Chapter 970: A dream, yet not a dream

The details regarding the poison beast made Han Yunxi realize that she’d been letting Lil Thing down! She had no idea how it was doing now, or whether it missed her or its gentleman. Judging by the description here, Lil Thing must have been sealed away in Bai Yanqing’s own poison storage space. As long as the owner of the poison storage space possessed higher cultivation that her or Lil Thing, it would be able to trap the creature. In other words, Bai Yanqing might be a second level poison storage space user like her, but his cultivation level still surpassed hers. Thus, Lil Thing had no choice but to be trapped. Only by diligently cultivating until she surpassed the man could it escape!

Han Yunxi was filled with energy at the thought. She had once thought of how she could communicate with Lil Thing once she broke into the third level, thus understanding some of its situation. But now she found the most direct way to save it! She had never felt so strongly an urge to cultivate the poison storage space. Although she didn’t know where her breakthrough lay, she could at least raise her level first. Her dreamscape this time completely differed from the last. Everything had been blurry the first time around and in too much of a rush. It was like she’d only dashed through for a visit. This time, everything remained still and her mind was clear. She was staying here much longer than before.

After thoroughly studying the contents of the stele, Han Yunxi began to inspect the poison plants located in the colored glaze wall. But she soon sensed something different from her back and turned, only to see something shocking. A wolf totem image had appeared on the stele. Immediately, Han Yunxi recalled Lil Thing’s white wolf form.

Along with the totem, the stele suddenly began to shake, causing the ground to quake with it. Han Yunxi wanted to step back when she abruptly saw a drop of fresh blood ooze from the wolf’s forehead! In a flash, a crack appeared on the stele and soon formed itself into a door. Beyond it laid nothing but darkness, like an entirely separate dimension.

So the Poison Sect’s sacrificial altar held such a secret? Are only bloodline descendants allowed to see this door? Maybe they’re the only ones who can open it.

What was that blood on the wolf’s forehead just then?

As Han Yunxi was lost in her doubts, a sharp pain came from her finger. She looked down and broke into a cold sweat. Something had bitten through her finger, which was now dripping blood. More and more blood flowed from the digit until it was a steady stream! Soon enough, fresh blood had covered the ground. Han Yunxi stared blankly with a face full of fear. She tried to press down on the wound, but it didn’t do a thing. As she continued to bleed, she looked at her feet and saw that she was stepping in a puddle of the stuff. Around her, the plants and dirt began to be dyed red. She looked back towards the opening that had replaced the stele and felt a mesmerizing force from the darkness that seemed to suck her in.

“No!” Badly frightened, Han Yunxi turned and fled. She couldn’t tell whether this was a dream or reality anymore. She dashed aimlessly into the woods, unsure of where to go. Abruptly, someone grabbed her hand.

Who was it?

She once had a dream like this, but was unable to see the person’s face. She only felt that the hand was large, warm and familiar. But the moment she looked up, the entire world around her shattered like glass.

“Long Feiye!” Han Yunxi startled awake and sat straight up in bed. She had no idea why she called for Long Feiye. Perhaps it was already instinct to think of him when she needed protection.

Long Feiye immediately woke up and sat up by her side. Without asking a word, he took her into his arms and held her tight. “I’m here, don’t be afraid!”

Han Yunxi clutched at him. She didn’t know what she was so frightened of, but she’d never felt such a powerful sense of terror.

Why? Why couldn’t I see that person’s face?

She quickly broke free of Long Feiye’s embrace to hold his hand, closing her eyes to feel the sensation. It was similar to the hand in her dreams, yet still a little different. That only made her more flustered. Once more, Long Feiye held her tight and said softly, “Yunxi, calm down. It’s alright, it was only a dream. Everything’s fine now, I’m here!”

With her acting like this, she must have had a nightmare. But he’d rarely seen her so terrified by a mere dream.

Han Yunxi raised her head to look at Long Feiye’s familiar features and the gentleness she knew so well before feeling a little calmer. Once she grew tranquil, Long Feiye asked, “What kind of nightmare was it?”

“The Poison Sect sacrificial altar…” Han Yunxi muttered.

Long Feiye’s body stiffened, but he recovered quickly and comforted her, “You were preoccupied with it all day. Don’t think nonsense.”

Han Yunxi shook her head. “No, I don’t think it counted as a dream.” She looked into his eyes. “Long Feiye, I dreamed about the wordless stele again. But this time, I saw all of the words and a picture–one that looked a lot like Lil Thing.” As she continued to speak, she failed to notice how Long Feiye’s face had paled.

“I saw blood come out from the forehead of the wolf, then a door appeared in the middle of the stele. It was very dark inside, so I had no idea where it led,” Han Yunxi said.

“Did you go in?” Long Feiye asked hastily.

For a door to appear in the wordless stele meant that it had to be an illusory dimension. Where did that passage lead? 3,000 years later? Why was Han Yunxi so frightened? Once again, Long Feiye’s heart shook.

“No!” Han Yunxi quickly checked her fingers. The scar from the place where she’d bitten one that day had already faded vastly, and there were no new cuts to take its place. She told Long Feiye about how she’d bled, making him worried enough to re-inspect all of her fingers again.

“My blood could open up the wordless stele,” Han Yunxi said.

Long Feiye only embraced her silently.

Seeing this, Han Yunxi realized she’d scared him and hugged him tight, burying her face in his chest. “Maybe it really was all just a dream.”

Long Feiye remained mute for a long, long time. Finally, he declared, “We’ll try it out tomorrow. If it can open a door in the stele, I’ll go in with you!”

If it was unavoidable, he didn’t mind facing it together. Just where did that passageway lead? Why did it appear in the Poison Sect’s stele, and was it related to Han Yunxi’s status as its descendant? Or the fact that she was a transmigrator? Rather than speculate and dread the possibilities, it was better to hold her hand tight and face it head-on. Yet Han Yunxi only shrank back and shook her head.

“Don’t be afraid, I’m here!” Long Feiye gripped her hand and entwined their fingers together.

That night, they didn’t fall back asleep, but quietly embraced each other with joined hands until dawn. Both of them got up early that morning. When Gu Beiyue emerged from his rooms, it was to see the pair steeping tea at the stone table in the courtyard. The chill of a winter day made everywhere cold, but the steam and fragrance of tea from the table was a rather refreshing sight.

Gu Beiyue had no idea what had happened last night and simply came to pay his respects. “Your Highness, princess.”

Long Feiye gestured for him to sit and personally poured him a cup of tea. But as soon as Gu Beiyue did, he noticed that Han Yunxi’s complexion was off. Not only had she had a bad night’s sleep, but something was weighing on her mind.

“Princess, what’s wrong?” he hastened to ask.

Han Yunxi didn’t speak, so Long Feiye told him all about the details of last night. Gu Beiyue didn’t know that Han Yunxi was a transmigrator, so he said, “Princess, this shouldn’t be a dream, but part of the Poison Sect’s inheritance. They telepathically passed down the poison storage space’s skills and techniques to you.”

Han Yunxi knew it wasn’t simply a dream; otherwise, how could the teachings on the stele have come true? But she didn’t understand why she’d have the same nightmare about “holding hands” in conjunction with the Poison Sect’s inheritance.

“Could the door on the wordless stele lead to a secret area of the Poison Sect?” Gu Beiyue wondered. To him, this counted as good news. Perhaps the secret of the Poison Gu human laid in these very grounds, or even the formula for Perplexing Butterfly Illusion.

Han Yunxi and Long Feiye could only think of such possibilities.

“Make preparations, we’ll try it out later,” Long Feiye had already resolved himself last night. Han Yunxi finally looked up at him, and he took her hand below the table to squeeze it tight. Silently, soundlessly, he gave her strength.

“Mm! We’ll give it a try! If it can really open up a door, we’ll enter it together!” Han Yunxi said seriously.

Gu Beiyue sensed something wrong as soon as he heard those words. A complicated look flickered past his eyes, but he hesitated and swallowed his question, pretending he hadn’t noticed a thing. He was always in perfect control of the proper distance between him and Long Feiye or the princess. There were some things he didn’t need to ask if neither of them told him first.

This was the meaning of knowing one’s place.

After breakfast, Han Yunxi’s group finished preparations and prepared to leave when they suddenly saw someone standing by the door.

“Gu Qishao!” Han Yunxi exclaimed. She’d almost forgotten how long it’d been since she’d seen him.

Gu Qishao was dressed in his usual red robes, an enchanting and luxurious vision of elegance. He could make all the flowers in the mountain pale in comparison just from standing there casually. An unconscionable smile graced his lips, free and unbelievably happy as he curved his eyes into a line. “Poison lass, long time no see–”

“What are you doing here?” Long Feiye cut him off coldly. He could almost predict what the man would say next.

It was clearly Long Feiye who’d threatened him to come, so how could he have the shame to question him? Gu Qishao ignored him and continued to speak to Han Yunxi. “Qi gege’s missed you. Have you missed Qi gege?”

But Han Yunxi’s face was gloomy. Furious, she asked, “Gu Qishao, when will you start remembering Linger’s words to you?”

Tang Li had long told them about the matter of the secret signals. Personally, Tang Li thought that hunting them down was a waste of time that made them miss the best timeframe for rescue.

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