by Ino Lee
Ting felt ashamed for some reason. “Yeah.”
“You don’t have any place to go, do you?”
“No.”
“I thought so. I saw you fighting with the guards at South Gate and ringing the bell the other day. That was hilarious. How did you know the Koon Gee were coming, anyway?”
“They attacked my farm.”
“Is that why you’re alone?”
Ting nodded.
Shadow thought for a moment. “Well, I’ve never seen a kid not wet their pants at the sight of a charging demon before, and that one was really ugly, so I guess you can come with me.”
Shadow started walking.
“Where are we going?” Ting asked.
“There’s a place you might be able to stay, if you can earn your way.”
“What do you mean?”
“Nothing in life is free. Food doesn’t just appear on the table, you know. Don’t worry. If you have the guts to take it to an unan, you should have no problem fitting in.”
“Fitting in how?”
“Getting food on the table.”
Ting wanted a more direct answer, but was reluctant to nag and knew what she meant anyway. She figured Shadow was one of the orphans the city guards had complained about and stole things to survive.
They walked through the city, past more merchant shops with closed storefronts, the neighborhood becoming increasingly seedy. That caused Ting some concern, but she couldn’t expect an orphan hideout to be located in the nicest part of town. It was comforting, though, that more of the residents were out in the streets.
Ting examined her new acquaintance. She was thin and tall, with perfectly straight black hair. Was it natural or the result of relentless combing? Ting’s own hair was probably a scraggly mess by now. Shadow also wore relatively nice clothes for a street kid, making her seem more like a girl from a well-off family, though Ting guessed it was probably stolen. Would she have to steal, too, to get by? She couldn’t. Not if she wanted to be a Shaolin warrior.
“We’re here,” Shadow said. “It’s in back.”
They faced an alley. Ting figured the location made sense for a hideout, but wasn’t sure what to expect when they got to the back. At least the buildings next to the alley looked clean, with a couple of potted bamboo plants that made her feel better about their approach. It ended in a small courtyard and a worn two-story home that extended behind the building on the left. The house could have used some updates and repairs, but was in much better shape than she feared.
Two boys loitered on the front steps.
“Hey Shadow, get anything good?” one said.
“Who’s that?” asked the other, pointing at Ting.
“This is . . . um.” She tried to think of a nickname, recalling how fast Ting ran. “Flying Sparrow.”
The boys nodded as the girls entered the house.
“It’ll grow on you, Sparrow,” Shadow said.
Inside, other children played about noisily, which immediately put Ting at ease. It helped that a couple seemed her age, with one that might have even been younger. Her interest piqued further when she saw marbles and board games lying on the floor.
They continued to the back of the house where a boy sat by the window.
“It’s not like you to bring someone new in,” the boy said.
“This one is different. Flying Sparrow, meet Monk Panyin.”
Ting frowned. “You’re not a monk.”
The boy made a face back. “And you’re not a sparrow.”
Shadow laughed. “Monk Panyin was a famous scholar. We call him Panyin because he’s the smart one here. He makes all the plans.”
“Flying Sparrow, huh? That’s a good name. Shadow must like you.”
“Why?”
“You just met Crooked Tooth and Frog outside.”
Ting held back a smile. “Why do you use fake names?”
“So you can change them anytime you want. It’s better for when people come looking for you. Never give your real name.”
“Why are people looking for you?”
Panyin glanced at Shadow. “Does she know how this works?”
“Sort of. I didn’t sit down to explain the details.”
He focused back on Ting. “Look kid, how long have you been on your own?”
“Since yesterday.”
“One day?”
Ting nodded.
The fake monk raised his arms in disbelief and turned to Shadow.
“So what?” she said.
“Look, Sparrow,” Panyin said. “It’s a tough world out there. You can go to one of those nasty orphanages, but I don’t recommend it. The kids there are dirty and not in their right minds.”
“They have lice,” Shadow added.
“Otherwise, you can stay here and live free. But we have needs. Do you understand?”
“I don’t want to steal.”
“I don’t care how you do it. Beg. Steal. We need food on the table. If you can’t contribute, then you can’t stay.”
“We don’t always steal,” Shadow added. “Sometimes Panyin lines up jobs.”
“I won’t do anything bad,” Ting said. “I’m going to be a Shaolin warrior.”
Panyin started laughing.
Ting shot him an angry look. “You’re not a monk.”
“This isn’t going to work,” Panyin said to Shadow. “I don’t know what you were thinking.”
“But she can hold her own. She threw something at this awful demon and got its knife.”
Panyin turned serious. “What do you mean? Like one of those invading Koon Kagi demons?”
“Yes. I forgot to tell you. Soldiers cornered one above a pottery shop. Down Chanjing Way.”
“Really? What did it look like?”
“It was a freaky one.” She shivered. “It wore a mask with large teeth.” She clawed her fingers with both hands near her mouth to mimic it.
Panyin turned to Ting. “You saw an unan demon? How did you get its knife?”
“I threw a plum at its face.”
“Really? That’s crazy. Why did you do that?”
“I don’t know.”
“Can I see the knife?”
Ting pulled it out of her satchel and handed it over.
Panyin examined it with great interest. “This is a nice one. Different.”
“How much do you think we could get for it?” Shadow asked.
He played with the weight and stared at its golden tint.
“A lot. It’s just a dagger, but it has two blades. I’ve never seen this color before and the tip has unan tar on it. I bet you the Blood Ninjas would pay top coin for it—if they didn’t kill you first.”
“Enough to stay?”
“If she can’t come up with anything, it’s enough to pay for a month or two. Maybe more. It all depends on how much we can get.”
“What do you say, Sparrow?” Shadow said.
Ting thought hard on it. Did she want to stay there? Perhaps she could use the money to get to Shaolin, though she had no idea how to sell it. Would they help her?
“Come on, Sparrow,” Shadow said. “It’s not a hard choice. You can’t go back out there with the Koon Gee running around.”
Ting heard more laughter and marbles bouncing in the background. She glanced at the games. The thought of company was appealing and she didn’t like the prospect of having to sleep out on the streets again.
“Okay. I’ll stay.”
“That’s great,” Shadow said.
Panyin nodded. “You don’t have to worry about today, but the clock starts tomorrow. Got it?”
“Okay.”
“Now go play marbles.”
A smile appeared on her face for the first time in days.
9
&
nbsp; WONG WAVED HIS leg through the oozing chi mud. “That’s good.”
“Feeling better today?” Renshu said.
“Much better.”
“Can you fight?”
Wong shrugged. “I can walk.”
“You are lucky the arrow did not strike a vital organ,” Yimae said.
“My leg is pretty vital.”
The elder magau shook her head at his quip and placed a small cup of chi water by his side.
“I already had some yesterday,” Wong said.
“Just a little. You must recover. Your leg is vital.”
He picked up the cup and stared at the dark water within. It had come from a radiance pool stolen from the Koon Gee over a year ago, but their supply was almost gone now and he wanted to conserve it. He put it back down.
“Thanks Yimae. I don’t need it. The mud pool will do.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“Your yin chi is strong now. You can recover faster.”
“Almost as fast as when my chi was light. Training in the Koon Kagi has done wonders.”
“Yet, you hold back,” Renshu said.
“I have to. Look at what just happened. I embraced the masks and became too wild. That’s why I’m injured. I nearly took on the entire legion. My judgment is affected when too much dark energy runs through me.”
“The masks have influence, not yin chi itself.”
“My chi works differently than yours. That’s why the masks don’t work for you.”
“The root of yin and yang energy is the same,” Yimae said. “Chi energy does not influence. You must embrace your chi to reach your true potential.”
“I don’t know if that’s true. I don’t feel in control even when I’m not wearing the masks. Once I fell asleep without them on, but woke with Shenren on my face. How did that happen? What compelled me to put it on? It couldn’t have been the mask because I wasn’t wearing it. It was my own dark energy. Whatever is inside of me.”
Renshu scrunched his face. “When did this happen?”
“When we first met.”
“We hid from Koon Gee in a hollow tree?”
“Yes.”
Renshu laughed. “It was me. I used it to block your snoring.”
Wong shot him a cold look. “All this time? Don’t you think putting a demon mask on my face while I’m sleeping is a stupid thing to do?”
“No. I said do not worry.”
Wong sighed. “Still, when I’m near radiance pools, I can hardly think, with or without the masks. There is so much power. I can’t control it. I end up snapping and having to figure out what happened afterward.”
“Maybe you are not ready for such power,” Yimae said. “You must reach that level on your own to control it.”
Wong brooded. “That makes sense, but I don’t know if that’s possible.”
“Look how quickly you healed. Perhaps you are closer than you think.”
“It’s also possible the radiant lo-shur energy is just like the masks. There’s a price for using it.”
Renshu rose and stretched.
“Talk is meaningless. It is time to train. One thing certain is that you must reach chi fai on your own. Then you will know. As long as you have this doubt, this fear, you will not succeed.”
“I will meditate right after.”
“No. We train in the trees. We will fight. You—” He pointed, “—And me.”
“You do know I was just shot in the leg yesterday?”
“You can walk.”
“Yeah, but—”
“We will fight to the death.”
“Sure.”
“Do you accept my challenge, scared and fearful human?”
Wong didn’t answer, but looked him in the eye, picked up the cup of chi water, and drank it.
The banyan trees were full of monkeys. Leaves shuddered and the boughs strained from the activity as magaus jumped about, humming with anticipation as they jostled for position to see the battle that was about to take place.
Wong watched the crowd suspiciously. This was no ordinary training session. Renshu had drummed up excitement for the fight and rallied the entire Tangled Root Forest.
“Magaus and monkeys of Tangled Root!” Renshu screamed, raising both hands with his body stretched out at full length. “It is I, your king!”
The forest creatures screeched and thumped on the boughs frantically.
“Today, a great battle—magau versus man!”
Wong gave him a quizzical look. “What are you doing?”
“Testing our limits. See who is best. I am weary of your whining. Now I will teach you who is king.”
The magaus screamed again.
Renshu jumped over to Wong’s bough, carrying two blunted magau staves. He tossed one over.
Wong caught it solidly. He understood what Renshu was trying to do—raise the stakes of their fight to bring out a higher degree of chi energy. Training could only come so close to battlefield conditions, but pride in front of hundreds of screaming magaus might do the trick. He decided to play along.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Wong said.
“Two warriors. Two staves. Simple. Last magau standing.”
Wong twirled the staff and tucked it behind an arm. “I think you mean man.”
“I do not.”
“I’d sure hate to embarrass you in front of all your people.”
“Try!”
Renshu struck out. Wong deflected and punched back. They cracked sticks a few more times to the delight of the spectators.
They separated and then Wong lunged with his staff. The monkey king jumped and hung on to an upper bough, striking out with his feet. Wong was throttled back before Renshu dropped back down and punched him in the face.
Wong stumbled and fell on the bough. Blood trickled down his nose. Renshu was serious. The crowd erupted.
“Pathetic, Wong. Yimae fights harder. Come fight me!”
Wong flipped back up to his feet. Renshu attacked aggressively, surprising him, but he found a weak spot, grabbed his arm and twisted, then flipped him. Renshu landed on his feet, but Wong was already up in the air with a flying kick.
Renshu slammed against the tree trunk.
“Good! Now let us go!”
He sprung up a level.
Wong chased. They tore through the treetops, scattering magaus and monkeys to the constant sound of clattering staffs. Renshu moved fast. Wong wished more than once that he could put on the mask of Houzon, but he knew he must do it alone. He was well-renowned for his skill in the trees even before gaining the mask, and capable of holding his own.
The longer they fought, the harder they struck. Their chi levels elevated.
Renshu egged him on. “You are too slow!”
Wong caught up to him and spun off a rapid round of strikes. Renshu blocked a few and jumped away.
“Unleash your chi. Hit me if you can!”
He curved around a trunk and jabbed him in the ribs. Wong grunted and slammed the bark of the trunk, scattering bits in Renshu’s eyes. He sidestepped a bough, then another, curving around to attack, but Renshu was gone.
“Too slow again!”
Renshu dropped from above and whacked his collar. Wong fell angrily to a lower branch. He held his shoulder.
“This is stupid. What are we going to do? Kill each other?”
“How will you kill me? You cannot hit me.”
He landed and tripped Wong with his tail, then thrust at his face. Wong shifted his head and the staff pounded the bough, inches away.
“Enough!”
Wong kicked back and threw his staff at Renshu. He got to his feet.
The magaus chattered. Renshu raised a hand to silence them. He threw the staff bac
k at Wong.
“Fight.”
“What is the point?”
“Give full effort!”
“You’re taking this too far.”
“Not far enough!”
“What will we do? Take each other out for the Koon Gee?”
“Take me out? You cannot hurt me. Did you not see?”
Wong let the staff fall to the ground. “We have enough problems. The Koon Gee are nearly upon us. This won’t solve anything.”
“That is why you must fight. That is why you must get stronger.”
“It doesn’t matter how strong I get. I can’t fight the entire Koon Gee.”
“We can save Tangled Root. Just like the magau prison. Do you not remember when it was I that laughed at you? When you schemed to destroy the Temple of Masks?”
“This is different.”
“You cannot hold back. Embrace your chi. Embrace Tangled Root. We will find a way.”
“And if we can’t?”
“Then we die fighting.”
Wong took a deep breath. If he could only make Renshu see reason.
An idea emerged. It was a risk.
“You want me to go all out?”
“Yes.”
“Then let’s raise the stakes. If you win, I will go all out to save this place. You will never hear another dissenting word. But if I win, we leave Tangled Root Forest.”
The forest buzzed.
Renshu shook his finger. “Ah, you tricky human. The stakes are not even. You cannot decide to leave for us all.”
“Then I will come up with a plan. You, me, Shiki, Yimae, and Domu will vote on it.”
Renshu considered, scratching his chin.
“It will be what’s best for everyone,” Wong said. “What are you afraid of?”
“Agree!”
“No turning back.”
Renshu waved at the spectators. “I agree for all to see.” He twirled the staff. “You cannot defeat me anyway.”
Wong grinned. “Now this is training.”
Something tapped his leg. It was the staff he had just dropped. A monkey had climbed down after it and returned with a wide smile, flashing teeth.
“Thanks, Yingli,” Wong said.
He approached Renshu with renewed energy.
“Round two.”
“Hope it is better than the first.”
They converged at once. The battle picked up with the same intensity as it had left off. Renshu weathered the initial onslaught and leapt off into the canopy.