Outside the Cangzhen perimeter wall, Commander Woo squinted in the late-morning sun and ran his fingers through a section of charred earth. He raised one hand to his nose, and his head recoiled from the smell. “Are you certain this mark was left by a ghost?” he asked the soldier beside him.
“Yes, sir,” the soldier replied nervously. “I'm positive. I believe it is the same restless spirit we've felt watching us. It may also be the same one responsible for stealing the Grandmaster's body. Last night, four other soldiers and I saw the spirit soar from the burning rooftop right through the middle of the tree behind us. It touched down on top of the wall and paused before floating down somewhere beyond, which I believe is right where we're standing now. Flames followed it the whole way down. I think that's what burned the ground here. It must be a very powerful spirit to have fire flowing from it like that. I'm concerned, sir.”
“Concerned about what?” Commander Woo asked.
The soldier lowered his head and shuffled his feet. “The spirit promised to hunt me and the others down and devour our souls if we mentioned what we saw to anyone. It said it would go after our families, too—”
“What's this nonsense about a spirit?” Ying suddenly appeared from around the front corner of the perimeter wall.
Commander Woo jumped. “Sir!”
“Don't you remember our little discussion earlier this morning, Commander?” Ying asked. “I thought I made it clear that I didn't want to hear any more talk of spirits. Now I find you out here, still discussing spirits. Why are you indulging the men with this nonsense? Ghosts do not exist.”
Commander Woo cleared his throat and pointed to the ground. “But we have proof, sir.”
“Step aside,” Ying said. He stuck his face near the burn mark. The grooves in his face deepened as he grimaced. “I know this smell. One of the young monks has made it a habit to skip as many bathing sessions as possible. His feet are particularly pungent.” Ying looked at the soldier. “Tell me what you saw last night. Or at least what you thought you saw.”
The soldier cleared his throat. “Pardon me for saying this, sir, but I saw a spirit. I am certain of it. What I saw could not have possibly been a human, let alone a boy.”
“Why do you say that?” Ying asked.
“The spirit leaped all the way from the bathhouse roof, through the middle of that large tree, to the wall behind us. It landed perfectly in the center of the wall and paused for only the briefest of moments before floating down to the ground beyond. No human could do that.”
“Do you think a monkey could do it?” Ying asked.
“Well, I don't know …,” the soldier said, rubbing his chin. “I suppose. But monkeys can't talk, sir. The spirit we saw gave us a warning.”
“Listen closely, soldier,” Ying said. “You listen, too, Commander Woo. Share this information with the other men. I have reviewed the bodies of the fallen monks a second time, and I am certain five boys escaped our attack. One of the boys is called Malao, which means ‘monkey’ in Cantonese. I believe he is the one who took the decorated stick from that useless soldier on the night of the attack. He is probably still around. Malao could make the leap you claim is impossible for a human. I've seen him do more impressive things in the past.”
“But, sir,” Commander Woo said. “Surely any human that could manage a leap like that is in some way connected to the spirit world.”
Ying snickered. “No, Commander. You are mistaken. At times these boys seem superhuman, but believe me, they are not. They are just very, very skilled and have extraordinary natural abilities. Fortunately, not all of them have learned to control their instinctive behaviors. This makes them vulnerable. We shall catch them, and you will see for yourself. But that is still several days off.”
“Several days, sir?” Commander Woo asked.
“Maybe more, maybe less,” Ying replied. “Who knows with this pathetic group of soldiers. Tonglong is on his way to the Emperor, and Captain Yue and his men are out searching for the boy called Fu, who stole the dragon scrolls from us. I don't expect either of them to return for a couple days, and we will not make any major moves until they both return. Do I make myself clear, Commander?”
Commander Woo swallowed hard and nodded.
“Fight! Fight! Fight!” the bandits chanted. Secured in the net, Malao struggled to catch a glimpse of his brother Seh among the bandits. It took Malao a moment to recognize his tallest brother, who stood at the front of the group wearing a brilliant blue silk robe. Seh's long, narrow eyes were barely visible beneath a fine silk hat that covered his bald head. He looked much older in that outfit.