing?"

Viper grinned, but did not reply.

"Old Venom is arrogant indeed," Count Seven said with a sigh. "He cannot accept the grace of another human being. We saved his life, and yet he can only find peace by killing his saviors. Aiya, pity my soft heart. By rescuing him, I have endangered the lives of these two poor youngsters."

"May you never forget it," Viper said. "Also, I own a copy of the Nine Yin Manual now. If I let the boy live, I will only bring trouble on myself in the future."

The mention of the Manual stirred something in Count Seven. He began to recite confidently …

Viper listened in amazement. It sounded familiar, just like one of the many passages he had struggled to make sense of. He was not to know that Count Seven was making it up. Did the Old Beggar understand it? he asked himself. There are so many strange sentences, there must be some key to unlocking its mysteries. If I kill them, I might not find another soul on earth who can understand it, and all I've done to gain possession of this mighty text will be in vain.

"What does it mean?"

Count Seven replied with yet more nonsense. "Guo Jing, you continue!" Though the Old Beggar had heard Guo Jing chant large chunks of the Manual out loud on the island, it would have been impossible for him to memorize it. But he had put on a good show and kept a straight face.

Guo Jing continued with yet more nonsense. Viper Ouyang listened intently.

"Guo Jing, go!" Count Seven cried. Guo Jing pulled his left arm free, struck with his right and kicked out at Viper.

The Venom had been so mesmerized by the recitation that he had loosened his grip on Guo Jing's vital point, allowing him to make his counterattack. Guo Jing had now studied the Manual's Transforming Muscles, Forging Bones chapter as far as the second passage, and, while he had not learned any new moves as such, it had increased his strength by around a fifth. One tug, one slap, one kick—there was nothing new about the movements, but they were charged with a remarkable power. Viper Ouyang was taken by surprise. He had nowhere to retreat to on the small raft. All he could do was raise one hand above his head and try to keep hold of Lotus's wrist with the other.

Guo Jing's fists and palms rained down on him like a storm. If Viper got the chance to use his Exploding Toad kung fu, then all three would be buried out at sea. And yet, the weight of the young man's attack drove Viper back another half a step.

Lotus leaned to the side, preparing to unbalance Old Venom with her shoulder. Sensing the move coming, Viper was amused. Does this little girl think she can hurt me with a bump of her shoulder? Careful you don't rebound into the ocean!

Just then, her shoulder made contact. He did not block or dodge, but stood his ground, feigning disinterest. At that moment, he felt a needle-sharp pain grip his chest. She was wearing Hedgehog Chainmail! He was already on the edge of the raft, so he could not back away. Assaulted by a thicket of sharp spikes, he let go of her wrist and flung her aside.

Lotus had no way to stop herself falling off the raft and plunging into the water, but Guo Jing reached behind him and grabbed her, his other hand still on the attack. Lotus pulled out her dagger and threw herself into the fray.

Viper was balanced near the edge of the raft, salt water splashing his legs. But, no matter how hard they pressed, the young fighters could not force him over the side.

He was the stronger, more experienced fighter, and his powers were superior to those of the young couple combined, but he had been weakened by the days he had spent floating in the water. Lotus was armed with a dagger and protected by her Hedgehog Chainmail, which was enough to make him cautious. In addition, Guo Jing had now studied the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms, the seventy-two stances that made up Luminous Hollow Fist, Zhou Botong's Competing Hands kung fu and, most recently, the passages from Transforming Muscles, Forging Bones.

Viper could feel the strength gradually returning to his palms and, as the fight wore on, Guo Jing and Lotus began to notice the change in him. Count Seven was watching anxiously. As their fists danced, Viper's left leg flew out, sending with it a gust of air. Lotus was forced to somersault out of the way and into the water.

Guo Jing was feeling the strain, but Lotus swam under the raft and climbed up on the other side, blade aimed at Viper's back. This pincer movement put them on an equal footing once more.

The only way for us to defeat him, Lotus was thinking as she fought, is to take the fight underwater.

She sliced her dagger through the bark rope, sending the sail fluttering down. No longer propelled by the wind, the raft bobbed on the waves. Lotus then wrapped the rigging several times around Count Seven's body and then around one of the tree trunks that made up the raft, securing him with two tight knots.

Guo Jing was flagging. He had managed to block three successive attacks, but the fourth forced him onto the back foot. Viper redoubled his efforts, pushing Guo Jing back even farther. He tried to counter with a Leap from the Abyss, but was yet again pushed back until he found his feet in mid-air. Not letting nerves cloud his mind, he kicked with both feet before splashing into the water.

Taking advantage of the violent swaying of the raft, Lotus leaped into the water, and together the young fighters pushed and pulled at the raft in an attempt to capsize it. Gallant would drown and Viper would struggle to match them in the water. But they would have to dispose of Old Venom quickly before saving their Master.

Viper understood their intentions. He raised his foot close to Count Seven's head and cried, "Rock the raft and I will kick him!"

Lotus had a backup plan, however. Taking a deep lungful of air, she dived underneath the raft and began hacking through the ropes that held it together. She had calculated that, after the Ouyangs had drowned, the three of them could float to the shore clutching the wreckage.

The raft let out a loud cracking sound as it broke in two. Gallant was on one half, Viper and Count Seven on the other. Viper reached out and pulled his nephew toward him. Then he peered into the sea, waiting for Lotus to approach, so that he could grab her.

Lotus could see Viper's outline from below the surface of the water. Aware that his counterattack would be fierce, she decided not to cut any more ropes. Instead, she swam some distance from the raft, took another deep breath and dived back down to wait for an opportunity to make the next move.

They both waited. Suddenly, the sea became calm, its surface twinkling in the sunshine. Their surroundings were peaceful, but their hearts raged with murderous intent.

If the raft splits … Lotus was thinking.

As soon as she comes up for air, I'm going to slap the water. The vibration alone will kill her, Viper was thinking. With her out of the way, the boy and the Old Beggar won't cause me any bother.

They waited, unblinking.

Suddenly, Gallant pointed beyond the port side. "A boat! A boat!"

Count Seven and Guo Jing turned to see a large junk with a dragon at its bow, sails raised, fast approaching them. Moments later, someone appeared at the front. He was tall and wearing a crimson kasaya. Lama Supreme Wisdom? Gallant Ouyang wondered. As the boat drew closer, his suspicions were confirmed. Quickly, he informed his uncle.

Viper Ouyang gathered the qi to his diaphragm and cried, "Over here! We are friends!"

Lotus was unaware of the developments above water. Guo Jing, however, knew they were in trouble. He ducked down under the surface, pulled at her arm and signaled that Viper had backup. Lotus could not understand what he was trying to tell her. But, whatever it was, it had to be bad. She gestured to Guo Jing that he should go back and distract Viper while she cut the rest of the ropes.

Guo Jing was acutely aware that he was at a disadvantage—all the more so, now that he was in the water and Viper was on the raft. His life was at risk, but he had no choice but to try. He gathered the strength into his arms and shot upward.

"Ha!" Viper Ouyang slapped his palms against the water just as Guo Jing's hands were rushing to the surface. The two forces collided, propelling the raft upward and—crraaaccckkkkkkkk!—it broke in two. Lotus must have cut the ropes just in time.

Lotus dived back down and was just about to leap up to stab Viper Ouyang when she caught sight of Guo Jing sinking motionless to the bottom of the sea. She swam quickly to his aid, grabbed his arm and pulled him away some distance before resurfacing. Guo Jing's eyes were screwed shut, his cheeks pale and his lips blue. He was unconscious.

Meanwhile, the junk had drawn close to Viper and lowered a small rescue boat. Its crew rowed over and fished Viper, Gallant, and Count Seven out of the water.

"Guo Jing!" Lotus cried his name three times, but he did not respond. The ship might be hostile, but she had no choice. She hooked her arm around Guo Jing's head and pulled him toward the rescue boat.

The men pulled Guo Jing aboard and then held their hands out to Lotus, but, instead of taking them, she placed her left hand on the edge of the small boat and leaped up like a flying fish, startling the men inside.

Only moments previously, Guo Jing had felt a force surge through his body and had almost immediately passed out. Luckily, the force traveled straight through him, without rebounding internally. Now, he awoke to find his cheek pressed against Lotus's chest. They were on a small boat. He took a few deep breaths and was relieved to discover that he had sustained no internal injuries. He looked up at Lotus and smiled. She replied with a grin as the fear melted from her heart. Only then did she look around to see who else was with them in the vessel.

The answer was not a happy one: eight men, including five she had encountered in the Zhao residence, in the Jin capital, only a few months before. A short, stocky man, known as Butcher of a Thousand Hands Tiger Peng; one with a shiny bald head, called Dragon King Hector Sha; a man with three cysts on his head, whose name was Browbeater Hou, or the Three-Horned Dragon; and, sitting behind them, the Ginseng Immortal Graybeard Liang, and Lama Supreme Wisdom Lobsang Choden Rinpoche. The other three she had never seen before.

Guo Jing and I have made great improvements in our kung fu, she said to herself. If I am forced to fight Tiger Peng or any of the others one-on-one, I might not win, but Guo Jing surely would. But Viper Ouyang is here, and there are so many of them. We are in danger.

5

The crew and passengers of the junk had been amazed to hear Viper Ouyang calling from the raft. Now, the presence of Guo Jing and Lotus only compounded their surprise.

Viper carried his nephew, while Guo Jing and Lotus supported Count Seven, and together they all climbed on board the junk.

Before long, a man appeared at the door of the main cabin to welcome them. He was dressed in a resplendent embroidered robe, and a neat beard graced his handsome face. His eyes met Guo Jing's and the two men looked at each other in stunned silence. It was the Sixth Prince of the Jin, Wanyan Honglie.

After escaping the Liu ancestral temple in Baoying, fearing that Guo Jing would follow him, Wanyan Honglie had decided not to return north. And, when he came across Tiger Peng, Browbeater Hou and the others, he led them south, instead, to steal the book of General Yue's last writings from his tomb.

Meanwhile, the Mongolians had launched a large-scale military attack against the Jin. The capital, Yanjing, had been under siege for months, and the surrounding sixteen prefectures had already fallen into Mongolian hands. As each day passed, the situation was growing more and more critical. Wanyan Honglie was fearful for his Empire—he had seen with his own eyes how agile and brave the Mongolians were. The Jin army outnumbered them, and yet they were being defeated in every battle. He could think of no way out, other than to recover General Yue Fei's book, unlock the secrets of his battle strategies contained within it and use them to force the Mongols to retreat.

Wanyan Honglie and his band had moved south with caution, so as to avoid discovery by the Song. They had decided that traveling by sea would be safest. They could come ashore on the coast of Zhejiang and secretly make their way inland, to Lin'an, to find the book.

Before setting sail, Wanyan Honglie had tried to find Gallant Ouyang, thinking that he would make a useful ally. But, after searching in vain for some time, he decided to leave without him. Little did he expect to come across him out here, at sea, accompanied by Guo Jing. Had his secret plan been leaked?

Guo Jing, meanwhile, was seething. This was the man who had killed his father. His eyes burned with hatred, so much so that he barely registered the others gathered on board this ship.

Just then, someone began to emerge from the cabin behind Wanyan Honglie, before quickly slipping back inside and closing the door. Lotus had seen enough, however. Yang Kang.

"Uncle," Gallant said, breaking the silence. "This is the Sixth Prince of the Jin. He is a great supporter of virtue and skill."

Viper cupped his hands as a sign of respect.

Wanyan Honglie was not aware of just how formidable Viper Ouyang's reputation in the wulin was. He had an arrogant air, but, for the sake of his friendship with Gallant Ouyang, the Sixth Prince returned the gesture.

Tiger Peng, Hector Sha, and the others bowed at the mention of his name.

"For many years, Elder Ouyang has held the title of the Supreme Master of the Wulin, claimed at the summit of Mount Hua," one of them said. "It is our pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Viper Ouyang bowed hurriedly in a halfhearted gesture of courtesy.

Only Lama Supreme Wisdom had not heard of the Venom of the West. He pressed his palms together and said nothing.

Wanyan Honglie observed that Hector Sha and the others were united in genuine admiration, which was unusual, considering their otherwise conceited behavior. They almost seemed to fear this newcomer, and their flattery was like nothing he had heard from them before. This strange man, with his swollen limbs and disheveled appearance, was no ordinary stranger. Intrigued, he chimed in with some words of respect.

Graybeard Liang's thoughts were elsewhere. This young man, Guo Jing, had drunk the precious magic blood of his prize snake, the result of many years of special care and attention. He was still furious. And yet, Guo Jing was accompanied by the man he feared most in this world, Count Seven Hong. Despite the fury bubbling in his breast, he kept a smile on his face, bowed and said, "Your humble servant, Graybeard Liang, offers Chief Hong my best wishes."

The others were startled. Was the Beggar of the North here, too? What were the chances of finding two of the greatest men of the wulin together on a raft, out at sea? They were about pay their respects when Count Seven let out a loud roar of laughter.

"This old beggar has been having the rottenest luck. I've been bitten half to death by the most vicious creature. There's no need to be so formal!"

Everyone was shocked. He was injured! Nothing to fear, then. They all looked at Viper Ouyang to gauge his reaction.

Viper's plan had been to get rid of Count Seven as soon as possible, so that his wretched actions would not be made known throughout the wulin. Then he would force Guo Jing to explain the more difficult passages of the Nine Yin Manual, before killing him, too. As for Lotus, she could not be allowed to live, no matter what his nephew felt for her. And yet, he could not do the deed himself. Her father would never rest in his quest for vengeance. No, he would have to make someone else kill her, in order to avoid the blame. But, now they had come aboard the Sixth Prince's ship, they would not be able to escape, at least.

He turned to Wanyan Honglie. "These three are most cunning, with passable kung fu. May I ask the Prince to guard them closely?"

Graybeard Liang was pleased. He shouldered past Hector Sha and grabbed Guo Jing's hand. Guo Jing twisted his wrist and slapped Liang's shoulder with a Dragon in the Field. The unexpected force behind the move took the old Master by surprise and he stumbled back two steps.

Tiger Peng and Graybeard Liang were constantly vying for the Sixth Prince's approval. Anything that might give them the upper hand was a cause for celebration, and watching the old Ginseng Codger stumble secretly delighted his rival. Seeing his chance, Tiger Peng stepped forward to block Count Seven Hong and the others.

Graybeard Liang had run past Hector Sha in order to avoid Guo Jing's Haughty Dragon Repents. He would be unable to counter it head-on, hence he planned a sideways assault. Little did he know that, in the months that had passed since their last meeting, Guo Jing had progressed beyond this one move. Guo Jing did not give chase, however, so Graybeard leaped up and launched the move which marked the pinnacle of all his years of training: Liaodong Wild Fox Fist. He was determined to kill the young man for humiliating him just now, as well as for killing his prize snake.

The move had been inspired by a journey up the Mountain of Eternal Snow, looking for ginseng. There, he had encountered a hunting dog and a wild fox fighting in the snow. The fox was sly, it jumped from side to side, avoiding the dog's razor-sharp claws and fangs. Graybeard had watched as the fox leaped up high, and suddenly he was inspired. Instead of gathering ginseng, he decided to build himself a hut on the mountain and contemplate the animal's movements over a period of several months. And that was how Wild Fox Fist was born.

It encompassed four fundamental principles: ling, shan, pu, die. That is, alertness, timely avoidance, pouncing, and tumbling. So far, it had proved effective against even his strongest opponents. It caused in them confusion, as they could not ascertain if he was moving in or fading back, or shifting left or right. This gave him the chance to make surprise attacks.

This time, he would not let himself underestimate his opponent. He launched his signature move straight at Guo Jing, ducking first, then pouncing mid-fall.

How odd, Guo Jing thought. He had never seen anything like it. Lotus makes use of a lot of feigned moves in her Cascading Peach Blossom Palm—perhaps as many as five or eight to every genuine strike—but this old man is all feint and no thrust. What strange technique is this?

But Count Seven's advice came back to him. No matter what style of kung fu he was faced with, he should respond with Dragon-Subduing Palm.

The others watched and secretly shook their heads. The old Ginseng Codger was a master, the head of his own sect of martial arts. Why was he constantly dodging and feinting? Did he not dare make a proper attack on a young man who was by every martial measure his inferior?

Within a few moves, the strength of Guo Jing's palm had pushed Old Liang back to the edge of the vessel. Graybeard Liang realized that his Wild Fox Fist would not lead him to victory, but it was too late to think of another technique. He was surrounded by the boy's palms. He had no space to work a counterattack.

"Lower!" Count Seven's voice floated above the roaring wind.

Guo Jing launched into a Dragons Tussle in the Wild, sweeping with his left arm.

Old Liang cried out and tumbled over the railing.

Stunned, everyone rushed to the side and peered down. At that moment, they heard a long cackle from out at sea. Suddenly, Old Liang flew up and landed on his back on the deck, where he lay motionless.

The onlookers were astounded. Had the water sent him bouncing back? They crowded round and peered down at the water, only to catch sight of an old man, his long, white hair and long, white beard catching the wind as he crested the waves. They looked closer: he was sitting on the back of a shark! Together, man and shark rode the waves with the speed of a horse galloping across dry land.

Guo Jing was surprised, but delighted. "Brother Zhou! Over here!"

The man riding the shark was none other than the Hoary Urchin, Zhou Botong.

Zhou responded with a cheer and then punched the shark close to its right eye. The animal instantly turned left and drew up beside the boat.

"Brother Guo? Is that you? How are you, boy? There's a large whale up ahead. I've been chasing it all day and all night. I'm getting close. See you later!"

"Brother Zhou!" Guo Jing cried out anxiously. "Come aboard! We are being bullied by a whole crowd of bad men!"

"Is that so?" The Urchin was most displeased. He reached into the shark's mouth and tugged, his other hand clutching the side of the ship. Suddenly, man and shark flew up and over the heads of the onlookers, before landing on the deck. "Who dares bully my little brother?"

Every one of the fighters on board had seen some strange things in their time, but this bearded man's appearance was stranger still. They were stunned into silence. Even Count Seven and Viper Ouyang were stupefied.

Zhou Botong spotted Lotus. "What are you doing here?"

"Why wouldn't I be here?" Lotus said with a smile. "I had a feeling you would appear today, so I was waiting. Teach me how to ride a shark!"

"Very well, my child," Zhou Botong said, and he laughed.

"But first, get rid of all these scoundrels," she said.

Zhou Botong surveyed the crowd gathered on the deck. His eyes came to rest on Viper Ouyang. "I was wondering who would dare be so brazen. I should have known it would be you."

"A man who does not keep his word, no matter how much he tries to hide away, will always be a laughing stock to the heroes of this world," Viper Ouyang said coldly.

"Indeed. A man can do as he pleases, but, if his words are worth no more than a fart, people won't know if they came from his mouth or his backside. Actually, I was looking for you. We have a score to settle, so it is quite wonderful to see you. Old Beggar, you are our witness, stand up and say a few words. Make it official."

Count Seven smiled from where he was lying on the deck.

"Old Venom has encountered many troubles," Lotus began. "My Master must have saved him at least nine times. And yet, he has the heart of a wolf. He has shown only cruelty in the face of such kindness, locking my Master's pressure points."

Count Seven had saved Viper Ouyang only three times, in fact, but Lotus could be forgiven for her exaggeration. And it would have been a weak argument to point it out, so Viper Ouyang could only glare at her in furious silence.

Zhou Botong leaned down and tried to release Count Seven by rubbing his Pool at the Bend point, located in the crook of his arm, and the Gushing Spring, on the sole of his foot.

"It's no use, Old Urchin," Count Seven breathed.

Viper Ouyang had locked his pressure points using an unusual method. The only people who knew how to unlock them were the Venom himself and Apothecary Huang.

"Go on, try to release him, Urchin," Viper said with a sneer.

Lotus recognized the method, but did not know how to unlock it.

"Huh, what is so clever about that? My father knows this Bone-Piercing Pressure Lock."

Viper was amazed to hear the girl name the technique, but he ignored her and instead turned to Zhou Botong. "We had a bet and you lost. It appears you are the one talking out of your Zhou Bottom."

"Pheeeew!" Zhou cried and pinched his nose. "What a stink! Remind me, what was our bet?"

"Everyone gathered here is a master of the wulin. Well, except the Guo boy and the young girl. Let me relate the events and those gathered here can be our judges."

"Indeed, indeed. Tell us, Master Ouyang," Tiger Peng said.

"The man standing before you is Zhou Botong, Master Zhou of the Quanzhen Sect," Viper began. "He is known across the rivers and lakes as the Hoary Urchin, and claims Qiu Chuji, Wang Chuyi, and the other Immortals as his martial nephews."

Zhou Botong had spent the last decade or so detained on Peach Blossom Island. Before that, he had not accomplished anything of note in the field of martial arts; he had been too busy making mischief. His name carried no special resonance in the jianghu, but the sight of him riding a shark and flipping it up onto the deck before them was enough to make the fighters gathered that day pay attention. A muttering rippled from lip to lip.

Tiger Peng recalled his upcoming meeting at the Tower of Mist and Rain in Jiaxing, which was scheduled to take place during the Moon Festival, in the eighth lunar month of the year. If the Quanzhen Sect were going to have the help of this strange man, things were going to be tougher than he had thought. He began to feel apprehensive.

"Brother Zhou, here, was stranded among a school of sharks, so I rescued him. I told him that I could kill all of them with the most meager effort on my part, and Brother Zhou did not believe me. So, we made a bet. Isn't that right, Brother Zhou?"

"Indeed, absolutely true." Zhou Botong nodded. "Now, tell them what we bet."

"I was just coming to that! I said that, if I lost, he could determine my punishment. And if I refused, I would jump into the sea and be food for the sharks. If he lost, the same would apply. Wasn't it thus, Brother Zhou?"

"Yes, yes." Zhou Botong nodded again. "Then what happened?"

"What happened? You lost, that's what happened."

This time, Zhou Botong shook his head vigorously. "No, upon my word! You were the one who lost, not me."

This made Viper Ouyang furious. "A great man can distinguish right from wrong! Are you denying your own words? If I was the one who lost, why did you jump into the sea?"

"Yes, that is true." Zhou Botong sighed. "I did indeed admit defeat. But who would have thought it? As I plunged into the water, the heavens sent me a gift. Only then did I realize that it was the Old Venom who had been defeated, and that it was I, the Hoary Urchin, who had prevailed."

"What gift?" Viper, Count Seven, and Lotus cried in unison.

The Urchin bent down and grabbed the stick wedged inside the shark's mouth, then raised the animal's head and said, "This fine shark. I'm sure you remember, Old Venom. Your beloved nephew jammed this stick in its mouth, isn't that right?"

Gallant had indeed come up with the wicked plan to starve the shark to death by forcing its mouth open so it could not eat. Viper Ouyang had seen him do it with his own eyes. The wound at the side of its jaw, caused by Gallant's fish hook, was also more than apparent. It was, indeed, the very same animal they had returned to the sea.

"And?" he said.

Zhou Botong clapped his hands. "Which means you lost! Our bet was that you would kill every last one of the sharks, but this fine beast was lucky enough to be given a lifeline by your dear nephew. It couldn't eat the poisoned sharks, and thus survived. So, you must concede, therefore, that I am the winner." He burst out laughing.

Viper's face went dark, but he did not reply.

"Big Brother," Guo Jing interrupted, "where have you been, these last few days? I was so sad."

"I was amusing myself," the Urchin replied with a grin. "Not long after I jumped into the water, I spotted this fellow on the surface, in great pain. 'Old shark,' I said, 'misery loves company!' I then leaped up onto its back. It dived down to the seabed. All I could do was draw a deep breath, clutch its neck and kick its belly until it resurfaced. I barely had time to draw another breath before it dived down again. We carried on like this for the best part of a day, until it finally admitted defeat and was tamed. If I told it to go right, it went right. If I wanted it to leap out of the water, it was too scared to do the opposite."

He patted the shark gently on the head, inordinately pleased with himself.

Of all his audience, it was Lotus who felt the most admiration for the Hoary Urchin. "I've spent so many years swimming in the sea, why have I never thought of such a trick?" she said, her eyes shining. "How stupid of me!"

"Their teeth are as sharp as knives," Zhou Botong answered. "If it didn't have a stick in its mouth, it would be impossible."

"You've been riding this shark for days, now?" Lotus said.

"Indeed. We've become quite a team at catching fish. We chase them as soon as we spot them, then I either punch or slap the little things. For every ten we catch, I only get to eat one. This old fellow gets the rest."

Lotus gently stroked the shark's belly. "You drop the fish into its mouth? Doesn't it need to chew?"

"Oh, he just swallows them whole. He only really lets me ride him because I feed him. On one occasion, we were chasing the most humongous cuttlefish…"

Lotus and the Urchin were so absorbed in their conversation, they had forgotten all about the others. Viper was muttering to himself, trying to come up with a plan. Eventually, Zhou remembered him and called out, "So, Old Venom, do you admit defeat?"

With the others as his witness, how could go back on his word? "And so what if I lost?"

"Hmm, then I must think of your punishment. You said that I was talking farts, before. Very well. Give us a fart at once! Let everyone smell it."

Such a mundane request irritated Lotus. For the average person, it would be difficult, but for someone practiced in neigong inner strength? All they had to do was circulate their breathing around their body. A trifle. The thought that the cunning snake might get away with it all so easily was too much to bear. "No, no, first make him unlock my Master's vital points!" she cried.

"See?" Zhou Botong called out in delight. "Your farts frighten the young lady. Fine—this time, you get away with it. Tend to the Old Beggar instead. He is your equal in skill and it is only your cunning that enabled you to prevail against him. Once he is better, you can fight him again. This time, the Old Urchin will judge who the winner is."

Viper Ouyang knew that Count Seven's injuries were permanent. He was not afraid of retaliation. But he was concerned that Zhou Botong might come up with a stranger, more difficult request. The others looked on as he hesitated. He could not go back on his word. He bent down and, with the force of his palm, released Count Seven from the lock on his pressure points. Lotus and Guo Jing rushed forward to help their Master to his feet.

Zhou Botong looked again at the people gathered on the deck. "The thing that really gives me the shivers is the rank urine smell of the mutton eaten by these northern barbarians. Let down the small boat so that the four of us can go ashore."

The Hoary Urchin's fighting techniques were decidedly strange—Viper had known this since witnessing his fight with Apothecary Huang. He was not entirely assured of his own victory, therefore. He would wait until he had absorbed the Nine Yin Manual. Then he would return and settle the score. In any case, he now had the excuse of having lost their bet. It would be better to be rid of him, for now.

"Very well, you have been most fortunate. As you won the bet, we shall do as you say." Turning to Wanyan Honglie, he said, "Prince, please set down a boat to take these four passengers ashore."

Wanyan Honglie hesitated. What if they reveal my secret mission? he thought.

Lama Supreme Wisdom had been watching coldly. Viper Ouyang's bedraggled appearance filled his heart with contempt. And so easily he accepts that lying scoundrel Zhou Botong's word? The coward. The Venom of the West was surely undeserving of his reputation. Nothing the lama had seen suggested that he was any more accomplished than any of the other masters gathered on this boat. Noticing Wanyan Honglie's moment of hesitation, he took two steps forward. "Had we met on the raft, then surely we would do as Mr. Ouyang says. But we are on a Jin ship now, and it is the Prince who gives the orders."

This caught the attention of the others and they looked at Viper to gauge his reaction.

Viper looked the monk up and down with an icy gaze. Then he raised his eyes to the heavens and said, "Is the Venerable Monk trying to make life difficult for an old man?"

"I wouldn't dare. I arrived in the Central Plains ignorant and friendless. Today is the first time I have ever heard Sir Ouyang's great name. What ill will could I have toward—?"

Before he could finish, Viper had taken a step forward, feigned with his left hand and grabbed the monk with his right. Within moments, the monk's large frame had been spun around and was now hanging upside down.

It had all happened so fast that all the others saw was a flash of the monk's red vestments.

The monk was more than a head taller than everyone else on the boat, so, even if Viper had held him upright, with his arm extended at full length, Lama Supreme Wisdom's feet would have trailed the boards. By flipping him upside down and grasping his neck like he was holding aloft a lump of meat, Viper kept his head four feet above the deck.

The lama kicked and roared curses. The others had seen him take on Wang Chuyi at the Zhao residence, so they knew him to be a considerable fighter. The sight of his legs flailing, his arms hanging limp by his ears as if they had been broken, was shocking.

With his eyes still raised to the sky, Viper Ouyang began to speak. "Today was the first time you heard my name? You look upon me, an old man, with scorn, is that right?"

Lama Supreme Wisdom was both scared and angry. He tried to redistribute his qi a few times and struggle free, without success. Tiger Peng and the others watched in amazement.

"You may scorn me," Viper continued, "but I refuse to lower myself to your level in front of the Honorable Prince. You wish to keep the Old Urchin, Master Zhou, and the Divine Vagrant Nine Fingers, Master Hong, on the ship with you. Ha! Are you going to rely on your mediocre skills to overcome them? You are indeed ignorant and friendless, but you are also unaware of your own limitations. Let me show you. Old Urchin, take this!"

Before anyone could see what was happening, the lama was sailing through the air like a cloud, toward the starboard side of the ship. As soon as he left Viper's grip, Lama Supreme Wisdom felt free. He tried to straighten his body and perform a Flipping Carp in order to right himself. But a sudden pain shot through his neck. He tried to strike back with a Secret Blade Mudra, but his arms were numb. He felt his body continue on its course, and, before he could do anything, Zhou Botong had received him.

Wanyan Honglie understood the danger the lama was in. No one could accuse Viper Ouyang of not having warned him. "Master Zhou," he called. "No more games. I will lower a boat for you and your three friends."

"Wonderful," Zhou Botong replied. "You have a go. To you!"

He mimicked Viper's push of his palm and sent the monk's weighty mass flying toward the Prince.

Wanyan Honglie had some grounding in the martial arts, of course, but his skills were for the most part limited to using a spear or a bow and arrow on horseback. How was he going to stop the momentum of the monk flying toward him? If it did not kill him, he would certainly be injured.

Hector Sha saw the danger the Sixth Prince was in and placed himself in front of Wanyan Honglie, in a display of Shape Changing kung fu. If he struck the lama with his palm, he might cause him serious injury. He preferred to grab the back of his neck, just as Viper Ouyang and Zhou Botong had, and place him on his feet.

He had forgotten one crucial detail, however. His martial skills were meager next to theirs. Viper Ouyang and Zhou Botong had made it all look so effortless. He leaped up, intending to grab the lama, only to feel a burning sensation flow through his hand as soon as his fingers made contact with the back of the monk's neck. If he did not take steps to protect his wrist, it would snap. He pulled back, straight into a Bone-Piercing Awl.

As he was being thrown between the Venom and the Urchin, Lama Supreme Wisdom's blood had been forced backward through his veins. He felt dizzy, and fury swelled inside him. As he sailed through the air, he gathered his qi, made a mudra by touching his index finger and thumb together, and released it as soon as he felt Hector Sha's touch.

They were fairly well matched as fighters, but the lama had caught Hector Sha off guard, forcing him to stumble back. The lama, meanwhile, crashed belly first onto the deck. He spun and jumped quickly to his feet, however, only to realize who it was that had just hit him. Hector Sha! So, even you, you filthy traitor, are out to get me! He roared and pounced.

Tiger Peng could see the misunderstanding playing out. "Reverend, please!" he cried, as he cast himself between them. "Brother Sha's intentions were good."

While all this had been going on, the small boat had been lowered. Zhou Botong had removed the stick from the shark's mouth and hurled the beast back into the water, breaking the stick in two with his other hand. Realizing it was free, the shark dived deep in order to look for food.

"Guo Jing, next time, we can ride with Brother Zhou. Maybe even have a race!" Lotus said with a broad smile.

"I'll be the umpire!" Zhou Botong cried out, clapping his hands.

Wanyan Honglie watched as they climbed aboard, but his thoughts were focused on Viper Ouyang. He could be useful in stealing the last writings of Yue Fei. He took the lama's hand and pulled him toward the Venom. "Come, now, gentlemen, we are all friends. Reverend was merely jesting. It was all just a game!"

Viper Ouyang smiled and extended a hand. But Lama Supreme Wisdom was still aggrieved. You are only good at catching your opponent off guard, he said to himself. I have trained for decades in Five Finger Blade; am I not your equal? He reached out to take the Venom's hand, but secretly gathered his energy to it. Just as he was about to squeeze down hard, he suddenly jumped up. His hand stung, as if he had clenched an ingot of red-hot steel. Viper Ouyang merely gave a faint smile. The lama looked down at his hand, but saw no sign of injury. Damn this old scoundrel and his demonic sorcery.

Viper Ouyang glanced across at the Ginseng Codger, Graybeard Liang, who was still lying prostrate on the deck. He went over to examine him, unlocking his pressure points. From now on, Viper Ouyang would be the leader of this ragtag bunch of fighters. Wanyan Honglie, meanwhile, gave orders for a feast to be prepared in honor of the Venom and his nephew.