He completed his meal with a bowl of noodles simmered in a broth of snake bones and skin from the previous day’s luncheon.
Sated, he moved to a large open room, his private training quarters where he began his routine of snake forms exercises. Without legs, a snake must rely on agility and blinding speed reaction time. The ferocity of its tiny tongue spitting out, the litheness with which it moved, the ability to coil around its enemies to kill, the eyes of danger when it held itself erect, all contributed to its sinister lethal beauty.
Every day without fail, King spent a minimum of four hours practicing the forms. They were based on the principle of cooperation between opposites: hit the head and the tail will react; hit the tail and the body will react; hit the body and the tail and head will react. They imitated the natural habits of the reptile: snake spitting out its tongue; snake coiling its body; and snake slithering through the grass. The movements were fast, furious and seemed to be in perpetual motion. Low stance, high stance, arm circle, arm strike, leg circle, leg strike. King’s body was chiseled and hard, without a gram of excess fat.
After an hour, he brought in a sparring partner. This session was not for building form or technique but for hardening the body. For the next thirty minutes, the two men traded blows that would destroy an ordinary man. At the end of the session, both men were drained of energy, eyes swollen, bodies throbbing in pain—a great amount of snake medicine and salve was definitely in order.
Finishing, King dismissed his opponent. He then bowed to a ten-foot mural of three intertwined King Cobra snakes. King had loved this snake since he was a boy. He was fascinated with stories of the cobra’s violent temper and its evil hiss before striking. Most of all, he loved the King Cobra for the dual attitudes of awed reverence and bone-chilling fear it created when it raised the front part of its body and flared the ribs in its neck to display its hood.
A worker scurried in to announce, “The blind man is here.”
“Bring him in,” ordered King. He turned to a storage case and selected a pair of Shaolin double broadswords with thirty-inch blades, “The Courage of All Soldiers,” from the vast collection of weapons. Gently twirling one of the hand-forged combat weapons in each hand, he went to a holding area where a ten-foot python slithered impatiently. King carefully lifted the beast with the swords and watched the python coil itself around the blades. Despite being sharp enough to slice a board into pieces, the snake’s tough leathery skin withstood dissection.
The man who posed as a blind monk at Master Wu’s studio entered. He bowed to King before speaking.
“You were correct,” the man said. “Attack the soul and the body will die. It hit a nerve with the old man. He was afraid.”
Without warning, King slapped the man. “Never insult a grandmaster. He may have been concerned, troubled, or distraught, but he was not scared. No Shaolin sifu is a coward.”
“I’m sorry,” said the man on the ground. “The expression on his face when I told him that his sins would not be forgiven... his expression was like a man who had seen a thousand ghosts, like chills were running through his body.”
King sneered. Master Wu’s blood was on all the victims of his father. “Those are the ghosts whose lives he helped take. That was not fear. That was guilt… Where are my snakes?”
The man babbled, “One of them tried to bite me. I had no choice. I... I killed it... and the other disappeared. I... it... the stupid thing got away. Just slithered off.”
“I see,” nodded King. All of a sudden, he flicked the python off the swords then flung them at the man. The weapons twirled in the air for a brief moment, and then their tips pierced his chest. The blades went one inch deep before falling out.
The man dropped to the ground, clutching his bleeding, painful wounds. King picked up the snake and placed it on the man’s body. The serpent wrapped itself around the man and squeezed.
“No, no! Why, King, why? I did what you wanted. Please don’t do this,” begged the man as the snake’s constricting force increased.
King derided his victim as his bones began to snap. “You killed one of my precious animals and you lost the other. You called my snake ‘stupid.’ My snake is not stupid, but you are. You insulted my treasure and you let it get away. You can be replaced in five minutes, but it takes years to breed, raise, train and prepare one of these creatures you just insulted.”
The snake coiled itself around the man’s head, muffling the sounds coming out of his mouth. It would take it a few hours, but eventually the formerly blind man would be one with the snake.
Chapter 12
In Dr. Tang’s compact clinic overflowing with herbal medicines and Traditional Chinese Medicine supplies, Noah showed Dr. Tang the snake’s bite marks on Master Wu and told him about the encounter with a snake in the sifu’s studio. “I think Master Wu has been poisoned by snake venom.”
“Let me do the diagnosis, Noah,” said Dr. Tang with an uneasy urgency. Ever since coming to Hong Kong over forty years ago, Dr. Tang was the only physician Master Wu had ever seen, Dr. Tang had treated him for everything from hemorrhoids to broken bones to kidney stones. More than just having a physician-patient relationship, the two bachelors became friends. The philosophies underlying Chinese medicine and Shaolin martial arts were in harmony—the body is a gestalt, not a collection of isolated parts. The physical was an extension of the metaphysical.
Noah was also a patient of Dr. Tang’s and over the years learned much about Chinese medicine. Dr. Tang taught him that a body’s Qi, or life energy, flowed through a network of invisible pathways called “meridians” that connected the entire body together. When Noah’s back was sore, Dr. Tang would insert the long, thin acupuncture needles in his legs to help alleviate the aches. Or during the time Noah was perpetually hung over after the murder of his parents, Dr. Tang inserted the needles between the webbing of his big and second toe to cleanse the toxins.
“Sorry, Dr. Tang. My bad.” Noah watched anxiously as the seventy-five-year-old physician hovered over Master Wu’s still body, probing under his tongue and checking the pulse with his wrists.
“Don’t worry, Noah. You are in fine hands between me and Dr. Lisa Mah, my assistant,” assured Dr. Tang. “She has been with me for several years and she is an excellent doctor.” He nodded toward Lisa.
When Dr. Tang agreed to be Lisa’s mentor, he did not know that it was prompted by Chin. When Chin was still a disciple with Master Wu a lifetime ago, he noticed that the Chinese physician had the sifu’s complete trust. Five years ago, Chin told King that an inside connection with the doctor could be beneficial. It wasn’t hard to convince the lovestruck Lisa to be that person.
“How is he doing?” queried Noah.
A puzzled expression crossed Dr. Tang’s face. “His tongue and pulse seem almost normal but the qi is just a bit off.” He turned to Lisa. “Let’s begin acupuncture.”
For the next hour, Dr. Tang and Lisa inserted several hundred long, thin acupuncture needles into every part of the sifu’s body, from the big toe to the top of the head. The doctors tapped the needles gently, stimulating the master’s body to re-align the body’s qi.
Frustrated by the lack of progress Noah, blurted, “I can get a snake venom specialist here in twenty minutes.”
Lisa spoke for the first time. Taking charge, there was quiet confidence in her voice. “There is no need for that. Nor is there any cause for alarm. I am a snake specialist and am considered a world expert on their venoms.”
“Really?” asked Noah. So intent was he on Master Wu’s condition, he didn’t notice until now that Dr. Tang’s assistant was stunningly attractive. But that would have to wait.
Lisa noticed Noah’s sudden interest and knew exactly how to handle him. She would do nothing but be herself—smart, accomplished, and when the time came, sensuous. “My father, grandfather, and great-grandfather had snake stores and restaurants on Taipei’s Huaxi Street Night Market for fifty years, so snake venom is of special interest
for me. One cannot treat poisonous snake bites without being concerned about how to treat those from non-venomous species as well.”
“But acupuncture isn’t working,” fretted Noah, glancing at the long thin cylinders protruding from Master Wu’s body.
“That’s because this is only the first phase of the treatment.” Lisa went to the cupboard and pulled out two boxes with Chinese characters on them. “We should begin cupping now. That will extract the poisons from the body.”
“That’s next on our list. Needles first, then the cups,” agreed Dr. Tang readily.
Lisa fought the urge to roll her eyes. Dr. Tang could never treat Master Wu properly. The toxin in his system was one that she and King developed and only she knew the cure.
“Help me, please.” Lisa motioned for Noah to help her turn Master Wu onto his stomach. From there, she poured two tablespoons of medicated oil onto the skin of the sifu’s back, then gently massaged so the entire back had a thin film of oil.
She then opened the two boxes. Each contained six brand new glass cups. With forceps, she picked up a cotton ball, dipped it into alcohol, and then lit it on fire with a mechanical lighter. Placing the ball inside the cup for two seconds, she pulled it out and placed the forceps on the table. Then she tipped the cup upside down and placed it near the top of Master Wu’s back on the left side. She tugged lightly to confirm there was suction.
This process was repeated eleven times. Alternating between right and left, Lisa placed all the cups on the back so there were two rows of six cups on either side of the vertebrae.
After a few minutes, Noah saw drops of what appeared to be blood on the surface of Master Wu’s back. An hour later, the area under the cup was a darkish red.
The cups were removed. Lisa used cotton balls with the medicated oil to clean Master Wu’s back. The area under each of the cups showed a circular discoloration as if it were bruised. They turned the sifu over.
“Now we use a different kind of suction,” said Lisa.
Again, she applied a thin layer of oil to Master Wu’s chest. She opened a new box of smaller cups, which she then placed on Master Wu’s skin. A large syringe-like handle was inserted into the side. When Lisa pulled the handle, air was sucked out. The created vacuum caused Master Wu’s flesh to rise, creating a small semi-oval mound.
This process was repeated so that Master Wu had three rows of three cups on his chest.
Noah worried when he saw blood appear on the little mounds under the suctioned cups.
After fifteen minutes, Lisa released the first cup and the mound of flesh fell back to its normal level. Using a small wooden strip, she scraped the skin and collected the blood into a container. Then she put the cup back and re-suctioned it, then repeated the process for all the other cups.
Noting Noah’s anxiety, Lisa explained, “We are purifying Master Wu’s system from toxins.”
Lisa was pleased with herself. This particular poison took her years to develop. The hard part was modifying it so there was just a trace of paranoia. The goal was to scare, not kill. Basic psychology dictated that the longer fear lasted when things seemed normal, the greater the intensity of uneasiness and doubt. She put on a concerned look, biting her teeth hard as she and Dr. Tang continued the treatment.
Noah offered a continuous silent prayer, becoming more distressed as sweat appeared on the doctors’ faces. “Something’s not right. It shouldn’t take this long,” blurted Noah, no longer able to contain himself.
“Trust me,” said Lisa. Without Noah or Dr. Tang noticing, she deftly switched one of the acupuncture needles and pushed the new needle in harder.
Within moments, Master Wu’s body shook and his eyes opened. He rasped weakly, “What am I doing here?”
“You were bitten by a snake, my friend,” said Dr. Tang. “But it was a stubborn poison and it has taken hours to combat it.”
Lisa shook her head, “And while we saw the snake bites, there are all kinds of marks on your body. Maybe what you are suffering from is from a spider bite or a rodent, a stray dog or diseased bird. What’s important is that you are well now.”
“No,” interjected Noah. “He was lucid when I was bringing him here and then suddenly lapsed into unconsciousness. You have to figure out the cause.”
Fear flashed across Master Wu’s face. He whispered, “I know the cause. I told you, Noah. Take me to Heaven. Now. I must see the sigong of Heaven. I am not long for this earth.”
“You are far from dying, Sifu,” reassured Noah.
Master Wu shook his head. “Tell Noah, Tang. It’s time he knew.”
All eyes shifted to Dr. Tang. The old doctor folded his hands. “My good friend has a heart problem. For years, I have been able to keep it under control and he is far from going over the mountain (Speaking directly of death was something Chinese rarely did; they didn’t want to give the gods any ideas. Instead, they spoke of “going over the mountain.) but…” Dr. Tang looked Noah in the eye. “The battles between his former disciples and his role in having you be part of it have put an extra strain on his system.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Noah asked.
“Because there was nothing you could do.” Master Wu took Noah’s hand. “I have sinned against Heaven and want to make amends before I die. You of all people should understand this.”
Noah nodded. He understood the desire for repentance, for confession. “How do we get there?”
“We have to get to Shaolin Paradise in Shanghai first.”
“Done. I’ll book the next flight out. First class.”
“Can we get something a little simpler, Noah?” appealed Master Wu.
Noah couldn’t help but grin. Master Wu’s first flights had been only a few months ago to see Noah graduate from law school. After that, he swore he would never take a plane again.
“Why, you afraid?” teased Noah. Without waiting for an answer, he started searching for ocean transport alternatives.
After fifteen seconds, Noah lifted his iPhone to the group. “What do you think of this?”
Even on the small cell phone screen, Master Wu could see that Noah was checking out high-end private boat charters, not at all in line with an austere monk’s life. “How about the junk that brought me to Hong Kong?”
“I thought of that.” Noah flipped to a website with a fleet of the old Chinese vessels advertising, “See Hong Kong the old-fashioned way. “Those are just used for tourists now.”
Noah returned to the website with the luxurious ocean crafts and pointed to a one-hundred-foot super yacht, the Tao Princess. “I like this one.”
Master Wu, Dr. Tang and Lisa examined the image on Noah’s phone. Their eyes lit up—this was one luxurious boat.
“It’s not me,” fumed Master Wu.
“It’s fine, you old fart,” chastised Dr. Tang “I am going, too. You need me.”
“You’re just wanting a free ride on a big boat at my expense,” carped Master Wu at his friend.
“I deserve it for putting up with you and it’s not you paying; it’s Noah.”
“Okay, okay, okay. We’ll all go,” declared Noah.
“As his assistant, I must accompany Dr. Tang,” announced Lisa. “But only after I get my things.”
“What things?” asked Master Wu, alarmed at the delay.
Noah patted his mentor on the arm. “Women things. Something you wouldn’t understand.”
Chapter 13
Outside Dr. Tang’s office, Lisa called King as she took a cab to her apartment. “Found out Master Wu has a heart condition. He’s convinced he’s going to die so he wants to go on a last visit to his old home to make amends. As soon as we finish packing, we leave for Shanghai.”
“What flight are you taking?”
“Old man has fear of heights. Noah’s renting a private luxury yacht, the Tao Princess.”
Lisa heard King’s fingers tapping and then she heard him explode. “That damn thing is $100,000 a day and it’s my money paying for it! We’ve g
ot to get the money back before Noah spends it all.”
“We will, we will. You can be a little happy. The new toxin worked perfectly. Modest paralysis, normal behavior, and a teaspoon of paranoia—we could control a nation with that.”
Lisa could hear King’s exasperated breath over her cell. “If there’s no money to buy the snakes, how the hell does that help us?”
“I think I should come over and get your mind off things,” purred Lisa. “And afterwards, we can plan together.”
“No need. There is no plan except for you to obfuscate, infiltrate and get what I need to know,” scorned King. “Now, excuse me but I gotta go.”
Rejection stinging like salt in a wound, Lisa bit her tongue, then offered in a small voice. “Of course… King?”
“Yes?”
“I love you.”
There was no response but a click. Lisa willed herself to keep her emotions from erupting. She knew that was exactly the wrong thing to say but she couldn’t help herself. She, like so many other foolish women throughout the ages, believed she was special. He kept coming back to her and it was only a matter of time before he realized how much he needed her.
In Noah’s complex, investigators finally allowed residents back inside. Noah walked out of his shower to see Sam sitting on his bed.
“Hey, Bro, it’s about time you got out. Let’s go shoot a few hoops,” invited Sam.
“Can’t. Leaving town in a few hours.”
“You just got back. I’m going to claim child abandonment. How about some video games then?”
“Love to, but Master Wu is sick and wants to go back to the place where he learned everything about Hung Gar, martial arts and spirituality. He won’t fly so I’ve got to go on a boat with him. Check this out.” Noah showed Sam his iPhone, which had a mother of a luxury yacht on its screen.
Sam’s jaw dropped. “That is totally sick! Now I’m coming with you,” he said firmly.
The Noah Reid Action Thriller Series: Books 1-3 (plus special bonuses) Page 29
