Snake (Five Ancestors #3)(27)
Author: Jeff Stone

Seh grabbed the wrist of Tonglong’s sword arm with one hand and used his other hand to lash out at Tonglong’s neck with a snake-head fist. Tonglong blocked Seh’s strike by raising his shoulder and countered by grabbing the front of Seh’s robe with his free hand. Tonglong ripped Seh’s robe wide open and, to Seh’s amazement, jerked free and jumped off Seh.

Tonglong turned and raced toward the center of the hall as Seh stood with his robe spread wide across his chest. Seh watched Tonglong grab a uniformed man and lead him to the fringe of the fighting. The man turned to face Seh. It was Ying.

Tonglong pointed to Seh’s exposed chest and handed Ying what appeared to be one of the dragon scrolls. Seh checked the small of his back. His scroll was still there.

Ying tucked the scroll into his own robe and grinned. He flicked out his forked tongue and shrieked, “BROTHER SEH!”

Ying took three strides sideways up the nearest wall and leaped high in the air, his arms spread wide. As Ying soared over the group, Seh sank into a defensive position with one hand held high, the other low.

Ying landed and snapped his right wrist forward. The sharp, weighted tip of his long chain whip shot straight at Seh’s head. Seh leaped backward and crashed into the wall. The chain whip missed him, but Ying had snapped it back and began to swing it over his head in a huge circle.

As Ying began to swing faster and faster, Seh felt the pit of his stomach tingle. He glanced out of the corner of his eye and saw Malao running full speed across the top of the table toward them. Malao’s upper lip was curled back.

“No, Malao!” Seh yelled. “Don’t—”

But Malao didn’t stop. One step from the edge of the table, Malao lunged forward in a powerful front handspring. He flipped through the air as Ying lashed out at Seh with the chain whip. Malao scissor-kicked his legs, attempting to kick the sharp, weighted end of Ying’s chain whip before it slammed into Seh’s skull.

Malao’s timing was off. He screamed as the tip of the whip sliced a deep gash across his inner thigh, then fell silent as he hit the wall and his head slammed against the floor.

Seh hissed and lunged forward with a snake-fang fist, aiming for Ying’s left eye. Ying tilted his head and Seh’s fingers dug into one of the deep grooves in Ying’s face. Seh raked his hand downward and Ying’s cheek tore open.

At the same time, Seh struck at Ying’s neck with his other hand. Ying dropped his chain whip and latched on to Seh’s wrist. Then he grabbed Seh’s other wrist and began to pull Seh toward him.

Seh unleashed a powerful front kick. Ying blocked it by raising one knee. Seh kicked again. Ying blocked it again.

Ying pulled Seh closer. He opened his mouth wide and hissed, his sharpened teeth glowing in the light of the banquet hall lamps. Ying lowered his face toward Seh’s left hand.

The snake beneath Seh’s robe sleeve suddenly shot forward and clamped onto Ying’s eyebrow. Ying shrieked and swatted at the snake, releasing Seh’s hands—but the snake had already let go of Ying and was retreating beneath Seh’s sleeve.

Seh heard Hung roar behind him.

Ying shrieked again and spun sideways, narrowly avoiding one of Hung’s enormous war hammers. Ying snatched up his chain whip and launched himself out of Hung’s reach, disappearing into the fray.

Seh watched Fu pick up Malao’s limp body. Fu’s eyes were moist.

“Take Malao out the back,” Seh said to Fu. “I’ll be right there.”

Fu nodded and headed for the door.

“You go, too,” a voice said beside Seh. It was Mong.

Hung growled. “Where did all these soldiers come from?”

“The shipyard, I suppose,” Mong said.

“HaMo—” Hung said.

“Toad?” Seh asked. “Another Cangzhen monk?”

“Yes,” Mong replied. “HaMo was in charge of guarding the shipyard.”

“Do you suppose he’s… dead?” Seh said.

“Not yet,” Hung replied. “But he will be if I catch him. We’ve wondered about his allegiance.

Mong looked at Seh. “Why are you still standing here?”

“I don’t have a plan—”

“You want a plan?” Mong said. “These soldiers probably docked on the back of the island and climbed up with ropes. You should head in the opposite direction—through the main gate. Take the stairs down and get the boatman who brought you here to take you across. Do what you can for Malao and meet me in the capital city of Kaifeng on the first day of their Dragon Boat Festival at an inn called the Jade Phoenix. There’s your plan. Go!”

“What if the boatman won’t take us?” Seh asked.

“Then kill him,” Mong said. “Kill him and take the boat.”

Seh’s eyes widened. “Kill him?”