Eternal Spring Defeated(next)

7

LOTUS! GUO JING RUSHED OUT OF THE ROOM. THERE SHE WAS, standing in the courtyard with his horse, Ulaan. The magnificent creature whinnied and reared, excited to see his master.

Guo Jing turned to his mentors as they came out into the courtyard. "Third Shifu, this is Lotus. She's a nice girl, not a she-demon."

"Why did you call me a she-demon, tubby man?" Lotus Huang glowered at Ryder Han and Zhu Cong in turn. "And you, you filthy scholar, why did you call my father a cold-blooded killer?"

Zhu Cong had never set eyes on such beauty in all his years. No wonder Guo Jing was so smitten. He smiled foolishly and said nothing.

"Be off with you. Shoo!" Ryder Han's whiskers bristled in agitation.

"Squat melon, roll and roll.

One kick to the backside,

And there he goes . . ."

Lotus Huang sang, beating time with her hands. Ryder Han charged at her. She skipped sideways, evading him with ease.

"They're my teachers!" Guo Jing pleaded.

Lotus pulled a face and stuck her tongue out.

"Squat melon, roll and roll.

One kick . . ."

Lotus took hold of Guo Jing's belt and leapt into the air. They landed together on the horse's saddle. The moment she placed her hands on the reins, Ulaan shot out of the inn like an arrow. However fast Ryder Han's lightness kung fu might be, he could not keep up with a Fergana horse from the Mongolian steppe, whose hooves were so light and quick it was as if they were borne on wind and lightning.

Only moments had passed, but Guo Jing could no longer make out the faces of his mentors and the inn was rapidly reducing to a dot on the horizon. The air parted before him, the wind whistled in his ears. Lotus had taken her left hand off the reins to hold his hand. He felt guilty for running from his shifus, abandoning his obligations, but how could he give up Lotus? She was dearer to him than life itself. He would rather lose his head and bleed dry than obey his teachers' wishes and go against his heart.

In a short space of time, Ulaan had taken them dozens of li away from Zhongdu. Certain that no-one could catch up with them, Lotus pulled on the reins and stopped by a brook to rest. The magnificent steed rubbed his head affectionately against Guo Jing, delighted to see his master again after a few days of separation.

The young couple had only been apart for a matter of hours, but so much had transpired in that time that they had feared they would never see each other again. There was so much they wanted to say to each other, and neither knew where to start. At the same time, they knew the other person had already understood and there was no need to say anything out loud. Holding hands was enough.

They stood together with their fingers entwined for a long time. Eventually, Lotus took a handkerchief from the saddlebag and moistened it in the stream. She held it out for Guo Jing, but he was lost to the world.

"That's what we'll do," he said suddenly. "We'll go back."

"Together?"

"Yes, I'll tell my shifus and the Elders that you're a nice girl, you're not a she-demon, and that I . . . I cannot be without you." Guo Jing took her hand, speaking as if the Freaks were in front of him. "Shifus, I could never repay your kindness, but . . . but Lotus . . . Lotus is not a she-demon. She is a very, very nice girl . . . She is very, very . . . nice . . ." There were so many wonderful things about Lotus, but he had never been good with words. That was the best he could come up with.

Moved by his conviction, Lotus was also amused by how tongue-tied he was. "They hate me. They won't listen to you. Let's run away. We can live in the mountains, or move to an island. We can go to a place where they'll never find us, a place where we can be together."

For a moment, Guo Jing was tempted, then he said, with certainty, "We have to go back."

"They'll split us up. We'll never see each other again."

"I won't part from you, even in death. Shifus, I have always obeyed you, but I cannot leave Lotus. You can kill me – I will not run, I will not complain – but I will never part from her."

Lotus had always had a pessimistic streak, despite her outward good humour. She was not hopeful about her future with Guo Jing after overhearing the exchange in the inn, but his resolve restored her faith. After all, their hearts were one. No man or power in this world could separate them.

"I'll always be with you. Death can't part us; not even Papa can split us up."

"See? You're very, very nice . . ."

That made Lotus laugh. "Why don't we let Ulaan rest a little? We should have a snack too." She pulled out a hunk of beef from the saddlebag and coated it in mud, before collecting dried branches for a fire.

IT WAS already afternoon by the time they arrived back at the inn. The innkeeper, remembering Guo Jing's generous tips, welcomed him warmly.

"Sir, your party has already left the capital. Would you like something to eat?"

"Did they leave a message?"

"No, they went south a few hours ago."

"Let's catch up with them."

Guo Jing and Lotus galloped south, but could find no sign of the Freaks or the Taoists. They tried another route, questioning passers-by and shopkeepers along the way, but no-one had seen anyone matching the Freaks' physical descriptions. Ulaan had galloped several dozen li with two in the saddle, but he showed no sign of fatigue.

"We'll see your shifus in Jiaxing on the evening of Moon Festival," Lotus said, to cheer Guo Jing up. "You can tell them how 'very, very nice' I am then."

"That's six months from now."

"Well, that gives us six months to travel!"

8

THE NEXT MORNING, GUO JING PURCHASED A WHITE HORSE for himself to lighten the load on Ulaan. They travelled southwards at a leisurely pace, enjoying the scenery. Sometimes they slept under the stars, side by side; sometimes they shared a room in a village inn. Close though they were, they were always chaste.

Lotus Huang had been brought up under the influence of her father Apothecary Huang's unorthodox views, rejecting the etiquette and rules of the time. She saw nothing untoward or unusual about Guo Jing's companionship. Guo Jing, with his upbringing in Mongolia, simply followed his heart. He had always done what felt right and natural to him. They also had plenty of gold and silver, so they wanted for nothing on their journey.

By the fourth lunar month, they were approaching the Tainingjun area of Xiqing city in eastern Shandong. Having been in the saddle all morning that warm, sunny day, their faces were sticky with sweat and dirt from the road.

"Let's find a spot of shade," Lotus said.

"The town is just ahead. Why don't we stop there for a pot of tea?" Guo Jing replied.

They soon caught sight of a group plodding ahead of them. A portly man in a purple silk robe sat astride a frail and sickly donkey, fanning himself frantically. The beast buckled under his enormous weight, at least two hundred and fifty jin. By his side was a sedan chair. The drapes were tied back, and a plump woman in pink sat within. Her litter was carried by two elderly, stick-thin porters. A maid walked alongside, waving a large fan to cool her mistress.

Intrigued by the spectacle, Lotus said, "I'm going to take a better look at the lady," and urged Ulaan forward.

As she overtook the party, she turned the horse and peered into the sedan chair. She saw a woman in her forties with a face as broad as a washbasin, a pair of small beady eyes, a wide mouth and a flat nose. Her skin was caked in a thick layer of powder, scored through by rivulets of sweat pouring from her forehead. A golden hairpin, a red satin flower and a pair of fleshy ears protruded from her rotund head of hair.

"What are you looking at?" The large lady glared at Lotus.

"I wish to admire your shapely figure and good looks!" Lotus laughed and tightened the reins. Ulaan galloped straight at the sedan chair.

The servants let go and the litter hit the ground, sending the woman tumbling into the middle of the road with a flail, a scream, and then a curse.

Lotus chuckled at such a fine joke. But, before she could ride away, the man on the donkey lashed at her with his riding crop.

"You little rascal!"

Lotus grabbed the end and pulled. The man lost his balance and fell, at which Lotus turned the crop on him.

"Highway robbery! Murder!" the woman screamed.

Lotus pulled out her Emei Needles and sliced the woman's left ear off, making her squeal like a pig at the slaughter.

The man fell to his knees. "Mistress, spare our lives – we will give you gold."

"Who wants your gold? Who is she?"

"She's my wife . . . We're going . . . going to her parents'."

"You're big and strong – can't you walk? Behave, and I'll let you live."

"Whatever Mistress commands!"

Lotus was tickled at being addressed so formally by someone older than her in age. "You three. Into the sedan chair." The porters and the maid straightened the litter and climbed in without a word. There was still room to turn inside.

All eyes were on Lotus. No-one dared guess what she might come up with next.

"You may have a few ingots to your name, but you can't walk over people like that! Do you want to live or die?"

"Live! We want to live!" husband and wife shouted in unison.

"Well, it's your turn. Carry the chair!"

"I . . . don't know how," the woman said, her hand pressed against her bleeding face.

"If you refuse . . ." Lotus swiped her Emei Needle flat against the plump woman's nose.

The woman shrieked and covered her nose. Then she scrabbled to lift the carrying poles onto her shoulders and her husband followed suit. Well fed as they were, the couple were more able to manage the weight than their servants.

Lotus and Guo Jing escorted the group a short distance before galloping away. They turned back to look and saw that the couple were still earnestly carrying the chair.

Lotus giggled. "What a horrible woman. She'd be perfect for Qiu Chuji."

"He doesn't want a wife," Guo Jing said.

"Of course not, but then he'd know how it feels to have one forced upon him. You said you didn't want to marry Miss Mu, but he kept harassing you. One day, when my kung fu is stronger than his, I'll force him to take a nasty wife."

"Lotus, Miss Mu isn't horrible or nasty. But my heart is yours." Guo Jing suddenly realised how much Qiu Chuji's words had troubled Lotus.

"I may be a frightful mistress, but at least I'm pretty. And I'll never be horrible to you!"

ONE DAY, as they ambled along a tree-lined road, the song of a babbling brook caught Lotus's attention. She galloped ahead through the trees and was welcomed by the sight of a deep stream framed by willow branches that reached down to the surface of the water. The water was so clear that she could see pebbles in green, white, red and purple on the riverbed, obscured only by an abundance of fish.

Lotus took off her outer garments and the Hedgehog Chainmail, and jumped into the water. In no time, she emerged with a fish flapping in her hand.

"Catch!"

Guo Jing tried his grappling kung fu on the fish, but it slipped away and lay thrashing about on the ground.

"Come into the water."

Guo Jing did not know how to swim, having spent his whole childhood in the landlocked Mongolia. He took off his shirt and stepped gingerly into the water. Lotus dived and tugged on his leg, upsetting his balance. He panicked and went under, swallowing a lungful of water.

Laughing, Lotus pulled him up and taught him how to breathe and float. The key to swimming lay in controlled breathing, and that happened to be something Guo Jing knew very well from his internal kung fu training. In a few hours' time, he had grasped the basics. They grilled fish for dinner and camped by the brook that night.

Lotus grew up on an island; the sea was her constant companion. Her father Apothecary Huang might have been one of the greatest kung fu masters of the age, but he could not rival his daughter in the water. Guided by such a master and spending at least eight hours in the stream each day, Guo Jing was swimming very well after just one week.

The young couple were swimming upstream when, after a few li, a thunderous noise greeted them. They rounded a bend in the stream where the air was filled with vapour. A spectacular sight greeted them: a vast sheet of water crashing down from the cliff edge above, more than a dozen zhang high.

"Let's climb to the top!" Lotus was thrilled.

The water beat down hard. They were barely able to hold their ground against the force of the torrent. Whenever they lifted their feet, they were flushed downstream. They struggled for several hours, making very little headway.

"We'll beat it tomorrow!" Guo Jing said.

"Don't take it personally, it's just a waterfall." Lotus laughed.

The next morning, the young couple managed to climb a few zhang before falling into the pool below. The depth of the water and their lightness kung fu ensured they were not injured.

They returned to the waterfall every day, learning its topography and the flow of the water. On the eighth day, Guo Jing climbed to the top and pulled Lotus up. Whooping with joy, they jumped down, hand in hand.

After a fortnight of swimming and climbing the waterfall, Guo Jing was now a formidable swimmer, thanks to his considerable internal neigong. It would be a long time before he was as comfortable in the water as Lotus, but he was already better than her father. Having exhausted all the sights around the stream, they continued south.

ONE DAY, at dusk, they reached the banks of the Yangtze River. The majestic waters rushed east; white-crested waves splashed and churned. The sight imbued Guo Jing with a great sense of awe, and he felt as if his body and the river were one. The scene captured him for some time.

"Do it!" Lotus cried above the roar of the river. She could tell that he wanted to swim to the other shore. By now, they had developed such a deep connection that they had little need to give voice to their thoughts.

"Off you go," Guo Jing said as he let the white horse go. He then tied their belongings to Ulaan's saddle. Neighing, the Fergana horse led the way, his masters swimming, side by side, in his wake.

It was a clear night. There was no other sound but the rush of water, as if everything between the heavens and earth belonged to just the two of them.

Clouds began to gather, obscuring the stars. Lightning cracked overhead to the drumming of thunder.

"Are you scared?" Guo Jing asked.

"Not when we're together."

Yet summer storms die down as suddenly as they descend. A bright moon was hanging low by the time they reached the other shore. Guo Jing started a fire and Lotus hung their clothes to dry. They changed into fresh garments and took a nap to the song of the rushing river.

The sky began to glint white. A cock crowed, waking Lotus.

She yawned. "I'm starving!"

Jumping to her feet, she darted towards a nearby farmhouse and soon returned with a large cockerel under her arm.

"Let's go. I don't want his owner to see us," she said.

They walked east for about a li before settling down. Lotus gutted the chicken with her Emei Needles and cleaned the cavity. Then, without plucking the feathers, she covered the whole bird with mud and put it on the fire. Soon, a sweet aroma filled the air. She continued to grill the earthen parcel until the mud casing was cracked and dry. When she broke it open, the feathers came off with the baked earth, revealing a perfectly cooked chicken.