The Demon Attacks (Wandering Phoenix and Roaming Tiger Episode 2)
Page 2
“Isn’t that where all the filthy criminals gather?”
“Then we’ll fit right in. The owner, Chao Ming, is also known as the Silent Monk. He’s a virtuous sort, who has mastered the rare and ancient art of knowing when to shut the hell up. You’d be amazed how much mischief happens just because people talk too much.”
They wandered close to Xuzhou, and Guan tugged down his travelling hat and affected a limp for the benefit of the watching gate guards. Liu supported him like a loyal daughter as they passed into town.
“For someone who was worried I might be a lecher, you’re sure keen to keep your hands on me,” Roaming Tiger said.
Liu let go and elbowed him in the ribs. “Keep dreaming, old man. If I fancied men as old as you I’d set up a boudoir in a tomb.”
Guan laughed and he led her into an unfamiliar part of town. Whenever she had visited Xuzhou before it had either been to sell vegetables or to see Aunt Na, but now she found herself in back alleys strewn with beggars and men with sharp knives and hungry eyes.
“This place is full of rats,” Liu said.
Guan grunted. “It’s just a short-cut. I’m avoiding the wide streets where I can. When you’re wanted, dark alleys are your friend.”
They emerged into a slightly more pleasant street. Across the road was an inn with a giant black turtle daubed on the side. Liu followed Guan inside. Although her father had taught her how to wield a staff and sword, spear and dagger, she had never actually been into an inn before. Liu stuck to Roaming Tiger’s shadow, and he strolled into a little booth occupied by a small table and four chairs. A few moments later, a waiter came.
“What would you like today, sir and miss?” he asked. “I can recommend the spicy beef stew.”
“Two bowls of silver swallow wine, and tell Chao Ming he still owes me a rainbow trout,” Guan said.
The waiter left them alone. Liu tapped the table. “What are you going to do next?”
Guan shrugged. “See what’s up with Lin Mei. After that’s sorted, I’ll see where the road takes me. No point staying too close to that rat Ximen. Tomorrow morning, we should meet here for a farewell drink.”
Before Liu could answer, a slender, bald man with silver whiskers and a narrow beard approached, a bowl of wine in each hand.
“You owe me a rainbow trout, you villainous liar!” the stranger proclaimed, laying down the wine. “Who’s your fancy woman?”
Liu whacked him on the foot with her staff and he reeled backwards, hopping in exaggerated pain.
Guan laughed. “You’re lucky she didn’t bite your finger off. That’s what she did to Ximen. Liu Shanshan, this is Chao Ming, the Silent Monk, owner of this inn. Chao Ming, this is Liu Shanshan. We can speak freely with her.”
Chao clasped his hands and bowed his head. “A pleasure to meet you, young lady. Do forgive me, I didn’t mean anything by it.”
Liu curled her lip.
“She’s got a temper like a dragon in a volcano, but she’s a sound person,” Guan said. “If you get into trouble and need help, just ask Chao Ming. You can trust him.”
Liu sipped her wine. “I won’t need any help, but I’ll come here for wine now and then.”
The three of them chatted about Lin Mei and Guan Song, and Chao revealed that more of the governor’s soldiers had recently arrived from Tiangjin.
“Just as well I’m leaving tomorrow,” Guan said.
Liu slurped down the rest of the wine and wiped her mouth on her sleeve. “Right, I’d better go and face the crone. I’ll see you both tomorrow.”
Guan rose from his seat. “I’ll walk you halfway there. It’s easy to get lost in the alleyways.”
Together they wove their way through the maze-like side streets until they were back on the road that led to the market square.
“I’d better stop here. If I’m recognised in your company, you and your family will suffer,” Roaming Tiger said. “Don’t be late tomorrow. Do you remember the way?”
Liu put her hands on her hips. “Of course I do. I’m not some slack-witted bumpkin.”
“Stay safe, Liu.”
“You too.”
Guan disappeared into an alleyway, and she sighed. Family is amongst the most important things, reader, but when you have family and you really don’t get along it’s worse than being trapped down a well with a stranger.
After a moment to gather her thoughts, Liu headed for Aunt Na’s house. Her father’s sister had married a lesser son of a wealthy merchant, so they never wanted for money, but Ren Cho was such a drunken layabout, never working and frittering away coin on gambling, they always seemed short of cash.
Liu found the large house and knocked on the door. Soldiers marched towards her, and she tensed up, ready to fight, but they just walked straight past.
The door opened, and a grey-haired woman glared at her. “Shanshan. What are you doing here?”
“My father and brother are dead, my farm burnt to ash. Where else would I go?”
“Hmph. I suppose you’d better come in.”
Liu stepped inside and Aunt Na led her to the kitchen. “Keep your voice down, Cho has a headache.”
Drinking ten bowls of wine will do that, Liu thought to herself.
Aunt Na folded her arms and looked Liu up and down. “Another mouth to feed, thanks to my no-good brother. And an outlaw to boot! Your name’s on wanted posters, you know.”
“Of course it is. That rabid dog Ximen burnt down the farm and killed my father and brother. He tried getting fresh with me and I bit his finger off.”
Na shook her head. “Meng must have mated with a hyena to produce a child like you. So brazen, so unashamed of keeping company with murderers like Guan Shi!”
Up until now, Liu Shanshan had bit her tongue, but, as I’m sure you know yourself, dear reader, it’s easier to bear contempt aimed at oneself than at one’s friends.
“Guan Shi’s not at all like the authorities claim. He’s kind and wise. And he’s a skilled warrior! He helped me reach Xuzhou.”
Aunt Na’s eyes widened and she glanced at the windows. “That bloodthirsty madman is here, now?”
Liu drummed her fingers on her quarterstaff. “Not right here. He’s in Xuzhou, staying at an inn. Don’t worry, he said he’d be gone by tomorrow, you won’t find him popping round for a cup of tea.”
“Meng was always too soft with his children. Tong was a brute, and you’re no better. Still, I suppose you’re family. I’ll find something for you to do, whether it’s sweeping floors or warming pillows.”
“What?” Liu roared. “I’m not some drudge or floozy! I know how to farm and I know how to fight!”
“Shh!” Na said. “You’ll wake Cho. Honestly, I welcome you into my home even though you’re a wanted criminal and you act like you’re the emperor. Stay here and wash the dishes. I have some errands to run.”
Before Liu could utter a word, her aunt was gone, so fast it reminded her of watching Sun Yang’s magic. A huge pile of unwashed plates and cups, bowls and jugs were piled up. Liu propped her staff up in the corner and set about her work. Wandering to and from the nearest well, scrubbing the dried stains from the crockery, Liu’s back and fingers ached, and her skin became sore. There was no-one to talk to, and the pile of dishes was so big that even after an hour’s work there was still a mountain to climb.
Liu turned her eyes to the dimming sky as she pulled up another bucket of well water, and thought: gods, Buddhas, if I’ve ever done anything to earn a little good karma, don’t desert me to this humdrum drudgery. I know I’ve got a temper but I don’t deserve this. And if I don’t get revenge for my father and brother, who will?
Aunt Na returned when Liu was halfway through the chore. Her aunt started putting away the crockery.
“Look! You’ve chipped this bowl, you clumsy girl. Can’t you do anything right?” Aunt Na said, holding up a bowl with a damaged rim.
“It was already broken. Lots of your dishes have chips and fractures,” Liu said.
It was only the memory of her father that kept Liu from sweeping the whole heap of crockery onto the floor and storming out.
Aunt Na kept on this way, nagging and pestering, complaining about imagined problems, until the dishes were done. Liu staggered into her bedroom, and discovered that, instead of a bed, she was expected to sleep on a reed mat. She lay down, but it was so uncomfortable she moved to the floor instead.
“I’m not putting up with this,” Liu said to herself. “Even if Guan Shi won’t take me, I’d rather walk the roads by myself than live here.”
Darkness had fallen long ago, and she could hear Aunt Na snoring, so Liu grabbed her staff and quietly left the house. Even though her feet ached from carrying water all day, Liu was excited to be free and almost flew to The Black Turtle. Inside, she asked a waiter to fetch Chao.
“I’m afraid the master won’t see anyone,” the waiter said. “He’s really upset.”
“What happened?” Liu asked.
The waiter looked left and right, to make sure nobody else was listening. “Earlier today he was happy as a mermaid in a lake. An old friend had showed up, and the pair of them were swapping stories, drinking and having a good time. His friend went to bed and a hundred soldiers stormed into the inn. The poor fellow was still half-drunk; he didn’t stand a chance. They dragged him out of here, and now the master feels responsible because it happened under his roof.”
Her aunt a slave-driver, her friend captive, Liu Shanshan was aghast. The waiter saw the expression on her face and asked, “Are you Liu Shanshan? The master was wondering whether or not to send word to you.”
“Show me to Chao Ming.”
The waiter led her through the inn until they came to a closed door. The waiter rapped his knuckles on it.
“Go away.”
“Forgive me, master, but Liu, Guan’s friend, is here. Do you want to see her?”
The door opened, and red-eyed Chao Ming beckoned Liu to enter. She sat at the table, he poured her a cup of tea.
“Is Guan Shi really in prison?” she asked.
Chao nodded glumly. “Roaming Tiger stays here whenever he’s in town, but an hour ago a hundred men burst in and captured him. He’s been taken to the town jail, for execution in the morning. You should know, he bought you a gift before he was taken prisoner.” He fetched a small brocade bag and handed it over.
Liu looked inside, and found a scroll. Weighing down one end with the teapot, she unrolled it a few inches, and realised from the illustrations that it was a manual on quarterstaff techniques. Ink of a different hue had been used for a message in the corner.
“However swift your hand, however sharp your eye, however strong your arm, your heart is what will see you through the most challenging days. Neglect the heart, and become weak. Strengthen the heart, and become powerful. Your friend, Guan Shi,” she read aloud. Tears ran down her cheeks and wet the scroll, so she rolled it up quickly before she ruined it. “Surely we can do something? What sort of friends are we if we just let Guan rot in prison?” she asked, tying the bag’s drawstring to her belt.
Chao Ming frowned. “You could try bribing the guards to see him. There’s no chance they’ll let him go, though, however much you pay. General Ba Renzhong has their loyalty and their fear, and Lord Ximen is keen for Roaming Tiger’s execution.”
Liu thumped the table. Cups trembled and tea spilled over. “What good will seeing him do?”
“You really are young! You could pass along something that might help him escape. If nothing else, a friendly face is always welcome, especially in dark times.”
Liu got to her feet. “Don’t go to bed. I’m going to get some cash, then I’ll visit Guan and come right back here.”
“Don’t worry about that, I can give you a few strings.”
She shook her head. “I’d rather take it from a witch than a good man.”
Liu left the inn and strode back to Aunt Na’s house. Whether it was the staff in her hand or the look in her eye, none of the vagrants skulking in the shadows dared cross her path. Even before she entered the house she could hear the snoring of her aunt and uncle.
Liu crept inside and searched the house for money. In the teapot cupboard, hidden amidst a large collection of ancient crockery, she found strings of cash resting on top of a small pile of silver ingots.
“Who keeps silver ingots laying around? Those two really do have more money than sense,” she whispered to herself.
Liu took several strings of cash, found a mirror and took a moment to rearrange her hair into a child’s loose style. She left the house and wandered towards the town’s prison, but a pair of guards stood before the first gate.
“It’s night time, get out of here!” the first barked.
“O kind sir, my uncle’s dreadful sick. Can’t I see him? I brought the penalty fine for visiting out of hours,” Liu said, holding up a string of cash.
The two soldiers looked at one another. “The fine’s risen. Two strings of cash.”
She held out two, and they grabbed one each.
“Good girl. Be quick now.”
Liu clasped her hands and bowed her head, then went inside. A few more guards were lazily patrolling the halls, but once she had paid them the ‘fine’ they ignored her, and she wandered from cell to cell on her tiger hunt.
She found Guan Shi sat in a cell by himself, cross-legged and eyes closed.
“Hello, Liu,” he said, opening his eyes. “It’s good to be able to see you one more time. Did you get my present?”
Liu nodded. “It’s just what I wanted, but this is no time for idle chatter. I need to get you out of here,” she said, hefting her staff.
Guan raised his hands. “Don’t be hasty. If you start something now, we’ll both end up dead.”
“I’m not just going to leave you here.”
Roaming Tiger smiled. “There is a way you can help. Just go back to Chao Ming, and then…” he said, telling her this and that.
And because of Roaming Tiger’s words, uproar engulfed Xuzhou and the Phoenix fled her cage. What did Guan Shi say? Read the next part if you would know.
Part 5 – Xuzhou prison in an uproar, a Demon is spotted in the town
Liu listened intently to Guan’s plan and nodded approvingly.
“That’s bound to work! When are you due for execution?”
Roaming Tiger stroked his moustache. “Dawn. So you had better run, or you’ll have to sew my head back on.”
She scrambled to her feet and sprinted out of the prison. Running all the way to The Black Turtle Liu was red-faced when she hammered on Chao Ming’s door. The innkeeper let her in, and got her a little something to eat whilst she got her breath back.
“There’s a way we can save Guan, but we need to move quickly,” Liu said.
A smile like summer sun lit up Chao’s face. “Of course. What do we do?”
“All we need is some cloudy wine, and the help of someone called the Viper’s Fangs.”
Chao laughed. “The Viper’s Fangs are a pair of short swords I wield, though I don’t fight much nowadays. I see what Guan wants. He’s employing the Heavenly Wine, Earthly Mischief strategy. Eat up, and I’ll get the wine prepared.”
The Silent Monk left Liu to eat the spicy beef and noodles, and she had just about finished by the time he returned. Eyes shrouded by a low felt hat and with two swords hanging from his belt, the innkeeper looked like a whole new man.
“Ready to free the tiger from his cage?” Chao asked.
Liu shot to her feet and slammed the butt of her staff against the floor. “I’ll pulverise anyone who gets in our way!”
The Silent Monk sighed. “Discretion is the better part of valour. We’re going to free Guan, not batter the guards.”
Chao and Liu left the inn, the Silent Monk picking up a heavy amphora of wine by the
door. The eastern horizon was just beginning to pale when they reached the prison.
“Back again so soon, girl?” one of the guards asked. “You still have to pay the fine, and the same goes for your master.”
Chao handed the amphora to her, its weight almost pulling her shoulder from its socket. “Forgive me, kind sir, but I’m a wine merchant. A condemned man wanted the most exquisite wine for his last breakfast, so we’ve run all the way here. Perhaps we could give you a sample as our fine?”
The guards glanced at one another. “What sort of wine is it?”
“It’s Golden Buddha’s Cloudy Wine, brewed by the most virtuous monks in the Pure Heart Monastery. I have the only supply in the whole province,” Chao said.
The guards shrugged. “Our shift finishes soon, a little wine will ease our rest.”
They produced their bowls, and Liu poured each a brimful. The soldiers had a little sip each, then guzzled down the whole bowl as if they’d never tasted wine before.
“Remarkable! There must be some sort of secret ingredient,” the guard said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
The second guard slumped forward and Chao caught him to stop the armour and spear from clattering on the ground. A moment later the first guard fell into a deep slumber, and the Silent Monk eased him to the ground.
“Come on. It won’t last forever, so we must be quick,” Chao said.
Liu followed him inside the prison, where they bribed three more guards, each of whom enjoyed an early snooze. Chao removed the ring of keys from a guard’s belt, and Liu led him to Guan’s cell. Most of the prisoners were asleep, but Roaming Tiger was wide awake.
“Can you walk? Did the guards beat you?” the Silent Monk asked.
Guan shook his head. “A few taps with a bamboo rod, but nothing to worry about.”
Chao tried one key, but it didn’t work, so he moved onto the next.
Just then, a guard wandered into view. “Hey!” he called.
Liu threw the amphora of wine at him. It shattered against his chest, the weight driving the guard back against the bars of a cell. Prisoners grabbed him by neck and arm, dexterous fingers undoing his belt and seizing his ring of keys.