Chapter 180 Foiling of the Windchaser (2/2)
The sun was looming proudly over the canyon when we woke up. We packed our things and made ready to continue our journey. When we got out of the shed, the sun was beautiful and outside the shed, it was still the same serene and tranquil forest as if the battle last night had never occurred. We mounted our horses and we rode. Expectedly, we found ourselves back at the shed after an hour's journey. I chuckled. We tugged at the reins of our mounts and began trotting in the other direction which we found ourselves back at the shed again.
“This must be it,” I mused, “the ghastly battle last night and now this, the Windchaser magic, must be the tests that Shang Pei and Zhu Mei had left for me.” I set alight a cigarette and willed my horse to press on. We rode past the shed and the hearth of the fire we made last night and suddenly, I flipped myself off the saddle.
I began walking, taking small little steps, and I suddenly stopped after barely two paces. I had found it! Just a foot from where I was standing, I found a bizarre and unusual ripple in the air as if a wrinkle in the very fabric of space itself! I smiled. I took two brisk steps forward and took an abrupt step back! To my secret delight, another ripple broke the stillness of the air just in front of me again! This time, I cantered forward, taking two steps before I paused, my foot lifted just before I took a third, then I ran forward again for another few steps and lifted my foot again, only this time, I took a step backward. This weird and offbeat swapping of pace continued for almost half an hour and I finally jogged forward and backpedaled before running forward. At long last, I broke the pattern: instead of stepping forward, I stepped backward again!
Lo and behold! Just when my foot hit the ground, everything around us turned blurry as if we had fallen into the center of a giant kaleidoscope before a new scene opened before us! “I was right!”
Prior to the trip, I had consulted with Father. He said, ”Zhu Mei's Windchaser enchantment has the ability to control the ground that one steps upon. But it has a weakness: the enchantment only works in one direction!” Hence, the enchantment would not work if Zhu Mei failed to predict my walking pattern and direction! Hence, my plan: walk, pause, continue forward; then, walk, and take a step backward. For half an hour, I maintained this very same sequence, then I finally broke the pattern to catch him off-guard by backpedaling twice in succession and this finally foiled Zhu Mei's Windchaser magic.
The scene before us changed and we found ourselves in front of the same little hovel with smoke gently sprouting from the chimney of Zhu Mei's home. I flashed a smile at Edelweiss and she too looked at me cheerfully. We got up our horse and we galloped forward.
Smiling, Zhu Mei was already waiting for us when we arrived. He burst into laughter and he helped us with our luggage. The stocky old man stood on the ends of his feet to pat me on the shoulder, exclaiming, ”That was crafty, my boy!” I scratched the back of my head and giggled in a silly way. ”Well, if you had not given me a handicap of yours, I'd never be making out of the Canyon alive!” He cackled, pleased at my flattery. He led the horses off and made sure they were well tied and invited us indoors.
Inside the house, Zhu Mei's surrogate son, the mute boy had already made tea. With a gentle smile, he filled our cups with suutei tsai before he left to prepare food.
He came back not long later with a huge slab of meat. All four of us took out our sabers and dug in ravenously. I reached for my knapsack and took out a small, tightly-sealed urn of liquor. I handed it to Zhu Mei. ”I spoke to Dad when I got back after our last meeting, Uncle. He was pleased. Before I came, he had me bring this to you. You must be missing this, he told me!” Zhu Mei beamed when he saw the earthen liquor flask. He tore off the seal and took a swig. Enjoying the flavor of the draught, he slammed his fist into the table. ”Heavens, many years have gone by, and your father's liquor has never lost its edge! It's still the very best!” As it turned out, Six Terrors of the Frontier had tasted Father's very own brewing masterpiece, the Draught of the Drunken Deities, in the earthquake event in 1976. Its unique flavor and taste had them all longing for it even after so many years. Zhu Mei then told me that the Draught was not meant for mortal men without magical powers; ordinary men might drink themselves to death.
But there was no way Zhu Mei would be instantly drunk; his magical powers were already nearing full immortal. Zhu Mei took another gulp. ”That was quite a mighty roar last night, Nephew. I must say, even I was shocked by that dragon's roar of yours. Was that something your father taught you?”