CHINA
The Gifts of Luna
Stage 3
Story by Wilson Ye
Edit by the CLA Editing Team
Illustrated by Farren Febiola Darmawi
Prologue
Now, Shun’s father, the emperor of the Ming country, was standing above the palace gate about to give a speech to his people on the square below. What a spectacle it was, and he just couldn’t help enjoying being worshiped.
“Long live my emperor! Long live the Ming!” One shouted from the crowds, and soon everyone was repeating him loudly. Soldiers nearby shook the ground with long spears, the drummer beat the drum vigorously and the flags fluttered wildly in the wind. Everyone was ready to hear from their emperor. You could feel the energy just standing next to him.
“My loyal people,” the emperor said, slowly throwing his hands to the air, “I’m glad we are gathered here and stick together at this very moment. Now, our great country is suffering from a plague, and we have lost many of our people. The clinic lacks medicinal herbs and is unable to treat more infected people. Under this circumstance, I, the emperor of Ming, have decided to send troops abroad to find herbs for the cure.”
“As we all know,” Emperor Hao followed, “Ming is the greatest country in this land, and we will fight against anything that hurts us. Together, we will end this for good and bring about a better Ming!”
“Long live the emperor! Long live the Ming!” The crowds shouted again and again, tirelessly; it was like the sound was going out to every corner of the world.
Chapter 1
That evening, in her chambers, Shun heard footsteps in the hall, and then her door smashed open. A strange man pushed in.
"Excuse me for breaking in. Is there another exit from this room?"
Terrified, but surprised by his politeness, Shun said, "Perhaps you should tell me your name and explain what's going on first!"
"The name’s Kang, I work in one of the emperor’s workshops.” He put a smooth golden stone in Shun’s hand. “These stones help us to make gold in the workshop. We work hard every day, but now we're hunted by Emperor Hao. Now, please tell me…"
"I’m not helping any protesters. You guys should be taken to prison!"
"Wait, it’s not what you think— Emperor Hao!" The emperor entered along with his Minister Tan, his most trusted advisor. Kang stepped away from Shun.
"Princess, did this man hurt you?"
"No, Father. I’m alright but get this man outta my room.”
"Please, Emperor Hao," pleaded Kang. "Help us, we give our lives for you, but we have no way of dealing with the disease!"
"Let us go and speak about this," suggested the Emperor. "You and your fellows will be alright, I promise.” He turned to his minister, “Tan, take care of Shun, and then meet me in the great hall, where we have gathered the others from the workshop.” The emperor left the room with Kang. Shun put the beautiful stone in her pocket.
Tan was an immigrant from the mysterious land of Yuan. He came to Ming and started as a Shun’s butler and tutor before being promoted to head of the palace, and finally, the chief minister.
“You okay?” asked Tan.
Shun spoke quickly: “That man pushed the door open, looking for a way out of the palace. Then father came in, and you arrived just after.”
“I’m glad we were so close.”
“What will happen to those men?”
“We will take them to a new clinic in the northland, where we can treat them with special medicine, and as you heard today, I will make an expedition to Yuan to get more medicine. Now I must go to help your father. You are safe now.”
After Tan left, Shun marveled at the golden stone, and then went to the great hall herself. While she waited, she listened in as the two argued about the lack of resources, yet her father still trusted him. She admired their relationship because her father was an opinionated man, yet Tan fearlessly challenged and influenced him. "Tonight is another full moon. I'm afraid they will not be stable in the clinic."
"If your plan hadn’t failed, we wouldn't be dealing with this!" Emperor Hao said.
"Things are going as planned. With more power, you will have as much gold as you want. Yuan is rich in resources, but undeveloped. Under your leadership, Ming will become the greatest power on the continent!”
For Shun, Yuan was just mysterious. She entered and spoke up.
“Father, I came to ask permission to join the expedition.
"No, you cannot."
"Why? Where are they going?"
"The land of Yuan. I’m sorry, but your place is in palace society."
"You never let me do anything!" Shun shouted.
"How dare you raise your voice at me. I'm your father and you're a royal princess. Where are the manners Tan taught you!
"Tan, you suggested this mission, please ask father to let me go! At least you understand me. You kept me safe and taught me, much like father should have," Shun snapped. "It seems like you’ve done more for the country than him!”
"Enough!" Emperor Hao slapped Shun.
"Master Shun, it's good to stand up for yourself, but the outlands are dangerous. Your father is trying to protect you," said Tan.
"I'm an adult! I can take care of myself. I have never been outside of Ming."
"We will speak of this later." Tan gestured her towards the door, then turned to the Emperor. "Master Shun is still young. It's normal to be rebellious at her age, but I'm sure she will come to her senses."
Shun ran out. She couldn't stop thinking about their conversation. How were they treating the infected at the clinic? What was Tan's plan? Why was gold mentioned? With the full moon approaching, there was only one way to find out.
Chapter 2
Two hours on horseback to the north lay a dried-up lakebed and her father’s clinic. The front gate of the clinic was hidden by weeds and old, twisted, fallen trees. She began to doubt the clinic was for treating the sick.
“It’s the full moon! Everybody on guard!”
“Careful, this guy has transformed! Help! The guy just escaped! We need everyone to come to the entry zone!”
It seemed like she could hear people’s voices inside the clinic, and right at that moment she heard a series of rapid footsteps coming from the other side of a log, and it seemed to be heading right towards her!
With a sudden crack, the log in front of her split apart and a giant, lion-headed creature was standing in front of her. Shun was thrown to the ground by the shock.
“Please, don’t…” She simply lost her mind and begged, but the wild beast just stood there without any words or moves. The air was frozen between her and this creature.
Her mind cleared and through the moonlight, she could see his figure. He looked like a wild lion. His arms were full of spikes, and his feet full of claws. But his unruly eyes had the unmistakable look of the man she had seen in her room.
“Get him!” someone rushed toward Kang. The humanoid lion sprang to his feet and ran behind her.
“Kang?” she shouted, memories of that night when a man came into her room came rushing back. The resemblance was unmistakable. She had to check her guess.
He stopped, turned around, and looked at her. The guilt suddenly burned in her for not helping him before.
Thwish! An arrow flew past her and hit Kang, who fell to the ground in pain. A large group of people followed and captured him.
“No!” She wanted to save him, but there was a sharp pain in her brain. She passed out from exhaustion.
❊
"Master Shun, what were you thinking?"
Shun woke up in her bed, hearing Tan beside her.
"Drink this," Tan said, handing over a bottle of herbal tea. "It helps you regain your strength."
"It was… complicated, Tan." Shun drank the tea and felt a little shaky.
"I know what happened. The clinic was nearly torn apart by that creature. Emperor Hao wants to know what you were doing there. Can you explain?" She told Tan everything, except about the stone.
"Unfortunately, Master Shun, you may now carry the disease." Tan showed her the stone he had found in her coat pocket. Shun's heart fell. His words were her biggest fear.
"I'm afraid you can no longer stay here. If the royal family is infected, we risk losing everything. You should journey with me to search for the cure." Although Shun felt weak, she suddenly felt excited.
"Drinking herbal tea will prepare you for departure. I will tell the Emperor that you will be absent. I won't mention a word about your disease." Tan patted her head. "Please rest." Tan left, Shun looked at the moon outside the windows and fell asleep.
Chapter 3
Over the first few days of the journey, Shun and the troops crossed grasslands and swamps. To reach Yuan, however, they had to cross peaks covered with glaciers. They set camp at the foot of the mountain under the cool air and starry night sky. By the campfire, Tan found Shun sitting alone.
"Here." He passed her a bottle of freshly brewed herbal tea. "The full moon is approaching."
"Thank you, Tan. I feel so much better." Shun drank the tea. "I know I shouldn't stay up this late."
Tan sat beside her. "It's okay to stay for a bit."
"Thank you. My father would have never allowed this."
"Your father is an important man, and that is why he had little time with you. Under his rule, Ming is flourishing. You're a part of this now."
"But this is my first time outside of Ming and in such new environments. The beautiful views made me think that perhaps the people of Yuan aren't as uncivilized as we think, though." "They're not what you think!" Tan was furious. "I should know. They are violent, barbaric people!"
"Isn't it unfair to judge an entire race?" Shun asked. "I believe there are good people there, like you."
"You…" Tan stood up, then his tone became calm. "You will be disappointed with the truth. Now, go to sleep. Tomorrow will be a big day."
"Yes, Tan." Shun returned to her tent, wondering about the people of Yuan.
❊
The next morning, they started up the mountain. As the elevation increased, the air grew thinner, and the snow accumulated. Winds whistled past. It wasn’t long before it was almost a blizzard. "The horses can't go any further. Everyone, we have to walk from here!" yelled Tan. The troops started leading the horses, but the winds grew stronger.
"We have to lighten the load on the horses!" said Shun.
"No, wait!" Tan tried to stop Shun, but it was too late. Shun opened some packs, uncovering a load of weapons.
"What are these?" asked Shun.
"They're just for self-defense."
"How could you travel to someone's land to ask for their help and threaten them at the same time?" Shun was furious.
"Let's talk about this later. Keep moving," Tan instructed.
"I’m not moving until you tell me what's going on."
"Master Shun, don't be naïve. This is our mission."
"HOW MANY ARE YOU CARRYING?" roared Shun. "Is this an expedition or a conquest?"
"It's not what you think…"
"I'm not blind! Tell me the truth. What happened to searching for a cure?"
"Yes, it's a conquest for the future of Ming," admitted Tan.
"How could you? What about me? The infected people?" Shun fell to her knees.
"Come on, you have to get up."
"I'm turning back."
"I said, GET UP!" Tan screamed. Shun suddenly started to see red.
"What… have you done to me?" Shun asked, realizing her body was obeying Tan's orders against her own will.
"You know nothing, Master Shun. Now keep going!"
Shun's body obeyed Tan again. A chill ran down her spine when she realized Tan was controlling her movements.
Once again, Shun felt she was walking as if her body were under the control of some force. The endless white snow before her eyes turned blood-red, and a bitter chill spread down her spine and blocked all her senses.
“Don’t you ever control...me!” Shun walked straight ahead, trying to break free of the force. Suddenly she felt her feet become strong and powerful, and her chest seemed to be burning with a flame. Along with the freezing wind, Shun ran and disappeared into the vast white snow.
“Hey, come back!” Tan noticed he had lost his control, but it was too late, he stamped his foot angrily. “Don’t just stand there!” Tan turned and ordered the troops to move. The troops moved on through the snow. When they were walking, the troops heard a loud roar mixed with the sound of snow and wind. The roar was deep, furious, like the sound of an animal looking for food. The next moment, they saw a giant figure making threatening gestures; it was roaring and approaching the troops!
“Snow monster! It’s a snow monster!” yelled the troops.
“It can’t be...” The always calm Tan now also panicked, “Hold your attack!”
Tan commanded the troops to stay down, but the monster was upon them. Out of instinct, the soldier at the front lunged with a long spear but was crushed into scarlet snow by the beast. The snow-covered, lion-headed creature then roared heavily and turned away, leaving the troops in shock, its roar echoing up the mountain.
Tan stood in the snow, clenched his fist in the air, and said: “I’m not gonna let you go like this. I will find you, kid. One way or another.”
Unfortunately, the blizzard was so severe that it blocked the mountain pass. Tan and his men had to go back down the mountain and make camp until spring.
Chapter 4
Shun woke up, breathing a scented mist rising from a kettle. “There you are,” said a strangely dressed old man.
“Where am I?” Shun spoke in a weak tone.
“You are in Yuan. This is our village. My apprentices found you, cold and near death. They brought you down from the pass into our fair valley.”
“I’m sorry?” Shun was a bit confused.
“You’re from the country of Ming, followed by a man named Tan and his soldiers.”
Shun tried to explain, “I’m the princess of Ming, and I was sent here by Emperor Hao,” said Shun proudly, “There is a plague in Ming, and it’s said that you have herbs that can cure the disease.”
In the many hours that followed, the old man, Master Ze, explained to Shun about who the man Tan was before he left Yuan. That he was an alchemist, greedy for making gold and controlling minds. That he stole moonstones from the people of Yuan to make gold, and that he brewed a red tea that allowed him to control others’ minds.
“That’s why...” She remembered how Tan was controlling her on the mountain.
“Tan was banished from Yuan because we believed his misuse of Luna’s stones would bring a plague upon the people of Yuan.”
“Luna?”
“Luna is ‘Yue’ in the old language. She is the goddess of the moon.”
“So, wait, is Luna causing the plague?”
“No, Luna is THE CURE for the disease, and the way is through mastering your mind and soul. By learning the practice of kung fu and following the wisdom of Luna. Would you like to try?”
“Yes, yes, please!” Shun agreed without hesitation.
❊
Under Ze’s training, Shun quickly mastered the basics of martial arts. She was excited to show her power in front of Ze.
There were all kinds of boards on the training ground, some long and some short, but all were easily broken by Shun with only one piece at the center-left. No matter how she tried, she could not hit it. Because there was a ditch around the board filled with water and she needed to do a flying kick through the water bridge to break the board. The idea was simple, but going through the water bridge took a lot of effort. Shun tried to concentrate her strength relentlessly but kept missing the target.
The failure made Shun restless and the apprentices all laughed loudly.
“Kung fu is not learned overnight. Your current powers are given by your disease, while your own powers are very weak. So you can only let your body release its powers without being able to focus them on a single point,” said Ze.
“You’d better give up, girl!” The apprentices broke the board at the center one by one, making fun of Shun.
“Don’t listen to them, kid. You need to develop your own power until you can break that board, then I will teach you something advanced.” Ze turned and left Shun lying on the ground.
Shun trained over many days and meditated to prepare her mind.
Finally, one day, she flew above the water and broke the board in front of Ze.
“Very impressive.” Ze praised. “Come with me.” Ze took Shun up a hill to a grassy place covered with shiny stones. “This is the secret ground for worshiping the God of Luna. These stones were left by her. There used to be many more, but Tan took too many.” In spite of the warning, Shun was still attracted by the stones; she remembered the stone from Kang. She felt guilty, but she still wanted them.
Chapter 5
One evening, as the full moon approached, Ze sat down and picked up a fishing rod. “You've been doing a lot of martial arts lately. Tonight, our task is fishing.”
“What?”
“No talking,” said Ze with his eyes closed. Shun was puzzled but still sat down. Facing the serene lake and rugged mountains, it was quiet and peaceful. “Wisdom and discipline unite the soul with heaven,” said Ze slowly.”
“Wisdom and discipline...” repeated Shun.
“Look, the full moon is rising. The thing inside you will be much more active. Remember I mentioned the transformation that happens at the full moon?”
“Oh, Yes.”
“Luna’s apprentices can receive great power from her.” Just then, Ze's fishing pole shook, and a big fish jumped! Ze caught the fish in his arms. “Do you feel the power?” Shun looked at her hands, and Kang’s mutated claws at the clinic came into her mind. It was scary, but the power she felt was exhilarating.
“That’s why I lost my mind in the snow!”
“You didn’t lose your mind, you gained power.” Ze worked carefully to remove the hook from the fish’s mouth. “The transformation can happen on every full moon night. Some people lose themselves to the powerful force, but only those with a heart of justice will not be affected. You have to channel your power for good–can you do that?” Just then, as it was getting dark, Ze set the fish back in the lake.
“Why are you putting it back?”
“Tan is caught like a fish by his desires. I want you to let yours go.”
❊
Suddenly, a shout came from the village below. She saw spears waving in the firelight. Shun's heart beat heavily. She realized that Tan's troops had finally reached the village. They were killing villagers! Shun dashed into the fight, and because of her training, she managed to push the Ming soldiers back and save the villagers.
“Tan, come out!” shouted Shun, “I know you’re looking for me! Come out, let’s have a talk!”
“Well, well! Hiss...Isn’t this our little princess?” An ear-splitting sound came out of the mist, and a huge figure emerged: a monster with the head of a snake and the feet of a man.
“Tan, how could you...”
“It was the disease, can’t you see? I got it a long time ago! Thanks to the strength it gave, I am powerful! Nothing can stand in my way!” Tan rushed at Shun, but just then, Master Ze flew between them, and took the blow. Tan laughed, stretching his tail around Ze and pulling him back to his side. He opened his mouth and was about to swallow Ze!
“Master!” Shun jumped up, an electric current shooting through Shun's nerves. Her body felt lighter, but more powerful. Her hands and feet grew claws, her face a mane, and her shout became a rich roar. Shun brushed aside Tan’s tail and saved Ze in her arms.
“Master, are you alright?”
“Don't fall into his trap,” Ze said weakly. You must fight for your own fate. Control your mind...”
“Master, master!” Ze passed out in Shun’s arms. “I am so sorry!” Shun hugged Ze and wept bitterly.
“At first, I was excited when I found out you had the disease, so I agreed to let you come here with me. It's a shame you have such power when we could be working together to rule the world!” said Tan, getting up from the ground.
“Shut up, Tan! You killed my master! Is this what you wanted?” shouted Shun.
“No, not yet! I’m gonna bring back more secret stones and infect more men to join my army, and your father, a simple man who thinks only of gold, will finally bow down at my feet!”
“Never!” Shun's hair stood up, her wild heart burning, she roared and rushed at Tan, knocking him down to the ground.
“This is for lying to me and my father! This is for hurting people in Yuan and Ming!” Shun's claw-tipped fists rained down on Tan, each blow heavier than the last.
“Go on, go on, go on! KILL ME!” shouted Tan. He made no resistance, letting Shun's fists fall upon him, hoping that she would lose control.
Shun's eyes became scarlet red. Her face and hands were stained with Tan’s blood. At that moment she was like a cruel predator crushing her prey.
Then familiar music began to play. Some villagers came out of their huts, playing stringed instruments, shouting to the sky, "Luna, please hold your anger!" The melody was so touching that Shun stopped fighting and changed back into human form.
“Don't listen to them! You should kill me! These people are ignorant! These people are uncivilized!” yelled Tan.
“YOU are the only uncivil person from Yuan. It was not until I came to this land that I understood the diversity of the world outside Ming. The people here taught me how to calm my heart and control my emotions. I will not let you succeed, Tan, and I will use this power for good, not for you. Thank you for always taking care of me when I was little. If you leave now, I will spare you. But if you brew trouble again…”
“Damn you! I will be back! Hissss...” said Tan angrily, as he was dragged away by his troops.
❊
The people cheered and embraced Shun but Shun did not stop for a second. She ran to the place where Ze had fallen earlier.
“Master, I listened to you, I got rid of Tan’s control, we are saved!” Shun took out two more stones from her pocket, “These are the last of the stones I took, there must be another way to deal with the disease, I’m so sorry I let you down! Please, wake up!” said Shun tearfully.
While Shun was crying, Ze’s hands shook, and he gradually picked up the stones.
“Master, you are alive!”
“I knew for a long time about the stones. Thank you very much for your honesty. Now if you could give me some quiet time” said Ze with his eyes closed.
“Yes, sir!” Shun laid down beside Ze, looking up at the stars.
After a period of silence, Ze said, “Now you really should go back to your country.”
“Well, I'm leaving tomorrow. There is still another fight ahead of me. Look, the moon is out again! It is so bright!”
“Yes, it is.”
THE END