At the peak of the world, Gong Lan lay seated beneath the Bodhi Tree. Its long, sinuous branches reached down from the many large stumps that protruded from its main trunk, touching her skin as she breathed in and out, inhaling and exhaling. Everything in the world was connected, and life was but a dream.
Epochs were also like dreams. They continued for as long as those entranced by them allowed them to continue. They puttered on, despite the little bits of corruption that grew in unexpected places, festering as they ate away at wonderful dishes left out to rot.
Like any dream, there must be an awakening. This epoch would soon end, and a new one would begin. Countless souls were leaving this plane for the Yellow River, countless souls released for better places. The World Tree counted each one, carefully blessing them as they left, just as it blessed those who entered. The World Tree was the heart of this epoch, the root of the struggle between good and evil. When everyone awakened, would this tree remain?
Gong Lan opened her eyes and stared ahead. From the mountaintop she could see much farther than most. Down below, fiendish demons clawed away at the barrier protecting the monastery. To the South, a monstrosity was wreaking havoc that even Siddhartha Buddha could never fully heal.
She saw clashing in the mountains to the east. She saw vicious battles in jungles to the west. She saw a flood of ochre soldiers barreling toward large walls, knowing full well that their deaths would provide a solid corpse their comrades could climb on.
The dream was ending. The dreamer was stirring. Only the shadow of a memory would remain in its place.
Ghosts and evil spirits alike evaporated as Huxian trotted through the city, freeing the spirits within from their bondage as promised. They smiled in relief as they broke apart. He hoped that, just before they left, they caught a taste of what they were eating, obtained a modicum of pleasure as they saw their kids play for the last time, or were just a little bit less thirsty from their millionth drink.
Huxian changed his course as the last of the city’s ghosts disappeared. Only one figure remained. He could see the Daoist priest clearly, standing beside a fire that was now glowing brightly against the sun, which had almost set on the horizon.
“You’ve done it,” the priest said as Huxian climbed the steps. “You’ve freed us.” He reached out to Huxian, and his touch seemed almost corporeal. But as soon as the hand made contact, it burst into thousands of motes of light. “Thank you,” the priest said before vanishing.
The sun, of which barely a sliver remained, finally set on the horizon. With its disappearance, the darkness around him seemed ever stronger, and the flame in the temple ever brighter. He’d gained much on this journey, including those wonderful eyes that could let him both see and taste ghosts—they tasted awful, for the record. All that was missing now was the inheritance he’d been promised. He had a hunch it had something to do with the flame in the temple.
He stared at the flame, so golden and resplendent. It was uncomfortably hot, so he trotted down the temple steps to observe it from afar. Any minute now, Huxian muttered, preparing himself from the sudden outflow of light and darkness, which he would use to create his dual initiation mark and a portal home. He salivated just thinking about it. His eyes teared up just watching it. He blinked, and it blinked back. The flame… blinked?
Huxian scrambled backward, claws out and teeth bared at the flame, which now resembled a slit in the darkness. It “blinked” again, and Huxian finally noticed that he was no longer in the city but floating in space. The slit grew larger and larger, and soon he realized what the slit was. It wasn’t a fire, but an eye. And not just any eye. Now that he took a good look, he saw that the eye was part of a massive head with reptilian features. It had layers of sharp teeth, a long muzzle, and a forked tongue. The head was attached to a long body that seemed to stretch on endlessly.
He was standing before the Candle Dragon himself.
Sir Candle Dragon, Huxian stammered, barely containing his fear. Fancy seeing you here.
“Indeed,” the Candle Dragon said. “It’s been positively ages since I’ve deigned to speak to a young pup like yourself.” The dragon’s voice, physically very loud, also had an edge to it. If the dragon willed it, he could kill Huxian with but a single word. Huxian, who was used to having the upper hand in any conversation, found that especially unnerving.
So, I was thinking, Huxian said. Since I passed your test and all, I should get a reward. You know, some essence of light and darkness. The good stuff.
“Test?” the Candle Dragon said in amusement. “What test? You stumbled upon a plane that I had damned for all eternity for their sacrilege to the natural laws. What test? What reward? I should curse you just like I cursed them. Maybe then you’d learn some respect for your elders.”
Huxian gulped. This was not going as planned. Okay, time for Plan B: groveling. Oh, esteemed Candle Dragon, Demon Sovereign of Light and Darkness, of dawn and dusk. I had eyes but didn’t see Mount Tai, and I dared disrespect you unknowingly. I had thought you’d left behind a test for us mere juniors, but I accidentally disturbed your good deed. I ask that you punish me.
The Candle Dragon stared at him, unblinking. It snorted, and smoke left its nostrils and encircled Huxian. It looked at him pensively, as though not quite
