Duan Yu thought that this made sense. He was also extremely hungry, and said, "Then let's eat!" Clamping some of the pork inside a steamed bun, he handed one to Mu Wanqing. Then he started to eat as well. The person outside said, "After eating, put the bowl outside. Someone will come to take it." After he finished speaking, he immediately left. Mu Wanqing peered past the boulder. She saw that person pull himself up past the tree wall, then descend on the other side. She thought to herself, "The person who delivered food has only an ordinary skill." Walking back to Duan Yu's side, she started to eat the pork and the steamed buns.
While eating, Duan Yu said, "Don't be worried. My father and uncle will definitely come to rescue us. Although the Divine Crocodile and Ye Erniang's martial arts might be high, they aren't necessarily a match for my father. And if my uncle himself comes? It will be like the wind scattering the leaves. They'll flee at the mere sight of his oncoming force." Mu Wanqing let out a 'hngh' sound. "He's just the Emperor of Dali. What's so special about his martial arts? I don't believe he can beat the man in the green robe. He'll probably just lead a few thousand armored cavalry and invade this place." Duan Yu repeatedly shook his head. "Not so, not so! The ancestor of the Duan lineage used to be a respected figure within the wulin of the Central Plains. Even though he became the Emperor of Dali, he wouldn't dare forget about the rules of the wulin. If he took advantage of his position to bully others, and achieved victory by superior force of numbers, wouldn't Dali's Duan dynasty be derided by all the heroes of the world?"
Mu Wanqing nodded. "I understand. Even after the people of your family became Emperors and princes, they were unwilling to throw away their standing as heroes of the jianghu." Duan Yu said, "My uncle and my father often tell me, this is the meaning of the saying, 'A person must not forget his origins'." Mu Wanqing made a contemptuous sound. "Pei! Their mouths are full of righteousness and morality, but they act in shameless and despicable ways. Since your father already had your mother, why would he come after my master as well?"
Startled, Duan Yu said, "Eh?! How can you insult my father? He's your father too, you know. Besides, of the princes and dukes in the world, how many of them don't had multiple wives? Even if they had eight or ten wives, it still wouldn't be a big deal."
Actually, during the Northern Song dynasty, the north was occupied by the Khitan, the center was occupied by the Great Song, the northwest was occupied by the Western Xia, the southwest ruled by Tibet, and the south by Dali. The princes and dukes of these five countries all had, in addition to a 'formal wife', a large number of concubines. At the very least, they would have three or four; some even had dozens. Even high ranking nobles or officials would have a few concubines. This is how it had been since ancient times, since the beginning of the imperial system. Most people had long since accepted it as a matter of course. [Translator's note: Jinyong and his bloody history lessons....]
Hearing his words, anger swelled in Mu Wanqing's heart. She dealt Duan Yu a heavy blow right on his cheeks. A loud cracking sound could be heard, loud, sharp and clear. This blow knocked him silly, causing the half-eaten steamed bun in his hand to fall to the ground. All he could say was, "You...you..."
Mu Wanqing angrily said, "I refuse to acknowledge him as my father! If a man takes on multiple wives, then he has no conscience. If a person has split desires and a split mind when it comes to love, then that person is faithless and heartless." Gently caressing his swollen cheeks, Duan Yu let out a bitter laugh. "I'm your elder brother. As my little sister, how can you be so disrespectful towards me?" The grief and anger in Mu Wanqing's heart was difficult to bear. Upon hearing these words, she struck at him again.
This time, Duan Yu was prepared. With a slip of the foot, he exercised his "Graceful Steps Upon the Waves" and dodged behind her. Mu Wanqing sent out a palm backwards, but Duan Yu avoided that one as well. Although the square room was only around ten feet in diameter, the "Graceful Steps Upon the Waves" truly was a wondrous skill. Mu Wanqing's palm attacks came faster and faster now, but she wasn't able to hit him again.
Mu Wanqing was all the more infuriated by this. Suddenly, she let out a loud cry of pain and pretended to fall down. Alarmed, Duan Yu asked, "What's wrong?" He bent over her, extending a hand to help her up. Mu Wanqing leaned gently against his body. She hooked her left arm around his neck, then suddenly tightened her grip. She laughed. "Can you still run away from me now?" She slapped him once again with her right hand, this time on his left cheeks. The ringing sound was extremely sharp and clear.
Duan Yu was hurt, but only let out a single cry. "Ow!" Suddenly, he felt a warm stream rapidly rise up from his dantian. His blood vessels began to rapidly expand, filling him with an irresistibly sensual sensation. He suddenly was aware that the girl whom he had embraced within his bosom was delicately panting. Waves of fragrant scents filled the air, throwing his mind into great turmoil. He placed a kiss on her lips. Upon being kissed, Mu Wanqing's entire body immediately went soft. Duan Yu, still holding her body in his arms, set her down on top of the bed, then undid one of his buttons. Mu Wanqing said in a low voice, "But you...you are my elder brother..."
Although Duan Yu's mind was in turmoil, this sentence struck him like a thunderbolt out of the clear sky. Stunned for a moment, he quickly released her and took three steps back. Attacking with both palms, he struck himself on his mouth four times. He cursed at himself. "I deserve to die. I deserve to die!"
Mu Wanqing saw that both of his eyes were bloodshot, and had a strange light in them. The flesh of his face was moving and churning, and his nostrils were dilating, then contracting. Frightened, she said, "Ah! Darling Duan, there was poison in the food! We have been deceived!" Duan Yu felt as though his entire body was boiling up, as though he had been placed within a steamer and was being thoroughly steamed. Upon hearing Mu Wanqing cry that the food was poisoned, he was actually relieved. "So it was poison which threw my mind into chaos and caused me to act in such a depraved way towards younger sister Wan. It isn't as though I was an insane creature who had never read the classical scriptures, acting in ways which imitate beasts."
But the heat coming from his body was truly hard to resist. Slowly, he removed one article of clothing after another, until he wore but a single shirt and trousers. He sat down on his knees. His eyes focused on his nose, and his nose pointed towards his heart. With a powerful effort, he restrained the capricious desires the drug was causing.
After consuming the Cinnabar Toad, he had become immune to all poisons. But the drug which had been put in the bowl of pork wasn't a poison which would actually harm a person's life. Rather, it was an aphrodisiac designed to generate lust. The desire for men and women to be together is inborn. This aphrodisiac only aroused the natural lusts which are innate to every person, intensifying them and making them difficult to control. The Cinnabar Toad's venom could, using the principle of 'fighting poison with poison', counteract thousands of toxin, but this aphrodisiac was not actually poisonous. Thus, the Cinnabar Toad could do nothing for Duan Yu.
Mu Wanqing was also feeling somewhat hot. After some time, it was more than she could bear, and she also removed her outer garments.
Duan Yu called out, "You can't take anything else off! Rest your back against the stone wall. It'll help cool you down."
Both of them leaned back against the stone walls. Although their backs were cool, every inch of their chest, stomach, limbs, face, and necks felt as though they were being rolling in fire. Duan Yu saw that Mu Wanqing's cheeks were a fiery red, and that she appeared unspeakably lovable and glamorous. Tears glimmered in her eyes, and it was obvious that she would like to do nothing better than to throw herself in his embrace. Duan Yu thought to himself, "At this moment, we need to be resolute in fighting off the effects of this drug. But our strength has limits. If we engaged in depraved, incestuous acts, we will have lost all face for the Duan family. Even a hundred deaths would not redeem such a heavy offense." He said, "Give me one of your poisoned quarrels."
Mu Wanqing asked, "For what?" Duan Yu said, "If...if I become unable to withstand the strength of this drug, I'll use the quarrel to stab myself to death, so I won't harm you." Mu Wanqing said, "I'm not giving it to you." Neither of them knew that the poison the quarrel could do nothing to Duan Yu. Duan Yu said, "You need to promise me something." Mu Wanqing said, "What?" Duan Yu said, "If I so much as extend my hand and touch your body, you must shoot your quarrels and kill me." Mu Wanqing said, "I refuse to promise you that." Duan Yu said, "I'm begging you. Promise me. The reputation of Dali's Duan dynasty, pure and clean for the past hundreds of years, cannot be ruined by my hand. Otherwise, how can I face my ancestors after death?"
Suddenly, a voice spoke from outside the stone room. "Dali's Duan dynasty used to be awe-inspiring in the past. But then the kingship passed into Duan Zhengming's hands. His mouth is filled with righteousness and moral platitudes, but he has the heart of a wolf and the innards of a dog. He's long since lost the Duan dynasty's pure reputation!"
Duan Yu angrily replied, "Who are you? You're full of s.hit!" Mu Wanqing said in a low voice, "He's the freak in the green gown." Only to hear the man in green say, "Miss Mu, I promised that I'd help you turn your brother into your husband. I've taken this task to heart, and I will definitely accomplish it." Mu Wanqing angrily said, "You're poisoned the food to harm us! What does this have to do with my request?"
The man in green replied, "In that bowl of red-cooked pork, I placed a large quantity of the 'Yin and Yang Conjoining' powder. After being ingested, if yin and yang do not enter into a harmonious relationship, and the male and female do not become man and wife, then their flesh and skin will crack and split. They will bleed from their seven orifices, then die. The potency of this 'Conjoining Powder' grows with every day. On the eighth day, even if you were the Great Golden Immortal Luo [a Taoist deity] himself, you still wouldn't be able to hold it off."
Duan Yu angrily replied, "There are neither enmities nor grievances between the two of us. Why did you cook up such a poisonous plot to harm me? You are trying to force me to lose all face as a man, and cause my parents and my uncle to suffer shame for the rest of their entire life. I...I would rather die a hundred times than engage in such a shameless, depraved, incestuous act!" The man in green replied, "Although neither enmities nor grievances exist between us, the grievances between your uncle and I are as deep as the oceans of the four seas. Duan Zhengming, Duan Zhengchun. I can imagine nothing better than for those two kids to lose all face and suffer lifelong shame, and be unable to face others in the future. Wonderful. Wonderful! Heh heh, heh heh." His lips could not move, so the sound of laughter emanated from his larynx, sounding all the more hideous and strange.
Duan Yu was about to continue arguing, but, out of the corner of his eye, saw Mu Wanqing's beautiful face, which looked like the slumbering spring or a lovely cherry, and her slender body, which appeared as though it were a blooming hibiscus flower. His heart beat so frantically that even he was almost able to hear it. His brain was once more confused, and he thought to himself, "Little sister Wan and I originally had agreed to wed. If the two of us had not returned to Dali, who would have known that we were siblings? This is a karmic retribution born from the affairs of the heart of the previous generation. What does it have to do with the two of us?"
When his thought process arrived at this point, he shakily rose to his feet, only to see that Mu Wanqing, her hand supporting her against the wall, was also slowly rising to her feet. Suddenly, within his heart a sudden thought flashed by, striking upon it like a ray of sunlight on a flintstone. "Cannot! Cannot! Duan Yu, ah, Duan Yu! This is the critical moment, where your actions will determine if you am a man or a beast. If you make the wrong choice now, not only will you suffer a complete and utter fall from grace, but you will also destroy your uncle and your father as well."
He immediately cried out loudly, "Sister Wan! I am your elder brother, and you are my younger sister! You know that, right? Do you understand the Book of Changes?"
In the midst of her fuzzy-headedness, Mu Wanqing heard him ask such a strange question. "Huh? Book of Changes? I don't know what you're talking about." Duan Yu replied, "Alright, I'll teach you! The study of the Book of Changes is extremely difficult and abstruse. Listen carefully!" Mu Wanqing was confused. She asked, "What good is it going to do me?" Duan Yu replied, "After you learn it, it will benefit you greatly! Maybe the two of us can use it to escape from our current predicament."
He felt that his desires were driving him mad. At the critical juncture between being a man and a beast, a thousand things rested upon this one decision. If Mu Wanqing rushed over to him and tried to seduce him even but a little, his mental walls and willpower would surely crumble. The reason he wanted to teach her the Book of Changes was out of the hope that with one of them teaching, and the other learning, their attention would be focused somewhere else, and they wouldn't think about the affairs between males and females.
He said, "The basics of the Book of Changes rest in the Taiji, the Absolute Ultimate. From Taiji is born Liangyi [two mutually correlated opposites, aka Yin and Yang], and Liangyi gives birth to Sixiang [the four images]. In turn, the Sixiang gives birth to the Bagua [the eight divinatory Trigrams]. Do you know what the Bagua trigram looks like?" Mu Wanqing replied, "No, I don't. This is so annoying! My darling Duan, come over here. I have something I want to tell you."
Duan Yu said, "I'm your brother. Don't call me 'darling Duan'. Call me 'elder brother'. I'll tell you the secret mantra of the Bagua diagram. Concentrate and do your best to remember it. 'Qian' is three links, 'Kun' is six pieces, 'Zhen' stares at the cup, 'Gen' overflows the bowl. Within 'Li' is emptiness, within 'Kan' is fullness. Above 'Dui' is deficiency, below 'Xun' is absoluteness [the eight trigrams of the Bagua are 'Qian', 'Kun', 'Zhen', ''Gen', 'Li', 'Kan', 'Kuang', and 'Gen']."
Mu Wanqing repeated it after him once, then asked, "What's this 'cup' and 'water' and food bowl stuff all about? What are you talking about?" Duan Yu replied, "This is the shape of the Bagua diagram. You must understand the hidden meaning of the Bagua. All living things in the world, bar none, are encompassed by it. Let's use a family as an example. 'Qian' is the father, 'Kun' is the mother, 'Zhen' is the eldest son, 'Xun' is the eldest daughter. We're siblings, so I would be the 'Zhen' trigram, and you would be the 'Xun' trigram...."
Mu Wanqing lazily said, "No. You are the 'Qian' trigram, and I am the 'Kun' trigram. We'll become husband and wife. Only in the future, when we have children, will the 'Zhen' trigram and the 'Xun' trigram appear." Duan Yu, hearing her speak so sluggishly yet flirtatiously, couldn't help but be moved. He quickly said, "Don't think crazy thoughts! Keep listening to me speak." Mu Wanqing replied, "If you...if you come sit next to me, I'll listen to you speak."
Only to hear the man in green say from outside the room, "Excellent. Excellent! After the two of you become husband and wife and give birth to sons and daughters, I will release you two. Not only will I not kill you, but I will teach you two all the martial arts I possess, and set you two to rampage across all the land under heaven."
Duan Yu angrily replied, "At the last hour, the two of us will kill ourselves by smashing our heads against the stone walls. The scions of Dali's Duan dynasty would rather die than be disgraced! You want to revenge yourself upon my body? Forget it!"
The man in green replied, "You dying is fine. You living is fine. I don't care. If you two choose the path of death instead, I will strip your bodies naked, removing every stitch of clothing. I'll write on your bodies that you two are the nephew and niece of Dali's Duan Zhengming, and Duan Zhengchun's children. I will write that while you two secretly had conjugal relations with each other, you were discovered by others, and that in your shame and anger, you committed suicide. I will preserve your bodies with salt, then hang your bodies up above Dali's main gate for three days. Then I will go to the city of Kaifeng, Luoyang, Lin'an, and Guangzhou and publicly expose your bodies there as well."
Duan Yu was absolutely livid. He loudly roared, "How exactly did my Duan family offend you, for you to retaliate in such a malicious way against us?"
The man in green replied, "Why should I discuss my own affairs with a little kid like you?"
After saying this, he fell silent. Duan Yu realized that every time he spoke with Mu Wanqing, he increased the danger of their situation by another degree. Turning, he sat facing the wall, and began to deeply ponder the secrets behind the 'Graceful Steps on the Waves'."
After pondering the dazzlingly complicated footwork for a long time, he suddenly thought to himself, "The dear Goddess in the stone cavern is ten times more beautiful than sister Wan. If I must marry, only by marrying that dear Goddess will I have not married in vain." In a dazed state, he turned his head, then saw Mu Wanqing's beautiful face slowly turn into that of the stone cavern's jade statue. Duan Yu shouted loudly, "Dearest Goddess! I'm suffering so miserably right now. Please come rescue me!" He knelt down on the spot and embraced Mu Wanqing's calf.
At this moment, a voice came from outside. "Time to eat!" A lit red candle was tossed in. The person laughed. "Quick, catch! It is your first night of spring-like lust in the marital chambers. How can there not be a flower-scented candle?" Startled, Duan Yu rose to his feet. By the glow of the candle, he saw Mu Wanqing's eyelashes ripple, beautiful beyond description. With a single breath he blew the candle out. He shouted back, "There's poison in the food. Take it away! We're not eating!"
That person replied, "You were poisoned long ago, and consumed a sufficiently large dose. There's no need to add more." Then he sent in the rice and the dishes.
Duan Yu accepted the food, placing it on the table. He thought to himself, "After a person dies, all comes to an end. With regards to issues that come up after his death, how can he possibly be concerned?" Then he had a second thought. "Father, mother, and my uncle have loved me so dearly. How can I allow the Duan family to be laughed at by the world?" Suddenly, he heard Mu Wanqing gently say, "My darling Duan, I am going to commit suicide with my poisoned quarrels, so I won't end up harming you." Duan Yu shouted, "Wait! Even after the two of us, brother and sister, die, this evil man will not be done with us. This man is vicious and dangerous. Compared to the baby-murdering Ye Erniang or the heart-ripping Divine Crocodile, he's even more evil! Who can this man possibly be?"
Only to hear that man in a green gown say in a low voice, "Kid, you have some experience after all. This old man is the chief of the Four Great Evils. I am known as 'Evil Beyond Human Capacity!'"