An Long pushed open the door and strode in. Seeing women's jewelry scattered across the floor, alongside a floral-embroidered white fox fur, and then glancing at the intricately carved bed—the only potential hiding place—he could guess what had transpired.
Knowing that Song Qing Shi was self-conscious about his slender build and loathed being compared to a woman, An Long immediately covered his mouth, stifling his laughter, for fear that Song Qing Shi would kill him to keep him quiet.
After holding back for a considerable time, An Long finally steadied his breath and asked, "Qing Shi? Where are you?"
At last, a muffled voice came from under the bed: "An Long, go out first."
An Long nearly burst out laughing, torn between his intense curiosity to see Song Qing Shi's current state and the fear of making it onto his blacklist. He contemplated for a moment, stealthily wanting to summon a scouting bug to stay and watch. However, when he reached out, he found he couldn't summon it at all. He was astounded: "There's a suppressive force in this formation; my bugs can't be used."
"Huh?" From under the bed, Song Qing Shi tried to activate his internal spiritual flame, only to find that his dark fire had disappeared, leaving only Dan Fire. He held a small red lotus in his hand, pondering for a moment before raising a new question, "What are you doing, trying to summon bugs here? You're not planning to spy, are you?"
Alaska used to engage in this sort of mischief frequently, so he was quite adept...
Fuming, the red lotus in his hand blazed more fiercely.
Sensing trouble, An Long hurriedly left the room, narrowly dodging several pieces of Dan Fire. Deciding not to risk further aggravation, he obediently went to prepare wash water for Song Qing Shi, and pushed his black robe through the door gap. Then he squatted in the corner, sighing at the missed opportunity.
After washing off his makeup and undoing his hair bun, Song Qing Shi finally changed into a loose-fitting men's robe, letting out a sigh of relief. He signaled to Alaska, who was sitting reflectively in the corner, to come in.
An Long walked into the room and glanced at him, suddenly finding himself somewhat stunned.
He knew Song Qing Shi was good-looking, but for the many years they had known each other, Song Qing Shi had always worn modest, light-colored clothing, enveloping himself in an air of purity and sanctity, like the crystal-clear snow on a mountain peak. Now, however, Song Qing Shi seemed tarnished by a malevolent black hue. A robe that didn't fit at all hung loosely on him. He sat languidly on the carved bed, his long hair cascading down and his collarbone peeking through the neckline. He had an endearing, dreamy post-coital haze about him.
This was exactly the vision he had yearned for. Every detail pierced his heart, reopening wounds that had only just healed, drawing out his inner greed and lust, confronting him with thoughts so ugly he could barely stand it.
He couldn't think, couldn't make a mistake...
An Long closed his eyes, readjusting his breathing.
Song Qing Shi looked up from his reverie to see An Long's expression had changed, tinged with a dangerous aura. Concerned, he asked, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing much. It's just odd seeing you in these oversized clothes," An Long replied, his face morphing back to its mischievous grin as he deftly changed the subject. "Have you figured out the origins of this formation?"
He knew that Song Qing Shi had a deep understanding of formations and had read many ancient texts, filled with esoteric knowledge of various formations.
"Well," Song Qing Shi hesitated, "I've read about a similar formation in 'The Unusual Records of the Seeker of Mountains,' but it's an incomplete ancient text. It mentions a peculiar formation on Moon Mountain called the Nightmare Heart-Eater Formation, which is a type of introspective formation. If multiple people enter the formation, it selects one person's nightmare as an anchor, weaves an overlapping illusory world, and drags everyone into that world. To escape, you must find the heart of the dream and wake up the dreamer. Otherwise, you'll be forever trapped. But I'm not quite sure what qualifies as 'waking up'..."
He felt very awake.
"What kind of messed-up trick is this? Did Mo Yuan lose his mind? Why go to all this trouble to set up such a formation?" An Long said angrily.
"The Seeker of Mountains predates the era of Mo Yuan Jian Zun. I think this formation has nothing to do with him. Maybe he came here for some reason and left traces when breaking the formation," Song Qing Shi inferred. "The disciple from the Red Dragon Sect mentioned snakes but showed no snake bite marks, which doesn't make sense. The formation likely created a nightmare of a snake swarm, causing him severe psychological trauma."
An Long asked, "Whose nightmare are we in?"
"Most likely mine..." Song Qing Shi said dejectedly.
He was very sensitive about being compared to a girl, so his nightmare had dressed him as one. Yue Wu Huan couldn't possibly fear him turning into a girl, right? And as for Alaska, he was too busy enjoying the show to care.
Annoyed, Song Qing Shi felt the fire of his red lotus flare up again, as if ready to wipe that smirk off that damn face.
Sensing danger, An Long quickly interjected, "What about Yue Wu Huan? What role does he play in your nightmare?"
Yue Wu Huan? Fail, as in failing a class...
Finally snapping out of his contemplation, Song Qing Shi realized the gravity of the situation. His face blanched as he dashed toward the door. Hindered by the overly long black robe, he stumbled every few steps. Wanting to use his red lotus to fly, he was stopped by An Long: "These clothes don't have fire protection. If you burn them, I won't have a second set for you to change into."
Left with no choice, he clumsily made his way outside.
The street was bustling, filled with all kinds of people walking around. While each person seemed to have normal features, their faces remained blurry and forgettable, as though they were figments of a dream, leaving no lasting impression.
An Long whistled appreciatively, "It truly is the Nightmare Heart-Eater Formation."
Song Qing Shi is well-read, delving into obscure, seemingly useless books. His reservoir of knowledge is unmatched.
Song Qing Shi stopped a passerby, stumbling over his words, "Are there, um, any unsavory places around here?"
The passerby looked puzzled, "What constitutes an 'unsavory place'?"
An Long caught up, clarified, and completed the inquiry, "We're talking about brothels, places where men offer services."
Song Qing Shi's face had already turned pale. Both he and An Long were at the Nascent Soul stage, but their cultivation levels had been suppressed down to Golden Core. Moreover, their most potent abilities were sealed. Yue Wu Huan was at the Foundation Establishment level; how much worse could his situation be? If the Blood King Vine was also sealed, he'd be no different from an ordinary person.
The passerby pointed to the east, "Cross this street, turn the corner, and you'll find Jin Feng Tai—the largest brothel in the city. They have what you're looking for."
Upon hearing this ominous name, Song Qing Shi felt faint and took off running. Just around the corner, he saw a grand building in the distance. Standing on its summit, tens of meters high, was a devastatingly beautiful person dressed in a golden-red feathered skirt: Yue Wu Huan. His eyes seemed lifeless as they stared into the sky, clutching a jade flute in his hands, as if he were oblivious to the world around him.
The wind lifted the feathered skirt, revealing his body covered in scars and shackles on his feet...
Song Qing Shi frantically called out his name.
But he leapt off the building.
Ignoring his robe catching fire, Song Qing Shi summoned his red lotus and charged forward enveloped in flames, but he was still a step too late.
A bird with broken wings gently fell to the ground, blooming a flower of red upon impact.
Life vanished so quickly, so effortlessly.
The end came too swiftly for one to react.
Song Qing Shi's eyes widened at the scene before him, struggling to breathe. He slowly knelt beside the pool of fresh blood, picking up the lifeless bird, desperately performing futile first aid over and over, "I won't give up, I'll never give up..."
This was the most terrifying nightmare of his life.
Wake up now!
His head started to spin, and the world turned dark.
...
The books in Medicine King Valley listed 127 types of introspective formations. Of these, twelve would execute those who failed to solve them. Eighteen would trap them forever. Forty-six would reset upon failure, tormenting the intruders repeatedly until the solution was found, allowing for their escape. The effects of the remaining formations were unknown.
Song Qing Shi opened his eyes again, finding himself still dressed in the ridiculous women's attire, sitting on the elaborately carved mahogany bed. He realized he was somewhat fortunate—the formation allowed for retries after failures. However, the constant repetition of nightmares was enough to erode the willpower of any cultivator, driving them to the brink of madness.
He could no longer afford to dwell on his embarrassing attire. Leaping off the bed and bursting through the door, he shoved aside An Long—who was about to inquire about the situation—and sprinted madly toward Jin Feng Tai, fearing that any delay would cost a life.
Catching sight of his feminine attire, An Long couldn't help but whistle softly, murmuring, "You look stunning."
Gleefully, An Long assumed that since they were placed in the same house in this dream, they must be a couple according to the dream's narrative.
As for that damnable seductress, Yue Wu Huan, being tortured and killed in nightmares—An Long found that thought extremely satisfying.
He almost wished he could stay in this beautiful dream forever. Unfortunately, this was Song Qing Shi's nightmare, and if he didn't help save the seductress to solve the riddle of the dream, Qing Shi would continue to be tormented endlessly.
The seductress could die a thousand times for all he cared, but his own darling must not be harmed.
Making his decision swiftly, An Long chased after Song Qing Shi toward Jin Feng Tai to save the day.
Upon reaching Jin Feng Tai, Song Qing Shi blazed a trail with his red lotus, charging straight in. He found Yue Wu Huan entangled by a few disgusting male cultivators. Without hesitating, he raised his hand to summon a wall of lotus flames, separating the scum from Wu Huan.
Turning back, he anxiously inquired, "Wu Huan, are you alright?"
Yue Wu Huan sat on the ground, trembling, his eyes filled with despair.
The wall of flames was shattered by a dark blade; the cultivators were surprisingly skilled, each at the Golden Core level. They brandished their weapons and charged at Song Qing Shi, who was not adept at close combat and only managed to barely hold them off, sustaining several wounds in the process.
An Long burst into the room, enraged at the sight of blood on Song Qing Shi's white robe. He immediately snapped the neck of one cultivator and joined the fray. A seasoned warrior, skilled in all forms of combat and hardly affected by the absence of his familiars, he parried their attacks with his fists, snatching the dark blade to slash at their throats.
Feeling the pressure on his shoulder suddenly lift, Song Qing Shi turned around to look for Yue Wu Huan, only to find him standing on the high platform again. Panicked to his core, he quickly approached, attempting to console him, "Don't—don't jump..."
At times like these, he couldn't find the right words to offer any comfort!
On the verge of tears, Song Qing Shi wished he could slap himself.
"My Lord, I apologize," Yue Wu Huan glanced at him despairingly, "This world is too tainted for me to bear any longer..."
Then, taking a half step back, he once again leaped off the high platform.
Without a moment's hesitation, Song Qing Shi recklessly followed him, managing only to grasp the hem of his feathered skirt.
Together, they plummeted into the abyss.
An Long turned his head just in time to see Song Qing Shi recklessly leaping off the high platform. He stood frozen, dumbstruck by the sight.
In that moment, he forgot to lift the dark blade he was holding, and a long sword pierced through his abdomen.
Yet, he had forgotten how to feel pain.
...
Upon waking for the third time, Song Qing Shi sat dazedly at the edge of the bed, his mind racing through the events that had just transpired.
An Long appeared in front of him with a dark expression, forcefully grabbing him by the collar and demanding, "Why? Why would you go to such lengths for him?"
"You're right, I shouldn't have. I lost my composure," Song Qing Shi regained his senses, slowly recovering his calm demeanor. "There are some things that need to be tested first."
Without waiting for An Long's response, he hastily jumped off the bed and rushed toward Jin Feng Tai once again.
Watching his foolish actions, An Long was filled with repressed anger. He punched the wall, nearly breaking it. However, this was not the time to dwell on these things; he couldn't let this idiot be taken advantage of. Suppressing his rage, he followed Song Qing Shi, planning to deal with him later.
The events repeated, as did the combat.
Once again standing in front of a disheveled Yue Wu Huan, Song Qing Shi calmly asked a question: "Today, in one cage, there are pheasants and rabbits. Thirty-five heads and ninety-four legs in total. How many pheasants and rabbits are there? Quickly solve it in your head and tell me the answer!"