History of Sheng
A young maiden by the name of Sheng spent her days in the kingdom of Kugnae for many seasons. She was a humble, young woman who did not show any disrespect for anyone or anything. One would believe she was very shy, whilst another would think of her as snotty and rude.
Sheng owned neither of these traits. Though it would seem natural for any young woman to be adventurous and daring, Sheng was not. Instead, the young woman would spend many days meditating in her room, and many nights gazing at the stars.
The night was her joy, and the collection of the stars in the midnight sky amazed her. She has heard many stories about the placement of the stars, and pondered whether they were true. As she pressed her back against the fields, she traced the pattern of the stars with her finger. She swirled her finger in the air and imagined the night sky swirling in the same direction. Knowing the possiblity of this was low, she stopped. Suddenly, there was a murmur in the winds. She leaped up and glanced about her. Nothing. Silence. Just nothing.
"Foolish girl. The wind is nothing to be afraid of," she muttered to herself.
The sky! The sky began to swirl, the stars began to spin, but she only seemed to remain still. As the swirling became more fierce, she covered her eyes and curled herself into a ball. The sky was destroying itself. Sheng felt a tap on her shoulder. And then another tap.
She looked up, cautiously, first at the sky. Everything was in place. Odd. She looked over her shoulder and there stood a woman much elderly than her. This woman owned a smile, brighter than any star. In her hand she held a silver ball that seemed to reflect the darkest night away.
"Who are you?" Sheng questioned.
"Silk."
"Silk?"
"Diviner Silk. Afraid of change, are you?" Silk rhetorically questioned, whilst removing a lantern from her pouch. "The sky is in my crystal ball here." She tapped her silver crystal ball and continued to speak. Apparently, Silk had spotted Sheng napping in the fields, and decided to forge into her dreams. Silk did see her love of the night and stars, and her fear of its removal. "Come with me."
The two journeyed to a serene pond where Silk began flipping coins into the air. Silk taught the young Sheng how to perform I-Ching readings, and many different divinational methods in the long run; but never mentioned the Tao te Ching (a book which held passages of the enlightened). One day, Sheng spotted the distant Tao Te Ching in Silk's pouch. She began to read, and read. Never did she stop reading. The pages were engulfed with knowledge. The world was minced before her feet. "Sheng... Sheng..." the winds whispered. "Sheng... fourty-six." Sheng, turned the pages and looked for a symbol of a number; but the hexagrams on the pages only rose to 45.
Sheng had searched the entire book, but found nothing. She rubbed her eyes and glanced up. Blankness. Plain. Light. Nothing. Where was she? She was not near any pond, nor anywhere existant. She stood in the middle of a blankness. "Sheng... 46. 46." Sheng called for Silk; but no answer.
Sheng searched, but she was not making progress. Everywhere she stepped, there was nothingness. Tired as she was, she gazed up to find the sky. There was no sky. Upon her was Silk looking down on her. Sheng, confused, called out, "Silk!"
Silk smiled down at her and replied, "Sheng, I have foreseen your day of knowledge. The Tao Te Ching will guide you. I will close the book, and you will study. When the book reopens, you will share your wisdom to those who venture into the mist of the Tao Te Ching."
Sheng nodded and accepted her fate. She took a piece of chalk from her pouch and placed her back against the rough pages. She closed her eyes, and allowed the pages to fall upon her. On the 6th moon of the 5th sun the book will reopen, and there Sheng will be. Hexagram 46 in the Tao Te Ching.