Chapter 683: Passing the Word

"Dong dong dong."

In the living room, Qi Xia moved his lips slightly and whispered, "An, someone's knocking on the door."

"I know, Xia, I'll go open it."

Yu Nian An came back to her senses, her eyes now filled with a hint of urgency. She continued softly to Xiao Cheng, "Xiao Cheng, don't worry... that crack isn't really a crack; it's the 'fuse' for everything."

The sheer volume of information flooding in at once made Xiao Cheng's thoughts stall.

"'Fuse'...?"

"Yes, it's igniting a grand fireworks display, so I can't patch it up, and neither can you. All you can do is die. Otherwise..."

"Dong dong dong."

"An... someone's knocking on the door," Qi Xia said.

"Xiao Cheng, now 'he' is here, you have to die," Yu Nian An said with a bitter smile. "If you die, Qi Xia will wake up, and once again, I'll have held his final line of defense."

"Are you saying... 'Tian Long' is standing outside the door right now...?"

Xiao Cheng was trembling all over; he had never imagined getting caught up in something so terrifying.

"It's not just 'Tian Long'," Yu Nian An said. "Outside that door stands the entire 'Zhong Yan Zhi Di'. Xiao Cheng, are you afraid of death?"

"I..."

In the real world, Xiao Cheng might have feared death, but in 'Zhong Yan Zhi Di', he clearly didn't fear it as much.

But even if he wasn't afraid of death, he still feared 'Tian Long'.

"Dong dong dong dong dong."

"You hear that... he's getting impatient," Yu Nian An said. "He's come for you."

"Kill me... Yu Jie... just kill me..."

Xiao Cheng was truly scared now. He had never even seen a 'Tian Ji' zodiac, so how could he face 'Tian Long'?

'Tian Long's abilities were so bizarre; how could he possibly get through this dream unscathed?

"I will, don't worry." Yu Nian An slowly tightened the noose around Xiao Cheng's neck. "But there's one thing you won't mind—I need to use you to send a message to the people outside."

"What...?"

Xiao Cheng hadn't yet understood what Yu Nian An meant when he suddenly felt a burning pain on his back, as if some sharp blade was cutting into his skin. The intense pain made him grit his teeth in agony.

"Hang in there," Yu Nian An said. "It's just a few words."

"Yu Jie..."

"Dong dong dong dong dong dong dong."

The rapid knocking drove Xiao Cheng's mind to the brink of collapse, but every time he felt like fainting, the tearing pain on his back pulled him back to reality.

Xiao Cheng clenched his teeth tightly, waiting for the intense pain to pass. Though his whole body was numb, he felt as if Yu Nian An had carved a few words into his back with her nails.

She did it as lightly as if she were scratching foam board to pieces. Since Xiao Cheng was about to die anyway, there was no need to worry about his pain.

Xiao Cheng felt his back growing cooler amid the burning sensation, probably because blood was spilling all over it. He wanted to turn and struggle, but the noose around his neck felt like it weighed a thousand pounds, pinning him down completely. If Yu Nian An weren't holding the rope, he might have already been crushed to death.

A few seconds later, muffled sounds came from the distant horizon:

"Damn! What happened to this kid's back?!"

"Do we have any bandages left? Stop the bleeding first!"

"No good... the wound is too extensive; bandages might not..."

The voices grew increasingly muffled until they faded away.

Yu Nian An glanced toward the horizon, then softly said to Xiao Cheng, "Don't worry, your death will be meaningful. When Qi Xia wakes up this time, everything will be different."

Without waiting for Xiao Cheng to respond, Yu Nian An yanked the rope tight and hoisted him off the ground.

As an outsider, Xiao Cheng had no way to resist anything in the dream. He dangled like a fluttering piece of paper, and at the same moment, a crisp "crack" sounded from his neck as it snapped.

Everything in the dream gradually dissolved into nothingness, including the frantic knocking and Xiao Cheng's life.

He had completely left this terrifying world.

The onlookers nearby saw Xiao Cheng's body move and thought the "dream entry" was over. They were about to ask something when they saw him slump headfirst to the ground.

"Thud!"

His body seemed to lose all balance as his head hit the floor with a loud crash.

"Ah..." Tian Tian, who was wiping the blood from Xiao Cheng's back, jumped in shock and quickly checked on him.

Chen Jun Nan and Qiao Jia Jin nearby sensed something was wrong. They glanced at Xiao Cheng and then turned to check on Qi Xia, finding him still sleeping peacefully, though his complexion had improved significantly.

Had it succeeded... or not?

Tian Tian knelt down and shook Xiao Cheng a few times, but he showed no response at all. His back was still bleeding profusely, soaking his clothes.

Qiao Jia Jin crouched down as well and felt Xiao Cheng's neck, saying gravely, "He's gone."

Chen Jun Nan was stunned and looked incredulously at Xiao Cheng's body. He slowly furrowed his brow, clasped his hands together, and bowed.

"Kid, I'll remember you. Next time I come back, I'll make it up to you with my own life as apology."

Everyone's emotions were mixed. Xiao Cheng, a stranger, had lost his life here for Qi Xia, and they all felt a sense of guilt. They didn't even know the cause of his death or what he had discovered in Qi Xia's dream.

Was Qi Xia really having a nightmare? One that could kill people at will, something incredibly terrifying?

Di Hou walked over to Xiao Cheng, pinched a bit of blood with his thumb and index finger, removed the cigarette from his mouth, and used his bloodied fingers to put it out. He then shook his head.

"It seems this kid's dream was indeed 'invaded,' but this 'dream entry' ability..."

Di Hou seemed to think of something, but it was hard to believe.

Earlier, at the gambling table, Qi Xia had said his "superior" was going all out to make him lose. Could it really have been 'Tian Long' making a move?

"Qi Xia... what exactly..." Di Hou slowly furrowed his brow, feeling that things had exceeded his expectations.

Had Qi Xia's plan failed...?

Had he been seen through by 'Tian Long'?

If Qi Xia had truly been targeted by 'Tian Long', then what about himself...?

"Wait..." Qiao Jia Jin suddenly noticed something odd about the large wound on Xiao Cheng's back.

He stepped forward, tore open the rest of Xiao Cheng's shirt to expose the bloody skin, and used the fabric scraps to wipe away the surface blood. Four dark red characters were revealed:

"Dian Fu Zhi Shi!"