The Blue Mountain (The Forbidden List Book 2) by G R Matthews Page A
Authors: G R Matthews
Ads: Link
activity, the need to put your body beyond the pain, all aid process, but Haung, you need to be able to reach the same state whenever you wish it.”
Haung rubbed his thumb over the object in his palms, feeling its contours and sought the dark place in his mind, the place where thought would not, could not, go. He felt his thoughts brush against the locked vaults where he had carefully contained his knowledge of the void. He could sense the cold that emanated from those thick doors. It called to him.
“Leave the void alone,” Shifu said. “To be Taiji is look within, not without. To make the very best of your mind and body. Not to rely on outside forces for your power. Pass it by, Haung.”
Haung dropped deeper into his mind, letting go the conscious effort. In the recesses, the dark places where men rarely go, there was power. He had felt it before. In itself it was not scary. What he could do with it was.
“The choice is yours,” Shifu said. “Just know that you are a good man, Haung. You will make the right choices. Do not be scared of yourself. Create the key and take the power that is yours.”
Haung let his conscious mind drift even deeper and there it was. In the dark corner of his mind and memory, the image he had to create. It was there all the time, but he had buried it beyond accidental memory, beyond the chance that it would creep into his waking mind. He did not have to create it, only allow it to be seen and understood. Half the task was letting it be seen, the other half to let it go.
It rose from the mists and fog of memory, became clearer, the lines more defined and the colours refined. With the eye of his mind he gazed at it, drank it in and choked back a sob.
“It is the key to your power, as much a part of you as your hands and feet.” Shifu’s voice sounded soft in his mind. “Now, let it go. Return to the now and rest. When you are ready we will do this again and again until you can find the key and unlock your power within a heartbeat.”
Chapter 7
“We have to find Boqin,” Zhou shouted as he stumbled down the worn path.
“Go. I'll catch you up,” Xióngmāo panted.
Zhou turned around to see her leaning against the trunk of a tree, holding her ribs. “You're hurt?”
“I'll be fine, Zhou,” she said, even as she sank lower down the tree, “just tired.”
Zhou ran back up the path and crouched down next to her. In her eyes, he could see the pain she was trying to mask with a weak smile. “Just tell me where it hurts.”
“Zhou,” her voice was just a whisper, “they have not hurt me physically, they have damaged and drained my Qi . I need to rest and recover.”
“Not here you don't. I need to get you to someone who knows more than I do.” Zhou stood and moved a little way from her. He sought the thread in his mind, the tiny strand of blue that was his link to the spirit. Grasping it with both hands he allowed his own Qi to swell from his centre. The spirit rushed down the filament and swept through his being. Strength flooded his limbs and his exhaustion fled. With care, he maintained the link but limited the flow of Qi – too much and he would wear himself out, too little and it would not be enough for the task.
“Zhou, no. You haven't recovered enough,” she raised a frail hand towards him.
“Stop talking,” Zhou bent down, slipped his arms under her and lifted. She felt light, incredibly so. “I still have to get used to this.”
“Be careful,” her voice fading and, when he looked down to check, he saw her eyes had closed. Her breathing, shallow but steady.
He cradled her in his arms as he ran down the trail. The renewed power in his legs enabling him to skip over the raised roots and loose stones, swiftly eating up the distance.
The land dipped and the trail widened. Underfoot the ground changed from dirt and grass to carefully laid rectangular stone slabs as he entered the temple complex.
The maze of wide streets and narrow alleyways between
Haung rubbed his thumb over the object in his palms, feeling its contours and sought the dark place in his mind, the place where thought would not, could not, go. He felt his thoughts brush against the locked vaults where he had carefully contained his knowledge of the void. He could sense the cold that emanated from those thick doors. It called to him.
“Leave the void alone,” Shifu said. “To be Taiji is look within, not without. To make the very best of your mind and body. Not to rely on outside forces for your power. Pass it by, Haung.”
Haung dropped deeper into his mind, letting go the conscious effort. In the recesses, the dark places where men rarely go, there was power. He had felt it before. In itself it was not scary. What he could do with it was.
“The choice is yours,” Shifu said. “Just know that you are a good man, Haung. You will make the right choices. Do not be scared of yourself. Create the key and take the power that is yours.”
Haung let his conscious mind drift even deeper and there it was. In the dark corner of his mind and memory, the image he had to create. It was there all the time, but he had buried it beyond accidental memory, beyond the chance that it would creep into his waking mind. He did not have to create it, only allow it to be seen and understood. Half the task was letting it be seen, the other half to let it go.
It rose from the mists and fog of memory, became clearer, the lines more defined and the colours refined. With the eye of his mind he gazed at it, drank it in and choked back a sob.
“It is the key to your power, as much a part of you as your hands and feet.” Shifu’s voice sounded soft in his mind. “Now, let it go. Return to the now and rest. When you are ready we will do this again and again until you can find the key and unlock your power within a heartbeat.”
Chapter 7
“We have to find Boqin,” Zhou shouted as he stumbled down the worn path.
“Go. I'll catch you up,” Xióngmāo panted.
Zhou turned around to see her leaning against the trunk of a tree, holding her ribs. “You're hurt?”
“I'll be fine, Zhou,” she said, even as she sank lower down the tree, “just tired.”
Zhou ran back up the path and crouched down next to her. In her eyes, he could see the pain she was trying to mask with a weak smile. “Just tell me where it hurts.”
“Zhou,” her voice was just a whisper, “they have not hurt me physically, they have damaged and drained my Qi . I need to rest and recover.”
“Not here you don't. I need to get you to someone who knows more than I do.” Zhou stood and moved a little way from her. He sought the thread in his mind, the tiny strand of blue that was his link to the spirit. Grasping it with both hands he allowed his own Qi to swell from his centre. The spirit rushed down the filament and swept through his being. Strength flooded his limbs and his exhaustion fled. With care, he maintained the link but limited the flow of Qi – too much and he would wear himself out, too little and it would not be enough for the task.
“Zhou, no. You haven't recovered enough,” she raised a frail hand towards him.
“Stop talking,” Zhou bent down, slipped his arms under her and lifted. She felt light, incredibly so. “I still have to get used to this.”
“Be careful,” her voice fading and, when he looked down to check, he saw her eyes had closed. Her breathing, shallow but steady.
He cradled her in his arms as he ran down the trail. The renewed power in his legs enabling him to skip over the raised roots and loose stones, swiftly eating up the distance.
The land dipped and the trail widened. Underfoot the ground changed from dirt and grass to carefully laid rectangular stone slabs as he entered the temple complex.
The maze of wide streets and narrow alleyways between
Similar Books
