Chapter 23 — The Contest

The red silk had now shrunk to six feet across, its radiance flashing, utterly overpowering the gray-brown light, and from time to time a "creak" of pressure came through. By now the crowd could no longer make out Shen Tiandou's figure at all, while Tian Lingsu still hung in midair, her cheeks faintly flushed, the orchid mudras of her hands trembling slightly.

After a short while the amber-red silk pressed inward another foot. The crowd could scarcely breathe for tension—when suddenly, with a strange shriek of "yaa!", Shen Tiandou, fierce as a tiger, burst out through the silk with sword in hand. Only now his face was utterly ashen.

Below the platform the Chaoyang Peak disciples cheered thunderously, but Shang Zhenglan shut his eyes and gave a sigh, while Tian Buhui and his wife, seated on the other side, exchanged a smile.

Sure enough, this was Shen Tiandou's death throes. Tian Lingsu folded in midair and pointed with her right hand; the amber-red silk clung like a burr to the bone, following close and striking at Shen Tiandou's back. He seemed barely able even to turn, stirred once, failed to dodge, and took a light blow from the amber-red silk at his back. At once his whole body flew forward and, with a "thud," he crashed down off the platform.

Below the platform the Chaoyang Peak disciples' cheering stopped halfway, as though choked off, and there was no sound. Shang Zhenglan rose, shook his head, and barked at the disciples beside him: "Well? Go help Senior Brother Shen up!"

The Chaoyang Peak disciples came to their senses and rushed up to raise Shen Tiandou. Tian Lingsu put away her treasure, dropped down from the platform, and said with a bright smile to Shen Tiandou: "Many thanks, Senior Brother Shen, for going easy on me."

Shen Tiandou glanced at her and smiled bitterly: "Junior Sister Tian, your talent is heaven-sent. I admire you, truly." With that he let those beside him help him away.

Shang Zhenglan came over, looked at Tian Lingsu several times, and said to Tian Buhui and his wife as they approached: "Senior Brother Tian, your niece may be young, but such natural gifts in the cultivation of the true way are truly the envy of us all."

Tian Buhui looked pleased, though he said with a laugh: "You flatter me, you flatter me."

Su Wan smiled too: "Senior Brother Shang's school is rich in talent. I'm sure there are still more formidable masters yet to appear."

Shang Zhenglan laughed it off, and Tian Buhui did not press further, turning back. By now Tian Lingsu had returned to where the Dazhu Peak folk stood and was at once surrounded, every disciple beaming, wishing they could drown her in every word of praise they knew. Tian Lingsu was all smiles, and Zhang Qingyue was happier still. Tian Buhui and his wife came back; Tian Lingsu flung herself at Su Wan's side, caught her arm, and laughed: "Well, Mother? I was impressive, wasn't I!"

Su Wan gave her a look, but in the end laughed too: "Impressive, impressive."

Tian Buhui was all smiles as well. After all, his daughter had opened the contest with a win; his face shone, and before his fellow disciples he felt his spirits soar. He reached out and patted his daughter's head in warm commendation. But then he turned to the other disciples: "It's your turn next. With Ling'er setting the example before you, you can see that disciples of the other branches aren't necessarily beyond your reach. When your turn comes, you must strive as well."

Together they answered: "Yes!"

Zhang Qingyue shouted along with the rest, and louder than any of them. As the others went off to make their preparations—three of the next eight matches would feature Dazhu Peak disciples, so Tian Buhui and Su Wan split up to watch—Su Wan saw Zhang Qingyue still standing there and, after admonishing him a few times to "watch carefully on your own," went off. Zhang Qingyue thought for a moment, meaning to find Tian Lingsu and pick a platform with her to cheer on their senior brothers. He looked around, and suddenly saw, ahead in the crowd, Tian Lingsu walking briskly forward—and before her stood Qi Hao, elegant as a jade tree, smiling as he watched her.

Zhang Qingyue's heart sank at once.

Tian Lingsu went up to Qi Hao and chatted with him a few words, all smiles. Qi Hao at once beamed and began talking incessantly at her ear, and Tian Lingsu laughed without cease; both looked utterly delighted. After chatting and laughing a while, the two went off together, as though they had chosen a platform to watch the matches.

Zhang Qingyue stood where he was, dazed and staring. In a trance he felt a vast grief and disappointment surge up in his heart; all his seething blood ran cold, cold to the very bottom of his being.

Note 1: *Records of Gods and Demons · Chapter on Spirit Beasts*, Three-Eyed Spirit Monkey: It comes from Mount Sumeru in the West. Clever and mischievous, it lives beyond a thousand years and so opens its spirit eye, which sees a thousand li, and it can command grass, trees, earth, and stone. It serves as a guardian beneath the Dipankara Buddha.

Note 2: *Records of Gods and Demons*: An ancient book of marvels recording the strange phenomena of heaven and earth, rare treasures, wondrous birds and beasts, demons, monsters, gods, and spirits. It is said to have been written by the ancient eccentric Yunhai Shuku. The original work had ten chapters; most are now lost, and only four survive in the world.

Further note: Of Yunhai Shuku himself, no official history records a thing. The unofficial *Notes on Mountains and Rivers* by the Hermit of Nine Peaks says: "A man of the Xiao clan in ancient times, birth and death unknown. Clever from childhood, he never forgot a thing once he had seen it. He traveled the world, visiting every famous mountain and ancient marsh, and so wrote the ten chapters of *Records of Gods and Demons*—splendid and wondrous, the finest book of marvels under heaven. Most of it is lost. What a pity!"