Chapter 82: The Moment of Awakening

The tiny Jiang Yue clung desperately to the edge of the tall bed, her tear-filled eyes fixed on the gaunt woman as she wailed, “Mother, mother, don’t go! Yue’er is so scared, Yue’er is so scared!”

The woman, her face deathly pale, struggled to lift her hand and gently caress little Jiang Yue’s head. “Little Yue’er, don’t cry. Mother is going to find your father who’s far away—it’s a good thing.”

“Your father said he’s very lonely. Mother must go to keep him company, or he’ll be unhappy.”

Little Jiang Yue rubbed her head against her mother’s palm, shaking her head. “Mother, don’t go. Bring Father back. Bring Father back, please!”

A faint smile tugged at the woman’s lips, a touch of color returning to her cheeks. With gentle warmth, she said, “Silly child, your father is in a place very, very far away. Mother can only join him when you’re all grown up. You must cultivate well. When you become an immortal, with just a thought you’ll be able to find Mother and Father right away.”

“Your father said you’re even more gifted than he was. You’ll become an immortal easily. Mother believes you’ll find us very soon.”

Little Jiang Yue clutched her mother’s hand and shook it, her face full of hope. “Mother, take Yue’er to find Father too. I don’t want to stay home by myself. Please, Mother?”

“Ah, little Yue’er, the mountains are high and the journey long. Even Mother can barely make it alone—how could I take you to suffer with me?” The woman pinched Jiang Yue’s tiny nose lovingly and sighed. “Mother only wishes she could watch you grow up, dress you in bridal robes herself. But, alas…”

“Do not worry. I will not let Yue’er suffer in the least.”

A tall, imposing man lifted little Jiang Yue in his arms and spoke to the woman, “From today, little Yue’er is a princess of the Great Wei Dynasty. I will make her the most carefree princess in all the land.”

The woman nodded with difficulty. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

She cast a lingering, reluctant look at her daughter and waved her hand. “Go now. Since ancient times, parting brings sorrow. Don’t let little Yue’er see my corpse—she’s too young…”

The imposing man nodded and turned away, carrying Jiang Yue out with him.

“I want my mother, I want my mother…” Little Jiang Yue reached out her tiny hands toward the woman as she wept, but—she could never again feel the warmth of her touch.

“Ah, life is so bitter—life and death, joy and grief, all pass in a moment. What a damnable fate this is!”

As little Jiang Yue’s cries and the man’s sigh faded, the scene shifted. No longer the tiny, helpless child who couldn’t reach the edge of the bed, Jiang Yue had grown into a lively, adorable young girl.

“Grandpa, Grandpa, when can I go find Mother and Father? I can jump so high and run so fast now!” Jiang Yue tugged coquettishly at the sleeve of Master Liuguang.

Master Liuguang laughed. “It’ll be a long time yet. When you can leap out of this world with a single jump, then you may go.”

“Grandpa is lying. No matter how high I jump, I’ll never see Mother and Father again.” Jiang Yue’s mood dimmed. “Mother lied to me, Father lied to me, Grandpa is lying too.”

“I’m not a little child anymore. I can feel what life and death are.”

“The life and death you sense are not true life and death. When you become an immortal like Grandpa, then you’ll understand.”

With affectionate care, Master Liuguang pinched her little nose. “Cultivate well—your chance is coming soon!”

“What chance?”

“Heaven’s secrets must not be revealed.”

“Hmph, Grandpa is trying to trick me again!”

In her dream, Jiang Yue had long since woken, but she didn’t want to open her eyes and leave that world behind.

She was too young to remember much when her mother died; her mother’s features and laughter had grown blurred in memory. To call those fading memories back with the help of the Nightmare Beast was a blessing she craved.

Afraid she would forget her mother’s face again upon waking, she chose instead to drown herself in recollection.

The Nightmare Beast, which loved to pry into secrets, had long grown weary of the dreams of these disciples of Pure Yang Temple. The thoughts of low-level cultivators were simple—if not longing for romance, they craved power. It was easy to grow numb to such things. The beast wanted to leave to torment others, but Jiang Yue had bound it in some unknown way, making it impossible to wake anyone.

Poor thing—this wasn’t its fault! It was being forced!

No, it had to escape soon, or it would never get out.

Normally, the Nightmare Beast only let people dream briefly; rarely would it keep someone in a dream for so long, unless it had shattered someone’s mental defenses in a single strike.

After all, casting dreams drained its own vital energy.

After half a year, it was nearly spent.

Jiang Yue felt her mind growing clearer, but she resisted waking. She focused her will on the scroll wrapped around her arm, sending ripples of spatial energy to bind the shapeless Nightmare Beast tightly within the mountain hollow.

The Nightmare Beast was close to tears—if only it could speak, it would have cursed loudly by now.

Such bullying! While you bask in memories, I’m wasting away!

You can’t just pick on one beast forever!

It was clever, but with no physical form and Jiang Yue’s shackles, it couldn’t even kick her awake, nor could it rouse others to break the spell.

Helpless, it searched for a way to break through Jiang Yue’s inner defenses.

It struggled and finally found, deep within her heart, a person who might awaken her—Wang Li.

In truth, whether Jiang Yue or the others, they all carried an image of Wang Li in their hearts, but the Nightmare Beast had never dared conjure anything related to him in their dreams.

Why? Fear, pure and simple.

Even from the fleeting shadows of Wang Li in their memories, the beast sensed a vague threat. But trapped and near exhaustion, it had no other choice.

So it wove Wang Li into the dreams of over a hundred people.

Sure enough, the moment Wang Li appeared, the effect was immediate.

The disciples of Pure Yang Temple, who had been suffering in their own private dreams, saw Wang Li and suddenly remembered their true purpose—searching for him. Wait—what was going on? Was this a dream?

As soon as the thought arose, some managed to wake.

“Huh? What’s going on? Where’s Senior Sister Xiao Rou?” Ling Xiao looked around in confusion, shook his head, and gradually cleared his mind.

“Good heavens, how long have I been asleep?”

He distinctly recalled that the mountain hollow had been filled with decaying flower beds, but now it was a sea of blooms, lush and vibrant. No way could such change happen in just a few months.

“Oh no—Steward Wang…”

Remembering Wang Li’s disappearance, Ling Xiao’s anxiety grew. Noticing many of his companions still trapped in dreams, he realized they had all fallen for a trick and quickly set about waking the others.

At that moment, Jiang Yue’s eyes snapped open, blazing with anger.

“If you won’t behave, then you’re not leaving!”

“Heaven’s Chosen Roll, seal!”

With Jiang Yue’s crisp command, ripples of space surged through the hollow, and the Nightmare Beast—trying desperately to flee—was swept up and sealed within the scroll.

Gently stroking the scroll, Jiang Yue smiled. “From now on, you’ll stay with this princess, and let me see Mother whenever I wish!”

The Nightmare Beast: Who am I? Where am I? What am I supposed to do?

After the beast was sealed, everyone woke up—and promptly began devouring food in great gulps.

After half a year without eating, how could they not be hungry?

For a while, the hollow echoed with the sounds of chewing, and no one spared a thought for the culprit who had trapped them in dreams.

A day later, Jiang Yue led the search party safely back to the new city.

Luo Heng, the Lin brothers, and the others were so moved at their return that they nearly wept.

It had not been easy.

Half a year—an entire half year. Did they have any idea what those months had been like for those left behind?