Another Way to Heal

by Ann Yuan

When the moon removed a veil of cloud and poured silver light on Tai Mountain, I’d patrolled all the gates and the corner bell tower.

I received the urgent message this morning and rushed back from the western border. General said it was a close call last night. No surprise. For centuries, villains, bandits, and all kinds of people had tried to steal the Dragon Pearl, a brilliant orb that contained mystical energy. It was said that our brave ancestors fetched it from a dragon’s mouth, and since then it was safely kept in the temple. An army of young women, the Red Warriors, was recruited and strictly trained to guard the treasure.

I wasted no time reporting for duty, without telling other girls I was back. Did Hanyu feel better? An image of her twisted face blazed into my head. My heart sank.

Hanyu and I, among many girls in our nation, had dreamed of being Red Warriors since we were little. We went through a series of grueling tests. One-third of applicants didn’t pass the initial assessment; one-third were dismissed with broken limbs or wrecked spirits. Only one-third survived the eight-year training and were qualified to wear the red armor.

People asked me how to become the top warrior. There was no secret. Day in and day out, punching the sandbag, practicing the sword routine, stretching legs into a straight line even though you felt your body was about to be ripped up. We needed to do the “standing mediation” for hours to cultivate Chi, the precious internal energy which enhanced our strength and mind.

We swallowed the sweat and pain. In the end, our legs were able to move like lightning, fists resembling iron hammers. Seeing me coming home in the famous scarlet armor, my father, holding a cup of wine with both hands and raising it toward me — the highest salute made only to honored guests — invited me to drink with him.

It was all dark and quiet in the temple complex. Towering up inside a valley, the temple was like a mountain itself. This was not a strange place for me. Before I joined the army, my whole family came here on every Lunar New Year to pray for prosperity and worship the Dragon Pearl.

I was daunted by the temple’s colossal size, avoiding looking at the monstrous marble lions that stood at either side of the gate. And now, the marble lions were just huge pets. Although being at high alert, this solemn building brought me a sense of peace and security, a feeling I had only when I was at home.

Just then, I heard a faint sound like a bird flapping its wings. A shadow flew from the cypress to the roof of the temple. Out of my instinct, I stomped my left foot and lifted myself from the ground. Years of rigorous training paid off. My back was straight, my body was light as though riding the wind. My arms were going toward the man’s back before my feet landed on the roof.

The man saw the coming attack. He turned around and briskly swept his arms to pull out a defense. That was just what I wanted. Steadying myself on my left foot, I reached out my right leg and smacked his thigh. He moaned and plunged to the ground.

I was not surprised by the successful kick; my cast-iron legs could easily knock down a bull. But his voice startled me. It was so familiar!

I jumped down and lunged at the man. With a fluid turn, he was already on his feet. The moonlight slanted down on that slim figure. I saw the glaring eyes and an almond face, with which I’d grown up together in the last ten years.

“Hanyu, what are you doing here?!” I tried to control my voice.

Abandoning her uniform, she was in all black and even tucked her beautiful hair into a turban hat. “It’s not your business,” she growled. “Why do you come tonight? It’s not your shift.”

“General called me in. There’s been a burglary...” I gasped. Was she here last night? It’s painful to connect the dots. There is no proof, I told myself.

“And what are you gonna do about it?” she sneered, pouting one edge of her lips. She seemed to have sensed my suspicion and made no attempt to deny it.

“You... how could you do that? Stealing the Pearl—”

“Who said I was gonna steal it?”

“You are not?”

“No. I was gonna borrow it.”

“For what?”

“You know what.” There were anger and despair in her voice. Her face was chalk-white. She bit her lip and stooped down, a position showing that she was enduring the agony. A month ago, an accident almost broke her waist. Despite aggressive treatment, she was still not the same. If she could not fully recover, she would have to drop out as a Red Warrior, whether she liked it or not.

“You want to transfer the dragon energy to your body. Is that it?” I asked.

“The Dragon Pearl is supposed to help people, not simply be worshiped in this ridiculously huge temple!”

“It won’t help you, Hanyu. The human body cannot sustain the dragon’s energy. It’s potent and also extremely dangerous.”

“How do you know? I’ve got no choice, I have to try.”

We saw how hard she tried last month. Acupuncture, herbal medicine, and long hours in the training yard. Every evening she stumbled back to the dorm, collapsed in bed, and snored in a second. The wound was crushing her and yet she pushed herself to the verge of a cliff.

After eight years in the training camp, and two years working together, I could read her mind as clearly as the lines on my palm. How could I talk her out of this crazy idea?

“There must be another way,” I said. “Trust me, we’ll work this out.”

“You can’t do anything about it. Nobody can, not a human being,” she took a glance at the temple.

“We are Red Warrior, Hanyu. We took an oath to guard the Pearl,” I pleaded.

“I just need to borrow it!” she snapped. And she galloped up the stairs and leaped into the temple. She was heading to the Dragon Pearl chamber.

No time to think. I summoned all the Chi from my belly and charged at her. My hands clasped her shoulders; the strike not just stopped her momentum but also sent her into a trance. She followed my lead and slid down to the ground. Keeping my hands on her back, I sat cross-legged behind her and closed my eyes.

Enormous Chi raised from the Dan Tian point, a reservoir three inches below the belly button. The invisible energy, which I’d accumulated all my life, thrust into different directions. I asked myself to calm down. Focus, focus...

A warm stream flew to my arms, through my palm, and entered Hanyu’s body. It’d first open up the blocked nerves in her waist, then repair the wound and boost her overall strength. This was the most effective healing technique our ancestors had practiced for generations, but it didn’t come without a cost.

It was getting cold. Was the temple always this cold? My ears rang. Not a good sign. It had never happened before. I felt myself reeling in the middle of the air and then slowly fell down to the ground like a feather. I’d given my Chi to Hanyu, my fellow warrior and my sister. If she had to borrow the energy, borrow it from me.

A raindrop splashed on my face. There couldn’t be rain inside a temple. My eyelids were heavy. I struggled to open a slit and saw Hanyu weeping beside me. She had never shed a tear, hard as a rock. Why now? Silly girl, I would be fine. Maybe it was time for me to do other things. Be a farmer or a farmer’s wife. Didn’t I tell you there was another way? You are healed. That was my last conscious thought. After that, I fell into a total blank.