Tiger - Jeff Stone [9]
“Then why did we go there in the first place?” Ying asked. “You made me and thirty other Cangzhen monks risk our lives to save him and his throne. One of us didn't make it back because of you! What was the point? What was our reward?”
“Your success was our reward,” Grandmaster said calmly.
“And what did we gain from that success?” Ying asked. “I know for a fact you do not approve of the Emperor.”
“This is true,” Grandmaster said. “But our efforts saved our region from someone far worse than the new Emperor.”
“Who are you to judge that one man is worse than another?” Ying shouted. “Your decisions are foolhardy! You should have taken the gold. Everything would be different if you had. My best friend would still be alive, and so would all your monks!”
Grandmaster said nothing.
“Fool! When I take that blank stare of yours to the Emperor with your head attached, my reward will be the title General. Then I will make all the decisions in this region you've secretly influenced for so long. What do you think of that, old man?”
Grandmaster stared back, silent.
Ying spat and turned to face Long.
“What do you think, Dragon Boy?”
Long paused, and Fu saw the same pity in his eyes that he saw in Grandmaster's. Long folded his hands as if in prayer and said, “Though I share your grief for the brother we lost, Ying, I think you disgust me.”
“My sincerest apologies for having turned your stomach, dear brother,” Ying replied sarcastically. “I realize my appearance is quite striking.”
“You misunderstand,” Long said, unfolding his hands. “It is your motivations that disgust me. Your appearance is simply ridiculous.”
“That's right,” Seh added, walking over to Long's side. “Grandmaster always said you would catch the eyes of the girls if you ever left Cangzhen. That is certainly true now. An eagle with a lizard's head is absurd.”
“I have very little eagle left in me, blind fools,” Ying said, spreading his arms wide. His bloody silk robe glistened in the smoky firelight. “I have changed quite a lot since you saw me last, and soon my transformation will be complete. My number one man is gathering the dragon scrolls as we speak. I am confident I will learn the ancient dragon arts in no time.”
Fu looked over at Grandmaster and saw him shaking his head slowly.
“You are no dragon, Ying,” Grandmaster said. “To be a dragon, you must first be wise. You are certainly clever, but being wise and being clever are two very different things. You would be far better off stealing the secret eagle scrolls and learning from them instead. Perhaps they would guide you onto the right path. I might consider allowing you to take them with my blessing.”
“Ha!” Ying said. “You offer me things I can take at will. Perhaps you should have offered them to me before you destroyed my world. No matter, your gifts are surely worthless by now. I have instructed my man to take the dragon scrolls and burn everything else in the library.”
Fu saw Grandmaster stiffen. Hok began to shift from foot to foot, anxiously bobbing his head up and down. Fu couldn't see Malao, but Long and Seh stood still as stone, staring coldly at Ying.
What's going on? Fu wondered. Then it hit him. Those scrolls were the only source of information for further training for them—or for anyone else. The library contained advanced scrolls for every kung fu style imaginable, holding a thousand times more information than could fit even inside Grandmaster's head. Without those scrolls, their kung fu might disappear. Forever.
“Hey, Lizard Face,” Fu called out as he stood up. “Why would you burn all the other scrolls?”
“I have no interest in them,” Ying replied casually.
Long's eyes narrowed. “You would destroy one thousand years of history simply because you did not find it of interest?”
“Absolutely,” Ying replied.
“That is most unwise,” Long said in a solemn tone. “A dragon you will never be.”
Fu watched Ying's carved face grow dark. Ying shouldered his qiang and pointed it at Long.
“Enough of this idle talk!” Ying shouted. “When you are gone,