Chapter 507: Cheng Yu's Countermove

After their initial attempt to ambush him with a nightmare failed, the enemies enlisted the Fan brothers to set a trap. Two consecutive kills in one night, their methods were incredibly vicious, clearly indicating their desire for his death.

If He Lingchuan's luck had been just a little worse, Jiao Yu would likely be picking out his coffin right now.

Barely half a night had passed, and the enemy was already at their doorstep again!

This was an utter disregard, a blatant challenge to the authority of both the Crown Prince's special envoy and the sovereign of Chiyan.

"It's important to focus on the main task first; these two debts will be noted," He Lingchuan said, patting the tiger's head. "I have a feeling they'll be settled very soon."

With the enemy resorting to such tactics, the two sides were now sworn enemies, leaving no room for reconciliation.

Zhongsun Mou and the Cen Estate's audacity might well stem from their desperation.

At this moment, he needed to remain calm.

What he considered his next important task, however, was slipping out to the street for a steaming bowl of savory porridge.

This dish was prepared by simmering diced dried tofu, turnips, and meat, along with dried clams, in rice porridge. Any available vegetables were added, and it was cooked until the rice grains burst open and the porridge became thick and sticky. A generous amount of pepper was added before serving.

He Lingchuan found the taste quite good, but the bustling crowds weren't just for the porridge itself. Two savory milk pastries, served alongside the porridge, were also a major draw.

These pastries were as white as snow and puffed up like glutinous rice balls. If one were to bite into them raw, they would only get a mouthful of dry crumbs, making them utterly unappetizing. However, when vigorously pressed into the hot porridge and allowed to soak for several dozen breaths, they transformed into a delightfully chewy, soft, and springy treat. With a gentle bite, the savory aroma of buffalo milk would burst forth in the mouth.

"Delicious!" He Lingchuan exclaimed, having never tasted anything like it. He promptly devoured two large bowls of the savory porridge.

When the third bowl arrived, he also ordered two freshly fried dough sticks and a bowl of Houlin beans.

These yellow beans were cooked until incredibly soft and sticky, with a texture similar to sweet bean paste but a savory taste. Locals would scoop the Houlin beans and stuff them into the hollows of the fried dough sticks, then eat them with a satisfying crunch. The combination of the crispy exterior and soft, sticky interior created a doubly delicious treat.

Even in the height of summer, the mornings offered little respite from the heat. People still gathered around low tables, slurping their food and wiping away sweat.

As Jiao Yu could only consume cold food, he went to the adjacent market and purchased a large portion of a fresh lamb hind leg, freshly butchered that dawn and weighing less than twenty catties.

His appetite wasn't great, so he just ate a little.

Cheng Yu was also having breakfast.

The fragrant and delicious medicinal porridge, made with ingredients including at least century-old ginseng, tasted like sawdust in his mouth.

A nauseating discomfort in his chest made him feel like vomiting. After forcing down a few more bites, the food nearly came back up.

He finally pushed the bowl away. "Take it," he said.

Uncle Wu, standing nearby, saw his face was ashen and his expression listless. "You really need to find a way to get some sleep," he said with concern.

This fellow had a grand reputation and commanded a high fee, yet he had previously been so arrogant, even presuming to order the young master around.

The young master had placed great hopes on him, believing he would achieve immediate success.

And what was the outcome?

He had failed in his attempt to assassinate the Crown Prince's special envoy, suffered severe injuries, and now required their full care, with all the best medicine being forced into him.

It was utterly ridiculous.

"If I could sleep, I would have been lying down long ago," Cheng Yu retorted with a cold glance. "The fact that they could kill Hundred Faces indicates proficiency in sorcery. If I fall asleep, I'd be giving them an opening."

Everyone knew that restful sleep was crucial for recovery after a severe injury. Ample sleep was essential for recuperating strength, something no elixir could replace.

But how could he dare to sleep now?

After his ritual failed last night, he had barely left before his opponent tracked him to the inn. This suggested that the individual named He was exceptionally skilled in tracking spells, perhaps even having obtained clues from the Hundred-Faced Nightmare.

The fact that the Hundred-Faced Nightmare had been defeated still seemed incredible to him. That was a nightmare born from an immortal's soul!

Yet, the evidence was undeniable.

Uncle Wu felt disdain. Was this fellow so terrified of He Xiao that he didn't even dare to sleep?

Nevertheless, he sighed sympathetically, "But it's daytime, isn't it?"

Didn't people like them typically perform their rituals and harm others under the cover of night?

Cheng Yu remained silent.

He suspected that his opponent also possessed a nightmare, perhaps even more potent than the Hundred-Faced one.

"Enduring like this isn't a solution," Uncle Wu continued. "You've already tried to regulate your breathing multiple times."

Even healthy individuals suffer from sleep deprivation. For someone as severely injured as Cheng Yu to try and force himself awake, he would likely collapse eventually.

Uncle Wu added, "My young master just left to confront this He individual himself. Would you like to take this opportunity to get some rest?"

With He Xiao occupied by Cen Boqing, he shouldn't have the capacity to secretly attack Cheng Yu.

Cheng Yu considered this, finding it a viable solution.

As he relaxed, his head felt even heavier with drowsiness.

"Then I'll sleep for a bit," Cheng Yu said, slowly moving towards the bed. "Find someone to sit in the courtyard and keep a close watch on the rope-and-bell array! If a bell rings from any direction, it means an unseen evil spirit is approaching, and you must wake me immediately."

He had already set up several talisman arrays inside the room. He had also instructed people to stretch red ropes around the four corners of the house, the four corners of the courtyard, and the four corners outside the courtyard, attaching eighteen, thirty-six, and seventy-two silver bells to each respective rope.

This created a system of three concentric squares.

Oddly enough, the bells had jingled before being hung, leading the guards to think they would be deafening. Yet, once the red ropes were taut, all of them became perfectly still.

Even though it was quite windy today, none of the more than one hundred silver bells made a sound, which was peculiar.

After giving his instructions, Cheng Yu lay down on the bed, precisely in the center of the rope-and-bell array.

He was so utterly exhausted that he fell asleep instantly.

Uncle Wu immediately dispatched two men to guard the courtyard, with a fresh pair relieving them every two hours.

Time slowly passed.

Uncle Wu stretched, remembering other tasks he had to attend to. Just as he was about to get up and leave, he suddenly heard a faint, crisp jingle.

Ding, ding, ding—

It seemed to come from the east.

Initially, only the outermost rope bells chimed. Within a couple of blinks, the bells on the middle layer began to ring as well.

Without delay, Uncle Wu strode to the bedside and vigorously shook Cheng Yu's shoulder. "Wake up! Wake up quickly!"

If the man didn't open his eyes, he wouldn't hesitate to slap him awake.

Suddenly, blood began to trickle from Cheng Yu's nose.

Uncle Wu was startled, thinking he had finally fallen victim to an ambush.

Nevertheless, Cheng Yu opened his eyes.

The moment he opened his eyes, the crisp ringing abruptly ceased.

The three people nearby looked up, all finding it eerie.

Cheng Yu hadn't slept for long and was still feeling unwell. He asked weakly, "How long have I been asleep?"

"A quarter of an hour," Uncle Wu replied gravely. "He actually came."

For someone severely injured, such a short nap was worse than no sleep at all. Cheng Yu pressed his throbbing head. "I've set up talisman arrays," he murmured. "An ordinary spellcaster shouldn't be able to track me here."

Uncle Wu wondered, "He's just a teenage boy; he seems good at martial arts but not particularly skilled in sorcery. His guards are even less likely to be."

"How can you tell if someone is skilled in sorcery just by their appearance?" Cheng Yu snapped. "Besides, those proficient in sorcery aren't necessarily human."

"So, what do we do now?"

Cheng Yu thought for a moment, then pulled a translucent conch shell from his robe.

The shell was almost perfectly clear and colorless, yet inside, snowflakes swirled as if caught in a blizzard.

In the center of the shell was a tiny wooden house, its doors and windows shut tight, from which a warm light emanated.

If He Lingchuan were present, he would likely recognize it as a snow globe.

A small stopper was fitted into the opening of the shell.

"What is this?" Uncle Wu asked curiously.

"A dream realm," Cheng Yu replied, with a hint of reluctance. "It's a fixed and enclosed dream realm, impervious to other sorcery or nightmares, but it can only be used three times... I've already used it twice, leaving only this final use."

A life-saving fallback such as this was precious, each use diminishing its availability.

But then again, if not now, when?

He instructed Uncle Wu, "Do you see the lanterns outside the door?"

"Yes," Uncle Wu replied, observing through the shell a pair of red lanterns hanging by the wooden house's door, swaying in the wind and snow.

"Once the red lanterns illuminate, you must tightly seal the stopper, enclosing the entire dream realm," Cheng Yu stated gravely. "When the red lanterns dim again, then you may open it. No mistakes!"

"Understood."

"During this time, guard the dream realm and my body carefully. Do not allow anyone to steal them."

"A minor matter," Uncle Wu said with a smile. "You are resting in the Cen Estate courtyard now; no one would dare trespass here."

"Then..." Cheng Yu coughed a few times, his face looking even worse. "That's good."

His face was deathly pale, yet he forced himself to give one final instruction: "Absolutely, under no circumstances, remove the stopper prematurely. My injuries this time are too severe, and I require a long recovery period. Removing it early would scatter my soul, not only endangering me but also bringing misfortune upon the person who removes it. Remember that, remember!"

Uncle Wu agreed wholeheartedly.

Only then did Cheng Yu swallow some pills and lie back down.

Holding the conch shell, Uncle Wu had a persistent feeling that something extra had appeared in the room after Cheng Yu closed his eyes.

Before long, Cheng Yu's snoring gradually began.

Inside the conch shell, the swirling wind and snow abruptly stilled, and the red lanterns suddenly illuminated.

Uncle Wu dared not delay. He quickly pressed the stopper firmly into the shell's opening, completely sealing it.

Afterward, the snow scene inside remained, and the orange light emanating from the wooden house was still warm, but it seemed...

...a figure was moving inside?

Uncle Wu leaned in for a closer look and indeed saw a silhouette reflected on the window paper, seemingly pacing back and forth inside the house.

Was this person Cheng Yu?

Approximately half an hour later, the rope bells outside the courtyard suddenly rang again.

Ding-a-ling, ding-a-ling.

The bells outside the courtyard rang, then those in the courtyard.

Something was rapidly approaching the room.

Soon, the rope bells inside the room—they rang too!

The ringing was clear, cold, and chaotic, imbued with an unsettling urgency.

Never in his life had Uncle Wu disliked the sound of bells so much.

He knew the opponent had already entered the room and was now lingering right there, beside him and Cheng Yu.

Yet, he couldn't see or hear their adversary. It was even possible the adversary couldn't see or hear them either.

Perhaps they weren't even in the same physical space.

Unable to find Cheng Yu, the adversary seemed to grow anxious, and all the bells on the four ropes inside the room began to chime simultaneously.

Was this entity moving erratically throughout the room?

Uncle Wu looked down at the conch shell in his hand.

The silhouette within the miniature wooden house was also moving, seemingly just as agitated.