by Ino Lee
“This demon placed a mark on a child. One that is prophesied to destroy the Koon Gee.”
“Destroy who? We are on this side of the Wall.”
“It would be nice if you had allies then, wouldn’t it?”
Renshu laughed. “Allies. Again we are here, but it is not such a simple thing.”
“Why not?”
“Trust of the magaus cannot be rushed.”
“It already has, and it’s there. We both fight the Koon Gee. We’ve seen them catch your children and you’ve seen us risk our lives for them. We revealed our secret plan to you, and now you’ve shown me your treasured mud pool, told me your secrets. We’ve done nothing but trust.”
“Perhaps.” Renshu splashed mud on his face and leaned back once more. “You are an odd human, Wong. I don’t know if I can trust an odd human.”
“You know there was a time I used to make all the jokes.”
“What happened?”
“Masks started sticking to my face.”
A large mud bubble surfaced and popped between them. A curious lemur stirred in the trees nearby.
“So this child is marked,” Renshu said. “And you were once marked too?”
“Yes—they mistook me for him.”
“One child? All this risk for a prophesy?”
“It is why one hundred unan stormed Shaolin.”
Renshu thought about it. “We will consider bringing you to the temple, but there must be more than a boy and his prophecy.”
“What more?”
“Destruction of the pool. That will stop the flow of masks. That is a worthy cause, yes?”
“Yes, a worthy cause. But I don’t know how we’d do it. I don’t know if we’ll even get that far. The demon comes first.”
“Unan are flammable . . . the pool is flammable?”
“I don’t think so. It’s water.”
“Not the chi pool. The tar pool from which they are born.”
“I don’t know much about that.”
“A mask is made with great care and placed in tar. The demon spirit bonds and chi waters give rise to the unan. It is like the mud pool.” He pointed at the trickle of water. “Chi water to mud.”
“I understand the nature of the masks, but have never seen this process. It does make sense we could light it on fire then. Not the radiance pool, but whatever this birthing pool may be. That might be a good plan.”
“Yes.”
“We don’t know how damaging it will be. They may just be able to create another.”
“Do you think it will be so easy to create another?”
Wong reflected. “No.”
“When Houzon was taken, he did not return for many moons a mask. Such is the cycle of birth. If we destroy this pool, many moons will they be set back at least. It is speculation. But it is something.”
“So, is something enough for you to get us to the temple?”
Renshu weighed the danger. “Magau life is much to risk for speculation.”
“I usually never ask for help. We can make it on our own if need be. But don’t make the same mistake we did of being passive. This Tangled Root Forest fits you, but its safety is a mirage.”
“There is passive, and then there is caution. There is wisdom.”
Wong sifted the mud water through his fingers. “It’s hard to tell the difference sometimes.”
Renshu leaned forward. “There is one who has been to the temple, who has seen this tar pool.”
“That’s how you know about it?”
“Yes.”
“Well that’s less speculative.”
“There is a problem. He has been captured.”
“Where?”
“The camp of the hunters. His name is Toutoumo. He is our sneakiest magau. I am surprised he has not escaped.”
“They captured him in a net?”
“He was spying, sneaking on the hunters, but did not return.”
“How do you know he is still alive?”
“One has escaped from their games recently and has seen him.”
“Why do you think they’re keeping him?”
“They keep many for the games, but he is small. In time they will choose him.”
“Then we better get to him first.”
“We? You and I?”
Wong smacked the mud between his hands and rubbed them. “We need him. We’ll rescue him covertly, before nightfall, today. If we can’t break a magau out of a hunter camp, then we won’t stand a chance of getting into the temple.”
“Not just the one. All prisoners.”
“How many?”
“A dozen.”
“Okay . . . all then. What is this camp like?”
“A fence is surrounding with trees cut away. Three main buildings. Toutoumo is likely to be in the largest. Inside there is open ground, no trees.”
“Hmm, no cover. What kind of Koon Gee?”
“Mostly ninjas. Some dagwais to train the animals. Some unan.”
“That doesn’t sound too bad.”
“There is a moat.”
“A moat?”
“Yes.”
“That would be good to start off with next time. Can we get over the fence?”
“Yes, no problem.”
“Really?”
“If there was no moat.”
Wong threw up his hands. “How do we get across then?”
Renshu pointed. “You were the one that said if we can’t break a magau out of a hunter camp—”
“All right, all right. I’ll think of something. How far?”
“One day.”
“I guess we’ll rescue him tomorrow, then. If we do this, you’ll help us get to the temple?”
“If we are successful, we will help you destroy the pool.”
“Okay. Deal. That just leaves us one last problem.”
“What problem?”
“How do I get this mud off?”
“Why would you want to do that?”
20
THE SHAOLIN WARRIORS filled the Infinity Room. They sat in perfect rows with their feet neatly tucked underneath bent knees with their hands uniformly resting on their laps. If the lights were off, one might have mistaken them for meticulously placed statues. An aisle was cleared from one side of the room to the steps of the Infinity Pool.
Li spoke from the top of the pool’s platform with Gao.
“Shaolin, there has been much tumult, and much loss. Our hearts are heavy from the loss of our loved ones, our brothers and sisters in our family of Shaolin. There is much darkness in the world and much to overcome. We will be tested. We will face adversity. But together we will overcome. Together we are strong.”
The Shaolin warriors shouted together as a sign of unity.
Li continued. “Tonight is not the night for sorrow. Put aside your heavy hearts and find solace in our camaraderie. Tonight we welcome a new grandmaster and celebrate the transcendence of two who have attained chi fire. Tonight they truly become chi warriors in our fight against evil.”
The Shaolin warriors shouted again. “Shaolin!”
“First, we must welcome a new grandmaster, one who has served the temple for decades, faithfully and with much dedication. One worthy of the honor—Grandmaster Gao.”
Gao lifted his staff. His eyes glimmered as he connected with the warriors’ minds. His voice could be heard, though his lips did not move.
“For centuries, the Infinity Chamber has been our sacred place of ceremony. This will not change. Our home may be broken, but our spirits endure.”
They could feel the grandmaster’s resilience.
“Grandmaster Tienkow was beloved by all. He will be missed. I will do my best to live up to his legacy and serve the temple as well as he did. I wi
ll keep this brief, but I truly believe together we can begin anew. Together we can usher in a new age of prosperity.”
His voice faded and he lowered his staff.
Another Shaolin shout followed.
“Let the chi fire ceremony begin,” Li said.
The first row of seated attendees stood on either side of the aisle. They were monks who lifted their staffs at an angle toward each other and flared a bright line of chi orbs above their heads down the center.
“Come forth, Shian.”
Shian walked briskly down the illuminated path, bowing and kneeling at the steps.
“Shian, our promising young instructor in the Commons, esteemed for her patience and skill. On the Night of the One Hundred and One Demons, she led the charge to hold back the unan so the chosen one could escape, and for her selflessness she was rewarded with chi fai. Shian is always full of hope and is a bright ray of light in these dark times.”
Grandmaster Gao handed Li a decorative chain with a single vial of chi water attached.
“For you: a necklace of chi water.”
Li placed it around Shian’s neck.
“Forgive us the lack of chi water. Things of such potency are scarce now. Use it wisely.”
“I am grateful for the one,” Shian said. “Thank you.”
She stepped to the side.
“Come forth, Kai.”
Kai walked nervously. He wasn’t sure why he felt nervous, but he couldn’t remember receiving so much attention before. He supposed being the chosen one always garnered attention of some sort, but never before were there so many people in one room staring at him at the same time. Focusing on the floating white chi orbs made him feel better. He stopped at the pool’s steps and saw Hojin sitting nearby with his leg propped up.
Li spoke. “Kai, the youngest chi warrior in the history of Shaolin to have reached chi fai. During the Night of the One Hundred and One Demons, Kai called upon his chi to guide an arrow through an unan mask. This ceremony is long overdue, for Kai has previously used chi fire to destroy a lo-shur.” Li turned to Kai. “Kai, your chi burns as a great fire when you need it most. In time, you will be able to call upon on it more steadily.”
Grandmaster Gao handed Li another chain.
“For you, warrior, a vial of chi water.”
Kai’s heart swelled.
“Thank you.”
“Welcome, our newest chi warriors.”
The entire room came to their feet and shouted a cheer, followed with “Shaolin! Shaolin!”
Shian and Kai bowed.
“We honor Shian and Kai, but this ceremony will be kept brief so that the restoration of the pool may resume. Let us continue to celebrate in the courtyard below. Dismissed.”
He bowed with a cuffed fist.
The warriors bowed in return and neatly filed out the doorways. Shian and Kai were swept out with them, carried by a wave of attention.
Outside the temple, a large cauldron of celebration tea boiled—a concoction of various leaves and flowers that yielded a reddish brew that was both sweet and tart in flavor. A long, winding glass tube extended from the cauldron, providing an entertaining view of the swirling hot liquid as it passed through to a spout and into a waiting tea cup.
“Celebration tea! Come get your celebration tea!” the tea purveyor yelled.
Shian approached curiously. “Ko Hang? Is that you?”
“Ah, Shian! Congratulations! Come have some tea!”
He passed her a cup.
“What are you doing here?” she asked. “I was not expecting tea from a master weaponsmith.”
“I came yesterday with the sumos. I am doing construction to restore the pool. They sent me away for your ceremony, so I made some tea! This tea cart is my latest invention. Always hot. Look here.” He pointed at the cauldron. “Ceramic sides to keep the heat, metal bottom to heat it up fast, and look here.” He pointed again. “Swirly glass for all to see. How fun.”
Shian took a sip, amused. “It’s delicious. How is construction going?”
“So inefficient! I will fix everything. Look over there.” He pointed to rope hanging from the side of the temple. “You can’t see it but there is a pulley on top to lift the water now. They were carrying it by hand. Can you imagine?”
“We are fortunate to have you here.”
“Oh, I should probably go back now that you are done with your ceremony.”
He pointed at the sweet buns laid out on a nearby table, providing simple but hardy fare.
“Don’t forget to eat.”
He quickly handed his tea serving responsibilities over to an attendant nearby and scurried back into the temple.
Shian took a sweet bun and wondered how Ko Hang always spoke and moved with such energy. He probably drank a lot of tea.
Soon she was joined by many of her students. They were fighters and monks, men and women of varying ages, come to Shaolin from different parts of the land. Getting into Shaolin was difficult: one had to pass a test to demonstrate a requisite level of chi power and come with an equally impressive reputation. Usually, they had prior experience working with Shaolin warriors, performing honorable deeds and proving they were worthy of the cause. The skills attained at Shaolin were dangerous and extra care was given so that only the right people received it.
“So how does it feel sharing the spotlight with a child?” one of her students, Jiangyu, said.
Shian smiled. Jiangyu was a recent disciple from a region filled with strife caused by raiders and warring tribes, but he maintained a good mood and humor. He came to the temple wanting to make a difference and bring peace to the region.
“I consider it an honor to share the ceremony with the one who is destined to destroy the Koon Gee,” Shian said.
“You must be talking about me,” Lu-fei said, walking in on their conversation. “Because I plan to do it.”
His shoulder was heavily wrapped.
“Lu-fei, how is your wound?”
“Never felt better. Congratulations on chi fai, by the way. We would not have fared well without you.”
He munched on a pastry. Lu-fei was a teacher at the Commons, much like Shian, except trained as a fighter. He came to Shaolin at a late age like the rest of the disciples, but stayed on after many years, feeling compelled to become an instructor.
“Thank you,” Shian said. “You were equally important.”
He gestured to his injury. “I was ineffective early.”
“Don’t be modest.”
He laughed. “Modesty is not something I am often accused of.”
Shian was glad for their company. She once felt out of place among the inhabitants of the Commons, having been sheltered from outside life and raised with monk ideals from a young age; jokes and references to popular culture were often lost on her in conversation. Many of her students were even older and more experienced than she was. Despite all this, her warmth, wisdom, and skill in the monk arts earned her high marks as a teacher, and attaining chi fai would only solidify her stature further. She, in turn, learned to cherish their company and the diversity of personalities they brought.
She wondered how her ceremony partner was doing and looked over. Kai was nearby and ignored everyone around him, fixated on his vial of chi water. He held it close to his face and tried to look through it, then shook it, expecting something to happen.
“It is just chi water,” Han said.
“Yeah but this one is special. It’s from the middle.”
Shian joined them. “It is special, because it is yours, Kai. How does it feel to be among Shaolin’s elite?”
“Oh, I don’t know if I am.”
“Can I have a sip?” Hojin said. “I’m getting tired of being carried around.”
“You’ve had enough,” Li said. “Your leg will heal naturally.”
/> “Hojin just says stuff like that,” Kai said. “He doesn’t really mean it.”
“I see. You remind me of Wong when he was your age.”
“Wong?” Hojin said.
“Yes.”
“There’s no way I’ll grow up to be like that—” He suddenly realized they were brothers. “I’m sorry. I meant no disrespect, Shoukui.”
Li smiled. “I should hope you don’t grow up to be like Wong. Otherwise you might be wandering the Koon Kagi.”
Kai’s mood soured. He tucked the chain of chi water beneath his shirt.
“Do you think he’s okay?”
“Yes. It is Wong.” He put a hand on his head. “This your time, Kai. Don’t worry about Wong. He will return and then we will have another reason to celebrate. Now if you would excuse me, I must check on the pool. Shian, once again, congratulations.”
“Thank you,” Shian said.
“You’re going already?” Kai said.
“Yes, there are plenty who seek your attention, so you won’t notice my absence. I believe there are fireworks planned.”
He left them. Han moved over to talk to Shian and the others, while more of Kai and Hojin’s friends joined them, making the celebration a loud and boisterous affair.
Fireworks were launched from the upper terraces of the temple, lighting up the sky in a dance of colors.
Kai sat next to Hojin.
“I’ll never get tired of watching them,” Hojin said.
“Me neither.”
A particularly large explosion of yellow made them flinch.
Hojin gasped. “Wow!”
“I want to grow up to be just like Wong, you know.”
“I know.”
“He saved our lives. He’s out there because of me. You keep saying you want to be the best fighter, but he is the best.”
“I guess I don’t know him that well. But he’s out there for you, so I respect that. How about you just become the best monk and I’ll become the best fighter.”
Kai smirked. “I’m going to be the best fighter too.”
Hojin laughed. “In your dreams.”
The Shaolin warriors began to play a game where a giant firework was shot across the sky with a trail of light. A group of monk participants tried to hit it with their chi sparks, and if successful, a burst of color would detonate, causing the crowd to erupt in cheer. Alternatively, when they failed, a round of boos followed. Monk Zedong turned out to be the winner that night, igniting the most detonations and causing the most cheer, though the scoring of such events was often questionable.
