The Tiger and the Demon (Wandering Phoenix and Roaming Tiger Episode 3) Read online

  Wandering Phoenix and Roaming Tiger

  Episode 3 – The Tiger and The Demon

  by Thaddeus White

  Text copyright © 2017 Thaddeus White

  All rights reserved

  Cover artwork © 2017 Jamie Glover

  Smashwords Edition

  This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to real-world persons, living or dead, places or events is entirely coincidental.

  Smashwords Edition Licence Notes

  This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Note on pronunciation, history and measures

  Many of the names have easy and obvious pronunciations but a few can look tricky to Western eyes. Here’s a short pronunciation guide:

  c = ts

  q = ch

  x = sh

  z = dz

  zh = j

  The story is not set in a particular part of China’s past, just a vague and fuzzy mythologised, fictional version.

  A few Chinese measures that may be used here and there:

  li = third of a mile

  catty = one and a third pound

  picul = 133.3lbs

  Part 7 – The tea fight ends abruptly, the Steel Shadow arrives in Tiangjin

  Guan Shi flicked the sleeves of his robe and rolled his neck around his shoulders. “Liu, leave the Purple Demon to me. You deal with the twenty idiots he brought with him.”

  Ba Renzhong nodded. “Men, handle the girl. Guan Shi is my concern.”

  Roaming Tiger and the Purple Demon faced one another and bowed, maintaining eye contact throughout. The moment Guan straightened his back he stamped on the table. Cups and teapot flew into the air and he swung his staff like bat, sending the crockery and boiling hot tea flying at Ba. The Purple Demon rolled beneath the barrage, sword lunging for Roaming Tiger’s heart.

  To the side, a flood of soldiers attacked Liu. After days practising with Guan, their movements were clumsy, their attacks slow. She parried low and struck high. Her staff broke bones and bruised stomachs, their swords cut empty air and stabbed shadows.

  Guan parried Ba’s sword and sliced his hand at the general’s exposed neck. The Purple Demon caught the wrist, but Guan twisted free and struck a glancing blow to Ba’s leg. To and fro they fought, their martial prowess as finely balanced as circus performers on a tightrope. One slip, and the duel would end.

  A dozen groaning soldiers were strewn across the floor, but the rest stayed a respectful distance away from Liu and her staff. She itched to help Guan, but that would mean exposing herself to an attack from the soldiers. Liu watched the two heroes fight, marvelling at their speed. On the other side, the soldiers did just the same. Behind the soldiers, Lin Mei shouted for the Purple Demon to behead Guan Shi.

  Guan felt the fatigue slow his reflexes far quicker than he’d expected. His vision blurred and his legs felt hollow. Ba knocked his staff aside but didn’t stab.

  “Something’s wrong,” Roaming Tiger said, the room spinning. He slumped to the ground.

  Ba Renzhong clicked his tongue and clenched his jaw.

  “That bitch poisoned the tea,” Liu said, pointing her staff at Lin Mei.

  The witch cackled. “Just a little something to make him drowsy. Now he’s all yours, Ba!”

  The Purple Demon stepped towards Guan, and sheathed his sword. With one hand he pulled Roaming Tiger to his feet and pushed him into Liu’s arms. “I can’t defeat him like this. I’d be a laughing stock amongst men of honour.”

  One of the soldiers said, “But General Ba, Lord Ximen gave orders.”

  Ba grunted. “I’ll take full responsibility. Guan, can you hear me?”

  Roaming Tiger nodded.

  “We’ll meet in three days in the market square for a duel. Nod if you agree. If not, I’ll have to follow my orders, even though it’d be dishonourable.”

  Guan nodded.

  “Are you mad? Just kill him!” Lin Mei shrieked.

  Ba sighed. “You might be pretty, but that soul of yours is shrivelled and rotten. Men, stand aside and let them leave.”

  The soldiers parted without question, and Liu led Guan out of the house, pausing only to meet Ba’s eye. Together, the Phoenix and the Tiger sought sanctuary in the night.

  After the pair had gone, Ba Renzhong returned to the manorial district to report to Lord Ximen. Normally the governor would be in bed with his floozies rather than doing his duty, but Ximen was preoccupied with Guan Shi. The governor was working his way through countless dishes when Ba strode into the audience chamber. A cool breeze stirred the hanging silk banners, and through the open window a bulbul sung.

  The Purple Demon fell to his knees, clasped his hands and bowed his head.

  Ximen kept his eyes on his table, gaze shifting from dish to dish, and chopsticks darting like a hummingbird’s beak. “Did you kill or capture the murderer?”

  “He turned up as expected, although the farm girl was also with him. However, halfway through our duel it was revealed the hostess had poisoned him and I was unable to finish the fight,” Ba reported. “We shall recommence in three days, in the market square.”

  Ximen threw a bowl of beef stew across the audience chamber. “What’s the matter with you? I gave you an order and you wilfully disobeyed! I’d be within my rights to execute you right now!”

  Ba Renzhong raised his head, met Ximen’s stare, and listened to the bird singing outside the window. “Yes, Your Excellency.”

  The governor stroked his slender beard. “Roaming Tiger is a ferocious warrior. What if you can’t beat him? You’ve thrown away a golden ingot because it was muddy!”

  Ba got to his feet and strode to the table. He seized a spare chopstick and hurled it into a dark corner of the audience chamber. A sudden shriek came from the rat he had killed, the chopstick protruding from its eye socket.

  “Guan Shi is a great warrior, it’s true. But so am I. Guan Song was no match for me, and I’ll cage the Tiger just like I caged the Lion.”

  Streets away in the darkness, Liu staggered under the weight of helping Guan walk. She was unfamiliar with the city, and headed for the only place she knew: Father Kui’s monastery.

  “Hey! What are you doing out at this hour?” a guard called as she crossed one of Tiangjin’s wide streets. The guard drew nearer.

  “My uncle’s wife died the other day, killed by the criminal Guan Shi in Xuzhou,” Liu said. “Uncle got himself so drunk he can barely walk, and I’m dragging him to Father Kui’s monastery so he can say prayers when he wakes up. Do you know the way? I got lost in the dark.”

  The guard nodded sympathetically. “We all heard about the prison riot that criminal started. I’m sorry for your loss. Just head that way,” he said, pointing east. “A few streets from here you’ll be able to smell the incense. Follow your nose and you’ll find it no problem.”

  Liu thanked him and went on her way, straining under Guan’s weight.

  When she finally reached the temple, the monks standing by the gate recognised Guan. One helped Liu take Roaming Tiger to bed rest, another fetched the abbot. Wandering Phoenix stayed by her teacher’s side. After a little while, Father Kui entered the small cell, a jug of wine in one hand and a bowl of
steaming hot vegetable soup in the other.

  “My monks told me you were here. What happened?” Father Kui asked, giving her the food and wine.

  Liu raised the jug to her lips and half-emptied it. “We were visiting Guan Song’s bed-warmer, Lin Mei. But she sold us out to Ba Renzhong, and poisoned Guan Shi’s tea. Halfway through a duel, Guan realised what had happened.” She frowned. “Ba let us go, on condition they fight a duel in three days. Why would he do that? He’s Ximen’s lapdog.”

  The abbot cradled his fingers together. “There are honourable and dishonourable men in every part of the world, Liu. You cannot judge a man by the banner of his lord, only the manner of his conduct. Now, you eat up whilst I examine Guan, just to make sure he’s ok.”

  Wandering Phoenix gladly drained the soup and drank the wine whilst Father Kui checked Guan’s pulse, eyes, breath and temperature. As he was doing so, Roaming Tiger’s eyes fluttered.

  “Liu… Sun…” he murmured, before slipping back to sleep.

  Father Kui scratched his temple. “He must be delirious if he thinks you’re his son.”

  “Maybe he’s worried about the Steel Shadow. If Guan Song wrote a letter to her as well, she could be here any moment!” Liu realised.

  The abbot got to his feet. “I’ll send two monks to watch the house and warn Sun Yang if she arrives. You stay with Guan, and get some rest yourself.”

  “I want to pray for my brother and father. Could you stay here until I’m done?”

  “Of course, child.”

  Liu walked to the votive candles burning for the spirits of Tong and Meng. She got down on her knees and prayed for their souls, before returning to Guan’s side. Before long, she was fast asleep. The sound of chatter woke her up before the sun rose. Liu got up, to find Guan and Sun the sorceress having breakfast. They were sat cross-legged at a low table, a third place set for her.

  “Thank you for saving Guan Shi. Again,” Sun said, pouring Liu a cup of tea.

  Wandering Phoenix rubbed the sleepiness from her eyes. “Someone has to. How come it took you so long to get here when you can run so fast?”

  The Steel Shadow said, “Simple. It took a lot longer for the messenger bird to reach my temple than it took the letter to reach Xuzhou. I only received Guan Song’s message a few hours ago. Luckily, the monks intercepted me before I could be deceived by Lin Mei.”

  Guan Shi stroked his moustache. “You were lucky, and so was I. Ba Renzhong used a vixen to catch a fox with perfect strategy. If he’d been a less honourable man, we’d both be dead already. But fate has handed us a golden opportunity.”

  Liu sipped her tea. “How? Guan Song is captive, and you’ve promised to fight Old Purpleface.”

  Guan gestured to Sun, and let the sorceress explain. “In martial arts, tempo means in the time you can do one thing, the enemy can do one thing. The same applies to strategy. When the Purple Demon is fighting Guan Shi, he can’t be guarding Guan Song.”

  Roaming Tiger nodded. “Ximen’s soldiers are donkeys led by a dragon. Only Ba Renzhong is worth a damn, and he’s a great warrior. And the three day delay gives us time to scout out the prison.”

  “Leave that to me,” Sun said. “You need to get your strength back.”

  “I’m coming too,” Liu said.

  Sun shook her head, “It’ll be easier for me to go alone. Besides, if the soldiers discover Roaming Tiger is here before he’s recovered, he’ll need you to fight for him.”

  Liu sighed. “Fine. But in three days I’m going to take my boredom out on the prison guards.”

  “Once you rescue little brother, go to Fort Silverheart, in the mountains. The commandant is Wu Jin, Guan Song’s blood brother. He’s sure to help out, and the fortress is far from Ximen’s grasping claws,” Guan Shi said.

  “What about you?” Liu asked. “Even if you beat the Purple Demon, you’ll be all alone.”

  Roaming Tiger laughed. “I’ll have my karma. And my quarterstaff.”

  Sun finished off her tea, and pulled a calligraphy brush, inkstone and paper from her pack. Pouring a little tea from the pot onto the inkstone to wet it, she started drawing strange characters on the paper.

  “What are those?” Liu asked. “My father taught me to read but I’ve never seen those symbols.”

  “I should hope not,” was all Sun said.

  Once she had a dozen slips of paper marked with the magic characters, the sorceress got to her feet. “Time to see how the prison looks. I’ll be back for dinner.”

  The Steel Shadow left Liu and Guan in the temple, and meandered through Tiangjin in the direction of Ximen’s district. When she reached the gate, Sun hid around a corner and bound one of the slips of paper around her wrist. In an instant, she vanished. Only Sun’s footprints and her shadow remained. The Steel Shadow wandered towards the gate, careful to stay in the shadows so her own would not alert the guards, and entered the governor’s private district.

  Before her, at the end of a long street, was Ximen’s palace. To her left was his household and familial homes, where his concubines, best friends and extended family lived in idle luxury. To her right was the military quarter, where General Ba’s manor was located, as well as the garrison and the prison.

  Sun crept towards the prison complex, off-duty guards wandering hither and thither. She stayed right by the wall to hide her shadow. Two soldiers followed her, walking with drunken gaits.

  “What’s this?” one said, prodding her footprint with his spear.

  The second guard crouched down to examine it.

  Sun wrested the spear from the first man and smashed it into his groin. Two strikes, one to the back of each guard’s head, knocked the wits from them. She discarded the spear and sighed.

  “That wasn’t very subtle of me. If someone spots these fools, the whole place will be crawling with guards.”

  The Steel Shadow clambered up the nearest wall, removed her sandals and hung them around her neck (a little tricky when they’re invisible, dear reader), and scampered across the tiles of the wall that encircled Ximen’s district.

  The prison area was full to bursting with guards. Prisoners were kept in large cages, usually in large groups, but one cage had a single captive: Guan Song. There were twenty guards within earshot of the cage, and Sun was afraid if she tried to speak with him she’d be caught. A shout from further back in the district let her know the two fools had been found.

  Without a moment’s delay, the Steel Shadow hopped off the wall, on the side of the Serene Gardens district. She ripped off the magic character that made her invisible, and at once returned to normal. After she put her sandals back on, Sun grabbed a nearby pebble and scratched the word ‘lion’ onto the whitewashed wall.

  The sorceress strolled through Tiangjin back to the temple, just in time for dinner.

  “I found the Jade Lion. But there are a lot of guards,” Sun said.

  Guan stroked his moustache. “Many of them will be attending the duel, especially if Ximen turns up to watch.”

  Liu grunted, her mouth half-full of beef. “They’re worthless anyway. Every one that gets in my way will be kissing the dirt.”

  When a tiger fights a demon, who can say which will win? Read the next chapter, if you would know.

  Part 8 – Roaming Tiger and the Purple Demon fight, the Jade Lion escapes

  For three days, Guan, Liu and Sun stayed within the grounds of the temple. After the first day, Roaming Tiger’s strength had returned fully and he divided his time between sparring with Liu and Sun, and meditation.

  By the time of the third sunrise, Liu was itching for a fight. A woman of action confined in a temple soon gets irritable, and the Buddha-like calm of Guan and Sun only sharpened her thirst for freedom. And yet when she did finally behold the dawn, Liu realised it might be the last one Guan Shi ever saw.

  “You’re up early,” Roaming Tiger said.

  Liu kept her eyes to the east, standing at one of the temple’s small windows. “I couldn’t sleep. Do
you think you’ll beat him?”

  “Perhaps. Ba Renzhong is a very capable warrior.”

  “Will you kill him, if you win?”

  Guan grunted. “Of course not. I’ll be executed if I lose, but if the Purple Demon hadn’t spared us, we’d both be dead already. A man can’t forget a debt like that.”

  Liu turned to look at him. “Good luck, Guan.”

  “I wouldn’t worry. Death is one of the few certainties in life, and I made peace with it long ago. Keep your mind on freeing Guan Song. My fate is in my own hands, but my brother’s is in yours. If you and Sun fail, he’ll die for sure.”

  The duel was set for mid-morning, so the three heroes enjoyed a large and early breakfast together. At Guan’s insistence there were only fruit and vegetables, and not a drop of wine.

  “It slows the reflexes, and meat takes a little time to digest. With a major fight in the offing, I need to be at my best,” Roaming Tiger said.

  Few words passed at breakfast, until the last cups of tea were drained. Roaming Tiger got to his feet, and said, “All being well, we shall meet again at Fort Silverheart. Whether you hear good or bad news about me, don’t come back. We know Ba Renzhong is as crafty as he is skilful.”

  Sun clasped her hands and bowed her head. “Fight well, Tiger.”

  Liu bit her lip, then threw her arms around Guan. “Come back alive, or I’ll never learn how to beat you with a staff.”

  Guan patted her on the back. “Can’t have that now, can we? Save Guan Song, and we’ll swap stories about this day at Fort Silverheart.”

  He took up his quarterstaff, waved farewell, and left the temple. Roaming Tiger exited the compound through a small gate to a side alley, to avoid anyone seeing where he’d been hiding for the past few days.