Chapter 41 "Mother, what kind of meat is this?"...
The road ahead stretches into the distance, the tower lights up, and there seems to be a figure watching her from the top.
The flickering firelight reflected in the light shimmering in her eyes.
The road ahead is growing, seemingly without end.
But the direction is right, the path is right, so one step is getting closer, two steps are getting closer, and countless steps are all getting closer.
The wind whistled, and strands of her hair flew behind her ears. She didn't turn around, and kept walking forward.
Until my feet ached and my body began to tire, the tower was finally in sight.
Meng Chiwan stopped and gripped the Soul-Guiding Banner tightly. Thousands of souls also stopped and stood behind her.
At this moment, the color of her clothes began to fade, as if a layer of fine frost had been applied to the jade.
She was dressed in all white, as if she were heading to a grand funeral.
But that's clearly not how it works. No one told her what to do. She drifted along, her mind filled with only one thought: follow your heart.
As you climb the stone steps in front of the tower and look back, you see several Kongming lanterns rising from somewhere, spirit banners flying in the sky, and candles lighting up the way.
Wen Liansong stood at the very front, smiling as he looked at her, murmuring something, his eyes suddenly becoming clear.
Whether intentionally or unintentionally, she grasped Meng Chiwan's hand, then revealed half of her sleeve, and for a moment the immortal herb hidden within was clearly visible.
Meng Chiwan's gaze precisely caught the immortal herb, and then she looked at Wen Liansong without making a sound.
Wen Liansong said softly, "I hope Chi Wan will return safely. You are no longer a spirit, so the ritual may become extremely dangerous. But because you are not a spirit, the ritual may save all of our lives. Please, bring back... everything you have seen and thought of."
She paused at the end, carefully choosing her words, and then her sentences became ambiguous, unsure whether she should or could not say it.
Meng Chiwan was somewhat puzzled, but she still remembered all of her words.
Wen Liansong appeared completely unaffected by the secret realm at this moment. She probably revealed the immortal herb to remind Meng Chiwan.
Jiang Yi stood beside her, silent. It was impossible to tell whether he was conscious or not.
Meng Chiwan took one last look at Wen Liansong and Jiang Yi. Then she stepped up the stairs, leaving behind thousands of souls and Kongming lanterns, causing the fluttering spirit banners to sway even more violently.
The steps are long, but they always come to an end.
Meng Chiwan looked up, trying her best to see who was standing on the top of the tower, but her eyes seemed to be covered by a layer of mist, and she could never see clearly.
A dark door stood before me, its ancient marks revealed over the years.
She pushed the door open.
Stepping across the threshold.
In an instant, the door closed automatically.
She turned around, and the door disappeared, blending into the wall, making it impossible for her to leave even now.
Therefore, she quickly calmed down and looked up at the things inside the tower.
The first thing that catches the eye is a small courtyard surrounded by a gently flowing stream.
A square wooden table sits in the courtyard, and the fresh scent of wood and bamboo still lingers in the air.
A few bowls of congee and side dishes were laid out on the table, steaming hot as if they could evaporate all unpleasantness.
Smoke curled from the kitchen nearby as someone carried out the last dish.
Meng Chiwan stood there, and then someone gently tapped her on the head from behind.
"It's time to eat. Why are you still standing here like an idiot? Did you get bullied again today?" The voice was rough but also tinged with laughter.
"...Who can bully me?" Meng Chiwan asked softly, "Father."
"What's wrong? You sound unhappy. Come on, tell your father what upset you today? Tell him so your mother can be happy too."
As she was listening, Meng Chiwan felt herself being picked up, and almost instantly, she realized that her body seemed to have become shorter and smaller.
She stretched out her hand, and sure enough, her hand had shrunk to the size of a child's.
Is this another illusion?
Now that things have come to this, we can only take it one step at a time.
"Come, come, let's eat and talk. Today, Daddy went to the market and bought you your favorite dishes. Try them! There's meat in the dishes today!" The voice laughed twice, then picked her up and sat her on the small wooden stool.
Meng Chiwan smiled, then turned her head to look at the dishes on the table.
The person carrying the last dish had hands full of blood, and the dish was raw meat chopped into pieces, with bones still attached.
Meng Chiwan looked up at her mother, who was holding a dish and smiling warmly, and then slowly broke free from her father's embrace.
Finally, she asked with a smile, "Mother, what kind of meat is this?"
The mother's smile remained unchanged as she moved the dish in front of Meng Chiwan, her eyes filled with anticipation: "This is a mix of chicken, pork, and beef. Eat quickly!"
As she got closer, the pungent smell of meat and blood assaulted her nostrils, almost making her vomit instantly.
She tried to stand up, but her father's hand stopped on her shoulder, preventing her from moving.
Meng Chiwan tilted her head slightly upwards and could still see her father's carefree laughter, which sounded perfectly normal.
She swallowed, not because she wanted to eat, but because it was an unconscious action made under extreme tension.
Now that she was in a child's body, her attempts to summon Jinglan were futile, and she couldn't seem to mobilize the spiritual energy within her body. It was as if she had been thrown into another body.
But before she could finish speaking, her mother picked up a piece of food with her chopsticks and put it in her bowl. Seeing that she seemed stunned, she picked it up again and tried to put it in her mouth.
The meat was about to touch her lips.
"Mother, actually... actually I ate out today!" Meng Chiwan hurriedly came up with an excuse, but the next moment her stomach rumbled inappropriately.
The slap in the face came too quickly.
She was momentarily stunned as they approached.
Then she gave an awkward laugh: "Maybe I ate something bad. I need to go to the restroom."
"You child...you should at least eat a couple of pieces. Your father went through so much trouble to bring them back, don't make him sad." Mother sighed, put down her chopsticks, and said softly.
"Father, don't be sad. I'll come back for dinner later, okay?" Upon hearing this, Meng Chiwan could only gently rub her head against her father's hand. She was clearly so nervous that her body was trembling, but she still forced her voice to be sweet.
We have to leave. We can't stay here, at least not. Who knows what kind of meat that is?
Although she didn't want to think this way, she had clearly seen human fingers among the flesh and blood just now...
The pressure on her shoulders eased, and she got up to walk outside.
"Little Chi Wan, what's wrong with you today? You're acting strange." He suddenly spoke in a deep voice, "Is the outhouse outside?"
Meng Chiwan tensed up even more: "Mother, I've eaten too much and feel a little nauseous. I want to go out for a walk to digest my food."
"It's not that I don't want you to go out. It's just that there's still some stuff outside that hasn't been cleaned up yet, so it's best not to go out. If you want to aid digestion, you can do some physical exercises with your father." Mother's voice softened.
Meng Chiwan accurately captured the key words: "What wasn't cleaned up properly? Shall I clean it for Mother?"
Her small face was tilted upwards, showing a childlike innocence and a very well-behaved appearance, which almost melted people's hearts.
The old woman smiled, stepped forward and took her hand, then patted her cheek and said softly, "You don't need to clean it up. I'm afraid you'd end up with more stuff than that."
Meng Chiwan was full of curiosity, but she could only helplessly wait for her father to finish eating before she could begin her body-refining exercise.
She knew perfectly well that her father and mother were all fake, that this was all an illusion. But she didn't know what would happen if she resisted, or rather, she didn't dare gamble on the consequences.
She was now completely naked, unable to use any spiritual energy or magic, and Jinglan seemed to have disappeared without her noticing.
She assumed a horse stance, balancing several books on her head, while her mind raced, trying to come up with a solution.
What is the solution? Is she going to keep playing house here forever?
Thinking of this, she moved her head slightly, and then the pages of the book fell out. In that instant, Meng Chiwan clearly saw that the pages were completely blank, with only a few large characters on the cover.
Noticing her father's gaze, she stuck out her tongue guiltily, then picked up the book pages, flipped through them casually, held them on her head, and asked with a puzzled tone, "Father, why are there no words in the book?"
"No words? That's because you can't read," Father shook his head and said.
“But it’s blank,” Meng Chiwan retorted. “Father, come and see for yourself.”
Seeing her like this, her father could only walk over helplessly, and then opened the book: "Why are there no words? Take a closer look."
Her eyes widened immediately.
She had clearly flipped through the book; there were no words on it. And her father, barring any unforeseen circumstances, was someone with no affinity for immortality, so it was impossible for him to have tampered with the book.
If all of this is a dream or an illusion, then it can only mean one thing.
She is not the subject of this dream, or rather, illusion.
She wants to get out, but she needs to find the main body.
But who is the main character? Could it be his father?
Or is it someone or something that has been watching her?
Her mind was racing, but her stance remained firm.
"Father, where did Mother go?" She was sweating a little, so she wiped her sweat with her free hand and then asked.
"I've gone to clean things up," Father replied naturally.
"What are you cleaning? Why can't I go? Can I go and see? Father, my stomach is all digested," she pleaded.
"No." Father's voice was deep and resolute, carrying an unyielding determination.
"Is it because I'd be scared if I saw it?" Meng Chiwan asked tentatively.
Her father immediately covered her mouth as if facing a formidable enemy, and then disapproved, saying, "What are you afraid of? You shouldn't be afraid."
Meng Chiwan's mouth was covered, so she didn't speak.
Father continued, his eyes faintly red.
He looked mesmerized and muttered to himself, "How could I be afraid... that's..."
Author's Note: There will be another update later, before midnight~ [doge emoji]
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