The Red Plains (The Forbidden List Book 3) Read Online Free Page B

Wall. Very impressive, as are your friends.”
    “They will hold back your army. You will not take the Wall,” Zhou said.
    “My army? No, you mistake me and the power of this army. The Wall will fall. It may happen this very night, or the next.”
    Zhou stood still and stared at his questioner. The round belly, fur-lined robe, bald head and stubble on his chin, and those little eyes that stared right back, dark obsidian orbs that seemed unconcerned and unhurried.
    “Who are you?” Zhou asked.
    “I am a magician,” the short man answered before taking another cup of tea. “It really is the best they can do. It will be the last taste of civilisation you have for a long while. I suggest you try some.”
    “A magician?”
    The man nodded. “Tea?”
    “Why do you want me to drink the tea so much?”
    “Ah,” the man nodded again, “you think it is poisoned. Perhaps some form of potion to make you speak the truth? I promise you it is not, but why should you believe me. It is best, you think, to trust no one at all and answer no questions. I can understand that and I know that nothing I do will convince you otherwise. Your mind is set, is it not? I can see you are a stubborn man. One who sets his mind to a task and carries it through. You stand up for your beliefs do you not? But you were not always this way.” The voice paused and those dark reflective eyes turned in Zhou’s direction. “You’ve little to care for anymore. I have been there. It is not a nice place to be, is it? You are seeking meaning and purpose. Your eyes tell me that. No, you don’t have to speak for me to deduce many things about you.”
    “Who are you?” Zhou forced the question between the constant chatter.
    “You need a name? Would that make you feel better? Would it help you to trust me more?” The man put down his tea cup and rubbed his chin. “A name, a name... I’ve had so many. You can call me,” there was a pause as the man looked towards the roof of the tent, “Yángwū. It fits as well as any other I have worn over the years and brings back many memories. Yes, call me Yángwū.”
    “I am not going to tell you anything, whether you have a name or not. The Wall will stand and I will,” Zhou stopped before he completed the sentence.
    “You will what?” Yángwū leant forward in his seat. “See, already you begin to tell me things. What happened to you to make you so distrusting and stubborn. You were a teacher maybe? Your hands have done little manual labour, your nails are not cracked and broken. You stand tall and there are no discolourations on your hands, not an administrator then. Life was soft and easy. But something changed, there is coldness in your eyes. Your face is not used to smiling any more. The lines have deepened around your eyes. You frown a lot now. Ah, you lost someone close to you. An emotional trauma and the change it wrought you have still not overcome.”
    Zhou turned his back and stomped away. The guesses were coming close to the mark and he could feel the anger burning in his stomach, acid roiling and rising up to his throat. He choked it down and took a deep, calming breath.
    “You have been taught to control yourself. It does not always work, does it? You react instead of predicting and preventing. You still have much to learn about control. Maybe a year or two is all you have been trained for. A new Wu , and a wild one at that. Very interesting,” the soft voice said.
    “What do you want with me?” Zhou turned back towards the voice.
    “I told you, information. That is all I want and need. I want to understand you. You are a puzzle and I do not like puzzles. I like answers. I like to know.”
    “You seem to know a lot about me already,” Zhou said and stepped forward. The man was short, he was fat and slow. Even without the spirit, Zhou was confident he could win a physical confrontation, but the man was a magician. He had powers and he was blocking Zhou’s access to the spirit. What