Chapter 39 Awakening from the Grand Dream
Chapter 39: Awakening from the Grand Dream
Everything on Stilled Waters Peak dissolved like an ink painting doused with water, melting away drop by drop.
The cottage, garden, and the wheelchair beneath him gradually transformed into mixed ink blots.
After the painted colors were completely exhausted, Luo He seemed to hear a long, distant sigh from boundless depths.
Then, this world revealed its original background—a pure, flawless white.
Luo He stood in the center of this space, ripples like water spreading beneath his feet.
Luo Hongyu had reached twenty-four, and the dream had ended.
Luo He looked at himself. The black robe had returned, as had the fox mask.
“Congratulations, your performance was flawless.”
Huoxin’s voice came from behind. Luo He turned to look—Huoxin was standing quietly there, smiling at him.
“The dream has ended, and their consciousness should soon return to the real world.”
“I kept this white model separately to say goodbye to you.”
A farewell, then.
Luo He’s gaze was quiet and gentle.
“I forget if I mentioned this before, but I can tell you…”
“I did all this, including this final dream, because I owed a favor to a witness of the Heavenly Dao.”
“Although I still wasn’t successful, the Heavenly Dao acknowledges I wasn’t being perfunctory, so the constraints have been removed.”
“This way, I have no reason to continue being your enemy.”
Huoxin’s condition now looked quite poor. Her soul form had been damaged by demonic flames, and faint cracks were visible at her wrists.
Her ghostly flute girl was lying on her shoulder, occasionally giving Luo He resentful glances.
Perhaps noticing Luo He’s gaze, Huoxin turned her wrist and continued:
“What, concerned about me? We were enemies just a moment ago.”
“…”
Enemies? Perhaps.
Indeed, all of this was Huoxin’s doing. Without her, Luo He could have steadily proceeded according to his own plan.
They were undoubtedly enemies.
“But if you hope this troublemaker will quickly disappear, you might be disappointed.”
“This thing you gave me is powerful, but not enough to kill me. There will be a day when I return to cause more havoc.”
“By then, though, it won’t concern you anymore, hehe.”
“…Why do you look relieved? It’s disgusting… look away quickly, don’t stare at me with those eyes.”
Luo He did as she said.
Then, a flute flew over from Huoxin.
Luo He caught it—it was the yin flute used by the girl.
It felt smooth and cool to the touch, seemingly made of jade, but not quite… Before Luo He could examine it closely, the flute suddenly transformed into a stream of light and entered his spirit platform.
“This is a flute made of ghost jade, called the Willow Flute. It can control and contain ghostly beings and fortify your spirit platform. It’s yours now. You can find its specific effects in the ghost language book I gave you earlier.”
Seeing Luo He’s puzzled expression, Huoxin continued:
“Over these eighteen years, I finally guessed what you’re trying to do by staying at Luo Hongyu’s side. The Willow Flute can help during the heavenly tribulation. Accept it.”
“…”
“Want to know why I’m doing this? Hmm… it’s simple.”
“I think we’ll have a chance to meet again in the future. By then, I’ll be your senior in ghost cultivation. This is just a small gift for a junior.”
“Just think of it as… I like your face.”
Huoxin covered her mouth and laughed softly.
“Alright, I’ll tell you the truth.”
“Your past may not be as simple as you think, Luo He. Even the Immortal’s Tear couldn’t find your sealed previous life.”
“Mystery often represents opportunity, so I want to leave some good karma with you, to benefit from you later. Understand?”
Luo He nodded.
It seemed that even powerful immortals couldn’t reach matters on the Blue Star.
“Very well, then…”
“Farewell.”
“By the way, they both still remember what happened in the dream.”
The pure white world shattered like a mirror.
Huoxin left one last meaningful glance before completely disappearing with this world, her destination unknown.
With a profound sensation of weightlessness, Luo He opened his eyes again to see the deep night sky.
The barrier Huoxin had set in advance was still here, so no one had disturbed them during this time.
Luo Hongyu and Gu Jing were lying quietly on the floor on the other side.
Now, exactly one day had passed since Luo He had approached Huoxin.
And only one day remained before the Ascension Assembly.
“…Luo He?”
Luo Hongyu’s confused voice reached him.
She opened her eyes hazily and saw the black-robed, fox-masked man before her… She couldn’t remember, but she sensed Luo He’s aura from him.
He was still by her side.
Luo Hongyu felt her head was terribly heavy. After confirming this point, she turned her head and drifted back to sleep.
Finally, she mumbled unclearly:
“When I come back, I’ll take you to see the flowers…”
“…”
There are no flowers, Luo Hongyu.
No magnolia was ever planted in the small courtyard on Stilled Waters Peak.
That grape vine was cut down by you long ago.
…
Luo Hongyu felt she had a very long dream.
In the dream, Luo He wore black clothes and a white fox mask, never speaking to her.
Every time she saw him like that, her heart seemed to ache.
This dream made Luo Hongyu feel strange.
Why did he wear a mask? His face…
Face…
Why couldn’t she remember what Luo He looked like?
That’s right, this was in a dream. Once she woke up, everything would be…
Luo Hongyu opened her eyes again.
Her eyes carried a certain grayness and weariness.
This place…
Wasn’t Stilled Waters Peak.
Where was this?
This was the Nine Elephants Sect meditation hall.
Strange, what was the Nine Elephants Sect?
Where was Luo He?
Luo He should be here… no, why would he be here?
“Ugh…”
Contradictory memories crashed together instantly, making Luo Hongyu’s head feel like it was splitting open. She propped herself on the ground, biting her lip, trying to sort out her completely confused mind.
She was Luo Hongyu, the young mistress of the Tianchen Sword Sect.
Luo He was her sword attendant, the one she liked most… hated most, no…
Huoxin? Who was Huoxin…
She was here because of Hongyu… what Hongyu?
Luo Hongyu found an anchor in the chaotic sea of memories. She scrambled to her feet and found the blood jade at her waist.
The warm blood color emitted a warm light.
Luo Hongyu stood frozen in place.
The two intermingled rivers of memory, using the blood jade as a watershed, returned to their separate channels.
She remembered, or rather, sorted it out.
Her expression was no longer that of a girl who liked to rest her head on Luo He’s lap and look into his eyes, nor the girl who liked to push his wheelchair to see spring flowers.
She was Luo Hongyu, always had been.
When she moved again, she found Gu Jing sitting in the courtyard, holding the Qiunü Sword, with her back turned, gazing at the moon.
“Senior Sister Gu.”
Luo Hongyu’s tone had returned to its usual coolness.
But something else seemed mixed in.
“Young Mistress.”
Gu Jing didn’t turn around. Her voice was soft, as if it might be carried away by the wind at any moment.
Luo Hongyu keenly observed that Gu Jing’s originally ink-black hair was now streaked with white frost.
“I want to run away.”
Gu Jing hugged herself tighter as she said this.
“I want to escape to a place with no Sword Sect, no you.”
“I’ve made too many mistakes, but I can’t even see the person to apologize to.”
“I want to be punished, but even this thought itself would hurt him.”
“I accept it, Young Mistress. This is my life’s beautiful dream, and also my life’s nightmare.”
“From now on, every day when I close my eyes, I will remember the moment in this illusion when he smiled and called me Senior Sister Gu.”
“This will constantly remind me that I destroyed him with my own hands.”
“I want to run away.”
“Mm.”
Luo Hongyu granted Gu Jing’s request.
Now, there were still many things she couldn’t figure out.
But… tomorrow was the Ascension Assembly.
Luo Hongyu could only hope that the answers to all of this would be there.
She needed to break through to the Nascent Soul Realm, then find Luo He.
And finally, face her heart, now tangled like a mess of hemp.
…