Chapter 43: Despairing Nightmare
This novel is translated and hosted on BCatranslation
“Yu Zhao, your thoughts are malicious, constantly making things difficult for the Little Junior Sister. You are unworthy of being my Junior Sister and even less worthy of being a disciple of Lone Moon Peak!”
Half-asleep, Fang Cheng Lang heard someone speaking close to his ear.
The voice wasn’t loud but carried an infinite fury.
He was stunned for a while before realizing that it seemed to be his own voice.
As he pondered, the voice grew clearer.
“Yu Zhao, I regret it deeply. From now on, do not call me Senior Brother. If you do, don’t blame me for being merciless with my sword!”
The cold, ruthless words echoed within Fang Cheng Lang’s Sea of Consciousness.
He could hardly believe it.
No! Those were not his words!
How could he say something so hurtful to Little Six?
The thing he regretted least was becoming Little Six’s Senior Brother. Even though an irreparable rift now existed between them, she would forever remain his Junior Sister!
“Shut up! The Little Junior Sister’s heart is pure and kind. How dare you slander her maliciously? This sword is my final lesson to you as your Senior Brother!”
No!
No!
What are you doing?
Stop it! Stop now!
Fang Cheng Lang wanted to stop it all, but his consciousness seemed trapped in a confined space with no exit or light.
Like a headless fly, he collided repeatedly within this space, unable to break the solid constraints or find an escape.
As his anxiety grew, he heard the sound of a sword piercing flesh and Yu Zhao’s painful whimpers.
No—
…
At this moment, it was break time.
Lan Zi Yu leaned against the trunk of a tree, having placed Fang Cheng Lang on the grassy patch to his right for easier care.
Taking a sip of water, he was about to close his eyes for a brief rest when he caught sight of Fang Cheng Lang sweating profusely in his sleep. His brows furrowed tightly, and his face was marked by unease.
“Senior Brother! Senior Brother!”
“Wake up, Senior Brother!”
Lan Zi Yu was startled.
He called out to wake Fang Cheng Lang while asking someone to fetch Senior Sister Zhou for help.
Zhou Jin Yue and Zhang Jun quickly arrived.
Fang Cheng Lang was already injured, his face devoid of color. Whatever dream he was having caused him to bite his lip so hard that crimson blood seeped out, staining his pale lips with an eerie shade of red.
“What’s happening to him?” Zhou Jin Yue asked with a frown.
Lan Zi Yu shook his head. “I don’t know. He suddenly became like this.”
Zhang Jun stroked his chin before saying, “Senior Brother Fang must be under a nightmare.”
While cultivators were generally resolute and seldom troubled by dreams, they were not entirely immune.
Considering the many recent ordeals they’d faced, coupled with Fang Cheng Lang’s injuries, it wasn’t far-fetched for his unsettled mind to be vulnerable to a nightmare.
Zhou Jin Yue nodded in agreement with Zhang Jun’s assessment. “We should wake him up first.”
“Alright!”
Lan Zi Yu, now using not only his voice but also his hands, shook Fang Cheng Lang. Yet the latter remained unresponsive, deeply ensnared in his dream.
Helpless, Lan Zi Yu’s lips quivered with worry.
“Step aside!”
Unable to watch any longer, Zhou Jin Yue shoved Lan Zi Yu aside, gathered her strength, and slapped Fang Cheng Lang’s face with a resounding crack.
The slap was shockingly loud. Zhou Jin Yue flexed her hand, inwardly lamenting that Junior Sister Yu Zhao wasn’t present to witness this satisfying moment.
Lan Zi Yu and Zhang Jun stood frozen in shock.
Senior Sister Zhou is terrifying.
“Ugh…”
Finally, Fang Cheng Lang groaned and struggled to open his eyes.
Lan Zi Yu was overjoyed and immediately leaned closer to ask with concern, “Senior Brother, are you alright? You scared me to death just now.”
“Zi… Yu…”
Fang Cheng Lang, still unable to shake off the despair, stared blankly at Lan Zi Yu for a while before slowly speaking.
“Yes, it’s me, Senior Brother. You had a nightmare, do you realize that?”
“Was it just a dream…”
Fang Cheng Lang appeared distracted.
Was it only a nightmare?
He couldn’t believe it. The voices in the dream had been so real, so familiar, as if he had lived through them himself.
Suddenly, his eyes widened. Struggling to sit up, he exclaimed, “Where’s Little Six? Where’s Little Six? I must see her!”
Lan Zi Yu hurriedly stepped forward to support him. “Senior Brother, calm down.”
“I must see Little Six! Let me see her! Little Six!”
Fang Cheng Lang was like a man possessed, ignoring Lan Zi Yu’s words and shouting frantically.
The commotion drew the attention of nearby disciples, who looked on in astonishment.
Fang Cheng Lang, known as the Gentleman Sword of the Five Elements Dao Sect for his upright and gentle demeanor, had never shown such madness.
“Yu Zhao, Yu Zhao is…” Lan Zi Yu faltered.
He had already checked with his divine sense and knew Yu Zhao wasn’t nearby. He had no idea where she’d gone and couldn’t locate her.
“Second Senior Brother, Yu Zhao is our Junior Sister. You should address her as Little Junior Sister, not by her name,” Fang Cheng Lang scolded Lan Zi Yu, his tone disapproving.
Watching this, Zhou Jin Yue suddenly found the situation laughable.
When Junior Sister Yu Zhao still cared for them, they treated her like discarded baggage. Now that she had completely given up on them, they suddenly wanted to reconcile.
But spilled water cannot be retrieved, nor can a shattered mirror be restored.
“Junior Brother Fang, Junior Sister Yu Zhao isn’t here now. When she returns, I’ll let her know you wish to see her. Whether she agrees will depend on her. For now, focus on your recovery and stop worrying others.”
With Fang Cheng Lang awake, Zhou Jin Yue saw no reason to linger. She turned sharply and left.
Zhang Jun, her ever-loyal follower, trailed behind immediately.
Finally calming down, Fang Cheng Lang lay back and closed his eyes.
Lan Zi Yu breathed a sigh of relief.
He was never particularly thoughtful or good at caring for others. Without the Little Junior Sister around, he felt entirely at a loss.
Sneaking a glance at Fang Cheng Lang, Lan Zi Yu couldn’t help but wonder what the Senior Brother had dreamed to lose control so utterly.
Could it have been about Yu Zhao?
“Where did Little Junior Sister go?” Fang Cheng Lang croaked.
Lan Zi Yu replied, “She said she wanted to take a walk nearby. She hasn’t been feeling well.”
Ye Cong Xin’s illness, carried from birth, made her sensitive to both winter cold and summer heat. She couldn’t exert herself or experience emotional extremes without risking difficulty breathing.
So when she asked to take a stroll to clear her mind, Lan Zi Yu had considered it carefully before agreeing.
Dragon Roar Valley’s demonic beasts had largely fled, frightened off by the Scarlet Flame Lion. It would likely take four or five years for the valley’s usual activity to recover.
With disciples of the Five Elements Dao Sect occupying the area and Ye Cong Xin not wandering far, Lan Zi Yu saw little reason for concern.
“Hmm.”
Receiving the answer, Fang Cheng Lang gave a faint response and stopped asking.
The two sat in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.