Hidden Monastery

by Gabrielle Wang

  At the bottom of the cliff, Jax prepared his mind and body for the first leap – to a ledge about three metres off the ground. He breathed in slowly through his nostrils, let the breath sink to his navel, centred himself, then sprang like a cat.

  Landing on the ledge with ease, he looked up again. The next ledge was narrower, higher. He would need to use his lizard walking technique for this one.

  Prepare, breathe in, centre…

  But Jax’s concentration was suddenly broken as the sun spilled over the horizon, flooding the cliff face with a muted yellow glow. Instantly he felt an explosion of pain start in his palm and run up his arm to his head. He cried out. His whole arm felt as if it was on fire!

  Desperately he blew on the creature mark. The burning sensation stopped at once, but he noticed something strange happening. As his breath touched the tiny creature, its scales ruffled like a wheat field when the wind blows through it. Then the creature began to lift away from his skin!

  Jax stared in disbelief as it raised its little head, then its tail, and stood on his palm looking up at him. The lacy silver mane down its back began to flutter and Jax felt his own legs fluttering, becoming lighter and lighter and his feet lifting off the ledge. He tried to grab onto something with his other hand, but he was too late. He began rising higher and higher. It was like being in a lift, so effortless and weightless.

  As he rose up, he felt a wonderful sense of freedom. He could see the whole stretch of parkland with the lake and the giant banyan tree, the rainforest and the river beyond, even to where it joined the sea. And he could see bulging grey clouds of another big storm piled up on the horizon.

  A beautiful bell-like cry came to his ears. It was like a whisper from the edge of the world, calling him to come.

  Slowly he began drifting towards the lake. But as he floated over the Courtyard of Imaginings, he felt an even stronger pull from down in the temple grounds. It was as if he was a kite on a long string and someone was reeling him in.

  Below, Jax saw the Abbot madly beckoning him to come down. ‘Close your hand,’ he shouted to Jax.

  Reluctantly, Jax curled his fingers over the tiny creature in his palm and magically, he started to sink back down towards the Abbot in the courtyard.

  The Silver Wind

  The skies over the ocean had never witnessed so many birds flying towards land. Large flocks of pelicans and seagulls cried out to other creatures about the terror they had seen out at sea. The animals of the rainforest heard the warning, scurrying away in fear, desperately searching for higher ground.

  For days Peng had felt the dark storm gathering energy, growing bigger and stronger, feeding off the warm air of the ocean. He had been out many times to check on its size and direction. Now he knew for certain that it was heading straight for the mainland.

  Peng flew out one last time, skirting around the back of the hurricane. Down below he saw the destruction it had left behind. Massive wind and waves had swamped an entire island, washing away people, animals, houses and trees. Nothing was left but floating debris. Peng knew instinctively that hurricanes were not all bad. They had a role to play in Nature. They brought water when the land was thirsty, and many species of animals needed floods for breeding. But a storm of this size was too powerful. If he could lessen its impact, wear it down before it came to land… If he could lead it away, out to sea again…

  But Peng was still so young. He had never fought a storm before. And he knew he couldn’t fight it alone.

  When he returned to the quiet of the lake he saw something floating over the trees. Peng felt a part of himself, the tiny part that he had left behind twelve years ago on a small baby’s palm, slowly waking up inside him. He knew that it was time. He called out, his voice like a bell echoing off the clouds. The Peng Master had come to him at last.

  The Peng Master

  The Abbot sat on the stone wall waiting for Jax to land in the courtyard.

  ‘Zuo. Sit, Mingzi,’ he said, brushing the dust away.

  Jax sat down beside the Abbot.

  ‘I see you have heard the call of Peng,’ the Abbot said, his gaze turning in the direction of the lake.

  Jax nodded.

  ‘And I see you have discovered what your Peng mark can help you do.’

  ‘Yes, Abbot, but why did you call me down?’

  ‘First you must know who Peng is, and how the two of you are linked.’ The Abbot arranged his patched robes so that they fell loosely to the ground. ‘Peng is a part of Nature,’ he began. ‘He is a creature so powerful he can fill up the whole sky. And yet he can be so small he can sit on a blade of grass without it bending under his weight. He can hold all the oceans of the world in his mouth. And yet fit inside a tiny droplet of water.’

  ‘No creature in the world can do that!’ said Jax in disbelief.

  The Abbot waved his hand towards the sky. ‘But Peng is not from this world, Mingzi.’

  ‘He doesn’t sound real.’

  ‘He is as real as those clouds up there, or the mist over the mountains or the tides that come and go across the oceans. When you were a baby, Peng touched you on your palm. Ever since that day, your life has not belonged to you. You have been linked to your destiny, as Peng is linked to his.’ The Abbot smiled affectionately. ‘You are like two strands of twisted rope, one from the stars, the other from the earth. You give each other strength. You, Mingzi, are the new Peng Master, and the creature in the lake, the new Peng.’

  ‘But what does a Peng Master do?’ asked Jax.

  ‘You and Peng will balance the violence in Nature. The reason why there have been so many bad storms of late is because Nature is tilted too far one way. The previous Peng has died, and the last Peng Master is old. Humans, too, have been treating the earth carelessly, greedily. So the two of you must calm Nature’s spirit, as humans must also calm theirs. You must bring back the balance between Yin and Yang. That is why you were brought to Whispering Cloud Monastery.’

  ‘But I wasn’t brought here, I came here by accident.’

  The Abbot smiled. ‘What did you call your little dog?’

  ‘My dog?’ Jax was confused by the question. ‘I… um… called her Ruby.’

  ‘Ah… yes, Ruby.’ The Abbot’s eyes misted.

  ‘What’s the matter, Abbot?’

  ‘Ruby used to live here before I sent her to you. She was the one who guided you here to Whispering Cloud Monastery.’

  Jax was speechless. He could hardly believe it. Ruby, the Abbot’s dog?

  ‘Can you see now how everything is interconnected, Mingzi? Peng has such great power that a Peng Master needs incredible strength to withstand him. That is why you had to come here. To train your body and your mind in readiness to become the new Peng Master.’

  Jax stared out over the courtyard. The other monks had come out to practise, but Jax was hardly aware that they were there. He was deep in thought. It was all becoming clear now. Everything that had happened in his life, all the frustration and the sadness and the loneliness of it, had been leading him to this moment.

  Jax turned to the Abbot. ‘And what of the old Peng Master?’ he asked, softly. He looked deep into the Abbot’s eyes then reached for the old man’s left hand and turned it over. There, lying in the Abbot’s palm, was the same creature mark as his own.

  ‘Yes, Mingzi, I am the old Peng Master. In fact, the last one in a long line of Peng Masters stretching back one thousand years that served the old Peng. Now a new Peng has been born, and so, with you, Mingzi, a whole new cycle begins.’

  Jax ran his finger over the small creature in the Abbot’s palm. And as he did, he saw, in a series of flashes, the Abbot as a young man, the Abbot as a child, and the Peng that once had touched him long ago. He saw other Peng Masters going way back through time, struggling to keep the balance between Yin and Yang. And in that one moment, Jax understood the great power and responsibility he possessed. This new knowledge was like a growing wave, surging to its height then breaking over him, givin
g him new strength.

  He looked up at the Abbot. ‘I feel ready to meet Peng,’ he said, his eyes clear and bright.

  ‘I know. It is time,’ the Abbot replied. ‘But let me tell you this first. You and Peng are still both young and inexperienced. You have not yet developed to your full potential. Usually there are small storms you can practise on, but I’m afraid that there is no time.’ The Abbot’s eyes grew suddenly intense. ‘Mingzi, you must leave Whispering Cloud Monastery tonight.’

  ‘Tonight! But that’s too soon!’

  ‘The silver wind approaches at great speed. As it travels over the sea, it gathers more and more power. If it is not stopped, it will soon reach land and cause great destruction. That is why I had to summon you here so quickly. You and Peng must go out and meet the silver wind. You will not be able to overcome it, but you might be able to weaken it.’

  Jax felt the incredible responsibility of being a Peng Master weighing heavily on his mind. But his life up to this point had always been like a big jigsaw puzzle with thousands of broken pieces. Now, for the very first time, the pieces were coming together. He could feel something huge growing inside him as if Peng had entered his body and they had become one. Jax was on a mountain top, ready to fly.

  Leaving the Monastery

  Yu Yu’s face was flushed as she came into the room. ‘I’m as hot as a chilli pepper from Chongqing,’ she said, fanning herself furiously with her loose sleeve.

  She plonked down on Jax’s bed. ‘I’ve been sparring with Lao Bing. I nearly beat him!’ she glowed. ‘Hey, I saw you talking to the Abbot. He looked serious. What did he say?’

  Jax hesitated, afraid to tell her.

  ‘Shenme shi? What’s wrong, Mingzi?’

  ‘The Abbot said I have to leave tonight.’

  ‘Tonight!’ Yu Yu cried, sitting up. ‘But why?’

  ‘The silver wind is close now and it’s heading straight for the mainland.’

  ‘So what has that got to do with you?’

  ‘I’m a Peng Master now. I have to work with Peng to balance the violence in Nature. That is my destiny. It’s what all my training has been about. If the hurricane isn’t stopped, it will cause terrible devastation.’

  Yu Yu was silent, picking at a piece of flaking plaster on the wall. Then she turned to Jax. ‘Let me come with you, Mingzi. I want to belong to a family. I want a real mother and father like you have, and a little sister. I want to see what it’s like on the outside.’ Yu Yu’s words poured out of her as if she had kept them bottled up for years. She looked away, her lip trembling.

  A big smile spread across Jax’s face. He had always dreamt of Yu Yu coming with him, but was scared to ask in case she said no. Now he no longer had to worry about that.

  ‘Does that mean yes?’ Yu Yu said excitedly.

  ‘I’ve thought about it often,’ said Jax, ‘but didn’t know if you wanted to leave Whispering Cloud Monastery. Won’t you miss it here?’

  ‘The Abbot is like a father to me, and the monks are wonderful, too, but… well, I know it’s not the same as a real family.’

  ‘Do you think the Abbot will let you go?’

  Yu Yu wiped her eyes. ‘Don’t worry about him,’ she said, standing up and putting her hands on her hips. ‘I always get my own way with the Abbot. And besides,’ she stuck her head in the air, ‘I’m twelve years old. That’s plenty old enough to make up my own mind, don’t you think? Deng yi deng, Wait here, I’ll go and tell him right away.’ She rushed out of the room.

  Jax let out a deep breath. Now leaving Whispering Cloud Monastery didn’t seem so scary, with Yu Yu beside him.

  He knelt down on the ground and pulled out a bamboo box from under his bed. His jeans felt uncomfortable, so stiff and tight after the loose temple clothing. Funny how they still fitted him perfectly, though. Jax thought he had grown in the monastery. He certainly felt taller.

  Jax folded his pale yellow robes up for the last time and was just laying them on the bed when Yu Yu entered the room. Five minutes ago not even steel wool could have scrubbed the smile from her face. Now she brought back with her a heavy grey cloud.

  ‘He won’t let me go,’ she said angrily. ‘He said I’m too young.’

  Jax felt a great weight settle back on his shoulders. He put his arm around Yu Yu. ‘I’ll come and get you, I promise. As soon as the Abbot says you’re old enough, I’ll come back.’

  Yu Yu began to cry. It was the first time Jax had seen her cry out loud; she was always so brave. ‘You’ll forget about me when you’re outside,’ she sobbed.

  ‘Wo bu hui, I won’t, I promise.’

  ‘Yes you will. You have your family and friends.’ Yu Yu buried her head in her hands.

  Jax didn’t know what to say to comfort her. He offered her a cup of hot water. But suddenly she stopped crying. She lifted her head and looked at Jax, her eyes sparkling through the tears.

  ‘What are you thinking, Yu Yu?’ Jax asked. He had seen that look of mischief many times before.

  ‘Of running away,’ she replied.

  ‘You mean, not tell the Abbot or Lao Bing or anyone?’

  She smiled. ‘Sometimes when you want to do something badly enough, you have to just go ahead and do it. Otherwise you miss the chance, right? And besides, I know in my heart that it’s the right thing to do.’

  Jax wanted to hug Yu Yu. ‘It feels right to me as well,’ he said, a bit nervous about their rebellion but relieved and happy.

  Yu Yu wiped her tears on her sleeve. ‘When do we leave, Honourable Peng Master?’ she grinned.

  ‘A little respect if you don’t mind,’ Jax laughed, then his face grew serious. ‘We will have to wait until dark. The Abbot said I must leave at the exact moment I arrived at the monastery. So as soon as I’m through the gates you come over the wall. I’ll wait for you on the other side.’

  ‘I feel funny,’ said Yu Yu, fiddling with the chain of her watch. ‘Like I have worms crawling around inside my stomach.’

  ‘That’s just nerves.’ Jax squeezed her hand. ‘Don’t worry, you’ll be fine.’

  The rest of the day Jax spent saying goodbye to all the monks. Yu Yu followed after him like a lost dog. She longed to say goodbye, too, especially to Lao Bing who had taken her in as a baby and remained her loyal friend ever since. But she had to pretend it was only Jax who was leaving.

  After lunch, as Jax was leaving the dining hall, he saw the bully coming towards him. The boy sneered and Jax remembered that first day they had met and how humiliated he had felt when he was pushed to the ground. Now he only felt pity for this boy.

  The bully cocked his head to one side. ‘Humph! Leaving us so soon?’ he said coldly.

  Jax was about to ignore him and walk past, when to his surprise, the boy smiled and his whole face softened, losing all the lines of meanness. Somehow he looked familiar.

  Slowly the bully began to change. He straightened his body and took off a wig, leaving a clean, bald head underneath.

  ‘Lao Bing!’ Jax cried, hardly believing his eyes. ‘How… what…’

  Lao Bing chuckled.

  ‘So you have discovered who the bully is at last,’ said Lao Tan, patting Jax on the back. ‘Lao Bing used to be a mime artist before he came to Whispering Cloud. Disguise is another one of his weapons.’

  Jax laughed and hugged the fat monk. ‘Lao Bing, you’re so clever. I’m going to miss you.’

  ‘Yi lu ping an. Safe journey, my friend, safe journey.’

  Jax thanked both Lao Bing and Lao Tan for teaching him gongfu. And then Cook Fan came out of the kitchen and presented him with a plate of special sweet potato dumplings he usually only cooked for New Year.

  The candles flickered in the great hall as Jax stood with the Abbot in the Courtyard of Imaginings. The old man reached inside his patched robe and drew out a small cloth bag.

  ‘When you reach the ancient banyan tree, Mingzi, stand by the lake and make a circle around yourself with this powder. Then wait for Peng to come. The mag
ic circle will protect you from any evil spirits that might be lurking.’

  Jax wished he could tell the Abbot about the fox spirit and how dangerous and powerful he had become. But how could he mention it without telling him that he had let this creature into the monastery? He was a Peng Master now, not an ordinary person. Surely a Peng Master was not supposed to make mistakes.

  ‘Make sure you are completely sealed inside the circle,’ the Abbot went on, ‘and that there are no breaks in it. The tiniest crack could put you in grave danger.’

  ‘Yes, Abbot.’

  ‘On Peng’s forehead, just below his horn, will be a diamond pattern of scales. Place your left palm there. You will know what to do after that.’ The Abbot handed Jax the small bag.

  ‘Will I ever see you again?’ Jax asked.

  ‘Maybe one day,’ the Abbot replied. ‘But you are a Peng Master now. You don’t need me any more.’

  Tears welled in Jax’s eyes as he said goodbye to the Abbot. He had grown to love the old man so much.

  ‘Peng is waiting for you,’ said the Abbot gently. ‘Go.’ The Abbot’s voice stilled the sadness in Jax’s heart and he began to feel stronger at the thought of meeting Peng. He was not going to be alone and Yu Yu would be there beside him.

  Jax walked across the empty courtyard. As he went through the gates, he glanced back one last time to wave, but the Abbot was already gathering his patched robes around him and walking up the steps of the main hall.

  A few minutes later, the Abbot and Lao Bing stood on the upstairs balcony watching as a dark shadow slipped over the wall and landed lightly beside Jax.

  ‘Little Yu Yu has grown into a beautiful being,’ said Lao Bing. ‘But why did you not willingly let her go?’

  The Abbot said, ‘I had to pretend that I did not want her to go. I needed to know whether she could take risks and be true to her own heart. Only then would I be sure that she would fulfil her destiny as a spirit watcher.’

  Lao Bing cocked his head to one side. ‘Master, what is this spirit watcher you talk about?’