"Come," her master beckoned, leading XieRong to a corner of the large cave.
The Old lady sat XieRong down.
"Do you see the hole in that corner of the wall?"
XieRong nodded, spotting the hole few feet away.
"Good," Her master said, going near the hole and throwing some berries inside it.
"I want you to feel with your mind if there is a snake inside it or not. If there isn"t then go fetch the berries I threw in, if there is, then come tell me, but let me warn you, if there is a snake in that hole and you get bitten by it, then you will have to remain here for another week, so sense for the presence carefully."
XieRong couldn"t let herself get bit, otherwise all her plans would get delayed and she couldn"t let that happen. She admitted, it was tempting to remain with her master and forget about the Fa family, but XieRong knew that she would be running away from her problems, letting those people get away with walking all over her.
She had promised her mother she would be happy, and the only way she would truly be happy was to get justice for her mother, her sister and herself.
"But how will I know whether what I"m sensing is a snake? And how will I know what I"m sensing is a presence?"
"You will know eventually."
XieRong started to concentrate trying to feel any presence in the hole. She tried for half a Shi Chen but saw and felt nothing. She couldn"t be sure as to whether it was because she was unsuccessful or whether because there was actually nothing in the hole.
Then, XieRong had an idea.
She got up and went to sit near the entrance of the cave.
She closed her eyes and concentrated. She roughly thought of where FeiHong was laying down and felt to see if she sensed anything there.
For another half a Shi Chen she sensed nothing, then she slowly started to.
XieRong opened her eyes and tried the feeling Hui Nuo, Hui Zhen"s and her master"s presences as well.
She was somehow able to differentiate and recognise each one because of the big glowing spot in their abdomens.
When XieRong was completely sure that what she felt was indeed their presences, she tried again on the hole.
She did feel something, but it wasn"t the presence of a snake. It had the shape of a rodent.
After another Shi Chen had pa.s.sed she went and told her findings to master.
"Master"s berries are long gone. The rodent ate them."
"Well done. Now tell me what exactly do you mean by a "presence"."
"To feel a person"s dantian."
"Yes," her master explained,"every humans dantian is its unique ident.i.ty just like how every other creatures core is its unique ident.i.ty."
XieRong nodded her head in understanding.
"Master, now that I can sense presences, how do I open the blood bond?"
"It is just the hour of the sheep (13.00 – 15.00), you impatient child. Opening the blood bond isn"t hard once you"ve mastered feeling presences. Now, if you can, try and expand your range to the entire forest and tell me where the intruders are."
"Master, if I"m able to find them this way, then why haven"t they found us?"
"Because I"m able to hide my presence and because of the barrier I"ve set up around the cave. Anybody outside the barrier won"t be able to sense us. Now search for the intruders until I teach FeiHong about feeling presence. Then I"ll teach you and FeiHong how to hide your presence."
XieRong once again went to the entrance and sat down. She first focused on FeiHong, then she slowly expanded her range to the cave and then to the forest nearby. XieRong felt the strain on her mind as she tried to expand her senses to the Shen Mountain range. She"d only made it half way there when she began sweat profusely.
She took deep breaths, calmed her heart, and started again from the very beginning.
It took her two and a half Shi Chen before she could identify all the presences in the forest starting from the Shen Mountain Range up to the boundaries of the capital. Including those of the intruders.
"Master, they are near the base of the Shen Mountains."
"Yes. That"s why you will leave as soon as the sun is in sight, understood?"
"Yes, master."
"Good, now let me teach you both to hide your presence."
By the time both, XieRong and FeiHong, had learned to hide their presences completely, the hour of pig (21.00 – 23.00) had come to an end. The cave had turned completely dark except for at the centre where they had the fire and XieRong had yet to open her bonds with Hui Nuo and Hui Zhen.
When everyone else had fallen asleep, XieRong and her Master were wide awake.
The old lady guided XieRong with patience and after a quarter Shi Chen XieRong had opened the bonds with both her sleeping servants.
"XieRong, I know you made the blood bonds with Hui Nuo and Hui Zhen without knowing what it was properly, but now that you know, I want you to chose with whom you make the blood bonds carefully."
"This disciple understands, master."
"Good, now go to sleep. You have a long journey ahead of you."
Something told XieRong her master meant more than her journey to the West province.
As soon as the first rays of the sun fell on XieRong"s face, Xie Rong woke up, surprised to see Hui Zhen right before her face, waiting for her.
"What happened Hui Zhen? Why are you up so early?"
"Rong Jie, did you open the bond?"
XieRong laughed.
-I did- XieRong replied with her mind.
Hui Zhen looked confused at first, but when it finally settled that XieRong had indeed communicated with her using the link, Hui Zhen gave a big smile and hugged XieRong.
XieRong had given permission as to both her companions to speak through the bond as soon as she had opened it.
-Rong Jie, I"m not very good with words or at expressing my feelings out loud. I am more comfortable speaking through a bond so I wanted to thank you for all what you"ve done for me and Jie. I know you"re leaving us now, but I promise to work hard in these six months and become useful to you when we meet again.-
XieRong, touched, rubbed Hui Zhen"s head.
-Thank you, Hui Zhen.-
During the hour of the rabbit (5.00 – 7.00) XieRong and FeiHong bid their master goodbye after leaving some money with Hui Nuo for their needs.
-Look after Hui Zhen and master for me. Contact me immediately if anything happens. Understood?-
-Yes, young miss.-
Hui Nuo said with cupped fists.
-Take care, young miss. Until we meet again.-
-Until we meet again.-