In the last chapter, our four adventurers meet the “Unexpected One”- a precocious twelve-year-old child sage. The seer provided a cryptic I-Ching fortune and pointed to a dragon. Sheng Yao, the Red Dragons Incense Master, is dead. The way is now made clear with the second haiku in their possession. Or is it? Find out in Chapter 25. Enjoy.
Chapter 25
June 28, 2023
Mei walked into the room with a bowl of chicken soup and asked, “How are you feeling?”
Master Zhao sat up in bed with a groan, “Like I was run over by a truck.”
“They are asking about you. You are fortunate to have such good friends.”
“I am indeed fortunate.”
“Bāo, in particular, wants to speak with you.”
“I feel stronger. Please ask him to come in.”
Within minutes, Bāo entered the room and said, “I was so worried about you. I feared that I would never speak with you again.”
“Then now is a good time for us to talk. What’s on your mind?”
“I want to tell you that I am sorry for stealing. I don't know why I did it. I have put myself and all of you in danger. Why didn’t you shame me about it?”
“You had apologized before, and that was sufficient. Socrates said, ‘Evil is turned into good in the mind.’ You convinced yourself you had the right. Others had more than you. It is easy to steal from strangers.”
Bāo declared, “I am not impulsive anymore.”
“I know that you are not. I am proud of you, Bāo. Listen carefully. Guilt and shame are large rocks to carry. Eventually, the weight is burdensome. We must set it down. Do you understand?”
Teary-eyed, Bāo replied, “Yes, I understand.”
“Where are the others?”
“Waiting.”
“Ask them to come in. We have an important decision to make”.
Yan and Juān entered the room and near the bed. Master Zhao said, “Today, we discovered the brass Buddha, the ‘text stone’ and the second haiku. Most archaeologists in their lifetimes will never have the success you achieved in days. Our pursuer, Sheng Yao, is dead, and your lives are no longer in danger. If we continue to Mount Hua, the journey will be difficult, for we are entering the rainy season. My question to you is, do you wish to continue?”
Bāo said, “Mei said the legend described four souls fleeing a dragon and finding an unknown treasure in a mountain cave. Yao, a Red Dragon member, pursued us and has been eliminated. The gold bracelet should not be returned to the monastery until we find the treasure. My actions sparked this journey. An unknown force compels me. I wish to continue.”
Yan said, “I have studied to pass the Gaokao and attend university. That experience pales in comparison to bonds of friendship and fate. I cannot turn back now.”
Master Zhao spoke directly to Juān, “You started this journey for one reason: compassion. You warned us of our pursuer. Yao is now no more, and that has changed everything. Do you wish to return to Chengdu?”
Juān said, “Maybe it was compassion that brought me here. I was worried once I learned that someone was coming after you. There was only one course of action: to find and warn you.” She hesitated, “I have a secret to tell. I was running from someone. I was in Chengdu to start a new life.”
Yan asked, “Who?”
“My father. He was cruel, and my childhood was full of misery. My parents were extremely critical, which harmed my self-confidence. Leaving Zengshou for Chengdu was my only hope. One night, my father's drunken rage reached an unbearable level. I ran, bringing nothing with me, not even shoes. Benefactors helped me in my pursuit of a stable life. My life now is anything but stable, but meeting all of you has been a blessing. You are the family I desire, so I will continue.”
Master Zhao confidently said, “That settles it. We will travel to Mount Hua and discover its secret.”
***
That evening, Master Zhao met with the library attendant .” Do you have any books on the five great mountains of China?”
“Many. What is it that you need specifically?”
“I need to see photos of Mount Hua.”
The attendant walked between two shelves of books and removed a large book from a bottom shelf. “These are photos of Huashan Mountain.” Turning to the index, he said, “Let's see. Here it is, Mount Hua, pages 227 to 240.”
He walked to the table and set the book down. Master Zhao turned to the pages identified. He looked at the description, which showed the many peaks of Mount Hua. A caption read, “Five peaks surround a high plateau, accessed by Black Dragon Ridge beyond the north peak. The five peaks are Cloud Terrace, Wild Goose Landing, Facing the Sun, Lotus Flower, and Jade Maiden.”
Master Zhao scanned pages for clues. He focused on a photo of what appeared to be the image displayed in the gold bracelet's ‘yellow moon.’ He touched the photo and said, “That's it.”
The attendant said, “Lotus Flower, the West Peak.” The image showed the top of the mountain as it disappeared into the clouds, its face illuminated by the sun.
Master Zhao recalled the image of the ‘yellow moon’ in the gold bracelet. “This is the spot. It looks like a cave entrance on the side of the mountain.”
Immediately, the attendant cautioned, “Tourists do not go there.”
Master Zhao quickly rebuffed, “We are not tourists.”
The attendant pointed with a pencil and said, “As I recall, on my last visit, a high-speed cable car took you from here to here in fifteen minutes.”
Master Zhao, sensing the attendant’s misgiving, said, “If it is as dangerous as you say, then we will need a guide.”
“You will need more than a guide. You will need an expert climber. I know of one and can make introductions”.
“Thank you.”
“Don't thank me, you haven't met him yet.”
***
Ong Jin, the Dragon Head, sat in his office reading Caijing, an independent magazine based in Beijing that covered social, economic, and political issues. His secretary's voice came through the intercom on his desk.
“You have a phone call from the people’s police in Luoyang.”
“Who?”
“They didn’t say.”
“Okay. Put them through.”
The person on the other end did not identify himself, but Jin recognized the informant's voice as a Red Dragons contact within the People’s Police Department in Luoyang. “Sheng Yao is dead.”
Surprised, Jin questioned, “Dead! How? Where?”
“Rising Sun monastery. A Shaolin Monk killed him.”
Jin did not reply. He slowly placed the hand receiver on the base and attempted to sort things out. Two of the top three ranking positions of the Sun Yee On, Red Dragons, are now dead. Word travels fast. My position is voted on by all Sun Yee On guilds. They will see me as weak. The Amur Leopards will try to take advantage of our situation. I must inform the department heads in gambling, racketeering, smuggling, narcotics, and logistics.
Jin picked up the phone and called the secretary, “Call all the directors for an emergency meeting tonight. Also, get our Security Director. I need to see him immediately.”
Within the hour, the Director of Red Dragons security sat in Jin’s office. “Sheng Yao was a powerful man. Whoever killed him has great skills.”
Embarrassed, Jin did not want to agree with the Security Director. “We must step up security in all areas. We are vulnerable now. I need two of your best men to be my bodyguards starting now.” The Security Director stood, bowed, and exited the room.
Jin’s phone rang. His secretary said, “I have Chan Guo on the line.”
Jin answered, “Hello, Guo. Hope you are well.”
No formalities were reciprocated. Guo said, “There is a meeting of all Triad organizations tonight at 9 o'clock at the shipping dock conference room. You are expected to be there.” Jin did not reply, and he heard a dial tone. Jin sat and contemplated his next move. He was out of time.