A Hero Born by Jin Yong

Author:Jin Yong [Yong, Jin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Adventure, China, Chinese Literature, Classics, Fantasy, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Wuxia
ISBN: 9781250220615
Amazon: B07P2NX2LV
Goodreads: 45046638
Publisher: St. Martin's Publishing Group
Published: 2020-03-02T00:00:00+00:00

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THREE DAYS sped past. Guo Jing spent the afternoon taking instruction from Ryder Han in the use of his Golden Dragon whip. This weapon was like no other—if it were not mastered it could prove more dangerous to the bearer than to his enemy.

Guo Jing cracked the whip with all his might and ended up slashing himself on the head, bringing up an egg-like bump. Ryder Han, not known to be a gentle teacher, slapped him across the cheek. Guo Jing made no reply, but kept practicing. Ryder Han regretted having been so rough with the boy; he was trying, that much was clear. He decided not to hit him again, despite the constant string of mistakes. He taught the boy five moves in total, loaded him up with words of encouragement, and then mounted his horse and rode off.

The Golden Dragon whip was no easy weapon, and after ten or so attempts Guo Jing was covered in bruises from his head to his arms to his thighs. He was exhausted and in pain, so he decided to lie down on the grass and take a short nap. But time passed faster than his body sensed it, and when he awoke again, the moon had appeared from behind the mountains. His body was throbbing and his cheek was still red from his Third Shifu’s slap.

He looked up at the cliff. Somehow sleep had given him new courage. “If Uncle can climb up there, why can’t I?” He ran to the bottom of the rock face, grabbed hold of some low snaking vines and roots and began hoisting himself up. But after twenty meters or so the vegetation stopped. He looked up to see a smooth wall above him. How was he going to get up there?

He clenched his teeth and tried to find his next foothold, but he kept slipping. If he fell, he would be nothing more than a pile of bones. There was no way he could go any farther, so he sighed and started making his way back down again. But it soon became apparent the descent would be just as difficult; he could no longer see the places he had put his feet and hands and it was too high to jump.

His Fourth Shifu’s words echoed in his ears: Nothing eludes a man of sound heart and good will. Since it would be death to stay put, he had no choice but to continue upward. He removed his dagger and chipped away two small holes. In the first he placed one foot, tested to see if it could take his weight and then climbed to the next. So he rose, a few inches at a time, carving hand- and footholds into the rock. The effort made his head spin and his limbs ache.

Some way up, he stopped and clung to the rock to compose himself. Trying to control his breath, he stole a glace upward. How many clefts would he have to chisel away to get to the top? And how many before his knife broke? But there was no turning back.

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