“The sect leader and three elders from Qingcheng took me aside the night before I left for Kunlun. They said they wanted me to memorize a message, they said it couldn’t be written down.” Pengfei numbly set the stage for the masters of Kunlun before him.
“We cannot receive direct messages from any group in the Wulin. But nothing in our punishment prohibits incoming disciples from telling us what they know.” Chen Hongzhang explained.
“Well, the elders told me to memorize five names from five groups.
Luo Nianxin of Shaolin
Liang Deliang of Kongtong
Song Weixiong of Zhongnan
Nangong Zhiqiang of the Nangong Clan
Xiao Xingchen of Emei.”
Pengfei listed out the names he had repeated to himself every night for the last seven months. The Kunlun elders listened passively, betraying no emotion at his words.
The young man spoke the next quietly, “Was it an important message? Was it something to do with those murderers?”
“It was important, Pengfei, thank you for delivering it. Important but mundane. Apart from the complications around delivering the words, it would be considered routine business. It’s unfortunate, but sometimes bandits try to intercept messages like this, hoping for something they can use as blackmail.”
Pengfei was incredulous. ‘Bandits, blackmail? There’s no way Zihao and Feng would be killed by people like that…’. Outwardly, he cautiously addressed the Taoists.
“Elders, those men seemed too skilled to be mere bandits. It couldn’t be as simple as thugs and extortion.”
Chen Lei and Chen Weidao made no reaction but after a moment of awkward silence the Sect Leader spoke authoritatively.
“Those men WERE bandits. It would be best if you didn’t spread any rumors to the contrary.” The boy swallow nervously and the patriarch softened his tone. “You did well to deliver the message despite the difficulties, Pengfei.”
The elders changed topics without addressing the questions further. With Pengfei’s message delivered and questions stifled, they detailed how the boy would join the current generation of Kunlun disciples. He tried to listen to all the little minutiae but couldn’t help remembering the killers who had taken his friends from him. Thin-face, standing over him, demanding the message.
--Just bandits looking for blackmail? Ridiculous.--
*************************************************************************************
Pengfei’s recovery had mostly completed while he was unconscious, so two days after he woke up from his ordeal the leader of the medicine hall deemed him fit to join the other disciples.
Elder Chen Lei escorted Pengfei through the sect early in the morning and the boy was able to see the grounds with his own eyes for the first time.
The Medicine Hall was just one of several ancient looking buildings in the compound. The architecture was a strange blend of the local style and that of the Central Plains. Halls and pavilions that would normally have been made of wood were instead constructed of stone. Their age showed in the fading and chipping paint and plaster.
“Most of these are abandoned now.” The elder explained, pointing to some of the more decrepit structures. “Our true home is in Qinghai. This location was used as part of the sect’s escort duties along the Desert Road. Or for isolation training.”
“But the sect has been here since the gates were closed?”
“Yes, more than forty years now. This is the dining hall, by the way. Let’s go inside and sit down for a moment.”
The physician led the way inside the dark hall and sat across from Pengfei at one of the many tables there. No one else was present.
“Pengfei…I’m tempted to ask why you came all the way out to Kunlun, but it’s moot at this point. I just hope you know what you’ve gotten yourself into.”
Pengfei was a touch nervous at the elder’s ominous words and couldn’t help but inquire, “What do you mean?”
“Do you know anything about Kunlun? About the way we live?”
“I know you are – “
“We are.” Chen Lei corrected.
“I know we are a Taoist sect of the Orthodox faction. Righteous swordsmen.”
The old man sighed and folded his hands neatly on the table in front of himself.
“Those words could describe a dozen sects with varying degrees of accuracy. But if the Kunlun Sect is known for anything, it is not our religious zeal or mysterious asceticism.”
“What are you trying to say?”
“When we return to the Central Plains in a few years, it could be to very mundane lives. You might remain within our walls as an inner disciple or go off on your own as a lay follower. Either way, there will work to be done and livings to be made. Perhaps you’ll start a family. There may be some violence but no one is going off to slay dragons. You could be as much a merchant as a martial artist.”
Pengfei relaxed a bit, relief erasing the previous anxiety. “Elder, I didn’t come here for adventure. A mundane life is fine for me.”
Pengfei spoke honestly. While he found tales of heroes and monsters as entertaining as the next person he had never been driven to seek out that kind of excitement.
“Good. I just didn’t want you to have any misunderstandings due to the current training regimen.”
Such misunderstandings could be forgiven in light of what the disciples were currently going through. According to what the elder told Pengfei, the standard day’s activities had a heavy focus on physical conditioning and martial arts training. Just enough academics to ensure the children would not be completely lost when they inevitably encountered polite society.
It was an education that might suit a young military recruit but from what Pengfei gathered the sect leaders intended to reclaim their historical duties of escorting merchants through Xinjiang and Qinghai. Traveling with caravans along the roads connecting the West and the Central Plains seemed ideal to Pengfei. A bit of freedom, less danger than battling barbarians on the northern frontier.
--And it will be my own choice.--
Chen Lei led the way out of the Dining Hall and they continued through the grounds while the physician pointed out other points of interest. When they neared a cluster of dormitory buildings, the elder stopped and turned to Pengfei.
“You didn’t mention much about your family background yesterday.”
“Right…” Pengfei nodded.
--Please don’t ask.--
“The second-generation disciples are about your age but they all came here as orphans. It might be easier for you to assimilate if you set your family aside for a while.”
“You mean pretend to be another orphan?”
“No, they’re your brothers now so no need to lie to them. Just don’t rub their faces in it. It’s customary at Kunlun to take the same surname as the rest of your generation anyway. From now on, you are just Jin Pengfei.”
“Thank you, elder.” The solution suited Pengfei perfectly, who was in no rush to disclose personal details. He would have enough trouble integrating into the group of orphans-turned-disciples. He didn’t need them holding his privileged background against him.
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
“Yes. Well, I’ll leave you here. Come see me in a week so I can check on your recovery.”
The old physician turned and left Pengfei holding the few possessions that survived his journey and some of Kunlun’s uniforms in a small sack.
--New name, new life, new clothes, no idea what the fuck I’m doing.--
He walked the few remaining steps to the dormitory.
--There’s just a couple dozen strangers in there who have been living and training together for the past five years… shouldn’t be too hard to fit in.--
Pushing his sarcastic thoughts to the side, Pengfei stood at the door, took a deep breath, and pulled it open.
*************************************************************************************
The scene was not far off from what he had imagined. A large common room full of young men around his own age, all dressed in the grey robes of Kunlun. Heads all shaved. A buzz of activity came to a halt as Pengfei opened the door and all eyes turned to him.
“I’m … Jin Pengfei.”
The other boys went back to what they had been doing without a word of greeting. They stood chatting in small groups, wrapping up their bedrolls, donning their clothes for the day, and all the other normal activities of a morning.
He found an unoccupied space in the long rectangular room and stood there awkwardly, observing the other disciples.
--I’m a disciple of Kunlun now…--
“Time to shave it.” Pengfei turned to see a group of three approach. Their leader pointed to Pengfei’s hair. One of the other two handed Pengfei a bedroll of his own without comment.
“I’m Jin Nanxi. These two are Tianwei and Tianxun.”
Tianwei and Tianxun appeared to be twins judging by the similarity of their features, including eyes so narrow that they seemed closed. Pengfei immediately lost track of which one was which.
“I’m Jin Pengfei. I thought only Buddhists shaved their heads.” Pengfei reached up to touch his own long hair, tied back out of the way. The other disciples only had about a week’s worth of growth on their heads.
“It’s not a religious thing. There was a lice infestation. Come on.”
Pengfei dropped his belongings in a clump among those of the other disciples and followed the trio outside. Once out in the chill air Jin Nanxi held up a pair of crude shears and a razor.
“It’s a bit drastic, isn’t it?” Pengfei inquired. “I mean, the lice are gone now, right? Do we really need to do this?”
Pengfei had only seen Buddhist monks, the infirm, and criminals keep a shaved head.
“If you think this is bad you’re going to hate the next part.”
*************************************************************************************
The trio had left Pengfei freshly shaven and with just a few parting words. He had wanted to ask for more detail about the day’s routine but never got the change. However, he found out soon enough.
A herd of disciples migrated to a large dining hall where other dormitories full of boys converged and still more disciples served food. Pengfei stood in line with the rest then took his bowl to sit at an unoccupied table. No one joined him.
--Don’t blame them. I smell like shit.--
The paste on his head was foul and he seemed to be the only one using it. Jin Nanxi had said all the disciples had gone through the same, that it was only necessary for three days. Still, it was difficult not to gag on the odor.
--I feel like I can taste the stench…--
Occasional glances up from his food confirmed that the other disciples were sneaking looks at Pengfei. Some laughed, some grimaced.
Breakfast ended and the dormitories split up again. Pengfei followed familiar faces outside and then to the scripture hall. An elder recited an obscure passage from an equally obscure tome in the Taoist cannon while the children copied each word down. The paper was yellowed and the ink sticks smelled of lard.
--They either make their own or buy the cheapest.--
“Which character is that?”
“Not that one, idiot.”
“Your handwriting is awful.”
The other disciples whispered amongst each other quietly and occasionally drew a rebuke from the elder. Although Pengfei was not familiar with the passage, he had no trouble with the dictation. He had memorized the Thousand Character Classic by age six, after all. Still, the more senior disciples would rather copy each other’s illegible scribbles instead of asking the new face for help.
Where the characters were easy, the underlying philosophy of the Taoist scriptures was more esoteric. None of the disciples seemed to pay much attention to the deeper meanings hidden in the words.
Pengfei knew that the sect was, in theory, a home and training ground for Taoist priests but the same could be said for most of the groups of the Wulin. Zeng Zihao had revealed the truth on their journey from Sichuan. The sects and clans often espoused various religious beliefs but observed them with varying degrees of earnestness.
Some, like the millennium Shaolin Temple were truly devout and only entered the martial underworld out of a sense of justice. Other groups paid lip service to their religion while mobilizing their adherents to work as mercenaries and assassins.
It was unclear where Kunlun fell on the spectrum. Chen Lei had downplayed the more martial aspects of the sect, but there was still a significant portion of each day devoted to various types of combat. Pengfei was unsure whether he was being raised for a life as a virtuous warrior-priest or a cold-hearted killer. He didn’t worry about it much either way.
--Unless they throw me directly onto a battlefield, it’s still better than what I was destined for at home. If I don’t like the way things look in a few years, I’ll just runaway.--
They left the scripture hall by midmorning. They did not head for any particular building but for the gates. They passed underneath the wooden archway that bore the signboard of the Kunlun Sect and cbegan jogging as they crossed some invisible border in the dirt. Pengfei fell in with the rest and tried to keep up.
“I thought the sect had closed its gates?” Pengfei huffed to another nearby disciple.
“So?”
“So… doesn’t that mean we can’t leave?”
“We leave all the time. We just can’t interact with other sects. Now get away from me, you smell horrible.”
They jogged down a rough untended path lined by tufts of gnarled weeds. The muscles in Pengfei’s back ached where he had been wounded and within a few minutes his lungs burned.
--I thought I was used to the thin air… should have exercised more on the journey through Tibet.--
Pengfei’s regrets were pushed to the back of his mind as the group crested a hill that revealed a sprawling vista. The mountains had seemed imposing when approaching on horseback from the south. Their snowcapped peaks had been visible even within the grounds of the sect. But out in the open, the mountain range enveloped the whole world. No greenery to be seen, everything was dyed in tones of grey stone, white snow and blue ice.
“That’s…fucking…gorgeous” Pengfei felt the need to choke out the words despite his overtaxed lungs.
They ran downhill looking straight into the sprawling slopes of the next mountain over. The steep downward grade and the peak ahead combined to disorient and confuse the senses. The tension in his legs was the only indication of whether they were running uphill or down.
He felt dizzy. Pengfei tried to watch his feet and ignore the wider view.
--Can’t keep up…--
He began to trail behind the others and lost sight of them completely within a few moments. Gasping breaths became wheezing and his slow jog became a weakened shuffle.
After half an hour the rest of the disciples came into view again as they rounded a bend in the path. Pengfei saw them through eyes caked with the putrid substance applied to his scalp earlier that morning.
--Thank goodness, they’re heading back to the sect!--
He tried to fall in behind them but Jin Nanxi stepped out of the pack to wave him off.
“Keep going until you get to the broken statue. And move your ass.”
‘Damn it.’
*************************************************************************************
Pengfei was greeted with resentful stares as he shuffled back through the gates of the sect. The other disciples had long since returned and gone on to their daily chores. Some swept dust off a large stone courtyard. Others washed clothes in large wooden troughs and wrung them dry.
He was near the point of collapsing due to exhaustion but still tried to discern where he was meant to be and what job he was meant to be doing. A bell rang before he found his place and all the disciples hurriedly concluded their tasks.
Lunch provided little recovery from the grueling morning exercise. Pengfei was surprised to find meat in the bowl he had been handed.
--I thought Taoists didn’t eat meat? Zihao and Feng didn’t…--
Another pang of sadness for his lost friends but he had no time to mope. The meal was over too soon.
More lessons occupied the early afternoon. A couple hours of more secular subjects. Classics of history, science, and arts along with their various commentaries. For the most part, the lessons were all things Pengfei had learned years before.
Just when boredom and exhaustion threatened the disciples’ consciousness, they gathered with the rest of the Jin generation in the open air of the training ground. They stood at rough attention as a sect elder, another Taoist of grey hair and beard, stood at the front.
--Looks like none of the elders had to deal with lice.-- Pengfei had not seen anyone of the older generation with a shaved head or face.
The master took a stance and the disciples followed suit moving in unison that produced a resounding stomp of feet. Pengfei mimicked the motions as best he could but was always half a beat out of sync.
The elder led them through the movements of a form and Pengfei did his best to match his peers. They shouted forcefully with each pantomimed strike. It was nerve-racking just being in the middle of that din.
“Again!”
The elder walked among the disciples and inspected the minute details of their technique. He made minor adjustments here and there or nodded in satisfaction.
Eventually, the master made his way to Pengfei.
“You.”
“Hello elder.” Pengfei stood straight and greeted awkwardly. The old man rolled his eyes.
“Salute properly boy.”
“Excuse me?”
At Pengfei’s confusion, the elder immediately pointed to one of the nearby disciples. The boy stepped forward immediately and placed his right fist in his palm.
“Disciple Jin Jintao greets Elder Chen Rulan!”
Pengfei repeated the greeting that had been demonstrated.
“Disciple Jin Pengfei greets Elder Chen Rulan!”
“Bow stance.”
Pengfei racked his brain for the appropriate position he had seen demonstrated moments ago.
Chen Rulan sighed at the ineptitude. He set about kicking Pengfei’s feet to widen the stance, pulled back on his shoulders to improve posture. Stepping close to improve some minor detail, the elder caught a whiff from Pengfei’s head.
“What is that stench boy?”
“The lice remedy, sir!”
“Lice remedy? What… Jin Nanxi!”
The elder called out and Jin Nanxi ran through the ranks of the gathered disciples to stand in front of him.
“Yes Elder!”
“Was this your work?”
“Yes Elder!”
“And? What is it?”
“Goat shit, sir!”
Pengfei forgot the elder in front of him and turned to Nanxi.
“Goat shit!? You said it was medicinal herbs?”
The disciples within earshot broke down into laughter. All discipline in the ranks evaporated. The other boys turned to gawk.
“Just go wash yourself off, you gullible fool.”
A chorus of laughter followed Pengfei as he left the training ground.
--Son of a bitch!--