‘Where are we going?’ Jax asked, trying to keep up with Yu Yu.
‘To the Abbot’s chamber. He’s in prayers now, so we can sneak in.’
‘What if he catches us?’
Yu Yu was too far ahead to hear. All Jax could do was follow her across the now deserted courtyard, and up the wooden staircase to the Abbot’s rooms. Yu Yu took the steps two at a time. Jax tried to do the same, but after six steps his legs ached and he was puffed out. A long balcony led to a wooden door at the end. Yu Yu slid it open and stepped into the room.
It was twice the size of the monks’ rooms. A bookshelf leant against one wall, a bed against the other, and a tall square table with carved legs stood in front of the window. The table was laden with paint brushes of all sizes, and beside it on the ground was a large china pot with scrolls of varying lengths poking out of the top.
‘The Abbot does his calligraphy and watches us practising from up here,’ Yu Yu said, going to the window. She looked down over the rooftops and courtyards of the monastery. The cool breeze blew wisps of yellow hair across her face. Everything is so peaceful in the monastery, thought Jax. In the distance, he could see the lake, the ancient banyan tree and the rainforest. He looked for the city, but haze blurred the horizon.
His thoughts were interrupted when Yu Yu walked to the bookshelf. She began running her hands over the spines of books, pausing on one, hesitating on another and smiling, as if she was greeting each one like an old friend. All the books looked ancient, with cloth covers and hand-sewn seams.
‘What are you looking for?’ Jax asked, standing beside her.
‘I’m not sure yet… I haven’t been in here for a very long time… wait… here it is.’ She stood on her tiptoes and pulled out a book from the top shelf then laid it on the table. The pages were yellowing and tissue-thin from years of use.
‘Zheli. Here, look, Mingzi,’ said Yu Yu, pointing at a drawing. ‘I knew I’d seen it before.’ Yu Yu’s eyes were as bright as two green butterflies.
When Jax saw the picture, he gasped. It was just a line drawing, but the only difference between the creature on the page and the one on his palm was that his creature was still very young. The creature in the drawing had matured into a magnificent beast with a lion-like head, a horn in the middle of its forehead, and long flowing mane and tail. And he was flying through the clouds as if he was ruler of all the skies.
‘How is this possible?’ Jax whispered, looking from his palm to the illustration. ‘This book must be ancient.’
On the opposite page were three lines of characters. It was a poem written in seal script, one of the ancient forms of Chinese writing.
‘Can you read those characters?’ Jax asked. He had never learnt to read seal script, he could barely read modern-day Chinese characters.
‘The Abbot taught me to read and write by using these old books,’ said Yu Yu. ‘That’s how I knew the picture was here in the first place. Let’s see now.’
She read the characters out aloud, ‘Great Peng carries… wind… on back… sun between… shoulders… moon… curve of… tail. The great Peng carries the wind on his back, the sun between his shoulders, and the moon in the curve of his tail.’
‘So is that what Peng is? A huge creature that flies in the sky?’ Jax couldn’t believe that such a creature could actually exist. ‘Do you think he’s real, Yu Yu?’
Yu Yu shrugged. ‘The Abbot seems to think so.’ She put her face close to the page. ‘Mingzi, can you see there on Peng’s head? I think there are two tiny characters.’
Jax took the book from Yu Yu and went across to the window where the light was brighter. And sure enough, just below the creature’s horn, were the two characters: ri and yueh… sun and moon.
‘If you join them together, that’s your name,’ said Yu Yu over his shoulder.
Jax felt a shiver go through him. Was it just a coincidence? Suddenly, the sound of three drumbeats made Jax jump.
‘Oh dear, prayers are over. Quick, Mingzi, the Abbot will be coming back for a rest.’ She carefully took the book from Jax and put it back on the shelf. Then she arranged the books exactly as they were before.
Just as they were sliding the door shut behind them, the Abbot appeared at the top of the stairs.
‘What are you two doing here?’ he said sternly.
‘Well… Mingzi didn’t, ah… feel very well, Abbot,’ Yu Yu said, thinking quickly, ‘so I came to see if you could give him some medicine.’
The Abbot put his hand under Jax’s chin and lifted his head. ‘You look well enough, Mingzi. Come, maybe some more training might drive this invisible illness away.’
‘Yes, Abbot.’ Jax lowered his head so he wouldn’t meet the Abbot’s eyes.
‘And you,’ the Abbot growled at Yu Yu, ‘are meant to be on duty in the vegetable garden, are you not?’
‘Yes, Abbot.’
‘Well, you better go then.’
‘Yes, Abbot.’ Yu Yu gave Jax a quick wink then ran down the stairs.
‘Come with me, Mingzi,’ the Abbot said.
Jax followed the Abbot along the balcony and down the stairs. He wanted so much to ask him about the drawing in the book and about this creature called Peng and what it had to do with him.
The Abbot turned to Jax. ‘Come and walk beside me,’ he said.
Jax caught up to him.
‘You must be patient, Mingzi,’ the Abbot said. ‘Everything will be revealed to you at the right time. First you must train hard to prove that you are worthy of being a Peng Master. Can you do that?’
‘Yes, Abbot. I think I can,’ Jax replied. Then he looked into the Abbot’s eyes. ‘I know I can.’
‘Good.’
It was then that Jax made a solemn vow to himself – to become the best student the Abbot had ever seen, and show that he could be a Peng Master.