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Emergence of Evil

The rebellious Tiānshǐ who went down the mountains without informing their leader, Jiàn Shēng, were filled with great lusts. They had used their living stones to cast spells of transformation on themselves and their soul beasts who followed them. They appeared like mortal men and mortal beasts albeit with all their supernatural powers and knowledge retained.

In the generations that followed, they seduced the women of the city of Zhì for in appearance and strength, there was no true mortal man who could compete with them. They also seduced the people of the city, including Jūn, their elder and Shān Jūn, their chieftain with the knowledge and prosperity they offered them. It was easy to win Shān Jūn over because he was a lover of weapons and forging of metals. The Tiānshǐ with their superior knowledge, materials and skills gave them weapons that could bring down great beasts that roamed the untamed lands in those days.

They taught them to eat the meat of these beasts and make ornaments from their bones and teeth. They also showed them how to manipulate the inherent powers of the mortal world to cast spells and use magic to harm one another.

All these gifts came with their own hidden costs and unspoken words of guilt and shame. It is human nature to assume that those who look outstanding and are helpful must be good in nature as well. How far that is from the truth!

The Tiānshǐ initially hid their true motivation in exposing themselves to the mortals under the guise of harmless goodness. When they sought brides for themselves, the people of Zhì willingly handed their daughters over to them thinking that the young women would fare better and climb the social ladder by being wives of such men of esteem. Even the line of Jūn intermarried with the Tiānshǐ.

This is when their masks slowly began to slip. Initially, there were rumors of wives who were being beaten and abused but none bothered to listen. They even hushed the victims, thinking that they were lying without cause. Once the Tiānshǐ managed to gain the trust of the people, they established themselves in the positions of power and leadership so they could lord it over the mortals. They developed a system of hierarchy of power and servitude which became the first model for politics in the mortal realm.

Through trade and politics, they made slaves of other cave-dwelling mortals who could not match their intelligence and guile. Zhì grew and expanded, but it was built on the decadence of its rulers and the blood of its weakest.

The Tiānshǐ told the people, ‘We are gods of the highest mountains which you see and fear. Mountains covered by mist, wind and snow. We descended from them to bring you hope for without us you have no hope!’ This was partially true for they had once dwelt in the frigid heights which Jiàn Shēng loved.

The people came to believe that there were more gods lurking in the mountains and they were not wrong. Some who ventured near the mountains out of curiosity met bloody fates and their torn bodies were recovered by the people. Yet others spotted the likes of Yāo mó, the beast of Bái Láng, and other soul beasts. These and their masters were spying on the Tiānshǐ who ventured down to live among the people of Zhì. Thus, gods and legends were born among the fearful.

‘The gods walk among us. Their beasts are fearsome! Like thunder and lightning their sounds echo through the ravines and desolate places,’ they said.

The Tiānshǐ who dwelt among the mortals saw the opportunity and took it. ‘Why do you fear these gods? Do you not see that we too have the power of gods in us?’ they said. Then they revealed their true selves and their powers which were no different from that of their brothers who remained in the northern mountains.

‘Look, do as we say and we will protect you from them,’ the Tiānshǐ said. They made the mortals bring to them all that they desired. Meats of different beasts they had grown to relish, women and children to exploit and eventually even men. They showed no mercy. They murdered the just and violently killed any who dared stand up against them.

They began to grab land and its produce, wealth and treasures which they hoarded for themselves, taxing the people for ownership of various things so that those who once worked joyfully were now paying because they worked. The lazy grew lazier, the evil grew more wicked.

Violence filled the streets and there was no law or order. Each one did as they pleased. The victims of crime and murders now appeared often and their bodies could be openly found in places once filled with the laughter of children and the chatter of people going on with their daily routines.

Now, the Tiānshǐ who lived in Zhì had children with the many women they owned apart from their wives. These children were strange beings. They appeared like normal mortals, some tall, some short, some giants and some dwarves.

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However, they had some of the powers of their supernatural fathers. They were not as powerful for they carried mortal weaknesses and could be slain. No mortal could slay a Tiānshǐ for they were true immortals, but this did not apply to their children. Hence, the people called the rebellious Tiānshǐ gods and their children demi-gods.

Some of the demi-gods went on to become heroes for their hearts inclined more towards their fellow humans and they sought to help mortals, redressing the injustices they suffered. These were the heroes and legends of old, the mighty men of tales that mortals tell. Most demi-gods went the way of their fathers. They wanted greater power which they lacked, more riches, more fame, more violence and greater evils.

The demi-gods were not the same as their fathers, who were some of the rebellious Tiānshǐ. All Tiānshǐ are the sons of the King and his Bride. Not all the demi-gods were Nephilim either. Nephilim was the name given to a clan of unusually tall mortals, some of whom were demi-gods. The human body had begun to change and hence there were those born of abnormal heights but this was true of mortals in general and not just because of the intermarrying between the Tiānshǐ and mortal women. It was these changes in the health of mortals that caused some to be dwarves and some to be giants.

People, mistakenly claimed in later times that all Nephilim were offspring of the Tiānshǐ and mortal women. They were called Nephilim because ordinary people had to look up to them just like how they had to look up for rain clouds. They were very physically strong but over many ages, their health deteriorated and being so unusually gigantic became a problem. They often worked for the highest bidders and fought for them, thus earning their keep. Many of them worked for the wicked demi-gods and were thus associated with and mistaken as one of them.

There were many who fled the city of Zhì in those days. They took refuge in the caves of their ancestors and married other cave dwellers to survive and have progeny. They taught them the corrupted ways of Zhì from which they fled for its own corruption.

Some of these also found their way into the family of Jiàn Hóng and led some of his children and grandchildren astray. Yet, there was always a remnant among this line who refused to cave to such corruption and it was this line that the seed of the Bride traversed.

The King knew of these things and watched what Jiàn Shēng intended to do. It was a regular practice for the King to take mortal form and walk among the mortals like one of them. He could easily transform and appear as someone they knew or a stranger passing by. Often, when someone ran into him in the wilderness or lonely paths, and he desired to interact with them, he took the form of a mighty warrior with a great, fiery sword by his side.

He was often accompanied by one of the four brothers of Jiàn Shēng who had refused to rebel along with him. At times Yīng Fēng went with the King to bring messages to chosen mortals. When Pèi Zhōng walked with the King, there was a soft, lingering fragrance that filled the place and sometimes it was that of wine and spices. It brought people peace and comfort. Zhì Shēn left clues for people to show them the path of wisdom, strategies and justice as directed by the King.

When the King visited the clans of Jiàn Hóng, mostly it was with Xióng Zhǎn who was charged to protect them. The King and his Tiānshǐ never left traces of their presence unless intentionally and so, Jiàn Shēng did not know that the King kept close watch over the line of Jiàn Hóng. Also, since the King no longer appeared to them as he did to their elders Zhì Rén and Yīn-er, Jiàn Shēng let down his guard and focused more on the line of Jūn.

The King spoke to the four brothers of Jiàn Shēng and the twenty-four Tŏngzhì zhě while they were gathered at his table at the foot of Dàshān. ‘Have you seen what the rebellious ones have done among the people of Zhì?’

Zhì Shēn replied, ‘They have broken the laws of heaven. They were told they cannot have relationships with mortals and they have brazenly abused their powers to do just that!’

Xióng Zhǎn who was once closest to Jiàn Shēng wondered, ‘Why does not Jiàn Shēng take action? Is he complicit in these evil acts?’

The King responded, ‘He is well aware of what he is doing and is responsible for the emergence of evil in the mortal realm. He appears to have no part in it but it is all part of his little experiment to gather the remnants of my Beloved.’

One of the generals of the realms asked, ‘What of the mortals themselves? Surely, they made their evil choices! Look, how they feed on their own and heartlessly kill the innocent beasts they were called to protect. They have grown corrupt and spoiled the splendor of your original intentions for them!’

‘I sometimes look at them and regret I made them,’ the King said with a sigh. ‘Indeed, the wickedness of the mortals is very great and they will be held to account for their corrupt choices. Not everything can be blamed on Jiàn Shēng. I have searched the hearts and minds of mortals and they are inclined to evil continually. The fruits of their deeds is violence,’ he concluded.

Pèi Zhōng asked, ‘What do you plan to do and how can we help?’

The next words the King spoke came from a heart that was deeply torn and grieved, ‘I will wipe them out for they have corrupted their own kind and also the beasts among them. I will start all over again with a remnant and a new world with new boundaries for those rebellious sons who dwell in the mortal realm. I will judge them so that their brothers will not dare to transgress those boundaries as they did!’

‘Is there a remnant that is worthy among them?’ Pèi Zhōng wondered.

‘Yes, there is. One from the line of Jiàn Hóng has found favor in my eyes. I will rescue him and his household. The rest of you, call your soul beasts and gather the choicest of mortal land and air-borne creatures. We will rescue them as well to fill the new world,’ the King said with a renewed hope in his eyes.

There is always hope even in times when there is the emergence of gross evil. There have to be worthy mortals who are filled with courage and willingness to be bearers of hope. It is such mortals who have the power entrusted to them to counteract the violence, and false acts of kindness and love that fill their lands in the name of goodness.