Xuelei, Tears of Blood

Chapter 41 - Concoctions

The three sat in the open. A fresh cool breeze was blowing gently, all was calm and peaceful.

"You ready?" Shen asked Xuelei.

His younger brother nodded. Shen was sitting cross-legged on the grass facing Xuelei. He and MeiHua had pooled their knowledge on the intricacies of the 'qi', the life force in the body. After some discussion, they had come to a possible solution. Shen had more practice than MeiHua, so he would try redirecting Xuelei's energy flow. She would be back-up, in case something went wrong.

"Okay, here goes nothing."

Shen closed his eyes and focused on his inner energies. He had studied the 'qi'. It was the vital life force that flows through one's body. It affected the health of the body and mind. Generally, a well-balanced life force energy flow within a person promoted good health. It could be used to fight more effectively by redirecting it to various parts of the body at key moments for maximum impact. It could also be manipulated against the body and mind.

When Shen was ready, he lifted the tips of his fingers to Xuelei's temples. Following the invisible pull, he sensed the subtle disturbance in Xuelei's energy flow. He traced it carefully to the source and found a tight knot glowing with hatred. He probed it tentatively, Xuelei gasped and cried out flinching. The knot flared and pulsed stronger, beating malevolently.

Shen tried everything he could think of but to no avail. It was just too strong and intricate. A combination of pressure points were involved, he was sure, but which and in what sequence? One wrong move on his part and Xuelei might not quite be himself for the rest of his life. He was not going to damage Xuelei's mind or body and turn him into a simpleton. His brother would be defenseless without any martial arts.

In the end, he gave up. He felt defeated as he withdrew his energies carefully and opened his eyes.

"I don't feel any different. Is it gone?" Xuelei asked hopefully.

"I'm sorry. It's too complicated." Shen slumped, "I dare not mess around too much. I need to study more."

MeiHua's face fell, then she smiled encouragingly at the two boys. "It's okay. We will just have to think of another way."

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"Drink up," MeiHua held a cup up to Xuelei.

"Ugh! Another one of your foul concoctions," Xuelei made a face as he sniffed the hot murky brown brew.

MeiHua grinned. "You know, this is kinda fun. I get to try out my mixtures on you and see if it works." She winked at Shen.

Xuelei looked dubiously at Shen. "Are you sure about this one?"

Shen shrugged. "I don't know. That one is not mine. It's hers." He pointed a finger at MeiHua. "If it doesn't work, you get to try this one I'm making now ... when it's done in four hours."

He stirred a thick greenish yellowish liquid in a little pot. It looked and smelled absolutely dreadful. Ugh! Xuelei looked suspiciously at Shen.

"Are you guys trying to cure me or poison me?" Xuelei asked. "Seriously, you guys are killing me," he grumbled.

They had smeared him with weird pastes, made him drink strange brews, pressed all his pressure points in different combinations and tried redirecting his 'qi' but that proved dangerous. Xuelei had yelped in pain, collapsing to the ground.

It had taken the better part of the day for the pounding headache to ease. They were not the level the man was and did not dare to mess with Xuelei's internal life energies again.

"Mine first. If it works, you won't have to drink that." MeiHua smiled sweetly at Xuelei. She indicated the cooling cup in his hands and pointed imperiously. "Go on. Drink."

"Do you know what this reminds me of ...?" Xuelei asked looking doubtfully at the hot the murky liquid. He blew at it a few times.

"Quit stalling. Drink! I want to see if it works."

Xuelei wrinkled his nose, held his breath and gulped down the contents. He almost threw up but managed to keep it down.

"Ughh! That tastes awful!"

"Shush, don't make such a fuss over a cupful of herbs," MeiHua said distractedly, watching him closely for any reaction. Shen grinned and winked at his brother.

She peered at him professionally, scrutinizing his face. She was very close. He could smell her pleasant flowery fragrance. Xuelei kept a straight face as he got a close-up of her.

He had forgotten how pretty MeiHua really was. Her exuberant and cheerful nature sometimes overshadowed her physical beauty. She was a beautiful person, inside and out, he concluded.

He studied her back as she searched him for changes. She had long dark brown hair that reach all the way to her small waist. It framed her delicate features perfectly. She kept her long hair out of her face with simple little plaits secured with colourful ribbons. The breeze played with loose strands, tickling her face and neck.

MeiHua had soft rosy lips which she nibbled at when thinking, like now, a bad habit that was endearing to him. Her dark brown eyes looked so disappointed when she could not find any effects of her potion on him that he broke into a smile.

"What?" she asked impatiently.

"You. You look so serious and funny."

She hit him on his shoulder. "How can a person be serious and funny at the same time? Really, WuMing," she chided him.

"But you do, you did, doesn't she Shen?"

"I'm not getting involved in your lover's squabbles. I'm smarter than that." Shen announced as he added some white powder into the pot and continued stirring his brew.

"Lover's squabble?" Xuelei and MeiHua exclaimed simultaneously.

"No way!"

"It's not like that!"

"We are just friends!" they said at the same time and glared at each other.

"I wouldn't 'love' you if you were the last man on earth!"

"Me too! I wouldn't like you too, but not that you are a man. I mean if you were the last woman on earth!"

"Ughh!"

"Same to you!"

Shen grinned down at his little pot in amusement as the two denied their feelings vehemently to each other. Yup, there was definitely something going on between those two. He nodded to himself in satisfaction, they complemented each other. They were good together.