“Why?” Ying asked.

“Because they are my brothers and sister. It is the honorable thing to do.”

Ying scoffed, “Your honor might get you killed.”

“Possibly.”

“What were you doing in the fight club?” Ying asked. “You used to hate fighting.”

“I still do,” Long replied. “Except Grandmaster told me and the others that we must change the Emperor's heart. I hope to win the championship and join his ranks. I will make changes from the inside out.”

“You are wasting your time,” Ying said. He patted the bag of qiangs. “This is how you make change.”

“No,” Long said. “Brute force never changes people. People need to change themselves.”

Ying smirked. “If you say so.”

Long turned away and took a small candle from the shelf. He lit it with the lantern and gave the candle to Ying.

“I held a bit of hope that you would join me in some way,” Long said. “After all, you and I want the same thing—change. However, I can tell that you are neither interested nor capable of handling things my way.” He pointed to a strange glass object on the shelf. It was half filled with sand and very large. “That is called an hourglass, or in this case a six-hourglass. LaoShu stole it from a foreigner. Turn it upside down and the sand will slowly pour from the top segment to the bottom. Once the sand has stopped flowing, six hours will have passed. Flip it over now, and leave when the time has elapsed. It will still be dark then and the soldiers should be resting at that time. Go back out the way we came in, and don't worry about locking the temple's exit door. By the time anyone discovers it, you will be long gone.”

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“You're leaving?” Ying asked.

“Yes. I've already been away for too long.”

“Where are you going?”

“To join the search for you!” Long said with a wink.

“Where will you go? I will do everything I can to direct the search away from your destination.”

Ying glanced at the bundle of qiangs. He knew exactly where he'd be going, but he didn't want to tell Long. “I'm not sure,” Ying lied.

“You should go to the wharf and attempt to arrange passage to some place far from Jinan,” Long said. “I will keep my team away from that area.”

“You will stay clear of the waterfront?” Ying asked. “How do I know I can trust you?”

Long stared at Ying. “Because I am a dragon.”

Ying returned the stare, but Long didn't flinch. Ying felt chi radiating from Long like heat from a flame. Long was without question a dragon. A strong one.

Ying waited for Long to say more, but Long only offered a slight bow. Ying returned the courtesy.

Long picked up the lantern and walked quickly away without so much as a parting glance. If Long was offended, Ying didn't care. Long would still keep his word. Likewise, Ying would keep his word to meet with his former brothers and sister at the wharf after sunset tomorrow. In the meantime, he saw no reason not to get some rest here in the tunnel.

Ying took a deep breath and exhaled. The earthy odor reminded him of the time he used to spend alone in Cangzhen's escape tunnels. For some reason, he had always been happiest alone and underground.

Comfortable and relaxed, Ying flipped the hourglass, closed his eyes, and drifted off to sleep.

Ying woke some hours later, completely refreshed. He sat up in the dim underground room and saw that the candle had burned down to a short stub and the vast majority of sand had sifted to the lower half of the hourglass. It was time to go.

Ying stood and wrapped his chain whip around his waist, noticing a pile of luxurious white silk in one corner. He tore a piece free and tied it across his face, then grabbed the qiangs.

Ying made it through the tunnel and temple back room without any problems. Once outside, he felt as if he had the entire city to himself. He could not see, hear, or sense another soul. The soldiers were most likely resting, as Long had suggested, and the civilians would be under curfew. Anyone who wasn't part of Tonglong's forces would be forbidden to walk the streets until daybreak.

Ying glanced up at the clear night sky. The storm had moved on, leaving a humid late-summer stickiness in its wake. It was going to be a warm day. He could tell by the position of the moon that the sun would be rising in a couple of hours. He needed to get moving.

Ying headed for the waterfront. He wanted to scout the area where he was to meet Hok that evening. He also wanted to see someone about bartering the qiangs. His bruised ribs and shoulders were sore from lugging them around, and they weren't exactly the most subtle weapons to carry. What he needed was a short qiang.




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