Chapter Fifty-Eight: Grand Adventure in the Realm of Dreams

The sensation of breathing fresh air again was indescribably wonderful. Looking at Liu Ping, who was clutching her hand tightly, Meng Shang felt a twinge of pain in her palm, but above all, a sense of peace she had never known before.

A moment ago, she knew clearly that the young master could not possibly appear, yet still clung to a shred of hope, calling out desperately for help.

Never in her wildest dreams did she expect that he would truly come to save her.

Following the force of his pull, Meng Shang fell into Liu Ping’s embrace, hugging him instinctively and holding on tightly.

Feeling the woman in his arms trembling uncontrollably in fear, Liu Ping gently stroked her back to comfort her. Though Meng Shang, drenched as she was, looked irresistible, now was not the time for flirtation. Raising his head to glance at the humanoid water sphere, he said urgently, "Hold on to me!"

At that moment, seeing its prey snatched away, the monstrous water sphere flew into a rage, raising its arms high and slamming them down.

But Liu Ping, having anticipated this, would never allow it to strike. The creature was troublesome, but for Liu Ping, who knew how to break free from this nightmare, it was not insurmountable.

In his previous life, Liu Ping had studied dreams out of curiosity for some time. Dreams, he understood, were fantasy worlds constructed when the conscious mind slumbered and the subconscious emerged.

The simplest way to escape a dream was to “open a door.” Here, “open a door” was a metaphor for opening a closed window, door, or finding some other means of escape within the dream world.

Once the conscious mind was heightened, the subconscious could no longer maintain the dream world. Opening the door at this moment, one would find nothing behind it; rushing through would shatter the dream and allow escape—just like a game, where behind the graphical layer, there is nothing.

In fact, this usually only applied in deep sleep. In most dreams, raising conscious awareness would cause one to wake automatically.

This was the method Liu Ping had worked out after much deliberation, though he had not known if it would work. It was only after he’d been swallowed by the monster and pierced through the nightmare world, arriving here without waking, that he confirmed its effectiveness.

With these thoughts flashing by, Liu Ping, holding Meng Shang in his arms, swiftly dodged the attack.

“Concentrate, Meng Shang! We’re leaving this place!” Liu Ping called out.

Hearing this, Meng Shang instinctively focused her spirit.

After evading the water sphere’s assault, Liu Ping rushed toward the nearby door.

This was just an ordinary house; in the real world, there would be rooms beyond the door, but in this dream, it was different.

When Liu Ping opened the door, there was only darkness beyond—nothing more.

Clutching Meng Shang tightly, he leapt in without hesitation.

“Stay focused. Don’t fall asleep—if you pass out, everything will have to start over.” Seeing Meng Shang in his arms growing drowsy, Liu Ping whispered urgently into her ear.

“I understand, Master. I won’t… fall asleep.” Meng Shang rallied her concentration, replying each word with effort.

A sound like something shattering rang out, and the two of them escaped their previous dream world.

They landed quickly. Meng Shang let out a startled cry, looking around in confusion. “Master, where are we?”

“This is still a dream,” Liu Ping replied, “but it belongs to someone else.”

“Someone else’s dream?” Meng Shang was taken aback. “Whose dream is this?”

All around, peach trees bloomed in profusion, stretching as far as the eye could see—a veritable sea of flowers. The moment they stepped into this place, the intoxicating fragrance assailed their senses.

But this was clearly a grand Peach Blossom Array. Realizing this, Liu Ping’s mood soured considerably; to find the master of this dream here would be much more difficult. Without doors to serve as escapes, the challenge would only grow.

“We don’t know,” Liu Ping said in a low voice. “All we can do is find and rescue the dreamer who created this place, and then leave together. Once all the dreams are broken, we should be able to return to the real world.”

Meng Shang furrowed her lovely brows, pondering Liu Ping’s words. Soon she understood the situation and nodded. “Then we must hurry. We’re trapped in a nightmare, but our bodies are still outside the treasury—who knows what dangers we might face.”

Liu Ping glanced at Meng Shang with admiration; this clever girl had already grasped the truth. He nodded. “Exactly. Let’s go quickly.”

“Mm.”

※※※※※※

Step by step, the Flower Goddess of Jade Hairpin trudged through the peach blossom grove. How long had she been walking? How much time had passed? Yet still, she had not found a way out.

She tried to fly, but within this Peach Blossom Array, she had lost the ability, and could only continue on foot.

“What kind of cursed place is this?” she muttered angrily, not yet realizing she was not in the real world.

As time went on, her fear grew, and she gazed around in confusion. “Am I going to die trapped here?” she whispered.

“No, that can’t be,” she urged herself on, fear driving her steps ever faster. But even as she hurried, an unease gnawed at her heart.

Soon exhaustion set in.

From the moment she’d arrived, she hadn’t stopped, walking quickly in hopes of escaping. But she was too weary—perhaps just a short rest.

No, I can’t rest. Do I want to die here? I mustn’t stop! A voice in her mind tempted her.

She widened her eyes, feeling a chill crawl down her spine. From the start, something had felt off. Now, hearing that voice, she was certain—there must be some evil presence bewitching her.

“Who’s there?!” the Flower Goddess demanded, scanning the grove.

At that very moment, as she tried to stop, she was horrified to find she could no longer control her legs.

She looked down at her legs, which continued to stride forward at a brisk pace, and tried with all her might to stop, but to no avail—they pressed on relentlessly.

Fear welled up within her, and as she tried to press her hands to her knees, she was shocked to find she couldn’t control her hands either.

She had lost control of her own body.

Just then, the peach trees ahead began to shift, each one uprooting and converging in a single spot.

The strange transformation sent countless petals swirling through the air—a beautiful yet unsettling sight.

The Flower Goddess glanced aside, but had no heart to appreciate the beauty. A deep sense of dread seized her.

A premonition of disaster crept into her heart.

In a flash, the peach trees merged, forming a towering figure, at least ten fathoms high. Its entire body was composed of peach trees—not ugly, but possessed of an uncanny, almost haunting beauty. Yet the aura of danger it exuded was terrifying.

Once formed, the giant monster began to approach, step by step.

The ground trembled with each thunderous footfall.

“What kind of monster is this?” the Flower Goddess cried, her heart pounding as she sensed the peril. She tried to flee.

But where moments ago her body moved ceaselessly, now she was rooted to the spot, unable to move at all.

“Go! Why won’t you move?!” she screamed, desperate to muster her spiritual power for an attack, but her energy would not obey her commands.

Was all hope lost? Despair threatened to swallow her.

Just then, a figure rushed over, seized her hand, and led her away.

Her body moved again, following the one who held her hand.

She looked up gratefully, only to find it was Liu Ping.

“Master Liu?” the Flower Goddess exclaimed, overjoyed and full of gratitude, but also brimming with questions. “Where are we? Why are we here?”

“This is a dream,” Liu Ping replied.

“A dream? What do you mean?” she asked, stunned.

“When we opened the treasury, the black smoke that poured out trapped us in nightmares,” Liu Ping explained. “I escaped my own nightmare, then rescued Meng Shang from hers, and arrived here.”

“Escaped a nightmare?” The Flower Goddess was dazed, unable to process the flood of information.

Meng Shang approached from nearby, bringing a smile of relief to the Flower Goddess. “Deputy Envoy, Master Liu, how do we get out of here?”

Liu Ping glanced at the approaching giant and said calmly, “It’s simple. Enter the monster’s mouth.”

The Flower Goddess recoiled in shock. “What?!”

——————————————

That’s all for today. The power was out all day! It’s frustrating! I’d meant to ask a friend to take leave for me, but I thought it would be shameful to miss an update during the launch of a new book, so I hurried to an internet café to write. The keyboard’s uncomfortable, the place is noisy, and it’s all terribly inconvenient. What annoys me even more is that the fee is outrageous—twelve yuan for two hours! It’s daylight robbery!

So, might I shamelessly ask for a tip to cover my expenses?

If not, a few recommendation votes would be a comforting buff for my frustration!