The Crane Startles Kunlun, Chapter 13, Part 4

The Crane Startles Kunlun, Chapter 13, Part 4.
from Wang Dulu's He Jing Kunlun.

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The rain stopped in the afternoon, but the sky did not clear up. Ge Zhiqiang spent the entire day with a worried frown, and the later it got, the tighter his two brows were knit. The day grew dark gradually as if a devil was about to descend. Everyone roused up their spirits, but inside they were harboring dread. Whenever they heard a noise somewhere, a good many of them would take their sabers and investigate. After dinner, Ge Zhiqiang ordered the kitchen to make a few dishes to put inside and prepared some wine for the men on the night watch. He hoped urgently for Second Deng the Divine Hold to come quickly, bringing those officers with him, but he waited until after the second watch before a constable named Zhang came with a dozen or so officers. He said that Second Deng the Divine Hold had caught a bit of a cold today and couldn't come, so he told us to come help protect the Sixth Sir. There were men readied at the government office as well, who could hurry here immediately upon hearing the sound of the gong.

Ge Zhiqiang said, "It'll be all right if only a few come. Nothing may happen tonight, as Jiang Xiaohe's injury was not light. Not to mention that both he and the horse are exhausted, and won't likely be able to come again." The man named Zhang said, "If it was only the one Jiang Xiaohe, it would be no trouble to manage, but if he brought that Li Fengjie from earlier, then that would be problematic." Ge Zhiqiang laughed and said, "Jianghu is large, and there are many who know the martial arts. Li Fengjie and Jiang Xiaohe will not know each other." Chen Zhijun piped in, "Both their martial arts are very good, but they have both suffered injury, so neither of them can be considered to have won outright. Our Kunlun School has not been disgraced." Ge Zhiqiang quickly steered the conversation away, not allowing Chen Zhijun to continue speaking on this.

He invited the officer named Zhang and the dozen or so lawmen inside, and drank and talked, accompanied by Chen Zhijun and Jin Zhiyong. Ge Zhiqiang secretly instructed the kitchen not to serve them any more wine to drink, so that the dozen or so men drank at most two catties. This was because he was afraid they would all get drunk, and when the time came that something happened, they would be unable even to stand up. How could group of drunkards capture Jiang Xiaohe? It was now the time of the third watch, and the western rooms were lit brightly with lamps and candles. There were many people and little wine, and the few dishes were eaten up, but everyone spoke energetically. Moreover, one of the officers pulled from his breast a treasure box, and everyone started betting on odds and evens.

Two large lanterns were set up in the courtyard, held up by tripods. These lanterns could be opened and folded over and were nicknamed "wind-flouters," since no matter how strong the wind, it could not blow the light out. Next to the lanterns were two benches, upon which sat four attendants, holding up a large copper gong. Three of the attendants were nodding off. The attendant holding the gong mallet kept both his eyes eternally peering east and gazing west, and would also constantly look up at the roof behind him, as if he were afraid someone would heave another stela from the roof and shatter his skull.

Ji Guangjie and Aluan were staying in the rooms across from the front hall. Because Ji Guangjie was anticipating Jiang Xiaohe, he couldn't fall asleep, and the sword wound on his right thigh was very painful as well. He was also unwilling to groan out in front of his wife, so he simply grit his teeth and bore the pain, as he tossed back and forth. Aluan sat by the wall, awake but wordless, as she broke into several fits of crying, with sorrow winding its way through her heart. The lamps in her room had all been put out, but the light shining into the room from outside was still quite bright.

She glanced over at Ji Guangjie laying in the bed and felt him very pitiable. It was truly not easy to act for the sake of her grandfather and for the Kunlun School. Then she thought of the distant Jiang Xiaohe, ambushed today before she was allowed to make things clear with him. If it hadn't been for his powerful martial arts, he would have lost his life instantly on the Ba Bridge, or been arrested. The hook wound on his arm didn't appear too serious, yet how does he hate me so? He broke off a willow branch and tossed it at me. Wasn't that an expression of his internal hatred? She then thought of him reining his horse up on the Ba Bridge today and holding his sword in front of him, bitterly laughing and saying these words to her, " The words of the past ten years are too many, and we need to speak them fully." I see that he has not forgotten about me in the past ten years, but he must not have thought that I would've married Ji Guangjie. Does his further inability to forgive me for marrying Ji Guangjie stem from him having no other alternative? He'll can't know that though Ji Guangjie and I are married in name, we are not married in truth...

When she thought to here, she heard someone outside asking urgently, "Is In-law Ji asleep?" Aluan's sorrowful train of thought was broken by these words. She could tell that it was Ge Zhiqiang's voice. She answered, "He's already asleep. Is something the matter, Uncle Ge?" Outside, Ge Zhiqiang said, "It's nothing. I wanted to tell him to stop worrying and rest up. There are more than ten officers on night watch in the front hall, enough for us not to worry. Jiang Xiaohe will not dare to come again." Aluan acknowledged him and heard Ji Guangjie laughing heartily, but only for a moment before the pain of his thigh wound caused him to draw in a breath. Then he said, "I'm not asleep. I'm certain that Jiang Xiaohe will turn up again tonight. I'm waiting to face him and fight him to the death!" Ge Zhiqiang heard this and couldn't help but shudder. He had been exhausted and wanted to go to sleep, but after hearing these words, he didn't dare sleep. He forced out a laugh and said, "Stop worrying! Nothing much will happen tonight."

So saying, he took a few steps back and looked up at the roof again. Then, he went into the inner courtyard, where there was another "wind-flouter" lantern with Zhao Zhilong and an attendant keeping guard here. Lamps still lit his wife's quarters and those of his son and daughter-in-law. He could tell they were both very frightened right now, neither being able to sleep. Ge Zhiqiang looked at the roofs all around him, and then raised his head to peer at the sky. He felt a little of the Water Star hanging from its surface and thought, It'll rain again. The more rain the better, actually. Then Jiang Xiaohe won't be able to come. He then yawned a couple times and said to Zhao Zhilong, "I'm really tired. I'm going to sleep for a bit. I'll wake up in a short while and take the next shift."

Ge Zhiqiang opened the door to his eastern quarters and entered, seeing that while there were no lamps or candles lit inside, it was still bright from the light shining outside. He closed the door on his way in. He yawned again and sat at the edge of the bed to take off his shoes. When he'd only taken off one of them, he suddenly spotted a hand reaching out from under the bed, holding a glimmering sword within. Ge Zhiqiang couldn't help yelping in fright, wanting to run out the door, but Jiang Xiaohe had already glided from under the bed and had him constrained on top of it. With Ge Zhiqiang's cry coming from inside, along with the shuffling of the bed, in the courtyard, Zhao Zhilong rushed outside the room with saber in hand, and asked urgently inside, "What's the matter?"

Ge Zhiqiang had always been sturdy of body, stronger than others, but right now he was just like a rat, pinned to the bed by the tomcat-like Jiang Xiaohe. With the blade of a sword pressed against his neck, he was too scared to make a sound. Jiang Xiaohe spoke a warning quietly into his ear, "I'm not going to kill you. I just want you to tell me where Bao Zhenfei and the Long Brothers are hiding, and then I'll leave!" Ge Zhiqiang said, in a panicked whisper, "Let go of me and I'll tell you!" Jiang Xiaohe smiled and said, "I'll let you go." Thus, he released his hold and pulled his sword. Ge Zhiqiang crawled up to a sitting position on the bed. He sighed and said, "Brother Jiang, there is not grievance or enmity between us, so why have you come me?" Jiang Xiaohe scoffed, "How can you say we have no grievance or enmity? Ten years ago on the Qin mountain road, if my master hadn't rescued me, I would have already been killed by you. But I'm not here now to quibble about those small grudges. I'm only looking for the old man Bao and the Long Brothers. Quickly, tell me!" He slapped Ge Zhiqiang on the head with his sword.

Ge Zhiqiang said, "Long Zhiteng is still in Ziyang. Long Zhiqi departed from my place here some days ago, to where I know not. My master went into hiding at the home of an old friend of his. He has a lot of old friends, and I don't know who he is, or where. According to Aluan, her granddad left by himself, and even she doesn't know where he went." Jiang Xiaohe scoffed again. Ge Zhiqiang then said, "However, she brought a letter for you from our master. It's in the front hall right now. If you want to see it, I'll go get it for you!" Jiang Xiaohe nodded and said, "I want to see what he has to say in his letter. I'll come get it with you." He opened the door and had Ge Zhiqiang in front of him, while he followed behind carrying his sword.

By this point, the courtyard and the roof were filled with men. Some of them held polehooks, while others had flying darts and crossbows at the ready. Ge Zhiqiang was so scared he wasn't able even to take a step. Jiang Xiaohe clutched him from behind and said, smiling, "Don't worry. You need not fear. They wouldn't dare hurt me, and likewise I can't hurt you." Ge Zhiqiang hurriedly spoke to the group of men in high and urgent tones, "None of you make any rash moves! Jiang Xiaohe has come this time without any ill intentions. We just need to talk about some things." He pulled a string of keys from his breast, and tossed them to Zhao Zhilong, saying, "Brother, open the big chest in the front hall and bring back the letter the master wrote for Jiang Xiaohe. He wants to see it. Quickly!" Zhao Zhilong acknowledged him and hurried into the front courtyard to retrieve the letter.

The officers and security office attendants surrounded Jiang Xiaohe so tightly wind or rain could not get through. It was only because Ge Zhiqiang was being held by Jiang Xiaohe, making them afraid to hit the rat for fear of breaking vases, that they didn't dare draw nearer, but they all watched Jiang Xiaohe intently. Jiang Xiaohe held onto his sword with one hand, while the other clutched Ge Zhiqiang, as he stood straight and calm, without a hint of fear.

At this time, Aluan came into the courtyard, holding her saber, but she didn't come close. She stood by a screen door and thought simply, The letter my granddad wrote for Jiang Xiaohe is of the utmost sadness. He's basically begging Jiang Xiaohe for pity. No matter how great the elderly man's faults had originally been, Jiang Xiaohe ought to be moved some now by so pitiful a request, let go of his former enmity, and become reconciled anew. When that happens, I must hold the group the back and not let them hurt him. I'll take him elsewhere and tell him how I felt about him when I thought of him for the last ten years. Thus, she concealed herself, not letting Jiang Xiaohe to see her, as she stared intently at Jiang Xiaohe under the light of the lanterns.

Shortly, Zhao Zhilong brought out the letter and was about to hand it over to Jiang Xiaohe, when Jiang Xiaohe waved his hand and said, "I don't need to read it myself. Why don't you read it to me?" And so he continued holding onto his sword, as he observed his surroundings to prevent any others from taking an opportunity for a secret attack. Zhao Zhilong unfolded the letter and read it aloud in the lamp light. The people nearby all listened with bated breath, especially Aluan, who paid attention to every word and phrase. She heard her grandfather's letter say, "What happened ten years ago, after I did it, I felt immediate regret. However, Jiang Zhisheng had an affair with another's wife, thereby in truth choosing the path to his own death. You have come now, Jiang Xiaohe, but if you are able to understand these circumstances, then abandon the prior enmity, and we two can still become friends, never bringing up the events of the past. If you cling still to your resolution and must take vengeance, then that will also be easy to manage. I ask that you declare openly that you will not harm a hair on my disciples. When that happens, I will immediately come out and deliver this old life to you!" Aluan couldn't help a pair of tears falling, and then she opened her two glistening eyes and looked over at the lamp-lit Jiang Xiaohe, ten paces away.

She saw only a mournful expression appear on Jiang Xiaohe's face at first, but by the time he finished listening to the letter, he became angry and sneered, saying, "Good Bao Zhenfei, how truly crafty you are. Now he's using this letter begging for pity to deceive me, hoping that I'll show compassion and have mercy on him. Afterward, he'll direct you all to plot against me. You tell him, no matter how pitiable he is, I will not spare him! Back then, my father Jiang Zhisheng was forced into the mountains by him to suffer days of chill and hunger, and then he snuck back home for a few mouthfuls of cold rice before he took some taels of silver and fled in a hurry for his life. Let's say he was a bad man. By that time he was most pitiful and had not committed any mortal crimes, yet Bao Zhenfei could still not pardon him, going so far as to chasing my father into the mountains and killing him. He had not spared my father then, so how can he beg me to spare him now?"

When he said this, a fiery rage burst forth from his two eyes, even brighter, it seemed, than the lanterns. He then brandished his sword again and said, "But let's not speak of all that. After he murdered my father Jiang Zhisheng, he didn't even send us a message. How sad it was for the widowed and orphaned of the Jiang family! He, that vicious old man, once tricked me into a wheat field, intending to kill me with a knife. Though he hadn't killed me then for fear that someone would see him, if it wasn't for my uncle Ma Zhixian urging us to move into the city, he would already have killed me. In those two or three years, how pitiful it was, my family splintering, how great the hardship I bore. Later on, he told me to live at his house, purposefully showing me a smiling face, when actuality he had me herding the pigs and feeding the horses every day, conniving to have his second son kick me, step on me, hit me, yell at me. Can I really forget these things? Now, this has nothing to do with some men. I only want to kill the Long Brothers and Bao Zhenfei. No one can convince me otherwise, not even if Bao Zhenfei himself knelt down and kowtowed to me would it be enough!"

When he got to here, someone brandished their saber and bounded at him, sending a chop at him. Jiang Xiaohe hurried blocked his opponent's saber with his own sword. He looked and saw that it was Aluan. He said, "Today, in the light of day, you helped Ji Guangjie ambush me at the Ba Bridge. You weren't successful, and now you have the nerve to meet me? I truly hadn't thought that in ten years, you would have become this sort of person. I have no more desire to pay you any more attention!"

Aluan felt both sadness and anger, but she wasn't able to say a thing. Shedding tears and gritting her teeth, she brandished her saber at Jiang Xiaohe for a chop. Jiang Xiaohe pushed Ge Zhiqiang away with his hand, and entered into battle with Aluan. In two or three exchanges, he kicked the Kunlun saber out of Aluan's hand. At this time, the men advanced together from all directions with their sabers and staffs, and Aluan charged forward empty-handed, wanting Jiang Xiaohe to kill her. Jiang Xiaohe shook his wounded right arm about to deflect the crowd of men, while at the same time he reached out and clasped Aluan with his left arm. Aluan struggled in his hold and shouted out tearfully, but Jiang Xiaohe's arm was like an iron hoop, binding Aluan's body so tightly, she could stop thinking about trying to break free. He swung his sword, sending several men back with wounds and then flew up onto the eastern hall, upon which Chen Zhijun was waiting, leading two attendants. Chen Zhijun swung his saber at him and asked angrily, "Jiang Xiaohe, what are you doing with Miss Luan?" Jiang Xiaohe swayed his sword to meet Chen Zhijun, and in one or two exchanges, kicked Chen Zhijun off the roof. The two attendants panicked, both tripping and tumbling from the roof as well.

Jiang Xiaohe stood on the roof, clasping onto Aluan with one hand and holding his sword crosswise with the other, as he shouted down, "Anyone who dares come up on the roof can forget about their lives!" He then lowered his head and said to Aluan, "Don't be afraid, Aluan. I'm going to take you away somewhere. There are many things I want to say to you." Aluan cried out and struggled, and bit Jiang Xiaohe's arm, saying, "I can't go with you. I have nothing left to say to you! Let me go! Otherwise, just choke me to death!" The bite she gave Jiang Xiaohe's left arm was very painful, but Jiang Xiaohe didn't find it hard to bear. In fact, he smiled faintly. It was only inside that he truly felt extraordinary hurt. He wanted to flee, but he couldn't seem to move his feet.

By now, Ji Guangjie had rushed into the courtyard with sword in hand. He saw that Jiang Xiaohe had taken his wife onto the roof, so he brandished his blade and cursed loudly, intending to leap onto the roof. It was just that the wound on his left thigh was too deep, so after leaping a few times, he was not able to make it up. Ge Zhiqiang and Zhao Zhilong stopped him and exhorted him together, "Don't be rash. We have Jiang Xiaohe surrounded now. There's no way he'll be able to escape." Ji Guangjie roared, "Are you really going to let him take my wife?" At this time, because Jiang Xiaohe was in despair on the roof, the strength left his arms gradually, and Aluan shook free of him. She was about to snatch his sword away, but Jiang Xiaohe pushed her lightly away, and then turned around to run. Just as she turned around, shoom, shoom, the crossbows on the opposing roof let fly at Jiang Xiaohe in succession. Jiang Xiaohe swiftly bent down to dodge and fled crouched to the rear manse. Several officers put ladders against the rear manse and climbed up, carrying polehooks and trying to hook onto Jiang Xiaohe again. Jiang Xiaohe wasn't willing to hurt the officers, so he evaded them and fled as if flying, stepping across the roof tiles.

At this point, the various roofs, and even the tops of walls, were filled with attendants of the security office and government officers. These men had weapons in their hands, all shouting, "Catch the criminal! He's heading for the eastern hall! After him!" They shouted very loudly, but as soon as Jiang Xiaohe charged their way, flashing his sword, they became like a pile of wet mud, so afraid that none of them dared to advance. Once they panicked and lost their footing, they didn't need Jiang Xiaohe to come and lift his leg to kick them, for they would fall off the roof on their own. In this way, Jiang Xiaohe ran without the least bit of obstruction upon the roof as if he was treading on the level earth. They pursued him to the courtyard and then outside the main gate, but they had by then long lost any trace of Jiang Xiaohe.