Snake (Five Ancestors #3)(32)
Author: Jeff Stone

“Let’s find out,” Fu said. He looked the white monkey in the eye. “Can you take us to the village?”

The white monkey tilted its head to one side inquisitively.

“What’s the name of the village?” Seh asked.

“I don’t know,” Fu confessed. He scratched behind one ear and looked at the white monkey again. “Can you take us to the … ummm … Governor?”

The white monkey seemed to grin. It reached out and grabbed Fu’s hand. Seh saw it squeeze three times before letting go and leaping into the trees.

Late that evening, Seh couldn’t stop thinking about the mushroom skewers the monkey had brought them earlier. He wished they’d eaten them. He and Fu had been following the white monkey through the forest all day and he was famished. He was also exhausted. Seh and Fu had taken turns carrying Malao, and it had worn them both out.

Oddly enough, Fu’s mind still seemed sharp. He was rambling nonstop about his adventures with Malao. Seh was glad to get the information, but he was finding it harder and harder to absorb the details.

Seh realized he was beginning to feel the effects of too much activity and not enough sleep. His head felt cloudy, and he found it difficult to concentrate. His senses were dull, and he felt increasingly out of touch with the world around him. He longed for something to help him snap out of it.

He soon got his wish.

Fu stopped and shifted Malao in his arms. He raised his nose to the air and inhaled deeply, then smiled. “We’re almost there. Come on!”

Fu picked up his pace, and Seh followed. Seh rounded a bend, and a rotten stench hit his nose like a hammer fist. He choked. “What is that smell?”

“The village garbage dump!” Fu said excitedly over his shoulder.

Seh looked into the trees and noticed the white monkey had stopped. “Hey, Fu. It doesn’t look like the monkey wants to go any farther.”

“That’s fine,” Fu replied. “I know the way.”

Seh nodded goodbye to the monkey, followed Fu around another bend, and came face to face with the biggest pile of trash he could ever have imagined. It was as big around as Cangzhen’s largest building and nearly as tall. Tendrils of rank steam drifted skyward in the evening light. He felt nauseous.

“This way,” Fu said. He skirted the pile and headed down a narrow trail. The stench of the dump was soon behind them, and Seh’s head began to clear.

In no time, they came upon a tall hedge. Fu re-positioned Malao and stepped through a section of the hedge that had been trampled to the ground. Seh followed Fu through the gap, and they both stopped in their tracks. Images of the destruction at Cangzhen and Shaolin flooded Seh’s mind. The village had been ravaged.

They were standing in the village square, which Seh could tell had once been almost completely surrounded by the tall hedge. The far side of the hedge had been reduced to ash, and Seh had a clear view of the damage beyond. Roofless stone houses and storefronts stood soot-stained and crumbling. Doors and shutters had been burned from their hinges. Not a single building had been left intact.

The pit of Seh’s stomach began to tingle as he noticed a group of men step around from behind a structure that stood alone at the head of the courtyard. A blackened sign leaning against the building read Bun Vendor.

The largest of the men froze and stared at Fu. The big man had long, matted hair that was tangled in a scraggly beard. One of his calves was heavily bandaged, as was one of his forearms. He also had bandages wrapped around both thighs. He limped toward them.

“I’ll be right back,” Fu said. He handed Malao to Seh, and the snake on Seh’s wrist slithered up his arm.

Seh laid Malao on the ground as Fu ran toward the large man. Seh focused on the man and noticed the chi he emitted was very similar to Fu’s. Seh realized that it must be Fu’s father, Sanfu.

Sanfu patted Fu roughly on the back, and Fu returned the greeting. Both were grinning from ear to ear. The two of them continued toward Seh and Malao, and their smiles quickly faded.

“Hello, Seh,” Sanfu said in a deep, gravelly voice. “It’s nice to finally meet you. I wish it were on better terms.”

Seh nodded. “Nice to meet you, too, sir.”

“No need for formalities,” Sanfu said. “I was once a Cangzhen monk, you know. We are brothers.” He folded his hands like a Cangzhen monk and looked down at Malao. “What happened?”

“Seh took us to a bandit stronghold, and Ying attacked it,” Fu said. “Ying cut Malao with his chain-whip.”

“I see,” Sanfu said. “Did Ying capture the stronghold?”

“It’s possible,” Seh said. “His men seemed to have the upper hand. They brought qiangs. Many bandits were killed.”