Chapter 55.
Traversing the bridle path along the grassy plains by the Yiluo River; though the verdant garden remained evergreen, the passers-by grow old.[1] In the legends, a myriad of songstresses from Yan Zhao played their shengs in melodious harmony on the golden terraces. The wind rose from the east of Luoyang, and drifted past the west.[2]
The neverending cries of the troubled commoners, like cuckoo calls, had ceased. A man, with wine by his side, succumbed to the long haze of drink.
At the site of the eastern capital, its splendor was long past. There were a few thin horses on the state road[3], ambling leisurely.
The two men were both of slender and elegant build, but one of them vaguely had a sickly pallor to his countenance. A wine flask hung at his waist, though he was in no hurry to drink; he merely held it in hand, swirling it occasionally. When he took a sip, he held it in his mouth for a while to savour it, before swallowing it slowly, his thoughts inscrutable to the onlooker. A simple and honest-looking youth followed behind them.
This was none other than Zhou Zishu and his company, who had just exited Shuzhong.
Watching from the side, Wen Kexing discovered that this person took one sip after another, and in a short amount of time, had reached the bottom of such a large flask. He could not stop himself from reaching out just as Zhou Zishu tipped it into his mouth again, restraining his forearm, and said, “Isn’t that about enough, drunkard?”
Zhou Zishu cast a sideway glance at him, switched the wine flask to his other hand, and said, “You’re sticking your nose into so much of my business. Are you my wife?”
Wen Kexing stretched out a hand to grab his flask, and said with a serious expression still, “We’ve even had intimate, skin-on-skin contact. Are you planning to abandon me now after you’ve toyed with me?”
Zhou Zishu countered his moves as they came, smiling as he replied, “I’m afraid that you will be widowed.”
Without caring that Zhang Chengling was still present, Wen Kexing continued shamelessly, “That’s fine, because anyway, at present, you let me look and touch, but not do--I lie awake every night, widowed even though you’re alive.”
Zhou Zishu’s hand slipped, and the flask was nicked by Wen Kexing.
Zhang Chengling tagged along closely behind them, head lowered. He wanted to burrow himself into a crack in the ground.
Seizing his flask, Wen Kexing took a large swig from it, slanted a gaze at Zhou Zishu and smiled, saying, “The wine can’t be considered good wine, but the taste is truly...quite good, quite good.”
Zhou Zishu looked at him woodenly for a moment, then abruptly spurred the horse to move closer to him, and spoke right next to his ear, “Is this because my wife is unsated, and lonely at night? This husband has treated you poorly. Tonight, wash up and wait for me. I’ll call on you for sure…”
Lost in his fantasies as he listened, Wen Kexing’s hand closed around empty air--the wine flask had been nicked right back.
Mimicking his actions, Zhou Zishu slanted a glance at him. The corners of his eyes were slightly long and narrow, but when his gaze drifted over, there was not one trace of bewitchment to it; instead, it had a sense of lively mischief. Smugly, he raised that wine flask and swirled it a few times in Wen Kexing’s direction, then took a large swig in satisfaction.
However, he suddenly felt something small and hard slide into his mouth. Pausing in alarm, Zhou Zishu spat that thing out, and nearly leapt from the horse’s back--it was a small chunk of walnut!
It made Zhou Zishu lose his appetite, as if it had not been a small chunk of walnut he spat from his mouth, but a chunk of human brain. Glaring at Wen Kexing furiously, he seethed, “You scumbag!”
Instantly, Wen Kexing put his hands together in a bow and replied humbly, “No, no, you’re too polite, you’re too polite!”
Face pale, Zhou Zishu pointed at him and said, "You…" He felt his stomach roil, repulsed at the thought, but simply could not stop his thoughts from veering towards the repulsive.
Leisurely, Wen Kexing came over to take his hand. Sticking his tongue out, he curled it over Zhou Zishu's palm, sweeping the small chunk of kernel away. He chewed a few times with relish, laughed, and said, “Husband, you’re already a grown adult. How can you be picky about food? This is too unbecoming.”
Silently, Zhou Zishu turned his face aside, and did not look at him. After a long while, he said faintly, “I want a divorce…”
Wen Kexing laughed uproariously.
Zhang Chengling watched these two old jokesters, his face blooming crimson and lush green. After a long while, he finally mustered up his courage, inched up to them, and stammered, “Shi-shifu, w-why are we going to Luo-luoyang?”
Zhou Zishu had not suppressed his disgust yet; glancing at Zhang Chengling with a pale face that was a little green, he said waspishly, “We’re going to find out who’s after your life.”
Zhang Chengling looked at him dumbly, mouth gaping, and asked, “Ah?”
Wen Kexing held the reins of his horse loosely in one hand, while his other came up to rub his own chin. He asked, “At that time, there were two parties who separately hired two waves of Scorpions, wanting this little tyke’s life…”
Zhou Zishu cut him off. “The red-clothed Delighted Mourning Ghost was likely not intending to kill him. If he had wanted to, he would have done so earlier. He wouldn't have spent so much time talking nonsense with him.”
Wen Kexing turned his head around, gazing at him in thought, and said, “So, you’re thinking of rooting out the people behind that batch of Poisonous Scorpion suicide warriors? Can it be...that you’ve come here in order to locate that bunch of Poisonous Scorpions? Can it be that the Poisonous Scorpions’ den is in Luoyang?”
Zhang Chengling gazed at Wen Kexing adoringly, finding this senior really too clever, as he could deduce paragraphs upon paragraphs from a small morsel of information. Zhou Zishu humphed coldly, and said, “Do you talk so much nonsense just to demonstrate that you’re a little more capable than that little tyke?”
Wen Kexing was thick-skinned, and ignored it completely. He continued asking, "Can it be that you know where the Poisonous Scorpions' den is?"
Reflexively, Zhou Zishu went to take another sip of wine. He brought it to his mouth, but recalled what that Wen scumbag had put in the flask, and had no choice but to set it down again. In his whole life, he abhorred others ruining good wine the most; glaring at Wen Kexing venomously, he said coldly, "Just because you don't know about it doesn't mean that I’m unaware of it."
Wen Kexing hastily sweet-talked him, “That is so, that is so. Lord Zhou is of divine brilliance and has numerous aces up his sleeve. How can such an ordinary commoner like me ever aspire to reach your lofty level?”
Zhou Zishu felt that he was a glib talker who brought his nonsense with him everywhere he went, and wanted to punch him badly. Then he thought about it, felt like he might not be able to beat him in a fight, and turned his head aside in a wise decision, ignoring him.
The three people made their way into Luoyang City. After they had filled their stomachs at an inn and rested sufficiently, Zhou Zishu called Zhang Chengling into his room.
At first, Zhang Chengling did not understand the purpose of the order, and ran over joyfully. Yet, without warning, Zhou Zishu’s palm hurtled towards his shoulder. Instantly, Zhang Chengling knew that this was another of his shifu’s impromptu tests; unable to counter it in time, he bent and ducked away, squirming underneath Zhou Zishu’s arm ungracefully.
Zhou Zishu frowned. He was discovering that this little tyke had some sort of talent: no matter how elegant and dazzling a move looked, when it came to him, it would be as hopelessly sloppy as a donkey rolling on the ground. But if he were to say that it was incorrect, there were no errors with the moves he executed. He sat unmoving, and with a flip of his palm, encircled Zhang Chengling.
Zhang Chengling yelped "Aiya", and fell flat on his back with a plonk. Spine shuffling against the floor, he wriggled on the floor a few times like a mudskipper, jumping to his feet in a scramble. He stepped on the small table with a loud bang and avoided Zhou Zishu’s third blow, then leapt again like a huge toad. His four limbs touched the ground at the same time, but he lost his balance when he flipped himself over, and fell onto the floor on his ass. Using his legs to slide himself a few steps back, he dodged a kick that Zhou Zishu swept at him--surprisingly, his movements could be considered ‘as fluid as drifting clouds and flowing streams’.
But he infuriated Zhou Zishu, who pointed to him and said, “How many benefits did the innkeeper promise you, for you to be wiping the floor for him so dedicatedly?”
Sheepishly, Zhang Chengling got to his feet, wiping at his nose with his sleeve. Shrinking back into himself, he looked at Zhou Zishu and said in a small voice, “Senior, Senior Wen said that...any move that can save your life is a good move, that when you fight, you can’t stick to a sequence of moves, and if you forget, to improvise and adapt under desperate circumstances[4]…”
Zhou Zishu raged, “Wen Kexing, get in here. Your own techniques are warped from improper teaching--do you still want to miseducate others, and teach others to develop warped techniques like yours?”
At this moment, Wen Kexing was leaning against the doorframe, a standing bystander to the show. He had another packet of walnuts that he had gotten ahold of from somewhere in hand, and his mouth was stuffed full of walnut kernel; when he spoke, the words were muffled and unclear. Upon hearing this, he raised a sleeve to cover half his face, looked at Zhou Zishu with an expression of resentment, and said in a trembling voice, “Husband, are...are you holding this wife in contempt?”
Zhang Chengling gazed at this Senior Wen in sympathy, feeling that while Senior Wen couldn’t be presented in public, he could at least take care of the domestic realm; although his behaviour was a little improper, he could fight and was built tough. He was truly a rare talent, but was still held in contempt by his shifu--he was really pitiful.
Zhou Zishu did not wish to talk any more inane nonsense with them, and told Zhang Chengling, “Remain here at the inn on your own for a few days, and wait for me. I am going to investigate the Poisonous Scorpions’ territory.”
Zhang Chengling volunteered, “Shifu, I’ll come with you!”
Zhou Zishu said, "Come along to be a burden?"
Zhang Chengling pouted, his expression mournful and his tone one of unwillingness to part with him as he said in a small voice, “Shifu…”
Zhou Zishu kicked him on the thigh, and said, “Do you still want someone to suckle you? Get out. If your gongfu is still in such poor form by the time I return, I’ll break your leg.”
Mournfully, Zhang Chengling left after being chased away. He counted on his fingers, but could not figure out how many times he would have his leg broken in one day, desperately wishing that he could turn into a centipede.
Seeing that Zhou Zishu was walking towards the door, Wen Kexing immediately sprung at him, saying, “I’ll go with you…”
Immediately, Zhou Zishu recoiled to dodge him, stopping him with a finger on his chest. He looked at the packet of walnuts in his hand with a baleful gaze, treating both Wen Kexing and the walnuts alike as venomous pests[5].
Wen Kexing simpered, balled up the paper lump containing the walnuts in a couple of movements and stuffed it into his robes. He rubbed his hands forcefully, then followed after him obediently.
Following Zhou Zishu, Wen Kexing made his way to the outskirts of Luoyang City, turned into a small alley, passing a small copse of lush plants, and crossed through onto a street. Wen Kexing raised his head, and felt that this place could not be more familiar to him--with its dim and amorous lighting, the fragrance of flowers and wine drifting, this was clearly a brothel.
His expression turned odd. Pointing at the songstress who was singing as she played her instrument on the upper level of the building, he asked, “The Poisonous Scorpions’ den...is i-in this sort of place?”
Zhou Zishu glanced at him, and teased, “That’s enough, you can stop pretending to be morally decent. As if Valley Master Wen is an unsullied lotus flower that remains pure though having grown amidst mud.”
He was just about to lift his foot and enter, but Wen Kexing pulled at him hastily, saying in a small voice, "Isn't it because...you're already a married man, Husband Zhou?”
Zhou Zishu gripped his jaw. Wen Kexing looked at him with a shy but loving gaze. Zhou Zishu shivered, and evaluated, “Wife Wen, you gross me out too much.”
Then he released him, and slipped away among the throng of guests seeking pleasure.
Wen Kexing muttered, “Fine, you even dare commit adultery right in front of my face, treating me as though I’m dead. I’ll show you what the roar of an irascible wife[6] is like.”
He inhaled deeply, gathering his emotions and letting them stew suitably. Just as he was about to give a great shout, he deflated and shook his head, resigning himself to lift his foot and follow. He even assuaged himself by saying, “The Three Obediences and Four Virtues, The Three Obediences and Four Virtues[7], ai!”
As he was highly skilled, Zhou Zishu was bold, rising into the air before the very eyes of the public. The fat man in front of him, his vision blurred by drink, only felt a small breeze glide past; sobering a little, he raised his head to look, but did not glimpse a single figure. Wen Kexing followed close behind Zhou Zishu. The two of them stepped lightly across the tiles on the roof of the brothel underfoot, gliding across without pausing for a single step.
Thereafter, Zhou Zishu spun through the air in a beautiful arc and landed in a small backyard. Wen Kexing regarded their surroundings, the continuous noises of pleasure from those promiscuous young men and women still reaching his ears, and thought with some interest, If the Poisonous Scorpions' den is in such a place, they must be constantly insatiable.
Zhou Zishu slunk along the base of the walls[8], concentrating as he listened an earful at the base of every room and discerned the sounds with great attention. Wen Kexing was utterly amazed, feeling that this person was truly impressive to be able to eavesdrop with such an expression of propriety.
Then Zhou Zishu stopped behind a room, made a “it’s here” gesture at Wen Kexing and paused there, unmoving.
Focusing, Wen Kexing listened, and instantly understood the trick to this--he knew that Zhou Zishu was not listening to the human voices, but the creaking of the bed frame inside the room.
So he came close, pressing himself tight to Zhou Zishu on purpose, and together, they listened to the earth-shattering moans of the maiden in the room.
Footnotes:
[1] From 望海潮·洛阳怀古 (Gazing At The Tides·Reminiscing Luoyang) by Northern Song dynasty poet Qin Guan.
[2] From 四望楼 (lit. ‘watchtower’) by Tang dynasty poet Cao Ye. It describes a lord of Luoyang losing himself in glamorous pleasure and ignoring the commoners’ suffering.
[3] 官道: The ancient Chinese network of roads consisted of legitimate roads for government use, wide enough for horses to run along so that supplies could be transported.
[4] Wen Kexing: Improvise. Adapt. Overcome.
[5] More specifically “the five venomous creatures and four pests” (五毒四害): the former five are scorpion, snake, centipede, lizard, and toad, while the latter four are rat, cockroach, fly, and ant.
[6] 河东狮吼 literally translates to “the lioness’ roar”, and is usually used to describe a wife whose husband fears her.
[7] 三从四德: Confucian code of conduct governing morality and social behaviour for maidens and married women. Even prostitutes had to follow these principles.
[8] Eavesdropping in Chinese is 听墙根, which literally translates to “listening at the base of walls”