Chapter 8: Lightspeed Epiphany
Yuan was violently shoved into an agile spaceship that looked brand new and seemed to have cost an immense amount of money. He struggled to grasp reality and took a frantic look around. Inside seemed very personalized, each corner representing one of the 5 beings he was rescued by.
Tiger and Snake both slid into the ship arrogantly as the door closed behind them. Shui Ren powered up the ship and in seconds, the vision of the universe became warped as they flew away, leaving behind the crippled officers and also Yuan's old boring life. It was time to start new and at the same time, a mysterious stone was slapped into Yuan's palm by Shui Ren.
"We were going to give it to you later but it seems like we will have Crime Suppression on our backs for a while. This is a Wuji Amulet, its harmony with the elemental forces has long been overlooked by the scientists in this region of space, but out there, from where we originate, this is a powerful weapon. It uses contact with the body to project strong movements. Long forgotten are the old masters of this art."
"People now dismiss it as backwards superstitions, and the dynasty only permits its research in the top labs. How shameful" chimed Snake.
Yuan suddenly realized that the fairy-tales of the Wuji Martial Arts were in fact, true, and that it was the dynasty the whole time who were keeping them hidden so as to not allow the Shajing Linja to rise up. The countless tales Yuan was told as a child were… all true. The success of the three philosopher kings and the prosperity for centuries. That explained it all.
It was a surreal feeling. It isn't everyday that what you once looked up to turned out to be true, especially when society keeps pressuring you to abandon these thoughts as soon as you become part of the like-minded societal collective.
Yuan could not help but tear from his eyes, while his new friends stared at him in knowing and shared understanding. It would be a long time until Yuan himself could become similar to the glory of his ancestors but it was a starting point. A contrasting nature to himself before this extraordinary ordeal. The story was just starting.