I understand the solution to Sensei Madame Liao’s puzzle. I end my slide with a single-footed forward flip, flinging myself off the edge and into a waterspout. The spout spins me higher and higher. I focus my mind and loosen all my muscles except my back muscles to center my Chi and make my body as sleek as a dolphin’s. Like the dolphins, I go shooting out of the top of the spout.
I land in a crouch on the Principal Island so heavily that it bruises the pearl in a disk around me. I make sure to finish right in front of Sensei Madame Liao, in a one-footed landing, head thrown back, both arms fanning out behind me like a swan spreading its wings. Never let them say that Shinians have no style.
Suki and Doi land behind me. I don’t know which one came in second and which in third. I don’t care. Because I’ve finished first at our first Motivation at Pearl Famous Academy of Skate and Sword. I, Chen Peasprout from Serenity Cliff. I’ve only just arrived here and I’ve already started my rise to become a legend of wu liu.
Bring on the rest of the days. It’s going to be a lucky year!
CHAPTER
LUCKY
After the Motivation is complete, I check my skate blades. They didn’t suffer any damage. I didn’t have to take many steps, and I could glide for much of the route since it was mostly racing and jumping. It’s combat that eats up a lot of steps.
Many girls complain to Sensei Madame Liao that they were delayed because they had to stop to empty pebbles in their skates after stepping through the pit of tuber root starch powder. Doi, Suki, and Suki’s entourage exchange glances. Somebody put something in the pit to sabotage the other skaters. After seeing Suki take an illegal swipe at Doi during the Motivation, I suspect it was her or one of her followers.
Sensei Madame Liao rakes the filtering comb through the pit but finds no pebbles. Nonetheless, she orders the pit to be scooped out and refilled with fresh powder.
Now the group of first-year boys takes over the course to be given the same Motivation. I look for Cricket, but I don’t see him among them. Is he all right? I hope the other boys haven’t been teasing him. And please, Heavenly August Personage of Jade, let Cricket not finish last.
I wanted to get the chance to see how Cricket does, but no. Sensei Madame Liao leads us to the far side of the Principal Island to the Courtyard of Supreme Placidness for what she calls “visualization exercises.” As soon as we enter the walled courtyard, the sounds of activity from the academy become muted. The courtyard is made of eight rows of eight squares, all filled with sand. Sensei tells us each to sit in a square of sand, cross-legged in lotus position.
She lights sticks of incense in an urn and says, “Do not think yourselves skilled for your performances at the first Motivation. Your skills are trash. None of you has the excellence, discipline, and perfectly upright character needed to have a career in Pearlian opera yet. Now you will learn to harmonize your Chi after performing wu liu.
“You might think you understand Chi. Everything you know is trash. Chi is not some mystical force invoked in just meditation and acupuncture. Chi is energy. Energy drives wu liu. Energy is everything. Lift the palm of your hand to your face. Hold it in front of the point between your eyebrows without touching your face. Feel the energy from your hand interacting with your Chi.”
I already know all this, but I do as she instructs. I feel a dull, aching pressure on my invisible Third Eye from the closeness of my palm.
“Wu liu practitioners who practice visualization of themselves successfully completing their moves improve their performances dramatically. Throw away your understanding of all laws of the visible world. Your understanding is trash. Now visualize yourselves performing better at the first Motivation. Except you, Chen Peasprout.”
Everyone turns toward me. Doi looks at me with that hard, unblinking gaze. Suki practically has fumes curling out of her nostrils.
“You,” Sensei Madame Liao says to me, “visualize yourself performing with the humility to remember that this was only the first of six Motivations.”
Make me drink sand to death.
After we finish our visualization exercise and say prayers to our honored ancestors begging them for forgiveness for our worthless performances, Sensei Madame Liao tells us to go bathe and dress for the Osmanthus Banquet, the traditional feast held after the first Motivation.
After my bath, I wait for Cricket outside of the boys’ dormitory, ready to comfort him. I only hope he didn’t finish last. He will be devastated if he finished last.
“Peasprout!” Cricket skates up to me.
“I’m sure you did your best, Cricket,” I say quickly. “Are you all right?”
“I didn’t finish last! Most of the boys did the final leap, but about ten of us were too frightened and got stuck on the last stretch of rail that ended in open sea. One boy finally tried, but he messed up the timing and shot out of the side of the waterspout instead of the top. He was flung back and knocked us all into the sea. So we all tied for forty-first place!”
He beams like he was just given the gift of a baby dragon. My sweet little Cricket. But sweetness is not going to get him to his best possible future.
“Cricket, only half of the one hundred students in each class are invited at the end of the second year to devote to one of the conservatories. And the rest are kicked out. Only twenty-six are invited to devote to the Conservatory of Wu Liu. Twenty-six students, Cricket.”
He tucks his chin into his breast. I wish he wouldn’t do that; he looks like he’s three years old.
