by Rob J. Hayes
Cho drew in a deep breath and nodded. "I'll tell the others we leave tomorrow." Ein moved away and Cho felt a sourness in her stomach. More yokai were coming, the boy was sure of it, and in greater numbers. But that was not the worst of it. Tomorrow she would have to fight the greatest wushu master Hosa had ever known, and it was a fight she was not certain any of them could win.
Chapter 19
Iron Gut Chen vs The Master of Sun Valley
Zhihao had trouble sleeping that night. It wasn't the foul taste the food had left in his mouth, nor the frustration at having to leave the very next day, though he freely admitted to Itami that he would happily live a few days off the generosity of the people of Sun Valley. No, what kept Zhihao from sleeping that night was the painting of an old woman in the little room he and Iron Gut had been given, and the way the painting's eyes watched him all night. At first, Iron Gut ignored Zhihao, but after some insistent prodding the fat man finally sat up and looked at the painting. The woman in the painting was dressed in a flowing silver gown, her legs braced and her hands held up and apart. The plaque read Ling Gao and claimed her to be the founder of Sun Valley. They both stared at the face in the painting, and eventually Iron Gut sighed and told Zhihao he was crazy. Then the eyes in painting blinked.
It was not a secret hole in the wall where someone might watch through the painting's eyes, nor some trick of the light, or a hallucination on Zhihao's part. The painting blinked once, and then continued watching them. Worse yet, no matter where Zhihao went in the little room, the eyes seemed to follow him. At last Chen Lu declared the painting a type of mokumokuren, and went back to bed. The fat man was snoring within minutes, and Zhihao spent the entire night watching the painting watch him. Even worse was that the eyes seemed to be contagious: new sets kept opening up on the walls and ceiling. Before long the entire room was filled with eyes staring at Zhihao. He would have left to spend the night under the stars, but they were on the door as well, so instead Zhihao sat there and bore it. It was only in the morning at breakfast, when the sun was just rising, that Ein told him a mokumokuren was a harmless type of yokai, likely sent by one of the shinigami to keep watch on him and his heroes. All thought of an extended stay in Sun Valley fled Zhihao that morning, and there was no one more willing climb out of the valley and be on the road again than he. Unfortunately, the boy had one stop for them to make before they left. He had found the next member of their group, or at least the man who would become the next member after they killed him.
They found the Master of Sun Valley in a field at the eastern edge of Sun Valley. The field was mostly dirt, having been harvested, and it needed tilling before new crops could be planted. Rather than use a bull or horse to pull the plough, Bingwei Ma, Master of Sun Valley had simply hooked the harness over his own shoulders, and was doing the job of two work animals all on his own. There was already a small group of people watching, residents of Sun Valley amazed by the man's feats. It was clearly a show. No doubt the man was strong, but those watching must have seen it before; either that or the entire thing was for their benefit, meant to impress. It worked.
"He has impressive qi," Chen Lu said as they watched. He was hiding beneath his parasol, shading himself from the sun.
Zhihao snorted. "It's more than his qi that's impressive, fat man. He's taller than I am and, look at him, he's solid muscle." Even from a distance they could see his arms and chests and legs all bulging with tightly packed muscle, straining with the effort of pulling something no man should be able to pull. The Master of Sun Valley wore only trousers, and tough hide boots. His hair was tied into a topknot and his moustache was thick and threatening to blossom into a full beard at any moment. "What sort of weapons does he use?"
"None," Ein said. "Like all the occupants of Sun Valley, he practises open hand wushu."
"Well there's that, I suppose." Zhihao shrugged.
"It makes him more dangerous, not less," the boy continued, fiddling with his red scarf. "Bingwei Ma started practising wushu as soon as he could stand. By the age of four he was competing with children much older than him. At five he had already surpassed all but the masters. When he was six they declared him a master of open hand wushu. By the age of seven he had surpassed even the other masters. He has not lost a fight since. He is now forty-three."
Zhihao glanced at Itami to find her staring at him. A straight fight against Iron Gut had been difficult enough, and they only won thanks to the leper and his rifle. This Master of Sun Valley sounded even worse. But at least they now had the fat man and his qi fighting with them, rather than against. It seemed a boon given that no weapon could pierce his skin. Zhihao looked up at the fat man and found him playing with his new eye patch, poking a fat finger underneath it to scratch at his empty socket.
"Well this isn't exactly going to be a fair duel," Zhihao muttered to himself. "It will be three on one. The odds will be in our favour." There was no doubt they were in for one hell of a fight and he needed all the confidence he could fake.
"I never said duel," the boy said. "I said he has not lost a fight since he was seven. Bingwei Ma regularly bests the other masters of Sun Valley all at once." The way the boy said it sent chills down Zhihao's spine. "I did not lightly call him the greatest wushu master Hosa has ever seen."
They continued watching until Bingwei Ma had finished pulling the plough around the field. It was the respectful thing to do, and the wearier the man was, the better the odds they might beat him. When he was finished, he stopped by a water barrel and spooned some into his mouth and then over his chest. At last he turned to find the heroes still watching. The citizens of Sun Valley had retreated to their own work.
"Are you away then?" Bingwei Ma asked as he approached them. His voice was smooth and powerful as an ocean tide and made Zhihao want to slink away.
"We have a task first," Itami said. "We intend to be gone by midday."
The Master of Sun Valley nodded, then bowed to the leper. "I do not know you. But I heard my people speak well of you this morning, Death's Echo. You rescued the children, when no one else could find them. And dealt justice to the kidnappers. You have my gratitude, as well as that of everyone in Sun Valley. Thank you."
The leper returned the bow. "I dislike seeing people hurt children." His voice was a wet mumble, low and rough, but the people of Sun Valley had given him new bandages and his mouth was no longer spattered with blood.
"So what is this task you must complete before you go?"
"A challenge," Itami said.
The Master of Sun Valley laughed and nodded. "I should have guessed. You all look like warriors. Even the boy looks formidable. Perhaps in the forest, away from the fields."
Chen Lu grunted. "You do not wish for an audience?"
He shook his head. "My people know my strength. They do not need to see me beat you."
"Ha!" The fat man's squeaked. "More likely you don't want them to see me beat their hero."
The Master of Sun Valley only smiled at the taunt, extending a hand towards the forest. He picked up a light tunic and they walked towards the forest of bamboo together.
Chen watched the Master of Sun Valley as they entered the forest. He was strong, there could be no doubt about that, and he did not look at all tired despite a morning of hard work pulling the plough. But there was something else that assured Chen that the man would be a challenge. He had a calmness to his qi. His energy sat easily inside him, at peace. It would make a nice change. Zhihao's qi was a raging storm, strong yet directionless. Itami's was corrupted by the dead she carried around with her. And the boy had no qi, which was even more impossible than his ability to bring people back from the dead. Chen decided he would enjoy having someone nearby who projected such tranquillity.
They stopped by a small clearing, no more than a dozen paces wide, but large enough that Chen could move without bumping into bamboo. The sun shone down though the swaying gaps in the canopy and painted the forest floor in a swaying dapple of light. The Master of Sun
Valley bowed low to them, a sign of respect. Chen attempted to return it, but his bulk only allowed him to bend so far.
"So how do you wish to do this?" Bingwei Ma asked. "Would you like to test yourselves all at once?"
"I will not be taking part," the leper said. "Good luck to you all."
"Coward," Chen grunted at the man. He knew it was not true, but he found it was difficult to forgive a man who had so recently taken his eye. "You can look after my wine then." He dumped his new keg down on the earth, along with his mace and parasol. "And don't touch it!"
The leper bowed his head. "I have no wish to pass my disease to you, Iron Gut Chen."
Itami stepped forward, one hand as always resting on her katana hilt. Chen had never seen her draw the second sword, but he noticed it had no tsuba, and a sword with no hand guard was dangerous. She bowed and said, "With respect to your strength, and ferocious reputation, I feel it would be best if we fought you all at once."
"No," Chen said as he walked past the woman, putting himself between them and Bingwei Ma. "I am Iron Gut Chen. I challenge you to a test of strength, Master of Sun Valley." Chen waved a hand at Ein. "Boy, tell him of my many feats of strength."
Ein was silent for a moment. Chen took the time to straighten his back and puff out his chest a bit. The Master of Sun Valley was so motionless he could have been chiselled from stone.
"You held the gate at Fingsheng against the army of Uros," Ein said quietly. "One hundred men tried to breach the city, but you put your back against it and held."
Chen growled. "You tell it with no conviction, boy. It's as if you're reading from a book."
"No. I know all the stories from memory. I lost my book up on Long."
"There were easily three hundred men that day," Chen said, "and I held the gate for hours. The people of Fingsheng showered me with gifts. Nine out of ten babes born after that day were named Chen, in my honour."
"You sound quite formidable, Iron Gut Chen," Bingwei Ma said. "I will happily engage you in a test of strength."
Itami stepped forward, turning her back on the Master of Sun Valley to shield her words. "Chen Lu," she whispered, "it would be wiser to fight him all at once. We should work together."
Chen shook his head and laughed. "I need neither a Quiet Sword, nor a Green Breeze. I shall best the man myself and prove my worth for the hundredth time. I wrestled the dire bear, you know."
"Yaurong?" Bingwei Ma sounded surprised at that. "An impressive feat to survive."
Chen nodded, more than a little pleased with himself. "It was a draw."
"Bingwei Ma, the Master of Sun Valley, also wrestled Yaurong," this from Ein. The boy was sitting on the ground next to the leper, Chen's wine keg between them. "It remains the only time in recorded history that the dire bear was beaten."
"What? You lie!" Chen shouted
The boy shook his head.
Bingwei Ma laughed at that. "I bloodied the bear's nose and he retreated. In truth it was a short contest. Perhaps Yaurong had eaten some bad fish that day. How shall we do this, Iron Gut Chen? I leave the choice of contest to you."
Chen couldn't decide if the man's humility was genuine, or a way to mock Chen's own accomplishments. In the end it did not matter. He would prove himself by beating the Master of Sun Valley. He would prove himself to the group to which he was bound, and to himself, and also to the very man whom he challenged. No man was unbeatable, and no man had ever matched Iron Gut Chen for strength.
"Whispering Blade," Chen Lu said. "I would have you cut us some lengths of bamboo. As thick a tree as you can find and each as long as the boy is tall."
They waited while Itami selected a thick bamboo tree and tapped at it with a finger. Chen had no idea what she was listening for, but it did not take her long to find a tree that pleased her. With a single slash from her sword she felled the tree and stood aside as it came crashing down. He approved of her choice, it was as thick as a strong man's arm. She then cut the tree into six lengths and returned her katana to its saya.
"Good luck," Itami said, her voice betraying her doubt. She could see what Chen had in mind and knew it would be folly for most men.
Chen picked up one of the lengths of bamboo and made a show of considering it. It was fresh and green and strong. He gripped it at either end, and flexed it. The Bamboo was both strong and flexible, but the single length soon started to give way to Chen's strength. Grunting from the effort, Chen flexed it farther and farther until it split in the middle and snapped in two. He laughed, dropped the two broken ends, and wiped the sheen of sweat from his head. Then he turned to the Master of Sun Valley and gestured to the remaining lengths of bamboo. "Your turn."
Bingwei Ma scooped up his choice of bamboo and placed his hands as far apart as he could along it. He did not grip it with his thumbs and Chen could respect that. It would be easier to break with thumbs splayed out along the length, but such a method could easily end with a severed digit, at least for most people, though no amount of sharp bamboo could pierce his iron skin. The Master of Sun Valley tested his length, flexing it a little once, twice, and then bent his true strength to the task. It lasted no longer than Chen's had and soon there were two split sticks of bamboo on the forest floor.
Chen nodded. "Two then." He bent over and picked up two lengths of bamboo, each of nearly equal size. Itami had done well in chopping the tree down. Gripping two shoots of bamboo at once was difficult, and flexing them harder still, but Chen was strong. His body was tough, his qi was deep. He bent his full power to the task, leaning into the bamboo and flexing his muscles. The shoots groaned as they bent back and finally cracked, splits forming along the lengths until they gave way and Chen ripped them apart. He threw the bamboo to the ground and let out a triumphant shout that echoed throughout the forest.
Chen saw awe on their faces and realised they were finally seeing his true worth. It wasn't just his mastery of qi, or his unbreakable skin, it was his mammoth strength that eclipsed that of any other man.
Zhihao held a smaller piece of bamboo in his hands, thinner than a woman's wrist and already starting to brown. He was flexing it, bending his strength upon it and failing.
Chen turned back to Bingwei Ma again and waved at the final two shoots of bamboo lying on the ground.
"Your strength is impressive, Iron Gut Chen," Bingwei Ma said as he knelt to gather up the bamboo. He grew serious then, grimacing as he took the bamboo in hand and flexed it, bending it as much with his shoulders and back as with his arms. The lengths soon gave way, splitting apart with a crack. "But your technique is raw and unrefined. Your skill limits your progress."
"Cut us more bamboo," Chen said anxiously. He fell silent then, glaring at the Master of Sun Valley as Itami cut down another tree. It was slightly thicker than the first, by Chen's reckoning, and she again cut it into six equal lengths.
"Would you like me to go first this time?" the Master of Sun Valley asked.
"Give the fat man a few more moments of rest," Zhihao said with a laugh. He was sitting on the forest floor, close to Chen's wine keg.
"If you touch my wine, Green Breeze, I will snap your arms just like the bamboo."
Zhihao held Chen's gaze, reached out a single arm, and poked the keg of wine. Chen turned back to the Master of Sun Valley. "I will go first." He scooped up three lengths of bamboo and struggled to get a good grip on all three. Even with his large hands it was difficult to hold them, and even harder to flex them. He took a deep breath and held it as he bent all of his strength upon the bamboo. Before long sweat was pouring down his face and he found himself grunting and growling. But he could not bend all three shoots at once, not to the point where they would split and break. No man could accomplish such a feat. He wasn't sure how long he tested himself, but eventually even Chen had to admit defeat. He threw the shoots down on the ground and took another deep breath, centring his qi in an attempt to find calm.
"You ask an impossible task of yourself, Iron Gut Chen," said Bingwei Ma. "No man can
bend three such shoots of bamboo. I think we should call this contest a draw."
"Not before you try."
"I have told you it is impossible."
"Try!"
The Master of Sun Valley nodded and picked up the last three untouched shoots of bamboo. It was even more of a struggle for him to hold all three of once, his hands being much smaller than Chen's. When finally he was satisfied with his grip, Bingwei Ma flexed. It was a boon to see the concentration and effort on the man's face. To see him struggle at the same point Chen had. But the shoots were bending, farther and farther, past the point Chen had managed. He heard them begin to groan at the strain put upon them. Then one of the shoots sprung free from the Bingwei Ma's grip, straightening and bouncing away from him along the forest floor. Bingwei Ma let out a laugh and dropped the two remaining shoots.
"As I said, Iron Gut Chen. Such a feat is impossible, even for men of our strength. Shall we call this contest a draw?"
"No. We wrestle."
"The fat man's an idiot," Zhihao snorted. "Lead Belly, that man is a master of unarmed combat."
Bingwei Ma was smiling at Chen. "Would you like to set the rules?"
Chen nodded. "No punching or kicking. Grapples only. First man unconscious is the loser."
The Master of Sun Valley nodded. "We usually allow conceding down in the valley. Any contestant may tap at the ground to signal their defeat."
Chen laughed. "You may give up any time you wish." He squatted down into a combat-ready stance, his flabby arms held out before him. He knew Bingwei Ma would be the faster of them, but Chen's bulk would give him an advantage up close. All he would have to do is get a good grip on the man and bear him down to the ground where he could smother him. It certainly wouldn't be a pleasant way to die, suffocated by his immense flesh, but Chen was of the opinion that being shot in the face was also an unpleasant way to die.
The Master of Sun Valley took a side-on stance; back straight with one hand held out in front of him, and the other behind. For a few moments they just stood there, watching one another. Then Chen charged, arms held out wide to grab hold of the smaller man. Bingwei Ma stepped to his right at the last moment, ducking under Chen's swinging arm, and Chen felt that same arm wrenched behind him. It was too late to arrest his momentum, and another man's arm might have been pulled from its socket. But Chen's qi strengthened him. He braced, and continued his run, dragging the smaller man along behind him. When finally he slid to a stop, he jerked his arm forwards and threw the Master of Sun Valley to the forest floor. Bingwei Ma rolled several times and flowed back to his feet. A few brown leaves clung to his clothing, but he was otherwise unruffled.
