Chapter 3 Zhuang Sheng's Dream (Part 3) Using a knife on Young Master Gu...

Ordinary people cannot see evil spirits.

Humans and demons do not belong to the same realm. If humans are considered as Yang, then demons belong to Yin. The two are clearly distinct and have nothing to do with each other.

But from some unknown time, the balance of Yin and Yang was disrupted, and evil spirits infiltrated the human world. Those things absorbed people's energy and even manifested themselves in front of the people they absorbed.

To be precise, this form is not that form.

If evil spirits take on a hideous appearance, they can terrify people and shatter their spirits. Once human vitality dissipates, the evil spirits must find a new object to replenish their energy, which is very troublesome.

Therefore, over the years, evil spirits have changed in various ways. Sometimes they are an object, sometimes a scene, and sometimes, depending on the victim's obsession, they will transform into a beautiful but illusory vision—also known as "illusion."

In the end, even the sorcerers of the Heavenly Mystery Sect could not discern his true nature.

Song San had the good fortune to witness such things a few times when he was training with his master.

However, those involved are often blinded by their own perspective, and the victims find it difficult to extricate themselves from the illusion. Even when they manage to separate themselves from it, they end up disoriented and suffering from madness.

She took a bite of the bamboo leaf cake and looked back at the man on the bed—Gu Lianzhou.

This young master of the Gu family is blessed with good looks; he is a beauty just by lying there quietly.

I wonder if someone as pampered as him, raised in a golden palace, can withstand the pain of being torn apart from his illusions.

Hopefully, he hasn't gone crazy.

Staring at that face, Song San silently finished eating a pancake.

She brushed the crumbs off her fingertips, stood up, then pulled a silver knife from her waist and stabbed at Gu Lianzhou.

-

About fifteen minutes ago, she borrowed a mirror and three incense sticks from Gu Shaoyang, and then invited him outside.

It wasn't that she was afraid of revealing the secrets of the Heavenly Mystery Sect; the main problem was that it was difficult to explain in a short time that she had used a knife on Young Master Gu.

So we decided to handle things behind closed doors.

The silver knife was small, about three inches long, and its sharp blade cut a small gash above Gu Lianzhou's left collarbone, from which blood immediately flowed out.

Seeing that his white undergarment was about to be stained red, Song San quickly took a bronze mirror, dipped it in blood, and drew a blood talisman on the mirror. After the blood talisman was completed, he took an incense stick, lit it with the candlelight in the room, and placed it in the incense burner.

Amidst the flickering starlight, a wisp of fragrant mist slowly emanated, and as it swirled, it seemed to gain consciousness, moving towards the bronze mirror.

Most sorcerers of the Tianji Sect possess a natal spiritual artifact that connects the Yin and Yang realms. Those with high spirituality—such as those born with Yin-Yang eyes—can save some effort, while those like Song San, who are born with deficiencies, need to rely on external forces to open their eyes.

Her natal magical artifact is a mirror that can be found anywhere.

People often use mirrors to straighten their clothes, and mirrors are made of different materials. Since ancient times, there have been water mirrors, stone mirrors, and bronze mirrors, but Song San preferred the latter.

After waiting for a long time, the bronze mirror absorbed the fragrant mist, and its surface developed a smooth, oily shine.

Song San couldn't help but yawn, and suddenly felt his eyelids getting heavy.

She picked up the bronze mirror, swayed as she got up, and began to walk around the bed.

She had just seen Gu Shaoyang take this mirror out of the wardrobe in the room, so it must belong to Gu Lianzhou. Since it was his own, it must have been imbued with his aura, making it perfect for locating evil spirits.

After circling around a few times, Song San suddenly stopped, feeling inexplicably strange.

When did the mirror become so light?

She looked down at what was in her hand, her face blank for a moment—

Sometime later, the bronze mirror in her hand disappeared, replaced by a vermilion ball made of bamboo and rattan.

Song San's mind went blank for a moment, and he instinctively turned around to look.

Under the golden-red bed curtains, Gu Lianzhou lay perfectly still, his face serene, fast asleep.

She quickly looked away, returning her gaze to the football in her hand, and finally gave a dry laugh.

What a clever and stealthy method!

This evil creature led her into its own territory.

To her surprise, the other party acted so swiftly.

"Thump, thump, thump—" A sudden, urgent sound came from outside the door.

Song San narrowed his eyes and pricked up his ears to listen to what was happening.

The chaotic, arrhythmic footsteps rang out incessantly, sometimes near, sometimes far.

It sounded like someone wearing wooden clogs was running around at the door, making a lot of noise.

Holding the football, she walked around the screen used as a partition in the center of the room toward the source of the sound.

"Thump thump thump—" Another sound.

Song San finally saw the dark shadow reflected on the door.

Judging by her size, the "thing" outside the door wasn't very tall; in fact, it could be described as short. Roughly estimated, it was only up to her chest.

She glanced at the doorknob, which wasn't latched, and then reached out and pulled the door open.

A wave of heat hit me.

Song San subconsciously took a half step back, and when he looked up again, he was so shocked by the scene outside the door that he gasped for breath.

If the Gu family mansion she saw this morning was a black-and-white painting, then what lay before her now was a vibrant, endlessly green spring outing scene.

The snow has disappeared, and the ground is covered with fragrant grass that sways in the wind, exuding a vigorous vitality.

The sound of cicadas, like ocean waves, poured into the room and engulfed her.

In the blink of an eye, winter and summer have turned.

Suddenly, the sound of wooden clogs scraping the ground stopped, and a childish voice interrupted Song San's thoughts—"Who are you?"

Song San looked down, staring blankly at the bean sprouts that had appeared in front of him.

The boy in sight was about five years old. He was still quite young, but he was very handsome, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, and a natural air of heroism.

Judging from the brocade robes he was wearing, he must be the young master of a wealthy family.

The young master tilted his head back, his dark, round eyes showing no fear as he stared intently at Song San, scrutinizing this "uninvited guest."

How did you get in?

What are you doing with my ball?

Three questions in a row had completely exhausted my patience.

The young master pursed his lips and frowned, then shouted, "Steward Hu, seize this thief!"

Song San finally reacted. She casually tossed the ball on the ground, walked over to the boy in his surprised gaze, and bent down to raise her hand.

He pinched the side of her still chubby baby face.

It felt smooth and bouncy, like a freshly steamed bun from the steamer in the morning. Song San silently evaluated it in his heart, and then, in disbelief, he tightened his grip.

She can actually touch the other person?

This is troublesome...

A cloud of worry rose in my heart, but then I saw the young master suddenly break free, his face flushed, and shout at the top of his lungs:

"Butler Hu—"

-

Song San was thrown out of the Gu residence, tumbling down the stone steps outside the gate and landing face-first on the ground. She spat out a mouthful of sand with difficulty, then fell into a long silence.

The boy's angry shouts still echoed in my ears.

Yes, she did touch the boy just now.

It is warm and fresh, not a phantom created by evil spirits.

She crawled on the ground to support herself, then slowly stood up, a strange guess popping into her mind—that child wasn't an illusion, could it be Gu Lianzhou?

But if he is Gu Lianzhou, then who was the one lying in the room before?

If he were Gu Lianzhou, how could he have turned into a child?

"It's all a mess, everything's a mess." The more he thought about it, the more confused he became. Frustrated, Song San scratched his already disheveled hair, walked around the Gu residence, and looked at the surrounding scenery, feeling somewhat heavy-hearted.

If she goes back this time, she will definitely ask Gu Shaoyang to raise the price.

It was her carelessness that led her to underestimate Young Master Gu's abilities.

What he brought back from Nuanchun Pavilion was clearly a powerful demon.

Song San stopped at the foot of the courtyard wall, raised his hand and touched the vermilion outer wall. It felt dry and warm to the touch, like the feel of bricks and stones exposed to the scorching sun on a summer afternoon.

Only a great demon could achieve such meticulous realism.

No wonder Gu Lianzhou was so engrossed in the dream that she didn't want to wake up. Even if she stayed in such an environment for half a day, she probably wouldn't be able to distinguish between illusion and reality.

Song San looked up and couldn't help but let out a soft "Eh?"

Whether it was her imagination or not, she always felt that the walls of the Gu family mansion were much higher than those of ordinary mansions.

She stood at the foot of the wall, looking up at the towering courtyard wall, her sense of unease growing stronger.

When I came this morning, the wall wasn't this high.

Looking at it this way, it's like a child's perspective, where everything in the world is magnified.

Song San thought that he would have to go back eventually, but climbing over the wall was probably not an option, so he had to find another way.

She patiently searched along the wall, and after a long time, she finally found a hidden dog hole in a patch of lush grass.

As expected of the wealthy and powerful Gu family, even their dog hole was much wider than others. Song San knelt on the ground with his back hunched over and crawled in without much effort.

She emerged from the hole, stood up, dusted herself off, and looked at the vast Gu mansion before letting out a long sigh.

The Gu residence is so large that it would be difficult to find Gu Lianzhou on foot in a short time.

If she had known it would turn out this way, she wouldn't have bothered Gu Lianzhou.

Wandering aimlessly along the pebbly path, Song San heard the sound of flowing water ahead. In the distance, behind the lush trees, a group of people dressed as maids hurried along the corridor.

As someone from the Gu family, he must know the road conditions better than she does.

Thinking this, Song San quickly straightened her clothes, stepped forward, cleared her throat, and said, "Hello, ladies, excuse me, may I ask..."

The head maid turned her head first, effectively cutting off Song San's next words.

The girl had an oval face, rosy cheeks, and cherry lips, but her eyebrows and eyes looked as if they had been rolled in ink, mottled and messy. Yet her posture and movements were extremely lively, making her face look particularly eerie.

It looks like a mannequin that has come to life.

The other maids turned around and looked at Song San when they heard the commotion.

All of them had ink-black eyes, charcoal-black eyebrows, pink cheeks, and blood-red cherry lips.

It's...it's even worse than a child's drawing of a crow.

This monster's taste is truly appalling. It strives for realism in its landscapes and architecture, yet its figures are so unbearable to look at. This favoritism has ultimately revealed its true colors.

Song San chuckled a few times, then clasped his hands in apology to the crowd: "I'm sorry to have bothered you, I'll leave immediately."

After speaking, he turned around and walked away quickly with short, quick steps.

But before she could take a few steps, she heard a hissing sound behind her, which made her pause slightly and glance back.

One glance sent a chill down her spine.

She saw the maids in pink dresses swaying and rushing towards her.

One by one, they lay on their backs, some hunched over, their steps unsteady, their limbs stiff and twisted, as if their bones had been removed; in short, they looked like no human beings.

And those strange noises came from their mouths.

Where can you find cherry lips now? The girls' lips are exaggeratedly split open, forming strange arcs, with translucent saliva hanging on their chins, swinging up and down with their movements, and wild, noisy roars emanating from deep within their scarlet throats.

Although he couldn't utter a single human word, Song San understood perfectly that they wanted to capture him and devour him alive.

What else could she do?

Run!

-

The wind howled, and the forest roared.

The silk ribbons fluttered and retreated swiftly.

Song San kept weaving through the narrow paths, but because he didn't know the way, he attracted more and more servants from the Gu family to chase after him.

At first, there were only a few people, which she could manage, but as the crowd grew, hiding became a difficult task.

In an instant, crowds surged forth, and the ground trembled wherever they went.

For a few moments, Song San even felt sharp fingernails touching her clothes, and the servant's breath almost brushed against the back of her head, yet he just couldn't catch her.

This was repeated over and over, as if he were deliberately teasing her.

Song San cursed under his breath.

The owner of this illusion—Gu Lianzhou's evil spirit—probably mistook her for a lamb that had strayed into a pack of wolves.

It wasn't enough to harm one person, so they've set their sights on her?

A tearing pain shot through her chest, making Song San's teeth ache. Within moments, a sweet, metallic taste of blood welled up in her throat. She turned her head to look at the servants, their bodies contorted like beasts, and curled her lips into a mocking smile.

As she approached the fork in the road, she abruptly stopped and changed direction. The bustling crowd lost their footing and huddled together.

She braced herself against the bluestone railing, easily leaped over it, landed steadily, and continued running forward.

Seeing this, the crowd behind them suddenly erupted in cheers, roaring and sprinting forward at an unprecedented speed.

Song San landed in a courtyard, turned around and waved to the crowd, taunting, "Come on, keep chasing!"

She laughed unrestrainedly, turned around and opened the window in front of the angry servants, then rolled inside, using the windowsill as leverage.

The window slammed shut.

The world has finally calmed down.