The Crane Startles Kunlun, Chapter 20

The Crane Startles Kunlun, Chapter 20.
from Wang Dulu's He Jing Kunlun.

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CHAPTER TWENTY

After the jade crumbles and the flower wilts,
          he pursues the carriaged coffin in misery.
The stars turn and the Dipper spins, as lamentations narrate Jianghu.

The autumn winds whooshed by and the light rain falling on their faces chilled them. The three men walked up the mountain step by step, a wall of mist in front of them. They could see nothing and the road was indistinct. They were unable to rush, afraid they would lose their footing and tumble down the mountain. Not only did they not see any other people, but they heard not one bird call. It was extremely quiet all around them, save for the sound of the rainwater pattering against the rocks. Neither Li Fengjie nor the mute had come to Mount Wudang before, so they did not much know the way. Ji Guangjie was now the only one who could be considered a little bit familiar. Ji Guangjie vaguely remembered the mountain road and headed straight for Shedsword Spring.

The Crane Startles Kunlun, Chapter 19

The Crane Startles Kunlun, Chapter 19.
from Wang Dulu's He Jing Kunlun.

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CHAPTER NINETEEN

His strength shaking the summits of Wudang,
          a single crane displays his might.
Clouds surround Zhanqi Peak, as two valiants match swords.

As he had been in pursuit of Daocheng and the kidnapped Aluan, Jiang Xiaohe had already arrived at Mount Wudang by now. He’d made inquiries in the vicinity and knew that the leaders of the “Seven Great Sword Sages” were Yu Xuanqing, Zhang Xuanhai and Ma Xuantao. Zhang Xuanhai had two disciples: Chu Jianxiong and Ni Jianchao. And Ma Xuantao had one disciple named Chen Jianfei. In addition, there was a Daoist priest from the outside called Lü Chongyan the Swordsman of Lingyun.

The Crane Startles Kunlun, Chapter 18

The Crane Startles Kunlun, Chapter 18.
from Wang Dulu's He Jing Kunlun.

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CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

At the ancient temple late at night, a nun seizes a woman in love.
Galloping a long distance, the mute valiant meets a multitude of heroes.

Aluan shed many a tear and thought, There is no way for me to live here, nor am I able to die, so I must go somewhere else. If I am not cautious and tumble down the mountain to my death, I would have no regrets. Otherwise, there must be a temple hidden up in these Qin Mountains. If I were to find a nunnery, I could cut my hair off and dedicate myself to religious practice. I would never meet another person for eternity!

The Crane Startles Kunlun, Chapter 17

The Crane Startles Kunlun, Chapter 17.
from Wang Dulu's He Jing Kunlun.

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CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Not yet settling his grudge,
          in desolate mountains he meets a strange valiant.
Again touched by the bud of hatred,
          his sword splashes against peach blossoms.

The Xia of Langzhong shouted, "All of you stand aside! Need we so many to kill this one elderly brigand?" At this time, Liu Jie and Black Tiger Zhang led thirty or forty of their own men out from the farmstead, each holding swords and cudgels. The old master Bao stamped his foot and hollered, "I want no one to come and help me!" Xu Yanyun listened to his father and pulled his wife back. Their horses stepped back some. None of Liu Jie or Black Tiger Zhang's men came forward either. A space of fifty feet by ten remaining in the center became the place of the Xia of Langzhong's showdown with the old fighting master Bao. The Xia of Langzhong jumped off of his horse and his sword quivered with an iridescent glimmer as he thrust it at Bao Zhenfei. His martial arts had improved greatly in the last decade. Bao Zhenfei's weapon too shuddered like lightning, the saberwork used this time twofold more fierce than in his first battle against the Xia of Langzhong.

The Crane Startles Kunlun, Chapter 16

The Crane Startles Kunlun, Chapter 16.
from Wang Dulu's He Jing Kunlun.

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CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Chasing vengeance through the night,
          the Kunlun saber tastes blood.
In a stand off afore the farmstead,
          the Langzhong valiant shows his might.

The rice shop had three storefronts and a large warehouse door to the side. Long Zhiqi entered through the large door. As soon as he came into the courtyard, he heard a round of cheering and looked up quickly to see what was going on. He saw a big crowd circling the courtyard made up of the men of Liu Jie, Black Tiger Zhang and Jiang Cheng. The old master was standing in the center, brandishing his Kunlun saber. He was performing the eighteen forms of "Driving the Stars and Moon," a sequence Long Zhiqi had been studying for three years but had not yet mastered. His blade flashed and his silver beard flittered about. The old master was a bit heavy, but his hands and feet were still at their most agile. Some of those watching stood entranced while others could not keep themselves from cheering on and on.