Sunset—the Hour of the Tiger’s Prowl—was deemed the most auspicious time for the initiation ceremony.
“Lucky dog! I’ve waited nearly two years for this. But you! Here for a month only and you’re initiated.”
Tuck Heng grinned. “Born lucky.”
Ah Loy boxed his ear, and the two of them wrestled playfully round the empty shed.
Ah Loy was a poor landless peasant who dreamed of returning to Sum Hor one day with enough money to buy a piece of land for his parents. The older miners laughed at him. “On twenty-four dollars a year? Not in your lifetime. Maybe in your next life!” But Ah Loy smiled and went on dreaming.
“Put these on.” Ah Loy handed him a white cotton jacket, white cotton drawstring pants and a length of red cloth.
“Why are they initiating us when Tai-kor Wong is not here?”
“Don’t know.”
“But you’ve been here longer than me. Why are we initiated so fast? And why the two of us?”
“I told you I don’t know.”
“But I know.” Old Stick came into the shed. “For you.”
He thrust a pair of straw sandals into Tuck Heng’s hands.
“But Uncle Old Stick, I ... I can’t accept this ...!”
He looked down at Old Stick’s bare feet, deeply touched by the gift.
“You look down on me?”
“No! Uncle Old Stick, please forgive my bad manners!”
“Wear them for the ceremony. In my time, all new recruits must wear straw sandals. To protect the feet. To remind us that we’re travellers in this world.”
He put on the straw sandals.
“Tie that red cloth round your head. And let your queue hang down. Something for your feet. Something for your head. All things must have a top and a bottom, a beginning and an end. From today onwards, you’re both White Crane warriors.” Old Stick grinned as though he was their benefactor. “Go forth and fight. Don’t let that gutter rat push you around.”
“You want to die, ah? These walls have ears,” Ah Loy hissed.
“That rat has already flung me onto the dung heap. What do I care?”
“You’ve been drinking again.”
“Not your business.”
“Who said he’d chop off his hand if he lifts another bottle to his mouth? Who said he’d stop smoking the poisonous weed? Who, eh?”
“Why, you! You son of a bitch!”
Old Stick lunged at Ah Loy but missed.
“Winded warrior! Can you blame Lee Peng Yam?”
“Bastard! You’ve drunk his spittle! That’s why you’re licking his arse!”
Old Stick lunged forward again, but Ah Loy skipped out of his way.
“Stop it, Old Stick! I’m not hitting you only because of your age!”
“Pig brain! So you think you’ll be a somebody soon?”
“Say what you like!”
“What do you know? Who’s ever heard of an initiation ceremony for just two recruits? Do you think your grandfathers own the White Crane? We are about to go to war with the Black Flags, yet Lee Peng Yam has time to initiate you two pups? That son of a rat is using you! He wants to act the big brother in the White Crane. Impress all the young fools here!”
“Old Stick, get out of here before I bash your head!” Big Dog yelled at him from the doorway. “Recruits! Follow me!”
Blue flags and red banners billowed in the breeze in front of the temple. The flag with its distinctive white crane was the symbol of their brotherhood. The ground in front of the temple was adorned with hundreds of these flags marking out the gateway to the Walled City, the home of the White Crane brothers. The red flags of Lord Guan Gong and the Revered Ancestors, the Banner of Victorious Brotherhood and the Flag of Universal Harmony lined the path leading to the temple, the symbolic Walled City. Only those worthy of being warriors were allowed to enter and join this elite band sworn to defend the White Crane.
“Can you remember what to say?” Big Tree asked the two of them.
“We can.”
Warriors dressed in blue with red bands tied round their heads lined their path which was strewn with rocks and broken stones. Behind them was the crowd of coolies who had come to watch this unusual ceremony of inducting two recruits.
A loud roll of drums sounded.
“Strangers at the gate!” a warrior bellowed. He spoke in formal Cantonese according to the prescribed ritual. “Whence comest thou?”
“From the east!” the recruits answered.
“What seekest thou?”
“We seek the honour to serve Lord Guan Gong, Master of the White Cranes, and our Revered Ancestors!”
“Proceed on your knees up the Path of Stepping Stones to Honour!”
There was another roll of drums. They went down on their knees and moved step after agonising step over the broken stones, till their knees bled and their white pants were stained with the blood of their endeavour. A gong was beaten after each step taken by the recruits. When they reached the door of the temple, there was another drum roll. Another warrior opened the door.
“What seekest thou?”
“We seek the honour to serve Lord Guan Gong, Master of the White Cranes, and our Revered Ancestors!”
“If you have the courage to serve, follow me!”
The drums sounded a deep low rumble followed by several rapid beats. The warrior and the two recruits marched briskly round the temple three times. They stopped at intervals to bow to the Guardian Spirit of the East and the Lord of the West. They bowed to the Guardian Spirit of the White Cranes, the God of Thunder and Lightning and the Goddess of Mercy. Then they faced the setting sun, knelt and kowtowed three times to the Earth God, the guardian of all life on land, a deity depicted as an old man with a white beard, dressed in white flowing robes. The white crane, symbol of longevity, was said to be his companion.
The drum roll stopped when the warrior led his recruits back to the temple entrance. The crowd cheered as the Master of Initiation, Lee Peng Yam, and the Council of Elders emerged, dressed in white with red bands round their heads. Lee Peng Yam recited the history of the White Crane in a loud voice.
The crowd, especially the older men, nodded knowingly as Lee Peng Yam called out name after name of the heroes and places marking the battles of the clan. When he ended, the two recruits prostrated themselves on the ground and begged the Master of Initiation and the elders to accept their unworthy selves as warriors. They pledged their lives and their undying loyalty. The Council of Elders nodded, and the Master of Initiation ordered the recruits to kneel to receive the secret passwords.
A roll of drums and loud beating of the gongs informed the gods and the ancestors that the new warriors were about to be tested for courage and loyalty. They were led to an area marked by a red banner bearing the legend “Gateway to the Valley of Swords”.
Behind the banner, two rows of White Crane warriors stood facing each other, their swords drawn to form an arch. Two warriors dressed in black, known as the Executioners, confronted them at the head of the arch.
“Halt! Who dares to enter the Valley of Swords?”
“We who have come to serve Lord Guan Gong, Master of the White Cranes, and our Revered Ancestors!”
“Are you pure of heart?”
“We are!”
“Are you stout of heart?”
“We are!”
“Do you dare walk through the Valley of Swords?”
“We have nothing to fear!”
“What are the swords for?”
“For beheading traitors!”
The drums rolled and then fell silent. Night had fallen upon the settlement. Tuck Heng, followed by Ah Loy, walked slowly under the arch of swords and entered the temple. Oil lamps and red candles burned brightly. Shadows larger than life loomed among the warriors and elders. The air was thick with incense smoke. He and Ah Loy knelt before the altar as the Master of Initiation and Guardian of Oaths and Discipline read out the thirty-six rules of the White Crane. Then the thirty-six oaths were administered.
“We swear never to reveal the secrets of our brotherhood.
“We swear to serve with unerring obedience our Tai-kor and elders in the council.
“To help a brother in need.
“To help a brother’s family in need.
“Respect at all times a brother’s property.
“Respect at all times a brother’s wife and female relatives.”
And the list went on till his head ached. The pain in his knees was agonising. After the last oath, they kowtowed three times. A large yellow sheet of paper, filled with red characters, known as the Document of Honour and Loyalty, was burned at the altar so that word would ascend to heaven and Lord Guan Gong would be informed about the new warriors’ oath of allegiance. When the last bit of yellow paper had turned to ash, Water Buffalo took a pinch of the ash and mixed it into two cups of tea. The tea was then given to the new warriors who drained the contents in one gulp.
“From this moment onwards, let courage and loyalty, good faith and integrity, duty and filial piety course through your veins and bring you and your descendants a good name in the White Crane!” Lee Peng Yam intoned.
“Let the gods and our ancestors be witnesses to your solemn oath!” the other elders added.
“Bring in the cockerel!” Lee Peng Yam ordered.
Two warriors brought in a white cockerel and a large china bowl half-filled with water. One of them held the bird’s throat firmly over the china bowl and used a knife to slit its throat. Thick blood dripped into the bowl. His finger was pricked. A few drops of his blood dripped into the bowl and was mixed with that of Ah Loy’s and the cockerel’s.
A gong sounded. Lee Peng Yam said a short prayer and handed him the china bowl. He took a sip and handed the bowl to Ah Loy who in turn took a sip and handed the bowl back to Lee Peng Yam.
“You have drunk the blood of the brotherhood. That which has been sealed in blood will remain sacred forever. From today you are warriors sworn to defend our brothers in the White Crane.”