Chapter 398 - 199: Dream Lover
The eerie great hall once again fell into silence. After a long time, a low sigh came from the dense darkness.
Then there was a neurotic laugh, filled with a mocking tone.
The mysterious man knew very well that his juniors have probably already regarded him as a demon.
Thus, when he said he wanted to summon Shangguan Haitang, they got so nervous, afraid of what? Afraid he might consume her.
This time emerging from seclusion, this Patriarch has already resolved to make one last effort; the grudges of the past years must end by his hand, and the curse haunting the Shangguan family should finally be lifted.
Celestial Evil, Celestial Evil... the mysterious man murmured, suddenly uttering an "Hmm?" like he was somewhat surprised.
Soon, someone came tremblingly to report that Gu Jianjia went into seclusion half a year ago, not concerning herself with any external affairs.
Just now, a few clan elders sent people to summon her for a crucial matter, only to find that she had long since vanished from her cave dwelling, unknowingly departing from the "Grand Void Heaven."
"Ran away? Good, good." This patriarch was genuinely delighted.
He used his Divine Sense to check the entry and exit records of the formation, discovering that Gu Jianjia left half a year ago, seemingly personally escorted by Shangguan Haitang.
What does this indicate? It indicates that Haitang, this little one, has foreseen that one day, the family might use her mother to compel her to return.
Isn’t this just guilty conscience? Chu Xuan’s suspiciousness suddenly skyrocketed.
The mysterious man made a slight amendment to his original plan, commanding someone to pass it on to the clan elders.
The great hall fell silent once more, only the bizarre sound of footsteps faintly echoed in the thick darkness, as if the person was pacing back and forth excitedly.
Suddenly, the footsteps ceased, and only a clear male voice was heard softly chanting:
"Once treaded the jade steps with the green phoenix, sword at the waist reaching the fairy terrace."
"Immortal garments shatter like a thousand-layered snow, falling into the dark spring, gnawing bones in sorrow."
"Every time swallowing azure blood, pupils like flames, gazing into mirrors a hundred times in fear of the form."
"Every full moon and heart-peeling day, remembering the old inkstone studio."
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Hehuan Sect, Grand Void Hall.
Chen Yunqi was still draped in a white gossamer dress, sitting high in the main seat.
A man and a woman stood in the hall.
The man wore a long blue robe, his features were correct, and he even exuded a somewhat bookish and frail demeanor; yet his eyes were full of antiquity, with a sharp glint lurking in the depths of his gaze, making it hard for others to look directly into them.
He had an unremarkable black-sheathed long knife at his waist and held the woman’s hand beside him.
The woman wore a light purple dress, possessing a fair amount of beauty, but in the sect, that wasn’t much, because how many disciples from the Hehuan Sect didn’t look good?
The only special thing about her was the air of a "proper family" lady about her; she wasn’t seductive.
With a veiled face, Chen Yunqi looked at the man with some surprise, "Honored Guest, it’s rare to see you as a guest in the sect. Is there something important?"
As mentioned before, the Hehuan Sect, adopting Celestial Evil Demon Venerable’s idealistic "pure love" approach, did manage to attract true experts.
This mysterious guest in front of her was one such, but Chen Yunqi generally refrained from summoning him often to avoid depleting goodwill.
This guest also never visited the Hehuan Sect, preferring to live a reclusive life with his wife, like immortals away from worldly troubles.
The man in the blue robe slightly cupped his hands and said in a low voice, "Gui Xu Grotto Heaven, does the Sect Leader plan to send someone?"
Chen Yunqi was even more surprised; this person was never interested in grotto heavens or secret realms.
"Of course, I heard that the righteous path plans to empty this grotto heaven this time; such a large piece of meat can’t be allowed for them alone."
The man nodded, "At that time, I will also go, and if there’s a chance, I will bring some gains back to the sect."
"But my main objective is not this; I want to find someone. I hope the sect can help me search for a clue or two."
"If you can really find them, Yu will surely offer a great reward."
Chen Yunqi guessed a little and could figure out who the person in front of her was looking for, naturally the legendary Celestial Evil Demon Venerable.
Since the wedding incident, the Shangguan family was once again exposed to the world, and for the past thirty to forty years, they had been investigating and searching for a certain demon, which became well-known in the immortal cultivation world.
So soon, people suspected that the Celestial Evil Demon Venerable might not be entirely dead; he might have seized a body to reincarnate or returned in another form.
The man in the blue robe evidently heard the rumors and suspected that the Celestial Evil might appear in the Gui Xu Grotto Heaven.
Chen Yunqi knew the connection between the two, and rightly so; telling him the previous guess was nothing much.
But knowing people’s faces and not their hearts, who knew if this one truly bore gratitude toward Celestial Evil, or maybe had already betrayed.
Thus, Chen Yunqi merely nodded slightly, "Yes, please leave some clues, Honored Guest. That one has some ties to our Hehuan Sect; if found, it would indeed be a great thing."
The man’s demeanor eased a bit; he was a bit worried that the Hehuan Sect would steer clear to avoid involvement.
"Then thank you, Sect Leader. Besides, there’s some risk involved in this journey; it’s not suitable to bring my wife along, so I hope she can stay in the sect for a while?"
Chen Yunqi naturally agreed. This woman going outwards was necessary to foster more ties with the "maternal family"; in case she genuinely eloped with an outsider, the Hehuan Sect would lose greatly.
The woman in the purple dress had a bit of reluctance, but she couldn’t change his mind and could only say sadly, "Be careful."
The man in the blue robe nodded in agreement.
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In the regular dreamscape, Chu Xuan held Qing’er’s hand, strolling amidst a sea of flowers.
Qing’er admired the flowers while he admired Qing’er.
This time, however, Su Mengqing lost to him in a wager and agreed to be his "one-day girlfriend."
"You lecherous guy, why do you keep staring at me?" Qing’er finally looked up, pretending to be angry.
Chu Xuan smiled in response, "I’m not lecherous; it’s just that when you’re in full bloom, if I don’t take a look, wouldn’t that make me seem unromantic?"
Unexpectedly, Qing’er suddenly looked behind him and said with surprise, "Oh, Sister Taisu~"
Chu Xuan was startled! He hurriedly shook off her hand and quickly retreated.
However, when he turned around, there was no one behind him.
This made Chu Xuan a bit displeased, "Are you teasing me?"
Qing’er covered her mouth with a smile, "You have lust, but lack courage. That woman isn’t anything to you, so why are you so afraid of her?"
Chu Xuan was somewhat embarrassed, "I... you don’t understand, Ming Yu and I have a special relationship."
On the surface, Qing’er seemed indifferent with a smile, but her eyes showed a hint of hatred and murderous intent.
Chu Xuan was not unaware of this, but she quickly restrained her expression, so he didn’t expose her sudden malice, only silently noting in his heart:
She truly is a dangerous woman.
...
Suddenly, Chu Xuan woke from a dream and turned to see Qing’er peacefully sleeping beside him, her face gentle and beautiful, without a trace of the murderous look from the dream.
Once, he thought it was directed at Ji Mingyu, but now, reflecting on the past, it seemed like it was towards himself.
Qing’er resented his fickleness, and the later scheme to severely injure him, hitting him hard, likely had a lot to do with this.
Previously, Chu Xuan always felt she was unreasonable, but now he realized that he was the one who had reason to blame...
The little snow mink was also sleeping on the same bed, lying on the other side of Chu Xuan.
It secretly opened its eyes, watching him intently, seeing him look at Su Mengqing’s face with a complex expression after waking.
Suddenly, Chu Xuan lowered his head and kissed Qing’er on the forehead.
"What’s wrong? Did you have a nightmare?" Qing’er didn’t open her eyes but affectionately held him in her arms.
Ever since setting off, due to having a pet staring nearby, insisting on being with Chu Xuan, the two had not had the opportunity for intimacy.
However, Qing’er didn’t seem to mind terribly, her "Zitan Wood Canopy Bed" was a magical artifact, portable, and she loved pulling Chu Xuan in whenever resting.
Even just sleeping on the same bed made her very happy, saying it felt like being a little couple.
Chu Xuan comfortably embraced Qing’er, kissing her collarbone with a hint of guilt, "Just suddenly reminisced about some past events..."
Seeing him like this, Qing’er couldn’t help but smile and say, "Dreamed of which good girl again? Is it your beloved Ming Yu?"
"Dreaming of not having me there, so you feel guilty when you wake up?"
"No." Chu Xuan described the scenes in the dream.
Su Mengqing instantly recalled that moment years ago. Being such a clever person, she immediately responded, snorting softly:
"Only now realizing your fault, huh? It’s too late, I don’t love you anymore, go find your Ming Yu."
Despite what she said, her arms did not loosen their grip on Chu Xuan.
Chu Xuan chuckled, "I didn’t say that hitting me hard was right, but I can finally understand some reasons for your actions at that time."
"Didn’t you later have your revenge? Now I’ve given my whole being to you." Qing’er said with a bit of grievance.
As the two were being affectionate, Little Snow was urged repeatedly by its owner, reluctantly playing the role of the disruptor, snuggling closer.
It dared not jump onto Su Mengqing to stop them, fearing this capricious woman who was truly capable of killing it.
So the little snow mink had to lie nearby, watching them forlornly, reminding them not to do anything inappropriate.
Qing’er glanced at it with the corner of her eye, making it shrink back a bit fearfully.
"By the way, husband, does this count as love after marriage?" She looked at Chu Xuan tenderly.
Chu Xuan was dumbfounded, "Why suddenly calling me husband? Did you forget your character setting?"
"That’s for outsiders to see~ When we’re together privately, we don’t need to follow that set of rules."
She was likely teasing her owner, surely guessing the owner was watching... Little Snow silently thought.
Ji Mingyu indeed felt provoked, currently furious and regretting endlessly.
What Chu Xuan just described, he had never told her, but from it, it was clear she had always held a special place in his heart, he hadn’t lied to her...
"Alright, let’s continue sleeping, watching the sunrise when we wake, then we move on."
Chu Xuan also worried that if they continued dallying, Qing’er might suddenly become enthusiastic and pull him for action.
With a child watching nearby, it’s inappropriate.
But Qing’er clung to his neck and coyly said, "Baby’s having insomnia, can’t sleep without a kiss."
Chu Xuan felt like laughing but still lowered his head and kissed her lips.
As a result, Qing’er indulged, holding him for a deep kiss, leaving the little snow mink staring blankly.
The key moment was when she kissed, she glanced at Little Snow, giving it a challenging look.
"Boom~!" A sound like thunder rumbled in the distance, lightning streaking across the night sky, though the weather had seemed good tonight.
Chu Xuan finally broke free from Qing’er’s embrace, looking curiously in that direction.
Seeing no follow-up, he then settled down to sleep with his pet and companion.
That night, Little Snow insisted on snuggling into Chu Xuan’s embrace, acting cute and cuddly, forcing him to agree.
Yet somehow Little Snow reacted rather strangely?
Chu Xuan couldn’t describe it, but he felt that even a light touch made it tremble slightly, only after a few strokes did it somewhat adjust.
As for its condition, it didn’t reply, just comfortably nestled in his embrace.
Seeing this, Chu Xuan didn’t overthink it. Since cultivating, sleep wasn’t essential for him, more like an indulgence, a good time to relax body and mind.