A month later when Wu Xi could finally leave the hospital and return home again, he found a package on his desk with a few letters nearby. Presumably, his assistant had put it there, when he took care of everything while Wu Xi was out.
Wu Xi already knew that those were the things he had to take care of himself. Happy to return to his boring old life once again he did not expect the letter to carry news that would forever change his live.
When he finally opened the package, a letter laid on top a jewelry box. Expecting the letter to explain the strange package he opened it first. The letter consists of several hand written pages, parts of it looked more like someone had copied ancient writing onto the paper. Maybe it was someone who wanted to do business with his shop.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
To my old Comrade,
I didn't die. Or you could say, I began another life once again.
I apologize for dragging you into that hell hole, but after all, it had to be you, you'll understand. I had no other choice. I was just lucy that it was with my only friend, and only person I ever trusted to go on this journey with me.
Now that this has come to an end, I truly can not tell wherever our friendship is over to or you'll one day be able to trust me again. But I know that you are rightfully mad at me. We've been close for so long but that doesn't matter when faced with this, dose is?
Let me tell you the truth about what had happened three years ago. My cousin and I did indeed roam about that area. And we did find a hidden cave. You already know where we ended up, when we decided to enter it, and like you've already read in my journal, I was eventually trapped there for some time.
Me and my cousin got separated so I was there in the dark alone. After a while I finally started to understand that place, you'll get a summary, but I think with your capabilities, you already have an idea about it. For me it was very difficult. I believe you will also understand this.
After a while I discovered that the influence this place had over me beginning to diminish. I knew I would starve in the cave if I didn't find a way out. Then I was given an inspiration about what I had to do when I wanted to leave this place. You already know the rest of the story.
When I finally escaped I took a few souvenirs with me, and after some time I found myself outside the cave. So I returned to civilization, the outside world. Then I was arrested in Xian when I tried to sell the objects I had carried out with me. And spend the next three years in prison. When I came back home, well I already tould you all that happened – I swear those weren't lies that I told you. That whole story is true. But there's something else you need to understand.
The next page was already full of ancient writing.
First of all this is the writing of the She-Kingdome. It was gifted to the people form the wishing tree, and the tree granted the ability to understand, speak and write it to us. I wright in this script so no one of the outsiders will understand if this latter were to fall into the wrong hands. There are probably now a multitude of different languages that you should be able to speak and understand in due time but this one is the safest to use.
About the bronze wishing tree. I think we are both of the opinion that this place should better stay buried in history.
On with the story.
When I was trapped in the dark and finally begun to fathom that the power the tree has granted me I only came as far as understanding that it is controlled by the subconscious. It is guided in ways I still can't understand. For instance, if I was hungry and wanted to eat chicken wings first I had to make myself believe that there were already chicken wings there. Otherwise no chicken wings would appear, even if I nearly starved.
It's impossible for a man to deceive his own subconscious mind, so there must be a way of guidance for this power. A way to control it when using it. I sill haven't found it jet, and to tell the truth I gave up searching for it.
As you may have already noticed once the guidance failed or if there is some kind of distraction, who knows what would appear before you? The possibilities were terrifying.
By the way, thanks. I really needed the experience to be eaten alive by giant snake. Only to be buried by a mountain afterwards.
I already nearly died during my first visit. During my stay there I worked hard at controlling my thoughts and tried to guide my subconcious only to discover the power to fade over time. I didn't find a way out, and I would have died, but then the tree contacted me in my dreams. We made a deal, that once outside I will do the trees bidding and it will allow me to live the rest of my live as I please.
The tree taught me how to clone my body and my clone appeared outside the trap I was sitting in.
My first mission was to get rid of the entrance I entered through, so I took some dynamite from my backpack and blew the cave to pieces. That also killed my real body which was a relive, it is truly weird to have the perception of two different bodies at different places at the same time. Then I leaft that place.
I hadn't heard from the tree during my time in prison. So when the tree began to call out to me, saving I was his human and that I was a clone whose existence it could erase from the world I was sure I heard some kind of monster. I wanted to ignore it thinking it was a hallucination when it took my mom from me again.
The mission was to bring you safely to the tree, it guaranteed that you would be allowed to leave alive, so I complied.
During your visit you have been given power by the tree. Your power is stronger than mine, so it will have an greater impact on your live. And it will change you. I heard that you are an intended owner of this power so I calculate that you will not suffer under the side effects like I do. When ever I use this power while not necessary for a mission I will lose a piece of my memory. Most of my memory is already gone- and if I don't write things down, I will easily forget them and then they're gone forever. Maybe in a couple more years I'll have no memory left at all.
This power can be guided by your subconscious, wishes and thoughts; it's like some kind of energy that can receive any form given to it. But you need to concentrait and believe. It will be easier when you kind of empty your mind and only concentrate on what you want.
It will also be able to give you a sort of guidance to a place you desire to find or be. It's a bit like follow where your gut feeling tells you to go and you will find what you are searching for.
I know it is really vague. But I can't really help you with these things, like I wrote before, I haven't really figured it out jet.
I also have sent an item to you, you might need it some time. It is a hexagonal bronze bell. And before you write me of as insane, you where given a immunity against its effects. Those bells were originally used to protect the holy ground of the wishing tree, so people of the wishing tree are barely affected.
You will find out it will keep you from pondering too much, it's a save guard in case you feel like demolishing mountains again and can't control the power. You should probably carrie it with you all the time.
Topic change to what actually happened to you. All I know is that the tree was planning to give you a pearl or pill something like that, basically slowly turning you into a dragon in a human body. So over the time of the next decade or so you will develop several immunities or are strengthened against, hallucination poison insects parasites and so on. The blessing (or curse) you got can also warn you about dangers. So in several years or so you are going to be pretty strong if you find a way to control, otherwise you will be lucky to survive.
Congratulations your officially turning into 'The Dragon Wu Xi - son of the tree of creation'.
Your mission is to protect some secrets I don't know anything about and that's all I know.
Maybe we'll see each other again, maybe not. As of right now I have already done everything I could to give you all information I have. I hope you'll take this as a peace-offering and compensation.
I will certainly appear in case the tree were to send me after you again or you need help. Even so, be very careful, my old friend.
Lao Yang
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Wu Xi was certainly surprised about this revelation. Surely he had healed faster and better than the doctors thought possible. And there had been a lot of strange things happening at – that – place. But when what Lao Yang had written was the truth, then he was cursed for live with a power that would come to haunt him.
Wu Xi could still remember the giant python that suddenly appeared behind him, only because he had been afraid that it could possibly be there.
This power would be too much of a two-edged sword for Wu Xi to try to use it if only to check the auteticety of the letter.
But there at least had to be a bit of truth in it. After all he didn't really know the language more than half of the letter was written in, jet he could read it as if it was the most natural thing.
Still Wu Xi wished to ask someone he trusted about the intel he had come to know. The problem was uncle three was still missing, and even if the old fox knew something about it it was unclear if he would tell Wu Xi the truth.
Wu Xi could still clearly remember that his uncle had already lied to him before about what happened 20 years ago in the undersee tomb. Wu Xi still didn't know but the message written in blood suggested that his uncle had killed a man, information Wu Xi still couldn't belive.
The next knowlegeble person he could think of was Zhang Qi Ling. He already owed this jung man his life and trusted him more than anyone inside a tomb. Jet Qi Ling was always more like a visiting shadow.
A friendly ghost no one can really get a hold of. Wu Xi didn't even know were to begin looking for him. There is always a netx time, Wu Xi consolded himself.
The best idea right now was probably to carefully ask the elders of the Wu family about information. Maybe they knew more about the She-Kingdome than he got using official chanalls.
It was the reason for Wu Xi to visit his uncle two. Wu Erebai maybe has been taking a distance to the tomb raiding business and always urged Wu Xi to do the same but when it came to somethink like this his uncle would help out. Wu Xi was sure of it.
The following day Wu Xi was still pondering about if he should or shouldn't ask his uncle for help when he suddenly recived a unexpected guest.
It was a young girl Wang Meng lead into the backroom where Wu Xi was currently sitting in. The guest was the niece of one of his currend buisness assosiates. He tould his assistand to properly recive her. Her presents here most likely meant interesting information for him.
When the tee had finally driven off the freezing shivers that her travel through the cold winter had caused. She began talking to Wu Xi.
She told him her uncle had discovered the third and to Wu Xis knowledge final bronze fish. She also announced that her uncle would visit the city in two days and would like to meet Wu Xi.
Wu Xi would make time for him. After all the bronze fish hade something to do with the dissapearance of his uncle. And they ugently had to talke somenthings out.
When the girl finally warmed up enough to leave again, Wu Xi tould his assistand to brig her to a good hotel in Hangzhou. After they left, he decided to visit his uncle two after he got his hands on all the information he could get. So, Wu Xi made plans for the next few days.