Chapter 174: Chapter 171: Dream-Making, a Beautiful Dream
Lady Li heard a voice calling her name, and her curled-up body trembled slightly.
She clamped her small hands tightly over her ears, muttering, "I won’t wake up, I won’t wake up. Lady Li isn’t here... SOB... Please, let me go. Lady Li isn’t here..."
The little girl was somewhere between dream and wakefulness, yet in her dazed stupor, her fear was transmitted with stark clarity.
Song Ciwan stood by the rockery, looking at the Heaven and Earth Scale that had appeared beside her: [Human desires: shock, fear, worry. Three jin and five taels. Available for trade.]
’Such a small child, to erupt with such intense emotions even in a stupor. It’s clear how lost and frightened she must be right now.’
Song Ciwan sighed softly. It was actually very difficult for her to make direct contact with Lady Li. To call out to her just now using the Dream-Entering Technique, she had to borrow Divine Power.
With the Divine Eye Opening, she had glimpsed a sliver of a gap between this world and the Otherworld.
Song Ciwan’s True Qi was being rapidly depleted. She had no choice but to immediately consume a large number of Red Sun Pills to quickly replenish what she had used.
She hovered her left hand over Lady Li’s head, and the aura of the Dream-Entering Technique emanated once more.
In her stupor, Lady Li suddenly felt as if she had fallen into a soft bed of clouds.
She clutched her head, not daring to open her eyes, and continued to mutter ceaselessly, "No, no, I won’t listen. I’m dreaming. No one is calling me. SOB... Lady Li doesn’t want to go out. Just let me sleep here. It’s so scary outside, so scary..."
Her fear was endless. The Heaven and Earth Scale appeared again, having collected another ball of energy: [Human desires: shock, terror, Sorrow. Three jin and five taels. Available for trade.]
Then, at a certain moment, the terrified Lady Li felt a gentle touch on her head.
This touch was unlike any she had ever felt before. It was like a soft leaf dropped into the center of a lake, a cool breeze under the warm sun, a lovely hand warmer offered on a winter’s day...
A gentle female voice whispered in her ear again, "Lady Li, lift your head. Take a good look. Where exactly are you?"
Song Ciwan was using the Dream-Entering Technique, augmented by the "Dao" Character Technique and the Dharma Transmission Skill. She also activated the "Doubt" Character Technique.
The "Doubt" Character Technique came from Wang Yi. Though Wang Yi was comical in many ways, he also possessed a strange charisma that ordinary people could not hope to match.
When the "Doubt" Character Technique was used, it made people unconsciously question their own prior beliefs.
Lady Li had been convinced that all voices were filled with malice, so she refused to look up. But the "Doubt" Character Technique made her waver. Somehow, she released the hands clamped over her ears and lifted her head.
The moment she looked up, Lady Li was stunned.
What did she see?
This wasn’t the narrow crevice inside the rockery, nor was it the large courtyard she could never seem to escape.
There were no ubiquitous servants and guards, no tall, square walls fencing her in.
When Lady Li opened her eyes, she felt as if she couldn’t possibly take it all in!
An endless sea of clouds stretched out before her. There was no end in sight, but in the infinite distance, it seemed there were ten thousand rays of rosy light.
The rosy light and the sea of clouds meandered together. Amidst the floating, colorful glows, buildings like a Celestial Palace stood in an Array upon the clouds.
Immortal Cranes danced in the air, Immortal Children picked flowers, and countless adorable Immortal Beasts ran across the clouds.
This was clearly a world of dreams, yet it was also a world that Lady Li could never have dreamed up on her own.
She was only four years old. A child’s imagination may be rich, but the information little Lady Li had been exposed to in her life was far too constrained.
She had never even heard of such a Celestial Palace in any story. She only vaguely remembered someone telling her, "Little lady, your future husband is to become an Innate Grandmaster, and may even have a chance at becoming a Martial Saint. You must learn your womanly duties and virtues well. You cannot slack off in the slightest..."
Lady Li didn’t know what an Innate Grandmaster was, nor did she understand what a Martial Saint was. All she knew was that she hated those womanly duties and she hated those womanly virtues. By extension, she also hated the future husband who existed only in people’s conversations!
She just didn’t dare say it out loud, but her heart could not lie to itself.
Lady Li was mesmerized. She stood up on the cloud and tentatively took a few steps.
The clouds were softer than cotton. With every step, Lady Li felt light and airy, as if she were about to fly.
In the distance, a Little Immortal Deer was suddenly left behind by the playful herd of Immortal Beasts. The other Immortal Beasts were all extremely fast. Some had wind whipping from their hooves, some moved like lightning, and some even had wings sprouting directly from their backs!
Only the Little Immortal Deer, small in stature with short limbs, couldn’t run fast, trotting along with a bobbing gait.
In just a moment, the companions that had been playing with it just before had all run out of sight.
Only the Little Immortal Deer remained, lifting its adorable head and calling out, "YIP! YIP!"
But no Immortal Beast waited for it. After calling for a while, it could only lower its head and pace forlornly in place.
Seeing this from afar, Lady Li couldn’t help but feel pity for it.
She moved her own short legs and unconsciously started walking toward it.
At first, Lady Li wasn’t used to walking on the cloud path and moved a bit slowly. But as she got used to it, she gradually broke into a run.
The cool wind on the clouds blew against her face, mussing the loose hairs on her forehead, but it also blew away the terror in her heart.
She ran faster and faster, only to see the Little Immortal Deer ahead suddenly seem to get spooked. With a leap of its front hooves, it bolted toward a patch of Immortal Herbs surrounded by colorful light.
Lady Li unconsciously sped up. But she was just a child, and her short legs had their limits. Even though she felt she was accelerating, she was actually getting farther and farther away from the Little Immortal Deer.
Lady Li grew anxious and quickly shouted, "Little deer, little deer, wait for me!"
The Little Immortal Deer didn’t listen. Not only did it not wait for Lady Li, but it also plunged into the patch of Immortal Herbs and vanished from sight.
Anxious and disappointed, Lady Li felt her nose tingle and was so upset she wanted to cry all over again.
Just then, the ethereal and gentle female voice sounded in her ear once more: "Lady Li, listen to this wind. Feel it carefully. See if the wind is with you. See if you can catch it."
"Ah?" Lady Li said, a little confused about how one was supposed to listen to the wind.
But in the next moment, the sound of the wind automatically poured into her ears.
She suddenly felt that she could not only hear the wind, but many different kinds of wind.
There was a soft breeze, a cool breeze, a gentle wind, and a sudden gust... And what else? There was the distant place the wind blew toward—that far-off, boundless world.
At the same time, a profound incantation echoed in Lady Li’s ears. The little girl didn’t fully understand it, but in a daze, she felt as if she had gained a special kind of sense.
She took a step, running forward with the wind.
Qingfeng surrounded her, making her body lighter and her feet swifter.
She felt as if she were flying. Ahead, the figure of the Little Immortal Deer appeared once more among the Immortal Herbs.
Lady Li cheered, "Little Immortal Deer, wait for me! I’m coming!"
