Gods 038: Clash of Titans
Boosted by some new help, Wen Zhong finally faces off against Jiang Ziya.
Transcript
Welcome to the Chinese Lore Podcast, where I retell classic Chinese stories in English. This is episode 38 of Investiture of the Gods.
Last time, after another setback in the West, Grand Tutor Wen finally had enough and decided to personally lead the next campaign against the kingdom of Zhou. On his way West, he came across Yellow Flower Mountain, where he was accosted by four bandit chieftains. He trapped the first three with gold, water, and wood, and then literally dropped a chunk of the mountain on the fourth guy, who by the way had wings.
With his winged foe pinned under a pile of rocks, Wen Zhong now raised his staff and looked ready to strike. The trapped chieftain shouted, “Master, please show compassion! I didn’t know better and offended you. I hope you will spare me. If I can get a new lease on life, I would be eternally grateful!”
Wen Zhong put his staff against the guy’s head and said, “You don’t know me. I’m no Daoist. I’m Grand Tutor Wen of the Shang. I was passing through here on my way to attack Western Qi. That bluefaced comrade of yours attacked me for no reason. Do you want to live, or die?”
“Grand Tutor!” the chieftain shouted, “We didn’t know it was you passing through. If we did, we would have come out to welcome you. Please pardon us for offending you.”
“If you want to live, then I will spare you, on the condition that you serve me on my campaign against Western Qi. If you render service, you will earn an official rank.”
“If you are willing to give me the opportunity, I am willing to obey your command,” the chieftain replied.
Wen Zhong pointed with his staff, and his divine bodyguard lifted the rocks off the chieftain, who couldn’t stand for a long while. When he was able to finally get up, he quickly fell to his knees and kowtowed to Wen Zhong. Wen Zhong helped him up. The chieftain then stood next to him as he sat down and asked how many men the bandits had.
“This mountain covers some 20 miles,” the chieftain replied. “We have gathered about 10,000 men and lots of provisions.”
Wen Zhong was delighted. The chieftain now kneeled and pleaded, “I hope you can also take pity on the other three warriors you encountered earlier. If you can return them alive, we will do all we can to repay your kindness.”
“You really want them back?” Wen Zhong asked.
“Although our last names are different, we are as close as brothers,” the chieftain said.
“In that case, you are men of honor. Ok, stand aside.”
As he spoke, Wen Zhong raised his hand, and thunder roared across the sky, making the mountain shake. The other three chieftains rubbed their eyes and saw that the obstructions that had trapped them had vanished. They now rode back to the mountain and saw their comrade standing next to the Daoist in red who had trapped them. They were enraged and shouted, “Catch that sorcerer!”
But their comrade quickly intervened and said, “Brothers, don’t be rash! Dismount at once and come pay your respects. This is Grand Tutor Wen of the Shang.”
When they heard the title “Grand Tutor,” the other three chieftains immediately dismounted and kneeled, declaring, “Grand Tutor, we have long admired your great name, but had not had the chance to meet you. It’s truly heaven’s will for you to come through here. Please pardon us for not welcoming you and instead offending you.”
They now invited Wen Zhong to their base, and he happily followed. Once there, they offered him the seat of honor and again paid their respects. Wen Zhong asked them for their names, and their leader, the one with the blue face and red hair, said, “This is Yellow Flower Mountain, and we four have been sworn brothers for many years. My name is Deng (4) Zhong (1). My second brother, the one you spared earlier, is named Xin (1) Huan (2). Our third brother is named Zhang Jie (2), and the fourth is named Tao (2) Rong (2). Because of all the chaos, we took up refuge here, but we never wanted to be bandits.”
Wen Zhong told them, “If you are willing to follow me on my campaign to Western Qi, when you have rendered service, you shall become court officials. That would be better than wasting your skills as outlaws.”
Xin Huan, the one with the wings, said, “If you would not spurn us, we are willing to follow you everywhere.”
“It is truly the country’s blessing that you are willing to help support the king,” Wen Zhong said. “You can tell your men: If they want to come with us, they can. If they don’t and instead want to go home, then they can leave with a reward for their service to you.”
Xin Huan did as he commanded, and about 7,000 of their men decided to come along, while the rest got their bonus pay and left. The chieftains rounded up the ones who were coming, packed up their 30,000 bushels of grain, and burned their base to the ground. Wen Zhong then set out again, delighted with his four new recruits. His army crossed over Yellow Flower Mountain and continued to march West.
One day, as the army was marching, Wen Zhong looked up and was taken aback. On a stone slab by the side of the road, he saw the words “Dragon Extinction Peak,” and he fell into silence.
Noticing his alarmed demeanor, Deng Zhong asked what was wrong. Wen Zhong told him, “When I was cultivating my Dao, I studied for 50 years at the Green Touring Palace under Mother Golden Spirit. When she commanded me to leave and serve the Shang, I asked her about my destiny. She told me, ‘You must not encounter the word ‘extinction.’ And yet today, in the midst of a campaign, I saw that word on the stone slab. That’s why I’m feeling uneasy.”
But his four new recruits laughed and said, “Grand Tutor, you’re mistaken. How can a true man pin his life’s destiny on a single word? Besides, heaven looks out for the fortunate ones. With your talent and virtue, how can you not conquer Western Qi? Remember the old saying: When there’s no doubt, there’s no need for divination.”
But Wen Zhong did not crack a smile or speak a word. The army continued its swift march without incident. After some more days on the road, scouts reported that the front column was approaching the south gate of Western Qi, so Wen Zhong commanded the army to pitch camp.
Scouts soon brought word of this invasion force to Jiang Ziya. He said, “When I was in the Shang capital, I didn’t get a chance to meet Grand Tutor Wen. Now that he’s here with an army, let’s see what he’s got.”
So he led his officers to the command tower atop the city wall to have a look, and they saw spread out in front of them an impressive camp, filled with fierce looking soldiers and brimming with weapons. After taking a long look, Jiang Ziya sighed, “I had heard that Grand Tutor Wen was a talented commander. Seeing how organized his forces are today, it seems that his reputation doesn’t do his knowledge justice.”
Once Jiang Ziya and his officers returned to his office, they began to discuss how to deal with this latest attack. Flying Tiger said, “Prime minister, don’t worry. We were able to handle even the four Mo brothers. It’s as they say: When the king’s blessings are immense, his officials’ problems naturally dissipate.”
“That may be, but our civilians’ lives have been disrupted and our army has been laboring because of repeated battles,” Jiang Ziya said. “That is not what a blessed state looks like.”
Just then, word came that a messenger had arrived from Grand Tutor Wen. Jiang Ziya summoned him, and a few moments later, the newly recruited Shang general Deng Zhong walked in and presented the letter. Jiang Ziya took a look, and here’s what it said:
“Wen Zhong, Grand Tutor and Supreme Commander of the Shang, presents this letter to Prime Minister Jiang Ziya. The rebellion of a minister is a major crime against heaven. Right now, our king reigns in all his glory. So how can Western Qi act against what is just and disregard the laws of the state by installing your own king? His majesty has sent multiple armies to punish you. And yet, instead of presenting your head to save the innocent, you dared to act recklessly by opposing the royal armies and killing its soldiers and officers, and hanging their heads on your city walls. Where is the king’s law in your eyes? Even if I were to eat your flesh and sleep on your skin, it would not be punishment enough. Even if we were to destroy your ancestral temples and seize your lands, it would not be sufficient recompense. I am putting you on notice: If you care about the lives of the people in your city, then come to my camp and present your head at once so that you may be brought to justice. If you resist, you will be reduced to ash. Decide quickly when you receive this letter. Do not delay!”
After reading the letter, Jiang Ziya told Deng Zhong, “Please go back to camp and send my regards to the grand tutor. Let him know that our armies shall meet outside the city in three days.”
So Deng Zhong went back to camp to relay the message. Three days passed quickly, and Jiang Ziya could hear the raucous sound of battle cries coming from the Shang camp. So he ordered his troops to go out and prepare to face the enemy. With the sound of an explosive, the south gate of Western Qi swung open, and five squadrons, each led by four generals, marched out, looking disciplined and stout. Jiang Ziya was seated atop his Four-Not-Like, accompanied by Flying Tiger and his various officers and Daoist warriors.
Across the way, Grand Tutor Wen rode atop his Black Qilin under a banner embroidered with dragon and phoenix, flanked by the four warriors he had recruited on the way here. His face had the complexion of gold, and a long beard flowed from his chin. He wielded twin golden staffs and looked every bit as impressive as his reputation would suggest.
Jiang Ziya now rode forward, bowed slightly, and said, “Grand Tutor, pardon me for not being able to pay my full respects.”
“Prime Minister Jiang,” Wen Zhong said, “I heard that you are an elite disciple from the Chan sect of Kunlun Mountain. How can you be so dull as to not understand the situation?”
Jiang Ziya replied, “As a disciple from the Jade Emptiness Palace, how would I dare to disobey heaven’s will? I have acted in accordance with my lord’s commands and our people’s will. We have obeyed the laws and acted justly in all things. We have dutifully stayed within our territory and have never dared to mistreat the people or disturb the government. Under my administration, our people are prosperous and content. So why do you say I do not understand the situation?”
Wen Zhong retorted, “You only know how to wag your tongue; you don’t know your offense. You have disobeyed the king and elevated Ji Fa to the Martial King. This is disrespecting your king, a capital crime! You took in the traitor Flying Tiger, knowing full well that is an act of resistance to your king. This is rebellion, another capital crime. And when an army came to punish you, instead of owning up to your crimes, you resisted and killed its soldiers and officers. That is treason, another capital crime. And now that I’m here in person, you still refuse to submit and instead are leading your army in resistance and wagging your tongue on the battlefield. You are truly despicable!”
But Jiang Ziya laughed and said, “Grand Tutor, you are wrong. Even though we had not formally informed the court about our lord ascending to the title of Martial King, he was just receiving his father’s inheritance. What’s wrong with that? Besides, all the nobles of the land have rebelled against the Shang. Are they all in the wrong? Your king cast aside the rules of governance and no longer deserves to be the people’s lord. That’s why all his vassals have rebelled. The fault does not lie with them.
“As for taking in Lord Flying Tiger, it’s as the saying goes, ‘When the lord is unjust, the vassal seeks another state.’ That is the natural way of things. And yet, instead of reflecting on his errant ways, your king is laying the blame on his vassals. Has he no shame?
“As for us killing the soldiers and officers of the court, they only met their end by coming here to seek their death. We have not brought a single soldier into your territory, nor have we aided another noble in doing so. Grand Tutor, your reputation precedes you. How could you have come here without giving the matter careful consideration. Why don’t you take my advice and return home, and we will each stay in our territory and remain on good terms. If you insist on going against heaven’s will, it’s hard to say what will happen.”
That little lecture made Wen Zhong turn red. And when he saw Flying Tiger under the enemy’s canopy, he shouted, “You traitor, come out and see me!”
Flying Tiger couldn’t really avoid him, so he rode out, bowed from the saddle, and said, “Time has flown since we parted. Now that we get to meet again, I wish to explain the injustice I have suffered.”
But Wen Zhong scowled. “Your family enjoyed all the riches of the court, and yet you turned your back on your king, cast your lot with traitors, and killed the court’s officers. How dare you try to talk your way out of it?!”
He then turned and asked, “Which officer will capture this rebel for me?!”
From his left flank, one of his new recruits, Deng (4) Zhong (1), shouted, “I will go,” and galloped out with ax in hand to fight Flying Tiger. Flying Tiger raised his spear to counter. Soon, two of Deng Zhong’s comrades, Zhang Jie (2) and Tao (2) Rong (2) joined the fray, and they were met by the Zhou officers Nangong Kuo and Wu (3) Ji (2).
After watching the six warriors engage in a fierce back and forth without either side gaining an edge, Wen Zhong’s fourth new recruit, Xin (1) Huan (2), the guy with wings, soared into the air with mallets in hand and charged at Jiang Ziya. Flying Tiger’s eldest son, Huang Tianhua (1,4), quickly engaged him. When Wen Zhong saw Huang Tianhua riding on a jade qilin, he knew that this kid was in touch with the Dao, so he decided to take matters into his own hands. Wen Zhong now charged forward on his black qilin, wielding his twin staffs, and made for Jiang Ziya. Jiang Ziya hurriedly rode forth on his Four-Not-Like to counter. Now, Wen Zhong was an elite and seasoned warrior, so Jiang Ziya was obviously no match for him. Before long, Wen Zhong hurled one of his staffs into the air, and it struck Jiang Ziya on the shoulder and knocked him out of the saddle.
Wen Zhong now rode forth to cut off Jiang Ziya’s head, but Nezha hurriedly stepped in between them and stabbed at Wen Zhong’s face. While Wen Zhong engaged Nezha, the Zhou general Xin Jia (3) rescued Jiang Ziya. Meanwhile, after a few bouts against Nezha, Wen Zhong again unleashed his flying staff and it struck Nezha and knocked him off his wheels. His eldest brother Jinzha now rushed forward with swords raised to save him. Wen Zhong was in full-on rage mode now, and he sent his staffs flying again, and it wounded both Jinzha and the other brother, Muzha, and then he knocked out the Daoist acolyte Han the Poison Dragon.
On the Zhou side of the lines, Yang Jian was watching Wen Zhong smack down all comers, so he galloped out with spear in hand. Wen Zhong saw Yang Jian’s unusual air and thought to himself, “Western Qi has all these uncommon people. How could it not rebel?” He now raised his staffs to fight Yang Jian. After a few bouts, he sent the staffs flying through the air again, and they struck Yang Jian on his head. Sparks flew, but Yang Jian didn’t appear to be scathed at all.
Wen Zhong was stunned and sighed, “Such an uncommon man! He has truly great powers!”
Just then, a huge gale kicked up and pebbles started to swirl, blocking out the sky. This was the doing of one of Wen Zhong’s new recruits, Tao (2) Rong (2). Seeing that nobody was getting the upper hand, Tao Rong pulled out a wind-summoning banner and waved it repeatedly. The intense winds pelted the Zhou forces and sent them fleeing. Wen Zhong returned to camp in victory, and his officers came to congratulate him, telling him, “With your opening victory today, Western Qi’s morale is shaken. The city will fall within days.”
Inside the city, Jiang Ziya and his troops were recovering from their defeat and their injuries. Yang Jian told him, “Prime minister, please rest for a couple days. When we fight them again, we will defeat Wen Zhong for sure. And then, we can raid his camp and break his morale. After that, it will be as easy as splitting bamboo, and we will be able to capture Wen Zhong.”
And so, the Zhou forces rested for two days. On the third day, they again rode out of the city and lined up for battle. Wen Zhong and his army came out and lined up as well. Jiang Ziya then shouted, “Today, we will see who’s the best!” He and Wen Zhong then rode toward each other with weapons raised, and a number of their officers followed as another fierce battle ensued.
In the midst of the fighting, Wen Zhong again sent his staff flying through the air at Jiang Ziya. But this time, Jiang Ziya was ready. He raised his God-Beating Staff to block the attack, and when the two magical staffs collided, Wen Zhong’s staff snapped in two and fell harmlessly to the ground.
“Damn you Jiang Ziya!” Wen Zhong cursed. “You’ve destroyed my treasure. This cannot stand!”
But while he was yelling, Jiang Ziya had sent his God-Beating Staff into the air, and it found its mark, striking Wen Zhong and knocking him off his ride. Fortunately for him, his two disciples, Ji (2) Li (4) and Yu (2) Qing (4), rushed forward and saved him, and Wen Zhong fast-traveled from the field. Jiang Ziya and his officers then had their way with the Shang forces, dealing them a decisive defeat before returning to the city.
Once he regrouped in camp, Wen Zhong sat down with his four officers and told them, “I had never tasted defeat since I started waging wars. Yet, today Jiang Ziya shattered my staff. That was a treasure given to me by my master. With it gone, how can I face my master again?”
His officers tried to console him, but Wen Zhong remained in a foul mood. Suddenly, he noticed an ill-looking miasma emanating from the main tent. He burned some incense, got a gold coin, and cast a divination. When he read the outcome, he chuckled and said, “They are coming to raid our camp tonight. That’s a second-rate scheme.”
He then ordered the officers Deng Zhong and Zhang Jie to guard the left camp, Xin Huan and Tao Rong to guard the right camp, and his disciples Ji (2) Li (4) and Yu (2) Qing (4) to defend the provisions, while he himself oversaw the center camp.
Around 7 p.m. that night, an explosive sounded outside the Shang camp, and a sea of Zhou forces appeared with a roar and stormed into camp. Flying Tiger and his two younger brothers crashed into the left camp. Nangong Kuo, Xin Jia, and Xin Mian charged into the right. Nezha and Huang Tianhua attacked the main camp gate, backed up by Nezha’s two brothers and the two Daoist acolytes Poison Dragon and Vicious Tiger. On the Shang side, Wen Zhong rode out on his black qilin to lead the defense. All across the camp, the two sides engaged in a vicious night battle that littered the ground with the bodies of the dead and dying while men and horses collided, and the air was filled with the moans of the wounded.
Amid this chaos, Yang Jian fought his way into the back of the camp, where the provisions were stored. He then breathed out a stream of magic fire from his mouth and set the provisions ablaze. In the center of the camp, Wen Zhong was in the midst of a dogfight against Nezha and Huang Tianhua when suddenly, he saw flames roaring toward the sky from the back of the camp.
“With our provisions burning, it’ll be hard to save the camp,” he thought to himself with alarm. Just then, Jiang Ziya arrived on the scene and unleashed his God-Beating Staff. Wen Zhong could not dodge the staff, and its blow was so hard that it made him cough up fire.
Wounded and discouraged, Wen Zhong turned his ride around and retreated as he fought, while Flying Tiger and company kept up a hot pursuit. The Shang officers Deng Zhong and Zhang Jie saw that the heart of their camp had fallen, so they now protected Wen Zhong and fled as well. All the other officers followed suit, and they fled toward Qi Mountain. Turns out a night raid wasn’t such a second-rate scheme after all.
As they were fleeing, they suddenly spotted a winged creature approaching in the air. He had a bluish complexion, red hair, and protruding tusks. As soon as he saw the fleeing Shang forces, he roared, “Here I come!” and swooped down with a steel staff raised.
This was Thunderbolt, the adopted son of the previous Zhou lord, Ji Chang (1). The last we saw him was back in episode 21, when he helped his father escape through the five passes on his way back to Western Qi. Since then, Thunderbolt had been hanging out at the cave of his Daoist master, Master of the Clouds. But then on this day, his master suddenly summoned him and said, “You may go to Western Qi to see your brother, the Martial King Ji Fa, and assist your Daoist uncle Jiang Ziya in their battle. If you encounter someone else with wings on the way, that will be your time to shine and do justice to the powers I have given you.”
So Thunderbolt left his master’s mountain, unfurled his wings, and zipped through the air toward Western Qi. When he saw the Shang forces fleeing, he thought, “This is perfect. Let me give them another beating!”
As Thunderbolt charged at the enemy, Wen Zhong called out to his own winged warrior, Xin Huan, “See that man flying toward us? He’s vicious! You must be on guard!”
So Xin Huan took the air as well with his mallets and started trading blows with Thunderbolt. But Xin Huan soon proved to be no match for Thunderbolt and had to turn and flee toward Qi Mountain. Thunderbolt thought to himself, “I shouldn’t chase him. Let me go see my brother and Daoist uncle first. These guys will come back, so I’ll get to face them again sooner or later.” And so, he took off toward Western Qi.
Inside the city of Western Qi, Jiang Ziya and company were all celebrating their successful night raid. “Today’s victory is all thanks to your efforts, the virtue of our lord, and the blessings upon our people,” Jiang Ziya told his officers.
“It’s thanks to the Martial King’s blessings and your virtuous governance,” they replied. “Wen Zhong does not recognize which way the wind is blowing. That’s why he lost.”
Just then, the doorman reported that there was another Daoist acolyte waiting outside. Jiang Ziya called him in, and momentarily, this winged creature walked in, kneeled, and greeted Jiang Ziya.
“Whose disciple are you, and what brings you here?” Jiang Ziya asked.
“I am Thunderbolt, a disciple of Master of the Clouds on the Southern Tip Mountain. I have come on my master’s command to help you achieve victory and to meet my royal brother.”
“Who is your royal brother?” Jiang Ziya asked.
“The Martial King,” Thunderbolt answered.
So, remember that no one in Western Qi had actually met Thunderbolt. He parted ways with Ji Chang before the latter made it back home. So when Jiang Ziya asked everyone present if they recognized this … umm … scion of the royal house, they all said no.
“When I was seven, I helped the Grand Duke of the West make it safely through the five passes,” Thunderbolt explained.
That rang a bell for Jiang Ziya. He told the others, “Our former lord had told me about this son helping him through the five passes. It is truly a blessing that this extraordinary man has come to us today.”
Jiang Ziya now brought Thunderbolt to court to see the Martial King. Jiang Ziya went in first and informed Ji Fa that his long-lost brother had shown up.
“Who is this brother?” Ji Fa asked.
“It’s Thunderbolt, the son that your father adopted on Yan (1) Mountain, and he’s been honing his skills on the Southern Tip Mountain,” Jiang Ziya said. “He has come home at last.”
Ji Fa quickly summoned Thunderbolt, who entered, kneeled, and called him brother.
“My brother,” Ji Fa said, “our father had told me about how you had saved him and then left to go back to your mountain. It’s a true pleasure to meet you today.”
But then, when Thunderbolt looked up, Ji Fa saw his face and was a little taken aback. In fact, he decided that it was best to not bring Thunderbolt to the private quarters to meet the women of the family, lest the fairer sex be frightened by his appearance. Instead, Ji Fa asked Jiang Ziya to host a banquet to welcome Thunderbolt. Jiang Ziya then said, “Thunderbolt is a vegetarian. Let him live with me, and he can render service to the kingdom.”
Ji Fa was delighted with that idea, and so Thunderbolt followed Jiang Ziya home, and the Zhou kingdom gained another powerful warrior. So things were looking up once again, but you know that Grand Tutor Wen was not going to stay away for long. In fact, he’s going to come back with some supernatural aid of his own. To see what happens in their next encounter, tune into the next episode of the Chinese Lore Podcast. Thanks for listening!
Music in This Episode
- “Sao Meo” by Doug Maxwell / Zac Zinger
- “Tumbleweed” by Chris Haugen (from YouTube audio library)
- “Ravines” by Elphnt (from YouTube audio library)
- “Dark Toys” by SYBS (from YouTube audio library)