Many months had passed since the time when he had first uttered the promise to his mother, that he would embrace the Zhou and their Gods. Now, with each new day as the Shaman King grew stronger and as he felt his strength returning, so did his hatred and need for revenge against the White Elephant King grow. His strong left arm remained as if dead, limp and motionless, which made him further cruse the Shang Gods that had betrayed him. He was eager to learn the secrets and the power that the Zhou gods held for him.

The Shaman’s patience grew thin with each wakening moment.  Thoughts of war and revenge consumed his mind making his hate grow into rage. Finally, the great king could wait no longer for the Zhou. If he had to wait any longer he would return to the Shang, and raise a great army to conquer his nemesis the White Jade Elephant King.

“Good morning your highness.” Bowing the old man Cao Bao   greeted him, “I see you gain strength with each new day. I also see your eyes burn with the poison of hatred. You must take care for this hatred of yours can consume you and make you ill unto death.”

“I have lived with hatred all my life foolish old man”, replied the King. “Without hate I find no purpose to live. It is hate that gives me strength and it is hate that makes me serve my gods.”

“No, my king, not the gods of the Zhou, ” responded the old man. “To serve the gods of the Zhou one only need to seek wisdom, not revenge.”

 “What do you know about wisdom?” the Shaman queried.

“I know you are alive because of my wisdom of healing and I know you are about to receive the wisdom of the Zhou Gods. This is foretold, even if it is in my humble opinion that you do not deserve to know their wisdom. Your highness!” The old man bowed low, hands clasped in deference in front of his face.

“You speak insolence old man.   If I were in my kingdom I would feed the royal pigs a strip of your skin one at a time.” The Shaman king glared angrily. The old mans face broke into a toothless grin as he bowed his head even lower.

“Your words do not scare me your highness neither does your anger. What moves me toward you as a moth moves towards the moon is your alliance with our people the Zhou. You have sworn alliance to our Gods and so they have instructed me to introduce you to their wisdom and their power.  Before you and I journey to the Gods of the Zhou I have a present for your highness.” With those words Cao Bao  clapped his hands.  A young and beautiful large breasted girl wearing a white silk gown and carrying a golden tray glided effortlessly across the floor toward the king.

“Excellent!  I need the flesh of a Virgin to complete my healing. I may spare your life yet foolish old man,” said the Shaman, with laughter and delight in his voice.

 A derisive “Hah!” came from the lips of the old man. The Shaman was baffled.

 “She is not for you my King. I bring to you a much greater gift, one that will heal both your body and your mind.” With those words Cao Bao  approached the girl and lifted a small silken bag from the golden tray. Cao Bao   hands extended outward, the purse resting on his palms, the old man genuflected before the seated King. 

 “This is my gift to the greatest King of the Zhou,” Cao Bao said, his voice proud and firm.

At first the Shaman King hesitated but his respect for the healer and his words compelled him to receive the gift that the old man offered. The Shaman King opened the silk bag. Nestled inside was the poisoned jade arrowhead that had struck him down in the heat of battle with the White Elephant King. The jade arrowhead was as beautiful as it was mystifying.  It looked as though it had been made from ice that had frozen into stone. This arrowhead that the great Shaman King now held in his hand, had been fashioned from the White Jade Elephant God. A hole had been pierced through its center and a silk cord attached making it into a necklace. 

“It is yours to wear. It will protect you from the magic of the White Jade Elephant God. Wear this great King so that we may visit the Gods of the Zhou who wait to heal you at the Flying Cloud Cave.”

The great King closed his eyes, and placing the silk cord over his head, let the arrow come to rest on his chest. When the jade arrowhead touched the skin on his chest it grew hot then it grew cold. The great King knew that arrowhead possessed great magic.

Cao Bao  was pleased that his highness wore the arrow of protection and knew it was time for the healing.

“Come with me my great king. It is time that we journey to the Dragon Squeezing Mountain where the ancient ones called upon the god of lightning. It will be there that your dead left arm and hand will again have life”.

The Shaman had not been outside in the light day for a long time.  He was eager to be completely healed and to gain his strength back for the next and final battle with the White Elephant King. Cao Bao ordered his sturdiest carriage and hastily putting provisions together, they then set out on their journey guarded by a small band of Zhou warriors.