Alright, so the trouble with Master Li. In an attempt to do some healing, I left my body in Astral Projection and traveled to where he was at. I originally expected to find him in the hospital, and he had been there, but then I found his energy had left the place so I followed it. I tracked it to a warehouse, more specifically one of the corner offices. He’s laid up on a couch. The shot he took was a damn good one. Missed all of the vital organs and arteries, so I’m confirming that.

I found his energy to be balanced than rather favoring positive or negative. However, this made it fairly easy for me to do my job, and I began channeling healing energy into him. Now, on my inspection of him, I had seen a sort of overlay over his head, and that it had grown larger. Now being Astral but in the material plane I thought that it might simply be an unconscious manifestation of an avatar of Master Li’s. So I ignored it. As I focused the healing energy into him, the scales spread to his chest, and shattered and dispersed my ball of energy that I had made. That takes some real doing. Then I heard a voice in my head.

“Are you sure you want to awaken the thing that I am becoming? Are you sure your friends are ready? The gifts of Amaterasu are not easily contained or controlled. Are you ready to die to keep more innocents from being consumed by an errant gift?"

I asked back, “What are you?”

This time Master Li answered in a soft whisper "my energy is almost spent, so I shall be brief. In my youth I fought a thing my temple could not destroy, in the tokugawa period as I recall. As I watched my brothers fall, one by one, the serpent mocked us. "NONE of you can stop ME. None of you has the will, or the knowledge to destroy me. Know that as soon as you have all died the last of you shall be my shell, a fresh body for my use." since the beast could not be defeated (no surprise - I found out later it was one of the sons of Amaterasu) I decided that I would out wit the thing. I fell into a deep trance, stopping my breathing and my heartbeat. I felt the serpent enter my body, expecting an empty shell. A moment later as I let the trance slip I felt it trying to escape. My mind and spirit were nearly shattered that day. I can give you no more, I must turn my full focus on strengthening it's bonds, that it cannot escape before my death.”

I asked if he meant that he would not be returning to life, or if he simply needed time, but all I got was a blast of anger, followed by pain. I thought it more pertinent to get this information out, and get some backup, instead of trying to pry more.

Li-san contacted me telepathically, asking for help... I cast some healing spells from here, the best I'm capable of, sending the energies to the source of contact.

He said his life force had been keeping the beast in check, but that if he died, it might not be dying with him.

I do hope it was him I healed, and not the demon...

When I get a chance, I'm going to go back in there. I didn't plan on going there in the first place to find this kind of thing. I'll be going in with a full battle-rattle. I haven't had a challenge of this kind in a year or more. Might be interesting to learn what new tricks I've come up with subconciously, but haven't had a chance to impliment.

Try and keep Shang Li stable and alive. Once we've dealt with some more immediate threats we can see what sort of Magic and Psychic response we can pull together to help him and deal with that demon.

Rodgerrodger... *is sending a thin stream of healing and positive power to Li-sama, as he got a good signature lock on Master Li, as well as the ... thing inside him and knows the difference*

I would like to stress again, that with Master Li, an exorcism could very well be a grave mistake. If an entire temple dedicated to such efforts as the Society is, were unable to discorporate that thing inside him, and Master Li's recourse was to trap it and seal it... exorcising it, will let it loose again, right among some of our own ranks. I don't know if a banishing would work either.

Don't stir up any hornets nests just yet. Once we finish with Stephan, whomever is left can deal with the Demon imprisoned in Shang Li. Just keep him alive and stable for the time being.

I was just posting a reminder to those that are planning on doing an exorcism. I'm doing what I can. *goes back to sending a much larger thread of chi/energy Li-sama's direction*

You all have my thanks, and my apologies.