Monkey (Page 13)

The bandit Hung pointed one of his enormous war hammers at Seh. “Why don’t you fight him, newcomer?”

“I have no complaints against the boy,” Seh replied. “In fact, if it were up to me, I would let him go. I thought he performed valiantly. But out of respect for your grudge, I suggest you fight him. We form a ring, and the two of you battle until only one is left standing. The one standing determines the fate of the fallen one. What do you say, Bear ? Or are you afraid of the little monkey?”

“Watch your mouth,” Hung warned, “or your liver may end up in my soup, too. I don’t care that the men have already welcomed you into our group. You’ve only been with us a few hours. You’ve yet to prove yourself in my eyes. I will gladly—”

“HUNG!” said a deep voice from the back of the group. Malao watched as the bandits parted and a second giant of a man came forward. While Hung was one of the largest humans Malao had ever seen, this man was the largest. And Malao had seen him before. The giant had occasionally been a guest of Grandmaster’s at Cangzhen!

The man was impossible to forget. He wore a red silk robe as big as a tent, and his head and face were smooth like a monk’s. In fact, every speck of the man’s glistening skin was strangely devoid of hair. He didn’t even have eyebrows. Like Hung, the bandit leader was extraordinarily tall and big-boned. Unlike Hung, this man was pure muscle. The sleeves of his robe bulged and rippled as he folded his gargantuan arms and addressed Hung.

“What are you up to now?”

“I’m just about to tenderize my lunch,” Hung replied, waving a hammer. “Would you like to join me, Mong?”

Mong? Malao thought. That’s another Cantonese name! It means “python.” That man kind of looks like a python, just like Hung kind of looks like a bear. What’s going on here?

“You’re going to eat that little boy?” Mong asked, chuckling. “He wouldn’t even qualify as a snack for you, big man. Let him go, and let me get back to business.”

Hung growled. “I don’t think so, boss.” He held up his bleeding hand. “This happened because of him.”

Mong laughed. “Is that why everyone was chanting, ‘Fight, fight, fight’? Because you got a little scratch on your overgrown paw?”

Hung snarled, and one of the bandits spoke up. “The newcomer suggested a fight to settle the score, boss. Let’s let them fight! I want to wager. I’ll take the monkey boy, along with all the money from anyone who wants to bet on Hung!”

Malao watched as several bandits rushed toward the man who’d spoken. There was a flurry of fast-talking. Gold coins exchanged hands. Mong grinned and walked over to Seh. “Well, I guess we’ve got ourselves some afternoon entertainment. Would you care to wager, newcomer? Since you’re the one who suggested the fight, I’m presuming you’ll take the boy.”

“I don’t have any money,” Seh replied. “But if I did, I would bet it all on the boy.”

Mong smiled and slapped Seh on the back. The bandit leader reached into the folds of his robe and removed a sizable pouch. He held it high over his head and announced, “I bet this entire bag of gold on the boy! Somebody give him a weapon and let the games begin!”

The bandits cheered and Hung grunted. Malao watched Hung take several steps back as the net was lifted and the bandits formed a circle around him and Hung. Hung twisted and stretched with his huge hammers in hand, preparing for battle. Malao stood weaponless.

“Didn’t you men hear me?” Mong said to the group. “Somebody give the boy a weapon!”

No one responded.

Seh looked firmly at a bandit holding a long, tasseled spear. Even from a distance, Malao could tell the spear was well made. The tassel was perfectly positioned at the bottom of the metal spearhead where the spearhead connected to the wooden shaft. The main purpose of the tassel, made of long brown horsehair, was to distract an opponent from the spearhead’s razor-sharp tip. Its secondary purpose was to absorb any blood that might run down the shaft, making the weapon slippery for the user. Apparently this particular tassel was effective. It glistened red with fresh blood.

Seh approached the bandit. “Let the boy borrow your monkey skewer.”

“I don’t think so,” the bandit replied. He gripped the weapon with both hands and raised it over his head, out of Seh’s reach. “I wagered on Hung and—”

Seh’s long arms suddenly lashed out in a flash of blue silk. Malao saw him extend the first two fingers on each hand and strike both of the bandit’s arms high on the inner biceps, near the man’s armpits. The bandit’s arms instantly slumped to his sides, limp. The spear dropped to the ground.

Malao glanced at Mong. Mong was grinning.