“Is it really worth it, Fu?” Hok asked. “Ying is more powerful than you know. You should let it go.”
“We could do it if we worked together,” Fu said, slamming his fist into his open palm. “I know we could.”
“Trust me, Fu,” Hok said. “We can't succeed. If we had Seh and Long with us, we might stand a chance, but Malao has discovered that Seh is off recruiting additional helpers, and Long has disappeared without a trace. I don't think you realize what we're up against. Ying has grown stronger since he left Cangzhen, and Tonglong is unbelievable. Tonglong's hearing and eyesight are amazing, and his kung fu is very powerful—different from anything I've ever seen before. He's the one who caught me.”
“I defeated him once,” Fu said. “I can do it again.”
“I mean you no disrespect, Fu,” said Hok, “but I think perhaps you got lucky.”
“Oh, yeah? Well, I think—”
“Stop it!” Malao shouted. “Stop it right now! You are the two most stubborn people I've ever met in my life! We need to get going!”
“I'm not going anywhere,” Fu said. “Not without the scrolls.”
Malao rolled his eyes. He looked at Hok. “What are you going to do?”
Hok took a deep breath. “I've decided that I'm going to Shaolin. Alone, if I have to.”
Fu looked at Malao. “I guess it's up to you.”
Malao blinked. “Me? Why me? You know I can't make decisions.”
“Just pick one,” Fu said. “I'm staying. He's going. It's that simple.”
Malao shuffled his feet.
“Pick one, Malao,” Fu urged. “Him? Or me?”
“Or you can go off alone,” Hok added.
Malao twitched. “Alone? I don't want to be alone….”
Fu froze. He locked eyes with Malao and something powerful passed between them. Fu realized he and Malao had something in common after all. Just like true brothers.
Malao smiled at Fu. “I think I'll—”
KAA-BOOM!
The three young warrior monks jumped. Fu looked over at the soldier who had been attacked by the cub and saw the man still lying on his stomach. The soldier's smoking qiang lay just within his reach, his limp hand on the trigger. Fu saw a splintered hole at the base of a tree next to the soldier. The soldier had successfully fired a warning shot.
Fu turned back to Malao.
Malao smiled again. “Let's have some fun, Pussycat!”
And for the first time since Ying returned to Cangzhen, Fu smiled.
Lying at the foot of a large bush, his face pressed deep in the dirt, Tonglong also smiled.