10
TRUTH IS THE SHARPEST BLADE
A story from Kung Fu the original series, copyright Neil Davies 2006
It was Master Kan who led the novices into the small courtyard to the east of the temple, they had just witnessed the teachers of the crane, tiger and praying mantis systems and now they were to exposed to one of the most accomplished trainers at the temple during Kan's time.
Young Caine, who was at the lead, saw a blindfolded monk stood in the middle of the yard. He wore a saffron jacket, black trousers and purple sash and was not a large man yet in his utter stillness was a strange kind of power. Around him had been erected human-like figures made of straw and wood, there were about eight of these placed at strategic points and Caine wondered what their purpose was?
Master Kan spoke. "This," he said. "Is Yuen master of the dragon system, one of the most advanced types of kung fu taught within these walls and it will be many years before any of you are exposed to his teachings. However, you may watch this demonstration and I hope draw inspiration from it."
Lean and ascetic Kan smiled at the boys, his stern appearance belied a gentle and tolerant nature. Caine liked him and hoped one day to command similar respect.
Instantly Yuen spun around, his arm shooting out to northwest and something flew from his fingers glistening like a dewdrop in the early morning sun. One of the dummies rattled and Caine was amazed to see a metal star no bigger than a coin sticking out of it. His eyes bulged in disbelief and he thought to himself, no this is an illusion. No man could throw an object blindly over twenty yards.
Yuen spun to southwest and threw a second star, again he hit his target where the heart would have been. The next instant Yuen leapt forwards to do a forward roll. Coming up into a deep posture he flung stars north and south, both found their targets simultaneously. It was as though the monk possessed magical powers, as if he was incapable of missing.
Yuen jumped into the air and rotated his body several times landing on only one leg he tossed the last of his stars. Once again they landed true thudding home perfectly. With a smile the monk tore off his blindfold, permitted himself a small grin of triumph then bowed to master Kan. Returning the bow with a nod Kan turned to the boys.
"Are there any questions," he asked? Most of the boys were too stunned to speak but Caine found that he had a query.
"Venerable sir, how could we hope to learn such an impossible feat?"
There was no anger on either Kan's face or in his voice as he replied.
"Young man you will not only learn this skill but many others even more astounding, for at shaolin a student faces and masters the most difficult opponent of them all – himself."
Kan bowed to Yuen, who saluted back right fist in left palm. For a moment the dragon master caught Caine's eye with a mischievous twinkle. Then the boys were shepherded away. Last to leave Caine glanced back, Yuen was doing the dragon empty-hand form, kicking and striking in all directions with breathtaking grace. Could this ever be me the boy wondered - will I ever be so good?
It seemed unlikely.
Wind tore the hat from Caine's head and tossed it into the belly of the dust storm. Making no attempt to reclaim it he kept walking towards the sign on the edge of the town.
HONESTY it announced, population 211. Having never heard of the place Caine hoped it would offer respite against the howling wind and the soreness in his feet. He had been walking for days and was bone tired. Shoving the pack and blanket deeper onto his shoulders he made for the first building he could see, it looked like a stable but there were no horses tied up outside it. Reaching the timber door he eased this open and snaked inside, at once he was free of the wind and dust. Skin chaffed and back aching he brushed sand and tiny stones from his long hair and thick jacket.
There were no horses inside the place either in fact there wasn't much of anything save for some hay, a couple of pens and a pitchfork.
The barbs of the fork were pointing at him one second later, held by a burly man in his twenties with a cruel twist to his lips. Strong and hot eyed the man was unshaven with a knotted tangle of light brown hair, he wore dirty coveralls and muddy boots.
"A damn half-breed," he spat but the words were addressed to an old man sat on a bail of hay to his right. Grey bearded and green eyed, this man wore a jacket that had once been smart and fashionable, but like its owner it had seen better days. Aged around fifty the sitter was rolling tobacco into a piece of white paper, he paused to look at the newcomer.
"Chinese," he drawled. "Lots of them about." He smiled spitting something from his mouth before placing the cigarette between his lips. "Oh leave him alone Clem he's like us, hiding from the wind."
Clem kept hold of the fork jabbing it closer to Caine menacingly, it was clear he intended to use it and Caine discarded his possessions in one smooth movement requiring looseness and mobility. Seeing this as a challenge Clem attacked stabbing hard at the slim chest.
One moment later he was lying on the other side of the barn bear the door, having flown through the air he had crash landed on another bale of hay the wind driven out of him and for a moment he didn't seem to know where he was. When the knowledge returned he sat up with a grunt spitting hay from his teeth.
Caine held the fork and almost casually tossed it aside having no use for such a crude weapon. As Clem jumped up to ball his massive fists the old man stopped him with. "Enough boy," and this time the boy stiffened.
"He attacked me Colonel, you saw it."
"No boy you attacked him, and it was a damn fool thing to do."
Not lighting his smoke the man referred to as Colonel slowly stood up, he grunted with pain and hung onto a cross beam favouring his left leg which seemed oddly stiff and not quite the same length as his other leg. Caine perceived injury and infirmity that were not due to old age or any other natural cause.
"You're a shaolin priest aren't you?"
The question was astounding, not least because it came from an American who must surely have no knowledge of the temple or what was taught there. Caine blinked in surprise but offered no comment. Clem sniffed and said,
"He's a what sort of priest?"
With a knowing smile the Colonel nodded sure of himself now, grasping a stick and using it to support himself the older man limped closer to Caine sizing him up.
"You'll have brands on your arms won't you boy, tiger on the right and dragon on the left."
Still confused Caine lifted his arms and shook them causing his sleeves to fall away exposing the now white, scarred images burned into his flesh.
"See these boy," said the limping man and Clem edged closer wary now of this odd newcomer.
"He got those by wrapping his arms around a cauldron filled with burning coals," The Colonel chuckled. "It's known as the final initiation and if a monk wants to graduate from the shaolin temple and live outside it he has to carry these marks."
Blinking stupidly Clem scratched his face for a moment then reached out to touch the brands. Caine lowered his arms the sacred signs could not be touched by outsiders.
"How is it," he said to the Colonel. "That you know these things?"
Striking a match the other man lit his smoke and drew on it heavily, the aroma was pungent and choking but Caine did not wince nor did he cough. In response the smoker tapped his injured leg with the thick wooden stick he used for support.
"My name is Abraham Baxter, former Colonel in the union army. I got this at the battle for Delaware, shrapnel from a cannon blast. Bloody thing almost took my leg clean off and the butcher who put it back together didn't do much of a job of it, gangrene set in. I could have lost my life never mind my leg except that I was lucky enough to come across one of your kind, a priest from the temple of HUNAN."
It seemed so unlikely that Caine regarded the speaker with his head tilted at an angle.
"Does this priest have a name?"
"Oh yes son he does and I'm not the only man he's had dealings with in this town, you may wish to make his acquaintance. This fellow goes by the name is Yuen Woo Sing."
The room was just off the northern cloister, and it was larger than any given to a novice and decorated by the most exquisite hand-carved ornaments a mixture of cranes, antelope, cats and reptiles. The owner was in residence at that moment adding the finishing touches to a gorgeous ink drawing of the river that ran alongside the nearby village providing HUNAN'S residents with all their drinking and bathing water.
Caine was struck by the delicacy of the strokes used to create this masterpiece, and the fact that the fingers responsible could also deliver such lethal strikes. For the artist in question was none other than the master of the dragon style he had seen the previous day.
Instantly keen eyes flicked to the doorway and Caine found him self discovered. Cheeks burning and eyes downcast he felt like slinking away for he would surely receive a fierce tongue-lashing for his indiscretion.
"Come in boy." The voice was surprisingly gentle. "You are Caine are you not, the student with the American father?"
Nodding that this was so the youth bowed deeply and took two small steps into the room.
"Forgive me master I have no right to be here."
Chuckling at this Yuen lowered his pen and swivelled around on his work stool to get a clearer view of his visitor.
"You seem surprised," he said. "To find me painting."
Caine was and couldn't hide it, "I have been told that you are one of the best fighters here and that you have never been defeated."
Yuen pursed his lips as if considering this, the rumour was that he had won a hundred duels.
"And you believe a warrior is incapable of anything artistic or creative?"
Cheeks burning even hotter Caine didn't know what to say. "I have insulted you and I apologize master."
"I am not insulted young man I am flattered. I used to be one of the best fighters here it is true and I won any contests, but I have turned away from this path to embrace a new destiny. Within each of us are talents and abilities rarely glimpsed at unless we seek them out, it is the duty of the true disciple to go beyond his superficial personality and the mask we all wear and find these gifts for they are more precious than any gold."
Looking around at the carvings and murals Caine could only agree and he wished he possessed such a gift.
"Truly," he said. "You are a master."
"Possibly," came the reply. "We both are."
It stood on the opposite end of town in an area little used by most residents if they could avoid it, a large building flanked by several smaller structures most of which seemed abandoned. The storm had blown itself out allowing the fierce sun to resume its dominance in the heavens. Caine had been advised to visit this place although he scarcely needed any encouragement. The thought of meeting master Yuen again filled him with an ache of nostalgia. He couldn't believe that one of his former mentors could be here in this odd, violent country. Why would Yuen have come here surely he couldn't be on the run from imperial forces?
A sound reached Caine's ears and he knew what it was at once, the snap-crack was unmistakable to one with his background and he broke into a run, his long legs carrying him effortlessly to the large building the door of which was ajar. Within he came across a scene that filled him with both admiration and disgust.
An oriental man in smart clothes stood within a ring of roughly clad Caucasian men one of whom lay on the ground at his feet. Yuen had changed a lot he had grown his hair, put on some weight and discarded his robes plus he was older but there could be no mistaking that face nor the gleam in the eyes.
A second and third man attacked him, moments later they were flying to the dirt one caught by a spinning thrust kick to the solar plexus the other caught easily and flipped over a shoulder. The art of the dragon was soft and yielding but precise and accurate and Yuen was the living embodiment of this principle.
A fourth man went for him holding a rusty metal axe, Yuen hadn't seen him and was unaware of the danger. Caine had no choice but to act to save his former teacher, he ran across the room with loping strides and on the fifth stride he launched himself into the air like some large, graceful bird his left leg shooting out sideways to hit the axe man on the jaw knocking him senseless.
The other few man scattered in fear and anger, they to where armed with sharp or blunt weapons. Yuen spun around and focused on the newcomer with a frown then the frown softened.
"Thank you," He said and Caine merely nodded in reply distracted by a thick shaft of oak wood spinning towards his skull. Ducking below it he spun his body counter clockwise using one foot as a pivot his other foot shooting outwards to catch the attacker in the kidneys sending him crashing into a wall.
Witnessing this level of skill the last remaining thugs scattered and sought an exit, one of them tossing something at Yuen's feet.
"You earned it yellow," came the cry. "Even if you did have some help this time."
Carefully scooping the small skin pouch into his grasp Yuen peered inside it and smiled saying, "Half of this is yours by rights."
Caine was disgusted to see that the pouch contained coins, disgusted and disbelieving.
"You fought those men for money?"
He said hoping that it wasn't true, that there was some mistake. But what Yuen said next disabused him of any lofty notions.
"Of course, in this land if you have a skill you use it to profit by."
The former master of shaolin patted his winning proudly and cocked his head on one side. "You fight well young man, where did you learn your kung fu?"
Caine sighed, "From the same place as you, master."
Ringed by Cyprus trees the small grove was mostly sand with a little clay, little else grew in it and if it tried it would soon be trampled by the impact of bare feet. The novices were older than Caine by about two years, senior boys in their teens growing tall with deep voices like men. There were half a dozen of them lined up in formation practising the ritual movements taught to them by their master, the blocks, kicks and open-hand strikes were very fluid as befitting the mythical creature they imitated.
Stood watching his charges Yuen was nodded softly. Caine envied the boys, how he would love to be one of them mastering these vital skills instead of sweeping up leaves all day long gone.
"Enough," said Yuen bringing the boys to a halt. "You understand the form now you must interpret it. Woo."
The tallest boy bowed, left the ranks and went to face his teacher who said. "Attack me with the opening strikes."
Getting into a deep stance Woo lunged forwards with a snap kick to the body and a palm-edge thrust to the face. He was so fast and determined that both blows must surely land and Caine cringed as he imagined the injuries they would cause. He was in for a delicious surprise. Yuen hardly seemed to move at all twisting his body in a quarter circle to bat the kick aside and capture the arm. One moment later Woo was on his knees, his face pressed into the sand as his arm was wrenched behind him and locked at the elbow joint with ease.
"Minimum effort, maximum effect." Yuen informed the other wide-eyed students, eyes also wide Caine watched from his place of concealment fascinated by this display of skill. Yuen added, "Brutal force is never required, the key is timing. An opponent can be defeated by using his own impetus against him, there is no need to inflict grievous injury."
The master chuckled, "Wouldn't you agree Kwai Chang?"
Caught out and embarrassed Caine emerged from behind a tree, face burning and eyes lowered he asked for forgiveness whilst the senior boys frowned at him. Getting up Woo also frowned but the master was still smiling.
"Curiosity is also a virtue," he said amiably. "Pair up," he told the boys. "Practise what you have been shown." As they did as ordered Yuen strolled over to where the intruder stood, if Yuen reported this incident it might lead to a reprimand or even being dismissed from the temple. Realising what a nosey fool he had been Caine began to stammer an excuse but the master cut into it.
"You remind me so much of myself Kwai Chang, hungry for knowledge and keen to improve. These are laudable sentiments and I applaud you for demonstrating them."
Well that was something at least and Caine felt a little better.
"You are so skilled venerable sir, you make it look so easy."
"Overcoming the ignorant is never difficult young man, they defeat themselves."
"One does not have to strike with lethal force?"
"Rarely, in fact I would say that the use of excessive force is the mark of a poor fighter."
Yuen waved, "Come and join my class, I will not tell your tutors and it will give you a head start when the time comes for you to stop being a passive and secretive observer."
Tossing the bag of coins onto a pine table Yuen waved around at the other luxuries abundant in his home – silk, leather, mahogany, silver and even items made of gold the metal white men treasured above all others. He had done well he exuded wealth far removed from his old vows of poverty. Caine had to admit he was impressed by what he was seeing but he was not blinded by it, for he knew a different kind of wealth that of spiritual devotion.
"I earned all of this," Yuen announced raising one of his hard fists. "By the sweat of my brow."
Studying the fist Caine made no attempt to hide his disgust. "You fought – for money?"
"So pious Kwai Chang, so disapproving." The words held an edge of mockery.
"What of our vows?"
"Distant memories from another time."
Caine's head shook, "Dedications sincerely made, beliefs that define us."
"They may define you grasshopper." The old nickname was sneered, Yuen had never used it at the temple but he had heard Master Po say it often and it had become the subject of wry comment for some. "I define myself these days by a different set of values. This is a land of plenty and I want some of that for myself. Poverty might have been a virtue at the shaolin temple but here it is for vagabonds, derelicts and outcasts."
Unmoved Caine faced his former teacher. "You are a shaolin priest." He declared.
"I was, once."
Instantly Caine snagged an arm and drew up its sleeve, there burned into the flesh was the sign of the dragon.
"You are - always." Said Caine.
Taking his arm back with a shake Yuen faced up to his one time friend and follower.
"You're living in the past," he spat. "Our discipline, our prayers even our brands mean nothing here."
They do to me said Caine's look, and they always will. "You have shamed our teachers."
To which Yuen responded, "Haven't you also Kwai Chang?"
The words stung painfully reminding Caine of the terrible events that had caused him to leave China, the murder of his beloved Master Po and his shocking response to that crime.
"I still follow the path laid down by the teachings, I do not fight for a bowl of rice."
Grabbing a fistful of jewels Yuen thrust them forwards with the words, "Does this look like rice to you? Go on, take it."
Deferring Caine stood back he had no need of worthless trinkets.
Yuen's look was one of contempt, "A poor humble man and proud to be so, is that it? Our training prepared us for nothing other than to be bald-headed peasants with no ambition."
Shocked to hear this denigrating attitude from a man he had respected so deeply, Caine knew he should not have come here and that he should not remain, it would be best to leave and treasure what memories he had.
"I am not a peasant," he said but Yuen would not accept this.
"Look at your clothes, your demeanour, the way you speak everything about you cries weakling, coward and man of no importance. People look at you and see a failure."
"Is it not more important how we see ourselves?" Caine responded and with that he turned to leave. The hand that fell on his shoulder was strong and determined it spun him around.
"All the wealth I have accumulated here is as nothing compared to the price on your head." Face twisted with greed Yuen gave a cruel grin. "Ten thousand dollars, that's what you're worth little grasshopper, that and the everlasting gratitude of the royal court."
Caine's response was to reach inside his backpack and remove something he had carefully preserved, unwrapping it he revealed the exquisite carving of a huge bird. It had been created with such care and skill that Yuen was completely taken aback. Like Caine he recalled the day in early spring when the gift had been presented.
"I have decided to leave the temple young man."
Astounded to hear this news Caine leaned back against a table and shook his head, why would a master ever choose to leave this place if he didn't have to?
"I do not understand sir, this is your home is it not?"
Yuen had smiled upon hearing this, "For many years perhaps too many. The greater world calls to me Kwai Chang, I have grown restless and need to experience other things. One day this may happen to you."
The boy had shaken his head in avid disagreement unable to imagine a life beyond the holy walls of shaolin the place had chosen to make his home. Yuen had laughed at this and produced his gift saying, "Do you know what this is my young friend? Then I shall tell you, it is a bird called an eagle that flies high and free. It is the adopted symbol of the land I wish to travel to, a place I believe you know the land of your father's birth."
Caine sighed, America was just a word to him he didn't really know much about it as he had lived his life in China. Tears pricked his eyes as he touched the wooden eagle it was fabulous.
"Thank you sir," he said humbly. "I will treasure this always."
"It symbolises our friendship," Yuen declared. "You have added light and colour to my stay here and I shall always be grateful. You are wise beyond your years, a bright student and a keen intellect, I shall miss you terribly."
"And I you sir," Caine had answered as the tears fell freely down his cheeks, tears of pain and loss but also respect.
Head bowed Yuen took the eagle in his hands as he remembered whom he had been and how he had lived, and he recalled the close bond he'd once had with Caine the boy.
"I will not fight you," said Caine, "Not my friend and inspirer."
Unable to answer him Yuen nodded once, turning away he went to a chair and slumped in this.
"I have lost my way," he said in a small voice. "I have become less than I was."
Recalling his own journey and the death of the emperor's nephew, Caine wondered about what he had lost.
"Then our meeting is a timely reminder," he said.
"You bring me two gifts Kwai Chang, the carving and the truth and truth is the sharpest blade, it cuts deeply into our foolishness." Looking up the former dragon master wiped his eyes. "I have lived amongst the ignorant and become one of them, losing sight of my purpose."
Caine shrugged by coming to this land he had changed to, he was no longer innocent little grasshopper perhaps he would never have remained so for to embrace new ones one had to shed old clothing.
"You are still my friend," he said. "As I am yours."