Hardcore: Qi Worlds Chapter 45: Qi Healing 1

 The Seer, or whoever he was sighed, "I am Huineng."

 Benzhi just gaped at him. 'Was he a player? Or something else, he called me a subject'

 "I mean, Huineng, Seer or whatever the fuck your name is, who are you? What are you playing at? I know I am a subject, but how do you, what do you mean by progress? Progress in qi healing? Why the fuck can't you make progress in qi healing?" Benzhi spammed his questions in a verbal assault.

 Huineng sighed again, "we have time, I promise to answer all your questions and help you, but will you help me? I am dying. That is why I am here and partly the reason you are here."

 "Are you dying in the real world too?" Benzhi asked.

 "In a sense, this is a real world too, but, to answer your question, yes. I am on life support in the same facility as you in Jiangxi." Huineng answered.

 "I will try to heal you," Benzhi answered, "but only after you have answered all my questions."

 "And what if you do not like one of my answers?" Huineng asked.

 "You have not done anything to harm me or the ones I care about, which included you, by the way, so I will honour the deal no matter the answers," Benzhi stated. The fact that the Seer wanted assurances must mean some of the answers were going to be, well bad, Benzhi thought.

 Huineng nodded. 

 "Is this place real or a simulation?" Benzhi asked the question closest to his heart. He loved the people, his people, in this place so much, if it was a simulation he would be gutted, but he had to know. 

 "It is both and neither," Huineng answered.

 Benzhi got agitated, "you are not the fucking Seer anymore, now answer properly." Geez, old habits huh.

 Huineng inhaled deeply and spoke, "this place is both another plane and a simulation. It would not exist without the power coming from Jiangxi, but the portals, the portals are connected to other planes. Those planes have nothing to do with Jiangxi. This project has had many iterations and been long in the making, this world is not a simulation on a computer either, not since the day it was launched four years ago."

 "Okay, you are losing me now," Benzhi stated, "let's just tick off some important items."

 "Gisael and Reyas, real people or computer created?" Benzhi asked.

 "Real," Huineng answered.

 "Mother, the Fae, Dwarves and Gaels, all real?" Benzhi asked.

 "Real beings, yes." Huineng.

 "How did they get here?" Benzhi asked.

 "The portals from their own planes of existence," Huineng answered.

 "Why did they come?" Benzhi asked.

 "I am not sure. All I know is they choose to come, but from what they say, were also called, I imagine there are millions who ignore the portals and these are the brave souls who journey through." Huineng stated.

 Benzhi breathed a sigh of relief, that was his biggest fear. The last thing he wanted was to be in love with or have an intimate relationship with a computer simulation. He had thus fur been abstinent since his evolution mainly because of this fact. That was primary in his thoughts, but there was also how much he cared for all the people. If he knew they were scripted or a form of ai, it would be difficult to remain as attached to them as he had been.

 "If they are real, why do they adhere or follow the Land Cores so?" Benzhi asked.

 "I am not sure, this is something we are studying. All I can theorize is it has to do with qi and their need for it. The peoples with negligible qi seem unaffected by the Land Core. You have been instrumental in these experiments as well." Huineng answered.

 "That's right. Because I thought you were a fucking Seer giving me good fucking advice!" Benzhi replied angrily. Benzhi calmed down, it had all worked out really well, there was no need to be mad about being tricked. He would just have to learn from it.

 "Are there any others like you lurking in my domain?" Benzhi asked.

 "As far as I know, no," Huineng answered.

 "Why did the Gaels accept you, I assumed you came with them? How long have you been in this cave?" Benzhi started to rapid fire questions again and Huineng held up his hand for a pause.

 "I came here directly only a few months before you. Look at me. They asked who I was and I said I was a Seer and I would live in this cave. They did not question anything, assuming I had been sent to them by the Gods or Spirits. They accepted me and I gave them advice when asked. I even predicted your coming. Being vague has its advantages when it comes to predictions." Huineng answered.

 "Fuck, you're good. You had me hook line and sinker," Benzhi replied. "There was only one time I went, "what the fuck"."

 "Oh, when was that?" Huineng asked.

 "When you said "call or called" like on a phone when I contacted you from the Southern Mountains. I thought it was a strange term, especially the way you said it, I just put it down to "calling" as in yelling out loud and the rest to coincidence." Benzhi answered.

 Huineng did his gurgle chuckle. That at least was not an act.

 "Why is your face all distorted, is that from your disease?" Benzhi asked.

 "No it is not, I was one of the earliest travelers and the method for creating a body was certainly less than perfect, in fact many lumps were not usable at all, I took this one, as it at least it functioned and the deformity came in handy as a feature in the end," Huinend answered.

 "But you said look at my face, I am diseased," Benzhi asked.

 "I," Huineng started and then paused, "I was trying to get you to heal me thinking I was the shaman. That way, I would have avoided all this," Huineng waved his hand indicating the questioning.

  Benzhi nodded, "But you didn't, you let the cat out of the bag pretty quickly."

 Huineng sighed, "I need you and I can help you, so..." He was silent a moment. "Over the past three years I have a measure of you, you will help me. And as the Seer, it felt strange to ask for healing, wouldn't a Seer accept that it was his time...I...felt this was the right way, in the end."

 "Wait, three years?" Benzhi questioned, "it's been like eight months, hasn't it?"

  Huineng shook his head, "I go back often to report and discuss. Time is not the same here."

 "Holy crap, you keep giving me heart attacks," Benzhi said, "how do you go back?"

 "The same way you will, there has been a portal to the antechamber built in this cave, at the end," he pointed. "At great cost. It was built for me ... and for you," Huineng informed him.

  "Fuck," Benzhi said, "can people come through it to here?"

  "Only if a lump is prepared for them or they create a link to this portal in their antechamber portal room," Huineng answered, "I would guess you have no portals in your antechamber, as you have not created any links, I am one of the few with one to this world. It requires a level of qi ability that most do not have."

 "Every time you answer a question, my list gets longer," Benzhi stated. "Okay, what's a lump?"

 "Remember when you first entered this world, you were hairless, without race and without...hmm..certain appendages. This body is known as a lump. The first ones created were lumps of flesh, blood and bone, totally useless." Huineng said.

 "I know you are involved with the Qi Worlds company, but how do you know so much? What is your role in all this?" Benzhi asked.

 Huineng sighed, "A long time ago, I was its founder."

 "Holy fucking crap shit, fuck, sorry," Benzhi said, "you said was."

  Huineng answered, "I will keep it brief, it was many years ago, I was a wealthy man and I was considered one of the master qi practitioners in China when we started the research project in Jiangxi."

  "The site was chosen due to its proximity to one of the major Qi Lines of our planet. We were trying to gain access to another plane through astral travel at first. It was a small project in my company, but it had tremendous success, so it grew and grew. It became my passion it consumed me. It also consumed all my wealth."

 "We sold out to a larger company just to keep going, I was given an amount of shares and kept on as lead researcher. After a few years, that company had spent hundreds of millions and then sold the project to the wealthiest company in China, the one which runs it now."

  "Now I am a small fish in the large ocean, I have some shares, and my roles have changed multiple times. Right now, I travel through portals on this Qi World, one of many, and report on the subjects. I am still around because not many people can do this, so although I am dying, they will make use of me until I die."

  "Why was I chosen as a subject?" Ben asked.

 "I do not know for sure, I guess you were tested and had a large natural qi core, but you knew nothing of qi. I was not surprised when they told me you were the control of the group." Huineng said.

 "What does that mean? What is "the control"?" Benzhi asked.

 "You were meant to fail," Huineng answered. "The others successes would be measured against you as the control of the group. They were all given different information and training, some of them were martial arts masters, some were tai chi masters, some were trained by people like myself who travel. You were told nothing, given no information, just the mission goal. To learn to manipulate qi, to learn qi healing."

 "That's convenient since you are dying and need qi healing. Why don't you just copy me and do it yourself." Benzhi asked. 

  "I could try and most likely fail, I am not as strong as you, or as good at qi manipulation," Huineng answered, "The goal of the company is qi healing it is not for my sake. Imagine how much they can sell healing and possibly immortality to the wealthy men of China and the world. That is not to mention the wealthiest men in China are funding the program so they can have this for themselves."

  "Hang on," Benzhi said, "you said you were considered one of the foremost qi practitioners in China and you just said you are not as talented as me? Do not mislead me Huineng."

 "Both are true," Huineng replied.

 "I have so many questions I have forgotten some," Benzhi stated, his mind reeling, "If I qi heal you here, how does that affect your body in the real world or earth."

 "Our nervous systems are linked in a sense and when we manipulate qi here our body back on earth doesn't know the difference and it is reflected there. However I am not sure how your third-party healing will work, it may not, as it is not my own bodies qi doing the healing." Huineng said.

 "Can they monitor our qi back on earth?" Benzhi asked.

  "We have instruments which pick up activity, like a Geiger counter, however, it will not show them what is happening, they will just know something is happening." Huineng answered, "although there are discoveries made all the time, there are hundreds of RnD projects running, I am out of the loop on new innovations over the last few years. Except where they deem to inform me or I see it through my work." Huineng added, "Hence the need for my reports on your progress."

  "What happens after I qi heal you, what are their plans for me?" Benzhi stated.

  Huineng breathed deeply his rasping breath through his disfigured face and body, "this is where I advise you. It is not something known to me, but I know your opponent and I can offer advice."

 "Opponent? Are they against me?" Benzhi asked naively.

 Huineng gurgle chuckled, "Boy, I think I will be earning this healing it is a good deal. You have no idea what you are up against," He was silent a long time, collecting his thoughts, "They are not your enemy, they do not see you as an enemy until you oppose their will. You have to understand how the world works, the world which you came from. They actually need you now, before you were something they could throw away without a care, but now you have value. You have something they want. The contracts you signed are worthless if you do not cooperate so the first step is to pay no attention to them."

 "Let me put it simply, the men in power will want to take from you as cheaply as possible. If you are your normal nice Benzhi and just give to them thinking they will reward you, you would be making a mistake. They only care about you and what you want as long as they get what they want. If what you want can be accommodated, it will be, but if you don't fight for it, you will just be used. Does that make sense?"

 Benzhi answered, "I am confused, who are they the men in power?"

 Huineng sighed, "board members, major stakeholders, heads of research, anyone of consequence really."

 Benzhi nodded slowly, "I am not as naive as you think."

 Huineng just laughed and laughed. He calmed down after a long time, "do you think I am naive? Hmm, look at where I am."

 Benzhi nodded gravely. Huineng was from the elite and although he was still part of Qi Worlds, he was nothing in the organisation that he had founded. He was begging for healing from Benzhi before he was taken from him.

 "I am ready to attempt to heal you now," Benzhi said, "if I have more questions after, will you answer them?"

 Huineng nodded, "I plan to be around for a long time. I meant it when I said if you help me, I will help you." He held out his hand, "Should I spit in me hand 'fore we shake?" Huineng the Seer cackled. Benzhi spat in his hand and shook Huineng the Seer's hand.

 Benzhi scanned Huinengs body under qi sight he could see deformities and broken qi links. "I don't understand, what if this body, has different issues to your real body on life support?"

 Huineng pondered,"then you might have to heal me back on Earth. This has never been done before. Let us try. In my most dire need, I would take over this body and leave Earth behind."

 "What the fuck, you can do that? Will you stop dropping these bombs on me," Benzhi said anxiously.

 Benzhi made the qi core connection with Huineng, another reason for the old Seer to come clean, he may have sensed something was not right through the connection.  He sort of trusted the Seer, but the wily old bastard could not be fully trusted.

  "What is wrong with your body on Earth?" Benzhi asked.

  "Many things. The one of consequence is cancer," Huineng answered.

 Benzhi spent the rest of the day, destroying cells and parts of the Seers body and then recreating them. Where he could he repaired damaged cells. It was a time-consuming and progress was slow. After qi healing Huineng until sundown, Benzhi rested for the night. Benzhi began again the next day, healing Huinengs face, breathing passages and throat. Benzhi dared not go near the brain, it was far too complex. After three days of healing and resting, Benzhi had done what he could.

  "Are you ready to go through the portal?" Huineng asked, "I really want to find out what has been accomplished. And if I go back and I am healed, well, they will want to see you immediately."

 "What about here? Can I just leave here, what about the Fae, Gaels and Dwarves?" Benzhi asked.

 "Your domain will be fine, I will keep an eye on it as best I can and the Land Cores you have will run for years. If these people are important to you, you need to negotiate where you keep this Domain but without letting them know of its importance to you. That could be used against you. Remember time here moves slower than on Earth, so even if you were on Earth for six months only one month would have passed here." Huineng answered.

 Benzhi nodded, he did not want to leave, but he felt he had to in order to protect his domain, his people. He did not care about Earth, about being wealthy or powerful there, it was nowhere near as interesting as here. 

 Benzhi contacted Mother before he left, 'Mother, I must travel for a time. For how long I do not know, but I will be back.'

 'We wish you well Protector. Where do you go, they will ask,' Mother guessed his intent.

 'Through a portal and no one call follow,' Benzhi answered.

 'Be strong but bend if needed,' Mother advised.

 'Insightful as always Mother, goodbye,' and with that Benzhi cut the connection.

  Huineng, the Seer, showed Benzhi how to open the portal, "this can only be done this easily if a portal has link has been created. When I step through I will be in my antechamber, with the portals it possesses, the ones I have created or travelled in the past. For you, there will be only this portal and one back to Jiangxi."

 Huineng the Seer walked easily through the portal, the healing had made quite a difference.

 With a look behind him, Benzhi stepped through the portal.

Chapter end