Kung Fu Kellie and the Legend of Anguo

by Shinn A. H.

  Inspecting Kellie’s passport one more time, the attendant said, “Have a nice flight.”

  They walked down the long corridor with relief as they entered the aircraft. They made it!

  “Welcome aboard!” said another flight attendant with an overly cheery voice. “How are we all today?”

  “Very well,” they said, hurriedly, scrambling to their seats, so she didn’t ask any more questions.

  The crowded plane reminded Kellie of when she and Master Chen came to America. That was the first and last time she was on an airplane. The same hustle and bustle ensued, with all the passengers stuffing their bags into the overhead compartments and attempting to get comfortable in their space.

  Jake and Jory found their seat number, sat down, and snapped on their seat belts. Kellie had a seat farther up and was easily able to convince the man sitting next to them to switch.

  They didn’t say much to each other for the first part of the trip; the reality of what they were doing sank in deep, especially as their hometown became the size of an ant from the window and the clouds were at their noses. During the second half of the flight, their tension eased up and Jake and Jory spent a couple of hours playing cards. After enjoying the in-flight meal, Kellie dozed off.

  The bouncing plane and skidding wheels on the tarmac woke Kellie up. Jory was reading his Chinese language book and Jake’s face was plastered against the window.

  “We’re here,” said Jake. “I’m in China!” Under the circumstances, he seemed to be tickled to be in a foreign country.

  After they gathered their items, they followed the weary passengers through the narrow aisle.

  “Whoa…” Jake and Jory said in wonder once outside the gate, soaking up the energy flashing all around them. All the signs were in Chinese and the place was swarming with fast-paced travelers.

  When they made it out of the crowded airport, they got onto a jam-packed bus. It took almost an excruciating three hours to get to Du Zhen, the nearest town to Taiping Monastery.

  When they arrived, they fled out of the not-so-comfortable transportation vehicle. They stretched their arms and legs, and took in fresh air, which was well needed after being shoulder to shoulder on a bumpy ride, mostly on a dirt road.

  Jake rubbed his belly and asked, “They don’t sell burgers here, do they?”

  Standing at the forefront of the quaint village, they were somewhere radically different from where they came. Du Zhen was untouched by twenty-first century technology and its simplicity gave it its charm. Vendors lined up along the main road selling or bartering their merchandise. The old buildings were barely held up by deteriorating wood. Children too young to be in school ran around joyously and carefree.

  Everything was arranged exactly how Kellie remembered it, except one thing: Mother Nature. The sky consisted of a thick gray layer, preventing the sun from making its presence. No green was in sight: the plants were brown and wilted, and dry dirt covered most of the land.

  Jake and Jory’s lack of dialogue told Kellie they had never experienced a place like this.

  “So what do you think?” she asked.

  “You used to live here?” asked Jake, sounding as if he couldn’t fathom the idea.

  “No, the monastery is a couple of hours away.”

  “What?” they both yelled.

  “We’re not there yet?” whined Jake. “I need to find some food.”

  “I need to find a bathroom,” said Jory.

  “Okay,” said Kellie. “I’m going to call Master Chen to let him know that I got here safely. Wish me luck — Oh, food is that way,” she instructed Jake, pointing to the carts and stands. “Most of them know a little English…and there should be a bathroom in that shop.” She directed Jory to the corner store that sold Chinese herbals; the monks made routine visits to the herbal doctor and she remembered gaping at the strange looking dried roots stuffed in glass jars.

  “Let’s meet back here in twenty minutes,” she said.

  Kellie squeezed through the crowd of people buying and selling various food items. The smell of the grease from the fryers reminded her of the time when she was a little girl. Before she went to the public phones, she couldn’t resist grabbing one of her old favorites. Occasional shouts came from vendors trying to sell her something, treating her as a typical tourist passing through. No one seemed to recognize the little girl who used to come to town with the monks many years ago.

  Feeling the hunger from the long trip, she salivated at all the choices. It was difficult to choose and she indecisively examined the duck feet, egg rolls, and potstickers, but ended up settling for a steamed bun.

  A little boy in tattered clothes was also staring wildly at all the delicacies.

  “Which one do you want?” Kellie asked in Mandarin.

  He pointed to the egg rolls.

  Kellie bought herself a pork bun and a few eggs rolls for the little boy. When she noticed plastic toy trucks for sale, hanging down the side of the cart, she asked the vendor how much they were: the price was barely one American dollar. Handing the small boy the snack and a toy truck, the child lit up, overwhelmed with joy. He said thank you in Mandarin and ran off to show his mother what he received.

  Gobbling up the warm filled bread as she walked toward a phone booth, Kellie heard her name being called.

  “Bao Yu — is that you?”

  Kellie turned to see Dr. Lee, the town physician. He treated her when she was an infant and through the years of her young childhood. Kellie did not mind the visits to his office: she never left without a handful of M&M’s. The first time he poured the chocolate pieces into her open palms, he said, “You are like an M&M — a Miracle and a Mystery.”

  “Dr. Lee, it is good to see you.”

  “When did you come into town?”

  “Just now. Things haven’t changed much here…”

  “…except for the drought. What brings you to China? I thought the monks were leaving Taiping Monastery…if they haven’t already.”

  “Uh — you don’t think they’ve gone yet?” Kellie worried she was too late.

  “I know many of their belongings have been shipped — they may still be there. I expect them to be gone any day now, though. They do not know of your visit?” he asked, curiously.

  “Not exactly…I — um — came to see if I could help….” Kellie wasn’t sure how much she should confide.

  “…with the attacks?”

  “You know?”

  “I treated them all. Shifus Mah, Guo, and Wu had a few scratches, but Shifu Tao wasn’t so lucky. The attacker seemed to have become…more brutal.”

  “How is Shifu Tao?” Kellie asked, concerned

  “It will take months for the broken bones to heal, but he’ll be fine. He was sent to another monastery for care and safety reasons. It is dangerous times at Taiping Monastery.”

  “Have there been more attacks?” Kellie was afraid to hear the answer; she just realized that she was just a couple of hours away from facing the unknown threat.

  “Not that I’ve heard….How do you think you could help?”

  “Well…um…the attacker called out my name, Bao Yu. I don’t have a specific plan yet, but if he’s looking for me, maybe he’ll stop attacking the monks. I grew up in Taiping Monastery…I was found in Shenmi Forest…I don’t want them to leave because of me.”

  “Yes, it’s not everyday a baby is discovered in Shenmi Forest….You have always been a conundrum. Well, you’ve traveled this far….Be very careful,” he warned. Then something came to him and his face lit up. “Come, I want to give you something.”

  Kellie followed him across the way to his office. It was in an old run-down wooden building adjoined to the clinic where he saw his patients. Several of them were hanging around outside, waiting to see him.

  Once inside, Dr. Lee went through his medicinal cabinet, as Kellie looked around. She saw his medical school diploma from New York University above his desk. Next to it, she scanned his bookshelf, li
ned with an eclectic mixture of books on Western medicine, Chinese herbs, and unexpectedly, Chinese legends.

  “Here it is,” he said. As he handed her a small brown bag, he became aware of Kellie’s necklace. “Is that jade?”

  “Yes,” said Kellie, as she touched her necklace. “Master Chen gave it to me.” This triggered her memory about the phone call she had to make and she needed to hurry.

  “I’ve never seen one like that before,” said Dr. Lee, fascinated.

  With her own fascination with the bag he gave her, Kellie asked, “What is this?”

  “Bamboo seeds.”

  The puzzlement on Kellie’s face urged him to proceed with an explanation.

  “Bamboo is a strong plant and represents good health. It grows very fast and that symbolizes prosperity. Bamboo is also thought to bring good luck. I believe the power is in the seeds. Carry them with you and you will have good luck. Bad luck has been befalling Shenmi Forest and Taiping Monastery. Some of our people think it has been spreading here as well.”

  “Why? What happened?”

  “Mr. Chung’s crops were all destroyed,” answered Dr. Lee, sadly. “One morning, he went to tend his farm and found all his vegetables had rotted. And Mrs. Ho developed arthritis all over her body. She went from being a healthy, strong woman to one who could barely walk. The skies are gloomy, but there is no rain. The dark clouds cover the sun all year long. Without rain, our harvest cannot flourish and we fear a famine will approach.”

  “Er…Dr. Lee, do you know anything about the Legend of Anguo?” Kellie was compelled to ask.

  “Is this about you?”

  Kellie blinked uncomfortably. Could he believe she was Anguo, too?

  “I…uh…what? No!”

  “Kellie, I also noted the changes after you and Master Chen left for America. Do I believe you are Anguo? I’m not sure….It could merely be happenstance…or you could be Anguo.”

  Kellie shuddered at his last words.

  “I know I am a very educated man, but science cannot explain everything. Do I believe in old tales and legends?” He pointed toward his books. “I am unashamed to say yes.” He chuckled lightly. “Only if we had the Seer…”

  “The Seer?”

  “You have not heard of it?”

  After Kellie shook her head, he began to explain with great enthusiasm.

  “It’s part of the Legend of Anguo. During ancient times, there was an evil ruler named King Lui. Even as the richest king of his time, with all the gold and silver he had, he wanted more. He especially wanted things he did not have, specifically the intangible. Once he heard of the Legend of Anguo, he wanted to have Anguo for himself and became obsessed in his search for it. He thought if he could find it, he would be the most powerful king in the world. He captured the best inventors and made them figure out ways to locate it. Everyone failed. Then he heard of a poor blacksmith with rare talents and forced him into labor.

  “One day, the blacksmith was making a small telescope with his nephew for his birthday. While he was building it, the boy cut himself and blood fell into the metal that was being melted. Story has it…the nephew was Anguo. The boy’s blood carried the essence of Anguo and the essence incorporated into the scope.

  “When the king learned that the blacksmith spent his time making a scope for his nephew and not doing what he was commanded, he demanded that it be given to him. The young boy buried his prized gift and would not give it up to the king, so the evil ruler ordered that the child be excuted for his defiance. The blacksmith hid the boy and when he would not reveal his location, the blacksmith was killed.”

  “That’s awful,” said Kellie sadly.

  “Ironically,” he continued, “the blacksmith created what the king wanted…something that detects Anguo, which became known as the Seer. Anyone who looks through the scope at Anguo sees an indescribable vision.”

  “How was it discovered that the scope detects Anguo?”

  “Ahhh — good question. The nephew. He looked through the scope at his reflection in a lake and saw what was described as a glowing light. He didn’t understand what he saw until he was older. He not only realized he was Anguo, but that his uncle was a Protector of Anguo. His uncle gave up his life, protecting him.”

  Kellie remembered Shifu Tao telling her about the Protectors.

  Hearing a horn honking outside broke Kellie’s thoughts; she stuffed the seeds into her bag and said, “I should go…I need to call Master Chen.”

  “Yes, I have many patients waiting. It was good seeing you again, Bao Yu. Please…be careful.”

  “Thank you,” she said and scurried out, seeing that a few more people gathered in front of the clinic to see him. She spotted a public phone adjacent to the building and ran to it. After getting through the long distance call with the operator, Kellie got their answering machine. She guessed Master Chen was probably frantic at this point. She left the best message she could to ensure him she was safe.

  Hanging up the handset, she caught sight of an old crippled woman, hobbling on a cane with great difficulty. She stopped in midstep and stared back at Kellie: it was Mrs. Ho.

  A hand seized her shoulder and Kellie jumped as she turned around.

  “I didn’t mean to scare you, Kel,” said Jake. “Where’ve you been? We should get going.”

  “Er — yeah…okay.”

  “I found a taxi!” yelled Jory, a few yards away from them, waving his translation book in his hand. “He’s ready to take us!”

  he driver shoved their suitcases into the trunk of the car and they drove out of Du Zhen. It was about a two-hour drive up the windy mountain to the secluded monastery.

  Kellie glued her face to the window and noticed that the trees weren’t full of leaves and as vibrant as they once were. Instead, the plants and bushes all along the road were wilting, similar to the ones in Du Zhen. The lush greenery that used to surround the road and mountain was now discolored and flaky, and it only got worse as they neared the monastery.

  Her mixed emotions silently battled within, as Jake and Jory nodded off. How would the monks accept her arrival? She expected some would be curious to see if she was Anguo, while others would demand she stay far away for her safety. She also feared the terrible man hurting the monks, but being in such close proximity to her first home, her heart ached with nostalgia.

  The driver didn’t say one word, not questioning why three young foreigners wanted to go to Taiping Monastery. He just kept his eyes centered on the road, and if Kellie was correct, he seemed uncomfortable. She looked at her worn-out friends, never having the chance to tell them about her encounter with Dr. Lee and his uncertainty whether the monks were still there; she hoped so, or their trip would be a brief one.

  When they arrived, the driver brought them right up to the front entrance. With the engine still running, he jumped out of the car and threw their belongings on the ground. He seemed to be in a hurry to leave the place.

  Kellie asked if he could wait for a few minutes: she needed to make sure the place wasn’t already abandoned. He hesitantly agreed and opened the car doors for the sleeping boys.

  Her first impression was that the place was deserted. The walls of the front entry had grime all over, the paint was dull, and most of the décors were removed. She was heartbroken when she saw what was left of the vegetation patch: it was mostly dirt, with a handful of esculent vegetables trying to survive. Master Zheng wasn’t exaggerating when he said Taiping Monastery wasn’t how it used to be.

  “We’re here?” asked Jake.

  “Where is everyone?” Jory asked, as he and Jake sluggishly slid out of the car.

  The driver shouted at Kellie in Chinese, “What have you decided? I have to go back!” He moved around to the driver’s side, as if he was ready to jump back in his car and leave.

  “Please just give me one more min —”

  “Bao Yu?”

  Kellie saw someone peer out of the door of the archway that led inside. When he made himse
lf visible, Kellie recognized the face. Shifu Su waved to her with both arms frantically.

  Shifu Su was the fun monk who always made Kellie laugh; he had a goofy personality and was unlike the other traditional, reserved monks. Kellie remembered all the games he used to play with her and how he sneaked her goodies whenever he could. He had no problem breaking the rules to make his “little Bao Yu” happy. He once shaved her head because she asked him to: she wanted to look like a Taiping monk. The others didn’t quite approve that he obliged her request.

  Kellie heard the car door slam and the driver zip off. She rushed to greet Shifu Su and asked, “Where is everyone?”

  “Training,” he said with a huge grin, looking at her proudly. Making an effort to speak English, he said, “I waiting for you.”

  “You knew I was coming?”

  “Master Chen call us — something about note — he very worried….Who are boys?”

  “These are my friends…Jory and Jake.”

  “Nice to meet,” Shifu Su said jovially.

  “Everyone is training?” Kellie asked.

  “Yes, must be ready” — his face became somber — “for intruder.” His expression lit up again looking at Kellie. “Come, they waiting.”

  He led the three kids hauling their suitcases toward a chorus of “Eeyah!” Kellie knew exactly where he was taking them. When they reached the training ground, Jake and Jory let out a “Wow!”

  More than four dozen monks were lined up and moving in unison under the instruction of Master Yeh. Master Yeh was probably the best martial artist at the monastery and his skills and quickness were unsurpassed by no other monk.

  “Punch!” he ordered in their native language.

  In the ready position, they all punched straight in front of them with their right fists.

  “Punch!” he said again.

  They pulled their right arms back and punched with their left fists. With every movement, they yelled, “Eeyah!”

  “Punch, punch!” Master Yeh continued, as they followed his direction.