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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.

“ F ight! 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.
    The bandit Hung pointed one of his enormous war hammers at Seh. “Why don't
you
fight him, newcomer?”
    “I have no complaints against the boy,” Seh replied. “In fact, if it were up to me, I would let him go. I thought he performed valiantly. But out of respectfor your grudge, I suggest you fight him. We form a ring, and the two of you battle until only one is left standing. The one standing determines the fate of the fallen one. What do you say,
Bear
? Or are you afraid of the little monkey?”
    “Watch your mouth,” Hung warned, “or your liver may end up in my soup, too. I don't care that the men have already welcomed you into our group. You've only been with us a few hours. You've yet to prove yourself in my eyes. I will gladly—”
    “HUNG!” said a deep voice from the back of the group. Malao watched as the bandits parted and a second giant of a man came forward. While Hung was one of the largest humans Malao had ever seen, this man was
the
largest. And Malao had seen him before. The giant had occasionally been a guest of Grandmaster's at Cangzhen!
    The man was impossible to forget. He wore a red silk robe as big as a tent, and his head and face were smooth like a monk's. In fact, every speck of the man's glistening skin was strangely devoid of hair. He didn't even have eyebrows. Like Hung, the bandit leader was extraordinarily tall and big-boned. Unlike Hung, this man was pure muscle. The sleeves of his robe bulged and rippled as he folded his gargantuan arms and addressed Hung.
    “What are you up to now?”
    “I'm just about to tenderize my lunch,” Hung replied, waving a hammer. “Would you like to join me, Mong?”
    Mong?
Malao thought.
That's another Cantonese name! It means “python.” That man kind of looks like a python, just like Hung kind of looks like a bear. What's going on here?
    “You're going to eat that little boy?” Mong asked, chuckling. “He wouldn't even qualify as a snack