Just a Dream
Lin Qianshuang glanced at the fan held by the young cultivator, upon which the characters “Wen Zheng” were inscribed. She spoke calmly, “You are Xu Zheng, the romantic scholar, one of the Seven Masters of the Pavilion?”
Xu Zheng paused, his hand holding the folding fan. He thought to himself that few people in Yixiang Tower knew his name. This person was clearly no ordinary individual. He gave a signal to the group of burly men, dismissing them. A smile played on his lips as he approached Lin Qianshuang, spreading his fan to conceal his face. “You recognize me, Miss? I am truly honored.”
Lin Qianshuang, struggling to hold Xiao Lanle with one hand, reached into her sleeve and retrieved a storage jade slip. She took out a jade pendant and held it before the young cultivator’s eyes, shaking it gently. “Take me to see Du Shuang. I have urgent matters to discuss with her.”
Xu Zheng saw the jade pendant, engraved with the blood-red characters “Jia Liu,” and stared at Lin Qianshuang in surprise for a moment. He quickly apologized, “It seems Elder Liu has returned. My apologies for the misunderstanding. I will take you to see the deputy Lord.”
Lin Qianshuang returned the jade pendant to her storage jade slip. Her hands, holding Xiao Lanle, felt hot and burning. Her eyes widened in alarm as she lowered her gaze. Xiao Lanle’s entire body radiated a cold, jade-like light. A faint spiritual seal pulsed on her forehead.
Xiao Lanle clutched Lin Qianshuang’s arm tightly, her grip so forceful that it left red marks on her skin. Her expression was filled with agony. When her eyes opened, they were no longer the pure black of a mortal, but shimmered with an eerie green hue.
This was a state that Xiao Lanle had never experienced, even when she had been overtaken by her heart demon. Could it be that this time, she had forcibly suppressed her heart demon, preventing it from dissipating naturally, and causing her to deteriorate to this state?
Lin Qianshuang used acupuncture to unlock Xiao Lanle’s mute acupoint. Xiao Lanle seemed to have fallen into a coma, murmuring softly in her sleep, but her voice was too faint for Lin Qianshuang to hear.
“Xiao Lanle, please bear with it. We’re almost there, and I will release your heart demon,” Lin Qianshuang said soothingly.
Xiao Lanle seemed to hear Lin Qianshuang’s comforting voice and relaxed her grip on Lin Qianshuang’s arm for a moment.
Lin Qianshuang noticed fine beads of sweat forming on Xiao Lanle’s forehead, and her delicate face was contorted in pain. Lin Qianshuang felt a pang of sympathy and gently brushed the messy hair on Xiao Lanle’s cheeks behind her ear.
Xiao Lanle instinctively grabbed Lin Qianshuang’s wrist and pressed her face against Lin Qianshuang’s hand, looking peaceful and docile.
Lin Qianshuang was startled for a moment but didn’t pull her hand away. Instead, her eyes softened, and she thought to herself, “If only Xiao Lanle could be this calm and accepting of me when she’s awake.”
Xu Zheng led Lin Qianshuang to a secluded courtyard and asked her to wait in a pavilion. The pavilion was draped with water-green curtains on all sides. Lin Qianshuang carefully placed Xiao Lanle down, allowing her to lean against the pavilion railing.
Having settled Xiao Lanle, Lin Qianshuang sat on the stone bench in the pavilion, propping her chin and gazing at the surrounding scenery. She seemed to hear someone talking not far away and couldn’t help but close her eyes, extending her divine sense to investigate the source of the sound.
Green bamboo stands swayed with the wind, casting a pattern of broken light on the ground. The sound of flowing water came from the rockery, the clear spring gurgling as it flowed out of the bamboo tubes embedded in the rocks. It was a crisp and pleasant sound.
Two people sat cross-legged on cushions, an open jar of strong wine between them.
Du Shuang picked up the wine jar and poured a cup, the small white jade cup swaying as the fragrant, potent aroma of the wine wafted out. She lifted the cup, glancing at the red-clothed woman who was visibly drunk, and said, “Are you truly decided to rebuild the Tianshu Beast-Subduing Tower with the City Lord? The beast cultivator world is currently severely weakened, and the Demon Emperor is still in seclusion. beast cultivators and demon cultivators have been united since ancient times, and your actions violate the centuries-old practice of the Demon Realm.”
Han Shengyao sneered, snatching the white jade cup from Du Shuang’s hand. “The Tianshu City Lord is ambitious, and I am well aware of her intentions. She has been secretly collecting artifacts scattered across the four realms, hoping to obtain the ancient relic treasure map. The so-called righteous sects were infiltrated by her secret agents thirty years ago. She already knows everything about the three realms, waiting only for the right moment to make the biggest deal, one that will involve all four realms.”
Du Shuang grabbed Han Shengyao’s shoulders, her voice tight with worry. “Han Shengyao, since you know everything, why do you still drink this ‘One Dream Ends’ wine? Lin Qianshuang is currently at the Penglai Immortal Sect. Once the Tianshu Beast-Subduing Tower is built, the first to suffer will be the human cultivators who signed a mutual aid pact with Tianshu City. Penglai Immortal Sect is the largest sect in the human cultivation world, and they will inevitably send disciples to Tianshu Beast Valley to suppress the ancient beasts that have plagued Tianshu City for years, sacrificing them to the Beast Tower. You know what kind of demonic thing is buried within.”
Han Shengyao drank the wine in one gulp, her purple eyes narrowed slightly as she looked at Du Shuang. “The situation in the Demon Realm is volatile, and I am about to enter the period of Divine Transformation and meditation. If my past relationship with Lin Qianshuang is discovered, her situation will become even more dangerous. I am grateful to have sent her far away.”
She tossed the cup aside, the small white jade cup rolling onto the grass and shattering into two pieces.
Han Shengyao rose lazily from the ground, a bitter smile playing on her lips. “It’s good that I’ve forgotten her for now. The Demon Realm needs me, and if she becomes my weakness, it would be detrimental to both of us. You said you can’t force it, and when I think back to how simply Shuang’er left, maybe she didn’t like me that much after all. It’s just that I repeatedly pushed her, forcing her to pretend to like me.”
Du Shuang walked beside Han Shengyao, sighing softly. “Lord, that’s your problem. You always oversimplify things when it comes to relationships. But it’s fine. ‘One Dream Ends’ is just a dream without her. Dreams eventually wake up. When that happens, you’ll both be able to see each other’s hearts clearly.”
The water-green curtains in the pavilion swayed gently in the breeze, occasionally sending a few green leaves fluttering down against Lin Qianshuang’s cheeks. She withdrew her divine sense, feeling a dull ache in her head. It must have been from extending it for too long.
Of all the things she had overheard, only the words “Tianshu Beast-Subduing Tower” stuck in her mind. The two speakers had mentioned it repeatedly, and one of the voices was incredibly familiar. Even from a distance, its tone resonated directly with her heart, sending a wave of tingling numbness through her body.
Lin Qianshuang, feeling dizzy, clutched the side of her head. The demonic energy in her dantian flowed, nourishing her spiritual points. She focused on her mental technique, and the dizziness gradually subsided. She also became acutely aware of someone approaching her slowly, their footsteps light and silent.
She sprang to her feet and turned, crashing into the newcomer’s embrace. A familiar scent enveloped her, and then she saw that unforgettable, breathtaking face.
“Shuang’er, this must be a dream.”
Lin Qianshuang stared at Han Shengyao’s face, feeling as though she were in another world. Her body was stiff, unsure how to react.
Han Shengyao’s murmured words, like a whisper, brushed against Lin Qianshuang’s ears. Her cool hands cupped Lin Qianshuang’s cheeks, and as Lin Qianshuang’s gaze fell into those dark purple eyes, radiating a demonic allure, her heart seemed to stop beating. A magnetic force pulled her in, leaving her unable to move.
The art of enchantment.
Lin Qianshuang was startled, her mind remaining clear. But soon, Han Shengyao’s lips pressed against hers, pulling her into a dreamlike state.
Han Shengyao’s cool tongue traced the dryness of Lin Qianshuang’s lower lip, then slipped past her slightly parted teeth, curling around her delicate tongue. Their lips, numb and tingling, rubbed against each other, meeting again and again in a lingering embrace with each breath.
Han Shengyao’s rapid breaths washed over Lin Qianshuang’s face, enveloping her completely. Lin Qianshuang, her eyes refocusing, tried to avoid those purple eyes. Their intense gaze encompassed her entirely, the mingling of their breaths and the silver threads of saliva creating a terrifying sense of complete possession.
Lin Qianshuang suddenly came to her senses, realizing that Han Shengyao held her in her arms, seated by the pavilion’s fence. Thankfully, her clothes were intact. Han Shengyao had simply kissed her, with a surprising sense of restraint. Glancing aside, Lin Qianshuang saw Xiao Lanle sitting nearby, bound by a spiritual rope. She tilted her head, her red eyes, consumed by the heart demon, remained unreadable.
Han Shengyao held Lin Qianshuang’s lips in her mouth, savoring them, reluctant to pull away from her swollen, pale pink lips that she had bitten with affection. Only after a long time did she finally release them.
“This is a wonderful dream, apprentice. You are so sweet,” she murmured.
Lin Qianshuang’s body regained its freedom, but before she could move, Han Shengyao held her tightly from the waist.
Han Shengyao bit Lin Qianshuang’s sensitive earlobe, making her shiver. Then, Lin Qianshuang felt a cold liquid running down her neck.
Startled, Lin Qianshuang turned her head, seeing that Han Shengyao’s purple eyes were half-closed, tears streaming down her face. She smiled beautifully, tears glistening in her eyes, and kissed the mole under Lin Qianshuang’s left eye, making her eyelashes flutter slightly.
Han Shengyao buried her head in Lin Qianshuang’s chest and said in a muffled voice, “Shuang’er, I will probably forget you when I wake up. But I am so selfish. I will forget you, but I will never allow you to forget me. I will find you again. Before that, you must live well for me and not die.”
This was the first time Lin Qianshuang had seen Han Shengyao cry. She felt a little at a loss and didn’t know how to comfort her. After a while, she raised the hand that had been in front of her and placed it on Han Shengyao’s shoulder, whispering, “Master, I promise you.”
Han Shengyao raised her head and looked at Lin Qianshuang with burning eyes, but in the next second, she collapsed to the side, her head throbbing in pain.
Lin Qianshuang was startled and about to step forward to help Han Shengyao when she was stopped.
Du Shuang stood in front of Lin Qianshuang, blocking her path, while Su Qing had already reached Han Shengyao’s side to support her.
Su Qing glared at Lin Qianshuang with hostility, his eyes narrowed as he addressed Du Shuang, “How did this woman get here? Deputy Lord, you promised me she wouldn’t be in the Domain Lord’s presence again.”
Du Shuang, shielding Lin Qianshuang, didn’t bother to respond. He dismissed Su Qing with a curt order, “Right Protector, your Domain Lord is exhausted. Take her away quickly. Tianshu City is not a place to linger. If the City Lord discovers her presence, it will be disastrous.”
Su Qing, still frowning, helped Han Shengyao leave, casting a final glance back at Lin Qianshuang. “Miss Lin, if you truly care for the Domain Lord, don’t bother her anymore. You are on different paths. Please respect that.”
Lin Qianshuang watched as Su Qing and Han Shengyao vanished into a purple light, feeling a suffocating sense of unease.
Du Shuang, smiling, gently pinched Lin Qianshuang’s cheek, his tone teasing, “Xiao Shuangshuang, it’s been a while since you’ve come to see me. How coincidental that you appear here just as the Domain Lord arrives?”
Lin Qianshuang calmed her thoughts, returned to the pavilion, and sat beside the tightly bound Xiao Lanle. She said to Du Shuang, “We’re old acquaintances, stop smiling so knowingly. I’m here for my junior sister. Her heart demon often controls her mind, and I came to find a way to break it.”