Discipleship
Time flows differently in the evil spirit dream. Before Wen Ya and Si Mucheng could figure out what to do next, the sky suddenly darkened, and in the blink of an eye, the next day arrived.
Even though their excuse was just to stay for one night, this was the Evil Spirit Dreamland. Shi Ling and his apprentice didn't care about Wen Ya and Si Mucheng's decision to stay in the cabin, nor were they curious about why they hadn't left.
As for the shameless Si Mucheng, as long as he doesn't say it outright, he'll pretend it never happened.
However, nothing much happened that day. Shi Ling took Ming Ruo out to buy groceries and cook when they came back. Shi Ling also taught Ming Ruo how to make magical artifacts.
Si Mucheng stared at Mingruo, somewhat puzzled: "Xiaoya, don't you think the ancestor seems to have grown up a bit?"
Wen Ya looked at Ming Ruo's big, blinking eyes and pondered for a moment: "Not much has changed."
Si Mucheng scratched his head: "That must have been my imagination."
On the morning of the third day, when Si Mucheng opened the door and saw Ming Ruo, who was clearly now a teenager, he was as if he had seen a ghost.
"...Am I seeing things...?" Si Mucheng's voice trembled.
To be honest, when he first entered, the surrounding environment was simple and unpretentious. Although the other party was an ancestor, it still gave Si Mucheng a great sense of novelty. What's the difference between this and an immersive ancient-style secret room? He just thought he had accidentally wandered into the set of an ancient costume drama. After all, this dream world seemed quite harmless.
Compared to the last time, when there was a potential murderous demon, this time he really lost his guard. After all, one was a gentle and polite spirit, and the other was as innocent as a baby. Moreover, nothing else happened afterward. So far, it all seemed like everyday little things, which could be described as heartwarming.
Only at this moment did Si Mucheng awaken from this false sense of security.
No normal person grows up that much overnight!
Just as Si Mucheng couldn't help but take a step back, Wen Ya grabbed his wrist, and the slightly cool touch brought him back to his senses.
"Don't panic," Wen Ya said in a deep voice.
This is in a nightmare realm. If the people in the illusion discover that they are outsiders, they will attack.
Si Mucheng swallowed hard. With Wen Ya present, he was able to calm himself down.
Mingruo, who was outside the room, was overjoyed. Holding a tool in her hand, she almost skipped into the room. When she passed Si Mucheng and Wen Ya, her attitude was not unusual. She politely said, "Good morning, Young Master Si!"
Si Mucheng looked at the tall, thin boy with a bright smile, as if everything was perfectly natural.
But the more normal something seems, the more abnormal it actually is.
Si Mucheng chuckled twice, unable to think of anything to say, but Wen Ya spoke up: "What are you holding in your hand?"
Mingruo exclaimed excitedly, "It's a magical artifact I made! It's the first magical artifact I made all by myself!"
Si Mucheng's eyes widened: "Huh!" There is no record in ancient books that the ancestor could make magic artifacts at the age of twelve. Sure enough, the ancestor is the ancestor. It is not surprising that he could make such a heaven-defying artifact as the Soul-Returning Lamp.
Shi Ling was overjoyed and went down the mountain to buy chicken and meat to celebrate. Although Ming Ruo's little magical artifact only had ordinary defensive functions, it was rare for someone so young to be able to make a magical artifact on his own. He was truly remarkable and deserved to celebrate.
Shi Ling naturally invited Si Mucheng and Wen Ya, and the banquet for the four of them was quite proper. During the meal, Si Mucheng naturally raised his glass to congratulate Ming Ruo, and Shi Ling smiled and said, "With your presence as witnesses, my master and I are very pleased. Thank you both!"
Their words implied that Si Mucheng and Wen Ya were meant to be there and live with them.
Wen Ya drank the cup of wine that Shi Ling had offered them, but Si Mucheng was a little uneasy. He secretly asked Wen Ya behind the backs of the master and apprentice, "What's the situation now... how long do we have to stay here..."
Wen Ya couldn't say for sure either.
Aside from Mingruo making a magical artifact for the first time that day, nothing else happened. Wenya was unsure of the current situation and could only wait and see.
However, on the fourth day, Mingruo had grown a little more. On this day, Mingruo celebrated Shiling's birthday. He happily told Simucheng and Wenya that it was his master's birthday and he wanted to give his master a surprise. He had specially gone to ask the aunt in the village at the foot of the mountain for advice on how to make longevity noodles.
"My master has been cooking for me all these years, and today I want to make him a bowl of longevity noodles," the young patriarch said.
Day 5.
Si Mucheng was mentally prepared to face an even bigger Mingruo, but when he got up in the morning and went out, he found an empty house.
Si Mucheng was dumbfounded. He searched inside and out many times, but there was no one in sight. On the contrary, there was a layer of dust in Shi Ling and Ming Ruo's room, as if no one had lived there for a long time.
"What...what happened..." Si Mucheng stared at Wen Ya in horror, "They're gone?"
Wen Ya frowned.
Just then, a cheerful young voice came from afar: "Brother Si! Sister Wen! We're back!"
Wen Ya and Si Mucheng were slightly taken aback. The wooden door to the courtyard was opened from the outside, and two figures, one tall and one short, appeared. Shi Ling still had a gentle demeanor, while Ming Ruo had grown much taller than yesterday, almost reaching Shi Ling's chin. He was beaming with excitement, and as soon as he saw Si Mucheng, he couldn't wait to speak to him: "Brother Si, this time Master asked me to capture a hanged ghost! My Thunderwood Shield came in handy!" With that, he opened his palm, revealing a small shield made of lightning-struck wood.
Wen Ya had seen this small magical artifact in the hands of Shangguan Zheng of the Shangguan family in the present world, and she didn't expect it to also be made by Ming Ruo. However, by the time it reached the present world, it had become a protective talisman.
Seeing Mingruo chattering on about her experiences along the way, Shiling smiled and cupped her hands in greeting to Wenya: "You flatter me. Mingruo's first ghost-slaying attempt was very successful, and she's quite excited."
Wen Ya understood.
It seems that this day marked the first time Mingruo Shisui Ling had gone out to travel and collect ghosts.
On the sixth day... On the sixth day, Mingruo's height had surpassed Shiling's and was approaching that of Si Mucheng. Both her face and figure already resembled those of a young man.
Si Mucheng was already numb.
The day's events were heartwarming little things; Mingruo found a lame muntjac on the mountain, which looked like it had been caught in a hunter's trap and injured its leg.
Mingruo said, "Master has been suffering from a cold these days, so let's use this muntjac to help him recover. Brother Si, please hold it down for me."
However, Shi Ling, who heard the commotion, came out and quickly stopped Ming Ruo: "No, I won't eat."
Mingruo pursed her lips and remained silent.
Shi Ling coughed twice and sighed, "Why add to the killing? This muntjac doesn't look very big. It's probably separated from its mother. If you catch it, its mother will be very worried when she can't find it. It's just a cold. I won't eat this one and I'll be fine in a few days."
In contrast to Mingruo's dramatic change, Shiling remained largely unchanged, still looking as youthful as on the first day, showing no signs of aging, except that her face now bore a sickly air.
Mingruo wanted to insist, but Shiling persuaded her several times, and her cough worsened, so Mingruo finally relented and said anxiously, "I won't eat anymore, you should go and rest. I'll go make you some medicine!"
Shi Ling was relieved. Her lips were pale as she smiled at Si Mucheng and said, "Please trouble Young Master Si to release this deer."
Si Mucheng responded, and seeing Mingruo help Shiling into the house, he frowned and said to Wen Ya, "When will this flow of time stop? Are we going to stay with them until we die...? Is this the sixth or seventh day...?"
Wen Ya knew that Si Mucheng had been affected by the dream, and she said calmly, "The sixth day."
Si Mucheng paused, then muttered, "When will this ever end..."
Another day has come to an end.
As usual, darkness and light came and went, and Si Mucheng was starting to feel a bit expectant, wondering what kind of story would unfold today and how old Ming Ruode would be.
However, as soon as he opened the door, he saw Shi Ling in a moon-white robe, gentle and refined, nodding to him: "Young Master Si, did you sleep well last night?" At his feet, a baby was hugging his leg, curiously looking at Si Mucheng. Those big, fluttering eyes could only belong to Ming Ruo.
Wen Ya was also stunned when she saw this scene.
Shi Lingwei smiled and said, "I'm going to take Mingruo to the market at the foot of the mountain. Would you two like to come along?"
"No, no..." Si Mucheng stammered, frantically trying to wink at Wen Ya.
Shi Ling didn't insist, only saying, "Then please make yourselves at home, don't be shy." After saying that, she took Ming Ruo out.
As soon as they left, Si Mucheng eagerly asked Wen Ya, "Xiao Ya! What happened? Mingruo... has shrunk again?? Are we still dreaming?"
Wen Ya understood what he meant. The evil spirit dream they entered last time had a second layer of dream. Could they fall into the inner world of this dream again?
They didn't do anything the day before, so it shouldn't have triggered anything... But the day before? How did they determine the actual time? Was the day before really the day before? Or could it have just happened?
Wen Ya quickly calmed down. In the evil spirit dream, the worst thing is to have random thoughts. If your mind is not stable, you can easily be affected by the dream and get stuck in a rut. You might not be able to get out.
She pondered for a moment: "We probably haven't entered the inner world. If there is a second layer of dream, then the first layer must have been destroyed to fall into the second layer. Let's wait for them to come back and observe them further."
Si Mucheng was at his wit's end. He had thought the dream was harmless, but after so many days, they hadn't found a single clue. Anxiety grew within him, and all he could think of were bad ideas. He looked at Wen Ya, a hint of fear in his eyes: "Xiao Ya, what if we…?"
"No." Wen Ya grasped his wrist, her tone steady, her eyes cold. "Don't panic. It's not over yet."
Shi Lingming returned quickly, and Mingruo called out in her childish voice, "Master!"
Shi Ling patted his head: "Go back to reading 'Spirit Weapon'."
Wen Ya's mind stirred.
Shi Ling smiled and said to Wen Ya, "Miss Wen, your surname is Wen? If I'm not mistaken, you are a member of the Taoist sect."
Wen Ya suddenly looked up.
Sure enough, this was their first day in the dream world.
They returned to the starting point of the cycle.
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