Fluffy WangXian Oneshots Book Two

The Favour Of Heaven Part 12

The Yiling Laozu is standing right in front of him, a cocky smirk lighting up the bottom half of his face. He's wearing a deeply red mask, with crimson rubies decorating the eye holes. It's tied back with a red ribbon that sparks a memory in Lan Zhan’s subconscious mind. The Yiling Laozu exudes confidence in waves, his pose that of a winner who doesn't even have to participate to know that victory is his. His black gloves are holding the hilt of his sword, the tip of it embedded into the ground. Tonight, he wears all red, the burgundy hanfu short, only coming to mid thigh on his lithe body. His tiny waist is cinched in with a black leather belt, and he hasn't bothered with extra layers so when his robe gapes open, Lan Zhan can see his golden skin already glistening with dew-like sweat from the day. His hair is held up on the crown of his head by two criss-crossing hairpins matching his clothes. A few wisps of hair are free, framing his lovely face.

Lovely?

Lan Zhan shakes his head to remove the sluggishness of his thoughts. He has to wonder at his own mind; has he been here too long that every fellow of marriageable age turns him on?

Energy crackles between them, a building tension that spits sparks in the air.

“Are you ready?” The Yiling Laozu asks him.

“Mn.” The question is, are you? Lan Zhan wants to say as they circle each other.

Outsiders and non-cultivators alike think that during a sparring match, everything is dependent on the actual fighting, on each meeting of swords,  but little do they know that these first few moments of examining each other and trying to feel out one another's mental state is almost half the battle. One can even suss out the way the fight will go if they try hard enough.

Lan Zhan’s teachers, from the beginning, stressed to him how important it is to maintain a clarity of mind, that no matter what happens in a duel, to remain free of one's emotions. That's harder than anyone would think, to not get angry at every strike of one's opponent, when it is clear that the other person wishes to hurt you. But it is not just the volatile anger which must be locked up. Sympathy for one's opponent is also detrimental to winning. Arrogance is frowned upon; one must never underestimate their opponent. Excitement is the boundary, the door that leads to all those emotions, and so Lan Zhan mentally locks away all feelings. He is going to make sure that his every strike, parry and lunge are free from blemish, that he can win this match out of pure skill.

His deep breaths settle his mind as he focuses on the fight. How will the Yiling Laozu attack? Will he strike first? Or will he make Lan Zhan come to him? Both can be countered, and equally appealing. Plus Lan Zhan has his superior strength that he can count on. It is a back up, because the Yiling Laozu will tire faster than him, so strategy-wise, it's in his best interests to end the fight fast. Lan Zhan could win just by longing it out, fatigue in his opponent winning the fight for him. There is nothing to be ashamed about for having better endurance during a bout.

The Yiling Laozu attacks first. Sparks rain down on them when their swords clash, hot and burning on his skin. Lan Zhan ignores each burn, deflecting the hit and lunging again. Wei Ying counters with his sword, but Lan Zhan can see the echoing reverberations travelling up his arm and he switches hands like water, the fluidity of his moves making Lan Zhan extraordinarily happy that this man too, can fight with both hands. The Yiling Laozu huffs out a laugh as he steps back, his dark eyes shadowed by his mask. They circle around each other, each measuring their opponent.

Again, the Yiling Laozu strikes, slashing at his sword in a series of hits, and Lan Zhan deflects each one. This is how Wei Ying fights, he thinks, and the thought derails his response so the Yiling Laozu manages to scrape his arm. Both of them ignore the blood staining immaculate white robes, and Lan Zhan directs a little extra spiritual energy towards the wound to seal it up.