Plum Blossom Fist

Liu Yuanzhou left Third Master's house and walked home, his heart hollow and empty. Though he knew full well that he and Miss Qin belonged to different worlds, that she would eventually leave this place, when the day of parting truly arrived, he felt incomparably lost.

His feelings toward Miss Qin were complicated. At first, he had feared her; later, he revered her; then he was grateful to her. In the end, she had become close to him, someone he regarded as a friend—a true friend.

When Liu Yuanzhou returned home, Zhang Shi saw that he was listless and absent-minded. She asked what was wrong, whether his illness had flared up again. Feeling somewhat irritated, Liu Yuanzhou answered that he was only physically tired, then strode straight into the cave dwelling and shut the door with a bang. He did not want to speak right now. He only wanted to be alone in peace.

Liu Yuanzhou lay on the kang for a while, then suddenly rolled up and sat upright. It occurred to him that Miss Qin would be leaving tomorrow. He ought to give her a gift as a keepsake.

He opened a small wooden box on the kang and began rummaging through it. Wooden knives, wooden swords, spinning tops, books without covers, and all sorts of odds and ends were taken out one by one. Then, a stone at the bottom of the box caught his attention.

Liu Yuanzhou picked up the stone and rubbed it in his hand. Its surface was smooth as a mirror, roughly the size and shape of an egg. It was pure white throughout, streaked with several red and purple veins, exceptionally beautiful. He had picked it up while playing in the river as a child. The villagers called this sort of stone Ox Tendon Stone. This one was especially unusual, so he had kept it.

This is it. A surge of delight rose in Liu Yuanzhou's heart. He tucked the stone into his clothes, intending to give it to Miss Qin tomorrow. Then something else occurred to him. He took the stone out and examined it again, making another plan. He dug out a long iron nail from the box and slowly carved into the stone. Before long, a small character for "Zhou" appeared on it.

The next morning, while it was still dark, Liu Yuanzhou got up in the dark, slipped quietly out the door, and hurried to Third Master's house. By the time he arrived, Miss Qin was already fully dressed.

Liu Yuanzhou asked, "Have you packed everything?"

Miss Qin said, "There isn't really anything to pack." After pondering for a moment, she added, "I thought about it again last night. I'll pass on another fighting art to you. Otherwise, if you possess only a realm of cultivation but no art of killing and combat, you will inevitably suffer a loss if you ever get into a fight."

Hearing that Miss Qin was going to teach him a fist art, Liu Yuanzhou would once have been ecstatic. Yet now, he could not bring himself to be happy. Calmly, he said, "All right. I'll listen to you in everything."

Miss Qin glanced at Liu Yuanzhou and continued, "This fist art is called Plum Blossom Fist. I'll first recite the mnemonic verses for you. Listen carefully."

Liu Yuanzhou forced himself to pull his spirits together and listened intently as she explained.

Plum Blossom Fist consisted of eight moves, each with eight mnemonic verses, making sixty-four verses and over six hundred characters in total. Whether it was due to standing meditation and Entering Samadhi or something else, Liu Yuanzhou found that his memory had improved greatly. Miss Qin recited the sixty-four verses only twice, and he had already remembered most of them. After she recited them twice more, he had memorized every word without a single mistake.

Miss Qin nodded, satisfaction appearing on her face. Then she began teaching Liu Yuanzhou the specific forms and moves of Plum Blossom Fist.

Before they knew it, the sky outside the window had brightened completely. Liu Yuanzhou had already learned the fourth move of Plum Blossom Fist. Both of them were hungry and thirsty, so Miss Qin said she would teach him the rest after breakfast.

Liu Yuanzhou went to light the fire and cook. Breakfast was simple as well. He heated some beef and steamed buns that Miss Qin had somehow obtained, boiled a pot of millet porridge, and sliced up a small plate of pickled vegetables. They hurriedly finished breakfast, and Miss Qin continued teaching Liu Yuanzhou the fist art.

They spent the entire morning in the cave dwelling teaching and learning the fist art, never even stepping out the front gate.

After noon had passed, Liu Yuanzhou had learned the entire set of Plum Blossom Fist.

The two sat on the kang, drinking tea and resting. Miss Qin explained a few more matters that required attention when practicing fist arts, then finally said, "Now that I've taught you the fist art, practice it often from now on. There are no shortcuts in fist practice. You can only practice more, think more, and fight more."

"Practice more and think more need no explanation. As for fighting more, it means sparring with people more often and gaining more real combat experience. Only when you have enough real combat experience can your fist art enter the realm of Minor Accomplishment."

"I told you before that fighting fist arts are generally divided into three realms as well: Entry Level, Minor Accomplishment, and Major Accomplishment."

"Entry Level means becoming proficient in the fist art, turning every move and stance into bodily instinct. Generally, three to five months of hard practice will achieve it. It is not particularly difficult."

"Minor Accomplishment means being able to use the various moves of the fist art flexibly, applying them in actual combat. That is rather difficult and requires a certain degree of comprehension. Generally, any martial arts master who is willing to train bitterly can achieve it."

"As for Major Accomplishment, it emphasizes defeating moves with no moves, breaking free of the cage of the original fist art's forms and opening up another path. To reach such a state, besides decades of relentless practice day after day, what is tested most is a person's comprehension and innate talent. This is the hardest. Among ten martial arts masters, there may not be even one who can train a set of fist arts to the realm of Major Accomplishment."

As Liu Yuanzhou listened, he nodded inwardly and carefully committed all of it to memory.

Miss Qin said, "All right, that is enough. Once we finish this cup of tea, it will serve as your farewell send-off. Let us part here." As she spoke, she raised her tea.

Liu Yuanzhou raised his tea and clinked cups with her, then silently drank it in one gulp. Setting down his cup, he took the stone from his clothes and placed it in his palm. Lowering his eyes, he said, "Miss Qin, I will remember your kindness for the rest of my life. You are leaving, and I have nothing much to give you. Please accept this stone."

After a pause, he added, "I picked this up in the river when I was little, and I have kept it until now. I only hope that after you return home, when you feel bored and see this stone, you will remember that once, in a place far, far away, there was a boy you taught martial arts. His name was Liu Yuanzhou."

As he spoke, his voice caught despite himself. This parting might well be a final farewell. One was in Qin Province, the other bound for Lingnan—were they not separated by more than ten thousand li?

Miss Qin snatched up the stone and put it away in her clothes. She sighed, sorrow filling her heart as well. But she had seen much and experienced much, her temperament was mature, and she still bore many responsibilities. Thus, she forcibly rallied herself and flashed Liu Yuanzhou a toothy smile. "All right. If fate wills it, we will meet again."

Miss Qin slung her bundle over her shoulder and put on her fur-lined sheepskin hat. The two walked out of the cave dwelling.

The sky was overcast, and the north wind cut like knives.

Liu Yuanzhou said, "I'll see you off to Crouching Tiger Slope."

Miss Qin tightened the padded robe around her and shook her head with a smile. "No need. I already know the way. Let us part here. Take care of yourself." With that, she turned and walked away without looking back.

"Miss Qin, can you tell me your name?" Liu Yuanzhou called out.

"Lingnan Mingyou Sect, Qin Zitong." Miss Qin's voice drifted back through the wind, but she had already gone far away.

Liu Yuanzhou dearly wanted to chase after her and escort her a little farther, but in the end, he held himself back.

That afternoon, Liu Yuanzhou practiced Plum Blossom Fist over and over in Third Master's courtyard. Only when he was completely exhausted did he sit down on a stone stool, not even wanting to move a finger.

After practicing fist arts all afternoon, much of the gloom in his heart had scattered. Seeing that it was already late, he got up, locked the gate, and headed home. When he returned, his parents and the others had already finished dinner.

Zhang Shi said angrily, "Your illness has only just improved, and you ran off to fool around. You vanished for an entire day and did not even come back to eat. You might as well starve to death." Though she said that, she lifted the pot lid and brought out the food she had kept warm inside. "Hurry up and eat."

Warmth surged through Liu Yuanzhou's chest, and his eyes grew damp. He picked up his bowl and ate in silence. Perhaps everyone in this world would abandon you and leave you behind, but parents never would.