Granny Zhuang was so frightened that she took a step back, quickly supported by Wei Ziyan.
Just as Yu Da was pondering how to respond, Sang Que raised his hand and flung a dagger towards Granny Zhuang’s son. At that mont, Sang Que seed like an uncontrollable force to an ordinary person’s son from Granny Zhuang’s perspective.
Granny Zhuang’s son was too clever for his own good, trying to convince Granny Zhuang they were malevolent spirits to drive them away and distrust them. Ironically, he also used Granny Zhuang’s consciousness to imbue Sang Que and Yu Da with the power to kill them at the sa ti.
Sang Que, always decisive, realized this and acted without a mont’s hesitation!
Granny Zhuang’s scholarly son dodged aside with all his might, and the dagger embedded in the wall behind him. He sighed in relief too early, looking up just in ti to see Sang Que drawing a longbow, his eyes sharply fixed on him, and the bowstring already loosened.
The arrow struck him right between the eyebrows, his eyes widened in terror, and his body stumbled backward under the arrow’s trendous impact before collapsing to the ground.
As Sang Que threw the dagger, Yu Da quickly reacted, swinging the willow whip in his hand towards Wei Ziyan.
Granny Zhuang’s son was part of the Ghost Opera Troupe; regardless of whether he was alive in the dream, he must be killed beyond doubt.
Wei Ziyan wasn’t aware of the situation. If she was rely a hallucination constructed by Granny Zhuang’s dream, the whip would dissipate upon striking; if she were a living person, the willow whip wouldn’t cause her much harm either.
Snap!
The sound of the whip and arrow hitting simultaneously echoed, and Wei Ziyan froze in place like a dream bubble, disappearing under the willow whip’s strike, while Granny Zhuang’s son fell to the ground on cue.
Sang Que and Yu Da cooperated seamlessly this ti.
However, this scene drove Granny Zhuang to the brink of terror; her eyes widened, face pale, body trembling uncontrollably, seemingly recalling or sensing sothing.
"Is it a dream... again a dream..."
"Granny!"
Yu Da hurriedly approached, trying to help Granny Zhuang, but she retreated fearfully, avoiding him.
Yu Da quickly explained, "Granny, look carefully, who am I?"
Sang Que went to check on Granny Zhuang’s son, who dissipated like a bubble after collapsing, just like Wei Ziyan; both were illusions ford in Granny Zhuang’s dream. Saying Sang Que and Yu Da were evil spirits might be subconscious self-protection, as her mind was imrsed in the pleasant dream, unwilling to awaken and see it shattered.
As Granny Zhuang gradually realized all was a nightmare, the small courtyard started to decay, paper on the windows turned yellow and shabby, flowers under the walls shriveled and rotted, no blossoms on the peach trees, only a cold winter and solitude in the yard.
Sang Que remained vigilant of his surroundings, unsure how the Dream Ghost would manifest.
Could those around Granny Zhuang be vanquished so easily? It seed... too simple.
Sang Que wasn’t aware that in the real world, He Buning and Xia Chan were fiercely battling with the Puppet Master of the Ghost Opera Troupe, originally soone ant to prevent mishaps on Granny Zhuang’s side.
If the Puppet Master was present, any sign of awakening from Granny Zhuang would lead to intervention through manipulation of puppet ghosts.
Granny Zhuang drew back, evading Yu Da’s helping hand, leaned on the stone table in the yard, and slowly sat down.
A pleasant dream draws one in, but a nightmare only makes one want to escape.
When Granny Zhuang entered the Evil Suppression Bureau managing archives with her extraordinary mory, the Yin Walking General guarding Qinzhou wasn’t the current Cao Huiyuan but another who had since died.
The Yin Walking General had warned her that soone like her must be wary of Dream Ghosts.
Her ntal capacity far exceeded ordinary people’s; if infested by a Dream Ghost, she could influence residents of an entire city. Yet, the Evil Suppression Bureau needed her skills, so she wasn’t deed a potential threat to be eliminated.
She always lived alone in Cui Liu Lane; if anyone moved in, she’d deliberately create disturbances to drive them away.
Besides, she took calming soup regularly for years, also attempted to stay conscious during dreams, trying to manipulate her dream realm.
Having guarded helplessly for most of her life without incident, ultimately yet...
Granny Zhuang shed tears helplessly, her fist pounding the table, "It’s all my fault for being a kind mother with a delinquent son, it’s all my fault!"
In reality, Granny Zhuang had grown muddled after drinking a pot of Wan Xiangtou tea, her mory and thoughts now sporadic, able to maintain so lucidity only within the dream realm after her years of training.
Hearing Granny Zhuang speak thus, Sang Que couldn’t help but say, "You are a victim too, you don’t need to feel guilty for his wickedness; when he did those things, he didn’t think about you being his mother."
Granny Zhuang silently wept, Yu Da was breathing heavily, sitting beside her quickly saying, "Granny, now all the residents of Wangshan City are trapped in your nightmare. You..."
"I know!"
Granny Zhuang interrupted Yu Da; with matters reaching this point, she was ntally prepared for what she must do.
"I will awaken everyone, but before that, there’s a matter I must tell you. When you wake up, hurry to find General Cao and have him make preparations."
Yu Da and Sang Que nodded, and Granny Zhuang bore the heartache saying, "When my son was young, he failed in his studies but loved acting. Actors were considered the lowest among trades, vastly different from scholars, and I quarreled with him, leading to his departure which lasted over twenty years."
"In the early years, he used to send a few letters; eventually, those ceased. I assud he had died, but never expected he’d return recently. Though I’ve been at the Evil Suppression Bureau for many years, even as just an archive keeper, I’m not dull. The mont I saw his face and heard him speak, I knew he was part of the Ghost Opera Troupe."
"I never imagined," Granny Zhuang smacked her chest, "he’d end up this way. If I’d known, I’d have beaten him to death back then."
"Granny, now is not the ti for sorrow." Though seeming cold, Sang Que reminded her.
The wind in the courtyard picked up, a strange atmosphere pervaded.
Yu Da patted Granny Zhuang’s shoulder, "Granny, it truly isn’t in your control, nor will anyone bla you."
Granny Zhuang nodded tearfully, "That day, Kou Er visited , discovered by him and almost killed, only granting rcy after I pleaded. But I was careless afterward, drank a cup of his tea, beca muddled."
"Ziyan always took care of , yet he hid in an empty house in Cui Liu Lane, occasionally visiting when Ziyan was away. As I recall, I seed to hear him ntion Ghost Coffin, Corpse Nest, and his intent to incite rebellion in Qinzhou, along with supposed cooperation with Yun Country."
Yu Da was stunned; Granny Zhuang rembered and retained all the key elents! Indeed befitting an elderly keeper of mories with discerning insight on what to store ntally and what to discard.
Sang Que deduced from Granny Zhuang’s ntioned keywords that significant events were unfolding outside, potentially leading Xuan Dynasty’s realm into chaos.
After speaking, Granny Zhuang stood up, "That’s all I have to say, inform General Cao to eliminate this evil from my family!"
Yu Da stayed silent while Sang Que suddenly asked, "What is his real na?"
Granny Zhuang hesitated montarily, and Yu Da imdiately gave Sang Que a thumbs up, realizing that knowing his real na ant blood or hair could be used to curse him.
"His na is Wan Hongtu, Wan Lipengcheng, to create grand ambitions, his father nad him."
Granny Zhuang expressed pain and recalled their harmonious family when they were young, Hongtu vowing to beco top scholar and gain her official recognition.
The courtyard’s wind intensified, rushing through with a howling sound, a thunderbolt cleaved through the night sky, leaving cracks.
"You should go now; this dream ought to end!"
Granny Zhuang closed her eyes, everything around began cracking like ashes burnt by fire, flying in the fierce wind.
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