“Me? I’m human of course.” I answered to the familiar old man in Daoist robes. The lie tastes so sweet with a bitter aftertaste. But why is it a lie though? I am a human of course. My three pairs of eyes gazed at the old man. My head tilted to the side as I noticed that he is just a bit above half my height. Is he always this short? Did something happen?

  —

  The feeling of something wrong wells up and jolts me awake. However, it seems like I am still dreaming. Judging by how I am now falling from the sky. The sound of the wind is loud in my ears. Looks like I become conscious when lucid dreaming again. This happens sometimes. So I went and looked around. At least the vista looks amazing. Plenty of those thin and tall mountains usually seen in Asia or something. The United States needs those things. At least in Texas. Will spice up the surroundings. Or maybe we have those? Not that I will see those either way as I rarely go out of the house. I looked down and it looks like I will be landing on one of those mountains. Pity, looks like I will be waking up soon. So I look up to the sky, the sky should be replaced by my ceiling soon.

  Except it didn’t. I am now floating just two feet above the ground. I am surrounded by what looks like bamboo trees. On my right is a pool, no wait, a pond. Maybe. Pools don't have those plants on the surface. Then I looked around. Finally seeing bricked steps leading to a some square space, surrounded by red fences with a roof. What are those called again? The uh- a gazebo I think. Never thought those things still exist. Then I noticed the old man walking towards me from the gazebo. He wears a long flowing chinese robe. The right side is black while the left side is white. Which looks ugly. Like the tailor decides to stitch two different clothes together.

  “Aren’t you going to thank me young man?” The old man asked and I finally looked at his face.

  He looks like in his forties. Though some of his hair is graying with a topknot. Have a well trimmed beard and a typical look of an above average chinese. I don’t like how I can recognize his face. Never ends well in lucid dreams.

  “You look familiar. Do I know you?” I asks

  “Oof.” I am suddenly dropped to the ground

  “Young men these days.” The old man said with a sigh

  “I’m 29.” I dust myself as I stand. Not that much younger than him.

  Then I catch the old man giving me the judging look

  “What?”

  “You’re lucky this is not the other peak. Else you will be dead already.”

  “OH Noooo,” I move my hands beside my face and exaggerate. “Anyway, this your place? Looks nice.”

  Gardens like these can only be owned by rich people. Feels odd looking at this many greens. Most are demolished already. Never like these kinds of places. Too many insects for my taste.

  “I don’t sense any qi inside you. So you’re not a cultivator.”

  “A what now?” I catch the old man muttering to himself

  “Give me your hand.”

  “What?” I frowned at his request. “Hell no. Hey!-”

  But he pulled my arm anyway and put two fingers to check my pulse. He frowns as he looks to the side then raises his eyebrows.

  “Ookay, what are you doing?” He let go of my hands

  “How are you still alive?”

  “Haha,” I chuckled at the sudden question. “Well, sometimes I wonder about that myself.”

  “Follow me.” He said and turns to walk

  “Well, fine.” Not like I have anything better to do in this dream.

  I followed the old man. Dodging any stray flying insects and the like. As we got to the edge of the bamboo forest, I looked down at the winding stairs. Curving on the slopes. No hand rails on the sides, this is an osha violation. The walk down these stairs are awfully long. If this is real I would be ragged already but fortunately this is a dream. I am fit as a fiddle here. Come to think of it, I didn’t know his name. Eh, whatever. Chances are I won’t be remembering any of this when I wake up.

  The old man leads me to a decently sized building complex. The place has a distinct look of those weird chinese architecture. A central garden and pool square, buildings that surround it. Other people in the same flowing robes. Some look hurt. So this is a hospital of some kind. I also noticed that I can see the faces of the people moving around. The unease returns. This is gonna end badly isn’t it. Then we entered some kind of a hall in the main building judging from its size. I followed the old man to one of the rooms on the side. A decently sized square room with shelves covering the entire walls.

  “Master, we have finished sorting the medicines.” A melodious voice sounds.

  I lean over to the side so I can see past the old man and I see a quite beautiful woman with long flowing hair. Similarly wearing the black and white flowing robes. I noted her appearance and stood back as normal, looking around.

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  “A mortal? From where?” She asks

  “He fell from the sky.” The old man said before moving to the shelves.

  I gave her a shrug when she looked at me. Then back to looking around. The shelves have no initials, numbers, or no symbol to differentiate one from another. Man, it must be hell if one misplaces something.

  “Master, but that-”

  The woman’s word cut short just from the glance of the old man and bowed. In the old man’s finger is some kind of white orb or marble. I frowned at the thing. What’s he gonna do with that? The old man left the room and I followed. The woman also came along. Both walking in front of me and I see that both have their eyebrows moving. Are-are they communicating with their eyebrows? Whatever. We then reached the backyard of the main building. The woman put a stool on the backyard’s garden.

  “Sit here then swallow this.” The old man said and gave me the thing.

  I sit down and look incredulously at the white thing.

  “A marble?” I asked in confusion

  “It’s a pill.” The old man answer after shutting his eyes to calm himself

  “Oh, a drug test.” He should have started with that

  I swallowed the half thumb sized thing easily. Then I looked at the two. The old man waiting expectantly while the woman had a notebook in her hands, ready to write. Well, ain’t this a familiar sight. Then a burning feeling starts in my bowels. Something wet trickles from my eyes. I wipe it off, expecting some tears but in my hand is a black sludge instead. The burning sensation goes hotter, followed by nausea. I tried to choke my vomit in.

  “No, don’t do that.” The old man said

  Fine then. So I vomit out black sludge at his feet. My ears are ringing and I can’t even hear anything as I continue to vomit two more times. Barely managing not to fall off as I grip my knees to not fall. After vomiting I spit out whatever disgusting thing still stuck in my mouth. Almost wiping my mouth before I see that even black sludge pouring out from my skin.

  “Eauegh. Is it supposed to be like this?” I dazed

  Dazed, I couldn't wipe myself and I even felt something covering my eyes. Then a burst of water splashed my entire body. Cleaning myself. I continue rubbing my eyes as it still feels weird.

  “It works. Hahaha.” I heard the old man laugh

  So this is supposed to happen? I blink a few more times. I am now seeing colors. In halos surrounding the old man and the woman. Well, this still isn’t the weirdest lucid dream I ever had.

  “Give me your hand.”

  I do without complaint this time.

  “What the fuck was that?” The old man frowned at my words

  “An elixir. One that can heal all ailments that me and my friend try to make.” He answers regardless as he puts two fingers on my pulse again.

  “And the sludge?”

  “The elixir cleanses your body from all pollutants before healing your body.” He continues

  “What kind of life are you living?” This time, the woman who asks in both disgust and concern

  Floating near her is a globe of water, in its center is a pitch black sludge from my body. From the looks of it, it is almost half the size of a person. Pollutants huh? This some vegan bullshit? Then again, I eat a lot of instant meals and heavily preserved foods since that’s cheaper.

  “Whatever I can get to eat.” I answer her before turning to the old man who is still checking. The woman then moves the black sludge into some kind of a clay jar

  “I take it that it works then?” I asked the old man, soothing green color emanating in halo surrounding his head

  “Yes, but not as much as I like. It only works at those at Qi Refinement. Not even effective to those in early Foundation Establishment. But now I know that it works on mortals too.” The old man explains. I don’t even know half of what he said. Qi refinement foundation something something. But looks like he is working to make something like Panacea.

  “So, what now?”

  “Now? You will feel a bit weak. You expelled at least a third of your body weight. Then your body will slowly mend itself.” He concludes and let go of my hand

  “Mend itself, more like I need to remake my body.”

  As soon as I said that, I felt my heart suddenly beat hard once and suddenly stop. The fuck? I tried to breathe in and feel my heartbeat again. But a second heat starts from my bowel again. The old man and the woman already turn towards the building when they notice something amiss. Something warm is leaking from my eyes. I wiped it and now its blood. This certainly wasn’t supposed to happen. Was it something I said?

  “Give me your hand young man.” The old man said and hurried to my side.

  —

  Luòchén (落辰) takes a deep breath. Today is a good day. A mortal with foul mouth and no manners falls from the sky. He doesn't know what to make of this, however, the elixir his late friend dreamed of making is one day closer to reality. He wondered what kind of face his friend would make knowing it works for mortals as it is one of his goals but alas that is not possible anymore. That is until he hears choking behind him. The mortal is still sitting on the stool. Wiping blood streaming from his eyes. Eyes wide and heart skipped a beat. He sensed nothing wrong before.

  “Give me your hand young man.” Luòchén hurries

  He held the mortal’s hand. But before he can check what is wrong, the mortal dissolves into a sludge of blood. Luòchén gazed at his hand, the viscous sludge of what was flesh and blood still in his hand. This never happened before. Regardless, he has failed. Luòchén took a deep breath again. Letting the red sludge fall to the ground.

  “Zhāoxiá (朝霞), gather his remains. Bury him properly.” He tasked his disciple and went away.

  —

  Below the mountain, Zhāoxiá dug a small hole in the ground with her power. Then she put the clay jar, filled with the mortal’s remain and buried it there. She covered the ground and offered a short prayer before flying up the mountain again.

  —

  Psst. You.

  Me?

  Yes you. Wake up

  Why?

  Why you not want to wake up?

  Comfy

  Then silence for a while

  ……

  …

  There’s better place

  Really?

  Follow my voice

  Can’t see

  Doesn’t matter. Up here

  Then, after who knows how long and in the dark of the night. The sludge leaves its shallow grave. Following a voice without form.

  This way

  Over here

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