Episode 2: "Hangman's Swamp"

Second episode of the Shaolin Wuzang series.

## First target: Master Sanzang

   Master Sanzang is at the archives at night, reading. He leaves to get a new book and a man comes sneaking in, dropping pinches of powder into the tea and escaping quickly. Meanwhile Hua, Tang and Cheng were sneaking into the kitchens since they were on punishment which included no food for two days and additional chores. As Sanzang returned and continued to read, he sipped some tea.

    He reacted violently to it since it was poisoned. He then fell to the floor in the comatosed state.

     While Tang and Cheng were eating, they argued in the kitchen about whose fault their punishment was to blame on while Hua who was drinking water, called their attention when she heard the dogs barking. They all watch from the kitchen’s slightly opened door and saw a man with a bracelet sneaking around and jumping on the rooftop, he ran away. Before they could do anything, a Shaolin ran and cried for help shouting that the Master Sanzang was dead. They all rushed to his chambers.

     A doctor examined the tea Sanzang was drinking by stirring it with his finger and sniffing it. He diagnosed to Long Tsu and Fong  that Sanzang was poisoned by Black Lotus when Hua barged in with the other two. She asked if he was really dead and the doctor answered that the poison acts slowly lengthening his life by a day or two. Fong asked for an antidote to which Long Tsu replied of the existence of a flower that cures all poisons growing in the Hanging Forest. The doctor discouraged the finding of this flower reasoning that it is rumored that no one returns from the Hanging Forest and that there is a giant serpent guarding the place. Hua , agitated by the doctor’s assumptions of Sanzang's case being hopeless, volunteers herself and Tang and Cheng to go look for the flower. Fong disagrees for they were still novice students. Tang brings up the topic of the man with the bracelet and Fong criticizes him for inventing stories at that crucial time. Hua then becomes suspicious of Fong’s actions. However Master Long Tsu agrees with the three to send someone to find the flower despite the risks and Fong agrees to send horsemen for this mission. Hua leaves Master Sanzang assuring him that he can count on them.

## Second Target: Master Fong

The next day, Tang and Cheng who were doing their chores followed Long Tsu and the three horsemen who were tasked to find the antidote. Tang spots one of them with the bracelet and the two run after them but couldn’t catch up. Tang informs Long Tsu about the culprit of the poisoning to be one of the men he sent out, the man with the bracelet. Fong interrupts them, scolding them that it wasn't enough making a grand master as target practice, they had to slander one as well. He tells them to continue doing their chores and he quickly leads Long Tsu away.

Hua is in Master Sanzang ’s room taking care of him when Tang and Cheng brings her out to the bridge just before the exit gate. Cheng and Hua reasoned among themsleves that if the man with the bracelet is really the culprit of the poisoning, he could prevent the others from finding the antidote so they agree to stop him.

The spirit master comes to Sanzang’s room telling him that the three have gone to save him, and warning him that the person who wishes him dead is still around.

     The three hitched a ride in a covered wagon carrying baskets of apples to exit the gate without being noticed. Cheng munches away on the apples with Tang criticizing him for alerting the driver for being too loud in eating. Hua regrets not taking a horse for the pace that the wagon is going is not nearly enough to reach the Hanging Forest in time. Cheng reminds her that they can’t pass the guards at the stables. Then the wagon comes to a stop. Hua sees the driver taking a bathroom break so they untied the horse from the wagon. They gallop off with Tang driving, Hua behind him and Cheng behind her.
They arrived at a forest, Hua doubting they were in the right place and Cheng at the back, bored. They cross a river and see the sent horsemen. They saw only two of them so they went to take a closer look. Tang whispered to the two horsemen that the man they were with was a traitor. The two men struggled and revealed that they were tied up and gagged. The man with the bracelet appeared and when asked, said that he was following Hei Hu’s orders. Hua reasoned that killing Master Sanzang wouldn't change anything. The man replied stating that the one to replace Sanzang would be Hei Hu’s servant as well. This prompted them to stance for attack. But the culprit left them to the Black Foxes to handle. In the midst of battle, the two Shaolins who were tied up broke free from an incoming saber hurling towards their way when a Black Fox was disarmed.

         They jumped in and told the three to get the antidote while they handle the rest of the Black Foxes.

Back at the temple, Master Long Tsu and Master Fong plan for the succession of Master Sanzang when told that he was getting weaker.

Meanwhile, the three venture their way through the swamp, conversing along the way. Cheng suspects Fong to be the master behind the culprit and regrets his arrow for not fatally hitting the said master. Hua suspects that it was Long Tsu for he was arguing with Sanzang previously. Before she could finish, she slips off a low cliff.

     Fortunately she clung to a branch protruding from the rocks. They had arrived at the Hanging Forest. They find a raft they could use to cross the swamp waters.

At the temple Master Fong is seen sneaking into the kitchens, grabbing a snack. As he chewed, he reacted to it and fell to the floor unconscious. A figure is seen closing the door after Fong fell unconscious.

## Third target: Master Long Tsu

     The three are now crossing the swamp waters with Cheng rowing the boat. Hua reminds them about the giant serpent guaring the swamp and Tang quickly discounts that as a child's story.

     As Hua relaxes, the water circumferencing the boat starts to get rough and spins the boat around. A giant serpent appears making a huge wave toppling the boat over and the three fell into the water. Tang and Cheng swim to shore while Hua resurfaced near the serpent. As she was being attacked, she creates a pink sphere around her and it brings her to shore. The three spot a giant tree with skeletal figures hanging from vines on its top branches.

     Hua spots the flower in the midst of the treetops. Hua volunteers to go get it when the vines lower the skeletons which are now animate.

     They engage the skeletons which they easily defeated at first. Then the skeletons began to regenerate and started to attack again. Hua suggested Cheng to get the flower for he was the best climber while they cover him. Hua and Tang were disarmed but just in time, Cheng grabs the flower making the skeletons stop moving and crumble. Cheng shows them the flower and Tang keeps it for safe keeping. As they leave, he skeletons try to regenerate again but couldn't.

## Traitor Revealed

     Back at Shaolin, Master Long Tsu is seen practicing with his swordsmanship. After he finishes, he drinks water and falls to the floor, in a comatosed state, with a dark figure snickering behind him.
The townspeople begin to spread the news of Master Long Tsu's poisoning as the three ride pass them with the two Shaolin horsemen.

     The three heard that the other two grand masters have been poisoned as well, resurfacing the question of who is the traitor. Tang quickly gives the flower to the doctor who was shocked and amazed at the feat. With the flower in his hands, he grinds it to petals and drops them into a pot of burning charcoal. Hua and Cheng questions this while Tang stops them, announcing his knowledge that the doctor was the traitor.

     The doctor asks how he knew and Tang explains.His accomplice declared that the poison was an *odorless* poison and when he was diagnosing Sanzang, he sniffed the poison and proclaimed that the poison was Black Lotus. The doctor couldn't have known that it was Black Lotus by its scent so he would have been the one poisoning to know the poison. Hua and Cheng marvel at Tang. The doctor's accomplice then appears while the doctor declares the position of grand master as his proclaiming that, "Shaolin will finally be used for evil!" The other Shaolin warriors came and stopped his accomplice.

    The doctor, refused to be defeated, grabbed a candle holder and was about to strike Master Sanzang when Hua stopped him with her whip. Another Shaolin warrior rendered him immobile.

    Hua]] and Cheng then began to criticize Tang for handing the doctor the flower when he knew he was the traitor. Tang then declared that it was a different flower that he gave and showed the real flower. Hua hugged him and praised him with Cheng being half-impressed.
Hua, Tang and Cheng are now in Master Sanzang 's room, with Tang asking Sanzang how the skeletons turning into dust was scientifically possible. Sanzang shrugs off that question and asks the three why they were out in the corridors that night he was poisoned. Hua explains that they were starving and Master Fong and Master Long Tsu pardons them of their punishment since they owe them gartitude for saving their lives. Sanzang then tells them that this ordeal proves that Hei Hu is a formidable enemy.

Master Fong declares his hope in the three as Wuzangs. Cheng hugs him but instead makes Fong lose balance and makes him fall into a pot of burning charcoal. Cheng again blames the wind for it. Fong quickly runs out of the room with his bottom on fire while the rest laugh behind him.

## Quotes

Tang: "Defend yourself infidel, unless poison is the only weapon in your evil arsenal."

Cheng: "Huh. Where does this guy come up with this stuff?"