If possible, Xiao Yuan would also like to have a beautiful dream; but now was not the time, he had to stay awake.
Xiao Yuan sealed his spiritual consciousness in advance, and the ‘Dream of Golden Millet’ did not have the expected effect on him. His spiritual consciousness floated in the chaotic void, surrounded by beautiful dreams that belonged to others.
Prosperity and wealth, warm fragrant jade, immense power and authority, crossing tribulations and becoming immortals… Most of the dreams were like this: people were obsessed with what they couldn’t ask for and dismissive of what they already had. Occasionally one could see family members reuniting or a dream of harmony between a master and an apprentice that felt like a clear stream.
Xiao Yuan wandered aimlessly until he suddenly heard someone call, “Shixiong –”
This voice was a bit familiar, crisp and clear, as if belonging to a child. Xiao Yuan walked towards the voice and saw the young Mu Yingyang and his equally young self.
Little Ah Yu held a sugar figurine in one hand, touched his little shidi’s head with the other and said, “Shidi, this is for you, don’t be sad.”
Xiao Yuan vaguely remembered this scene. In the next moment, the little shidi would throw the sugar figurine he gave him on the ground, step on it a few times and finally tell him to get lost fiercely.
But the shidi in the dream did not do this. He took the sugar figurine, licked it, his eyes like stars and his smile bright: “Thank you, Shixiong, but Shizun forbids me to eat sugar.”
Little Ah Yu said, “Eat it secretly, we won’t tell him.”
Xiao Yuan couldn’t help but smile dumbfounded. He shook his head and left this dream realm.
What he didn’t know was that after he left, the dream continued. Little Ah Yu and his little shidi were childhood friends. They had no quarrels. When they grew up, they said goodbye to their master and went down the mountain. They traveled the world side by side. No one could separate them.
Xiao Yuan was suddenly curious about what people like Gu Hang would dream of. Looking at his life, almost everything he asked for had come true. The body that belonged entirely to him, his biological son, the position of the Pavilion Master in the number one sect in the world… What else could he want now? A higher level of cultivation, or the demise of those who opposed him?
Xiao Yuan began to look for Gu Hang’s dream realm but unexpectedly saw himself in another dream.
This time, he was no longer little. He was wearing a red dress and was looking down at the boiling stew. Xiao Du, who was also dressed in red, leaned against the door and looked at him leisurely.
‘Xiao Yuan’ turned his head and smiled at Xiao Du, saying, “Ge, the soup is ready.”
Xiao Yuan had never been so speechless in his life. At this time, Xiao Du was still thinking about him making soup for him with his own hands. He really dared to think about it.
Xiao Du asked, “Who did Ah Nian make the soup for?”
“For mother and father and you.”
Xiao Du asked again, “Besides us, will you give it to others?”
Xiao Yuan in his dream thought for a while and said, “Probably not?”
Xiao Du smiled and said, “There’s no rush to drink the soup.”
“En?”
Xiao Du took the soup bowl from ‘Xiao Yuan’, put it aside and then lowered his head towards ‘Xiao Yuan’.
Xiao Yuan’s forehead throbbed; he stretched out his hand and was about to shout out when a voice sounded outside the door: “Eldest young master, second young master, there is a visitor in the front hall.”
It seemed that in this dream, the Xiao family was still there, his mother was not dead, and he and Xiao Du had never been separated. None of the subsequent mistakes had happened.
Xiao Du was not a Demon Lord, but a young master of an ordinary family. He had a father and a mother, and there was also a younger brother who had followed him and pestered him since he was a child.
Disturbed by the excitement, Xiao Du said impatiently: “Who is here?”
“It’s from Yunjian Pavilion,” the voice said, “they brought a lot of red boxes – as if they are here to propose a marriage.”
“Propose a marriage?” ‘Xiao Yuan’ asked, “Who will they propose it to?”
“They say that Gu Louyin, the young master of Yunjian Pavilion, wants to become Dao companions with the second young master.”
Xiao Yuan didn’t expect to hear Gu Louyin’s name in Xiao Du’s dream, which was enough to show that Gu Louyin troubled Xiao Du’s heart quite a lot.
Xiao Du’s expression changed slightly, and he asked, “What’s going on?”
‘Xiao Yuan’ was taken aback, frowned and said, “The young master of Yunjian Pavilion looks like an immortal but is there a problem with his brain? I met him in passing and we have only known each other for a few months. Why did he come here suddenly?”
Xiao Du’s tone eased slightly: “You don’t like him?”
“Of course I don’t like him,” ‘Xiao Yuan’ said without hesitation, “Ge, help me get rid of him.”
Xiao Du smiled and said, “Okay.”
Xiao Yuan couldn’t watch it anymore, so he turned around and left.
Leaving Xiao Du’s dream realm, Xiao Yuan continued to look for Gu Hang’s dream. Not long after, he saw a person who was also free from the dream; his heart relaxed and he called, “Gu Louyin!”
Gu Louyin strode towards him but before he could speak, Xiao Yuan grabbed his clothes and leaned forward, a burst of warmth coming from his lips.
Gu Louyin was taken aback for a short while and then quickly responded to him.
They were in a dream woven into the ‘Dream of Golden Millet’. It seemed that there were only two of them in the dream and there seemed to be countless pairs of eyes staring at them. This feeling was fresh and exciting.
No matter how many other people’s dreams he appeared in, this was the real him.
Only when he felt almost breathless did Xiao Yuan let go of Gu Louyin. Gu Louyin looked down at him and asked, “What’s the matter?”
“I just suddenly wanted to kiss you,” Xiao Yuan said, “and I want to make soup for you – just for you.”
Gu Louyin hesitated and said, “Did you see something?” As he said it, he looked behind Xiao Yuan.
Xiao Yuan hurriedly pulled him away and changed the subject: “How is the situation outside?”
Gu Louyin said: “Most people are already in the ‘Dream of Golden Millet’, except for…”
“Gu Hang?”
Gu Louyin nodded, “How do you know?”
“I looked for his dream but didn’t find it. He is still on guard.” Xiao Yuan smiled, “That’s right, he is not the kind of man addicted to beautiful dreams.”
Xiao Yuan took two steps and found that Gu Louyin hadn’t followed, so he turned around and said, “Gu Louyin?”
Gu Louyin looked somewhere and murmured, “It’s her.”
Xiao Yuan followed his gaze. Not far away, a piece of green ground floated in the void, and a female cultivator in the attire of a Yunjian Pavilion disciple stood under the willow tree, her face beautiful and a smile at the corner of her mouth.
Xiao Yuan had seen this beautiful woman several times in the illusion – she was Gu Louyin’s mother, Yuan Lu.
“Why did your mother show up?” Xiao Yuan said, “Someone dreamed of her?”
Gu Louyin stared at her figure, “En.”
Xiao Yuan was puzzled: “There were very few people present who knew your mother. Who would be dreaming of her?”
As soon as he said that, Yuan Lu’s figure suddenly disappeared. Not only her, everyone’s beautiful dreams disappeared; but the dream realms did not collapse and the dreamers were still dreaming. But this time, they couldn’t see what they wanted to see; they could only see what the music player wanted them to see.
Gu Louyin focused and said, “It’s started.”
A towering mountain range appeared in front of everyone’s eyes, the bright moon hanging high, its clear light shining on the mountain villa in the valley, peaceful and quiet. Xiao Yuan knew that this tranquility would soon cease to exist.
With the flames soaring into the sky, Yunjian Pavilion attacked Pangu Mountain at night, stole Qingyan and slaughtered the Xiao family. The young mother fled in a wretched state with two children, one elder and one younger, and eventually died in the sea of flames.
——This was a memory belonging to Xiao Du.
Xiao Yuan’s hand at his side was gripped, and he held Gu Louyin’s hand in return, fire reflecting in his eyes.
After the fire, Pangu Mountain became a dry mountain with no grass and no one dared to approach it. It was not until many years later that Xiao Yuan stepped into Pangu Mountain again and, together with Gu Louyin, he discovered the soul city hidden by Yunjian Pavilion deep in the mountain.
After watching the last scene of the memory, Xiao Yuan said, “Let’s get out.”
The sound of guqin stopped abruptly, and the dreaming people woke up one by one, with the same blank expression on their faces. They looked at Yunjian Pavilion and Xuanle Sect immediately.
Most of the disciples of Yunjian Pavilion were equally confused. They didn’t know what they saw in their dreams. Only a few people had different expressions. Gu Hang sat silently; Qian Sang looked at Shen Qianyan in the main seat as if facing an enemy; Lin Wulian’s face was bloodless and he coughed violently.
Everyone exchanged glances with each other and remained silent tacitly. Shen Qianyan said, “I wonder if you are satisfied with your beautiful dreams?”
“What beautiful dream, it is clearly a nightmare!” The Tianhe Sect sword cultivator that proposed to listen to the ‘Dream of Golden Millet’ exclaimed. “I was holding my son, and suddenly I saw the scene of Yunjian Pavilion killing people and setting fire to incinerate people’s souls. I was almost scared to death…”
A disciple of Yunjian Pavilion started, “What nonsense are you talking about!”
“I’m talking nonsense? Didn’t you see it?”
“I… so what if I saw it, it’s all fake!”
Gu Hang raised his hand, and the disciple immediately closed his mouth. “Master Shen,” Gu Hang said, “can you explain a little?”
The young man behind Shen Qianyan chuckled and said, “Does it still need to be explained, didn’t you see it clearly enough?” The young man walked forward unhurriedly, stopped at the front and said condescendingly. “Even if others need an explanation, Pavilion Master Gu shouldn’t need it.”
Qian Sang asked, “Who are you and who gave you the right to interrupt!”
“Enough.” Gu Hang said coldly, “Can’t you see, the young master’s big wedding, the ‘Dream of Golden Millet’, everything is just a trap.”
Hearing that, the disciples of Yunjian Pavilion raised their swords one after another to prepare to meet the enemy, and people from other sects also summoned their weapons. Some people pointed their swords at Xuanle Sect, while others turned against Yunjian Pavilion. The remaining group, the biggest one, had not yet figured out the situation and drew their swords only to protect themselves.
With a bang, the cups and bowls on the main table were swept away by Shen Qianyan and replaced by her se Tianxiang. At the same time, a group of people dressed in black clothes poured in from all directions accompanied by the sound of a dragon roar.
“What is this sound–”
“It’s Xingtian Sect! It’s the people from Xingtian Sect!”
“I’m asking what’s this sound, not who… Wait, what sect is it?”
Shen Qianyan said, “Pavilion Master Gu, in order to get Qingyan, you did not hesitate to kill innocent people and destroy the Xiao clan. Now you are using evil things to seize people’s souls in order to preserve Yunjian Pavilion’s name of the number one sword sect in the world and let the plague of soul loss wreak havoc…”
Gu Hang interrupted her: “Shen Qianyan, are you colluding with a demonic sect to seek death?”
“You took my brother’s blood and forced him to jump off the cliff and kill himself,” Xiao Du came from the crowd, a cyan dragon transformed into a cyan flame hovering over his shoulder, “Who is seeking death?”