Jeff Stone_Five Ancestors 03 Read online

  Table of Contents

  Other Books By This Author

  Title Page

  Dedication

  A Legendary Pursuit!

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  About the Author

  Copyright

  For more than forty years,

  Yearling has been the leading name

  in classic and award-winning literature

  for young readers.

  Yearling books feature children's

  favorite authors and characters,

  providing dynamic stories of adventure,

  humor, history, mystery, and fantasy.

  Trust Yearling paperbacks to entertain,

  inspire, and promote the love of reading

  in all children.

  The Five Ancestors

  Boo k 1: Tiger

  Book 2: Monkey

  Book 3: Snake

  Book 4: Crane

  For my brothers,

  Joe and Jagsen

  A Legendary Pursuit!

  With their enemy hot on their heels, three of Cangzhen's young warrior monks flee to the famed Shaolin Temple for sanctuary. Upon their arrival, they discover to their horror that Shadin has been. destroyed! Then the young monks hear rumors of a, bandit gang whose leader was a-frequent visitor to Cangzhen. Perhaps he holds the key to their destiny as …

  the Five Ancestors.

  HENAN PROVINCE, CHINA

  4344—YEAR OF THE DOG

  (1646 AD)

  Eight-year-old Seh slid his lanky body along the enormous rafter high above the Cangzhen banquet table, doing his best to disturb as little dust as possible. Even in a room as dark as this, Grandmaster would notice a single particle drifting toward the floor. Grandmaster was that good.

  But Seh was better. As long as he didn't lose focus.

  Once in position, Seh stretched to his full length and flattened himself against the top of the wooden beam. He began to slow his breathing. His heart rate slowed to that of a hibernating reptile beneath a sheet of ice. Seh began to wait.

  An hour later, Grandmaster entered the room. Although Grandmaster didn't say a word, Seh knew exactly who it was. He sensed powerful chi—life energy— radiating from Grandmaster's body like heat from the sun.

  Seh slowed his breathing further. He needed to keep his heart rate as slow as possible so that the chi coursing through his own nervous system would not alert Grandmaster to his presence. As long as he remained calm, Grandmaster would not detect him. Dragon-style kung fu masters like Grandmaster and Seh's brother Long possessed tremendous amounts of chi, but they weren't particularly good at detecting it in others. Snake stylists like Seh, however, were masters at detecting the most minute amounts in any living creature.

  As Grandmaster stepped farther into the hall, Seh heard a second man stop in the doorway. Seh took a long, slow breath.

  Seh focused on the visitor and noticed something strange. The man seemed to possess no chi at all, which was impossible. All living things possessed chi. This could mean only one thing—Grandmaster's visitor was masking his, something only snake-style kung fu masters knew how to do. And the only snake-style master to ever visit Grandmaster in the middle of the night was—

  One corner of Seh's mouth slid down his long face in a lopsided frown. He peeked over the rafter toward the moonlit doorway and his eyes confirmed what the pit of his stomach already knew. Grandmaster's visitor was a man named Mong, a local bandit leader. Mong meant “python” in Cantonese. Seh had had more than one humiliating encounter with the gigantic snake-style kung fu master over the years, and he had no interest in seeing the man again.

  Grandmaster turned to Mong and whispered, “Do you sense that we are alone?”

  Seh remained perfectly still and watched Mong scan the room. Seh was enshrouded in darkness and positioned at a severe angle from the doorway. He was certain he was invisible. Yet when Mong's eyes hesitated as they passed over the rafter, Seh knew he had been discovered. Mong had sensed his chi. Seh was about to begin his retreat when Mong turned toward Grandmaster.

  “Yes, we are alone,” Mong said. “Nothing here but the occasional small pest.” Mong entered the hall and closed the doors behind him.

  Seh clenched his teeth. Pest? he thought. Seh wondered whether Mong was trying to make him angry so that his heart rate would rise and he'd reveal himself. There was nothing Seh hated more than getting caught when he was sneaking around.

  Seh did his best to stay calm. He needed to stay focused. He suspected that Grandmaster and Mong were both dealers of secrets. They would trade them like other people traded gold for silk or silver for swords. Seh wanted those secrets. Especially if they involved him and his brothers—and Seh had a hunch they would.

  “What news do you bring?” Grandmaster asked Mong. “And what might you require in return for sharing it?”

  “I have no new information,” Mong replied. “This visit is purely personal.”

  Grandmaster nodded. “The boys are progressing well,” he said. “I suspect they'll all be masters in record time. Though I worry about the maturity level of some of them. Fu and Malao in particular come to mind.”

  Mong chuckled. “I imagine Fu and Malao could be a handful, especially if they're together. How is Long doing?”

  “Very well,” Grandmaster replied. “He is wise beyond his years.”

  “That's good,” Mong said. “And what about the girl?”

  “Hok is progressing well, too.”

  Seh nearly tumbled off the rafter. Hok? A girl? He took a long, slow breath. Mong was trying to break his concentration, and that last bit of information had nearly done it. But Seh was certain he could remain calm, no matter what Mong said next.

  He was wrong.

  “And what about my son?” Mong asked.

  No …, Seh thought. It can't be…. He swallowed hard as his heart began to beat in his throat. He couldn't control it. He glared down at Mong, wondering if it was a trick.

  It wasn't.

  Grandmaster glanced up at the beam. “Seh is also progressing well. Perhaps too well. I worry about him most of all.”

  HENAN PROVINCE, CHINA

  4348—YEAR OF THE TIGER

  (1650 AD)

  After years of sneaking around, few things surprised twelve-year-old Seh anymore. The attack on Cang-zhen, however, had caught him completely off guard.

  As Seh slipped through the undergrowth, leaving the destruction far behind, he knew exactly what he needed to do—get more information. Spying on Grandmaster had taught him that the more information a person had, the more influence that person had. And with enough influence, a single person could convince many others to join his cause.

  Seh knew he was going to need help. A lot of help.

  Ying was going to pay for this.

  Four hours from Cangzhen's burning courtyards, Seh stopped at the edge of a moonlit clearing. The treeless expanse had b
een formed by a gigantic rock slide, originating somewhere higher up the face of ShiShan Mountain, looming to his right. Mount ShiShan had long been rumored to be the home of numerous organizations that preferred to operate outside the normal boundaries of society and law. Its shadow had been the perfect location for a temple like Cangzhen.

  Seh had overheard Grandmaster mention several times that this clearing was a secret meeting place. Seh wondered if he met anyone here, which side of the shadows they would reside on. He tightened the sash around his orange robe and stepped out into the open. The pit of his stomach immediately began to tingle. He sensed chi. Human chi. Someone was out there.

  Seh spun around and slipped beneath a large slab of stone jutting out from a pile of boulders. He lay on his side, curled into a ball. It wasn't a perfect hiding place, but it would have to do.

  Seh rested his cheek on the cold, rocky ground and held his breath. He did not feel any vibrations. No one was moving. At least not yet.

  He raised his head slightly and began to breathe… slowly… deeply. He scanned the moonlit surroundings, and his ears strained to pick up any sounds. Nothing. There was still a fair amount of chi in the air, but Seh could not pinpoint the source.

  And then something stirred in the tree line across the clearing. Seh locked on its position. He hissed softly and compressed every muscle in his body, poised to strike.

  “I hope you took your shoes off before crawling into my living room,” a nasal voice said from across the clearing. “I'd hate for you to dirty up the place.”

  Beneath the slab of stone, Seh blinked twice. He had a hard time believing what he was hearing—or seeing.

  A strange-looking man stepped from the tree line into the moonlight and began to wobble directly toward Seh's hiding place. The man was of average height, but he had curiously short arms and legs. His stubby legs worked double time to move him along at a normal pace, and his long torso swayed as he walked. Though the air was chilly, the man wore only a tattered vest and threadbare silk pants torn off at the knees. He was streaked with dirt from head to toe, and his long, thinning hair was matted with bits of leaves and twigs. A similarly long, thin mustache hung down on either side of his tiny mouth, stretching almost to his chest.

  As the man scurried forward, he scratched his extremely wide nose with a dirty fingernail. His nose looked like it had been pounded flat with a hammer.

  Seh grimaced. He had never seen a man so ugly or so filthy. The man didn't smell so great, either.

  The dirty man stopped in front of the stone slab. He peered into the moon shadows beneath and frowned. “That was a joke, kid. Don't you find it funny?”

  Seh didn't reply. He stared hard at the disgusting man.

  “My, you're a serious one,” the man said. “Come on out, then. Let's forget the small talk and get down to business. I suppose you have information to exchange.”

  Seh didn't reply.

  “People only come here for one reason,” the man said. “Especially in the middle of the night. Do you have information to exchange or not?”

  “I might,” Seh replied.

  “You might,” the man repeated, shaking his head. He knelt down and leaned toward Seh. “Get out of there.”

  Seh compressed his body and sank farther under the slab. He wedged his back between the heavy rock and the ground.

  “If you want information, we're going to do things my way,” the man said. “We're going to play a little game. You'll stand a much better chance if you crawl out of there. Trust me.”

  “Trust you?” Seh said. “I don't even know you.”

  The dirty man sighed and one of his hands shot forward, grabbing Seh's wrist with an iron grip. Seh expanded his body and locked himself into place, but the man was unbelievably strong. Rock and stony earth scratched Seh as he was dragged out from under the slab. He writhed and twisted and tried to pull free, but the dirty man held fast.

  Seh grunted as he struggled to his feet. “Don't… make me … hurt you.”

  The dirty man laughed. “Hurt me? I'm counting on it! One new thing you'll know for every solid blow! That's the name of the game. Understand?”

  “No …,” Seh replied, struggling to pull his arm free. “I strongly suggest you release me. This is your last warning—”

  “That's the spirit!” the man said. “Fight back, and perhaps I'll answer some of your questions. One new thing you'll know for every solid blow! If you land a solid blow, I have to answer one question. Likewise, if I land a solid blow, you have to answer one of my questions. I've been playing this game with travelers for years, which is probably why my nose looks the way it does. Some people think I've been hit in the head a few too many times, and perhaps they're right. But for some reason, I can't seem to stop playing. I love it! I find friendly sparring matches a great way to exchange information with strangers. Why, just the other day, I—umpfff!”

  The man's words were cut short by a lightning-quick front kick to the lips.

  Seh returned his foot to the ground and the pressure on his arm released. He jerked his wrist free and took a step back.

  The dirty man rubbed his jaw and looked down at Seh's foot. “Very nice kick!” he said with a bloody grin. “One new thing you'll know for every solid blow! For that lovely bit of footwork, I'll answer one question. Go ahead, ask me anything.”

  Seh stared at the man's happy, bleeding face. “Who are you?”

  “My name is NgGung.” The dirty man bowed.

  “Your name is… Centipede?” Seh said. “That's Cantonese.”

  “That's right,” NgGung said. “I have a Cantonese animal name, just like you, Seh”

  Seh's eyes widened. “How do you know my name?”

  NgGung laughed. “Not yet, kid. One new thing you'll know for every solid blow!”

  “But—”

  NgGung lunged forward and slammed the heel of his palm into the center of Seh's chest. Seh stumbled backward, certain he'd never been hit that hard before. NgGung's hand was as hard as stone.

  NgGung laughed again. “Yes! A solid blow for me! My turn to ask a question. Let's see…. Since you're here, I can only assume something has happened at Cangzhen. Ummm … Did someone attack the temple?”

  Seh coughed and rubbed his aching chest. “What? Yes. My former brother Ying, he—”

  NgGung raised a filthy hand. “Rules are rules. You just answered my question. More than one, actually. I'm not entitled to any more information. That is, until I hit you again!” NgGung lunged at Seh.

  Seh reacted without thinking. As NgGung came at him, Seh spun to one side and dropped low to the ground. He extended all four fingers on one hand and pulled them tightly together, bending his wrist ninety degrees. He tucked his thumb against the side of his hand, cocked the snake-head fist back to his ear, and thrust it forward with all his might straight into NgGung's midsection.

  Seh's hand bounced off NgGung's stomach like a spear tip bouncing off a thick plate of iron. Seh felt the reverberation all the way up to his elbow. He scowled and looked at NgGung, who stopped his attack and took a step back. NgGung grinned and opened his vest.

  Seh stared in disbelief. Even in the moonlight, he could tell that NgGung's stomach was unlike any he had ever seen. NgGung's abdominal muscles were thick like iron bands and perfectly formed. They looked like the segmented armor of an insect.

  NgGung pointed to a red mark just below his belly button. “Look here!” he said excitedly. “Your strike landed right on top of my dan tien—my chi center. You have excellent aim, my friend. That blow would have brought most men to their knees. However, I'd venture to say that that one hurt you more than it hurt me! Even so, we'll count it as a solid blow because of your amazing accuracy. In response to your question, I learned your name from Mong.”

  “Mong?” Seh said. “How do—”

  NgGung smiled and shook his head. “One new thing you'll know for every solid blow!” He took a step toward Seh, cocking one leg and one arm back.

  Seh
hissed. It was time to bring this game to an end.

  NgGung whipped his body around with amazing speed, extending one arm and one leg. Seh jumped over NgGung's spinning kick and barely raised his forearms in time to block NgGung's spinning arm. The impact of NgGung's arm against Seh's forearms sent Seh tumbling sideways through the air. Seh hit the ground on one shoulder and tucked into a roll. He popped up onto his feet and turned to face NgGung.

  NgGung was grinning from ear to ear. Seh was not. His forearms were killing him. NgGung's arm, like his stomach, was as hard as iron. Seh realized NgGung must practice Iron Shirt kung fu. Hitting any part of NgGung's upper body would be useless.

  “Well done!” NgGung said, walking toward Seh. “That was definitely a block on your part. No new information for me from that exchange! Get your hands up. Here I come again!”

  NgGung began to spin.

  Seh knew he couldn't go blow for blow with NgGung. He would end up breaking his hands—or worse. As NgGung neared, Seh got an idea. He leaned forward as though he were about to counterattack, but the moment NgGung's spinning arm and leg were about to connect with him, Seh launched himself up and backward. Seh easily cleared NgGung's leg, but NgGung's fist glanced off the side of Seh's slick bald head—just as Seh had hoped. Seh slumped to the ground and lay perfectly still.

  NgGung stopped spinning and looked down at Seh. “Well, well,” he said, stepping up to Seh in the moonlight. “This is a bit of a surprise. I thought you would have given me a better run.”

  NgGung kicked Seh hard in the stomach. It took every bit of willpower Seh had to leave his muscles loose and not tighten them against the kick. Seh wanted NgGung to be convinced he was unconscious.

  It worked. NgGung sighed and straddled Seh to pick him up. As soon as Seh sensed NgGung bending over him, Seh struck.

  Seh snapped his eyes open and jammed the first two fingers of both hands into pressure points on NgGung's inner thighs.

  NgGung's legs buckled. As NgGung sank toward the ground, Seh rolled onto his back and pulled his knees into his chest. Then he slid his legs along either side of NgGung's body and locked his ankles around NgGung, scissor-style.