Wang Chongyang had entered seclusion in a small hermitage at Jue Ling last Lunar December, announcing his intention to emerge on the Mid-Autumn Festival. During this period, Gou’er visited him every ten days, bringing food or clothing, but no further letters were exchanged. Since his seclusion, Lin Chaoying had remained confined to her chambers, lost in thought, losing interest in everything. Gou’er felt responsible for her state and, in his displeasure, also pitied her. Despite his resentment, he diligently delivered whatever was sent.
This time, Gou’er was tasked with delivering a newly made Daoist robe, prepared for the coming autumn chill. Upon reaching the vicinity of the thatched hut, he overheard Wang Chongyang conversing with his eldest disciple, Ma Yu. Ma Yu said, "Instructing the seven of us to come here in rotation at the You hour within the next fortnight to learn the Master’s newly formed martial arts. If Martial Uncle Zhou finds out, he might cause trouble." Wang Chongyang replied, "When accepting disciples, it was clearly stated that our sect aims to propagate teachings, and martial arts are merely for strengthening the body. Your Martial Uncle is engrossed in martial arts and cannot attain the Great Vehicle, but he is not a cultivator of the Dao, so he need not be overly blamed. This newly created martial art emphasizes 'carrying the Dao with martial arts, and riding the Dao with martial arts.' I merely hope to discuss the Dao through practicing martial arts together."
"Those people from 'White Robes Cannot Offend' are causing trouble again." Although his master had not explicitly stated it, Ma Yu sensed that Wang Chongyang's seclusion for practice and the arrangement for teaching others were related to this matter.
Wang Chongyang sighed inwardly. He had left home to become a Daoist, yet worldly affairs still found their way to him. You misunderstand, but how can I explain… I know that among you, curiosity and questions about the 'fair neighbor' have arisen, but you refrain from asking.
Is Brother Gu encountering difficulties? Are the vicious hills intruding upon women? Gou’er worried.
"We will make plans after I emerge from seclusion," Wang Chongyang said. From Fang Lianzheng, who was pursuing the half-ape spirit, he learned that Sun Bole and Mo Luan had also arrived in the west. Had they informed her? Would she be interested in going?
On his way back, Gou’er mulled over these matters. Upon returning to the tomb, he saw Lin Chaoying still sitting like a wooden doll, which pained him. He recounted their conversation. As expected, she showed more interest in his new martial arts. Lin Chaoying’s eyes regained their spark; like a feline sensing a mouse, she said, "Go, see what kind of inferior skills he has concocted." Gou’er nodded, glancing at her complexion, and sighed inwardly.
Still prattling on, do you think I am as foolish as your eldest disciple? The essence of martial arts, the breathing methods – I grasped the key to them upon first hearing. Besides, it's merely adding more Daoist mystique to what Yingyi Guan created. I recall that night at Jinshan, you eagerly explained the tenets of this martial art to me, and we spoke freely about its merits and flaws… Five years have passed in a flash. You have become much thinner, and you've grown that five-strand goatee again; it's terribly ugly!
"Your disciple has remembered." Though ashamed of his dull aptitude, Ma Yu was puzzled as to why his master had never explained things so repeatedly. He also felt his master was constantly watching the treetops.
On the third night, another disciple named Qiu took his turn. This young man had a high aptitude and executed the sword stances with great proficiency, but he was too rigid and fierce; he still needed to read more Daoist scriptures. Lin Chaoying suddenly thought it would be more suitable for this young man to practice the "Golden Boy Precious Scroll."
Disciple after disciple, Lin Chaoying shook her head, lamenting for Wang Chongyang's choices in martial talent.
People changed, night after night passed, and Wang Chongyang lamented that the fourteenth night had arrived in the blink of an eye. "Do you understand?"
As she walked on the path, Lin Chaoying’s heart was more content than the moon, but she said to Gou’er, "That smelly Daoist thinks I have nothing better to do and is giving me difficult tasks to amuse himself. Hmph, I will overcome them all." Gou’er inwardly lamented why the two of them always wanted to overcome each other, and worried if Lin Chaoying's health could withstand it.
Although all things have the "Dao" of birth and rest, it is the "情" of everlasting love that can overcome it. As Lin Chaoying reached the last chapter of her Heart Sutra, she thought of their future journey together, "Wandering the World with Swords," and the day they would retire to quietly enjoy such pleasantries as "Gardening Chrysanthemums in a Small Garden," "Sipping Tea and Wine," and "Playing Chess under a Pine Tree," just like her parents did.
For this chapter's title, she carved the final stroke of the character "剑" on the wall. Turning, she fell to the ground, but already exhausted, she knelt on one knee, supporting herself with her sword. Large beads of cold sweat appeared on her forehead, and she said with a trembling voice, "My heart embraces your will…"
Gou’er, outside the chamber, suddenly heard the "clang" of a sword falling. He rushed in and saw Lin Chaoying collapse on the ground.
Lin Chaoying could no longer withstand the extreme cold of the Jade. Gou’er moved her back to her sleeping quarters to treat her. After giving her herbal medicine and tidying up, he turned to leave. He heard a faint whistling sound, knowing she was sending "Snow Hair Silver Threads" at him. He closed his eyes and prayed, "May you go well. From now on, on this long road, Gou’er can no longer serve you." His occipital bone went numb, and he fainted, falling to the ground.
Wang Chongyang had been restless recently, worried about the condition of the beauty in the tomb. He inquired about her several times through Gou’er but was met with cold replies, increasing his anxiety. Unable to sleep all night, he climbed to the peak and saw a pair of figures in the woods below the mountain. Rushing forward to look closely, he was stunned; he had mistaken the two main branches beside the "Ugly Tree" for a couple. Wang Chongyang couldn't help but recall the Huan Jian and Wei Liao peaks of Mo Luan. The two main branches beside the "Ugly Tree" bloomed simultaneously every March. The flowers were similar in shape, but the main trunk's flowers were vibrant and large, like a fist held by a strong man, while the side branches' flowers were deep in color, small, and flat, like a lady's open palm. After blooming, they fruited about a month later, and the fruits ripened and burst in May, revealing their inner filaments. At this moment, a gentle breeze blew, and the white filaments instantly scattered into the air, as if forming her proud and defiant image. Does she still blame me for not saving the demon? Does she regret the series of misfortunes since we met, the wasted precious youth? Does she complain that I ultimately chose to escape? Does she lament missing me during her melancholy? The white filaments drifted towards the Tomb of the Living Dead! Please tell her that I, unable to surmount it, have always been waiting at the foot of the tree.
Lin Chaoying decided to go to the Daoist temple to see him, even if he saw her in such a weakened state. She just wanted to see him again… Regrettably, her strength was insufficient; she feared she couldn't even make it to the "Ugly Tree." Forcing herself to the exit path, she suddenly saw the white filaments scattered outside the exit, forming a silent him. Do not pity me for having no one to console me; your affection living in my heart is enough… This is my arrangement; your becoming a Daoist was merely to follow my wishes… Whether we faced anything together or separately, our hearts and wills were always united. This period was truly wonderful! …Brother’s affairs, the Dark Swordsman’s affairs, the affairs of the land… If memories cause you pain or embarrassment, just forget them. He is approaching! That familiar warmth in your palm still makes me intoxicated unconsciously. Close your eyes and press your face against it…
Wang Chongyang was shocked to see Gou’er wearing a plain robe with a black sash. He was instantly dazed, losing the meaning of life. He turned away from Gou’er, fearing he would lose composure, and choked out, "Has she…."
Gou’er nodded and said, "This is the last time Gou’er will deliver anything." He glanced at the round lacquer box on the table, filled with their favorite pastries, decorated with carved red peaches and plums with paired swallows. This was the dowry "Brought" when she was a young lady. Now, sending it to your room, it can be considered a fulfilled wish. Gou’er continued indifferently, "I will erect a monument and draw a boundary next to the 'Ugly Tree' in the woods. From now on, the two families will interact less."
Wang Chongyang entered the tomb through a secret passage. As he stepped out of the coffin, he saw Lin Chaoying's memorial tablet. He stared at it for a long time. Turning back, he saw that the lid of the first coffin on the right was sealed, indicating his former partner was inside, yet he felt she was still out adventuring. "I will never see you again!" He clenched the lid, wanting to push it open, but lacked the strength. Thousands of words turned into a flood of hot tears, sprinkling onto it drop by drop.
He lay on the coffin lid for an unknown time. In a daze, he got up and thought of visiting her chamber for a memorial. After wandering through two or three stone chambers, he arrived at this one. Upon entering, he saw it was filled with martial arts moves. All that was described completely countered the Quanzhen martial arts he had been taught over the fourteen nights. His heart filled with joy. "You truly understand me! You truly understand me!" Seeing the combined sword techniques in the last chapter, he immediately recalled every battle and every scene of the Mo Luan sword duel, and tears streamed down his face again. His complexion turned ashen, and he lowered his head, retreating from the tomb.
Returning to the Daoist temple, whenever the moves from the Heart Sutra appeared in his mind, he either rejoiced in finding such a soulmate, admired her talent, or lamented her untimely death. As time passed, his desire to decipher and counter the techniques grew stronger, but he could only develop minor methods of breaking them, failing to create a set of integrated martial arts that encompassed both internal and external aspects, as he had done in the past.
7
During the Huashan martial arts competition, Wang Chongyang obtained a set of wondrous scriptures. To show his impartiality, he publicly declared he would not practice the martial arts within. However, thinking of Lin Chaoying, he couldn't resist flipping through them. After absorbing the profound essence of the scriptures, he returned to the Tomb of the Living Dead with great enthusiasm. In the stone chamber beneath the stone coffin, he inscribed the essence of his insights from the scriptures, pointing out how to counter her Heart Sutra step by step.
After completing his work, Wang Chongyang looked up at the ceiling and said softly, "I am not sure if these scriptures are the ones we found in the Duke of Kaiguo's mansion back then. But using such profound martial arts to counter everything you created, I believe you would like it and be excited, right? I have to rely on others to win this round; you will surely mock me for not being my former self." You left behind the challenges, merely to give me a driving force in life after you were gone. Now that they are solved, I feel I have no worries and no support, and I have become completely empty. He smiled bitterly, "No wonder you arranged for me to become a Daoist." He walked out of the stone chamber forlornly and slowly descended until the splashing water at his knees startled him back to awareness. Preparing to dive into the waterway, he suddenly remembered the contents of the "Guo Ying Cave," which he had completely forgotten to retrieve.
"Guo Ying Cave" was the vast cave beside the waterway, which the righteous army had used for practicing martial arts and storage. One night, Wang Chongyang, as usual, was feasting and discussing aspirations with the righteous men on the beach. Someone proposed naming the cave, and someone suggested "Guo Ying Cave" to honor the ambition of "heroism is achieved only when one's body is wrapped in horsehide." At this moment, Wang Chongyang returned to the long beach, his grief intensified by the sight, making him more dejected. He felt the urge to retire as he had intended, to escape worldly affairs. But how could he betray her painstaking efforts to counter all the Quanzhen martial arts and her intention to inspire him? He could only muster his spirits, stand upright, build a bonfire, and head to the small house.
Wang Chongyang pushed open the door and was startled to see a carved lacquer box on the table, used for festive occasions. Its style was the same as the one Gou’er had given him, but the pattern was changed to that of paired orchids, maple leaves, and geese, and its shape was rectangular. Knowing Lin Chaoying had found this place, he felt ashamed. Lifting the lid, he indeed found two scrolls inside. Gritting his teeth, he drew them out and unfurled them. He saw her writings, her "Guo Bao," on the paper, her brushstrokes like her graceful demeanor, making him intoxicated. He had intended to take the scrolls on the table and burn them outside, but now he hesitated. "This… is no longer my personal property." Wang Chongyang placed the scrolls back and caught sight of a chisel. This triggered thoughts in his mind. He picked it up, turned, and carved on the stone wall:
My ambition was in vain, my pure heart betrayed, a lifetime of devotion met with tragic regret;
The Jade Maiden’s wish, yielding to the Golden Boy, only her scrolls are left to fulfill our pact.
Afterward, he carried the lacquer box and hid it under the stone steps outside. At the same time, he felt he had buried his will here. Wiping his clothes with a sigh, he turned and left. He smelled a stream of fragrance, glanced at the bonfire by the water, and seemed to see her figure. He involuntarily strode forward, and the bonfire instantly extinguished, plunging the surroundings into darkness.
The End