Book 17 Chapter 11

Dreaming Mountain Lodge (夢幻山莊)

-another anima

Shoot!

The rain becomes a waterfall and engulfs the world.

The sound of thundering rain.

Blue lightning flashes through the air, followed by its twin brother, thunder, which roars and shakes the sky. The sound of rain pounding the earth and water is like the hooves of a fierce wild horse. The same frenzied crashing sound swallows up the Qi of nature as a nutmeg chariot rushes across the battlefield, spraying blood as it races across the land in a mad rampage.

It was the kind of unruly rainfall that makes you wonder if it's really spring.

The woman was moaning.

The rain, falling from the torn ceiling of the sky, seemed to sweep the world away with its sorrow, but my body was hot. Like iron in a furnace, like lava boiling in a volcano, the unbearable heat seemed to burn my soul like an eternal scorcher.

'suffer…….'

Screams are imprisoned in your lungs, held captive by the chains of silence. My breathing grows ragged.

The horror was coming. Step by step. I can't see his face because of the black hood he wears. You must not see its face. When you are faced with blackness, darkness, and terror, all you get is despair. It is better not to remove the black hood. You must not make eye contact. You will be devoured. Cruel horrors will pierce the heart and destroy body and soul.

Never. Never. I'm not that strong. I am weak. I am too weak to fight despair.

You must run. If they catch me, it's over. I won't be me.

I have to run.

But the soul and the body are as stiff as a board. Terror comes over me. I don't move. It approaches. I don't move. You feel the cold breath of the Terror's exhalation on the nape of your neck. The head turns. The black hood is pulled off. I have to look away! I'm frozen. Finally, I make eye contact with the horror. The inky blackness becomes a tidal wave, engulfing his body.

"Kaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

I grabbed the collar of the duvet with both hands and felt a shiver run down my spine. It's raining in the room, and I'm cold.

"…lang…lang…lang…lang……."

I hear a voice from somewhere. It's too far away.

Whose voice? He couldn't remember. A dark cloud was consuming his memory along with himself, and then he heard the sharp voice again.

"Young lady!"

I blinked open my eyes and the sky opened at the same time, like a dawn.

She squinted at the blinding sunlight.

The next moment, the woman jerked up roughly, as if trying to uproot something.

"Hmph!"

His breathing, like that of a wild horse, showed no signs of slowing down. My heart was racing like a madman. The screams from my lungs still rang in my ears. Cold sweat dripped like rain, drenching the thin nassam.

"Where am I, and who am I?

After a moment, when her breathing calmed, she looked around, but she couldn't remember, as if something was blocking her vision. The remnants of a grim nightmare still clung to her nerves.

'Calm down, calm down, and slowly remember them one by one.'

Desperate to escape the nightmare, she clutched at the shapes of reality. To keep from falling back into the nightmare, to anchor her consciousness to reality once more.

After struggling for a while, she finally managed to pull herself from the edge of the dream state to the water's edge of reality.

"That's right. I remember. I did……."

Suddenly, the dense fog that had enveloped his mind began to take clear shape. This was her house, and this was her room. The duvet was a pink silk quilt embroidered with her favorite phoenix pattern. As she looked around the room, she saw a familiar scene: a rosewood dressing table covered in dust from the night before, a mirror, an assortment of makeup on it, ornate silver candlesticks with cold candles, and an empty teacup. It was the same scene I'd seen the night before. Nothing had changed.

The familiarity allowed her to breathe a sigh of relief. Her mind and body had finally calmed down.

The only consolation was that it was already dawn. She let out a small sigh of relief and rubbed her chest.

Good. The sun was up, so it wasn't night.

The woman breathed a sigh of relief that she didn't have to go back to sleep.

Moments ago, she had risen from the depths of the abyss into which she had been thrown by the night, barely managing to open her eyes through the veil of darkness and back into the world of reality.

She was afraid of the night.

"Again……."

A nightmare that haunts you night after night. Each time, the wound burned as if on fire. Cold sweat drenched her nasam. Still unconscious, she can't feel the weight of her body. There is no sense of reality. She felt like she was sitting on a swing on the edge of a dream state.

Another repeat. He could get used to it by now, but he couldn't get used to the nightmares of a black winged figure descending on his bedside every night. He was afraid of the night, but he could not stop it from coming, nor could he hasten its departure, for the change of day and night belonged to the realm of the heavens. The moment a person can clearly recognize his or her limitations in the great flow of the celestial movement, he or she can enjoy true freedom. But she hasn't reached that point where she can stand back and contemplate the horror, despair, and darkness. Still, she tries. Because it's better than nothing.

She quieted her breathing and began to look within herself. If you can't trust what you see, there's only one option left. And that is to look within yourself.

Her memory is confused because she had been juxtaposed for so long. They say it's because she was in a coma several times and suffered from a high fever.

"Ma'am, are you awake?"

One of the maids puts another message outside the gate. She asks if you have a cough.

"Lady……."

The voice of the maid calling to her is cautious.

"Who was that?

After a moment of blurred recollection, she realized that it was the voice of Meng Mu, her handmaiden. Then her mind snapped back to reality.

"Oh, yeah. This was my room in the main house, wasn't it?

It doesn't feel real, even though I just remembered it. I know I'm not dreaming yet, but my body still feels like it's floating in the water.

"…That…Ms. Ling?"

Once again, I heard Monmu's voice outside. I don't remember how many times this happened. Her voice was trembling a little as she grew restless after not answering for a while. If she delayed any longer, she might break down the door in a panic. There was nothing rattling about her maid, and it was always a nuisance around here. She decided to save the repair bill.

"Come in. I am risen."

She answered in a quiet voice, and the door creaked open with a relieved sigh from the other side. Morning sunlight crept through the crack and landed on her shoulder. The pure white nassam seemed to glow transparently in the morning light, its whiteness making her dark, lustrous hair stand out even more. The sweaty white nassam clung to her body, revealing the beautiful curves of her flesh from her ample breasts to her slender waist. At the sight of the strangely voyeuristic figure, Meng Mu let out an audible gasp.

No matter how you look at it, this young lady's beauty is admirable. It would have been perfect if it weren't for a single, brutalized "blemish. What a shame. Such a pity to mar such a work of art. Truly, the 'Kwakak' were despicable bastards.

"First, wash your face, young lady. Then I'll get you dressed."

Mongmu smiled broadly.

"Is something wrong?"

She asked, and Mongmu gave a startled gasp.

"Gee, how did you know, Miss, I didn't say anything?"

"You may be in a hurry, but you are not in a hurry; what are you doing so early in the morning?"

"The elderly man is calling."

Mongmu confessed.

"Your father?"

What's going on this early in the morning? I figured I'd better hurry.

"Bring me the sword!"

Straightening her robes, she took up her own dagger, which Mongmu handed her respectfully with both hands. For a moment, pain flashed in her eyes.

The dainty skin of Aegyo's blade was scarred here and there with the marks of battle. The sheath of his sword was slightly scorched.

"Lead the way!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

Mongmu replied, politely opening the door.

"Oh, have you come?"

"Girl, saying hello."

The spirit has taken over.

"Make yourself comfortable in your seat."

A grave-looking middle-aged man smiled gently and extended his hand in a solemn manner, inviting her to take a seat. She complied.

"I've been bothering you since early this morning, I'm sorry."

"No. Is there anything you'd like to tell me about dismissal?"

The spirit said in a polite manner.

"The date is set."

The spirit's head snapped up.

"So……?"

The middle-aged man nodded slowly, but heavily.

"Okay, it's a month from now. Are you ready?"

"Of course, father."

With a look of determination on her face, the girl nodded. It seems she's been waiting for this moment with anticipation.

"I will definitely pass and be his strength."

She has a fiancé who has promised her a future. Her body and mind were all his, and she had always wanted to be his strength, but in recent years she had been suffering from the after-effects of her battle, and she felt very sorry that she had not been able to help him. How she lamented her helplessness.

Now I wanted to be his strength by passing this exam, but just thinking about him made my heart pound and a strange tingling in my chest.

When the nightmares consumed her mind and body, she always called his name. To save her from this black, ugly, terrifying nightmare.

Fearful white hands reaching for you, rain pounding in your ears, thunder swallowing your world, and flames and shadows.

It was dark and I couldn't see anything. All I could see was a white hand slowly approaching and a burning pain. But no matter how many times she called out, no help came. All she wanted to do was escape the meaningless dreams that haunted her.

"You should have taken the exam four years ago, but you spent years recovering from the after-effects of your injury. It's a shame, because I'm sure you could have passed with your skills if not for what happened that day."

"I will not tolerate any interruptions this time."

"Get ready and set out immediately. I will give you two children, Meng Mu and Huan Mu. I know you will uphold our family's honor well."

"Yes, father. A girl would never dishonor the family name."

Zhang Zhu smiled with satisfaction and nodded.

"Although you have had an accident because of those wicked women, and you are at a disadvantage, I believe you will overcome it. You must not forget that your body and mind are all His, and that He is your strength."

Zhang Zhu said in a long, reverberating voice.

"Yes, I'll never forget that, because that's the only reason I was put on this earth."

The spirit replied in a firm voice, without any hint of discomfort, for in her mind it was a divine proposition, absolutely immutable.

"Hmm, okay, okay, I can trust you."

The woman's father shook his head, wondering what was so delightful.

"When do you wish to depart?"

"We're pressed for time, so we'll leave tomorrow."

At his daughter's generous answer, Zhang Zhu smiled with satisfaction and nodded.

Everything went according to plan.

"Dreaming Twins, you've arrived."

"Come in."

Quietly, the door opened and two women entered. One was Mongmu, the woman who had attended to her this morning, and the other was a woman by the name of Fangmu, a beautiful woman who looked a little more mature than Mongmu.

Waiting for him was the owner of the hut, the spirit father.

"How is she, young lady?"

He asked, a cold glint in his eye that could not possibly be the same one that had given him the gracious and benevolent expression he'd shown earlier.

"Yes, we're not seeing anything out of the ordinary yet."

"You never know when you're going to have a seizure, and when you do, do what I've taught you. Keep your eyes open at all times."

"I'll keep that in mind."

The two women bowed and said yes.

"We don't tolerate failure. You know that, right?"

The two women's bodies instantly shivered at the sound of a voice colder than ice.

"You can never go wrong with the big picture."

"Okay, I'll believe it."

"Honorific."

"My dear, my dear, the fog is unusually bad today, and even though we're up here in the mountains, I think it's too much, don't you, my dear?"

Mongmu asked his colleague next to him, Hwanmu, excitedly.

"……."

But Huan Mu didn't answer, just stared at his master's face.

"Chet, you're still so blunt, do you get boils on your tongue when you talk back?"

"I don't want to waste time on pointless conversations. That's it."

With that answer, Huanmu lapsed back into silence.

"Chet, you're blunt. I'd rather talk to a rock in the middle of nowhere than talk to you."

Mongmu grumbled.

"I think it's good to be selective about who you talk to. That's it."

"Yay!"

Mongmu gave up on talking to Hwanmu and turned his attention back to the spirit.

"Miss, Miss, it's a really dense fog, isn't it, and the whole world seems to be covered in white? It's a sight that really fits the name of the hut, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, I see."

As she left the hut, she looked back at her home.

Through the dense fog, the hut's sign caught her eye.

Dreaming Mountain Lodge (夢幻山莊).

The hut, shrouded in fog, lived up to its name, looking like an otherworldly mirage. And then suspicion stirred in me.

'Did I really live there? Did it even exist in the first place? Am I hallucinating?

But she quickly shook her head to clear her thoughts. She had a job to do now, and it was a priority situation for her.

"Let's go!"

"Yes, ma'am."

Mongmu and Huanmu answered. Compared to Mongmu, Huanmu was quiet and inarticulate.

Though he's only an apprentice, from the sounds of it, he received his martial arts training directly from his father, the master of dreams. At least he won't hold you back.

So the spirit walked with the two siblings into the dense fog of dreams.