"Is your daughter's name Yu Doudou?"
The spirit was twisted around again, staring at Zhao Yuan. His body began to pulse and shimmer against the flaming bindings.
With an animal's cackle, the spirit laughed and said, "Yes…Doudou…I named. Do…you…know?"
All eyes turned to Zhao Yuan. I didn't know whether she could see the spirit, hear it, or was just reading the room spectacularly, so I stepped in as medium. "Do you know her? Are you classmates or something?" I asked Zhao Yuan.
She nodded and said, "Yes! Yu Doudou is my roommate at school. We share a bunk bed!" She looked almost excited.
"It's no wonder it came after you then." I thought.
The spirit twisted to turn fully towards Zhao Yuan. It hissed in the almost clear speech, "Is…she…well?" Its voice sounded like a scream echoing down an empty street.
I translated, Zhao Yuan nodded and said, "She's great! We're in the top ten of our class!"
The spirit seemed to shrink. Its shoulders slumped forwards within the flaming circle and its long bedraggled hair hung in ropes over its face. Master Liu didn't falter. "You know of your daughter then. Do you have another wish? What keeps you here spirit?"
The ghost's red eyes rolled to Zhao Yuan once more. It's speech was improving even more, "I am…ss…sorry I…hurrrrrrt you…tell…Doudou…miss…hhher…" I repeated his message to Zhao Yuan.
She stood up straight and looked through the empty doorway where the spirit stood. She nodded her head once and said, "I will tell her. And don't worry, I'll keep an eye on her for you."
The spirit's face lightened in what must have been a smile. Master Liu stepped forward, still not loosening the flaming circle. "It seems you have fulfilled your wish. I will send you away now. I hope that you will no longer hate this world."
With a twist of his wrist, the flaming binds fell into blackening ash on the floor. The spirit waivered for a moment, and then fell to its knees before Master Liu. He began the incantation. We watched as the blood red ghost kowtowing before us pulsed, faded, and vanished into ashes on the floor.
Master Liu breathed a sigh of relief and clapped his hands as if finishing a grand meal. "It's done. Zhao Yuan, you must rest and we," He looked at Sima Jie and I, "Must go."
Zhao Laohei walked us out, showering thanks on Master Liu and Sima Jie. Master Liu brushed it off and reminded him to boil ginger for her.
We walked briskly out the door, the older men unsheathing umbrellas as they went. "Were are we going?" I asked, rushing to keep up and waving a hand to Zhao Laohei behind me.
"The granary floor," Master Liu said, almost quickening his pace. "The rain will stop soon and the rainbows are coming. We must prepare."
I tried my best to stay beneath their umbrellas as we walked, but they moved so quickly that my clothes were very soon wet. I crossed my arms to keep warm. My teeth started to chatter as we went.
Master Liu cast a look back at me and laughed, saying, "Your mouth makes noise even when you're not speaking!"
I scowled at him and tried to grit my teeth. I clamped my mouth shut so quickly that I nicked the end of my tongue and tasted blood. I muttered an "Ow," and spat on the ground.
Master Liu slowed his pace and clapped a hand on my shoulder. "Tongue blood is rare. You can deter some lower level spirits by spitting blood at them. Did you know that?" He winked at me. "It usually only works once though." He raised his head and quickened his pace once more. My mind was reeling with the idea of spitting on ghosts. I jogged to keep up with him.
We arrived at the granary floor and approached Zuo Qingmu's shed. Sima Jie called a greeting to it.
Zuo Qingmu came out of the shed and greeted us with a heavy blanket over his shoulders. "Masters, why are you here?"
Neither Master Liu or Sima Jie replied. My tongue hurt where I bit it, so I too kept silent and followed them into the shed.
The shed was dry, but poorly insulated and very cold. Zuo Qingmu handed me a blanket when he saw me shivering.
Sima Jie looked around the shack and whistled, "Qingmu, you've suffered."
Zuo Qingmu smiled and waved a dismissive hand. "So," He asked, "What's the news?"
Sima Jie regaled him with the red ghost's departure and told him of the coming rainbows. "The rain will stop soon, wait and see." He said.
"Really? I never thought I'd get to see something so spectacular!" Zuo Qingmu exclaimed.
Master laughed and said, "For ordinary people, the scene is only a wonder. For Taoists, we can use it to strengthen our power and adjust our Yin and Yang."
Panic surfaced in my mind. "Can…can I use it too? I don't know how though!"
Master Liu looked at me as if reading my thoughts, "Xiao Yong, you're still young. I'll teach you a simple trick so you don't miss out." He gave a smile and a wink that only made me feel a tiny bit better about it.
"Thank you." I said, "What should I do?"
"When the rainbows appear, you'll need to stand below them and adjust your supernatural air so it is circling around you. The balance of Yin and Yang will reassert itself onto your body."
I nodded again, mentally retracing the steps of redirecting my supernatural air.
Just as Master Liu said, the rain slowed to a light drizzle and then stopped all together. We moved outside of the shed and into the cloudy day, awaiting the sun and rainbows.
There was a light blue on the horizon that crept towards us. After what felt like hours, light began to filter through the clouds and onto the granary floor.
I squinted my eyes as the first rainbow appeared. It was a vague shimmer from the sky, but sure enough it fell before us onto the granary floor. In less than ten breaths, the second one appeared. This one was bolder, thicker, and shone clearly all the way to the ground. Then the third came, shining like a multicolored ribbon, barely the size of my arm. It crossed the first rainbow and planted itself on the granary floor. Twenty-one colorful ribbons interlaced themselves before us, shining like magic in the air.
I gaped up at the rainbows while Master Liu, Sima Jie, and Zuo Qingmu began to murmur incantations and trace tactics with their hands. As one, they raised their fingers to the sky. I watched in awe as the colorful ribbons bent from the rainbows and shot into their hands, connecting these three men with the power of light.
The light streaming to Master Liu and Sima Jie was a bold, brilliant power. Zuo Qingmu's strand was much less impressive, though still beyond anything I could dream of. I watched them in amazement for a few moments before realizing that I was missing my chance. I ran beneath the rainbows and then looked around in confusion. The colors were gone! Had they left? Was it over? I looked back to Master Liu in fear.
He met my gaze and shouted, "Don't move! You can't see them from where you are, but you're in the right spot! You have maybe ten minutes! Focus your air!" He gave me a smile and then closed his eyes to concentrate.
I followed orders, dropping into a cross legged position and focusing as hard as I could. My heart was pounding in my chest, thumping loudly in my ears and behind my eyes. The power in the air was incredible. I focused and began to circulate my air. It was over in minutes.
I opened my eyes as the weight in the air disappeared. I watched the others lower their hands and turn to each other smiling. I got up and went to them.
"What a wonderful feeling." Sima Jie said, bearing a wide toothless smile. He turned to Zuo Qingmu, "That, my young apprentice, is why we came here. There was more power in those rainbows than the Taoist temple! Now we can return."
Master Liu said, "I will stay here with Xiao Yong for a time. He has many opportunities these days. He might muss them up without the proper guidance." He gave Sima Jie a knowing smile. I frowned up at them both.
Sima Jie nodded in reply. "I didn't expect anything less. Remain here as long as you need, but remember you must revisit the deserted village within five years. You can't be late. We'll need your help."
Master Liu nodded.
"What deserted village?" I wondered. I wracked my brain, but the only thing I could think of was the desolate place we visited with Granny Hong Rong. Was it that village?