Chapter 056

Chapter 56: Met a Match!

Ye Wan Wan did not investigate; there was no time.

She slipped with the boy down into the well. The opening was narrow, so the two of them pressed close. She shaped the water into a gentle lift under him so he would not fall.

The boy stared at Ye Wan Wan and did not move.

Ye Wan Wan also looked back at him. [In the Dream Realm, will Shen Nan Zhou keep his old memories? Should I do something to him? He is so weak right now. A small restriction would be easy. But Bai Jian and the others are still outside. I can’t risk it. Forget it.]

Footsteps sounded above. People entered the manor to search. If she remembered right, the first to arrive would be the Heavenly One Sect.

And then came… demonic energy.

It swept in, huge and violent. In moments, a blood mist formed from that demonic energy covered the well mouth. It wrapped Shen Nan Zhou and dragged the boy up.

Ye Wan Wan watched him look down at her, face blank and without feeling. But the instant he rose past the lip of the well, Ye Wan Wan thrust out her hand and caught him.

The eyes of three year old Shen Nan Zhou finally changed.

She dragged the child to the bottom of the well. With a flick of her finger, the well water gathered into a glob and shot upward to take the place of Shen Nan Zhou in the blood mist. At the same time, Ye Wan Wan leaped out with Shen Nan Zhou in her arms.

She shouted: “Daoist Master, save me!”

The Elder who had just entered saw the blood mist at a glance. He drew his sword and slashed: “Bold Devil Clan! How dare you run wild among mortals!”

Ye Wan Wan did not hesitate. Hugging the boy, she ran.

She burst out of the Shen Clan, out of that street, out of the city, out beyond the range of the cultivator battle. She reached a place the Dream Realm versions of Shen Nan Zhou could not touch, then looked down at the child in her arms.

“How is it?”

“I came out.”

Shen Nan Zhou stared at the girl, a little dazed.

“You see, it’s that simple,” she said. “A lot of things are just that simple. As long as you stop caring about the rules, the knot comes loose. As long as one person reaches out a hand, the nightmare breaks.” She studied Shen Nan Zhou. He was three, still soft with baby fat, with a round face and bright black and white eyes. Deep inside there was stubborn pride, but right now his eyes held only confusion, as if he wondered what she was talking about.

Ye Wan Wan drew back her thoughts and said: “Let’s go.”

[This dream is not over.]

Her way to break the trap was to make this person a new dream, one that branched away from the massacre that destroyed his home.

She chose a road this brat had never thought of: a road where Shen Nan Zhou had to shoulder the duty of supporting Ye Wan Wan from childhood on.

Shen Nan Zhou fell silent.

“Junior Brother, the capable should lead,” she told him with a straight face, “so you need to work hard and let your Senior Sister live a good life.”

Half doubtful but pushed by Ye Wan Wan, Shen Nan Zhou went to enlist.

Ye Wan Wan followed at his side yet never took over. She watched him fight from a tiny foot soldier into a young general. She reminded him: “Junior Brother, don’t let your killing intent grow too heavy, or how will you cultivate later?”

“What good is cultivation?” he asked.

“Not much,” she said with a smile, “but it sounds nice.”

“What if I walk the devil path?”

“Then hide well,” she said, “and don’t get caught.”

“…I thought Senior Sister would tell me not to.”

“Everyone has their own road. Senior Sister won’t control yours.”

“What road does Senior Sister walk?”

“Me? I walk the right road, whatever road I take.” Ye Wan Wan looked at the twelve year old Shen Nan Zhou and, with a light, confident laugh, added: “Immortals, devils, or demons, if I walk it, then it is the right road.”

Shen Nan Zhou watched the girl and sat cross legged beside her to cultivate.

This time, in the Dream Realm, there was no clan massacre, no grand war of immortals and devils, only Ye Wan Wan leading Shen Nan Zhou through the human world. But once Shen Nan Zhou broke through to Golden Core, his identity was exposed. As expected, hunters came.

Ye Wan Wan blinked. [I hid him this well. How did they still find him? Can’t anyone let this brat live a quiet life?]

Shen Nan Zhou looked at her, eyes bright: “Senior Sister, am I really a Devil Fetus?”

Ye Wan Wan frowned in confusion: “Didn’t I already tell you? Yes. One hundred percent yes. Ten thousand times yes. You are the one and only Devil Fetus under heaven, a unique super fiend. If you choose the devil path, you’ll get twice the results for half the effort.”

“Then why not let me cultivate the devil path right away? I could cut down all these people.”

“Junior Brother,” she said dryly, “did it ever occur to you that the reason Senior Sister isn’t teaching you is because Senior Sister doesn’t know how?”

He fell silent.

“Come on,” she said, offering her hand, “run with Senior Sister first.”

At the same time, inside the Illusory Dream Realm, Ye Wan Wan and Shen Nan Zhou sat facing each other. Star Marsh and the Dream Spirit stood guard. Around Ye Wan Wan, five Golden Cores floated, forming a Barrier around her body.

But.

“Three days now. Why aren’t they awake yet!” Star Marsh was anxious.

The Dream Spirit’s expression turned odd: “I get the feeling that brat is in quite a good mood.”

He glanced at the dream threads twisted behind Shen Nan Zhou. They were already starting to come loose. As Shen Nan Zhou began to break free of the clan massacre nightmare, the threads slackened.

Except a thicker blue rope appeared.

Star Marsh stared: “What is that?”

The Dream Spirit looked complicated: “A new obsession.”

The scattered, thin dream threads were undone, but this one… it was stronger.

“Can they still wake up?” Star Marsh asked.

The Dream Spirit’s eyes spun: “Hard to say. The longer they stay in the Illusory Dream Realm, the more their memories blur. In the end they forget the outside and become people of the dream.”

Star Marsh’s face changed: “Why didn’t you say that earlier?”

The Dream Spirit grinned: “Why should I?”

“Once they fail to leave, they will sleep forever and become my food. Hahaha.” As he laughed, Star Marsh saw him wriggle free of the Spirit Locking Spell.

He was breaking the cage.

This thing had been thinking of escape all along, and with Ye Wan Wan trapped in a dream, it finally found a chance.

It was on purpose. Star Marsh understood at once. The one trapping Ye Wan Wan was not Shen Nan Zhou. It was the Dream Spirit.

Star Marsh darted back to avoid him, but blue threads shot out and coiled around the little stone spirit. The Dream Spirit sneered: “Little one, you smell delicious too.”

“Master!” Star Marsh cried, and then howled: “Awooo! Master!”

“Give up,” the Dream Spirit said coldly. “I told you, they are not coming out. In this Dream Realm, only I am the master. Every cultivator here will become my food, become my power.”

He laughed loudly and tore free of the Spirit Locking Spell. The spell broke. Ye Wan Wan’s body wavered a little, but the Dream Spirit lunged for the girl at once.

He had to kill her first. Ye Wan Wan threatened him too much.

But the Golden Cores spun and knocked his strike aside, guarding Ye Wan Wan.

The Dream Spirit’s eyes darkened: “Damn things. I’ll break them one by one.”

He gathered power drawn from the dream threads and slammed into Ye Wan Wan’s Barrier. The five Golden Cores flared and held. At the same time, a soft murmur sounded behind him: “What’s wrong? Planning a revolt?”

The Dream Spirit’s body went stiff. He twisted his neck around until it almost knotted and saw Ye Wan Wan standing behind him, with Shen Nan Zhou beside her.

There were two Ye Wan Wans and two Shen Nan Zhous.

He staggered back in fright: “You… no, wait. You are inside my Dream Realm. What is there to fear? I am the master here.”

His confidence returned.

Ye Wan Wan pointed at the Barrier of Golden Cores and spoke with a gentleness so cruel it made him heartsick: “Who told you we’re in your Dream Realm?”

The Dream Spirit froze.

Ye Wan Wan whispered: “When dreams rise and fall through half a life, when fates start and end across ten thousand realms: break.”

As the words fell, the seated Ye Wan Wan and Shen Nan Zhou behind the Dream Spirit shattered like a broken mirror. The darkness and mist split.

Together, they returned to the cave dwelling.

With a hook of her finger, Star Marsh flew out of the stone and back to Ye Wan Wan’s side. On the ground lay a half burned Illusion Talisman. One person and one spirit smiled oh so “gently.”

Ye Wan Wan said in a soft, sweet voice: “You’re not the only one who knows Dreamcrafting, buddy.”

The Dream Spirit thought in panic: [I’m doomed!] He had met his match.