Editing Shih Demon Hunters (section)

===Yi and the Wan Xian===

The Shih trace their origins and traditions to one man: Wan Kung Yi.  Born into the nobility during the Shang Dynasty, Yi was an [[This Guy|observant and thoughtful young man]] who just happened to be trained and GOOD at bashing in the heads of his enemies.  Eventually his father sent him on a journey to collect taxes, to expose him to the truths of the world and help him mature into the leader that he had the potential to become.

Yi learned the truth alright, more than his father planned too. The young warrior had seen the things that went bump and ''ate'' people in the night, and was horrified to learn that many of these, particularly the Wan Kuei, had massive influence in the world of the living as well.  When he returned and informed his father, he was shamed more to learn that his father already knew all of this, but did nothing.  

Yi called his old man a coward. His father had him kicked out of the household in response, with nothing but his weapons, armor, and a rickety wagon's worth of supplies to his name.

For five years, the increasingly angry and despondent Yi wandered China, sometimes battling but never defeating the ''shen'' that he encountered.  He eventually found a monastery besieged by monstrous ''kumo'', but by this point he was beyond caring. Fully convinced that he would die, he threw himself into battle.

But something happened. Yi did ''not'' die, and while he didn't realize it, [[Mage: The Ascension|Heaven smiled on the warrior]].  The ''kumo'' were beaten back, but Yi himself was one Aggravated damage dice away from dying.  The sages of the monastery found him and nursed him back to health, and as he healed, they talked shop.  From this, Yi eventually saw that his father was right in playing ball with the ''Shen'', as it saved his people.

He stayed with the sages for a year, and in that time learned how the supernatural beings had their place in the natural order, like the opposing seasons.  But if that was the case, if the ''shen'' were as implacable as the seasons, how was he able to best the ''kumo''?  One of the elder monks posited that maybe, MAYBE it was because that because at that moment, because of his goodness and virtue, he became the perfect match to balance their depradations.

Yi stewed on this, then asked his host another question: If he was just one virtuous man, how can he serve as a balance to the supernatural?  The monk told him to find other good people to help him battle the ''shen''.  

Yi asked the old monk one more time. But weren't ''they'' good and virtuous men?

Impressed by this UNO reverse play from Yi, the old sage and his followers agreed to help Yi in his training.