Chapter 618: Entering the Dream

"Xia, open the door," Yu Nian'an said.

Listening to the faint knocking, Qi Xia felt his hairs stand on end, his heart pounding as if it might leap from his throat.

He had no idea what was waiting for him behind the door.

"Xia, open the door," Yu Nian'an said again.

"No... it's impossible..."

Knock, knock, knock.

The knocking continued behind Qi Xia, making him feel enveloped by an unknown terror.

In front of him was Yu Nian'an, completely without facial features, and behind him, the relentless knocking.

Knock, knock, knock.

"Xia, open the door."

Qi Xia took a deep breath to steady himself, then asked, "First, tell me, who is outside the door...?"

After hearing this, the featureless Yu Nian'an's flat face twitched slightly.

Though she had no features, Qi Xia could sense she was smiling.

It was an especially sinister smile.

"Xia, it's me outside the door," Yu Nian'an said, opening her arms in an embrace. "Open the door and let me see you."

"Outside the door is you..." Qi Xia felt like he was on the verge of breaking down again. "If that's you outside, then what are you?"

"I am myself," Yu Nian'an said. "Outside the door is also me. Let's reunite, let me enter your heart."

Knock, knock, knock.

"You bunch of lunatics..." Qi Xia gritted his teeth. "You know this is my only weakness... that's why you've always pretended to be Yu Nian'an to trick me..."

"How could I be your weakness?" The Yu Nian'an in front of him stepped closer to Qi Xia. "And no one is pretending to be me—I am me. If you won't open the door, I can open it myself. It's okay, Xia, don't be afraid."

"What do you all want from me?!"

Qi Xia felt his thoughts, which he had just managed to organize, starting to chaos again. This space seemed strange, as if it was disrupting his thinking.

"What do I want?" Yu Nian'an's face twitched again, as if smiling even more sinisterly. "Xia, I don't want anything. I just want you to be happy and joyful."

"Stop toying with me..." Qi Xia began to tremble all over. "You say you want me to be 'happy and joyful,' but every time I see you, I fall apart... What's your real purpose? Is it just to torture me?"

Knock, knock, knock.

"Xia, open the door and let him talk to you," Yu Nian'an said with a laugh. "Don't you want to find the real me?"

"The real you...?" Qi Xia was startled.

"Yes, open the door and find the real me."

Qi Xia slowly turned around, staring at the old door, his pupils flickering.

Knock, knock, knock.

The person outside kept knocking, with great patience.

"Open it," Yu Nian'an said. "Welcome our guest."

"Our... guest?" Qi Xia furrowed his brow slightly. "I don't have any friends... How could I have a guest?"

"But he's here," Yu Nian'an's voice began to distort. "He's seen you, and he's come for you."

Qi Xia slowly raised his hand and placed it on the door handle.

He felt he had no other choice.

This wasn't home, and these weren't people. If he wanted to figure out what was going on, he had to open the door.

What exactly had happened?

He gently turned the handle and pulled the door open. First, endless darkness filled his view, followed by a figure.

The figure wore an old robe, with long hair reaching the waist and a red mark on the forehead, clearly a man.

Like the Yu Nian'an behind him, this person also had no facial features.

"Long time no see, Bai Yang."

The voice was androgynous, as if two people were speaking at once.

The surrounding dark space twisted like swirling vortices.

"You..." Qi Xia felt a splitting headache, as if some memories were trying to surface but were firmly locked away by something invisible.

"No rush, we have plenty of time," the person said. "Won't you invite me in? We can have a good chat."

Qi Xia stared into the boundless darkness outside the door, lost in thought. Where exactly was out there?

"To open the door in your heart, I put in quite the effort," the person said, stepping forward.

"The door in my heart?"

"I've found you, Bai Yang."

The person's face twitched, and suddenly a strong wind whipped up, blowing the door wide open. Qi Xia was forced to step back as the person entered.

A thick, rotten stench spread through the entire room. Qi Xia regained his composure and looked around—two faceless figures stood before him.

They exuded an indescribable strangeness.

"Why do you lock your state of mind so tightly?"

The words echoed between them, and since neither had a mouth, Qi Xia couldn't tell who was speaking.

"This room is already so dilapidated—what are you still holding onto? Didn't you open the door last time?"

"I..."

"Why not lie down and relax? What are you afraid of? A good sleep and a beautiful dream—wouldn't that be nice?"

They asked again.

"I can't relax... I can't sleep..."

"But you're so tired; it's time to rest. What will you do now? Is there anyone left to wake you up?"

"You..." Qi Xia seemed to recall something. "Tian Long...?"

"At your service," Tian Long nodded slightly. "I am the master of Tao Yuan."

"You entered my dream...?"

"How could that be?"

The person casually walked to the single table and sat down. With a wave of his hand, the table transformed into a large eight-immortal table, with chairs arranged around it.

Qi Xia looked again and saw that the earlier Yu Nian'an had vanished.

"It's extremely difficult to have a chat with you," Tian Long said with a smile, touching his face. "In your dream, what do I look like?"

"You're an utterly hideous monster..." Qi Xia replied.

"Is that so?" Tian Long responded softly. "I thought I'd have a ferocious face."

"Tian Long, are you afraid?"

"Me, afraid?"

"Why come into my dream?" Qi Xia asked. "Is it because what I'm doing now is making you panic?"

"Ha, ha ha." Tian Long's face twitched continuously, though Qi Xia couldn't see any expression. "How interesting, Bai Yang. You say I'm afraid? You're the one who hasn't lain down to sleep for seven years, and yet you claim I'm afraid?"

"Then why not face me directly?" Qi Xia asked. "What are you doing in my dream?"

"Relax... Bai Yang," Tian Long said, lowering his head slightly. "Why be on guard against me?"

After speaking, he beckoned to Qi Xia. "Every nerve in your body is tense. Relax and come sit down."

"Say what you have to say." Qi Xia replied. "I won't drop my guard against you."

"No hurry." Tian Long's face twitched again. "I said we have plenty of time, Bai Yang. I've entered your dream—if no one wakes you, you won't be able to leave."