Seh hissed softly. “I want to help stop him.”
“We would welcome your assistance,” NgGung said. “I am sure Mong would be pleased to have you with us, as would I.”
“Will you take me to him?” Seh asked.
“Of course,” NgGung answered.
Seh turned to the group. “Fu, Malao, Charles—I hope you will not be disappointed. I will not be joining you.”
“What!” Malao said. “You can't leave us, Seh! We need you.”
Seh shook his head. “I will only slow you down. Besides, I am not much of a swimmer. I think I can do more good with the bandits.”
Fu sighed. “It sounds like they could use you. You are very good at planning things.”
Seh nodded.
“Don't go, Seh,” Malao said. “Please?”
PawPaw touched Seh's arm. “Go with NgGung. That is the right decision.”
Malao pouted.
“All right, Seh,” Charles said. “It is decided, then. Fu, Malao, and I will head for Hangzhou. Once we arrive, we will decide whether it's best to wait there for Hok or find a different boat and head up the Grand Canal to track her down. Seh, you will travel with NgGung to the bandits. Once we've found Hok, we will attempt to join back up with you. Agreed?”
“Agreed,” Seh said.
Fu, Malao, and NgGung nodded.
PawPaw turned to Charles. “There is a place you should look into once you arrive in Hangzhou. It is a famous apothecary, a shop where people can purchase the very best medicinal herbs. If Hok has made her way that far south, no doubt she will have learned of its existence and will stop in. She is a beautiful young woman with memorable features. I suggest you go there and ask if anyone has seen her.”
“Good idea,” Charles said. “I know the place.”
PawPaw smiled and looked at each of the boys in turn. “Don't any of you forget to come back here and visit me! I am sure NgGung will keep me up to date about your escapades, but it's always good to see old friends face to face.”
“We will see you again,” Charles said. “That's a promise. Are we all set, then?”
“Not quite,” Seh said. “We are forgetting about Tonglong. There is a chance he will get to Hok before you do. NgGung, do you have any news of Tonglong's whereabouts?”
“My sources claim he is headed down the Grand Canal, along with the Emperor and a garrison of soldiers,” NgGung replied. “If I were a betting man, I'd wager that Tonglong was in Xuzhou at this very moment. I've heard the city is hosting a special Mid-Autumn Festival fight club event. The Emperor never misses a major fight club event. In fact, I believe your brother Long—I mean, Golden Dragon—is scheduled to fight.”
Malao squawked, “Wait! You said Hok was near Xuzhou!”
NgGung nodded.
“We need to do something right now,” Fu said. “What if she tries to see Long at the fight club?”
“You are already doing everything that can be done,” NgGung said. “All we can do is hope for the best and plan for the worst.” He turned to Charles. “Your plan is a good one.”
“Thank you,” Charles said. “I guess as long as Hok and Ying aren't in Xuzhou tonight, they should be fine, right?”
“Right,” NgGung said. “There is no point in discussing it further. Let's get you three moving.”
Ying and Hok arrived in Xuzhou under the light of a dazzling full moon. The waterway was crowded with travelers vying for dock space, and the canal front buzzed with a carnival-like atmosphere. Colorful lan terns hung everywhere, and the smell of grilled food and moon cake was thick in the night air.
Ying looked over at Hok. “Mid-Autumn Festival,” he said.
Hok nodded.
Remarkably, a slip opened up ahead of them, and Hok eased the skiff in. Ying tied the skiff off, adjusted the black silk scarf across his face, and climbed ashore.
Hok followed, tightening the green turban on her head. She pointed to a posting board farther down the canal front. Even from a distance, Ying recognized that it was a fight club poster. He also recognized the sketch of tonight's featured fighter. It was Long.
“Should we try to see him?” Hok asked.
“No,” Ying said. “Too risky. The Xuzhou Fight Club is much more secure than the one in Jinan. There are three times as many guards, and there are sure to be soldiers, too. The Emperor never misses a fight club event here.”
Hok tilted her head to one side. “We didn't see the Emperor or his men pass us along the canal.”
“We spent a lot of time on the bank with you in the villages. They could have easily passed by without us noticing.”