Geng Xinghe’s dream was cast in absolute darkness.
Within that darkness, glaring, blinding patches of crimson were visible everywhere.
Chi Changye stood amidst the boundless black, looking down at the viscous red liquid flowing beneath his feet, unable to tell for a moment whether it was blood or molten lava.
Before long, Chi Changye found out.
It was both.
The air was thick with the suffocating, sickening stench of rotting flesh and blood, while the lava churned sluggishly, radiating a heat so intense it felt as though one’s very body might melt away.
Chi Changye frowned.
Geng Xinghe’s dreamscape felt uncannily similar to the deepest depths of Jiuyou.
Chi Changye could not quite comprehend what sort of creature he had actually dragged back home with him.
A moment later, the azure-clad immortal sighed and resignedly began to walk forward.
Fine. Since I’m the one who picked up this child, I’ll just have to take responsibility for him.
Chi Changye loathed this filthy, reeking, searingly hot place with a passion.
The young man walked through the pool of lava and blood for a long time before he finally caught sight of a glimmer of light…
Upon seeing Geng Xinghe’s dreamscape clearly, Chi Changye found himself blocked on the outside by an invisible barrier, unable to cross into the dream itself.
Geng Xinghe remained utterly trapped within his own nightmare.
In the dream, his father and mother suffered brutal, horrific deaths before his eyes, over and over again.
Along with them were those starving, ghoul-like refugees.
And Prince Huai, bloated like a bloated swine.
In the dream, Geng Xinghe was bound beneath a withered tree, treated like a pig or sheep awaiting slaughter.
Through the barrier, what met Chi Changye’s eyes was a horde of starving ghouls tearing savagely into Geng Xinghe’s flesh.
The boy was covered in blood and gore, his white, unblemished bones already exposed in patches through tattered, blood-soaked skin.
A plump man draped in lavish brocade sneered maliciously as he stared down at Geng Xinghe, the vicious, sinister gleam in the fat man’s eyes far more despair-inducing than any of the ghouls.
“The heaven and earth form the ancestral roots of all pneuma; let the golden light flash forth instantly to shelter and protect the true man.”
Suddenly, a resonant chant shattered the dead silence of the dream.
Following the words, a blinding streak of golden light pierced through the void, shattering the dreamscape into countless glazing fragments.
With a sword in one hand, Chi Changye sliced open the fabric of space, catching Geng Xinghe just as the boy’s body slipped toward the molten lava, drawing him securely into his arms with a single arm.
“Master?” The boy in the dream opened his eyes, a pair of lovely peach-blossom eyes stained a terrifying shade of scarlet.
“I’m here.”
Chi Changye patted him gently, soothing him in a low voice, “It’s alright. I’ve got you.”
The sea of crimson slowly faded from Geng Xinghe’s eyes as he drifted back to sleep within Chi Changye’s embrace.
That boundless expanse of dark night and the pool of molten lava gradually dissolved away as well.
Sighing softly, Chi Changye forced out a droplet of his primordial blood and traced a protective incantation across the boy’s brow.
The spell flickered briefly before sinking into Geng Xinghe’s soul, vanishing from sight.
Only then did Chi Changye loosen his grip.
Geng Xinghe fell into a deep, untroubled slumber.
And finally, Chi Changye felt at ease enough to leave.
The young man’s divine soul detached itself from Geng Xinghe’s physical shell, returning safely back into his own body.
Chi Changye opened his eyes, cast a glance at the still-slumbering Geng Xinghe, and reached out to check his pulse.
Certain that the boy was completely unharmed, he finally allowed himself to drift off to sleep with a tranquil mind.
When Geng Xinghe woke up, Chi Changye was still asleep.
Accustomed by now to his master’s penchant for heavy slumber, the boy quietly sat up.
He remained seated upon the edge of the bed, gazing in a daze at Chi Changye.
In his dream, he had seen his master.
Though it had clearly been a dream, everything felt impossibly, vividly real…
“Master.”
Geng Xinghe murmured softly, his heart fluttering as he gazed upon Chi Changye’s serene, exquisitely peaceful sleeping face.
Long eyelashes cast shadows over those phoenix eyes, normally so cold, aloof, and sharp as frost-forged blades, while the pale complexion and light-toned lips made Chi Changye look remarkably gentle and soft.
Such a breathtaking sleeping beauty.
Deep within Geng Xinghe’s chest, a voice was screaming in frantic, unchecked rebellion.
Emboldened, the boy raised a hand and gently brushed his fingertips against Chi Changye’s lips.
The touch was soft and warm, yet it felt as though it carried thorns, startling Geng Xinghe into violently jerking his hand back.
I cannot! This is my master!
Shaking his head, he carefully tucked the quilt around Chi Changye, then crept lightly past his master to climb out of bed.
Daring not to attempt cooking again, the boy headed straight to the back mountain to begin his morning lessons.
Though his time within the immortal sect had been brief, his innate aptitude and exceptionally high talent carried him far.
Within a mere few days, he had mastered both the mental cultivation manual and the whip techniques Chi Changye had provided.
Chi Changye had yet to assign him new ones, telling him to spend a couple more days consolidating his foundations.
Geng Xinghe crossed his legs in meditation before the waterfall on the back mountain and began to center his breath.
When Chi Changye finally woke, the sun was already high in the sky.
After tidying up in the Lotus Breeze Pavilion, Chi Changye proceeded as usual to prepare their meal.
Geng Xinghe learned with terrifying speed, grasping everything instantly and mastering skills upon a single attempt.
Yet when it came to the practice of fasting, going without food entirely, he had spent seven full days teaching him, and the boy hadn’t absorbed a single word of it.
Eventually, Chi Changye simply gave up forcing the issue.
After all, he was still just a child, and coming straight from the mortal world, he naturally clung to these few remaining earthly comforts.
Once everything was settled, Chi Changye headed to the back mountain to look for Geng Xinghe.
The boy was in the middle of practicing with his whip.
The long whip moved with the fluid grace of flowing clouds and moving water.
Yet for a split second, a flicker of doubt crossed Chi Changye’s mind.
The techniques he had given Geng Xinghe were explicitly pure and upright, aligned with the blazing heat of the sun.
Yet why was it that whenever this child wielded them, people instinctively felt.
Insidious, devious, and viciously ruthless.
Chi Changye couldn’t help frowning, tempted to offer a word of correction, yet unsure where to even begin.
After all, a weapon was ultimately meant for slaughter and defense; striking with lethal efficiency wasn’t inherently incorrect, was it?
After hesitating for a moment, Chi Changye ultimately kept his mouth shut.
Never mind. Everyone has their own unique style; there’s no need to force uniformity.
With that thought in mind, Chi Changye called out, “Xinghe, time to eat.”
Geng Xinghe reined in the bone whip and flashed a bright smile. “Yes, Master.”
After the meal, as Geng Xinghe cleared away the dishes, he noticed Chi Changye searching around the room for something.
The azure-clad immortal stood with a posture as straight as a green bamboo or a towering pine, a sight as pleasing to the eye as a living painting.
Hesitating for a long moment, Geng Xinghe finally spoke up. “Master, last night, I dreamed of you.”
Because his back was turned to Chi Changye, sparing him from facing his master’s clear, sharp gaze, he felt considerably bolder. “I dreamed that Master saved me.”
Chi Changye’s first instinct was to deny it.
Yet what was the point of denying it?
The young man fell silent for a beat before admitting, “It wasn’t a dream.”
Sensing his phrasing might be imprecise, he amended, “I did enter your dream and save you.”
Geng Xinghe whipped around in utter astonishment, staring blankly at Chi Changye’s straight, unyielding back.
Without turning to look at him, Chi Changye continued, “You birthed a heart demon, which was why you kept sinking helplessly into those recurring nightmares.”
“I.”
Geng Xinghe murmured, completely at a loss.
After a brief pause, Chi Changye added, “Since you’ve brought it up yourself, get your things ready. Later today, I am taking you down the mountain.”
“Master?” Geng Xinghe felt a sudden flutter of anxious apprehension.
His master had entered his dream? His master had witnessed the scenes playing out within his nightmares?
Then.
Chi Changye turned his head to look at him, taking in the boy’s wide, bewildered eyes and the faint trace of panic lingering within them. Unsure what was running through the youth’s head, he could only attempt an explanation of his own. “Entering a dream is a very simple minor spell; you will learn to master it yourself in due time, and it causes no harm to your mind or soul.”
Master didn’t despise him because of what he saw in the dream?
A heavy stone lifted from the depths of Geng Xinghe’s chest.
“B-But why must we go down the mountain?” the boy asked, thoroughly bewildered.
He had no desire to leave the mountain; he had no wish to ever depart Peak Chiyue.
“Hm?” Chi Changye lifted his gaze to meet Geng Xinghe’s, looking equally perplexed. “If we don’t go down the mountain, what else do you want to do?”