Book1:TeDream-Maker (第35/166页)

ople．Notonlywasitoutoftheway，buttherewasaBARTairholeonthegroundwhichletoutheatandwarmth，enablingsurroundingbedsofflowerstobloominspiteofthecold．Lyingontheairhole,lookingupatthefullmoonandmyriadoftwinklingstarsaboveher，StephahoughtitwastheidealpcetogiveherselftoDimitriifitweren’tforhermenstrualperiod；aatrifleletdownanddisappointed．Dimitriwashisownkindselfandseemedintuitivelytoknoasonhermind．

    "Youknow，Stephahemaindiffereweenamanandawomanisthatawomanhasmenstruationeverymonth．Butbecauseofthis，amanfeelsespeciallytender,lovingandprotectiveatthisperiod．Itisjustlikenurturingadelicateredrose．"

    "IthinkGodisunjustingivingwomenthiscurse，whichreallybringsalotofinveniences.”

    "Butitisnotungeableorirreversible．TheeseTaoistshaveamethodcalled"EnKung"orinternart,whistopmenstruationaltogether．Itiscalled"decapitatingthescarletdragon"，afterwhianwouldremainyoungaifulforeveranditdoesnotaffectherfertility．"

    "That’sincredible！Howdoyougoaboutlearningthisamazi?Idoit?IfI，IwillgivemyselftoyouafterIhavedecapitatedthescarletdragon!"

    "IknowsomethingaboutthisTaoistinternartandIwillteachyouifyouarereallyseriousaboutit．Iwillmakethenecessaryarrasandeorealizeyourwish.”

    ThusStephaniecametotheKingdominthemountainsandchosethissecludedcaveasherretreat．Dimitritaughtherthemethodofpractiginternartandshefollowedhisinstrusassiduously．Soon，shenolongeropartakeofanyfoodforsustenanlydrinkingsomewatereveryfewdays，butherskihelessbecamesoft，velvetyandlustrous．ShelivedintotalisotioforperiodicvisitsfromDimitri，whowouldvisithertoseehowshewasgettingalong．Butretlyshehadn’tseenhimforquiteawhile．Sensingageimosphere，Stephaniepausedduringhermeditationandlookedoutofthecave．Theskywasovercastwithdarkcloudsainyripplesinthegoourningintowavesthatspshedagainsttherocks．SuddenlyStephanie’sbodyshookrapidlyanduntrolblyinapainshehadneverexperiencedbefore．Shefeltasiftherewasaninternalstrengthinsideherbodyreadytoexplode．Itwaslikeahugewavesurgingaroundinherbody，tryingtospshherintopieces．ForewarnedbyDimitri，shekwasaveryimportantstage，atimefortransformation．Justassuddenlyasitcame,thepainsubsidedandStephanieluxuriatedinahithertoinexperienfort，

    "Ah，successatst！"sheexulted．"Thescarletdragonhasbeendecapitated!NowisthetimetogivemyselftoDimitri.”Walkingtotheedgeofthecliff，shefoundthattheelementstoohadquieteddown．Shedivedintothewaterbelowgracefusaflyingswallowandswamtowardstheoppositeshorelikeahuge,scalelessfish．

    Afteralongswim，Stephaniefinallyheoppositeshore．Herspeedhadsedandshewasbeginningtofeeltiredwhenshesawaslenderfigurejoggingontheshore．Thejoggerproceededatastablepace,witheachsteppreciselyofthesamelength．Herhandschedinloosefists,swungathersideliketwosystematicbutintergingpendulums．ThisstablenessandequilibriumcoupledwithmoderatespeedgaveStephanieaddedstrengthainuedonherwaywithlongmeasuredstrokes．Hearingthesoundofsomeoneswimming，thejoggerlookedtowardsthegoonandsawStephanie．ShesmiledatherandmadeaVwithherrighthandinencement．Thetwodiesdidnotknoweachotherverywell，butlivinginthesameseclud