Snake (Five Ancestors #3)(35)
Author: Jeff Stone

“So, we’ll leave tomorrow?” Seh asked.

“Yes,” Sanfu replied. “First thing in the morning. Malao and I are still moving slowly, so it will take us extra time to get to the section of the road where inns begin to appear. I’d rather not sleep on the side of the road. Too many thieves and other questionable characters lurking about.”

“I heard it will take us six or seven days to walk there,” Seh said, pulling a large wooden mallet out of his sash.

“That’s right,” Sanfu said. “Probably seven. That would put us in the city on the fifth day of the fifth moon—day one of Kaifeng’s Dragon Boat Festival.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” Seh said. “I’ve never been to a big city.” He began to pound a long peg, joining the beams to the post that Sanfu was holding.

Sanfu raised his voice. “It certainly is an experience. You’ve never seen so many people in your life. It’s good that you’ll have Mong to show you around. He’s very familiar with the city.”

Seh nodded. “I want to see him again.” He paused his pounding mid-swing. He’d had something on his mind for a couple of weeks. “Do you think Mong will bring AnGangseh?”

Sanfu scratched his scraggly beard and looked up at Seh. “I don’t know. She is rather … independent.”

“I noticed that.”

Sanfu looked surprised. “So you’ve met?”

“Yes,” Seh said, starting to work again. “Once. She introduced herself at the stronghold.”

“That’s good,” Sanfu said. “Very good.”

Seh thought Sanfu sounded sincere. He decided to ask a more personal question. He stopped pounding again. “What do you think of AnGangseh?”

Sanfu’s body stiffened and he looked at the ground. “Well, I… haven’t spent enough time around her to form an opinion. Why do you ask?”

“I don’t know,” Seh said. “I guess I haven’t formed an opinion of her, either, but I entrusted her with two of the dragon scrolls from Cangzhen.”

Sanfu stared up at Seh. “You did what?”

“I met her just before Ying attacked,” Seh said. “She told me to give the scrolls to her for safekeeping, and it sounded like a good idea at the time. Do you think I made a mistake?”

Sanfu shook his head. “I don’t know. It seems strange that she would want them. Maybe she was just trying to help. Weren’t there four dragon scrolls?”

“Yes,” Seh replied. “I still have one scroll. Ying has the other.”

“Well, there’s not much we can do about it now,” Sanfu said. “Can I see the one you have? I’ve seen all the Cangzhen tiger scrolls but never a scroll from another animal style.”

“Sure,” Seh said. He set the mallet down and reached inside his robe. He pulled out the scroll, careful to keep the beauty snake concealed under his sleeve. Seh dropped the scroll down to Sanfu.

Sanfu opened it. He stared at the chi meridian sketch on one side and the pressure point sketch on the other. “This is basic material that all Cangzhen monks learn. Are you sure it’s a dragon scroll?”

“I think so,” Seh said. “It has dragon characters in several places, and it was among the ones Ying stole.”

“I suppose,” Sanfu said.

Seh glanced down at the sketches as Sanfu lifted the scroll up to the bright sunlight. “I—” Seh’s voice caught in his throat.

“What is it?” Sanfu asked.

Seh stared at the pressure point sketch on the back of the scroll. As Sanfu held the scroll up to the sunlight, the chi meridian sketch on the front showed through and the two sketches merged together. The chi meridians became roads or rivers, and the pressure points lined up along them like landmarks.

“I don’t believe it,” Seh said. “It’s a map! See how it looks when you hold it up to the sun?”

“Amazing,” Sanfu said, tilting his head to one side. “It is indeed a map. Excellent observation.”

“Do you recognize anything?” Seh asked.

Sanfu shook his head. “I’ve crisscrossed this entire region, and I’m certain none of these places are here. Perhaps it’s Canton. Grandmaster was from Canton, and he’s the one who brought the scrolls to Cangzhen.”

“AnGangseh is from Canton,” Seh said. “Maybe she’ll know.”

“It’s possible,” Sanfu said. “Maybe that’s why she wanted them. Maybe we’ll get lucky and she’ll be in Kaifeng. Now let’s hurry and finish up what we can here as soon as possible so that we can get a good night’s rest. I want to leave before dawn tomorrow.”

Sanfu wasn’t kidding about leaving before daybreak. Seh felt bad that Malao had to find the white monkey in the dark to say goodbye. As Sanfu pointed out, they would be traveling on a road frequented by humans, so it was likely Malao wouldn’t see his friend for a while.