Chapter 32- Messages From Above

Dear Daoist Shu

This is my second time writing a letter. The first person I wrote a letter to threatened to beat me until my shoes went flying off, which I thought was a very ungrateful response to me sending them medicine. I hope this letter goes better.

I want to tell you about this big tree I saw, and the monkey kingdom that lived on it. They managed to farm on the tree, it was that big. I thought it might be interesting to you, because they must be doing something right with the qi there, and I’d bet it had something to do with your Art of Wind and Water…

I wanted to particularly thank you for your lovely gift. I have named the lotus Little White, and I’m raising it very carefully. Maybe you could think of a name for the bird? I’m not very familiar with the tools, but I am taking my time and enjoying learning how to use them. Best of all, though, was the tea you sent.

Your special blend helps me calm down when the night terrors come. When I was in the barracks, my brothers were there to help me come back to myself. Now, they are far away. The ritual of making tea and the soothing flavor brings me back to the present. It reminds me that there are green fields and gentle rivers with broad trees to sit under, and kind people to sit with. I’m pacing myself, but I may have to trouble you for some more later.

Thank you again,

Tian Zihao

Dear Auntie Wu,

I wanted to tell you how I have invested your spirit crystals. Before I left SORRY! I just remembered I’m supposed to start these with something about nature. I already wrote a letter with nothing about nature in it, and now I have to go back and add a new paragraph or something. I don’t know how that works. Draw an arrow from the bottom of the page to the top?

The blue sky is all the more brilliant against the green of the trees, as soft breezes carry the scent of Camilla blossoms and memories. Steward Pan suggested that. He writes a lot of letters. I don’t know which tree is a Camilla tree. There is a very pretty garden on the barge, though.

So before I left Bamboo Medicine Hut…

Sister Hong suggested that could be a business. Rather than selling the tea dry, sell the whole service. I think I will have to be pretty careful who I offer it to, but clearly the elder doesn’t think it’s that big a secret or she wouldn’t have let a whole other sect find out about it. It feels a little weird, honestly, but everyone tells me I should do it. Anyway, I’ll earn some money and deepen my own understanding of the elements and my dao.

I don’t know what my dao will be, Auntie. I want to help people. I want to heal people. I’m also sick to death of people making more problems for themselves. I used to wonder why the doctors looked tired even before they started work, and I get it now.

You get better soon.

Tian Zihao

Fellow Daoist Jun,

Just a quick The blue sky is all the more brilliant against the green of the trees, as soft breezes carry the scent of Camilla blossoms and memories. I’m writing a quick note to say I think I have found a new way to earn from the tea- selling a tea service. Sister Hong suggested it and Brother Wang helped me plan a whole presentation around it. There are props. It’s quite incredible. Unfortunately, the Elder is steering us away from human habitation at the moment. Our next stop is some kind of big lake with lots of birds.

I’m guessing a lot of cranes. But she didn’t say. Anyway, it’s still a week away. By the time you get this letter, I will probably have visited and been on to the next place.

I’ll let you know how it goes when I finally get to try and sell it to another sect.

Tian Zihao

Dear Senior Sister Li,

The blue sky is all the more brilliant against the green of the trees, as soft breezes carry the scent of Camilla blossoms and memories. I am very carefully using the darts you made for me. The binding process takes a long time, but I work on it every day. But that’s not the important thing. Things.

The important things are these tree branches. It comes from a tree called White Mountain Goldheart Pine. We stopped by a mountain that had a small grove of them way up high. We had a job of working together to build a concealed meditation retreat up there. It took a week. Turns out none of us know how to build a house, or make sure a floor is level or anything.

I don’t want to talk about making furniture. People will just have to bring in their own stuff. We all have storage rings.

Goldheart pine- it’s pretty tough compared to normal pine even without processing. It is also super, super responsive to vital energy. I think it would make a good crafting material. Most of the branches came off a fallen tree and are dead, but I harvested a live branch just in case it makes a difference. If you can use more of them, let me know and I will pass on the location. Right now, I’m trying to keep it a secret so some greedy person doesn’t harvest the whole stand.

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Your loyal customer,

Tian Zihao