Chapter 26: Entering the Dream
As the Demon Lord departed, she scooped up Lü Qingyan, who yelped as she was lifted into the air.
“Jingxue, save me!”
Bai Jingxue remained where she was, watching them go. She knew the Demon Lord wouldn’t harm Lü Qingyan. Besides, her mind was a jumbled mess. She needed time to process everything.
The fallen flowers on the ground slowly disappeared, replaced by new buds that bloomed, transforming the valley into a vibrant tapestry of color once more.
Luo Nianshang emerged from the flower field, her face flushed, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears. Her furious expression made it clear that she was not amused.
She scooped up the bewildered cat and held her close, rubbing at her lips, trying to erase the unnatural redness. But the moment she removed her fingers, her lips became even redder.
She had no time to dwell on this. Her disciple was her priority. She teleported back to her chamber.
She rushed inside, the cat still in her arms, but the chamber was empty. The bed was rumpled, the blankets tossed aside. Her disciple was gone.
Luo Nianshang sat on the bed, her hand tracing the cool, smooth fabric.
She knew instantly that the Demon Lord was involved. She set the cat down, about to head to the Demon Realm and drag the Demon Lord back, when a familiar voice stopped her.
“Master, you’re back.”
Luo Nianshang turned to see her disciple standing in the snow, clad only in a thin undergarment.
The day had been filled with so many unexpected events that Luo Nianshang, relieved to see everything seemingly back to normal, struggled to contain her emotions.
She nodded curtly, her gaze falling upon the white dog nestled in her disciple’s arms. Her heart sank.
The Demon Lord had clearly been here before her.
Lü Qingyan, still dazed from their sudden departure, was overjoyed to see Bai Jingxue. “Jingxue!” she exclaimed, tears welling up in her eyes. “I thought I’d never see you again!”
Bai Jingxue sighed. “I’m right here,” she said.
Lü Qingyan leaped from the Demon Lord’s arms and settled beside Bai Jingxue. “I thought she was taking me back to the Demon Realm,” she whispered, “but she brought me here instead.”
She wagged her tail, her brow furrowed. “She was injured, but she seemed really happy,” she said, her voice filled with confusion. “I even heard her humming. Do you think she has some kind of weird kink?”
Bai Jingxue, pushing aside her own anxieties, glanced at the dog. “You’re overthinking it,” she said dryly.
Luo Nianshang pulled her disciple inside, her hand reaching out to take Hong Ying’s. She paused, her gaze falling upon their intertwined hands, her brow furrowing. “You’re injured,” she said, her voice laced with disapproval. “It’s freezing outside. Why aren’t you dressed properly?”
She was about to bundle Hong Ying into bed, but the Demon Lord resisted.
“Master, I’ve been lying down for too long,” she said. “I just want to stand for a bit.”
Luo Nianshang didn’t force the issue. She glanced around, noticing that Hong Ying’s outer robe and cloak were missing. She removed her own outer robe and draped it over Hong Ying’s shoulders.
The Demon Lord was obsessed with red, even choosing it for her disguise, but Luo Nianshang was different.
She had favored white ever since she had begun her cultivation journey. It wasn’t a matter of preference. The sect uniform had been white, and she hadn’t bothered to change it.
She carefully fastened the robe, tying the sash into a rather clumsy bow.
“This will keep you warm,” she said. “I’ll make you some new clothes later, tailored to your preferences.”
Having removed her outer robe, Luo Nianshang was now clad in a white training outfit, its form-fitting design accentuating her slender figure.
The Demon Lord, inhaling the faint, clean scent clinging to the fabric, her eyes gleaming with mischief, suddenly lunged forward, wrapping her arms around Luo Nianshang’s waist. “You’re the best, Master,” she purred.
Luo Nianshang froze, her body stiff. She wanted to push the Demon Lord away, but it felt too harsh, too impersonal. She allowed herself to be held.
She felt like she was forgetting something, but the embrace had scrambled her thoughts.
Finally, her mind rebooted, and she remembered what she had wanted to ask. She glanced at the Demon Lord’s bare neck. “Where is the bell I gave you?”
The Demon Lord’s face paled, but it was a calculated act.
“I… I gave it away,” she stammered.
Luo Nianshang’s eyes narrowed. “What?”
The Demon Lord elaborated, her voice hesitant.
“I encountered some bandits on my way back,” she said. “A kind woman saved me. She came to visit me today and admired my bell. I… I gave it to her. I’m sorry, Master. Please punish me.”
Bai Jingxue and Lü Qingyan, huddled in a corner of the chamber, watched the Demon Lord’s performance with a mixture of amusement and disbelief.
“She’s so good at this,” Lü Qingyan whispered. “Why is she wasting her time here? Shouldn’t she be running the Demon Realm?”
Bai Jingxue, exhausted from the day’s events, had retreated to her bed. “If she goes back, you’ll have to go back too,” she said, her voice muffled by the blankets. “Then she’ll be stuck with you.”
Lü Qingyan bristled at those words. “No way! That’s not happening!”
Bai Jingxue chuckled softly, then pretended to sleep.
She had many methods of escaping reality. Whenever she encountered something she couldn’t understand, she had two options: bury herself under the blankets and sleep, or walk aimlessly around campus.
Both methods were free, which was the main reason she favored them.
It was the same now. Despite Lü Qingyan’s incessant chatter, she drifted off to sleep.
She found herself submerged in water. Having drowned in her past life, she was terrified of this sensation.
She struggled, then suddenly stood up, her head breaking the surface.
The moment she inhaled fresh air, she realized how ridiculous the situation was.
She had no idea where she was. All she could see was water, shrouded in mist. The scenery beyond was obscured, its details lost in the swirling fog.
She took a few tentative steps forward, discovering that the water level remained constant. She continued walking.
As she moved, the path behind her vanished, replaced by an impenetrable darkness.
She realized she must be dreaming. She bit down on her paw, but there was no pain.
Free from the threat of physical harm, she abandoned her fear and continued walking.
Each step revealed the same scenery, as if she were on a treadmill, her movements futile.
Just as she was about to give up and lie down, a faint light shimmered through the mist ahead.
She stood up, her curiosity piqued, and continued walking.
The mist dissipated as she approached, revealing a figure standing before her.
As the last traces of fog cleared, she realized it wasn’t a human figure. It was a statue.
Its face was blank, but the rest of its form was incredibly detailed, each strand of hair meticulously carved.
The light she had seen emanated from a gemstone embedded in the statue’s chest.
Bai Jingxue’s first thought was “Could I pry that gemstone out and sell it?” But then she chided herself for her materialistic impulses.
The statue seemed familiar, especially the horns protruding from its forehead.
Wait. Armor, horns, long flowing hair.
Bai Jingxue’s eyes narrowed. “Why have you brought me here?” she asked, her voice cold.
She was surprised to find that she could speak.
Silence met her words, and she wondered if she had imagined it all.
“You’re different,” a voice said.
The voice seemed to emanate from the gemstone.
Bai Jingxue was now certain of the statue’s identity. She couldn’t believe it. The members of the male lead’s harem, both past and future, were popping up everywhere.
According to the original plot, this dragon princess should have fallen for the injured male lead, offering him her inner core to heal his wounds. She would then be too weak to maintain her true form, forced to become a bracelet adorning his wrist.
And this was supposed to happen much later in the story.
Bai Jingxue lay down, her demeanor weary. “What do you want?” she asked. “It was the Sword Saint who beat up your father, not me.”
The girl was surprised. “How did you know he was my father?” she asked. “You really are special.”
The gemstone’s glow dimmed, and a figure materialized before Bai Jingxue. It wasn’t a human figure. It was a dragon.
It looked like a holographic projection, a high-tech version of an ancient technique.
The dragon princess crouched down, reaching out to pet the cat, but her hand passed through Bai Jingxue’s form. There were no physical sensations in a dream. She sighed, her voice laced with disappointment.
“I apologize for the intrusion,” she said, “but I felt drawn to your aura. I’m not here for revenge.”
She ticked off her reasons on her fingers. “My dear old dad had a whole harem and countless children,” she said. “He wouldn’t even recognize me if I stood before him. I’m actually quite grateful to the Sword Saint for beating him up!”
Bai Jingxue was stunned. This was one “filial” daughter.
As she processed this, the dragon princess sighed, her voice filled with regret, almost melodramatic.
“It’s a shame the Demon Lord didn’t give him another beating,” she said. “I’m so frustrated!”
Bai Jingxue’s eyes widened. This dragon princess was on another level of “filial piety.”
Recovering from her shock, Bai Jingxue wanted out of this dream. This dragon was clearly unhinged.
“What do you want?” she asked.
The dragon princess’s fierce expression softened, replaced by a friendly smile. “I just want to pet you,” she said. “I love fluffy creatures with four legs. But I can’t leave the Dragon Palace yet.”
Bai Jingxue blinked. She was speechless. Then, she panicked.
This dragon had dragged her into a dream just to pet her?
She had no desire to be petted by a dragon. She quickly sold out Lü Qingyan. “My fur is too short,” she said. “The dog who was with me has much longer, softer fur. She’s much more pleasant to pet.”
The dragon princess’s eyes lit up. “I’ll come find you when I become the Dragon Queen,” she said excitedly.
“The dream is ending. Here, take this.”
Bai Jingxue stared at the pink scale that had materialized before her, her head spinning.
She felt a wave of drowsiness wash over her, and the next moment, she was back in her bed.
She shifted, feeling something hard and uncomfortable beneath her. She sat up and saw a pink scale lying beside her.
Luo Nianshang picked up the scale, her brow furrowed. “How is this possible?” she murmured.
“What’s wrong?” the Demon Lord asked.
Luo Nianshang glanced at the cat, her usually impassive face etched with a mix of emotions. “Dragons only offer their scales as a token of affection,” she said.
Lü Qingyan, who had been happily playing with a ball, froze, her fur bristling.
“Woof! Woof! Woof!”
Luo Nianshang stared at the barking dog, confused. “What’s wrong with her?”
The Demon Lord, glancing at the seemingly dazed cat, hid a smile. “Who knows?” she said.
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