Ma Yu unsealed Hua Zheng's accupoints which returned her ability to move. The girl lay on a boulder resting.
“In ten years,” Zhu Cong said, “that woman made so much progress, that if the Taoist Master had not lent us a strong hand today, our accounts would have been settled!” Ma Yu responded modestly, but he was frowning, as if an inner worry tormented him.
“If there is some task to finish,” Zhu Cong said, “even though we are not capable of great things, we can at least do your bidding. Do not hesitate to ask it of us.”
“Because of my inattention,” Ma Yu said, “I was tricked by that crafty woman!”
“Were you injured by a secret weapon?” the Six asked.
“No,” replied Ma Yu, “it is nothing like that. When she asked me a question, I replied without thinking, and I fear that it might result in further evil.” His friends were perplexed and seemed not to understand. The Taoist explained, “The external technique of ‘Iron Corpse’ has already reached a level that we cannot even imagine. Even if my brothers Qiu and Wang really had been present here, we might not have been able to overcome her. That the Master of Peach Blossom Island succeeded in producing a disciple of such strength...proves his own power. Only the neigong of Mei Chaofeng Eagle Shooting Hero
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is not at all advanced. I do not know where she succeeded in finding the secret formulae to practice Taoist neigong, but without pointers from a master, she was not able to understand them. When she asked me to explain a formula, it was because the lack of understanding had arrested her progress. I realized something was wrong and did not reply to her second question; but my first explanation will allow her to make great progress with her neigong.”
“Let us hope,” Han Xiaoying said, “that she will regret her past crimes and do no more evil.”
“May it be so!” Ma Yu said. “If her neigong should become stronger, she will be more difficult to contain... Ah, this is my fault, I was too naïve and should have distrusted her...” After a moment's thought, he continued, “One thing intrigues me. The skills of the Peach Blossom Island are completely different to those of Taoism. Nevertheless, these two formulas that she quoted correspond precisely with our Taoist neigong. How is that possible?”
Hua Zheng suddenly leapt off her boulder, “Ah!” she cried, “Guo Jing! Father did not believe me, he left to visit Ong Khan!”
“Why?” Guo Jing asked.
“I explained to him,” Hua Zheng said, “that Uncle Senggum and Uncle Jamuka plotted against him.
He burst out laughing, saying that because I don’t want to marry Dukhsh, I invented lies! I said to him that you had heard it with your own ears; but he didn’t want to believe it. He even said that he would punish you on his return. I saw him leave with my three elder brothers and a small escort. I hurried to come to find you, but on the way, that blind woman caught me. She wanted to bring me to see you, isn't that right?"
“If we had not been here,” one the Six said ominously, “you would have had five holes in your skull by now!”
“When did the Khan leave?” Guo Jing demanded anxiously.
“A long time ago,” Hua Zheng responded, “father said that he wanted to get there as soon as possible. He didn’t even wait for sunrise. Their horses are very fast; they must be far away by now.
Is it really true that Uncle Senggum wants to harm Father? What will we do?” She began to weep.
This was the first time in his life that he found himself confronted with a matter so grave and he was distraught.
“Jing’er,” Zhu Cong said, “Descend the cliff quickly and take your little red horse and rescue the Khan. Even if it is not true, we’ll send someone to ascertain Senggum's intentions. Hua Zheng, will you ask your brother Tolui to muster soldiers and follow to rescue your father." Guo Jing understood and quickly descended the cliff. Ma Yu, holding on to a long rope, went next descending with Hua Zheng.
The young man dashed to his ger, mounted his horse and set off at a frantic gallop. At that moment, the sun started to rise. Guo Jing, very worried, muttered to himself, “I fear that the Khan might already have fallen into Senggum's trap; then it will be impossible to rescue him!”
The small red horse loved to run without its bridle and its heart danced with joy. It galloped more and more quickly on the plain. Fearing that it would fall, Guo Jing tried to rein it in a little; but the animal resisted and rushed on whinnying with joy. Besides, even galloping at great speed, it showed 172
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no signs of fatigue. After more than two hours of galloping, Guo Jing slowed his mount to rest a little. Then they continued on their way. One hour later, they saw in the distance three groups of riders, three squadrons, it seemed. While approaching, he recognized the standards of Ong Khan.
The riders advanced, arrows strung and sabers drawn, ready for battle.
“The Khan is further ahead,” Guo Jing lamented, “but his line of retreat is already blocked!” He pressed his thighs and his horse raced on like an arrow, passing Ong Khan’s soldiers. They called for him to stop, but he was already long gone.
Guo Jing did not dare dally. He saw another three squadrons lying in wait, before he saw, far away, the high plume of white feathers that signaled the presence of Temujin. Escorted by several hundred riders, they rode tranquilly north. Guo Jing rose to his full height and called, “Great Khan! Stop, you mustn't go on!”
Temujin, taken aback, halted, “Why not?”
Guo Jing recounted to him what he had heard in Senggum’s ger, and explained that his line of retreat had been cut. Temujin glanced at him skeptically, not knowing whether he should believe him, “I never got along well with that fool Senggum,” he said to himself, “but my adopted father Ong Khan needs me now. Jamuka is my sworn brother; how could they plot against me... unless the Sixth Jin Prince is trying to sow dissension!”
He hesitated, and Guo Jing said, “Great Khan, you have only to send someone back the way you have just traveled and you will see...”
Since childhood, Temujin had lived in the middle of plots and treacheries; he had survived hundreds of battles thanks to his bravery and his caution. Even though he had said that it was absolutely impossible that Ong Khan and Jamuka could have allied themselves against him, he said: “To be careful ten thousand times is not excessive; but to die through carelessness one time is.” He then ordered his second son, Chagatai, to leave with Tchila'un. The two men went back the way they had come.
Temujin observed the lay of the land and ordered, “Let us go up that hill and make ready!” His escort was only made up of some hundreds of men, but they were all elite soldiers and officers.
Without needing other orders, they dug trenches, raised barricades, and got ready to withstand a siege. Shortly after, they saw dust clouds rising in the south, raised by several thousand riders galloping in pursuit of Chagatai and Tchila'un. Jebe had particularly good eyesight and recognized the banners of the pursuers.
“They are Ong Khan’s soldiers,” he shouted. They had divided themselves into several detachments and tried to surround Chagatai and Tchila'un. The two men leaned forward on their saddles and desperately whipped their mounts.
“Guo Jing,” Jebe cried, “to their aid!”
Both of them descended the hill. The small red horse, glad to meet its herd mates, arrived quickly in front of Tchila'un. Guo Jing loosed three arrows with a rush of wind, cutting down the three closest pursuing soldiers, before interposing himself between the pursuers and the pursued while continuing to fire his arrows in all directions. Jebe had arrived also and his arrows flew as well, swift and deadly. Nevertheless, Ong Khan’s men, too numerous to overcome, rushed forward like an Eagle Shooting Hero
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irresistible tide. Chagatai, Tchila'un, Jebe and Guo Jing at last reached the hill. Their companions rained arrows on their pursuers who did not dare to launch a frontal attack, and for the moment, waited out of range.
Standing on the hill, Temujin observed the surroundings. Soon, Ong Khan’s regiments came rushing in from all directions. Under a yellow flag, a man rode on a great horse; it was Senggum, son of Ong Khan. The Khan well knew that it was impossible to break the encirclement and that it was better to stall for time. “Why is Brother Senggum afraid to approach and parley?” he called.
Under the protection of his guards, who covered him with their shields, Senggum approached, confident and arrogant, “Temujin, make your retreat!”
“How,” Temujin demanded, “did I offend my adopted father Ong Khan, so that you attack me?”
“For generations and generations,” Senggum said, “the Mongolians lived in separate tribes, at the heart of which the flocks were spread and divided in common. Why do you want to run counter to the traditions of our ancestors, by mixing the tribes? My father has often said that you are wrong to want to do that.”
“We Mongols,” Temujin replied, “are subordinate to the Jin Empire that demands of us each year, a tribute of tens of thousands of cattle. Is this just? If that continues, all of us will starve to death! If we did not fight amongst ourselves, why should we be afraid of the Jin Empire? I have always maintained good relations with my adoptive father; there is no hatred between our two families. It is the fault of the Jin, who wants to sow disunity between us!” Senggum’s soldiers, hearing this debate, thought that his words had merit.