Heartbroken Arrow

CHAPTER 4
SAMSARA

Ren Denglong came over to the stone kang with a dark, cold expression, his eyes shining as he stared down at Fan Kuzhu. The way he was looking at him, it was as if Fan Kuzhu had committed some unpardonable crime and was waiting to be punished.

As for Ouyang Chun, he also seemed to be puzzled by Second Brother’s sudden appearance. He stood to the side, at a loss, not sure what to say…

Fan Kuzhu fearlessly met Ren Denglong’s gaze. After a moment he finally opened his mouth and with deep pain, said, “Second Brother, I suppose you’re not here to uphold justice?”

Ren Denglong said indifferently, “What is justice? There’s no justice in the world, there’s no justice in the jianghu, and it long ago disappeared from even our Magic Wing Sect. Whoever speaks of justice will never again be able to raise his head!”

Fan Kuzhu’s face muscles twitched and he said bitterly, “This is not at all like you, Second Brother. Why did you suddenly change? Change into a completely different person than you were before? I was only in prison for three months or so, that’s not that long a time, but as soon as I’m out, all these changes in people makes me feel like I’ve stepped into another world…”

Ren Denglong let out a heavy snort. “I haven’t changed, I’ve always been me. Problem is you never understood me. Circumstances forced me to put on this hypocritical facade and do some things that were against my nature. Speaking of two-faced, now that circumstances have changed and the truth is spilling out, those who have been wronged can avenge their wrongs; those who have enemies can seek revenge!”

Fan Kuzhu was at a loss. “Second Brother, who among us has a grievance against who? Who is who’s enemy?”

Ren Denglong pointed at Fan Kuzhu. “There is an injustice between us, but the wronged one was not you, but me!”

Fan Kuzhu said slowly, in a low voice, “Little Tong wronged me to get Bai Feng, Fifth wronged me for money, but Second Brother, what do you have against me? I have nothing left for anyone to covet…”

Ren Denglong looked up and said severely, “I’ll be frank with you. Fan Kuzhu, within our Magic Wing Sect, there are seven disciples of the third generation, and you rank fourth. Yet your martial arts is the best among us. How did you attain such unreasonable skill? No, no it’s not your natural talent, some innate gift, nor are you exceptionally brilliant or intelligent. It’s our master’s selfish motives, because he especially favored you, so he taught you all his secret techniques on the sly, and the rest of us only learned some of his leftover moves. Not only that, ten years ago when Master was seriosuly ill, he diregarded martial world conventions and insisted on passing the sect headship on to you, treating the rest of us as if we were nothing. Fan Kuzhu, all this fills me with hate and resentment. Poor me, I’ve nursed this grievance for almost ten years…”

Fan Kuzhu was about to respond, but Ren Denglong waved his hand to stop him. “You’re going to say that you refused the position back then! Yes, you expressed to Master your sincere wish not to accept the position, but it was all an act to fool all of us, which just showed that you were not at all as virtuous and humble as you let on. Fan Kuzhu, you knew full well that Master liked those who seeked a simple life. He praised your conciliatory, content disposition. You curried favor with Master and went all out in playing the part of the false gentleman. Master was getting senile and you were fawning on him, throwing the whole structure of the Magic Wing Sect into disorder, violating the order of our seniority and forcing us fellow disciples to restrain our grief and endure humiliation until now!”

Fan Kuzhu sighed heavily and said sadly, “Second Brother, that’s all just your radical, false notions. I never knew you had gotten things so twisted in your mind to such a degree that you harbored such narrowminded ambition. Even if I were good at playing the hypocrite, for me to be able to keep it up for so long I guess you’d have to consider it real. Second Brother, as for Master’s teaching, he taught us all the same techniques. The differences in skill between us just had to do with our individual temperaments, our comprehension, and the seriousness of our martial arts practice, that’s all. You all learned the same stuff I learned. I never learned anything special from Master. As for taking over the sect, that matter is already over. Back then I never once had my eye on the sect headship and I have even less interest in it now. Second Brother, you should take it to heart. I can handle your angry rebuke, but you ought not to insult Master. That’s not just disrespectful as a disciple, but it will give you the besmirched mark of a traitor for generations to come…”

Ren Denglong sneered, “A master like that is not worthy of being anyone’s master. It is difficult for me to maintain proper disciple etiquette. Cursing him a few times is already being polite. With my temper, the fact that I haven’t dug him up and whipped his corpse is already being lenient!”

A cold chill ran down Fan Kuzhu’s spine and his face clouded. “Second Brother, we’ve gotten along together all our lives; only now do I find out what a beast in human clothing you are, just a dirty swine draped in human skin!”

Ren Denglong’s beard and eyebrow hair stood on end in rage. He gnashed his teeth, “Curse me all you want, Fan Kuzhu, you won’t be cursing for very long. Just wait till you’re dealt with here; the next one will be that muddleheaded, incompetent Chang Jiapeng, who carries around Master’s spirit tablet like it’s an imperial edict!”

Fan Kuzhu shook and he blurted, “How can you lay murderous hands on First Brother? He’s already one foot in the grave, weak and constantly ailing. When did he incur your envy?”

Ren Denglong said savagely, “Might as well tell you—our First Brother has already made out his last will and testament. Can you guess what that bastard included in it? He made himself clear with the first item, which was to appoint you as his successor as head of the sect. What’s even more reprehensible than that is he actually had Third Brother Zhan and I sign our names as witnesses. Fine, he is Master’s successor, Master’s good little disciple, he can flatter a dead man, reverently fawn over that rotten pile of bones all he wants, but I won’t be pushed around. Fan Kuzhu, I’ve harbored this resentment for ten years, I won’t harbor it anymore. As soon as Chang Jiapeng dies, the headship of Magic Wing Sect is mine!”

Fan Kuzhu still hadn’t responded when Ouyang Chun off to the side cut in, “Second Brother, it’s none of my business who takes over the sect headship. I’m just waiting till I get the money, then I will be off to some place far away. I don’t want anything to do with your doings…”

A murderous gleam flashed across Ren Denglong’s eyes, but he just nodded, his tone especially mild, “I know that. You and Little Tong have an agreement that once you get the money you will go someplace far away at once, the farther the better, and you can’t reveal any sect matters. It will be as if you never were part of Magic Wing Sect, and you never knew any of us at all!”

Ouyang Chun grinned. “Of course, Second Brother, I’ll do exactly as you say—as if I never joined the Magic Wing Sect, as if I never knew any of you!”

Ren Denglong feigned a smile. “So did you get the stamp?”

Ouyang Chun’s anger flared at the question. He said angrily, “To answer you, Second Brother, I haven’t got it yet. Fan has been stalling and talking nonsense and has been slow in handing the stamp over to me. I was just thinking about how to make him suffer for it. Fuck, that scoundrel won’t shed a tear till he sees the coffin!”

Ren Denglong turned back to Fan Kuzhu and with a composed look, said, “Out with it, Fan Kuzhu. You’re dead either way, sooner or later. Uou can’t escape this. If you don’t hand over the stamp, are you planning on taking it with you to use in the netherworld?”

Fan Kuzhu suddenly had an idea. He said coldly, “That’s my business. Second Brother, I’m the one who worked hard to earn that money. I never asked for a shred of help from you. Now you’re getting Fifth to threaten me with my life for money, do you think that will do you any good?”

Ren Denglong was dumbstruck for a moment. Then he got mad. “You brazen, audacious Fan Kuzhu, you dare to smear me like that? I’m doing this to vent my anger. What I want is reputation, how could I care about that piffling stuff? I’m only helping Fifth plan—”

Fan Kuzhu let out a scornful laugh. “No need to pretend, Second Brother, we all know your situation. Your property and savings are not worth even laughing at. You’re just using Fifth’s rash, crude nature to force me to hand over the wealth, then you will enjoy the fruit of his labor. Or to put it more clearly, the moment the silver is cashed out, Fifth’s portion of it, well it’s doubtful how much of that he will be able to get!”

Ren Denglong’s jaw with its swollen lymph nodes twitched slightly, but he suppressed his anger and let out a cold, derisive chuckle. “Fan Kuzhu, you really know how to sow dissension. It’s just too bad that it’s such an old, naive trick. Of course I’m not going to be taken in by that, and Fifth won’t fall for it either…”

Even though he said that, Ouyang Chun was feeling fidgety. With an uneasy expression, the fifth disciple of the Magic Wing Sect said, “Second Brother, the shares were decided between Little Tong and I earlier. If you have some other plan, I will support you, but Second Brother, you won’t butt in and take a share of the spoils will you?”

Ren Denglong looked a bit upset. He glared and said sternly, “Fifth, how could I be such a lowdown money-mad schemer? Get your head straight, this is all Fan Kuzhu’s dirty trick. He’s trying to make us suspicious and jealous of each other. You mustn’t fall for his ruse!”

Ouyang Chun put on a smiling face. “Second Brother, you’re right, that puts me at ease. You’re broadminded, Second Brother, and I’m not stupid. I know to what Fan’s up to, he’ll never fool me…”

Ren Denglong kept a straight face. “To tell the truth, Little Tong’s plan to cooperate with you got my nod of approval. You’ve had a hard time of things and have been harboring resentment, I know that. I’m giving you this opportunity to strike it rich in the hope that you will not talk much in the future, won’t find fault, and will keep this all to yourself. Fifth, you ought to appreciate this favor and not start getting halfhearted!”

Ouyang Chun nodded over and over. “I know what’s in my best interest, Second Brother. I assure you I won’t mess up your affairs—”

Ren Denglong said sternly, “It’s not only ‘our affair’, Fifth. You getting the money is just one part of it!”

His throat dry, Ouyang Chun swallowed. He stammered, “Once I get the money I have to go. Second Brother, isn’t that what you said?”

Ren Denglong’s face changed again and he smiled. “That’s right, that’s what I said. As a matter of fact, even if you leave you are still nominally a part of our actions here, so you safeguarding us means safeguarding yourself as well, understand?”

Ouyang Chun said helplessly, “I understand…”

Ren Denglong was still smiling. “However, Fifth, didn’t Little Tong entrust you with another assignment when you were having your secret talks? Once you receive the money, you have to deal with the aftermath. Now it’s already been put off a long time…”

His eyelid twitched and Ouuyang Chun forced a smile. “Second Brother, I know what I have to do, it’s just I haven’t been able to get the stamp yet. How can I deal with the aftermath?”

Ren Denglong looked at Fan Kuzhu and said with a scowl, “I’ll ask you again, Fan Kuzhu. Are you going to hand it over or do you want us to force you to?”

Fan Kuzhu said flatly, “How can you two force me to hand it over?”

Ren Denglong ordered Ouyang Chun, “Use ‘Meridian Dislocator’, Fifth. I don’t believe he’s made of bronze or iron!”

“Meridian Dislocator” was an extremely vicious internal martial arts method for subduing one’s opponent. It’s function was to dislocate the meridians and twist tendons, reversing one’s blood flow and cutting off one’s qi. Once used on someone, it would nearly rupture one’s internal organs and throw them into disorder. It was just as painful as being skinned alive. Different members of the martial world had different ways to go about it, and Magic Wing Sect’s method was especially forceful!

Ouyang Chun chuckled, taking on a self-satisfied manner. “I’ve used that method on outsiders a few times before. It certainly is effective, but I never thought one day I would be using it on a fellow disciple. It really is a pity, a real pity…”

Ren Denglong hastened, “Don’t dawdle, Fifth, get on with it so you can get the money and get this over with!”

Ouyang Chun took a deep breath and curled his fingers on both hands slightly into eagle claws and slowly approached the bed, his expression set, a faint blood-red light in his eyes—

With a faint sigh Fan Kuzhu said, “Fine, I’ll give you the stamp.”

Ouyang Chun’s clawed hands were about to descend; he was agitated and angry. He said fePengiously, “Refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit; first you talk conditions, then you talk nonsense, wasting time and making a monkey out of me. If I knew you were such a contemptible wretch I would have just dealt with you right away from the start!”

Ren Denglong said loudly, “Hurry up and get the stamp, stop farting around!”

Ouyang Chun glared at Fan Kuzhu. “Out with it. Where is the stamp hidden? Any more delays and I’ll teach you a lesson at once!”

Fan Kuzhu said calmly, “Where did you put my gold arrow and cord?”

Ouyang Chun stared blankly for a second, then his face clouded. “Fan, what are you playing at now? I want the stamp, what are you talking about your weapon for?”

Fan Kuzhu said, “The stamp is hidden in a secret compartment at the base of the gold arrow. You just have to twist the fletching and you wil have the stamp with the Zhu (竹) signature on it…”

Ouyang Chun said nothing but immediately turned and crouched down to the firehole in front of the heated bed and reached in and felt around and soon pulled out a long, shiny gold arrow and a black, elastic oxhide twine cord.

The gold arrow was about three span, two fingers long, big around as a walnut, dazzlingly bright and shiny down its whole length, with a sharp-pointed metal arrowhead. The black twine cord laid out was about as long as a person was tall, about as thick as a thumb, and if one looked close you could see that the cord was meant to attach to the end of the arrow’s fletching.

Ouyang Chun set the cord aside and impatiently went to twist the fletching off. Ren Denglong, standing behind him, suddenly made an astonishing move—he shot forward and quickly, at that short distance, unleashed thirteen palm strikes with both hands, each strike the same move over and over, ferociously powerful!

Ouyang Chun never dreamed his second brother would attack him like this and under these circumstances. He was not on his guard at all, not at all prepared, and so Ren Denglong’s thirteen palm strikes all landed square on Ouyang Chun, not only with a lot of force, also not a one missed!

Ouyang Chun cried out terribly and he spun around, each time spitting out a mouthful of blood, every strike eliciting painful howls. This awful scene was over in a split second and then all was silent.

On the bed, Fan Kuzhu shut his eyes, but his eyelids still twitched. He had expected such an outcome, but when it actually came he still felt infinite sorrow and helplessness…

Ren Denglong picked the gold arrow up off the floor but didn’t twist the fletching off right away. He looked at Fan Kuzhu and said callously, “You knew it would end this way, didn’t you?”

Fan Kuzhu opened his eyes and looked at Ouyang Chun curled up in the corner of the room and the blood splattered everywhere, dazzling bright red. There was an iron stench of blood in the air. This moment was the cruelest wound. He felt like something was lodged in his stomach and he wanted to throw up…

Ren Denglong said gruesomely, “Fifth was too greedy and lacked focus. Such indecisive hesitation can’t accomplish anything. Rather it’s the source of disaster, so he had to be eliminated. Fan Kuzhu, if it were you, you’d probably do the same thing…”

Fan Kuzhu was extraordinarily calm and so was the tone of his voice. “Except, Second Brother, I’m not you. Since I was bornFrom the time I was born until now I’ve never been you, and in the future I will never become you. There is always a difference between men and beasts. They can never be confused with each other!”

The veins on Ren Denglong’s forehead bulged and he took a deep breath, suppressing his burning anger. “Are you trying to enrage me so you’ll get a quicker death? Fan Kuzhu, you’re mistaken. Let us divert ourselves for a while, we have so much time…”

Fan Kuzhu sighed. “Fifth was really pitiful. Since he was little he was never all that talented or smart, and he made no headway when he grew up, just became greedier and muddleheaded. He actually trusted a swine who would betray and disgrace his sect, a cruel, evil beast who was his own fellow disciple, who would ask a tiger for its skin.1 That was his fatal mistake… If Fifth had only thought about it a bit more, he wouldn’t have fallen into this trap!”

Ren Denglong laughed maliciously. “To use your own words: he’s not you!”

Fan Kuzhu said, “From the moment you suddenly appeared I had a feeling—that Fifth would likely meet with misfortune, because you showing up indicated a few things: one, you were certainly a part of this whole plot; two, you definitely came to check on how Fifth handled things; three, from Fifth’s reaction to your arrival, he didn’t know you were part of this, and you not only didn’t hesitate to tell him, you allowed him to take the money and flee far away. There’s only one conclusion to make of all that, Second Brother. You never planned to leave any witnesses alive!”

Ren Denglong rasped, “You’re correct. It’s just a shame that Fifth was not as smart as you. Even if you told him he wouldn’t believe you!”

Fan Kuzhu said dispirited, “So I didn’t mention it…”

Ren Denglong raised the gold arrow in his hands and carefully scrutinized it. His eyes were full of hate as he mumbled, “It was this arrow, this arrow that held me back for so many years, obstructed me for half a lifetime. This cursed arrow, poisonous arrow, cold arrow… I have to destroy it, together with its owner…”

Fan Kuzhu suddenly said amiably, “Second Brother, stop cursing my weapon for a minute. I still have a teeny little question. I wonder if you’d enlighten me?”

Ren Denglong put the arrow down and ridiculed him, “You can ask what you want, Fan Kuzhu. As far as I’m concerned, you’re already a dead man. What is there that can’t be said to a dead man?”

Fan Kuzhu had good self-control. He was not agitated in the least. “Was framing me your plan, Second Brother, or was it Little Tong’s scheme?”

Ren Denglong said calmly, “To tell the truth, it was Little Tong’s idea. Then one day I noticed he was acting weird around Bai Feng—this was when you were in prison—and I started to get suspicious. I thought about it for a while and observed things carefully, then indirectly sounded him out, and Little Tong began to talk. He had his plan, and I had my own bottled-up pain, so it was an opportune time for us to team up and work together to get what we each wanted.”

Nodding slightly, Fan Kuzhu bit his lip. “He and Bai Feng… Did Bai Feng go to him on her own?”

Ren Denglong laughed frivolously, “I never asked about that. Too bad you won’t have a chance to either. Fan Kuzhu, you might as well consider that Bai Feng was willing. I mean doesn’t it take two hands to clap?”

His face twitched and Fan Kuzhu asked hoarsely, “So Bai Feng and Little Tong are together now?”

Ren Denglong said, “Seems that way. I haven’t seen Bai Feng in a while. You know, a woman is embarrassed to get involved in this kind of thing, of course she will be evasive and secretive…”

Fan Kuzh was silent. Not only was his heart broken, it was like he had been bitten by a venomous snake or flayed with a sharp knife. Throughout this whole ordeal, this was the only point that he had been in doubt about. Aside from this, everything else was already abundantly clear—but his heartbreak, this torment, was not only like a cold splash of water, it also left him unbearably hopeless and trembling!

Ren Denglong had a cunning expression on his face. “Anything else you want to ask me? I already promised, for a dead man I won’t be stingy in explaining things…”

Once he had composed himself, Fan Kuzhu said, “Where is Little Tong now?”

Ren Denglong sneered, “What? You’re still thinking of dealing with him? Fan Kuzhu, I’m afraid you’ve heard too many stories about righting wrongs and redressing grievances, read too many books about wandering xia. In real life, how could such marvels and chance encounters take place? Soon, life and death will hang by a thread, so you need not worry about what happens after your death!”

Fan Kuzhu, dejected, said, “That’s precisely why I venture to ask. If I were able to escape my doom you wouldn’t answer me. Second Brother, could it be you still are concered about a dead man?”

Ren Denglong said loudly, “Of couse I’m not concerned. Even if you were restrained I wouldn’t fear you. I’ve never been afraid of you!”

The so-called “fierce of mein but faint of heart” could more or less describe Ren Denglong’s appearance at the moment. Fan Kuzhu knew what was up, so he became even more modest. “Senior Brother is respected, Junior Brother is lowly, of course you need not worry about me, especially not one such as me who has such a low chance of survival, and there’s really nothing to be taboo about. So Second Brother, why can’t you tell me where Little Tong is hiding out?”

Ren Denglong said angrily, “Little Tong is at ‘Peng2 Mansion’. What good is it to know where he’s at? At best you can just glower and gnash your teeth!”

Fan Kuzhu asked carefully, “You mean Peng Mansion twenty miles south of Three Mushroom Crag? The place where Venerable Father3 Quan Shoutang of the Three Powers Gang who controls the pack mule transport trade for seven prefectures and 63 counties?”

Ren Denglong hmphed. “It’s wonderful that you know whose gang it is, but I’m afraid you can’t afford to mess with Venerable Father Quan!”

Fan Kuzhu said, “Even if I could, how could I do it now? Second Brother, could it be that subconsciously you still believe there’s a chance I could survive?”

Ren Denglong’s muscles twitched involuntarily. He had a sudden ominous premonition, and he tried hard to dismiss it. It made him raise his voice when he responded, “Don’t bother dreaming about it, Fan Kuzhu, there’s no chance at all for you to live. As a matter of fact, no, I don’t subconsciously have any feeling. You must die, and die completely!”

Fan Kuzhu, weary, said, “Second Brother, I’ve asked all I have to ask. Just do whatever you have to do—but I implore you, Second Brother, to think of our sect, and when you do me in, do it quickly!”

Ren Denglong laughed violently. “Don’t get in a hurry, we still have some formalities to finish, Fan Kuzhu. Wait till I check inside this gold arrow and make sure the stamp really is there, then you can be on your way. If you’re lying to me I can still force it out of you, as long as you still have a breath left. But who can I ask if you’re a stiff corpse?”

Fan Kuzhu said gloomily, “You’ve really thought of everything, Second Brother…”

Ren Denglong said harshly, “You’ve always been crafty by nature, how can I not be a bit on my guard?”

He picked up the gold arrow and held it at eye level and twisted the fletching at the base with his right hand. He heard a faint click and the entire fletching turned and came off. But what came out of the compartment was not some stamp, but a volley of rays of light, gold shiny arcs like threads raining out!

At such close range, those hundred or so sharp metal needles fanned out with such force, and Ren Denglong was caught so completely by surprise, that once they were out there was little chance of avoiding them—Ren Denglong cried out madly like he was sobbing and he instinctively threw the gold arrow at Fan Kuzhu on the stone bed. At the moment when he threw the gold arrow, his face was packed full of shiny, twinkling needles!

Fan Kuzhu closed his eyes and held his breath, but Ren Denglong was in so much pain when he threw the gold arrow that it missed its mark and slammed into the bamboo lock that connected the cuff on Fan Kuzhu’s right wrist, which twanged open as Ren Denglong charged outside, howling.

He was howling savagely and covered with blood. Along with his cries came a sudden crash and the howl became distant as it trailed off, and soon only the lingering remnants of the cries remained.

Fan Kuzhu still had his eyes closed, not moving. That split second seemed to last a lifetime, like it was never-ending—Once the needles shot out and the gold arrow came flying at him, any deviation, any error, would influence whether he lived or died. But the God of Fate had tender feelings for him, Heaven did have eyes, and pity as well…

All was quiet in the room. A tear slowly seeped out of the corner of Fan Kuzhu’s eye, a glistening teardrop that yet was boiling hot.

 

NOTES

與虎謀皮. To ask someone to act against their interests.The same peng bird as before.老爺子. A polite term of address for an older man. Literally means “old father”, but since it’s mean to show respect, I added “venerable” to make it distinct from just “father”.