Xie Weiyuan offered a sheepish smile: “Perhaps.”
Shen Yunjin’s expression stiffened. His gaze fell upon the man’s trembling fingertips, his obsidian pupils flickering with a faint light: “When you were searching for me earlier, Master, did you encounter anyone?”
Xie Weiyuan turned his face away, avoiding his gaze, and said coolly: “No.”
Shen Yunjin withdrew into his own thoughts. Then, who was the person I almost trifled with? He felt a pang of regret for his momentary loss of reason. Yet, every time he smelled that faint, orchid-like fragrance from the dream, he felt as though he had been bewitched, his whole being becoming hazy and sinking into an uncontrollable urge…
Reflecting on it, the first dream had been the Xuanwei Sect trafficking in Spiritual Slaves, the second had been the destruction of the Shen residence, and this third dream was so absurdly indecent.
All these illusions stemmed from his past dreams. What connection did this Huangliang Scroll truly have with him?
Or rather, was this not a series of disparate dreams, but a complete space a fully realized world derived from his own subconscious? Although the scenes in the previous dreams had shifted, he remained within a world generated by the confluence of those dreams.
Whenever he recalled what he had done in the dream, Shen Yunjin’s earlobes burned.
Thank goodness Master didn’t catch me, or where would I hide my shame?
He composed himself, gathered his slightly open collar, paused, and asked: “To what time and place has the Huangliang Scroll brought us?”
“This is the first year you entered the sect.”
“The ‘Formless’ is the Master of the Dream; the faceless person from before was you in your youth. The Huangliang Scroll is harvesting the dreams within your consciousness.”
“However, dreams are all ‘formless.’ Everything with a form can also be ‘formless.’ Not everything within the dreams of the Huangliang Scroll is true.”
A clumsy attempt to hide the truth, Xie Weiyuan thought, the thief shouting ‘I am not a thief.’
Shen Yunjin, however, did not notice the discrepancy and nodded: “If that is the case, where should we go next?”
“To find someone.”
“Who?”
“Wen Yuzhu’s husband.”
Xie Weiyuan’s expression dimmed: “The only way he could resist the Symbiotic Curse was through the Soul-Swapping Technique. He should still be in Feng’an City at this moment.”
Shen Yunjin: “Feng’an City in Buyehan is only a hundred miles from here, but finding Shen Jianglin in such a vast city will not be an easy task.”
He felt utterly heartbroken by his father and now referred to him simply by his given name.
“Do you still remember the faceless boy?”
Shen Yunjin nodded: “I do.”
“Try to see if you can use the Divine Seal to sense his location.” Xie Weiyuan paused, then added: “The Ancient God Fuxi split the Divine Seal into four, sealing them within the Vermilion Bird, Azure Dragon, White Tiger, and Black Tortoise. Since the seal was originally one, there is a connection between them. Perhaps you can sense him.”
Shen Yunjin stilled his breathing and focused his mind, sensing the seal within his body, but found no connection whatsoever.
He shook his head and looked at Xie Weiyuan.
The man pondered for a moment: “This is your first year in the sect. Yunlan and I searched for you within the Jiuyou Sect, but we never saw you manifested by the Huangliang Scroll…”
“If you cannot find him, it means the Huangliang Scroll has begun to consume your consciousness and soul.”
“In the previous dreams, we were mere bystanders, but now you have become a participant. The Huangliang Scroll chose your dreams to construct this space from the very beginning, intending to devour your soul. This is likely the final layer of the dream; it intends to finish the task.”
“Come to think of it, this Divine Seal truly is like ‘Tang Monk meat’ the Fairy in the Painting created by the Divine Work Pen covets you, and even this fragment of the Huangliang Scroll covets you…”
Ji Yunlan asked in confusion: “What is ‘Tang Monk meat’?”
Xie Weiyuan rubbed the tip of his nose: “It’s just something that everyone wants to take a bite of.”
Shen Yunjin’s expression darkened, assuming Xie Weiyuan was still coveting the Divine Seal. At the thought of Xie Weiyuan harboring ulterior motives toward him, he felt a wave of nausea and cast a cold glance at the man.
Xie Weiyuan, seemingly recalling something, looked away with a distant gaze.
Ji Yunlan, however, seemed genuinely intrigued: “Come to think of it, the fact that this Huangliang Scroll can present the cause and effect of a dream is truly the work of an evil cultivator. It is no different from the effect of traversing time. To think it can cross through time using only half a scroll it is no wonder the heroes of the world once united to burn it to ashes.”
“If one could borrow this to return and see lost souls from one’s dreams, it would be a divine artifact indeed.” He sighed: “To use it justly, one must see into whose hands it falls.”
“If such power remains in a mere fragment, one can only imagine the bloodbath the cultivation world would face if the other half were found and the scroll repaired.”
“But how are we to find Shen Jianglin?”
“Could we try borrowing a black feather from Elder Lingyu?”
“Black feathers only seek the aura of the dead. This Soul-Swapping Technique requires us to borrow Jiang Yuan from Elder Qingya.”
“Jiang Yuan? Do we need to seek him out for this technique?” Shen Yunjin had only met Jiang Yuan a few times and did not know what arts he possessed. He only remembered the man as arrogant and overbearing the last time they met in front of Xie Weiyuan’s door, they had nearly come to blows.
“Though he is not proficient in martial arts, he raised a Soul-Seeking Phoenix.”
Ji Yunlan explained: “It is rumored that the Soul-Seeking Phoenix only seeks those destined to be found. Three years ago, Jiang Yuan was injured at the Immortal Alliance Conference, and his blood drew a hundred birds to pay homage, eventually summoning the Soul-Seeking Phoenix.”
“What use does the Soul-Seeking Phoenix have?”
“The Soul-Seeking Phoenix is a spiritual bird from Mount Kunlun. You only need to tell it who or what you are thinking of, and it will guide you to it. Whether you can actually see them, however, depends entirely on fate.”
The three arrived at Elder Qingya’s residence. The white-haired old man was squatting by the pond feeding his fish. Seeing them arrive, he looked startled: “Linghua-jun? Didn’t you just leave? Is there something else?”
He was likely referring to the original “Linghua-jun” within the dream.
Xie Weiyuan went straight to the point: “Is Jiang Yuan in the sect today?”
“He is picking Fusang fruits on the back mountain. If the Sect Master needs him, I will summon him back immediately.”
“Yes, as quickly as possible.”
A long, piercing whistle rang through the heavens. Only a moment later, a speck of crimson appeared in the sky above the back mountain, breaking through the swirling clouds and wind.
The Soul-Seeking Phoenix bore Jiang Yuan, landing steadily on the ground and kicking up a fierce gust of wind.
The youth wore the apricot-yellow uniform of a disciple, appearing sharp and efficient, his hair tied in a high ponytail. He jumped off the phoenix and brushed the dust from his clothes. Even as a product of a dream, he was vivid, life-like, and full of vitality.
“Jiang Yuan” bowed to Xie Weiyuan and Elder Qingya: “Greetings, Linghua-jun; greetings, Master.”
Xie Weiyuan nodded.
The golden-fire phoenix was slowly shrinking, hopping onto Jiang Yuan’s shoulder.
Shen Yunjin stood behind Xie Weiyuan, arms crossed and face tense.
“Jiang Yuan, can this Soul-Seeking Phoenix find someone who has used the Soul-Swapping Technique?”
Jiang Yuan hesitated, stroking the restless phoenix on his shoulder: “Soul-swapping? That technique is treacherous; there has never been a successful precedent. Has someone actually dared to attempt it?”
Xie Weiyuan nodded: “It is true. We need to borrow the Soul-Seeking Phoenix to find him.”
“It is not difficult, but I must pry… into your consciousness to communicate with the Soul-Seeking Phoenix.”
“Consciousness?” Xie Weiyuan’s expression hardened.
He could absolutely not let Jiang Yuan look into his consciousness. With the System inside, if he were to be scrutinized, it would be equivalent to telling everyone he was from another world.
Xie Weiyuan signaled for Shen Yunjin to step forward.
Compelled by the man’s authority, Shen Yunjin complied.
As their eyes met, it was like sworn enemies locking gazes bitter and resentful. Neither could stand the other.
Shen Yunjin smiled with narrowed eyes: “Senior Brother Jiang, be sure not to look at anything you shouldn’t.”
Jiang Yuan glared back: “What kind of person do you take me for? A gentleman has his principles…”
“Enough, enough, don’t show off. Just start,” Shen Yunjin interrupted impatiently.
Jiang Yuan turned scarlet with rage, stuttering a barrage of—”You, you, you, you… you this!”
“Hasn’t Senior Brother Jiang’s stutter been cured yet? Perhaps you should go see Elder Mukui.”
Jiang Yuan was a narrow-minded man and was no match for Shen Yunjin’s tongue. He became increasingly anxious, unable to string two words together.
After struggling for a long time, he finally managed to choke out:
“You, you, you, you… just you wait!”
“Enough, enough, stop arguing. Just start,” Xie Weiyuan said, rubbing his forehead.
Jiang Yuan rolled his eyes at Shen Yunjin and retrieved a small string of bells from his storage pouch, bound with a red cord.
Shen Yunjin instantly recognized them as Soul-Seizing Bells.
“When you hear the ringing, relax your spiritual consciousness. Do not resist it. Once you have completely opened yourself up, I will be able to seek out the person you wish to find.”
Shen Yunjin said no more. He closed his eyes, listening to the crisp, clear ringing of the Soul-Seizing Bells as Jiang Yuan shook them.
…
The two sat opposite each other, eyes closed, feeling what the other felt.
After only the time it takes to burn an incense stick, beads of cold sweat began to seep from Jiang Yuan’s forehead. He began to tremble, unsure of what he had witnessed.
Finally, he stood up, looking relieved.
Following him, Shen Yunjin slowly came to. His brain ached, though fortunately, he hadn’t undergone a long ordeal.
Jiang Yuan looked at him with a heavy gaze but said nothing, merely tapping his own forehead lightly before transmitting the information to the Soul-Seeking Phoenix.
The Soul-Seeking Phoenix let out a high, piercing cry and transformed into a giant bird once more.
They all boarded the Soul-Seeking Phoenix.
The bird soared into the sky, capable of traveling a thousand miles a day. Before long, they returned to Feng’an City. A year later, the city remained unchanged; little had altered. After circling for a long while, the Soul-Seeking Phoenix finally stopped in a desolate, uninhabited area.
“Why would someone live in such a remote place? What business does Linghua-jun have with him?”
Xie Weiyuan offered a cryptic smile: “Children should ask fewer questions about matters concerning adults.”
“…”
The place was eerie, the surrounding forests blocking out the sun, with layers upon layers of peaks. It hardly looked like a place fit for human habitation.
A ghostly wind swept by, leaving only the “rustling” of grass and trees.
Shen Yunjin frowned: “Are you certain it is here?”
“Could the Soul-Seeking Phoenix be mistaken?” Jiang Yuan sneered.
Shen Yunjin rolled up his sleeves and pushed aside the dry branches and weeds blocking the way with his bare hands. After walking dozens of steps, he finally caught sight of a dilapidated straw hut.
Much of the thatch on the roof had been blown away, leaving it precarious and teetering over the cracks.
He stepped over the soft earth and strode forward.
“Wait, he used the Soul-Swapping Technique; he might no longer be a normal person.” Xie Weiyuan pressed down on his shoulder, as if to warn him.
“Hmm.”
He gave a soft acknowledgement, his voice quickly swallowed by the wind.
Shen Yunjin suppressed his frantic heartbeat.
When secrets are about to be unearthed, one is always filled with trepidation.