First, the enemy had tried to assassinate him with a nightmare, and when that failed, they hired the Fan brothers to set an ambush. Two lethal strikes in a single night—ruthless and vicious, showing how desperately they wanted him dead.
Had He Lingchuan's luck been just a hair worse, Jiao Yu would probably be picking out a coffin for him right about now.
Only half the night had passed, and yet the other side had already come knocking on his door again!
This was taking things too far, showing blatant contempt for the Crown Prince's special envoy and utter disregard for the majesty of the Ruler of Chiyan.
"Business comes first. We'll settle these two debts later." He Lingchuan patted the tiger's head. "I have a hunch the reckoning will come soon enough."
After resorting to such methods, the two sides were locked in irreconcilable enmity, leaving no room for compromise.
Were the brazen antics of Zhongsun Mou and the Cen residence not simply born of desperation?
At a time like this, he needed to keep a cool head.
And so, the urgent business he proceeded to attend to was slipping out onto the street to enjoy a piping-hot bowl of savory porridge.
This dish was prepared by simmering diced dried tofu, diced radishes, diced meat, and dried clams together with rice congee, tossing in whatever greens were close at hand, and stewing it until the rice grains bloomed and the broth thickened into a rich porridge, finally served with a lethal dose of black pepper.
He Lingchuan took a taste. It was delicious, though that was not the only reason the stall drew such a bustling crowd. Another draw was the two clumps of salted buffalo milk curd served alongside the porridge.
These morsels were as white as snow and plump as glutinous rice balls. Anyone uninitiated who bit straight into them raw would get nothing but a mouthful of crumbly dregs, far from appetizing. But press them deep into the scalding porridge and let them steep for a few dozen breaths, and they transformed into soft, springy, chewy delicacies. With a gentle bite, the savory fragrance of buffalo milk burst across the palate!
"Magnificent!" Having tasted this for the first time, He Lingchuan wolfed down two large bowls of the savory porridge in one go.
When the third bowl arrived, he also ordered two freshly fried dough twists and a bowl of Houlin beans.
These yellow beans were stewed until soft and glutinous, yielding the texture of bean paste while carrying a savory flavor. The local way of eating them was to spoon the Houlin beans right into the hollow seam of a fried dough twist, then crunch right in. Crispy on the outside and soft and pasty within, it offered double the delight.
The morning offered little relief from the midsummer heat, yet people still gathered around the low tables, slurping noisily while wiping away sweat.
Jiao Yu, however, could only eat cold fare, so it went to the neighboring market and bought the better part of a fresh hind leg of mutton—slaughtered that very dawn, weighing just under twenty jin.
Its appetite wasn't particularly good, so it only had a light bite.
***
Cheng Yu was having breakfast as well.
It was a rich, fragrant medicinal congee, where the lowliest ingredient was century-old ginseng, yet in his mouth it tasted like chewing wax.
A stifling nausea roiled in his chest. Forcing down a few more mouthfuls, he nearly gagged and threw it back up.
He had no choice but to push the bowl aside. "Take it away."
Seeing his paper-pale complexion and dispirited look, Uncle Wu, who stood beside him, said with concern, "You really must find a way to get some sleep."
This fellow had a grand reputation and commanded exorbitant pay. Before this, his demeanor had been arrogant in the extreme, even presuming to boss the young master around.
The young master had placed high hopes on him, expecting him to succeed with ease.
And the result?
He had failed to assassinate the Crown Prince's special envoy, suffered severe injuries in the process, and now required their side to wait on him hand and foot, pouring all their finest medicines down his throat.
It was utterly laughable.
"If I could sleep, I would've lain down already." Cheng Yu cast a cold glance at him. "His ability to destroy Hundred Faces proves he is adept in curse arts as well. If I fall asleep, I'll be leaving myself wide open."
Who didn't know that deep sleep was the most vital remedy after a grievous injury? Only sufficient rest could restore one's vitality and essence—something no miraculous elixir could ever replace.
Yet how could he dare to sleep right now?
Last night, when his spellcasting failed, his pursuer had arrived at the inn right on his heels. That proved the fellow surnamed He was also exceptionally skilled in tracking methods, and might even have extracted clues from the Hundred Faces Nightmare.
The Hundred Faces Nightmare had actually been defeated. Even now, the thought struck him as utterly inconceivable. That was a nightmare born from the transformed divine soul of an immortal!
Yet the grim reality lay before his eyes, leaving him no room to doubt.
Uncle Wu sneered inwardly. Was this man so terrified of He Xiao that he didn't even dare close his eyes?
On the surface, however, he offered a sympathetic sigh. "Isn't it daytime right now?"
Didn't people like them work their spells and harm others under the cover of night?
Cheng Yu remained silent.
He suspected the other side possessed a nightmare of their own—one perhaps even more formidable than Hundred Faces.
Uncle Wu added, "Toughing it out like this isn't sustainable either. You've already tried regulating your breath several times."
An ordinary person suffered from sheer exhaustion without sleep, but for someone as badly injured as Cheng Yu to force himself to stay awake, he would likely end up passing out in the end.
Uncle Wu continued, "My young master just departed to track down this He fellow in person. Why don't you take this chance to sleep for a bit?"
With He Xiao busy dealing with Cen Boqing, he shouldn't have the leeway to orchestrate a sneak attack on Cheng Yu.
Hearing this, Cheng Yu thought it sounded reasonable.
The moment he let his guard down slightly, his mind grew even groggier.
"Then I'll sleep for a short while. Station two men in the courtyard to watch the rope-bell array closely!" Cheng Yu slowly shifted toward the bed. "No matter which direction the rope bells ring from, it means an unseen evil entity is drawing near. Shake me awake immediately."
He had already laid down several talisman formations in the room, and he had instructed men to string red ropes tightly around the four corners of the room, the four corners of the courtyard, and the outer perimeter of the courtyard, hanging eighteen, thirty-six, and seventy-two silver bells along them respectively.
This formed three nested squares, layer within layer.
Curiously enough, the bells had jingled incessantly before being hung up, leading the guards to dread the unbearable din. Yet once the red ropes were drawn taut, every single bell fell dead silent.
A brisk wind blew today, yet not one of the more than one hundred silver bells made a sound. It was truly bizarre.
Having given his instructions, Cheng Yu lay down on the bed right at the center of the rope-bell array.
He was simply too worn out and exhausted; he fell asleep within seconds.
Uncle Wu immediately posted two men in the courtyard, arranging for two others to relieve them every four hours.
Time drifted by.
Uncle Wu stretched lazily. Remembering he had other affairs to manage, he was just about to get up and leave when he suddenly caught the crisp tinkle of bells.
*Ding, ding, ding—*
It seemed to come from the east.
At first, only the outermost rope bells chimed. Within two blinks of an eye, the middle layer began to ring as well.
Uncle Wu dared not delay. Striding to the bedside, he seized Cheng Yu's shoulders and shook him violently. "Wake up! Wake up, quickly!"
If the fellow hadn't opened his eyes, he wouldn't have minded slapping him across the face a couple of times.
Blood suddenly trickled from Cheng Yu's nose.
Uncle Wu was startled, thinking he had fallen prey to an attack after all.
Even so, Cheng Yu managed to open his eyes.
The instant his eyes opened, the crisp chiming came to an abrupt halt.
The three bystanders looked up, all feeling a chill of eerie dread.
Having slept for only a brief moment, Cheng Yu was still far from restored. He asked weakly, "How long was I asleep?"
"A quarter of an hour," Uncle Wu said in a low voice. "He actually came."
For a heavily injured body, sleeping for so short a time was worse than not sleeping at all. Cheng Yu rubbed his groggy temples. "I set up talisman arrays. An ordinary curse master shouldn't have been able to track me here."
Those talisman formations functioned like a labyrinth; a curse master of lesser attainment would have been trapped to death within them.
Uncle Wu remarked in surprise, "He's merely a youth in his teens. Though his martial skills seem decent, he doesn't appear versed in curse arts. And those guards beside him look even less like it."
"Can you judge whether someone knows curses by their looks?" Cheng Yu snapped irritably. "Besides, whoever is skilled in curses might not even be human."
"Then what should we do now?"
After a moment's thought, Cheng Yu reached into his robes and withdrew a translucent conch shell.
The shell was nearly clear and colorless, yet snowflakes swirled within it as if it were weathering a blizzard.
At the center of the shell stood a small wooden cabin, its doors and windows shut tight, radiating a warm glow from within.
Had He Lingchuan been present, he would likely have taken it for a snow globe.
The opening of the shell was fitted with a small stopper.
Curious, Uncle Wu asked, "What is this?"
"A sealed dreamscape." Cheng Yu looked upon it with obvious reluctance. "It is a fixed, self-contained dreamscape that no other curse art or nightmare can breach. But it can only be used three times... I have already used it twice. This is the very last time."
Such life-saving contingencies dwindled with every use.
Then again, if he didn't use it now, when would he?
He instructed Uncle Wu, "Do you see the lanterns outside the door?"
"I see them." Looking through the conch shell, Uncle Wu spotted a pair of red lanterns hanging by the cabin door, swaying in the wind and snow.
"The moment the red lanterns light up, push the stopper in tight to seal the entire dreamscape," Cheng Yu said solemnly. "Wait until the red lanterns dim before opening it. There must be no mistake!"
"Understood."
"During this time, guard the dreamscape and my body well. Do not let anyone take them."
"A simple matter." Uncle Wu smiled. "You are currently resting in the Cen manor. No one would dare trespass here."
"Then..." Cheng Yu coughed a few times, his face turning even paler. "Then that is well."
His complexion looked as ghastly as a corpse's, yet he forced himself to give one final warning. "Under no circumstances—absolutely never—unplug the stopper early! My injuries this time are too severe, and the healing will take longer. Pulling the stopper early will scatter my soul. Not only will disaster befall me, but whoever pulls the stopper will suffer misfortune as well. Remember this well!"
Uncle Wu agreed without hesitation.
Only then did Cheng Yu swallow several medicinal pills and lie back down.
Holding the conch shell, Uncle Wu couldn't shake the feeling that something extra had appeared in the room the moment Cheng Yu closed his eyes.
Before long, Cheng Yu's soft snoring arose.
The blizzard within the shell suddenly paused, and the red lanterns abruptly flared to life.
Uncle Wu dared not dally. He pressed the stopper firmly into the opening, sealing the conch shell completely.
Within, the snowy scene remained as before, the orange glow from the cabin warm and bright. Yet it seemed...
A figure was moving inside?
Uncle Wu leaned closer to inspect it. Sure enough, a silhouette was cast against the window paper, pacing back and forth inside the cabin.
Was that figure Cheng Yu?
About half an hour later, the rope bells outside the courtyard suddenly began to ring again.
*Ding-a-ling, ding-a-ling.*
The outer perimeter rang.
The courtyard rang.
Something was rapidly closing in on this room.
Very soon, the rope bells inside the room—rang as well!
The chimes were crisp, icy, chaotic, and charged with an eerie urgency.
For the first time in his life, Uncle Wu found the sound of bells utterly repulsive.
He knew their adversary had already entered the room. Right now, it was lingering here, hovering right beside him and Cheng Yu.
Yet he could neither see nor hear it. In fact, it was quite likely that the entity couldn't see or hear them either.
Perhaps the two sides were not even in the same dimension.
Likely frustrated at failing to locate Cheng Yu, the bells on all four ropes in the room began clattering at once.
Was that thing dashing wildly around the room?
Uncle Wu looked down at the conch shell in his hand.
The silhouette inside the wooden cabin was pacing restlessly as well, appearing just as anxious.
Chapter 498