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Herconstantpracticeandintensefocusdidnotgounnoticed.ShefeCommanderTung’sandSergeantQiang’seyesonhermorethanontheothers.Butitnolongermadehershrinkinward.Shefefueledwithcourageandastrengthshehadn’tknownshehad.

Buttherewasstillonechallengethatstymiedher.

“Fourouncescanmoveathousandpounds,”thesergeantsaidasMulanandtheothersapproachedthesteepstepsthatledtotheshrine.Theyallpaused,theireyesliftinginunisontothechallengeinfrontofthem.OneithersideofMulanwasabucketfilledtothebrimwithwater.Aboveher,othersoldiersgrabbedtheirownbucketsandstruggledupthesteps.Mulanwaited.SergeantQiang’swordsechoedinherhead.“Fourouncescanmoveathousandpounds,”shewhisperedtoherself.Closinghereyes,shefocused.Shefethenowfamiliarsurgeofenergywashthroughherassheconnectedtoherchi.Thegruntsandgroansfromtheothermenvanished.Shefeonlythegentlebreezeonhercheeks.Hereyesstillclosed,sheenvisionedthetopoftheshrine.Sherememberedthepeaceshe’dfebeneaththemagnoliatree.Channelingthat,sheopenedhereyes.

Bendingdown,shegraspedthehandlesofthebucketsandliftedthem.Theyfelighterthantheyhadthefirstfewtimesshehadfacedthischallenge,thankstoherstrengthtraining.Butsheknewthatthechallengewasnotinthefirststeps,butintheenduranceonemusthavetomakeitalhewaytothetop.Stepbystep,sheclimbed.

Aheadofher,theotherconscripts’stepsslowed.Onebyone,theybegantofall.FirstCricket,hisfacewetwithtears,sanktothesteps.ThenPo,whothrewhisbucketsasideandsimplylaydown,defeated.Yaowasthenexttofail.Filledwithrage,hethrewhisbuckets,thewoodshatteringagainsttherockycliffs.

Still,Mulancontinued.Herstepsweresteady,hershouldersstill.Oneithersideofherthewaterinthebucketsdidnotsplashoverthesides,butinsteadremainedcalm.Shegrewstrongerwitheachstep.Thefocusonherfaceneverfaered,evenasshemovedpastherfallensprades.

SoontheonlyotherconscriptleftwasHonghui.Afewstepsaheadofher,hisforeheadwasbeadedwithsweatandhisbucketsweresinkingcloserandclosertotheground.Hisstepswereheavyandhisbreathingragged.LikeMulan,hisfacewasfocused,butdoubtwasbeginningtocreepin.

Mulandidn’tnoticeanyofthat.Shekeptmoving.Stepbystep,higherandhigher,gatheringstrengthuntilshecaughtuptoHonghui—andthenpassedhim.Shefehisgazeonherbackasshecontinued.Sheignoredit.Shewassomewhereelse.Herbodywasonthestairs,herarmsholdingthebuckets,buthermindwasinadeeperplace.Shewasfueledbythoughtsofherfather,hermother,hersister.EventhoughtsofthePhoenix,whowasinextricablyconnectedtoherandwhohadfoundastrengthofherown.