by Jeff Stone
“Uh-oh,” ShaoShu said. “I had better get going.”
Ying nodded. “It was good seeing you.”
“You too.” ShaoShu turned to go, then stopped and reached deep into the folds of his robe. He pulled out the two dragon scrolls he had stolen from Tonglong, and held them out for Ying. “I almost forgot these. Maybe you can use them. One even has sketches of a guy holding a sword like your grandfather’s in one hand, and a chain whip like yours in the other hand.”
Ying’s eyes widened and he took the scrolls from ShaoShu, unrolling them quickly. When Ying saw the sketches of the figure with a sword and a chain whip, ShaoShu swore that he was going to kiss him. Fortunately, Ying only patted him on the head.
“You amaze me,” Ying whispered with a wide grin, but then he frowned.
“What?” ShaoShu asked.
“I just realized that Tonglong will have read this scroll. He will be familiar with the techniques shown in it. No matter. Knowing what the enemy knows is half the battle. Get out of here, my little friend. You have given me more than I deserve.”
ShaoShu beamed. He gave Ying a quick wave and scurried back down the drainpipe to rejoin Tonglong’s men.
Seh felt the newcomer’s stare from across the bandit camp. His flesh began to tingle, and the hair on the back of his neck stood on end. While his vision continued to improve, he did not need his eyes to know who had just arrived. Only a dragon could project that much energy.
Seh bowed to the thirty spear-wielding students around him, and he dismissed them with a wave of his hand. The students returned the bow and hurried off.
Seh focused his gaze in the direction of the camp’s only trailhead. It was his brother Long, accompanied by NgGung, Hung, and PawPaw. They had two horse-drawn carts with them. Long handed the reins of one of the horses to NgGung, and he waved to Seh. Seh waved back, a smile on his face.
“You can see us?” PawPaw called out to Seh in an astonished tone.
“Yes,” Seh replied. “Your dragon bone treatment is working miracles. Thank you.”
“Excellent!” PawPaw said. “How much do you have left?”
“Between what you have given me and the large amount Hok brought, I believe I have enough to last three hundred and fifty years!”
PawPaw laughed. “That is good news. I suppose I will not have to worry about finding more for you, then. It is scarce enough as it is. Is your father here?”
“Yes. He is in his tent.”
“Very good. NgGung, Hung, and I need to speak with him immediately. I suppose you would like to visit with your older brother?”
“Nothing would please me more.”
Hung, NgGung, and PawPaw headed for a large tent in the center of camp, and Long came over to Seh. Long was grinning, but he had a strange expression on his face. He stared at Seh.
“It is good to see you again, Brother Seh,” Long said finally.
“Likewise,” Seh replied.
Long stared again.
“Is there something bothering you?” Seh asked. “My appearance, perhaps?”
“It confuses me,” Long said. “Your presence feels the same, but you look very different with hair. You resemble Tonglong from a distance, but now that I see you up close, you look a surprising amount like your mother. Not to worry, I will grow used to it.”
Seh frowned. “I do not wish to look like either one. You are not the first person to say these things. I am considering shaving my head like we used to at Cangzhen Temple.”
“Maybe you should, only then you may look like your father.”
“He is bald, but I will never look like him. No one does. Sometimes I wish I were more like Fu, who looks a lot like his father. And you should see Hok with her mother, Bing, as well as Hok’s little sister, GongJee. They all look alike, and they are all very nice individuals.”
“Are they here?” Long asked.
“Only GongJee is. Fu, Malao, Hok, Bing, and a few others have gone out on a reconnaissance mission to the bandits’ former stronghold. There has been a lot of activity reported in that area recently.”
“Tonglong’s troops?”
“We think so. Or at least a small portion of his troops. What it means for us is that we may have to move our camp—again. I have only been here a few months, and we have already moved three times. This camp may not look like much, but it is an unbelievable amount of work packing up and moving.”
Long nodded, and Seh watched him gaze from tent to tattered tent.
“There are a few hundred of us here,” Seh said. “But large groups of men join us every week. We spend nearly all of our time preparing for war—carving spear shafts, sharpening weapons, and forging pistol balls, even though we have few firearms.”
“It sounds hectic,” Long said.
“It is. It’s a tense, nervous environment, with everyone constantly on edge, waiting for the inevitable battle to begin. Sometimes I grow exhausted just watching everyone storm about, negative energy surging from their bodies like summer heat lightning.”
Long frowned. “Grandmaster once told me that it was like this around the time we were born.”
“My father told me the same thing. I now understand why he chose to give me up to Grandmaster, and why Hok’s parents eventually did the same thing. This is no place for children.”
Seh heard NgGung call out for them to come to Mong’s tent, and Long said, “That was fast.”
“My father hates to waste time,” Seh replied.
Seh and Long walked over to the largest tent in the camp and found the bandit leader sitting cross-legged in the center of a threadbare carpet that filled the space from wall to wall. NgGung, Sanfu, Hung, and PawPaw sat on either side of him, and Mong motioned for Seh and Long to sit in front of the group. Seh glanced out of the corner of his eye and caught Long looking his father over.
Seh could not blame him for staring. His father was gigantic. Mong’s shoulders rippled beneath his robes, reminding most people of a python swallowing its prey. He was also pale and strangely hairless. Not only was he bald, with no eyebrows to speak of, but there was not a single hair on the backs of his hands or even his forearms.
While Mong’s appearance was imposing, he gave off a positive energy that immediately put a person at ease. Seh felt Long begin to relax, and he watched as Long bowed respectfully.
“Welcome, young dragon,” Mong said in his deep, powerful voice. “Do you remember me?”
“Yes, sir,” Long replied. “I recall seeing you at Cangzhen Temple. Grandmaster never said much about you, but NgGung told me a great deal on our trek here.”
Mong nodded. “Are you well? I understand that you have been injured. Tales of your fight at the Shanghai Fight Club have made you a hero. Defeating a man armed with pistols and a knife while you were weaponless is extremely impressive. Congratulations.”
“Thank you,” Long said, sounding somewhat embarrassed. “I have nearly recovered from my wounds, thanks to PawPaw and my sister, Hok.”
“Very glad to hear it,” Mong said. “Let us get down to business. I have had a discussion with your companions here, and of course your temple siblings told me a great deal upon their arrival weeks ago. You have a task ahead of you, and the road you must follow is an obvious one. We need to get you to Xie as soon as possible. Are you still willing to go?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Excellent. Here is how things will unfold. NgGung will outfit you with any necessary supplies, and you will travel with him on foot to the city of Kaifeng. He knows how to find the man, Cang, whom you were told to seek. Cang has very good relations with the local politicians and has not had to give up his horses to Tonglong’s troops. Cang will give you the best horse you can imagine for the remainder of your travels. Your journey to Tunhuang will be difficult, but I have faith in your skills. You are young, resilient, and strong, and you have already proved your resourcefulness in hand-to-hand combat, if things should come to that.”
Long nodded.
; “Once you locate Xie,” Mong said, “tell him that he must commence to the Forbidden City immediately with his armies to reinforce the troops there. Xie was the Emperor’s personal bodyguard, so the palace staff should listen when he speaks. We will have only one chance to stop Tonglong. I shall meet Xie at the main gates of the Forbidden City one week before New Year’s Eve to discuss whatever battle plan he sees fit. My forces will be ready at that time, and I hope to have between three thousand and five thousand trained men and women by then.”
“New Year’s, sir?” Long said. “That is months away.”
“From what I understand, Tonglong’s main body of troops is pushing ahead at a steady pace, and its current rate of movement will put him at the Forbidden City just in time for the New Year celebrations. I believe that a New Year takeover is Tonglong’s goal. It would be highly symbolic and in keeping with Tonglong’s flair for the dramatic. Is all of this clear to you?”
“It is, sir. What should I do after I give Xie this information?”
“Stay with him. We will likely move again soon, and I, for one, will be difficult to find. Any more questions?”
“No, sir.”
“Go with NgGung, then. You will leave immediately.”
Long’s eyebrows rose. “Immediately, sir?”
“Is that a problem?”
“I was hoping to see my temple siblings. Seh informed me that they are on a reconnaissance mission to your former stronghold. Do you know when they might return?”
“Not for several days,” Mong replied. “You will have to wait until we all reach the Forbidden City to see them again.”
Long sighed. “I understand. Please give them my regards.”
“Of course.”
Long stood and bowed to the group. Seh and NgGung stood, too.
“Follow me, boys,” NgGung said, and they followed him out. NgGung hurried across the camp. Seh found that he and Long had to jog to keep pace with him. For a man with such stubby legs, NgGung sure moved fast.
When they reached the last row of tents, NgGung headed for a moldy old one off to one side that was small, dirty, and dank. No matter where they set up camp, NgGung was always made to pitch his tent at the point furthest downwind from the prevailing winds. Seh saw Long wrinkle his nose.
Seh whispered to Long, “It smells worse than Malao’s feet in there. Enter at your own risk.”
“Home sweet home!” NgGung said with a grin. “Come on in.”
“No, thank you,” Long replied. “I think I will wait out here.”
“Suit yourself,” NgGung said. “I’ll be right back.”
NgGung headed inside and soon emerged with an armload of clothes. He dropped them in the dirt and began to sort them out, using his nose as the main criterion for grouping the items. When he had finished his sniffing and sorting, he pointed to the smallest pile. “Those are for you. I wouldn’t recommend the others.”
“I will take your word for it,” Long said. “Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it. You can give them a quick wash in the horse trough if you’d like, but personally I think they’re fine. Too fine, in fact. I don’t think I’ve ever worn them. They were gifts, but I hate silk. Too slippery.”
Seh watched Long lean over the smallest pile and take a quick sniff. He picked up the clothes and smiled. “These are very nice,” Long said. “I am no clothing expert, but they look expensive. They smell just fine, too.”
Long disappeared behind a tree, reappearing as a new person. The brown silk pants and matching robe fit him surprisingly well, as did a fur-lined black silk jacket.
“Very nice,” NgGung said. “Now, just a few more items—” He headed into his tent once again, coming out with a pair of leather boots, heavy leather gloves, a fur-lined leather hat, and a short knife in a small sheath.
Long appeared speechless. He took the items and tried them on, and to Seh everything appeared to fit well. Long seemed pleased, but held the knife out to NgGung. “I am sorry, but this is one thing I cannot take.”
“Sure you can,” NgGung said. “It is nothing, really. Those boots cost more than that knife. I am almost ashamed to give it to you. However, I noticed that you don’t carry one. You need to change that.”
“You do not understand,” Long said. “I dislike weapons.”
“It’s not a weapon,” NgGung said. “It’s a survival tool. You should never travel alone without one. Cang won’t even let you get up on one of his horses without something sharp handy. What if you or your horse gets tangled up in something? Horses have all sorts of ropes hanging off them. Knives are for cutting more than just people, you know.”
Long blushed. “You are right. I am sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. Just slip it behind your sash and forget about it. You won’t even know it’s there. I need to grab a few things from our storage tent, and we’ll be on our way.”
NgGung hurried off, and Long slipped the knife between his robe sash and the small of his back. He turned to Seh.
“I guess this is it, Brother,” Long said.
“So it is,” Seh replied. “It is the beginning of something big. I can feel it.”
Long nodded. “I feel it, too. Please give Fu, Malao, and Hok my best wishes.”
“Give them your wishes yourself. We shall see you at the Forbidden City.”
“Do you think so?”
“I know so.”
Long and NgGung made excellent time traveling over the next four days on their way to Kaifeng. They slept little and ate even less, but Long still enjoyed himself. NgGung was an interesting companion, and he knew the region like the back of his hand. He knew exactly how far they were to travel each day, and where the best rock shelters and tree hollows were for spending each night. They made a few stops for water, but those were rare, as they each carried over their shoulders a pair of large water skins that Long was to use on his trek across the desert to Tunhuang.
In addition to the water skins, NgGung had provided Long with a saddlebag packed with dried meats and fruits for his journey, as well as a map. NgGung said that it was a thousand li from Kaifeng to Tun-huang, and that it would take a person at least thirty days to make the trip on foot. With a normal horse, it could be done in ten days, but with one of Cang’s “Heavenly Horses,” it could be done in five or six. Cang’s horses were renowned for their speed as well as their stamina. Now that he’d had some experience on horseback, Long could not wait to ride one.
They arrived at the southern edge of Kaifeng well after nightfall on the fourth day, which suited NgGung just fine. He knew this city as intimately as he knew the countryside, and they slipped unseen through back alleyways and little-traveled side streets until they’d passed clear through the southern half of the city to its midpoint at the Yellow River’s icy waters. There they turned west, following the river upstream for hours in the cold before reaching the city’s outskirts as the sun finally began to rise and bring them some welcome warmth.
In the growing daylight, Long saw a waist-high fence ahead that stretched from the riverbank inland as far as he could see. He pointed a gloved finger at the seemingly endless line. “What could possibly need that much room to run?”
“You will find out soon enough,” NgGung said. “That is Cang’s pasture.”
“Impressive,” Long replied. “Where are his stables?”
“Several li upriver. This is the easternmost edge of his land.”
“How long will it take us to get there?”
“Get there? I don’t know. Few people have seen his stables. He has always come to me. He rides his fences every morning, checking for sections damaged by weather or rustlers in the night. It is too early for him to have come this far yet, so if we just wait here, he will see us soon enough. In the meantime, relax. This may be the last opportunity you’ll have to get some sleep for quite a while.”
NgGung set his water skins and travel bag down, and took a seat on top of the fence. He pointed to the thick grass inside the fence
line.
Long got the point. He set his items next to NgGung’s, climbed over the fence, and lay down atop the soft grass in the warm sun. He fell asleep almost instantly. Three hours passed before he was woken by the sound of hooves pounding against the earth.
Long sat up and saw a man atop a beautiful black horse, tearing along the fence line toward them at an amazing rate. The horse was much taller and thinner than the bandits’ workhorses and had a lot less hair. It was sleek and beautifully proportioned, and even from a distance Long could see a wild gleam in its eye.
“Here comes Cang,” NgGung said.
Long continued to stare at the horse, and before he knew it, it was nearly upon him. Moreover, it did not look like it was going to slow down. Its hooves would grind him to a pulp if he did not move.
Long threw himself over the fence. At the same instant, Cang called out, “Whoa!” and Long saw him pull back on the reins, bringing the animal to a skidding halt a handbreadth from where Long had just been lying.
Cang looked over at NgGung and winked, then NgGung burst into laughter, slapping his thigh. “No matter how many times I see you do that, it never gets old! Hilarious!”
Long frowned. He did not find it the least bit funny. Even so, he looked up at Cang and got the feeling that he was a decent man, regardless of his strange sense of humor. Cang nodded a greeting, and Long bowed respectfully.
Long straightened and glanced at Cang’s horse. He was surprised to see that even though it had just been running extremely hard, it did not look the least bit winded. In fact, it had not even broken a sweat.
As for Cang, he was different from what Long had been expecting. The horseman was old and thin, with wild long white hair that streamed behind him in thin wisps. Nearly all of his teeth were missing, and his face was as brown and rugged as an old leather boot. However, his eyes were traced with laugh lines, which softened his appearance greatly. Even though he had just scared the life out of Long, Long could not be angry with the man.
