EARTHLY DRAGON, SOARING PALM Read online

  The closer they got to Earthly Mountain, the busier the roads became. The variety of warriors winding up the mountain paths was exciting enough to keep the backwater Bai Feng from thinking about leaving the brothers Jing and Chen. Most carried swords or sabres but he saw a range of weaponry from circular blades to heavy staffs and imagined the colourful styles that lay behind each weapon. Calling ahead to the two martial brothers, Bai Feng asked, "Second brother, why don't you wield a weapon? And you first brother, you carry that marvellous sabre but never practice with it."

  "Our master's kung fu was primarily empty handed which has always suited me fine," said Wu Chen. "My fist obeys my intentions far better than a blade in the hand. Besides, it's more exhilarating that way, ha-ha! As for Brother Jing, well that sabre of his has a special significance,” Wu Chen continued, glancing sideways at Li Jing.

  “What’s so special about it First Brother? Besides the way it looks of course?”

  Li Jing smiled yet clearly wasn’t in the mood to talk about it. “Maybe someday I’ll tell you but not today, okay?”

  “Hmm, I suppose,” Bai Feng grumbled from behind.

  Li Jing couldn't resist those rare occasions when this old soul in a young body acted his age so, through the same soft smile, he decided to explain a little of the story. “It belonged to my father, though I never met him.”

  “I barely knew mine either. Did you know your mother?”

  “Yes, of course. She raised me. She really didn't know my father for that long either. He left her before I was born. He left this sabre behind for her to give to me when I was of age. That's all I have of him. You see Feng’er; you're not the only one who has a family shame hanging over him.”

  “My family don't… they didn't… who told you that?”

  “Nobody needed to tell me. Kindred spirits can always sense their own,” he said, smiling warmly.

  “So, do you hate your father?”

  “Not at all. Would I carry his sabre around if I did? I learned to live with the knowledge that my parents never married and in doing so, I began to respect them both in my own way—her and him. So what if people looked down on him or my mother for what they did?”

  Bai Feng was quiet for a time. Then he mumbled something to himself. This piqued Li Jing's curiosity all the more. What great shame drives this poor child? he wondered.

  As Bai Feng’s grumbling trailed off, Li Jing’s attention was drawn to a commotion up ahead. They were now only a few kilometres from Earthly Mountain and a wall of sheer cliffs became visible in the distant summer haze. Li Jing had heard from a local that three impassable gorges separated Earthly Mountain from the rest of the world and, in between each, were a series of trails that wound up the slopes of the mountain. He thought this information was a little peculiar. How could he know about the winding paths, if the gorges are impassable? he asked himself. There must be a secret bridge somewhere.

  As they approached the cliffs, the denizens of the martial world who had come to bow before the Earthly Dragon Sect were gathering in greater numbers. However, peering across the gorge, they seemed transfixed by what they saw. The grey cliffs grew larger in the trio’s eyes as they steadily encroached. Smooth, almost like marble, they seemed unscalable to anyone with even the highest degrees of lightness kung fu. Yet, etched deeply and clearly into the walls in three meter long characters were the words…

  “EARTHLY DRAGON OPENS ITS GATES TO THE WORLD ONCE MORE.”

  Wu Chen walked forward with his mouth agape. “What a way to announce your return to the world!”

  Li Jing merely shook his head dejectedly.

  Bai Feng couldn’t help but interrupt their reverie. “What’s so special about telling people your gates are open again?”

  Li Jing patted his ruffled head of hair, “It’s not what the writing says—it’s how it’s achieved. That should be impossible. To etch with that clarity and style into those cliffs… it’s the sign of a master, the likes of which has been previously unknown to the world,” Li Jing said before continuing in a subdued tone. “We are truly out of our depth here. This sect and its teachings are beyond us. They are beyond anyone here.”

  A slender yet incredibly tall warrior standing in the vicinity of the trio immediately rebuked Li Jing. “Speak for yourself! Some of us a have a lifetime of experience compared to those who’ve just stepped out of their master’s school.” He didn’t look older than forty years of age but his voice and the manner in which he spoke made him sound ancient.

  Li Jing responded amiably. “I meant no insult. Of course, I know nothing for certain but it occurs to me that to leave a sign like that for the world to read after years of seclusion implies more than an invitation. That’s a statement. And I get the feeling we have been ‘invited’ merely to help them make it.”

  “Huh?” The tall warrior looked at him nonplussed. “Sounds like a whole lot of muddle-headed nonsense to me. They have achieved great power, why shouldn't they flaunt it? As for all this reading between the lines, an invitation is obvious. They’ve been sitting behind cloud and stone for decades. Whatever small pool of disciples has been breeding and inbreeding in there has to be in serious need of fresh blood. I’m only surprised that it took them this long to begin recruiting. They must really have waited until they achieved perfection in their art or else they hit breaking point. Either way, it’s disciples like me they’ll be looking for.”

  Li Jing and Wu Chen looked at each other with a grin before Wu Chen broke into raucous laughter. “My friend, you said yourself you’ve been on this Earth a long time now. Do you really think that you count as ‘fresh blood’?”

  At that interjection, those ear-wigging the conversation all erupted in laughter too. It certainly seemed as though the majority of people who had descended on this place were under the age of twenty-five and, thus, more suited to taking the vows of a new sect than this geezer.

  The tall man blanched. “Skill is what they’ll need and that takes years to cultivate. Good luck to you whippersnappers.”

  A voice from the crowd responded. “Hey, old man..! An old slate has little room for new writing and old dogs learn fewer tricks. They’ll want some foundation for sure but not so much that it will take years to unlearn it.”

  At that moment, the crowd began to swell past comfortable numbers as more and more hopefuls continued to arrive on the cliffside. “What's the stinking delay up there?” a strong voice roared. “Move it!” another equally intimidating voice spat. Eventually word began to filter back through the crowd that there wasn't a single bridge to allow them to traverse the gorge. Impatience turned to anger which turned to desperation as everybody started to wonder if this entire episode was the trick of a warped mind. Bodies were pushed and shoved to and fro and it wasn't long before punches, kicks, and inevitably swords were flying. Teeth flew, limbs fell and cries were heard as the stronger fighters took it upon themselves to begin thinning the herd. For many, this was the perfect opportunity to begin making the statement they came here to make.

  Always up for a scrap, Wu Chen immediately entered the fray placing a rear grab on the left shoulder of the older man with whom he had argued earlier. The latter was in the middle of launching a sneak attack on the man who had just called him an “old dog” when he saw the flash of Wu Chen's shoe heading towards his midriff. The older man was a veteran of many battles and immediately struck Wu Chen’s calf muscle with his right elbow causing the latter to groan in pain.

  Bai Feng didn't want to get involved in the affray but nor did he want to see Wu Chen get hurt so he moved to intervene. “Don't,” Li Jing stopped him. “Wu Chen was wrong in the first place, and this situation will do us no good—a bunch of uncouth brawlers making a scene at the foot of the Earthly Dragon’s revered mountain—just think of it.” Raising his voice, he called out, “Brother Chen, this isn't right, let’s leave!”

  Wu Chen wasn't coming out the better of his contest so he was reluctant to yield and lose face. However, before he c
ould respond to Li Jing, the air above them was pierced repeatedly with the sound of projectiles. In a trice, the older man fell to the ground, blood spurting from his neck. Like dominos, seven or eight others in the near vicinity dropped too.

  Li Jing was quick to move. Grabbing Bai Feng with his right hand, he spun to his left to shield the youth from the attack and using his left hand, he ripped his sabre out of his scabbard. “Brother Chen, this way!” he screamed. The wide arcing sabre made for a somewhat effective shield but Wu Chen was hit on the leg before he could fall in behind his friend. Li Jing slowed his pace just enough so that Wu Chen was protected behind his right shoulder while continuing to arc his sabre in an up-down vertical motion. The sound of metal hitting metal told them they were still in the kill zone but it wasn't long before they left it behind them.

  Sliding behind a large tree they looked back and saw an impressive looking group of warriors standing on a nearby hill laughing casually as they unleashed projectile after projectile. Some were throwing darts; others seemed to be throwing metal awls while others flicked less discernible objects. All met their target with lethal accuracy. These new arrivals were clearly on a different level to the motley group with whom the trio had been mixing only moments earlier. So much so, they believed taking on the crowd in an actual fight would be lowering themselves. It was far easier to launch their projectiles apathetically from a hilltop. “They're clearing a path to the gorge!” Li Jing cried through his panting, “How needlessly cruel!”

  Tying a piece of torn cloth around his wounded leg, Wu Chen seemed almost excited despite his brush with death. “These fighters are a notch higher in ability than even that Jade Tiger. It takes considerable power to kill with just a flick of the wrists or fingers.”

  Hidden in the underbrush, Bai Feng peeked out towards the hill and saw a heterogeneous bunch of individuals standing leisurely with each other. A short bald man with carbuncles all over his face and scalp stood at the front of the group laughing derisively at their victims. Dressed like a provincial warlord, his barrel shaped physique ensured he still stood out amongst his taller more slender companions. Every now and then, in the midst of his constant gesticulation, a short blade would shoot from the underside of his arms causing the quick collapse of a cliffside warrior. His movements seemed impossibly fast and even more impossible to predict.

  "Priest Hou," he shouted behind him towards a skinny almost sickly looking Taoist. "Are you not going to have any fun on this trip?"

  The mendicant priest wore a travel stained brown cloak over an equally dirty grey gown. Looking at the ugly warlord through squinting eyes, he curled his mouth into a sarcastic smile. "I do not deign to involve myself with riffraff Brother Sing. But you carry on till your heart's content." Leaning comfortably on a meter long monk's spade, Priest Hou stood among an inner circle of more serious looking warriors who appeared far more individualist despite their closer proximity to each other. Bai Feng could tell instantly that this was not a harmonious group. An extremely tall monk dressed in unusual red robes was the only one among that inner circle who seemed truly unperturbed by his present company. About thirty years of age, his skin was dark and incredibly smooth, indicating he hailed from the Yarlese region. Bai Feng watched intently as the foreign monk stood proudly against the greying sky with his hands behind his back. He carried no visible weapons but three teenage boys dressed in similar attire to him were at the edge of the hill flicking something very small from their sleeves, mowing down three or four targets with every flick. Bai Feng surmised that these three were his disciples.

  To the left of the tall monk were two unusual looking characters dressed similarly and both carrying Kshatriyan style earth, wind, and fire wheels on their belt. Bai Feng guessed they must be from the south western regions if not all the way from the southern continent itself. Sitting cross legged by a newly lit fire was a wealthy almost scholarly looking individual of impeccable dress, oblivious to the mayhem of the fight. Polishing a set of deer antler blades that seemed vaguely familiar to Bai Feng, he was engrossed in his actions. He bore a smug smile on his handsome face as if he knew something nobody else did. Completing the group was a fearsome couple of seasoned looking warriors. One male and one female, both clad in dark robes. Though middle aged, both were still reasonably attractive despite matching scars running diagonally down their faces. Bai Feng imagined them fighting side by side in battle and wondered if those nasty scars were delivered by the same downward blow. They each carried a sword on their back but right now they were demonstrating a profound ability to use throwing darts. Though they were busy shooting their projectiles, they were simultaneously attentive to each other, exchanging pointers as they hit their targets—oblivious of their companions, indifferent to their victims.

  Bai Feng had never witnessed a wide scaled battle but seeing this merciless carnage caused a kind of fascinating dread to invade his bones. Peeling himself away from the spectacle, he looked at the two martial brothers. “We have to get out of here. Second Brother is injured and, look, so are you First Brother!” he pointed at Li Jing’s neck.

  Li Jing put his left hand to his neck and felt the sticky calling card of a lucky graze and smiled, “No need to worry Feng'er, I'm barely scratched. But you're right, we need to go now.”

  Struggling to his feet, Wu Chen raised his hands as if to stop them. "Wait a minute! Those masters are on the move and, as good as they are, they're going to have the same trouble crossing that gorge as the rest of us had. Let's wait here and watch what they do."

  "Second Brother, you're bleeding badly, we need to get you treated." Bai Feng’s worry was growing by the second.

  "It's only a cut. I've had much worse before. And besides, when will we get a chance to see fighters at this level ever again?"

  Ignoring their pleas, Wu Chen pulled back the branches on the tree and leaned against its trunk to gain a comfortable vantage point. Li Jing and Bai Feng couldn't help but be curious either so they crept closer to the edge of the tree's undergrowth. What was left of the cliffside mob lay either slain or injured, a writhing mess of red, strewn across the damp earth. Led by the scarred couple, the Kshatriyan warriors, and the three Yarlese disciples suddenly descended the small hill and moved towards the edge of the gorge without batting an eyelid at the bodies.

  Amazingly, on arriving at the cliff, the scarred couple, without stopping to get their bearings, jumped nimbly over the edge followed immediately by the Kshatriyan duo and the three disciples. The four others simply stood by, staring fixedly at the characters etched into the cliff wall. Caught up in the thrall of this sight, Bai Feng jumped into the tree and picked his way up through the branches until he was a good ten meters higher. Even from within the tree's luscious summer foliage, he now had a good view of the far side of the gorge and was about to tell his companions to come up when his words were halted by what he saw. Seven bodies were bouncing up the far wall of the gorge, scaling its sheer verticality like gazelles moving across an open plain. What's more, they didn't even stop to congratulate themselves when they cleared the cliff. Instead, they continued their journey without hesitation. Bai Feng glanced at the Yarlese monk and shivered. If his disciples are that talented, he wondered, how much more powerful must he be?

  He slipped down the tree and could see from the martial brothers' faces that they had seen what he had. However, whereas Li Jing looked nervous, Wu Chen was enraptured. "First Brother," Bai Feng asked. "Were you aware there was such skill in the world?"

  Li Jing seemed all the more concerned. "Our master was capable of nimbly jumping up and down walls but this demonstration of internal kung fu dwarfs even his skill."

  "Internal kung fu?"

  "It's a branch skill of empty handed combat that comes from profound internal strength. Strong arms and legs and keen hand eye coordination allow for powerful strikes in kung fu but that's merely external muscle power. A strong core combined with a profound sense of balance and rootedness allows the body to move powerfu
lly as a whole unit. That's internal power and it takes years of dedicated meditation to master. Earlier, Brother Chen referred to the wrist and finger strength it takes to launch those projectiles. That wasn't really muscle strength, it was internal strength."

  "Maybe internal force can make your kicks and punches more powerful too?" Bai Feng wondered aloud.

  "See that Brother Chen?" Li Jing laughed proudly. "I told you Feng'er has a natural talent for fighting. Too bad he's taken that little vow of his. As for us,” he continued as he stood up carefully, "I hope this shows you we've been living at the bottom of a well all our lives. Our skills are below mediocre. It's time to go home and begin mastering the plough."

  "What?" Always the more impulsive of the two, Wu Chen had been lying flat, peering out from the underbrush for some time, transfixed by what he was seeing. For his martial brother to dismiss their lives' ambitions so readily was appalling to him. "The first sign of adversity and you're finished? I hate to have to point this out Brother Jing but we have been simply let down by our master." Before Li Jing could react, Wu Chen continued, "It's now abundantly clear to me why he always encouraged us to go far afield to continue our training. He knew he wasn't qualified to teach us properly. Now I've seen real skill, I'm not about to turn away from it."