Read Online Heaven to Wudang by Kylie Chan - Free Book Online Page A

food. ‘The path I most want to travel is the one with my whole family waiting for me at the end of it.’
    â€˜We’re nearly there,’ I said. ‘We’re all here on the Mountain. It won’t be long.’
    â€˜Why are you returning to the Earthly tonight?’ Martin said. ‘You are established here now, Emma, you don’t need to sully yourself with Earthly activities.’
    â€˜And we just talked about Buddhas from the higher plane coming down to help us,’ Simone said. ‘As long as there are children being abandoned in China because they’re either girls or disabled, I’ll be down there helping them.’
    â€˜We both will,’ I said. ‘We have a long list of service organisations that we help out. Orphans, micro loans for small businesses, prisoners of conscience —’
    â€˜Political prisoners? That’s perilously close to interfering in political matters,’ Yue Gui said, tapping the table with her fingertips. ‘You know we can’t have anything to do with the way that humans choose to run their governance.’
    â€˜I haven’t been warned yet, and until I am I’m continuing,’ I said. ‘We still have the apartment on the Peak, and we use it as a base of operations.’
    â€˜Sounds like you ladies are on a mission,’ Martin said with humour.
    â€˜You could say that,’ Simone said.
    â€˜Is John still there?’ I said.
    Their eyes unfocused, and they all came back and nodded at the same time.
    Simone checked her watch. ‘I have to go back to school.’ She rose and kissed Martin and Yue Gui on thecheek, then turned to me. ‘Are we free tomorrow night to have dinner at the Northern Heavens?’
    â€˜Tomorrow’s Nanna and Pop,’ I said. ‘How about after Michael and Clarissa’s engagement party?’
    â€˜It’s a date,’ Yue Gui said, pleased. ‘Make Leo come this time as well; he is family.’
    Martin concentrated on Yue Gui and they shared a telepathic communication. Yue Gui bent over the table and spluttered with laughter. ‘Never mind. Di Di just told me why Leo’s staying away from the North right now, and it’s an excellent reason.’
    â€˜Do I want to know?’ Simone said.
    â€˜You are very perceptive,’ Martin said. ‘And the answer to your question is: no.’
    â€˜See you later then,’ Simone said, and disappeared.
    Martin leaned his elbows on the table and put his face in his hands. He looked up at me and his eyes were dark with emotion. ‘Hurry up and push him past the basics. I miss him horribly.’ He leaned back and rubbed his hands over his eyes. ‘Telling him to stay away was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.’
    I felt a rush of sympathy for him. ‘Do you think he feels the same way?’
    Martin leaned forward again and shook his head without looking up. ‘It is not me but the one I resemble that he wants. But I am happy to be a surrogate for as long as he will let me.’
    Yue Gui put her hand on Martin’s. ‘Oh, Di Di, I did not know. You should withdraw from this, you will only suffer.’
    â€˜This separation while he masters energy was a trial for me, to see if I was strong enough to end it,’ he said. ‘I failed. I don’t want to be apart from him.’ He shrugged. ‘It’s better to enjoy what I have than to deny myself altogether, isn’t it? He’s happy, I’m happier withhim than when I’m not, so I will let the future take care of itself and enjoy the present.’
    â€˜Does he know?’ I said.
    â€˜Of course he does. He hopes that I will tell him not to come back because he knows exactly how I feel.’
    â€˜I’m counting on you to bring him round so that when John returns with enough intelligence, Leo won’t want to be drained by him,’ I said.
    â€˜It is a losing