Heaven to Wudang. Kylie Chan
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looking from Michael to me.
‘No teleporting, flying, changing shape except to tiger, and no manipulating metal,’ I said, counting them off on my fingers. ‘And you have to stay home from school.’
‘But, Mooom …’ Michael whined, then winced as he realised what he’d said.
I patted him on the shoulder, then turned to Bridget and David. ‘Come on. Let me show you around Celestial Wudangshan.’
‘You often hear about buildings being evacuated because of the smell of gas, then the authorities finding nothing there,’ Bridget said as we headed along the path towards the centre of the complex. ‘Is that what happened to us?’
‘Yes, it’s a tool the demons use to clear an area,’ I said. ‘It’s a damn nuisance.’
‘The police think it’s mass hysteria,’ David said, linking his arm in Bridget’s and looking around with delight as we passed through the gardens.
‘The effect is very similar: everybody gets an awful feeling of horror and foreboding and takes off,’ I said. ‘It’s the best option, actually, as you can see.’
‘The best option for what?’ Bridget said.
‘Emma fights those monsters. She doesn’t want people like us around to get hurt when she does,’ David said.
‘And you knew all about this and didn’t tell me?’ Bridget said.
‘Guess what Emma Donahoe told me today?’ David said. ‘You know John Chen? He’s a god. And Emma lives in Heaven, and her huge black friend Leo is a Taoist Immortal.’
Bridget shook her head, smiling. ‘I see your point.’
We’d arrived at the forecourt of Yuzhengong, in front of Dragon Tiger and Purple Mist halls.
‘This reminds me of somewhere,’ Bridget said, studying the layout. She pointed at Golden Temple. ‘I’ve seen that before.’
‘You’ve been to Earthly Wudang then,’ I said.
Her mouth fell open as she realised. ‘But this is three times bigger, and not nearly as run-down.’
I nodded. ‘Thank you.’
‘Master present!’ someone yelled, and a group of students who had come up behind us saluted me, then waited.
It was a senior weapons class, led by Miss Chen herself. I moved Bridget and David to one side so that the students could go through to the forecourt. Miss Chen saluted me as they passed and I nodded back.
‘When are you going to talk to your sword?’ she said.
‘When I’ve sent these two home.’
‘Don’t start without me, I don’t trust that bastard blade,’ she said. ‘Let me know when you’re going in.’ She turned to the students. ‘Take positions.’
I went to stand next to Bridget and David and we watched the students move into position on the forecourt.
‘Is that the teacher?’ Bridget said.
‘That’s the Weapons Master,’ I said. ‘The only one better than her with weapons is John himself.’
‘Is she an Immortal too?’ David said with interest.
I nodded. ‘She’s over seven hundred years old.’
Bridget raised one hand towards Miss Chen, who began to lead the spear set with elegance and grace despite her short and portly form. ‘Why does she look so ordinary?’
‘You’re stuck in the form you were when you were Raised to be Immortal,’ I said. ‘They can change their form, but it takes effort. And frankly, I think she likes being underestimated.’
The students changed position to work in pairs, and Miss Chen moved between them, supervising.
‘That looks very dangerous,’ Bridget said. ‘They’re going to take each other’s eyes out.’
‘Leo will be furious,’ I said. ‘He loves spear, and never misses a chance to join in. How are you both feeling? You can probably go home now.’
They shared a look, then turned back to me.
‘That would be for the best. We need to reassure the boys, and there’s probably been at least three disasters back at the office,’ David said.
‘I’ll arrange for someone to take you back down,’ I said, and guided them towards my office. ‘I’m so sorry this happened.’
‘I’m not, I got to see what I’m aiming for,’ David said. ‘And I could share it with Bridget.’
‘Yes, I think I may look into this Taoism business a little more myself,’ Bridget said.
CHAPTER 7
Later I went into the Celestial Armoury to try again with the Murasame. Meredith, Simone and Miss Chen were all waiting for me inside, leaving little room for the weapons themselves.
‘This is not a circus sideshow,’ I said.
‘You sure you can’t block the pain, Meredith?’ Simone said.
‘It’s spiritual damage, not physical,’ Meredith said. ‘She just has to bear it for as long as she can until one of them submits.’
Simone came to me and put her hand on my arm. ‘We can always have another weapon made for you. You’re still weak. Don’t hurt yourself, it’s not worth it, okay?’ She leaned her cheek on my shoulder. ‘I need you.’
‘I’ll listen to Meredith —’ I began.
‘Now there’s a first,’ Meredith said with humour.
‘I’ll listen to Meredith, and if she tells me to drop it, I will.’
‘Are you just going to hold it until it concedes?’ Meredith said.
‘She’s going to feed it,’ Miss Chen said grimly.
‘That is a very bad idea in your current state, Emma.’
‘So watch me carefully. Now move back and give me room. I’ll have to take it out of its scabbard to feed it.’
I stood in front of the sword and felt its brooding malevolence. Its corner seemed to be darker than the rest of the room; the sword sucked the light out of the air. I took some slow, deep breaths and moved my chi in time with my breathing, clearing my thoughts and quietly revelling in the absence of the demon essence. I planted my feet on the earth and raised my head to the sky and touched the nature of the Celestial: purer, cleaner and more alive than the Earthly.
I relaxed into it, then made my spirit a well of motionless tranquillity and reached towards the sword. The energy calming didn’t help; the sword’s burn ripped through my hand the minute I touched it. I bit my lip with the effort and took short, gasping breaths to increase my oxygen in the vain hope that it would lessen the pain. I raised the sword off its stand and pulled the black lacquer scabbard off the blade, feeling its bite on my left hand as I let it clatter to the floor.
I rotated the blade in my right hand, keeping it horizontal so that the sharp side faced up, and moved my left wrist above it, ready to slice the back of my hand.
John’s voice sounded in my head. What is hurting you, Emma?
I fought to retain my concentration. The Murasame; it doesn’t recognise me any more.
I didn’t see John appear in human form next to me, but I felt his presence against my back. He reached around and put his right hand on mine where I held the hilt of the sword. The Murasame leapt beneath our hands, its spirit singing with joy at his presence, its dark essence rising to salute his. The pain stopped.
‘It