Beyond the docks stood more than thirty buildings, but most of them had fallen in upon themselves, and only one appeared to be occupied. This was nothing at all like Hangzhou or any of the other waterside cities ShaoShu had seen before. This was a ghost town.
Tonglong stepped off the docks and walked briskly up the wharf, and ShaoShu hurried to keep pace. Lei stayed well behind, his head constantly rotating from side to side as he looked for trouble.
They approached the only building with an OPEN sign, and before they could knock, an elderly woman came out to greet them. She said that she hadn't had a customer in weeks and begged them to join her for tea. Tonglong declined, saying that they were in a hurry and simply needed to purchase a few things. He handed her a list, and she disappeared inside.
The woman returned holding a large sack, and Tonglong nodded to ShaoShu. She handed the sack to him to carry.
“Ooof,” ShaoShu said, struggling beneath its bulk. “What's in here?”
“You'll find out soon enough,” Tonglong said. “Lei, pay the woman.”
Tonglong led ShaoShu away. They had taken only a few steps when ShaoShu began to lose his grip on the unwieldy sack. It wasn't so much that it was heavy; it was nearly half as tall as he was, and he couldn't see a thing while he carried it. It flopped around in front of him, blocking his view. All he could do was follow behind Tonglong, keeping his eyes glued to Tonglong's feet, trying his best not to trip over the uneven pavement stones as they wound their way inland up a dilapidated road.
Half an hour later, ShaoShu was in agony. His arms and legs were beginning to shake from holding the sack in awkward positions, and his back felt like it was going to snap in two. In an effort to distract his mind from the discomfort, he said to Tonglong, “Excuse me, sir, may I ask where we are going?”
“Where do you think we are going?” Tonglong replied.
“This sack smells like it has food in it. Are we going to visit someone?”
“We are, indeed,” Tonglong said.
“Are we going to a party?” ShaoShu asked, growing excited. “I love parties!”
“You could call it a party.”
“Who is the party for?”
“My father.”
ShaoShu frowned. Didn't Tonglong just say that his mother was with the Emperor? he thought.
“Is there something you wish to ask?” Tonglong said.
ShaoShu swallowed hard. “I was just thinking about your mother.”
“Ah, yes. AnGangseh—the Cobra. Even if she were in this village, she would not accompany us. She has moved on from my father. Indeed, she has moved on from her second husband, too. She is not the most loyal person.”
“Oh,” replied ShaoShu.
“Any more questions before we arrive?”
ShaoShu scratched his head. “Do you have any brothers or sisters, sir?”
“I have a half brother from my mother's second marriage. He is called Seh, or Snake. He is a young warrior monk.”
ShaoShu nearly choked. Seh was Hok's temple brother! Afraid to ask any more questions, ShaoShu trudged on until Tonglong stopped suddenly.
ShaoShu crashed into the back of Tonglong's legs, and Tonglong's knees buckled slightly, but he didn't seem to notice. His eyes were fixed straight ahead, and he appeared to be lost in thought.
“We have arrived,” Tonglong said drily. “Let the party begin.”
ShaoShu gratefully set the sack down. He peeked around Tonglong to see where the party would take place, and his mouth dropped open. They were standing at the gates of a cemetery.
“What's wrong?” Tonglong asked. “You're not superstitious, are you?”
“No,” ShaoShu replied, lying.
Tonglong smirked. “You have nothing to fear from spirits. Unless you've angered them, of course. Have you ever been to a cemetery?”
ShaoShu shook his head.
“This cemetery has degraded miserably since my father's death, as has the entire village. This was home, and he built it into a prosperous port. Without his leadership, it has fallen into ruin. I haven't been here in many years. I hope my father isn't upset with me.”
ShaoShu shivered. So did his mouse.
Tonglong walked through the gates, and ShaoShu reluctantly picked up the sack and headed in after him. He looked back over his shoulder and saw Lei stop near the entrance, where he pulled a pistol from the folds of his robe and stood guard. ShaoShu almost laughed. What good would a pistol be against angry spirits?
Not wanting to upset any ghosts that might be lurking about, even in the daylight, ShaoShu continued on as silently as possible, using every trick he knew to keep his footfalls quiet. He figured that was the respectful thing to do. Tonglong, on the other hand, plodded forward, his heavy boots echoing over ancient stone paths, kicking up dust clouds in the morning sun.