Satisfied! Delighted!

When the Ancient One and the others stepped out of the hall into the sunlit courtyard, shaded by pines and cypresses, they found Lin Hai standing motionless on a flat bluestone slab at its center.

He held the black Plum Blossom Spear, some seven and a half feet long, in one hand. Its butt rested on the ground, its tip angled upward, and his bearing was calm and focused.

Before long, Lin Hai began to move.

His movements were neither fierce nor explosive. They carried a distinctive sense of fluidity and continuity.

Even Peter and Harry, who knew little about Huaxia martial arts, could tell at a glance that Lin Hai had woven the forms and spirit of his Tai Chi into his use of the long weapon.

The spear swept along a graceful, flowing path, tracing a circle before him.

He infused his moves with the spiraling force of Tai Chi's Cloud Hands. The spear tip cut through the air with a low, clear hum. The dark shaft drew arcs large and small, each seeming to shift between feint and substance. Layer upon layer, they formed an unseen but resilient barrier around him, covering every angle.

His feet moved with the flow of the spear, keeping his center of gravity perfectly balanced at every moment.

Then Lin Hai flicked his wrist. The entire spear shuddered powerfully, its tip leaving a dense trail of afterimages.

This was no meaningless flourish, but an exquisite application of Tai Chi's Listening Jin.

Through the faint sensations transmitted along the shaft, he could sense and judge the direction, strength, and nature of an incoming force, then guide and neutralize it the instant they made contact.

If an enemy had struck his spear with a weapon just then, that seemingly slight vibration would have been