The Book and The Sword (55 page)

"The Tranquillity Hall in the Lama Temple has been burned to the ground and not one of the soldiers guarding it escaped," he said.

"Excellent!" exclaimed Qian Long, very pleased.

Bai Zhen kowtowed. "Your slave deserves to die. The Red Flower Society bandits eluded capture."

"What?"

"They saw through the attempt to poison them with the wine, and they escaped while I was dealing with the guards."

Qian Long grunted and hung his head, deep in thought.

Bald Vulture pointed at Bai Zhen and the Emperor, indicating to his wife that he would attack Bai Zhen while she killed Qian Long, and the two were just about to burst through the window when Bai Zhen clapped his hands twice and twelve bodyguards slipped noiselessly out from behind cupboards and screens, each one carrying a sword. The Twin Eagles knew they were no match for so many expert fighters and decided to summon the other heroes first. Bai Zhen whispered something to one of the bodyguards who left and brought the fat man back with him.

The fat man, wearing the yellow robes of a Lama priest, kowtowed energetically before the Emperor.

"You have done well," Qian Long said. "Are you sure you left no clues?"

"Everything was done according to Your Highness's wishes. Nothing is left of the Tranquillity Hall or what was in it."

"Good, good, good! Bai Zhen, I promised that he should be made a Living Buddha. Go and see to it."

"Your Highness," Bai Zhen replied with a bow.

The Lama kowtowed again.

As they walked out of the pavilion, Bai Zhen stopped the Lama. "Show your gratitude to his Highness, abbot," he said.

The abbot looked at him in surprise, but unwilling to disobey an Imperial bodyguard, he knelt down again and kowtowed in the direction of the Precious Moon Pavilion. Then he felt an icy coldness on his neck, and started in shock.

"What…what's happening?" he asked, his voice shaking.

Bai Zhen laughed coldly. "The Emperor said to let you become a Living Buddha, so I'll send you to the Western Heavens where you can be one."

He twitched his hand and the blade did its work. Two eunuchs brought a carpet over, wrapped the abbot's corpse in it and carried it away.

Suddenly, Bai Zhen heard shouting in the distance. He turned and ran back into the pavilion.

"There are bandits outside causing a disturbance, Your Highness," he said. "Please retire to the inner palace."

Qian Long had seen the Red Flower Society fighters in action in Hangzhou and he knew that his bodyguards were no match for them, so without questioning Bai Zhen further, he stood up.

Just then, Bald Vulture released a flare, and with a 'whoosh' it scrawled a path of white light across the night sky.

"Where do you think you're escaping to?" he roared as they burst through the window into the room. "We've waited a long time for this!"

The bodyguards around the Emperor stared for a moment in surprise at the red-faced old man and white-haired old woman who had suddenly appeared in their midst, then rushed at the intruders. Bai Zhen slung Qian Lung over his back and with four bodyguards protecting the front and rear, ran for the stairs. But Madame Guan forced the bodyguards back with a fistful of projectiles and lunged at Qian Long with her sword. Bai Zhen leapt backwards in fright.

Meanwhile, Bald Vulture was fighting with three guards simultaneously. Bai Zhen gave a whistle and four other guards joined the other three and completely surrounded Bald Vulture. But he fought like a demon and kept all seven at bay for a while, until one of the guards lashed out with a whip which cracked loudly against his right arm. In great pain, Bald Vulture switched his sword over to the left hand and forced the bodyguards back.

Seeing her husband was wounded, Madame Guan went over to help him, and the two retreated towards the second floor of the pavilion. Bald Vulture knew they could not tie down so many top-class kung fu fighters for much longer, so he slipped over to the window and shot off another flare. He and his wife blocked the stairs, retreating a step at a time when the pressure was too great. Luckily, the staircase was narrow and only three or four bodyguards at most could attack at one time. Even so, the strain of having to fight against an enemy which always had the advantage of height was very wearying.

Bai Zhen could see things were going badly. "Brother Ma," he said to one of the bodyguards. "Put His Highness on your back." The bodyguard squatted down and the Emperor climbed on. Bai Zhen gave a shout and charged at Bald Vulture. The two began to fight, and Bald Vulture cursed his luck. The longer he fought, the more painful the wound on his right arm became. Bai Zhen by himself was as much as he could manage, let alone the other four or five bodyguards that also surrounded him. Bai Zhen's hands dived and flew, every move accurate and deadly, and Bald Vulture, completely absorbed in fending him off, was unprepared for a cold-blooded attack from behind. A bodyguard thrust his sword deep into Bald Vulture's back.

Bald Vulture knew instantly that he would die. He swung his elbow back with all his strength and smashed his attacker's skull, then with a huge roar, he raised his sword and threw it forcefully across the room at Qian Long. The bodyguard Ma who was carrying the Emperor, saw the blade flying towards them and with no time to dodge out of the way, put his hand up to stop it. But this was a throw by a man on the verge of death, backed by incalculable strength and outrage and the sword sliced off half of his hand and plunged through his chest and out the other side.

Bald Vulture was content, assuming that the sword must have entered Qian Long. Exchanging his own life for that of an Emperor made death seem worthwhile. Madame Guan ran to her husband as Bai Zhen hurriedly picked Qian Long up off the floor.

"Your Highness, are you all right?" he asked.

Qian Long was scared out of his wits, but he struggled to control himself. "At least I was well-prepared," he replied with a smile.

Bai Zhen could see the tip of Bald Vulture's sword extending six inches out of Ma's back and the rip on the front of Qian Long's gown, and he wondered in awe how the Emperor had avoided injury.

"Your Highness is very fortunate," he said. "Truly, the Son of Heaven has the protection of a hundred Gods."

What he did not know was that Qian Long had been so fearful of an assassination attempt as a result of his decision to break his pact with the Red Flower Society that he decided to wear a metallic vest at all times. It had saved his life.

Bai Zhen looked round and saw there was no longer anyone blocking the steps. He lifted Qian Long onto his back, the bodyguards fell in around him and they all ran straight downstairs. But just as they were about to pass through the pavilion's main entrance, Qian Long gave a shout of alarm and struggled free of Bai Zhen's grasp: standing in the doorway was Chen Jialuo. Behind him, their torches dancing and swords glinting, were several dozen kung fu fighters. The Emperor turned and ran straight back up the stairs. The bodyguards swarmed like bees after him with the Red flower Society heroes on their heels. Two of the guards who were slightly slower than the rest were intercepted by the Twin Knights and instantly killed.

Chen and the other heroes had had to fight their way through the palace to the Precious Moon Pavilion, and they were delighted to find that in spite of the delay, the Emperor had not yet escaped. Shouting in triumph, the heroes galloped up the stairs. Chen assigned men to watch the various exits. Priest Wu Chen stood with his sword at the ready at the head of the stair well on the third floor, while the Twin Knights guarded the bottom of the stairs. 'Buddha' Zhao and three of the Shaolin monks took up positions by the windows.

Huo Qingtong saw her teacher Madame Guan in a corner embracing Bald Vulture, blood welling in great surges from the gash in his back. She went over with Master Lu who took out some ointment. Bald Vulture smiled bitterly and shook his head.

"I'm sorry," he said to Madame Guan. "Because of me, you've been unhappy for all these years. When you return to the Muslim areas you must marry… marry Brother Yuan… and then I will be content in the afterworld. Brother Lu, you must make sure for me that this happy event takes place…"

Madame Guan's eyebrows flew up in outrage. "Do you mean to say," she demanded, "that you do not know how I have felt towards you in the past few months?"

Lu was just about to suggest it would be better for her to say a few comforting words to her dying husband rather than start another argument, when she jumped to her feet and shouted: "Well, I'll rest your mind at ease!" She raised her sword and drew it firmly across her throat. Lu and Huo Qingting were standing at her side, but neither was quick enough to save her. Bald Vulture let loose a wail of grief which was cut short as he also died. Huo Qingtong threw herself onto their corpses and sobbed uncontrollably.

Chen pointed his dagger at Qian Long. "Even forgetting the pact we made in the Six Harmonies Pagoda, we agreed on the dyke at Haining never to harm each other. And yet you use poisoned wine to try and get rid of me. What do you have to say?" He stepped forward and pointed the dagger's blade, glinting coldly, directly at Qian Long's heart. "You have decided to throw in your lot with the barbarians. You have cruelly oppressed the common people. You are the enemy of all good men under heaven," he announced in a formal tone. "Our fraternal bond is broken forever. Today, I will drink your blood to avenge all those who have been killed in your name."

Qian Long's face turned deathly pale and his whole body quivered with terror.

Heavenly Mirror strode forward. "We of the Shaolin Monastery led a simple life," he shouted. "We had no quarrels with the world. What justification did you have to send your evil underlings to burn our monastery to the ground? Today, I will disregard the sacred commandment against killing."

Chen helped Huo Qingtong up and placed his dagger in her hand. "Your father and mother, your brother and sister and countless members of your tribe died at the hands of this man," he said. "You kill him."

Huo Qingtong took the dagger and walked towards Qian Long. One of the bodyguards moved to intercept her, but Wen stopped him and with eight or nine swift blows broke all his ribs and his spine, so that he fell limply to the floor in a heap. A hubbub of voices rose from outside. 'Buddha' Zhao looked out and saw a sea of torches and faces around the pavilion.

Wen walked over to the window. "The Emperor is here," he called. "If anyone dares to come up here, I will kill him immediately." His tone was forceful and commanding, and a hush fell over the crowd. The heroes in the Precious Moon Pavilion also fell silent, and stared fixedly at the gleaming blade in Huo Qingtong's hand as she advanced step by step towards Qian Long.

Suddenly, a figure darted into the room and in front of Qian Long. Huo Qingtong stopped in surprise as she saw it was a Manchu officer holding a baby. He smiled and held up the white, chubby baby which was sucking its little fingers.

"Give me back my baby!" Zhou Qi screamed and lunged forward.

"Come on, then," the man shouted. "If you want a dead baby, come and get it."

Zhou Qi stopped in her tracks and stared at him in a daze.

The officer, surnamed Fang, had been commander of the troops sent by Qian Long to destroy the Shaolin Monastery. He knew of the Emperor's wish to get rid of the Red Flower Society, and during the night attack, his men had snatched Zhou Qi's baby son. Fang had recognised this as an achievement of great merit and made his way to Beijing for an audience with the Emperor.

Qian Long had questioned him closely that evening, wanting to ascertain for certain that no evidence relating to his origins could have survived at the Shaolin Monastery. When the Twin Eagles appeared, Fang had dodged behind a curtain, but he now recognised an opportunity to gain even greater merit.

"All of you leave the palace and I will return the child to you," Fang said.

"You devil!" Huo Qingtong shouted at him. "It's just a trick!" In her excitement the words came out in the Muslim and Fang looked at her uncomprehendingly.

The heroes had thought they finally had the Emperor in their grasp. But one man, clearly ignorant of kung fu and holding a baby, had left them powerless. They turned to Chen, waiting for his decision.

Chen looked at Huo Qingtong and thought of how Qian Long had forced Princess Fragrance to suicide. How could the deaths of her whole family remain unavenged? Looking round, he caught sight of the corpses of the Twin Eagles of Tianshan. Then he saw Xu's face, full of fear for his son, and glanced back at the child in Fang's arms. It was only two months old and was gurgling happily, stretching out its little fingers to feel the knobbly hand holding its neck. Chen looked at the other heroes: Heavenly Mirror's eyes radiated compassion, Lu Feiqing sighed and Lord Zhou's white beard shook as he trembled. Zhou Qi was standing with her mouth wide open, a crazed expression on her face.

Chen knew Lord Zhou's last son and heir had died as a result of the Red Flower Society and that the baby before them was his sole hereditory lifeline. But if they did not kill the Emperor today, they were unlikely to ever have another opportunity to gain revenge. So what to do?

Huo Qingtong turned and handed the dagger back to Chen.

Chen nodded. "All right," he said to Fang. "We will not harm the Emperor. Give the child to me." As he spoke, he replaced the dagger in its sheath and stretched out his hands.

"Huh! Who'd believe you?" Fang replied darkly. "I'll return the child only after you have left the palace."

Chen was furious. "We of the Red Flower Society hold to our word," he said. "Why would we bother to cheat an animal like you?"

"That's why I don't believe you."

"All right," Chen countered. "Then you leave the palace with us." Fang hesitated.

As soon as Qian Long heard Chen say that his life was spared, he was ecstatic with happiness and didn't care less what happened to Fang. "Go with them," he said. "You have gained great merit today. I will naturally not forget it."

Fang shivered as he heard the Emperor's tone, and realised that he was talking about honouring him posthumously. But all he could say was: "Thank you, Your Highness, for your benevolence." He turned to Chen. "If I leave the palace with you, what chance have I got to live?" He wanted Chen to promise to spare him.