With my eyes closing from the bare shade of the sheer curtains, the sleep-like darkness fell along with my eyelids as my body felt heavy. I could still hear Xuanyi and Xuanjing discussing last night's events. I instructed them to keep themselves discreet, which thankfully, they did.
Then a loud booming noise could be heard. My eyes opened.
Shit, dreamland of horrors has chosen the worst time. Same shit. The same old willow tree on the hill with villages that now appear empty.
I found myself sitting cross-legged on a black circular stone platform under the willow tree. On it, was thirteen archaic symbols. Faint streams of purplish glowing energy were moving around me, forming a sphere.
The presence of the third entity was around.
"What game are you deities playing with me?" I called out with my body paralysed in this position.
"Time for cultivation," it announced.
Give me a break. This is like forcing a vaccination on the unwilling, especially when the past episodes of 'cultivation" landed me nowhere but weak in bed. I was allergic to it as far as my concerns are. It didn't turn me into a real superhuman. Just one which everybody had to tip toe around, worried that I would kick the bucket.
"You said I can't cultivate past level one or I would explode," came my swift retort.
"That's ling qi. Not xuan qi."
The purplish, shield-like aura reminded me of those zombie-like creatures.
"Question," I said. "Last night I have encountered…"
"Those creatures? No. The aura looks similar, but it isn't. Or else you would not have easily squashed it with a rock," the third entity had read my mind.
"Do you know what those things are?"
"Yes," it replied.
Nothing more.
"Then tell me what those things are."
I waited. No answer. This really isn't helping our relationship. Whatever happened to trust and communication needed to nurture one?
A searing pain started within my chest. My hands clutched at it as the burning sensation flowed through my veins.
"What the hell are you trying to do?" I gasped desperately for air, toppling over, grabbing my chest, rolling in agony.
"Patience," it replied. "Xuan qi has to flow properly."
"What for if I can't use it…"
My eyes were on fire now. I kept them tightly shut as a splitting migraine slammed my brain into a dizzying sea of nausea.
An unseen knot was forming over the top of my head with a mounting pressure pushing against it excruciatingly. I went into a coma the last time. What will happen to me now? Have a massive stroke?
Something unseen flew out of my mouth. A wet sensation on my cheek only told me that I probably vomited in my bed. How long was this torture going to last?
"Once we clear the blockage, you will be fine," it spoke up again.
Just get it over and done with. And it couldn't be too soon. The pressure increased my agony exponentially as the invisible knot stood firm.
A sudden release like an unending deluge made me lightheaded. The hammering was gone, along with the pain.
The new state increased my vision as I opened them. Everything was so clear and vivid. My body felt as light as a leaf on a breeze, my limbs nimble and flexible.
"Done," it said. "At least this time, the experiment worked."
Wait, what? My previous suffering was because this screwed up entity experimented on me? Before I could yell at it, the dreamscape turned dark again. A momentary peace before my body felt like it was being shaken.
"Third Prince... blood… shit!"
Ah crap, Xuanyi's voice.
I felt my head lifted.
"QUICK, GET THE PHYSICIAN!"
***
"I am fine," Ji Feng wiped his mouth with the towel.
"Third Prince, look at the amount of blood you threw up. This isn't fine," Xuanyi insisted.
"This isn't a Korean drama and I don't have cancer," Ji Feng retorted.
Xuanyi tilted his head. What is a Korean drama and what is this cancer? The Prince must be hallucinating. He slapped the back of his hand on the prince's forehead, only to get it pushed away. It was cool to touch. No fever.
"Stop making such a big fuss. I feel fine. Just maybe a little exhausted," Ji Feng said.
Xuanjing and an elderly physician with a simple cloth bag slung across his body entered the room. "This is Physician Qian. He is the city administrator's physician."
Xuanyi pointed to Ji Feng and said, "I think he might be a tad confused. What's a Korean drama and cancer?"
"Ah, um, it is something I read of the kingdoms in Jinshi. And um… cancer… a type of foreign word in the encyclopaedia I saw in the bookshop," Ji Feng scratched his head awkwardly.
Physician Qian peered at the Prince. "Do you know where you are and what you did?"
"Beihou. Last night, I was at the wall with General Han. Only got back in the morning," Ji Feng replied.
"Ah… no, the Third Prince doesn't seem confused. Perhaps the blood is from exhaustion," Physician Qian sat beside the prince's bed. "I will need to take your pulse, your highness."
Xuanjing took Xuanyi aside. "Let the physician have a look. Don't worry too much. The Prince will be fine."
Physician Qian felt the pulse on the Prince. He hummed as his eyes moved from side to side and then his fingers lifted from the prince's wrist.
"He is healthy as a horse. The blood looks more like…" Physician Qian trailed off as glanced at the dark stains and then enquired,"Mind if I ask a question?"
"Ask," Ji Feng nodded.
"Were you poisoned before?"
Physician Qian fumbled around in his bag and took out a container of silver needles.
"Wait, I don't want acupuncture. I have been poisoned before. Twice," Ji Feng backed away at the sight.
"This isn't for acupuncture. Just needles to test for poisons and I will need to test the leftover blood on your pillow while it hasn't dried yet," he explained to the worried Prince as he popped off the cap and drew out the long silvery needle.
Physician Qian motioned to the pillow.
"Oh."
Ji Feng shifted away as Physician Qian slide the needle over the still moist dark crimson jelly like substance.
"How do you know if there's poison when your needle is tainted dark red?"
"Well," Physician Qian pulled out a white cloth from his bag and slid the needle across it.
Holding its blackened tip up against the light, he turned to the Prince and explained, "Look at this. It's black. So the blood probably contains old toxic residues purged from the system. You will be fine with a blood tonic to help regain what you lost."