Fluffy WangXian Oneshots Book Two

The Favour Of Heaven Part 4

Lan Zhan tosses the Imp back up into the air just because he can, and he's already tired, okay? His patience is running out, and he's on the verge of being very annoyed.

“Waaah!!” Xiaogui yells, probably because he wasn't expecting that. “What the fuck, man?”

Lan Zhan shrugs. “Second time for clarity. To make sure of whatever you saw.”

The Imp narrows his eyes at him. “I'm on to you, mister. You better be nice to me since in this place, I'm your only friend.”

“You said not to trust anyone.”

“And I'm right! Anyway, past this wall there are caves.”

“Caves?”

“Caves.”

“And they're exciting because…?”

“They just are, okay? Listen, we all have favourite things we like! Mine are caves. What about you?” Xiaogui grins mischievously. “This could be a bonding moment between us. You say something, and then I say something, and then we both realise how poignant it is.”

Lan Zhan ignores him and starts walking.

“You haven't answered, and how do you know this is the right way?” The Imp begins bouncing alongside him.

“Both ways look the same. It does not matter which path we choose, so long as we choose one or the other. Inaction breeds doubt.” Lan Zhan replies, not stopping.

“Inaction breeds doubt,” the Imp mimics in a snarky higher pitch. “You still haven't told me your favourite thing,” he whines, keeping up with him.

Lan Zhan easily ignores him. Caves on the other side of this wall could mean anything. He will try to get past them if possible. Are they a distraction, or is there some meaning behind their presence? The feeling that he is travelling in an upward direction is just that: A feeling. He has no proof of this, but then that's true about all of the Burial Mounds. Nothing feels real. It's a place of mystery and untruths, illusions and uncertainty. And even though the Imp told him not to trust anyone, Lan Zhan is leaning towards that because how can he not? This place is brutally taxing on his mind and body, and having a friend, trustworthy or not, makes a difference. Just having somebody there next to him is a comfort.

They walk and in the Imp's case, bounce, for a long while. By Lan Zhan’s calculations, night should have fallen. It should be dark by now, yet nothing about the hazy light changes. The sky, what little they can see of it, remains empty of stars, a constant greyish blue. They are stuck. Next to this frustratingly unending  wall, and in this time bubble. Lan Zhan is doubly wary because he doesn't want a repeat of the earlier test involving the Demon who took the form of his mother. He refuses to dwell on that now, seeing it for the weakness it is in this place. But he gets the feeling that such a familiar experience will not be replicated; if anything, this place thrives on keeping its victims on their toes. So he has to be on his guard for whatever it throws at him next.

“What if we're going about this all wrong?” the Imp suddenly says.

“Meaning?”

“Well, here we are, looking for a door, or an exit, right? And we haven't found it.”

“Mn.”

“But what if there isn't one?”

“Stop speaking in riddles. Say what you mean.” Lan Zhan stops abruptly. He hadn't been paying attention to what the Imp was saying, but then, the prickling feeling across the back of his neck warned him not to be so dismissive.

“This wall, it could go on forever. I can't see an end. If we walked back and reached the place we started at, then went in the opposite direction, who's to say it would be different?” Xiaogui bounces back to Lan Zhan. “I'm saying, if there isn't a door, we have to make one.”