Chapter 47

Yue Wu Huan was dumbstruck, silent for a long time.

It was as if he had encountered an error, like a jammed mechanism, his expression becoming rigid.

By now, how could Song Qing Shi not understand what was going on? His little angel, who could calculate complex accounts without a calculator and had recently taken up advanced mathematics, would consider this simple issue as elementary as basic arithmetic.

An Long was confused by Song Qing Shi's unconventional question: "Why would anyone lock rabbits and chickens together in the first place? If you want to know how many there are, wouldn't it be simpler to just count them after opening the cage? Only a fool would do such a thing."

Ignoring the mathematical simpleton beside him, Song Qing Shi unleashed the red lotus petals in his hand into countless fiery blades. Filled with boundless anger, they swirled toward the "Yue Wu Huan" in front of him, as if wishing to flay the imposter who had deceived and humiliated him.

He should have realized long ago that this wasn't Yue Wu Huan.

Yue Wu Huan was a stubborn and proud person. How could he choose death without first seeking vengeance against those who had wronged him? Even if he were to truly lose control and harm himself, he would never do it in front of Song Qing Shi. He would choose to vanish quietly, secretly, without displaying his weaknesses to others.

Song Qing Shi was deeply regretful, feeling like a fool. The nightmarish scene on the Golden Phoenix Platform had shattered his rationality, causing him to repeatedly fall into the trap and make a spectacle of himself.

Fortunately, Yue Wu Huan had not witnessed it.

Otherwise, where would he hide his face?

Song Qing Shi discreetly turned to the Alaskan dog beside him and whispered, "Don't tell Wu Huan about this."

An Long looked at him in silence, not saying a word.

The false "Yue Wu Huan" disintegrated into fragments amidst the flames. The Golden Phoenix Platform vanished, as the surroundings began to collapse. Streets, pedestrians, and houses all disappeared like a dream, to be replaced by total darkness and a pungent smell that assaulted the senses.

The world transformed into a foul, revolting swamp, dark and viscous, with decaying animal remains floating within.

Song Qing Shi covered his nose and took two steps back, only to realize that the smell seemed familiar, as if he had encountered it before.

His cultivation was once again suppressed, dropping him to the Foundation Establishment stage. The Red Lotus Profound Fire in his hand shrank to a tiny flame, rendering many advanced spells unusable.

Song Qing Shi pondered for a moment, summoning several small Red Lotus Profound Fires that transformed into lanterns. They floated through the air, illuminating the surroundings, checking for danger. When the light reached the center of the swamp, numerous thorny vines emerged from the mud, tightly binding a figure.

It was Yue Wu Huan.

His mask and the effects of the Ghost Face Snake Poison had both disappeared under the suppression of the nightmare, revealing a beautiful face that was so pale it was almost bloodless. The thorny vines wrapped around him, tearing his clothes and leaving numerous wounds. His lower body was submerged in the foul swamp. Like a beautiful prey caught in a spider's web, he seemed to have lost all energy to struggle, left only to await decay and death.

Yue Wu Huan had a severe case of mysophobia and was extremely fearful of filth.

This world is his nightmare...

Song Qing Shi felt his heart tighten with sorrow.

Swiftly removing his fox fur coat and draping it over his shoulders, he plunged into the swamp without hesitation, disregarding the filth, taking one difficult step at a time.

His legs sank into the mud, each step a challenge. His pristine white robe became tainted with large patches of black, and the air was filled with an unbearable stench. But none of that mattered to him.

Led by the light of the Red Lotus flames, he staggered his way to the thorny vines. Reaching out, his hand was scratched by countless thorns, yet he delicately touched the battered bird trapped within, gently patting his face and softly calling, "Wu Huan? Wu Huan? Wake up…"

The long eyelashes of the imprisoned bird fluttered, awakening from his slumber. He opened his beautiful eyes. The stench and filth encircling him nearly drove him to madness. He wished to faint again, but then he saw the dreamlike white figure and smelled a clean medicinal fragrance amid the filth. Reality and illusion intermingled, making him question where he was. Hoarsely, he confirmed, "Qing Shi? Is that you?"

"It's me!" Song Qing Shi anxiously replied, "Don't be afraid, I'll get you out!"

"Master, don't come here," Yue Wu Huan surveyed the surroundings and painedly said, "This place is filthy, and so am I. You'll get dirty…"

Frantically tearing at the thorny vines, Song Qing Shi reassured him, "Don't worry! This is a dream! You'll be clean once we leave!"

Using brute force, he snapped several of the thorny vines, his hands bleeding from numerous punctures. Then he snapped back to his senses, realizing how foolish he had been for forgetting to use his tools.

Song Qing Shi summoned the Red Lotus flames floating in the air and cautiously maneuvered them around Yue Wu Huan's body, burning away each thorny vine. Finally, he tore away the last few vines that had embedded themselves deeply into the flesh.

Freed from his restraints, Yue Wu Huan gently fell into his embrace.

Holding him, Song Qing Shi swiftly examined his injuries, discovering that both Yue Wu Huan's arms and legs were severely wounded, almost to the point of immobility.

Why did this accursed nightmare have to be so realistic?

Overwhelmed with anguish, he couldn't help but ask, "What on Earth is happening here?"

"I don't know," Yue Wu Huan weakly replied, "When I woke up, I was trapped in this filthy swamp, drained of my power, my limbs injured and immobile. I struggled for a long time to find you, but I couldn't escape…"

This feeling of powerless despair was similar to when he had been shackled by the Lian Huan Seal in the past.

He had even struggled to the point of death, yet each time he woke up, he found himself in the same predicament.

The Nightmare Devouring Array was like the vilest game imaginable, targeting everyone's most vulnerable points with devastating accuracy, making you lose your reason and judgment until you break down. Upon waking, you find yourself trapped in the same cycle, in an endless loop.

Though it wasn't a death trap, it was far more insidious.

Song Qing Shi removed his white fox fur coat, carefully wrapping the person in his arms to shield him from all the filth and grime. "Is this better?"

The fox fur carried a herbal fragrance that belonged to this person, neutralizing the fetid smell surrounding them.

Yue Wu Huan buried his face in the fox fur and took a deep breath. He felt significantly better; his mind grew clearer, and some strength returned to his limbs. Glancing at the filthy swamp around them, he painfully closed his eyes, preparing to disengage himself from Song Qing Shi's hold and endure the gut-wrenching disgust as he crawled away.

Song Qing Shi halted his movement, saying, "Don't get down; your legs are too injured. Close your eyes, cover your nose, and don't look at the surroundings. Let me carry you out."

Without waiting for an objection, he lifted the person onto his back.

Yue Wu Huan hastily tried to resist. "I can walk myself."

"No, you can't; this place is too filthy," Song Qing Shi firmly countered his protest. "You don't like being dirty, so lie still on my back and don't move."

Yue Wu Huan calmed down but noted with pain, "I dislike you getting dirty even more."

"It's okay, I've already dirtied my clothes," Song Qing Shi reassured as he cautiously moved toward the shore. "My aversion to filth isn't as extreme as yours. I can tolerate this stench. Dirt can be cleaned; once we reach the shore, we'll wash and disinfect thoroughly."

Yue Wu Huan leaned in closer, wrapping his arms around Song Qing Shi's shoulders and resting his head on his neck. He inhaled the comforting scent deeply but grew increasingly distressed. Cautiously, he asked, "What if... it's a stain that can't be washed off?"

Without thinking, Song Qing Shi responded, "If you wash it enough times, it will come clean."

Yue Wu Huan buried his head even lower, sobbing, "I can't get clean..."

Song Qing Shi assured him, "I'll help you."

Hearing this, Yue Wu Huan couldn't help but smile. He knew both of them were talking about different things, but it still warmed his heart. He subtly rubbed his face against the soft strands of Song Qing Shi's hair and surreptitiously kissed his earlobe. He was tempted to take that adorable little thing into his mouth, but he refrained.

Song Qing Shi, finding his earlobe extremely sensitive, quickly warned, "Don't touch there; it tickles."

Yue Wu Huan obediently complied, smiling, "It was accidental."

Even as they walked through a swamp reeking of filth, their togetherness seemed to make it bearable.

Song Qing Shi felt a sense of relief. Remembering his earlier embarrassing mishap, he couldn't help but ask, "Today there are pheasants and rabbits in the same cage; thirty-five heads and ninety-four feet in total. How many of each are there?"

Without hesitation, Yue Wu Huan replied, "Twelve rabbits, twenty-three pheasants. Why do you ask this?"

"No reason," Song Qing Shi felt a small sense of triumph. "I should have known you're a genius."

Yue Wu Huan adjusted the golden hairpin swinging around in Song Qing Shi's hair and finally asked the question that had been on his mind since they first met, "Master, what is this?"

Song Qing Shi finally realized he was still donned in ridiculous women's clothing. His ears felt so hot they seemed on the verge of steaming. He hastily explained the recent events, emphasizing, "I didn't intend to look this ludicrous. Please don't mock me."

Yue Wu Huan gently reassured, "Don't worry, you could never look ridiculous in my eyes."

Relieved, but still somewhat resentful, Song Qing Shi asked, "Wu Huan, why am I wearing women's clothing in your nightmare?"

If Yue Wu Huan found him lacking in masculinity, he was willing to try harder...

Yue Wu Huan paused, dumbfounded. Was this his nightmare?

　...

An Long stood on the shore, staring blankly at the familiar scene and story unfolding before him.

But now, the blissful protagonist in the story had changed.

He thought it was a beautiful dream of his own, a dream where he got the person he yearned for, where he earned the title he coveted, saw the landscapes he had chased night after night, and returned to the happiest memories he had ever had. The dream was more wondrous than any illusion, too good to leave.

He was utterly wrong...

Instead, he was awake in a nightmare, watching everything he had held dear being stripped away. His domain was gradually corroded, and even the cherished memories he had relied upon to get through numerous life-threatening moments, which he had considered unique and irreplaceable, were now colored by someone else.

It turns out all his efforts were in vain.

It turns out all his sacrifices were a joke.

It turns out all his devoted love was but a fleeting illusion.

Eight hundred years of adoration, eight hundred years of infatuation. He knew full well that his feelings were a moth's reckless dive into a flame, promising nothing. Despite recognizing his mistakes, he couldn't let go and had no choice but to grovel like a dog, wagging his tail, desperate for a sliver of hope.

He had it coming. He deserved all of this.

An Long looked at the two people laughing and talking in the swamp, his eyes stinging in intermittent pain.

The long-absent voice resurfaced in his mind, mocking like a demon:

"Wake up, this is your nightmare."