“Come on, kid!” someone blurted out. “Enough, already!”
The men backed up even more. So much more, in fact, that they were soon out of sight in the inky darkness. Fu took a deep, cleansing breath and exhaled. He wanted so badly to get down to business. However, what he wanted even more was to be free. Fu took another deep breath and ran off into the trees.
“Villagers, I have returned!” Captain Yue announced the next morning. He sat atop his stallion at the edge of the village square, which was full of people. “I had to spend the night on the trail, so I'm in a terrible mood. Don't even think about trying my patience. Bring me the boy from Cangzhen Temple. NOW!”
Captain Yue was greeted with several hundred blank stares. The entire village was gathered in the square, packed tightly together around the bamboo cage. The cage door was high in the air, which meant that it was empty. Captain Yue scowled. Infuriated, he waved his hand and fifty soldiers marched up behind him, armed to the teeth. Two of the soldiers held qiangs. Captain Yue looked down at the two villagers who had traveled to Cangzhen to inform them of the young monk's capture.
“How dare you mock me?” Captain Yue shouted, spit flying from his flapping jaws. “You bring me here, and now your people stare at me ignorantly while standing around an empty cage? Somebody has some explaining to do. Immediately!”
Both men stared back with blank expressions. Neither of them knew what was going on, and none of the villagers wanted to tell Captain Yue that Fu had escaped.
Suddenly there was a stir among the crowd. The Governor approached Captain Yue briskly. In his hands were the dragon scrolls.
“Most honorable Captain Yue,” the Governor said, bowing low. “I have what you've come for. It is with great respect I deliver these scrolls to you with my humble hands.”
Captain Yue reached down from his horse and snatched all four scrolls. He opened one roughly and found it to be genuine. Then he threw it and the other three at one of his men. The soldier put the scrolls away for safekeeping.
Captain Yue stared down at the Governor. “Where is the boy?”
“I have given you the scrolls,” the Governor replied simply. “Of what use is the boy?”
“You do not appear to be a fool, Governor. Do you not recall the penalty for harboring a Cangzhen monk? Bring the boy to me now, or perish.”
The Governor frowned. “I'm sorry, sir. The boy has escaped.”
“What?” Captain Yue shouted. “This is outrageous! How could you be so incompetent?”
“Again, I apologize,” the Governor replied. “But—”
“But nothing!” Captain Yue said. “Men, string this sorry excuse for a Governor from the tallest tree. Destroy the village to teach these people a lesson!”
The soldiers rushed forward and there was a tremendous BANG! Everyone stopped and looked toward the source of the sound—the bamboo cage. The door had slammed shut and the lock engaged. A deep, gravelly voice spoke loudly from inside it.
“I am the one who brought trouble into this village, and I will be the one to take it out. Soldiers, take me away.”
“Who is it that speaks?” Captain Yue shouted, plunging into the crowd with his horse. Several villagers cried out in pain as the heavy horse trampled upon their legs and feet, stopping only after it reached the cage. Inside sat Fu, staring defiantly up at Captain Yue.
“Who are you?” Captain Yue demanded.
“I am Fu, the one you seek. Take me, and let these good people be.”
“How do I know that you are the one I seek?” Captain Yue asked.
“Because I am the one in the cage.”
“The cage was empty when I arrived,” Captain Yue countered. “A prisoner does not come and go as he pleases. You must be an imposter. Where is the real monk?”
“I am the real monk,” Fu said. “I escaped last night and hid at the edge of the village. I saw you arrive and knew the Governor had promised the scrolls to you, so I decided to ambush you as you left the village. I wanted the scrolls back. But once I heard that you planned to destroy the village because I wasn't in your grasp, I decided to put myself in your hands. I don't want any more harm to come to these good people. I snuck back in here through the crowd as they all stared at you, listening to every one of your stupid words. Take me away, and leave this village alone.”
The villagers stared at the cage. Every one of them was touched by Fu's words, including those villagers who wanted him gone. Only Captain Yue seemed unaffected.
“I don't believe you,” Captain Yue said. “No one is that noble, especially not a child. LISTEN TO ME NOW, ONE AND ALL! I refuse to take any chances. This boy is coming with me, and so is every boy in this village between the ages of ten and fifteen. Hand them over immediately, or my men and I will burn this village to the ground!”