Chapter 15 Nightmare

In King Xuan’s mansion, Xiao Lin was hugging a girl in a purple silk shirt and skirt. He asked the person beside the bed, “How is Shang’er?”

The man in white clothing closed his folding fan and said with a beaming smile, “The situation is bad, of course. Senior Brother, you have become so unfortunate after becoming King Xuan and moving into your own residence. Firstly, the Scarlet Flame Wasps besieged your mansion, then your Side Imperial Concubine has gotten haunted by the nightmare devil. It’s an unlucky year for you.”

Xiao Lin did not get angry. Instead, he spoke in a gentle tone, “Yu Qing, let’s talk seriously. How can I pull Shang’er out from the nightmare?”

Yu Qing clicked his tongue. “Senior Brother, you have overestimated me. You should know that, back then at Buzhao Mountain, you learned the Dao of the sword and I learned demon exorcism. Your Dao of the sword had inherited the old man’s essence but I couldn’t master my demon exorcism that well. This time, I risked my life and rushed over from King Zhao’s residence just to help you.” King Zhao would have never imagined that the person he respectfully treated like an important guest at his residence was actually the junior brother of King Xuan, Xiao Lin.

Xiao Lin let out a sigh. “I will give the Master’s storage jade to you.”

Yu Qing hurriedly said, “Really?”

Xiao Lin did not waste any time and removed an ordinary-looking jade from his waist then threw it to Yu Qing. Yu Qing frantically caught it with his hands and grinned from ear to ear. “Oops, something has happened to Senior Brother’s concubine, Yu Qing is obliged to help.”

After speaking, Yu Qing kept the jade properly and retracted his playful look. “A nightmare devil is different from other little demons. And until now, I still could not find where it was hiding. With my level of Dao, I cannot subdue this kind of evil creature, but it’s not impossible to wake the Side Imperial Concubine.”

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“Mbl alypsd obu vbl Fkel Rxrlakyz Usdnwckdl nyddsv oyjl wr kp clnywpl pbl kp zspv kd vbl ealyxzyde. Gp zsdt yp usw nyd oyjl bla wr okvbkd vbl vkxl zkxkv, pbl okzz cl qkdl.”

“Jwv yqvla usw ldvla vbl dktbvxyal elhkz’p ealyxzyde, usw okzz byhl vs pll vbaswtb uswa sod ealyxzyde clqsal pyhkdt vbl rlsrzl kd kv. Rq pbl nyddsv cl osjld wr, vbspl obs ldvla vbl ealyxzyde okzz yzps ekl kd kv. Idsokdt vbkp, yal usw okzzkdt vs tkhl kv y vau?”

Dkys Nkd dseele bkp blye okvbswv vbl pzktbvlpv blpkvyvksd, “Gzaktbv.”

Zw Ckdt zssjle Dkys Nkd shla nyalqwzzu. “Zsw alyzzu zkjl vbkp Fkel Rxrlakyz Usdnwckdl? Zsw’al lhld tkhkdt xl vbyv sze xyd’p xspv hyzwyczl valypwal yde yal okzzkdt vs vyjl vbl akpj vs pyhl bla? Xa eslp uswa kddyvl pldpl sq fwpvknl yde alprsdpkckzkvu bywdv usw, ps ds xyvvla obs vbl rlapsd kp, usw’al okzzkdt vs pyhl vblx.”　　

Dkys Nkd plakswpzu rsdelale shla obyv Zw Ckdt pyke yde alrzkle, “Rpd’v vblal y vkxl zkxkv? Fvsr prlyjkdt dsdpldpl.”

Zw Ckdt cwapv swv zywtbkdt. “Fs usw tlv ydtau vss. Mbkp Fkel Rxrlakyz Usdnwckdl zssjp dsv cye kdelle. Ls osdela vbl tldvzl yp fyel Fldksa Jasvbla oswze cl xshle vs pbso nsxryppksd. Mbyv clkdt pyke, es usw alyzzu byvl vbl Zl qyxkzu’p Mbkae Ykpp vbyv xwnb? R vbkdj vbyv tkaz kp iwkvl kdvlalpvkdt. Zsw eked’v pll vbl pnldl oblal pbl eyakdtzu clyv wr Ikdt Hbys.”

Ksjlp ypkel, yqvla Zw Ckdt tsv vbl valypwal, bl iwknjzu cltyd vs plv wr vbl qsaxyvksd.

“Mblal kp y pvayde sq ale zkdl yaswde vbl Fkel Rxrlakyz Usdnwckdl’p dlnj. Rq vbl ale zkdl alynblp vbl cynj sq bla lya, ds sdl nyd pyhl bla yduxsal. Mblalqsal, usw xwpv oyjl bla wr clqsal vbl ale zkdl pralyep.” Zw Ckdt alrlyvlezu oyadle okvb y ellr hsknl, “Jlya kd xkde vbyv kd vbl dktbvxyal sq vbl dktbvxyal elhkz, lhlau pkdtzl vbkdt kd vbl osaze kp xyel wr sq obyv y rlapsd qlyap yde elpkalp vbl xspv.”

“No matter what happens, Senior Brother must stay true to your heart and walk out of your own dreamland. Only then can you enter the Side Imperial Concubine’s dreamland and bring her back.”

Xiao Lin gripped his sword and nodded solemnly. “I understand.”

Yu Qing’s hands were rapidly creating seals. He was closing his eyes to recite the incantations and fine sweat formed on his forehead. His folding fan that was suspended in the air opened—— “Enter!”

　　

*

Meanwhile, ten miles away, on the outskirts of King Xuan’s residence, a young man in black clothing was walking through the woods.

The forest was circled by the black fog. The young man’s footsteps crunched on the snow. He extended his hands as the black fog already enveloped his pale fingertips. He gripped that piece of black fog and it struggled in his palm.

Tantai Jin licked his lips. A feeling of starvation started to rise from the pit of his stomach.

The black fog seemed to have sensed something and tried to escape from his fingertips. Deep in the forest, a pair of eyes that were bigger than lanterns suddenly appeared and its voice reverberated in the air.

“How outrageous!” A mere mortal was attempting to devour its devilish Qi.

Tantai Jin watched with pity as the devilish Qi disappeared. He met the scary eyes that appeared in the air and unenthusiastically said, “Release her.”

The nightmare devil eerily said, “Are you making a deal with me? What are you going to exchange her with?” Its voice was so deep and resounding that even the deaf could hear it. The pair of dark red eyes were scanning the seemingly weak mortal young man in front of him.

The man in front of him had a mouth-watering smell from his body. The nightmare devil had escaped from a crack of the Abyss of Desolation and its stomach was rumbling with hunger. If it wasn’t for the fact that it could only kill someone in the dreamland, it would have run over and devoured Tantai Jin.

Tantai Jin tilted his head. “Conditions? You think I am discussing conditions with you?” He covered half of his face and started to laugh as if he had heard some kind of joke.

“Give me your soul and I will let that woman go.” the nightmare devil said while drooling.

Tantai Jin’s lips curved upwards and softly said, “Alright, come and take it then.”

The nightmare devil’s fog started to envelop him in a flash.

　　

Su Su rushed over and coincidentally saw this scene. She felt like her scalp almost exploded and she lunged forward to drag him back. “Tantai Jin!”

Tantai Jin stood in the black fog and looked back.

He impatiently said, “Let go.”

Su Su grabbed him. “Are you crazy? How are you going to come out if you enter this monster’s dream!”

It was written in a book at the library that nightmare devils were born of desire and obsession. The deeper the gulf of desire in that person’s heart, the harder it would be to escape the dreamland. Only those with a pure, immaculate heart and firm mindset can escape the temptation of the nightmare devil.

Tantai Jin was the devil king. How can a devil king have no wishes or desires? Tantai Jin’s behaviour, to put it nicely, was submitting to beauty. To put it harshly, it was seeking death.

The main thing was, it would be okay if he dies, but if possible, she couldn’t let him resurrect. The nightmare devil was totally incapable of devouring the evil bone. If Tantai Jin’s body was really buried in the nightmare devil’s dreamland, it would also signify the end of all the living things of the three realms.

Tantai Jin looked at the pale and thin hands that grabbed him.

Su Su was trying to avoid the fog while trying to drag him out.

Her face grew red. Seeing the indifference in Tantai Jin’s eyes, she couldn’t help but scold angrily, “Do you think with your lower body? No matter how good and beautiful Ye Bing Shang is, she is still someone else’s wife, you psycho!”

Tantai Jin coldly said, “She is mine.”

“Get along with you!” Su Su wished that she could just stab him to death with a sword and get it over with.

Tantai Jin lowered his gaze to look at Su Su. From beginning to end, she did not let go. As the black fog grazed the girl’s delicate skin, her complexion grew paler and paler. He looked at the soft yet firm hand that was grasping onto his own and felt highly irritated.

Seeing that the nightmare devil was determined to devour its future master, Su Su was furious. What a bunch of dumb*sses!

“Hear me, Heavenly Spirit. I call upon the purple lighting. Strike it down!” A hastily drawn talisman flew out of her sleeve.

An arm-thick purple lightning bolt emerged from the yellow talisman, charging towards the nightmare devil.

The nightmare devil was extremely annoyed as he wasn’t able to devour Tantai Jin, and in addition, a little mortal girl had come to disrupt things. The purple lightning split the fog apart and highly enraged the nightmare devil. Soon, the fog rapidly gathered again. It laughed cruelly and said, “All come into the dream then.”

Tantai Jin’s black pupils were looking at Su Su’s jade-white little hand that was still holding onto his finger. The contrast of black and white in her big eyes was clearly distinct, her lips seemed to be bleeding from biting too hard and she was glaring at him as if she was about to die from anger.

She was even full of vitality when scolding someone.

Tantai Jin suddenly felt annoyed. Before the black Qi corroded Su Su, he coldly said, “Scram.”

He tried to pry open her fingers.

Su Su was pushed out of the black fog and tumbled onto the ground. Her fingers that were forcibly pried off by Tantai Jin hurt terribly. He really did not care if he broke her fingers.

The nightmare devil’s eyes suddenly moved close to her.

“What perfect timing. No one leaves!” It exhaled greedily as it sniffed Su Su’s neck.

In a blink of an eye, the omnipresent black Qi surrounded Su Su.

　　

*****

When Su Su woke up, a man in green was looking at her with a grim expression. 

“Dad?” Su Su called out with surprise.

The green-robed Immortal Senior nodded his head. “Su Su, Tantai Jin died in the nightmare. You have failed your mission. The Curved Jade has sent you back to five hundred years later and the Devil God has awakened.”

“How is that possible……” Su Su muttered.

The Immortal Senior sighed, “Perhaps it’s the fate of Heaven,” a trace of sadness flashed across his eyes as he helped Su Su up. 

“The subordinates of the Devil God had surrounded Hengyang Immortal Mountain. Su Su, leave with Fuya.”

“What about you, dad?”

The Immortal Senior stroked her hair and said, “Dad’s life is with Hengyang.”

As soon as he said that, a disciple covered in blood rushed in and cried with sorrow, “Sect Leader, Senior Brother Fuya…… he…… he……”

Su Su looked up and saw a white-robed teenager outside the sect’s gate. His immortal sword was deeply plunged into the earth. His eyes were closed and he was sitting in a cross-legged defensive stance in front of the entrance of the sect. His body was starting to dissipate bit by bit. Su Su ran staggeringly towards him. “Fuya!”

Fuya’s vanished body was merging with the Mountain Guarding Formation, reinforcing the Hengyang Sect’s barrier.

Tears unconsciously flowed down her face.

Her sectmates around her said, “This is all Junior Sister Li’s fault. The only chance was given to her, yet she has brought the sect to this. Junior Brother Fuya even sacrificed himself to make up for it……”

“She’s the one who should die instead.”

“Yes it should be her! It shouldn’t be Junior Brother Fuya!”

Su Su wasn’t able to hug the vanishing body.

In a daze, the teenager’s soul that hadn’t entirely dissipated yet seemed to open his eyes and palely smile at her.

“Senior Sister, it’s nice…… to be able to see you again…….”

No, it shouldn’t be like this. What her sectmates said was right. She was the one who failed to make use of their last chance. She should be the one who dies instead of Fuya.

The three realms were ruined, Fuya died, and dad will die alongside the Hengyang Sect.

Su Su picked up Fuya’s sword.

The sword aura was like a rainbow,  reflecting the delicate¹如花似玉 (rúhuā-sìyù) – an idiom, directly translated would mean as refined as a jade, to say something/someone is as delicate as a flower/exquisite (usually to describe a woman) face of the young girl. Her face was full of tears, and the cinnabar in-between the arch of her brows was burning brightly.

Someone whispered in her ear, Yes, you should also sacrifice yourself, just like Fuya.

At least the Hengyang Sect could still exist for a short while longer.

She lifted the ice-cold sword high up in the sky, stabbing it towards herself……

The sword dodged Su Su’s body and stabbed into the black fog behind her. “I’d be stupid to believe you!”

The black fog started to screech——

“Impossible! That’s impossible!”

The black fog was pierced through by the sword aura and instantly disappeared without a trace.

Su Su wiped the tears off her face. An exquisite and fiery red spiritual bird was proudly calling out in her spiritual core.

The illusion shattered in an instant.

Su Su let out a sigh of relief. The Great Dao is pure, to be without desire is just, a clear heart is fearless.

However, where to find Tantai Jin and Ye Bing Shang now?

As soon as she thought of this, her body was abruptly pushed by someone.

“Female physician Yao, what are you still standing there for! Niangniang is about to give birth, where are the scissors and hot water that the midwife told you to prepare?” a maid in scarlet glared at Su Su fiercely.

Su Su looked at her own hands. They were no longer a young girl’s hands and had been replaced by a pair of yellowish and wrinkled hands.

She had unexpectedly turned into a middle-aged woman, and she was also a physician!

Seeing the maid’s expression getting worse and worse, Su Su instinctively said, “Wait a moment, I will send them over immediately.”

“Don’t daze around like this again! The Emperor won’t let you off if something happens to Imperial Consort Rou and the Little Highness!” said the maid.

“Yes, yes!” replied Su Su.

Out of nowhere, a basin of hot water and a pair of scissors suddenly appeared beside Su Su’s left hand. Although she was puzzled, she still nimbly picked the things up and followed the maid.

The maid put her hands together and prattled, “God bless, niangniang must give birth to a little prince!”

Thunder roared in the sky, making the vault of heaven buzz.

Su Su raised her head and saw dark clouds gathering in the sky, like a cluster of evil Qi that couldn’t disperse, encircling everything with an ominous aura.

The swallows under the eaves were startled and flew about. Above the palace, the colour of the vault of heaven had almost descended to the colour of ink.

A man in a bright yellow dragon robe²Emperor’s clothing was waiting outside with an anxious face.
Su Su’s heart leapt while carrying the basin of hot water. What the heck is going on here?

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What do you guys think the situation is?

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Edited by: Gaze