[ Zishu's not a particularly big fan of the close-fitting clothes the wardrobe seems insistent on supplying himi with. Even with many layers, it feels as though he's far too on display. While he dresses properly for dinner, in their rooms, he's usually dressed down. Thin robes, and a heavy cloak to ward off the chill. With the knowledge of guests, he had briefly considered redressing, but Anduin arrived too quickly for him to make a decision about that.

He returns the nod with a casual salute, one hand cupped loosely in the other, before gesturing him inside. ]

Not at all. Thank you for coming so quickly.

[ He's thin, a little too thin to be healthy even at a glance. His lips are bloodless, too, but he moves relatively smoothly, easily, despite his clear exhaustion. ]

How much do you know about qi manipulation?

[ He gestures for Anduin to take a seat at the table, folding his robes beneath him as he takes his own seat. There's tea, of course, and a few extra cups--he pours for the other man, sliding it across the table. ]

The body's energy, yes. It follows the paths our meridians trace around the body. Disrupting the flow of qi with pressure, needles, or qi along the meridian paths can be both curative and destructive, depending on what is done.

[ A brief pause, as his eyes flick up. ]

You know this already?

No one can know everything. [ He can't help the way he scoffs, shaking his head. ] If one has learned all he can from the past, then he should look to the future. But, yes. There are others here who are able to use and manipulate it the way I do.

Essentially, my situation is somewhat unique. My meridian paths were disrupted, stagnating my qi. If all seven points had been struck at the same time, it would have rendered me instantly mute, blind, deaf, and paralyzed. Individually shattered, as is my situation, I have instead been losing my senses slowly but steadily. Death is inevitable, in both cases.

[ He inhales sharply at the sensation. It's warm--not entirely dissimilar and, simultaneously, nothing at all like the way it feels when foreign qi is channeled through him. Anduin will find his pulse shaky and weak, tremulous, and if it's something he can tell, his meridians are withered, his qi pooling and stagnating in places it should not. ]

[ It's warm, soothing and relaxing muscles he'd unconsciously been holding tense. His qi moves as its urged to, sluggish, but it isn't long before Zishu's brow furrows, his lips parting as he lets out a slow, carefully measured exhale. It's not pain, but it's an odd, sore ache. ]

[ He does as he's told, inhaling--holding it--and then exhaling in a slow, meditative pattern. He won't fully fall into meditation like this, but it does help ease the strange, unusual sensation. It'll feel better for all this, he knows, but it's still frustratingly difficult to remember that when his body doesn't seem to want to do anything he wants it to do. ]

[ He slumps as soon as the connection is withdrawn, panting as he presses a hand to his chest. Zishu's covered in a thin layer of sweat, but he doesn't hurt, and he's almost forgotten how that feels. ]

Ah... The organization I once led had very strict rules about how one might leave its service. I couldn't very well enforce it on my subordinates and not myself when I chose to retire.

Of a sort. It was meant to be a punishment and a deterrent. For myself, I consider it more... [ He pauses briefly, searching for the right word. ] Repentance.

How could I demand my subordinates follow such strict and cruel rules--and not follow through with it myself? But, yes. I've found a reason to live.

[ He didn't have one, before. ]

It's designed to be incurable. [ He smiles, small and mirthless. ] There might have been a way, once. I had hope for it, at least. But due to extenuating circumstances, I had to take certain measures which sped up timeline. Significantly.

Which is to say, not exactly. Because I know it's incurable without the use of things beyond what my home world is capable of.

[ A brief pause, and then he sighs. It isn't as though holding back will do him any good. Especially not here. ]

I drove nails through my meridians at the seven critical points. And then I expelled them all by force.