The fight was embarrassingly short. None of Wen's new gang proved to have even the rudimentary swordsmanship Wen had possessed when Chin had first enrolled him in the Green Turbans; worse, they all knew how inept they were, and so didn't even try to defend themselves. The only action they took was to turn tail and run back up the tunnel, leaving Wen alone in the supposed treasure-chamber with Chin and a squad of surprisingly well-armored men. Wen tucked his light into a crack in the wall, then shifted so that the stairs were to his right and one wall of the cave was to his back, but he had no hope of winning this fight and he knew it. Just let Lum get away, Guanyin, he prayed to the goddess of mercy, and I'll be satisfied.
"You took your time getting here," Chin said as he made his first thrust at Wen's vitals. "I was afraid my men would start slicing up each other," he said after the next. "Honestly, Wen, you're pretty stupid sometimes. I thought I'd left you all the clues you'd need to find the 'treasure'." Wen was uncomfortably aware of the sarcastic emphasis Chin had put on the word. That's what greed has got me, he decided. So Yin Fengzi and the crew were right after all.
Then Chin was blessedly silent for a while as he hacked at Wen's blade with all his not-inconsiderable strength. "Say," he said, pausing for a moment, "you've really got pretty good since I saw you last."
"Clean living," Wen gasped. "That and regular sessions with Mah the Knife." Who would have sent his regards, he added silently, save that he'd rather your bones were being used as toothpicks by buzzards. Why is it that fools like Chin can banter away, while fighting, as if they were promenading on the seafront at the Dà Găng naval base, when any real human being is hard-pressed to avoid a heart attack? It's not fair.
"How's the Jade Maiden?" Chin asked, returning to the attack. "I'm really looking forward to having her back. These bigger fuchuan just don't give you the same feel for the sea that you get from a tiny, light vessel. Don't you agree, Wen? Or should I be calling you Mister Bloody Sheet Wen?"
Wen dropped his sword, resting his hands on the pommel as he fought for breath. "Would you just shut up?" he asked. "It's not enough to kill me? You have to bore me to death first?"
"Oh, I'm not going to kill you," Chin said. He charged in, and this time Wen wasn't fast enough. A slash, and Wen's sword flew across the room. There was a strangled gasp, and one of the soldiers fell, hands clutching his throat. "Say, what do you suppose are the odds of that happening again?" Chin asked.
Then he slammed a fist into the side of Wen's head. As Wen sank to the floor of the cave and into darkness, he thought he heard Chin saying, "No, much as I'd like to, Wen Xia, I'm not allowed to kill you.
"That pleasure belongs to Governor Li."
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