“Wait?” Malao said. “What more do we need to know? Fu is in trouble! He's our brother, and we have to help him!”
“Keep your voice down,” Hok said. “I know it's difficult to accept, but there's nothing we can do. Not only does Captain Yue have fifty men, Ying also sent Commander Woo with a large group of reinforcements to meet up with them. Even if we could find the village, we wouldn't have a chance.”
“You're always so … logical,” Malao said, frustrated. He took several deep breaths. “What if we got to the village before Captain Yue?”
“You'd have to find it first.”
“Maybe my friend here can show us the way. He led me back to Cangzhen.” Malao looked at the white monkey. The monkey came over to his side and sat down.
Malao scratched his head. “What's the name of the village?”
“I don't know,” Hok replied. “All I know is the Governor lives there and—”
The white monkey suddenly jumped up and grabbed Malao's hand.
“Hey!” Malao whispered. “He knows the word Governor! I bet he knows where the village is! Let's go!”
Hok raised one hand. “Even if your little friend is clever enough to find the village, I think at least one of us should stay here to keep an eye on Ying. There is much at stake, Malao.”
“I know what you're saying, but I have to do something, Hok. Fu is part of our family.”
Hok stared at Malao, unblinking. “If you don't get to Fu before Captain Yue does, Fu will be surrounded by at least fifty soldiers. Do you understand what you'd be getting yourself into?”
“Not really,” Malao said. “But that's never stopped me before.” He grinned.
Hok sighed. “If you feel you must go, I understand.”
Malao nodded. He squeezed the white monkey's hand three times and released it. The monkey sprang into the darkness.
Malao waved goodbye to Hok and shot out of the hollow like a lead ball from a qiang.
The rest of the night, Malao followed the white monkey through the forest. By sunrise, they reached the spot where he had slept near the stream. The white monkey let out a long shriek and the entire monkey troop came into view.
To Malao's surprise, the white monkey leaped onto his shoulder and released a tremendous howl. Every monkey in the troop took notice. The white monkey patted Malao's bald head, howled again, and raced upstream. The rest of the monkeys followed. So did Malao.
The monkeys didn't pay much attention to Malao, and Malao gave them even less notice. He was too busy trying to follow without losing his footing on the slippery stream bank. It got even worse in the middle of the day, when they changed directions and turned into the forest. Unable to pick his way through the thick undergrowth, Malao took to the trees. In no time, his hands began to ache and his shoulders grew sore. He knew he couldn't keep this up much longer. Fortunately, he didn't have to.
In the distance, one of the monkey scouts began to chatter. The rest of the troop instantly reacted, screeching and howling and carrying on like they had when they encountered the bandits’ caravan.
A voice rang out through the forest.
“ON YOUR GUARD! MONKEY TROOP! PROTECT THE SUPPLY CARTS!”
Great, Malao thought. Here we go again. …
Ying looked up from the trail as the sound of screeching macaques and shouting soldiers filled the forest ahead. He turned around to face Tonglong, who was riding high atop his stallion. The horse's pitch-black coat glistened in the midday sun.
“Do you recognize any of those voices?” Ying asked.
“Yes,” Tonglong said. “Some of the voices belong to Commander Woo's unit, and some belong to the soldiers you sent with Captain Yue. The two groups must have rendezvoused.”
“I agree,” Ying said. “It's a good thing we left Cangzhen when we did. It sounds like a monkey troop is getting the best of them. I believe I heard Captain Yue shriek like a woman a moment ago.” Ying shook his head. “I had a hunch those two would somehow botch this assignment. Stay here while I investigate. When your unit catches up, have them prepare their qiangs. Perhaps we'll have monkey stew tonight.”
“What do you intend to do?” Tonglong asked.
“I'm not sure,” Ying replied. “But whatever it is, you can bet it will be something … educational.” He smirked.
Tonglong shifted in his saddle.
Two soldiers carrying a long pole approached from behind Tonglong. A pale young monk in an orange robe hung from the pole, bound at the wrists and ankles like a hunting trophy. The monk appeared to be unconscious.
“Here comes your unit now,” Ying said. “Make sure the entire group is assembled before you move forward. In the meantime, remain as quiet as possible and keep an eye on Hok. You should take as much care restraining him as you did catching him last night. Though he's a crane, he can be as sneaky as a snake.”