Ying raised his hands, stopping at the black scarf over his face. He adjusted it, stalling for time.
“Leave that mask right where it is,” the pet vendor said. “Do not lower it or take it off. I don't want anyone to recognize the latest creature I've captured.”
Several passersby saw the armed men and scattered. Ying hated to admit it, but he needed help. He had no chance against three qiangs. Perhaps Hok was still near enough that she—
“KEEEEIIIII-AHHHH!” someone shouted, and the sound of splintering bamboo cut through the night air. Ying turned to see Hok smash the gigantic birdcage with her rock-hard elbows and heave a large section of cage at the pet vendor and his three armed accomplices.
The men's arms flew up to protect their faces as hundreds of small, colorful birds rushed toward freedom in a powerful wave of beating wings and thrashing claws.
Hok joined the flock, her elbows and crane-beak fists flying. In the blink of an eye, she disarmed one man and knocked a second unconscious. The third armed man took aim at Hok, and Ying sprang into action.
Ying had his chain whip wrapped around his waist, but there was no time to unfurl it. He ran straight at the man, empty-handed, shrieking with every bit of energy he could muster.
The man spun around, his eyes wide. He centered his qiang on Ying's chest and pulled the trigger.
Click!
Ying was close. He launched his right leg forward with a lightning-quick front-kick.
Fizz! BANG!
Ying's foot connected with the qiang, swinging the barrel upward. The qiang fired just over Ying's head.
His right leg still in the air, Ying pivoted on his left foot and drove his right heel into the man's jaw with a vicious side-kick. The man crumpled.
Ying heard a bloodcurdling shriek and turned to see the eagle straining at its tether, attempting to fly. The qiang blast must have frightened it. People throughout the marketplace were screaming and running away.
“Jump back!” Hok shouted.
Ying obeyed without knowing why and saw a flash of metal breeze past his chest. It was the pet vendor's dagger.
The thrown dagger had missed him, but Ying stumbled and lost his balance on a piece of broken birdcage. He crashed into a stack of caged pets. Bamboo snapped, and mice and rats began to scurry free over and around him.
Ying jumped to his feet, brushing the animals away. He heard a man shout and glanced over to see Hok wrestling with the remaining conscious man, who was three times her size. Hok hit him—once— twice—three times—with a crane-beak fist, and he was out.
Ying looked over at the pet vendor and saw that he was reaching for one of the unconscious men's short qiangs. Ying untied the chain whip from his waist and lashed out at the qiang, knocking it away. The qiang stopped next to a monkey's cage, and the skittish creature scooped it up.
The pet vendor froze. So did Ying and Hok. The monkey waved the qiang about nervously.
The pet vendor turned his attention to the monkey. He reached out with one hand, saying sweetly “That's a good boy … give it to me … I will give you a treat if you behave … ” The pet vendor began to walk toward the monkey's cage.
Ying backed away. He saw the pet vendor's dagger among the pile of broken cages and picked it up. He hurried over to the eagle and dropped to his knees, cutting the long tether. The bird spread its gigantic wings and was gone. Ying almost smiled.
“No, no, no!” the pet vendor shouted, and Ying turned to see the man waving his arms frantically. “Don't touch that—”
Click … fizz … BANG!
The qiang erupted and the monkey screeched. A small cloud of dust rose at the pet vendor's feet where the lead ball had buried itself in the ground. Ying watched Hok step through the cloud and rise up on one leg, planting a crane kick in the center of the pet vendor's face. His nose exploded.
The pet vendor howled and fell onto his back from the force of Hok's kick. Ying flew over to the pet vendor's side and raised the dagger high over his head.
“Where is the dragon bone?” Ying hissed.
“Just beyond the curtain!” the pet vendor whined through what was left of his nose. “Take it! All of it!”
Ying eyed him suspiciously.
“I'll get it,” Hok offered. “We need to hurry. Soldiers will be coming.”
Ying stared hard at the pet vendor. “She is going to go in there. If there are any traps—”
“No traps!” the pet vendor blubbered. “I promise.”
Ying nodded to Hok, and she slipped behind the curtain. She returned a moment later with a large silk bag embroidered with golden dragons.
“That's it!” the pet vendor said. “See, no tricks.”
Ying spat and poised himself over the pet vendor, raising the dagger even higher.