Free Snake by Jeff Stone Page A

techniques, and one was a basic pressure point chart. On the opposite side of the pressure point chart was a drawing of
chi
meridians—the channels through which energy travels throughout a person's body.
    Seh thought the two-sided scroll with the drawings was rather odd. The information in both drawings was knowledge handed down to every kung fu student, regardless of the style they studied. Seh decided that
chi
meridians and pressure points must be especially important to dragon-style kung fu masters.
    As Seh began to roll up the scrolls, NgGung approached him.
    “I have some information for you,” NgGung said.
    Seh frowned. “Am I going to have to fight you for it?”
    NgGung chuckled. “No, no. This concerns your sister. It's free.”
    Seh's eyebrows rose.
    “There is a price on her head,” NgGung said. “My sources seem to think she survived the assault, and the soldiers who attacked Shaolin have been spreading a rumor that Hok assisted them in destroying Shaolin.”
    “That's impossible!” Seh said.
    “I'd agree with you,” NgGung said. “However, the damage is done. The soldiers claim that Hok arrived at Shaolin ahead of the troops and opened the gates for them in the middle of the night. They say if it wasn't for her, they never would have gotten access.”
    “What else do you know?”
    “Nothing,” NgGung replied. “I'm sorry, Seh.”
    “We have to do something,” Seh said.
    “You're right,” NgGung said. “And we will, after Mong returns. We can't have the locals believing a former Cangzhen monk was responsible for the destruction of the mighty Shaolin Temple.”
    Seh looked at NgGung. “Why did you leave Cangzhen?”
    “Me?” NgGung said. “Basically, I didn't see eye to eye with Grandmaster. The same is true for the others.”
    Seh rubbed his long chin. “So you, Mong, Hung, Gao, and Sanfu left Cangzhen and formed a… gang?”
    “A few others left, too,” NgGung said. “Some of them still work with us. Some of them don't.”
    “And you … steal things?”
    NgGung frowned. “We don't steal anything. We'rebandits, not thieves. Thieves steal from innocent people for selfish reasons. Bandits intercept shipments of gold and such from tax collectors.”
    “How is that not stealing?” Seh asked.
    “Because we give it all back to the people,” NgGung replied.
    “Oh,” Seh said. “So you don't keep any of the money?”
    “No. Several of the bandits would love to keep at least a small percentage, but Mong won't allow it. That's why our stronghold is so independent. Everyone here has a job in addition to being a bandit. We're very busy.”
    Seh pointed to the skeleton of lumber that was to become the bandit banquet hall. “‘Busy’ is an understatement. You really plan to finish that in two weeks?”
    “That's right,” NgGung said. “Two weeks.”

F or two weeks, Seh, Malao, and Fu worked their fingers to the bone. So did the rest of the stronghold's residents. Their efforts paid off. They finished the banquet hall the morning Mong returned.
    Seh didn't get to see Mong, but he did get the rest of the day off. He spent his time meditating. Alone except for the snake sleeping coiled on his arm, Seh slipped into a deep trance. He didn't come out of it until early evening. The banquet was in full swing by the time he stepped through the banquet hall's front doors.
    The single, gigantic room was illuminated by rows of lanterns that Seh had helped install. He grinned. They looked good. Another project he had helpedwith was the huge banquet table and long wooden benches. They were filled with more than a hundred bandits clanging bowls and toasting one another. Their laughter echoed around the immense wooden interior.
    Spread across the tabletop lay more food than Seh had seen at any ten Cangzhen banquets. There were rice dishes, noodle dishes, soups, buns, vegetables, sweets, meats, fish, nuts—even a few fruits. Seh also saw what appeared to be the leg of a lamb and several baby