Chapter 127: Subduing Dragon Eighteen Palms
“‘When the qin pipes play in the clear weather, and the lotus songs drift on the night, happy are the fishing old men and lotus maids. A thousand horsemen surround the high banners. Drunk, I listen to the flutes and drums, and admire the mists and clouds. In future days, I will paint these fine scenes and return to boast at the Phoenix Pond.’ Little Prince, if we speak of the grandeur and breadth of cities, Lin’an is not inferior to Zhongdu by a little, but if we speak of prosperity, Zhongdu is still no match for this place, ‘the scenic beauty of the southeast, the great metropolis of the Three Wu, and the ancient prosperity of Qiantang’.” While drifting on a painted boat on West Lake, Ouyang Ke fanned himself and said this.
Ouyang Ke was handsome and elegant, like a jade tree in the wind.
Beside him, Wanyan Kang, with his rosy lips and white teeth, surpassed even the Young Master of White Camel Mountain.
This caused ladies and maids to frequently turn their heads to look whenever a pleasure boat passed by.
Wanyan Kang also held a folding fan with a white jade handle. He recognized Ouyang Ke’s quote as Liu Yong’s “Wang Hai Chao” and said, “During the Zhenglong era of my Jin Dynasty, the Jin Emperor, upon seeing this poem by Liu Yong, was pleased with the scenery of West Lake. Thus, when he dispatched envoys southward, he also sent a famous painter to meticulously depict the landscapes of Lin’an city, along with a portrait of the Jin Emperor himself, standing on Mount Wu within Lin’an city. The Jin Emperor also inscribed a poem on the painting.”
Ouyang Ke said, “Those are the very verses you mentioned by the lakeside at Taihu Lake, Little Prince.”
“Indeed!” Wanyan Kang swiftly opened his folding fan. “Master Ouyang, please take a look.”
Ouyang Ke looked and saw ten characters written on the fan in a style like iron strokes and silver hooks.
“With the great handle in hand, the cool breeze fills the world.”
Ouyang Ke read them one by one and said, “The entire brushstroke is filled with ambition.”
“These are also the Jin Emperor’s handwriting. His ambitions were difficult to fulfill. My father inherited his will, yet he bestowed this folding fan upon me.”
Ouyang Ke said, “In terms of martial arts, there are already few among the rising stars in this world who can match the Little Prince. In terms of strategy, no one can compare. Once the Little Prince inherits his father’s legacy and holds the great handle, his ambition to conquer Wu Shan will surely be realized.”
Wanyan Kang bowed respectfully, “My father is leading troops to pacify the Mongols and conquer the south, only lacking the 《Wumu’s Military Writings》. I will be touring West Lake at night for these two days, accompanied by officials from the Lin’an Court. The Imperial City Guard will dispatch personnel for protection. The palace will be empty, so I must trouble Master Ouyang.”
Ouyang Ke said, “With Uncle here, the Little Prince can rest assured, there will be no mistakes.”
“Thank you, Master,” Wanyan Kang said, his face beaming with joy.
He had traveled south from Zhongdu and was ambushed at Taihu Lake by heroes from the water village led by Lu Guanying, even losing Peng Lianhu. The fleet retreated to the northern shore of Taihu Lake. It would be half a month before the Lin’an Prefecture dispatched a reception team.
Peng Lianhu had once instructed Wanyan Kang in martial arts at the Zhao Wang Manor, but given his cold nature, how could he feel sorrow? His entire focus was now on the Ouyang Feng uncle and nephew.
Ouyang Ke’s solemn guarantee and Wanyan Kang’s belief that everything was meticulously planned put him in a great mood.
“Master Ouyang, the courtesans at Sanyuan Tower in Lin’an are renowned throughout Qiantang. Shall I send someone to bring some over to sing and drink with?”
This was exactly what Ouyang Ke desired.
“Thank you, Little Prince.”
Wanyan Kang smiled slightly:
“It’s nothing.”
…
Dusk gathered, and the songs and dances on West Lake continued without end.
Zhou Yan waited until the hour of the pig and then headed towards the Imperial City.
His current thought was that it would be difficult to find the Six Freaks of Jiangnan, Ouyang Ke, and others within the city. He didn’t know where they were staying, nor when they would enter the palace. It would be better to wait directly inside the palace.
The Imperial Palace had a building every five steps and a pavilion every ten steps; finding a place to hide was as easy as pie. He just had to wait.
The Imperial Palace stood high above the common residences, its roof tiles gleaming with golden light, making it easy to identify. Zhou Yan used the “Golden Goose Skill” to silently leap over the palace walls. The guards patrolling within the palace with swords were strict, but his lightness skill was now quite formidable; how could he be discovered by them?
The night was dark, and the moonlight was faint. Even for someone with excellent eyesight, distant views would only appear as blurry outlines. After wandering through the palace for over half an hour, Zhou Yan arrived at Jiaming Hall.
This hall was where imperial meals were prepared. The candlelight was brilliant, and the few eunuchs on duty were each dozing off.
Zhou Yan found some ready-made food in the food storage. Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly heard a faint voice, “Kid, bring the Mandarin Duck Five-Treasure Feast.”
A familiar voice, and the first words were those of a true gourmand.
Zhou Yan followed the sound and saw Hong Qigong peeking out from the rafters, looking at him with a half-smile.
“Elder,” Zhou Yan leaped up and sat on the rafter. “Why are you here, Elder?”
“This old beggar ate in the imperial kitchen for several months and missed the chef’s cooking, so I came to satisfy my cravings.”
“What are you doing here?”
“Looking for someone. My stomach is empty, so I came to find something to eat.”
When Zhou Yan said he was looking for someone, Hong Qigong didn’t ask further. He took a drink from his wine gourd and said, “At the Lantern Festival, I encountered you, and you said you understood another meaning of ‘Kanglong Regret’ and ‘Fullness Cannot Last,’ being able to add two layers of force. What about now?”
“Three layers of force.”
Hong Qigong paused for a moment, then took another drink from his wine gourd.
“A month ago, I was escorting a caravan to Taihu Lake and happened to encounter the Jin Dynasty envoy’s convoy being ambushed by heroes from the Taihu Lake Water Village. Liang Zi Weng was among them, but unfortunately, they didn’t succeed.”
Zhou Yan had told Hong Qigong in Zhongdu that he would use the “Subduing Dragon Eighteen Palms” to kill Liang Zi Weng. Since he had encountered the other party at Taihu Lake, he had to explain it to Hong Qigong.
“Why are you in such a hurry, kid?”
“It was chaos at the time.”
“Fishing in troubled waters.”
Zhou Yan didn’t elaborate and chuckled, “Yes.”
“You’re becoming less and less like an escort, kid.”
“A little. The world is chaotic, and the more I escort, the more I get entangled in consequences.”
“Like provoking Ouyang Feng in Zhongdu during the Lantern Festival?”
“I didn’t know Ouyang Feng would be there then?”
“What if you had known?”
“I would have found another way, but I would still have helped the heroes who assassinated Wanyan Honglie. One must not abandon their principles.”
“It’s good that you know how to adapt. Go down and get some more food.”
“Alright.”
Zhou Yan descended to the ground without a sound. He took some food from the food storage and leaped back onto the rafter.
With this beginning, there would be a second time, a third time…
Hong Qigong asked about some matters concerning Taihu Lake. Zhou Yan said that Ouyang Feng and Huang Yaoshi had both appeared and intervened. Hong Qigong pounded his chest, regretting that he had missed the excitement.
After this conversation, Hong Qigong had Zhou Yan fetch food fourteen times.
In the early morning, Hong Qigong suddenly said, “Kid, the palm techniques I taught you have a total of eighteen forms. You’ve already mastered four. This old beggar is lazy. You help me get food, and I’ll tell you the remaining fourteen forms. How much you comprehend depends entirely on your destiny.”
Without waiting for Zhou Yan’s reply, Hong Qigong began, “‘Dragon Fighting in the Wild,’ with the left arm and right palm, both can be real or illusory, not bound by a single style. You can use techniques of intermingling reality and illusion, and complementing yin and yang to disrupt the opponent. ‘Hidden Dragon, Do Not Use,’ with the right hand’s index and middle fingers curled, half fist, half palm, while the left hand simultaneously hooks inward, pushing with the right and hooking with the left…”
Hong Qigong explained the techniques, gesturing with his hands. Zhou Yan listened attentively, memorizing the Qi Guiding Method and incantations for each different technique clearly.
After explaining seven moves, Hong Qigong yawned.
“Kid, that’s all for today.”
Hong Qigong lay back, his breathing completely ceased, and he fell asleep on the rafter.
Zhou Yan sat on the rafter, gesturing silently with his hands, reciting the key points of the moves, and analyzing their essence.
“‘Dragon Fighting in the Wild’ draws its meaning from the Kun hexagram in the Book of Changes. Kun represents the earth, and the text says: ‘Dragon fighting in the wild, its blood is black and yellow.’ The internal energy connects to the five pivots…”
“‘Hidden Dragon, Do Not Use’: Originating from the Kun hexagram, the text says: ‘Hidden Dragon, Do Not Use.’ The dragon hides in the abyss, its ambitions unfathomable, hence it cannot be used. The force is gathered internally, condensed but not released. However, anyone who dares to test its edge will surely suffer misfortune. The internal force travels from the Dantian to the Foot Jueyin Liver Meridian, to the ‘Dadun Acupoint,’ ‘Xingjian Acupoint,’ ‘Taichong Acupoint,’ ‘Zhongfeng Acupoint’…”
Zhou Yan was now well-versed in 《the Book of Changes》. For each move of the “Subduing Dragon Eighteen Palms,” he could use the scriptures to aid his memory and understanding, not only without any errors but also easily grasping its meaning.
The sun was three poles high when Hong Qigong woke up and asked Zhou Yan to get food from the kitchen.
After he ate and drank, he explained the remaining seven moves, and then fell into a deep sleep on the rafter again.
