"From here to the mountain must be about twenty or thirty miles," she said, turning the wolf over.
Chen picked up one of its legs and played with its sharp claws. "If we had another horse apart from the white horse, the three of us could make that in one go."
"So we have to think of some way to get them to allow us to go," Huo Qingtong replied.
"Yes." He picked up his dagger and slit open the wolf's stomach.
"What's so interesting about that dead wolf?" Zhang shouted, annoyed at not being able to understand what they were saying. "Are you discussing how to bury him, Master Chen?"
"We are discussing how to get out," Chen said. "Look, the wolf's stomach is completely empty."
"Do you have a plan?" Zhang asked.
"When the firewood has all been burned and there is no more to collect, then we are all going to die, is that not so?" Zhang and the Three Devils nodded. "But if one of us were willing to sacrifice himself and ride out of the circle, the wolves would swarm after him like bees from a hive. Once they were drawn off, the others could escape.
"But what about the one who goes?" asked Zhang.
"If he comes across either the Manchu or Muslim armies then he will be all right. Otherwise he will die. But it is better than us all dying here together."
"It's not a bad idea," said Tang. "But who's going to lead the wolves away? It's certain death."
"What do you suggest, Brother Tang?"
Tang was silent. "Let's draw lots," Hahetai suggested. "Whoever loses, goes."
"Yes, let's draw lots," Zhang said eagerly. Chen had wanted to offer himself and then break out with the sisters. But he could not suggest it without arousing their suspicions, so he said: "Just the five of us will draw. Let us exempt the two girls."
"We're all people," Gu protested. "Why should they be exempted?"
"How could we live down the shame of being saved by a girl?" said Hahetai. "I would prefer to die here."
"I think that if we're going to draw lots, we should all draw," said Tang, wanting to lessen the chance of himself being chosen.
They all looked at Zhang, waiting to hear his opinion. Zhang had already worked out a plan and knew he could not lose. Moreover, one of the girls was wanted by the Emperor and he fancied the other for himself.
"I will not allow a lady to save my life," he said proudly.
"All right, then," said Gu. "We'll let them off."
"I'll collect some sticks to use," said Tang, but Zhang stopped him.
"No," he said. "It's too easy to cheat with sticks. We'll use copper coins instead." He pulled a dozen or so coins from his pocket and selected five. "Four of these are Emperor Yong Zheng coins and the fifth is from the reign of Emperor Sun Zhi. Please examine them. They are exactly the same size."
"And whoever picks the Emperor Sun Zhi coin leads the wolves away," Tang added, as he carefully examined the coins.
"Exactly," said Zhang. "Why not put them in your bag for the draw, Brother Tang?" Tang did as he said.
"Now, who will go first?" Zhang asked. He looked at Gu and saw his hands were shaking. "Brother Gu is afraid," he said with a smile. "Life and death are governed by fate. I will go first." He stretched his hand onto Tang's bag and pulled an Emperor Yong Zheng coin out.
"Oh, what a pity!" he exclaimed. "I won't be able to be the hero." He opened his first and showed the coin to the other four. The five coins were the same size, but the Emperor Sun Zhi coin was about eighty years older than the others and therefore slightly smoother and thinner, although not enough to be immediately obvious.
Chen's turn was next, and to his disappointment he chose an Emperor Yong Zheng coin.
"Brother Gu, if you please," Zhang said. Gu drew his sword and flourished it threateningly.
"It's a trick!" he shouted. "You already decided that it would be one of us three."
"What do you mean, a trick?" Zhang demanded.
"They're your coins, and you had first choice. How do we know you haven't marked them in some way?"
Zhang's face went white. "Then what do you suggest, Brother Gu?"
"One of those Yong Zheng coins in your pocket is lighter in colour than the others. Put that in with four dark ones, and whoever picks the light one goes."
Zhang hesitated for a second, then smiled. "Just as you say. But I fear it will still be you who goes to feed the wolves." He surreptitiously bent the light-coloured coin slightly before placing it with the others.
"If neither you nor I lose, I will fight you afterwards," Gu said threateningly.
"It will be my pleasure," replied Zhang. He put the five coins in the bag. "You three gentlemen choose first, then myself and lastly Master Chen, is that satisfactory?"
The Three Devils did not object. "Brother Hahetai, you first," said Tang.
Just as Hahetai put his hand in the bag, Huo Qingtong shouted out in Mongolian: "Don't take the bent one!" He started in fright. The first coin he felt was indeed slightly bent. He chose another one and pulled it out: it was dark coloured.
Huo Qingtong had seen Zhang bend the coin, and had warned Hahetai because he was the most decent of the Three Devils.
Next was Gu's turn. Hahetai told him in the thick, unintelligable dialect of northeast China not to take the bent coin. Gu and Tang both glanced angrily at Zhang and pulled out dark coloured coins. Chen looked questioningly at Huo Qingtong.
"Don't take the bent one," Princess Fragrance said.
Chen knew Zhang would certainly take the unbent coin, thereby giving him both the light-coloured coin and the chance to escape with the girls. But as Zhang put his hand into Hahetai's bag, Chen saw Gu looking covertly at Huo Qingtong, and realised they would never let him take the girls with him. Uncertain of what to do and with no time left to think, he suddenly blurted out: "Take the bent one! Leave the flat one for me!"
Zhang started in shock and drew his hand back. "What do you mean, bent?" he demanded.
"One of the two coins in the bag has been bent by you. I want the one that's not bent." He put his hand in the bag and pulled out the dark coin. "You've caused your own funeral," he said to Zhang with a smile.
Zhang's face went dark and he drew his sword. "We had agreed that I would choose first," he said, and swung the blade at Chen's neck. Chen ducked and thrust his dagger at Zhang's stomach. The two fought closely for a moment. Suddenly, Zhang flung his sword at Huo Qingtong. Chen was afraid she would be too weak to dodge it and raced over to intercept the weapon. But it was just a diversion. As Chen ran towards Huo Qingtong, Zhang jumped over to Princess Fragrance and grabbed her.
"Get out!" he shouted to Chen, who stopped in his tracks and stared dumbly back at Zhang. "If you don't get out, I'll throw her to the wolves!" He picked the girl up and swung her about above his head. Chen heart pounded and his brain whirled in confusion.
"Ride out and lead the wolves away!" Zhang shouted again.
Chen knew Zhang would do what he said and so he slowly untied the white horse's reins and mounted up.
"I'll count to three. If you're not out of the circle by then, I'll let her go. One…two…three!" As he said three, the white horse bounded out of the ring.
Chen landed in the midst of the wolves, grabbed the first two that attacked him by the scruffs of their necks, then turned the horse round, soared back into the ring of fire and flung them at Zhang.
With two such ferocious animals flying at him, Zhang was forced to drop Princess Fragrance to protect himself. Chen threw two of his chess pieces at him, scooped Princess Fragrance up, then leapt out of the circle of fire once more with another horse close behind: Huo Qingtong had taken advantage of the fight to cut the reins of a horse and mount up without the Three Devils noticing.