The Legend of the Condor Heroes

To Guo Jing Qiu Chuji said, "That year when your seven masters and I were having a martial art contest at the Drunken Immortal Tavern, your Second Master took a half-finished poem from my pocket. This time I am traveling to the west without being able to see your seven masters again; but finally I have finished this poem." He started reciting immediately, " 'Since the ancient time, the moon of 'zhong-qiu' [mid-autumn festival] has always been the brightest; the cool breeze of the night is so clear. The day the shooting star is brighter than the Milky Way, the dragons of the four seas leaped from the water.' These first four lines were the ones your Second Master had read; I have just finished the next four, he had not seen them yet. 'The song from the Wu and Yue kingdoms tower was heard extensively, the military barrack of Qin kingdom was full with songs, food and wine. I arrived before the emperor upstream of the river, desiring to stop the spears, wishing for peace and security.'"

Remembering The Seven Freaks of Jiangnan, Guo Jing's eyes were brimming in tears.

Genghis Khan said, "During the journey to the west, the Priest must have seen my Mongolia's military prowess. I wonder if you have composed a poem about it?"

Qiu Chuji answered, "Along the way I have seen the Great Khan's power in destroying the cities and ransacking the earth. It made a deep impression in my heart, gave me inspiration to write two stanzas. The first one is, 'The Heaven has sent a messenger down to the earth, why not try to save millions of suffering souls? These millions of souls day and night put to death by dismemberment, drinking the wrath, swallowing their weeping without uttering a word. They looked up and cried to the Heaven, but the Heaven did not answer; it was a mere trivial thing unworthy of Heaven's attention. Peace among thousands of chaos, without religion building refined souls.'"

These two poems although not really deep, but the essence of lamenting the fate of mankind was so obvious. Earlier that day Guo Jing had witnessed first hand the massacre of the people in that city, he was even more somber.

"The Priest's poems must be good, what did they say? Quick, translate them for me," Genghis Khan said.

Yelu Chuchai thought, "I have advised the Great Khan not to kill too many innocent civilians, but he didn't want to listen. Luckily this Priest has a deep merciful feeling and composed these beautiful poems. I hope he can persuade the Great Khan." He translated the poem immediately.

Listening to the poems, Genghis Khan was dissatisfied, he turned to Qiu Chuji and said, "I heard there is a technique to reach immortality, to never get old, in China. I hope the Priest would teach me that."

"There is no such thing as reaching immortality, to never get old," Qiu Chuji replied, "But there is indeed a Taoist method of circulating the breathing that will result in preventing illness and prolong life."

"May I ask what the most important thing in that breathing exercise is?" Genghis Khan asked.

"The way of Heaven knows no favorite, always recognizes good man," Qiu Chuji answered.

"Which one would you call good?" Genghis Khan asked.

"A saint's heart is undivided, his heart is for the common people," Qiu Chuji said.

Genghis Khan was silent. Qiu Chuji continued, "There is a scripture in China, it is called the 'Dao De Jing' [Holy Scripture of Virtue] which we, Taoists view as our treasure. The 'the way of Heaven knows' and 'a saint's heart' were taken from that book. There is another saying in that book, 'Soldiers and weapons are inauspicious devices, not the tool of person with noble character. The tool will be used against his own will, not to gain fame or fortune from it. But woe is the man who loves to murder. Those who love to kill will not be able to realize his wish under the sky."

When Qiu Chuji was traveling to the west, he saw the savageness of the war disaster; his heart was filled with sorrow. He took advantage of Genghis Khan asking him the secret of long life to repeatedly pleading for common people's lives.

Genghis Khan was getting old, his strength waned, he wanted to learn the technique of immortality; he was very delighted to see Qiu Chuji arrive, thinking that very soon he would learn the technique to defy death and the method to prolong his life. Who would have thought that instead he was advised not to resort of military power and not to kill too much? This conversation did not suit his taste. Therefore, after talking a little bit more he turned to Guo Jing and said, "Go and accompany the Priest to take a rest."