by Ryan Conway
“Mr. Wong said the surface world believes Tiandihui began with four people, starting an uprising during the colonial period,” Spencer added.
“Ah yes, in the 1760s there were four men who were fed up with the economic turmoil in the rural lands outside Fujian, caused by British colonialism at that time… Ti Xi and three others. And yes, they had assistance and mentorship from descendants of the original Tiandihui unbeknownst to the surface world. But just as the intention of the original founding of Tiandihui was to fight the oppression of the Qing Dynasty, the resurfacing of Tiandihui was to fight the oppression of colonialism. Unfortunately a lot of its members were already involved in various forms of crime and piracy to cope with the economic hardships of that time, and many of the members brought with them their evils and societal ills.”
“Master Yan, why does the society have that name… Heaven and Earth? What does that mean?”
“Celestials were the most prominent figures in creating Tiandihui in the heavens to help the Shanzenian civilization have influence in the surface world.”
“Celestials?”
“Yes, and the Jade Emperor was the main Celestial to design and then lead Tiandihui from the heavens, but the Shanzenian role was to establish Tiandihui here on earth in order to preserve their positive influence and combat oppression in the surface world, at least among the Eastern civilizations.”
Despite Spencer’s many new revelations, nothing ceased to amaze him. “The Jade Emperor?”
“Yes,” Master Yan responded. “There are heavenly beings on our side?”
“And is Tiandihui on earth predominantly positive?”
“Unfortunately today, members of Tiandihui in the surface world of both negative and positive intentions, are constantly fighting each other to assert their control and influence,” Master Yan’s face saddened. “It’s not really known, if negative and malevolent forces exist, hidden on our side or not, but it’s often speculated,” He looked at Spencer momentarily troubled. “Then it would be out of the greatest desperation to fight for heaven and earth.
Master Yan refocused his attention on Spencer’s new and profound learning experience. ”Now, I want to show you one more thing," Master Yan told Spencer over his shoulder. He led his charge to another, smaller courtyard at the very summit of Wudang Mountain. Monks there were performing various amazing feats of extreme physical prowess and endurance, as tourists crowded around to watch the demonstrations. One was demolishing bricks and rocks with his bare fists, accompanied only by strident yells and forceful punches. Another monk balanced himself on his fingertips and pulled up each finger into his hands individually until he held his entire body up on just his thumbs. A group of three monks abreast performed frontward flips, springing off the tops of their heads with their hands behind their backs. One monk launched nails and small needles from his hands with such focused force that they penetrated a sheet of glass without bouncing off or falling out. Another thrust his hands into ice water—and soon had it in a rolling boil. Finally, there was a monk who not only withstood an authentic, steel-tipped spear thrust against his throat—one that a moment before had sliced an apple before piercing through a half-inch steel plate—but pushed back with such tenacity that the shaft of the spear bent and snapped under the pressure, to the amazement of the tourists watching.
"There are many methods for harnessing chi," Master Yan reiterated. "But it flows through the body along invisible pathways called meridians."
"How do we know that the meridians exist?"
"They can be detected by the psychically sensitive, as well as sensitive medical instruments of Shanzenian make," Master Yan explained. "They were first described in the Nei Jing of Bian Que, one of China's, and probably the world's, most ancient medical journals. Nei Jing essentially translates as 'Internal Book,' referring to the internal workings of the body." Master Yan paused a moment before continuing. "Bian Que was a legendary physician, mostly considered to be a mythological figure by Nirmanian accounts."
"But he wasn't, was he?" Spencer guessed. "What was he like?"
"It is said that he was an extremely generous and hospitable man who owned a hostel thousands of years ago. One of his guests proved to be a celestial being in disguise, and presented him with a special gift of herbs. After boiling the herbs in water and drinking the liquid, he became endowed with an unnatural intuition about the human body, and an ability to see through it and find any ailment." Master Yan looked at the sky, hands clasped behind his back. "And for every ailment he encountered, he could also find the perfect treatment." He looked at Spencer sagely. "Humanity owes a great deal of gratitude to Bian Que for leaving such a wondrous gift of health and healing, which would become the model of traditional Chinese medicine for millennia to come."
"His guest was a celestial being?" Spencer asked, wonderingly. "You mean… like the Jade Emperor?"
"Exactly so. As I mentioned before, Brother Callaghan… This world is not the only world," Master Yan said, echoing even Sean Galloway’s earlier words. "And whether we can detect them or not, we are surrounded by greater beings than ourselves. Some believe that the celestial being in disguise was, in fact, the Jade Emperor himself, not only the founder of Tiandihui in the heavens, but perhaps one of the greatest of the Devas residing in our skies."
As Spencer recalled, Devas were a feature of ancient Oriental mythology, originating, he thought, in Indian Hindu beliefs.
In the distance, beyond the performers, stood an individual who caught Spencer's eye. He felt uneasy when he realized the man wore a dark suit and seemed to be watching Spencer, glancing up at him periodically. He was one of the suited men who had been watching them at the airport, Spencer realized. He wondered if they had followed the van, or if they had already known that their destination was Wudang Mountain. Either way, seeing them at Wudang was unsettling, and he needed to alert Sean at once; if he saw one suited man, the others were surely here.
After looking around the courtyard for a moment, he finally spied another of the mysterious men. Spencer didn't see the third, but he did notice, that the two he saw, appeared to be communicating with each other remotely. "Master Yan, may we head back down to the Purple Cloud Temple now?" Spencer requested. "I need to speak with Brother Galloway as soon as possible."
Chapter Fifteen
The Tent
E arly the next morning, Spencer and Tom left their sleeping quarters to meet Sean and Master Yan for breakfast. Upon their arrival, they discovered the others sitting in meditation positions on cushions around a low, square table. Spencer and Tom were surprised to find three new people with them: a man and two women, dressed in differing styles of dark, stealthy battle garb. Everyone looked up from the table as Spencer and Tom approached them.
"Spencer, Tom," Sean called out. "Please, come join us. I'd like to introduce you to the newest members of our team." The young men sat down across from the two women, with Master Yan on their right and Sean and the other gentleman on their left. First Sean addressed the table. "Everyone, this is Spencer Callaghan and his Shanzenian guardian, Thomas Englewood."
As their newest teammates, Spencer raised his eyebrows at the mention of Tom as a guardian, though he supposed the description was accurate enough.
Sean gestured to the large, bald man sitting next to him. "This is Brother Marcel Kaufmann. He and I have known each other for a long time, and I have great confidence in his knowledge, his abilities, and his loyalty." Sean beamed. "Not only do I trust him with my life, but I trust him with yours as well."
"A pleasure to meet you, Brother Callaghan, Brother Englewood," Marcel replied. "I will not lie: You will need as much assistance as possible on this mission. But hopefully, we will be able to handle any challenges we cannot avoid." Marcel was a middle-aged man with a reserved demeanor, formal manners, and a noticeable German accent but what seemed to be a rugged and pragmatic persona. He was about the same height as Sean, but possessed a much bulkier build. His shaven head gleamed in the light
and his face was strong and square, making him look even more formidable. He wore a gray woolen sweater with a zipper and turtleneck, but next to him lay a thick leather jacket and a utility belt equipped with a small, peculiar arsenal.
Next, Sean introduced them to the older of the two women sitting across from them. "This is Sister Koizumi Wakana. We've only met recently, but she's certainly proven her combat readiness and tactics, as well as her mastery of numerous weapons." Sean paused briefly, and his tone grew more serious. "But most importantly, she comes highly recommended by superior authorities within the Satyarakshatian forces, so we definitely want her on our team."
"It's an honor to make your acquaintance," Sister Koizumi replied in flawless English. She was a stoic woman with mannerisms just as formal as Marcel's, and reminded Spencer of his mother, Aiko. Her demeanor seemed gentle and approachable, but professional and focused. She was delicate in appearance, with a petite build, but possessed strong, sharp features and a notable potency in her movements. She was about the same age as Sean, but seemed older in her wisdom, more reserved, and more distant. She also exuded an air of confidence and strong will. Her dark brown hair was pulled tightly into a bun atop her head, and an armory of traditional weapons, including knives and batons, were tightly fastened to her thick, leather suit at her thighs, waist, and the forearms. The brown poncho draped over her upper body concealed a collection of other weaponry, visible only as steely gleams where they caught the light. A state-of-the-art crossbow, apparently her; only projectile weapon, lay on the table beside her; and she wore a quiver of specialized bolts diagonally across chest and back, atop the poncho. A sheath containing a katana was fused with her quiver and crossed it in the shape of an X.
Finally, Sean introduced the last of the three new members to join their group, an Asian-European woman. "And this is Sister Mei Lynn, a Shanzenian, and along with Master Yan, she’s a fellow member of the Heaven and Earth Society. She's in a special Satyarakshatian apprenticeship under Brother Kaufmann, and will be traveling with us. She also comes highly recommended, and Master Yan has assured me that her skills are on par with soldiers who have already been in the field for far longer." Spencer cupped his fist and respectfully bowed toward Sister Mei. She returned a quick nod with her finger tips barely touching, and immediately resumed eating her breakfast.
Mei Lynn seemed a rather confident young woman, but unlike Sister Koizumi, she didn't seem at all approachable; and along with her serious personality, she carried a slight attitude of indifference. She was young and attractive, with long, silky, black hair, not much older than Spencer himself. He felt a sting of intimidation upon making her acquaintance, not because of her attractiveness nor due to her status as a warrior-apprentice, but mostly because she radiated an aloofness that seemed to warrant a certain level of distance. He found her interesting, mysterious, and standoffish all at the same time, but nonetheless sensed a need to respect her space and keep his distance.
"Brother Galloway, there is one more issue at hand," Master Yan said, reaching into the pocket of his robe. He pulled out a sealed rod, reached across the table, and handed it to Sean. Sean reach into his own pocket, extracted his mission key, and inserted it into the rod cap. It popped open, and he pulled out a few rolled sheets of documentation. "Apparently, Spencer is an individual of particular interest to the Brotherhood," Master Yan continued. "And these orders were issued, along with specific instructions. The paper should explain where to take him next."
Sean's eyes widened as he viewed the documents. "These instructions order us to bring Spencer to the campground in Sichuan," Sean commented, not bothering to hide his surprise. "That's where the Entry Point is!"
Master Yan nodded in confirmation. "As you all probably know, you will need passes not only for yourselves but also for Lynn, Thomas, and Spencer to even get near the entry point while you're at the campground." He nodded toward the older warriors. "Brothers Galloway and Kaufmann, please safeguard these documents with your lives, and present them only at the entry point." Without elucidating further, he proceeded to eat his breakfast, and the others joined him.
After the meal, Spencer and Tom returned to their quarters to pack and prepare for their next adventure. He still wasn't sure what this quest he was on entailed, or why he had to be the one to undertake it; but somehow, his medallion had triggered it. That, or the attempt by Drake to steal it.
Soon, they were trooping down the flights of stone stairs toward the lowlands. At the base of the base of Wudang Mountain, they boarded a shuttle about to depart for the campground in Sichuan. Spencer ended up sitting next to Mei Lynn, who sat gazing out the window next to him. Tom sat on his other side, filling the center seat to its full capacity. Spencer felt awkward sitting next to the warrior-apprentice, and started to feel his usual bashfulness when in the presence of an attractive girl. Tom had learned to recognize Spencer's nervous habits over the years, and he supposed his shyness was pretty obvious. As Mei Lynn kept peering out the window, Spencer resorted to his typical response in such circumstances: he looked around to find something or someone else on which he could focus his attention.
During the drive, he found an opportunity to ask Sean about the Thubanians; he felt safe in doing so, having been assured the vehicle was secure. If the men he had seen watching them at the airport and at the summit of Wudang were Thubanian agents, as Sean suggested, they would have to take extra precautions during their journey. "Sean, what kind of people are the Thubanians you started talking about yesterday?"
"Real Thubanians aren't actually people," Sean said, glancing at Mei Lynn. She remained uninterested. "But they do have human agents and supporters, even worshippers."
“Worshippers? Are they a religious group?"
"They're a reptilian species," Galloway said. "A kind of alien, I suppose you'd say. They're not the only ones, just one group among many. The species isn't originally from Earth, but has lived on our planet for eons. At one point, they even enslaved human beings."
"Not very nice people, then." Despite everything Spencer had experienced over the last week and a half, the new revelations never failed to astound him, and Sean's matter-of-fact discussion of real extraterrestrials was no different. "I knew it!" he exclaimed abruptly. "I knew the Reptilians in all the UFO stories had to be real. So many people say 'No, it's not possible,' but I never found a reason not to assume they existed. I knew it. I'll bet Drake Fulton's one of them."
Sean waited patiently for Spencer to finish his little rant, and was slightly amused by his sudden, uncharacteristic outburst. "Well, just like us humans, they have their own lifestyles, beliefs, and religions," Sean continued. "And despite their usual treatment of humans, they grant their followers a few rights and privileges if they profess faith in their beliefs." Then Sean rolled his eyes. "Sometimes. They're mostly malicious and only seek to rule over humans and our resources. They've influenced a lot of human cultures with their draconian ways, which we still see the effects of today."
Spencer was intrigued and wanted to ask Sean many more questions about the Thubanians, but by then the shuttle had arrived at the campsite. The area was busy with people walking around conducting business, selling products, and offering various services. It looked like a huge flea market, but Sean and Marcel were searching for one particular tent. The campsite was organized concentrically, of goods and services arranged in rings around the center ring. As they approached the center of the campsite, the services, products, and wardrobes became more and more bizarre. Close to the innermost circle, the people they passed mostly wore foreign garb of a type that Spencer had never seen before; some even carried untraditional-looking weapons. "What is this, an Asian renaissance faire?" Spencer asked jokingly.
Sean eventually spotted the tent he had been searching for at the very center of the campsite. Sean explained that it was really a Satyarakshatian sanctuary, and special permission needed to be obtained before Spencer, Thomas, and even Mei Lynn could enter. He explained that they carri
ed the necessary documentation, but had to show it to the sentry of the tent first and obtain approval for admittance. "Just wait outside here, please," Marcel requested softly. "This shouldn't take long."
Sean, Marcel, and Wakana all disappeared into the tent, leaving the three youngest members of their team outside. They sat down on benches outside the tent to wait for the others to reemerge. Tom found a small stone table marked with a checkerboard design, but there were no pieces around. He pulled out a pair of dice, bounced them on the table, and Spencer and Tom began calling out numbers from two to twelve, just to pass the time. Before long, Tom noticed that Spencer seemed distracted, and he knew exactly what was wrong.
Spencer pretended he wasn't attracted to Lynn, but as far as Tom was concerned, he might as well have worn a sign on his forehead proclaiming his interest. Tom knew his best friend and his subconscious habits. He knew when Spencer was nervous about talking to a girl, or even standing in her presence, because he had a tell: he'd always reach up with his right hand and rub the back of his head, then stretch like he was tired. He sat there, amused, watching Spencer for a while, and eventually jumped in to initiate things and maybe play matchmaker.
