Chapter 466: Unnamed Marriage Contract and the Dream of Recurrence

In a palace carved from crystal, the marriage contract in Ye Changong's fingers resembled a maple leaf.

Ning Changjiu looked at the marriage contract, and his fingers, hidden in his sleeves, suddenly trembled. In that moment, he felt the world was strikingly clear.

A butterfly-laden breeze blew in from the window, scattering golden specks of light across the courtyard. The light streamed through the window onto Ning Changjiu's cheek, with shadows flowing like water. Silent time drifted by amidst this equally silent imagery.

Ye Changong gazed at him, unsure if she was looking at him or the beautiful golden reflections flickering across his cheek.

A moment later, Ye Changong's fingers subtly contracted, as if to pull back the marriage contract. Ning Changjiu's hand intervened, somehow landing on the contract and grasping one corner.

Ye Changong looked at him again but did not immediately release her grip.

Ning Changjiu lowered his head slightly and said, "Thank you, Master."

Only then did Ye Changong release her fingers.

Ning Changjiu took the marriage contract and gently placed it on his lap, not opening it, appearing somewhat hesitant. He felt as if he had been summoned by the empress for an audience, only to find himself granted a marriage instead of an imperial decree. He knew perfectly well that the person named in the contract was very likely the empress herself. While secretly pleased, his own moral compass wouldn't allow him to harbor such presumptuous thoughts, leaving him in an awkward predicament.

Ye Changong was the first to speak: "Aren't you curious about who the marriage contract is for?"

Ning Changjiu wondered, "Is there really a third person in this Realm of Eternity...?"

Of course, he knew that despite his Master's gentle and innocent appearance, she was, in essence, a maiden who had orchestrated a millennium-spanning war of nations, personally guiding history to this very juncture with her near-divine foresight. After all, even someone as gentle and kind as Jiajia had moments where she was unaware of the bigger picture, let alone his Master... Thus, Ning Changjiu dared not answer rashly for a moment.

"Since it's a marriage arranged by you, Master, of course I'm interested," Ning Changjiu replied.

"There's no need to be reserved," Ye Changong said. "If you wish to see it, simply open it and read."

The more placid Ye Changong's words were, the more unsettled Ning Changjiu felt. Yet, he was also intensely curious about the contract's contents.

Since his Master had spoken, Ning Changjiu calmly opened the marriage contract, maintaining an expression of complete composure.

Inside the Daoist hall, they sat quietly facing each other.

Ning Changjiu's gaze fell upon the marriage contract.

The contents of the marriage contract were simple, mainly phrases about auspicious times and beautiful scenery, forging a marital bond, being companions on the same path, and keeping vows like those of a lifetime and an autumn leaves alliance. Yet, the calligraphy was exquisitely elegant, as delicate as a tea bud.

Ning Changjiu, feeling a slight tension, looked towards the end.

However, no name was written at the end.

Ning Changjiu looked up and asked, "Master, what is the meaning of this?"

Ye Changong produced a brush, handed it to him, and said calmly, "You may write any name you wish."

Ning Changjiu paused, slightly stunned. "Any name?" he echoed.

Ye Changong nodded. "Yes."

"But those with whom I share mutual affection are already coupled," Ning Changjiu replied.

"If you miss them, you may write their names as well," Ye Changong said softly.

Ning Changjiu paused, a little taken aback. "Can Master connect to their dreams?" he asked.

"No," Ye Changong replied. "This is the Realm of Eternity, not the mortal world. My dominion over dreams cannot extend across realms."

Ning Changjiu grew even more curious. "Then if I write their names, what will happen?"

"Don't forget this is a dream," Ye Changong said. "Since it's a dream, anything is possible. Whether these things can truly manifest depends solely on whether you dare to imagine them."

"It depends solely on whether I dare to imagine?" Ning Changjiu stared at the marriage contract, a ripple stirring in his normally tranquil mind.

"Yes," Ye Changong said gently. "This is a dream, your dream. You can write any name on the marriage contract at any time."

Ning Changjiu gently shook his head. "But dreams are ultimately just illusions," he said.

"It is precisely because people live too consciously much of the time," Ye Changong said, "that they need the illusion of dreams to comfort their souls."

Ning Changjiu found wisdom in her words, nodded, then took the marriage contract and brush, thanking his Master once more.

"If I write my wife's name, then... where will Master be?" Ning Changjiu whispered.

"I will be in an unseen place," Ye Changong replied.

"Master, will you be watching us?" Ning Changjiu asked.

"Have you not yet grown accustomed to my gaze?" Ye Changong countered.

Only then did Ning Changjiu suddenly recall that within the Unobservable Realm, his Master could clearly see his daily life, much like... Xiang'er.

"Has Master always been watching?" Ning Changjiu asked. "And what was the experience... like?"

Ye Changong nodded indifferently. "It's commonplace, nothing more," she said.

Ning Changjiu, however, felt his ears burning.

For a moment, he was at a loss for words, his thoughts drifting to his Master in his memories... Throughout history, even when they were husband and wife, Ye Changong had always seemed this way—serene and understated, always wanting to express something, yet often feeling that words fell short.

And of course, he was the same when facing her.

Was this the inherent chasm between the sun and the moon?

Ning Changjiu was speechless for a moment, simply saying, "Thank you for the marriage contract, Master. Your disciple... humbly accepts it."

Ye Changong gently shook her head, her thin lips parting. "You are my disciple," she said, "and it is only proper for me to take charge of your life's most important matters."

"Your disciple already has beloved companions in the Dao," Ning Changjiu said, "and no regrets in this life. With Master accompanying me here, I have no other extravagant desires."

"That is you outside the dream," Ye Changong countered. "The you within the dream is still alone."

With these words, Ye Changong rose and walked into the myriad white silks at the center of the Daoist hall. The veils draped down, and her maidenly figure moved gracefully, like a lonely breeze lingering among the white fabrics.

Ning Changjiu wanted to rise and declare that he was not alone, but the marriage contract in his hand seemed to burn his fingertips with phantom pain. He opened his mouth, yet in the end, said nothing, simply watching Ye Changong disappear into the white silks.

Like a lotus bloom receding into the misty depths.

By the pond in the courtyard, fish floated, their fins like delicate wings, held aloft by an unseen breeze.

Ning Changjiu sat at the table, gazing at the chessboard with its nineteen intersecting lines, casually placing black and white pieces upon it.

He was replaying yesterday's game against his Master.

These days, they occasionally played a match. Ning Changjiu, never one to admit defeat, steadily improved his chess skills, yet there remained a visibly discernible gap between his abilities and Ye Changong's.

He replayed the game once more, realizing that no matter how he played, he simply couldn't win against her. This was a pure disparity in computational power, an abyss impossible to bridge in a short span of time.

Ning Changjiu smiled faintly. As the game concluded, he began to gather the pieces, returning the black and white stones to their respective containers.

In the Realm of Eternity, he possessed no vast magical powers. As his Master had stated, he was merely a patient in recovery, and his current routine and habits resembled those of an idle elder.

After clearing the board, Ning Changjiu sat to the side, watching the floating fish, and unconsciously retrieved the marriage contract.

He tried writing a character on the marriage contract, then pressed his finger over it, discovering that the character could be erased...

So, names can be changed at will? Master is truly thoughtful.

Upon realizing that names could be freely modified, Ning Changjiu's psychological burden significantly lightened. He grew a little bolder, picked up the brush, pondered briefly, and decided to first test the power of the dream.

Ning Changjiu picked up the brush, and after a moment of hesitation, wrote the name "Zhao Xiang'er" on the marriage contract.

No sooner had the name "Zhao Xiang'er" been written than a knock sounded from outside the courtyard. Ning Changjiu looked up in surprise, said "Come in," and the door swung open.

Zhao Xiang'er pushed open the courtyard gate and stepped inside.

Xiang'er was casually dressed in a phoenix-embroidered gown, its sash half-tied, half-draped, the hem sweeping the floor. Her inner garments were soft and loose, revealing her slender, delicate shoulders and collarbones. She entered, her dark hair flowing, cradling a book pressed against her soft bosom. She then casually sat beside Ning Changjiu, opened the book on the table, and leaned listlessly on her elbow.

"Xiang... Xiang'er?"

Ning Changjiu blinked, gazing at the lifelike maiden before him, utterly unable to distinguish between dream and reality.

Zhao Xiang'er heard his call, looked up, and asked, "Hm? What's wrong?"

"Xiang'er... why are you here?" Ning Changjiu asked.

"This is the Three Thousand Worlds," Zhao Xiang'er replied. "Where else would I be but here?"

Ning Changjiu was startled. Only then did he realize he was no longer in the Unobservable Realm, but in the Three Thousand Worlds... The dream had changed so quickly.

Zhao Xiang'er stared at Ning Changjiu. "Why do you look so guilty?" she asked.

"Hm?" Ning Changjiu was slightly puzzled. "Guilty about what?"

"Are you secretly flirting with other girls again?" Zhao Xiang'er asked.

"Of course not," Ning Changjiu replied calmly.

Zhao Xiang'er scoffed. "'Of course not'? Does that mean you haven't been flirting with other girls, or that you no longer need to hide it from me?"

Ning Changjiu's ambiguous wording was instantly exposed, and he couldn't help but marvel at Xiang'er's sharp wit.

Ning Changjiu scoffed at himself. "I'm already struggling enough with you, Xiang'er. Where would I find the spare energy for anyone else?"

Zhao Xiang'er looked at him skeptically, her eyes shifting slightly. "Why do you look so weak?" she asked.

"I've been ill recently, which is why I'm a bit weak," Ning Changjiu explained.

Zhao Xiang'er's eyes curved as she leaned closer. "What kind of illness is it?" she asked. "Does this Princess need to help you with treatment?"

Ning Changjiu looked at Xiang'er's disheveled attire. The girl who was usually so majestic and dignified now appeared incredibly adorable and alluring.

His mood relaxed somewhat. "It's the lovesickness from missing you, Xiang'er," he said.

Zhao Xiang'er's eyes, however, sharpened. "Incorrect!" she declared.

"Hm? What's incorrect?" Ning Changjiu felt a sudden bewilderment.

"You claim you have lovesickness," Zhao Xiang'er said, "but if it was caused by missing me, now that I'm back, your illness should be cured. So why is there no sign of improvement? Tell me! This 'lovesickness' you speak of with such certainty—who is it truly for?!"

Ning Changjiu was stunned. He had never imagined that the Xiang'er in his dream would be so perceptive. He argued lamely, "This is... well, the inertia of the illness."

Zhao Xiang'er wasn't listening at all. Her face shed its languid expression, becoming instantly commanding. Rubbing her small fists, she advanced towards Ning Changjiu. "So, you won't tell me? Still trying to argue?"

"I truly am ill, Xiang'er, perhaps..." Ning Changjiu tried to explain.

"Silence." Zhao Xiang'er had already reached him. Her face was grim as she pressed her body against his, yet a faintly cold smile bloomed on her features. "I can cure your illness, you know. It won't hurt if you're dead, will it? That way... you can stay by my side forever..."

Ning Changjiu's heart seized with dread. What was happening in this dream? Had Xiang'er in his dream truly become so dark?

Realizing the danger, he felt Xiang'er's small fist crash down, instantly sending him plummeting through layers of cloud and swirling dust. He grimaced in pain, and seeing Xiang'er about to pounce again, he quickly pulled out the marriage contract and erased the name.

The dream collapsed.

Ning Changjiu awoke within the Unobservable Realm.

The butterfly perched on his arm fluttered away, startled.

Ning Changjiu rubbed his eyes, discovering he had been sleeping on the chessboard, while fish flitted happily around him.

Was this... a dream within a dream?

Ning Changjiu unfolded the marriage contract; the name on it was already gone.

Xiang'er in the dream was far too aggressive. If he hadn't acted quickly enough, he might not have woken up alive...

Ning Changjiu stared at the marriage contract, hesitated for a moment, then, unconvinced, wrote down Lu Jiajia's name.

He re-entered the dream.

When he awoke, he found himself in a familiar wooden hall.

Ah... this was the wooden hall of the Sword Decree Heavenly Sect.

He looked up and saw many people watching him, among them several familiar faces. He couldn't recall the names of the youths, and the girl glaring fiercely at him... hm, her name seemed to be Le Rou. Ning Xiaoling was also seated not far away, looking at him with sympathetic eyes.

Ning Changjiu looked up and saw Lu Jiajia standing at the front of the lecture hall, holding a ruler and glaring at him with a gaze sharp as a blade.

Ning Changjiu sensed trouble.

Soon, Lu Jiajia's cold, clear voice of reprimand rang out.

"Though you've become an inner disciple, you cannot be this arrogant and complacent, sleeping all day in the wooden hall. What kind of behavior is this? Even if I can tolerate you, the ancestral rules will not! If I, your Master, were to ignore this, the rules of this Sword Hall would become mere empty words."

Lu Jiajia walked up to him, her white robes like snow, her expression proud and sharp, her gaze filled with deep reproach.

"Hold out your hand!" Lu Jiajia commanded, full of dignity in her role as a teacher.

Ning Changjiu watched Lu Jiajia's fierce expression, filled with nostalgia. Yet, nostalgia aside, he couldn't simply stand there and be beaten.

"Where's your other hand?" Lu Jiajia asked, seeing him offer only his left hand, and the ruler had already descended.

Ning Changjiu winced in pain, and with his other hand hidden in his sleeve, he swiftly and discreetly erased the name.

The dream shattered.

He awoke once more in the Unobservable Realm.

Ning Changjiu sighed, rubbing his palm, which still felt a bit sore. How could Jiajia be so fierce too? Alas, if only he hadn't been so weak just now, he would have surely seized Jiajia's ruler and given her a good pounding, like forging a sword.

Ning Changjiu looked at the marriage contract and tentatively wrote down "Siming."

This time, when he awoke, he found his body immobile. After struggling, he realized he seemed to be bound to something.

Opening his eyes, Ning Changjiu saw Siming seated before him, still in her black robes and silver hair. She sat with legs crossed, appearing exquisitely elegant and alluring. He noticed Xueci gazing at him, faint affection flickering in her cold eyes, yet in her hand she held a long, slender whip.

And he... was actually tied to a crucifixion rack?!

What kind of twisted dream was this?

Ning Changjiu frantically searched for the marriage contract to reset the dream, but he couldn't find it.

"Husband, what is this?" Siming asked, her jade-like fingers holding the marriage contract and gently shaking it. "I found this on you."

Ning Changjiu feigned ignorance. "Hm? I don't know either, Xue'er. Could you bring it closer so I can see?"

"Xue'er?" Siming's eyes sharpened.

Ning Changjiu realized his mistake. Considering his predicament, he tentatively tried, "Xueci? Siming? Fourth Junior Sister?"

Siming's eyes grew even colder, as if a blizzard were brewing.

"Lord Official, Your Royal Highness?" Ning Changjiu gritted his teeth, quite reluctantly.

Only then did Siming's expression soften slightly. She unfolded the paper and said, "Read the contents aloud for me."

Siming in the dream was quite assertive, her words carrying the unique, cool allure of a queen.

"Can Lord Official bring it a little closer?" Ning Changjiu whispered.

Siming nodded indifferently and brought it closer.

Ning Changjiu immediately bumped his head against the marriage contract, using his forehead to quickly rub the name away.

Waking in the Unobservable Realm, Ning Changjiu looked at his freely moving limbs and let out a sigh of relief. He patted his chest, still feeling a lingering sense of dread.

Ning Changjiu looked towards the Daoist hall, thinking that life had indeed grown more interesting. His Master was truly... meticulously caring.

Ning Changjiu had three nightmares in a row and was somewhat reluctant to write more names, yet he also refused to believe in bad omens.

"Shao Xiaoli."

Ning Changjiu wrote down Xiaoli's name, thinking, *Xiaoli should be well-behaved, right...?*

Plunging into the dream, everything was dim, with a faintly cold mist drifting. Ning Changjiu saw a tragically beautiful figure in red floating back and forth before him. The girl in red turned her head, revealing a pale yet beautiful face adorned with a sickly smile: "Yi, you've finally returned. This time... you won't escape."

Ning Changjiu felt a chill run through him and quickly left the dream.

"Xiaoling, you are your Senior Brother's last hope!"

Ning Changjiu sat in the Unobservable Realm, gazing at the marriage contract, then looked up at the myriad butterflies filling the sky. He couldn't imagine what terrifying tricks a simple, adorable girl like Xiaoling could possibly play on him.

Ning Changjiu carefully wrote down the name "Ning Xiaoling."

As expected, the dream with Xiaoling was much more heartwarming.

They were transported back to their days at the Sword Decree Heavenly Sect. Ning Xiaoling sat in her room, legs swinging as she gazed out at the thick fog beyond the window. Her pear-blossom white Daoist robe billowed, and the contours of her profile were delicate and charming.

At this moment, though Xiaoling wasn't as devastatingly beautiful as Xiang'er and the others, she was undeniably cute and pretty, and at the very least, posed no threat to his life.

She seemed to sense something, turned her head, and asked innocently, "You're awake?"

Ning Changjiu sensed something was off, but he couldn't quite pinpoint what it was.

"Yes, I'm awake," he replied, noticing his throat felt a bit uncomfortable and his voice was strange. He paid it no mind and smiled. "Xiaoling, why are you here? If Master sees us, we'll be in for a beating."

Clearly, Ning Changjiu held some resentment towards his previous dreams.

Ning Xiaoling looked slightly surprised. "Huh, haven't I been here all these days?" she asked.

"These days? All this time?" Ning Changjiu's pupils contracted slightly. *Could I really be that depraved?* he wondered.

Ning Xiaoling quietly approached, reached out to touch his forehead, and asked, "What's wrong? Do you have a fever? Or are you deliberately playing dumb to try and drive Xiaoling away?"

"Uh, how could that be? Xiaoling is the cutest," Ning Changjiu said, looking at her. While he found Xiaoling a little strange too, compared to his previous wives, his junior sister was still the most harmless.

Ning Xiaoling smiled sweetly. "Senior Sister Ning is the best too!" she chirped.

Ning Changjiu's smile froze on his face.

Senior Sister... Ning?!

His body stiffened slightly. He tentatively touched his throat and realized something seemed to be missing! Startled from his 'illness,' he abruptly sat up, threw back the covers, and saw a Daoist robe adorned with fluttering pear blossoms. He rushed to the mirror, stared at his reflection, and remained utterly lost in thought for a long time.

Ning Xiaoling cautiously approached him from behind, wrapping her arms around him. "What's wrong, Senior Sister?" she asked. "Did you sleep so much you're confused? Oh, right, Senior Sister, you've been very close with Master lately. Can you find a way to trick Master in too, so we can all... mmph."

Ning Changjiu looked at the exquisitely beautiful, somewhat familiar-faced Daoist robe maiden in the mirror. *Hm... quite pretty... No! What am I thinking!* Ning Changjiu angrily lashed out, shattering the mirror with a punch.

Ning Xiaoling jumped in fright, hesitating whether to step forward, but Ning Changjiu had already decisively pulled out the marriage contract and erased the name.

In the Unobservable Realm, he awoke for the fifth time.

Ning Changjiu touched his throat, feeling something firm, and only then did his mind settle.

He sighed, collapsing onto the chessboard, feeling utterly drained.

How were his own dreams becoming so twisted and absurd...?

Ning Changjiu had originally intended to try Liu Xiyuan, but the successive shocks made him hesitate. After scrawling a crooked "Liu" character, he truly didn't dare to write the characters for "Xiyuan."

Ning Changjiu looked at the fiery red marriage contract, then glanced at the tightly closed hall door, and suddenly understood something.

His Master seemed to be letting him fill in any name he wished, but he had already witnessed the consequences of writing other names.

Therefore... in truth, this marriage contract could only bear one name.

And that name had to be written by him personally.

"Master..."

Ning Changjiu was lost in thought, recalling the maiden's figure as she vanished amidst the white silks.

He sat at the table for a long time, his gaze fixed on the marriage contract, which glowed like fire, searing his eyes.

His two most recent lives had impacted him the most; his even earlier existences felt more like ephemeral illusions.

Therefore, the fact that Ye Changong was his Master had been deeply ingrained in his perception over decades. The past accounts of them being Dao companions, battling demons three or four millennia ago, felt more like listening to a familiar historical narrative. Thus, even when they were alone now, Ning Changjiu would still address her as Master, rather than with any frivolous or presumptuous title.

This was his sincere respect for Ye Changong, as well as a habitual way of thinking he had long developed.

Ning Changjiu occasionally entertained thoughts of breaking the status quo, of rekindling their past connection. Yet, when he truly stood before his Master and observed her cool, elegant demeanor, he would feel that any amorous thought was a sacrilege.

But... was Master also actively seeking change?

Ning Changjiu opened his eyes, and the taut strings of his heart slowly relaxed.

He picked up the brush, and after a slight pause, fluidly wrote down the name "Ye Changong."

As the name was written, a sudden sense of clarity dawned upon him.

Ning Changjiu closed his eyes, composed himself, then folded the marriage contract, walked past the pond, and knocked on the hall door.

Inside the hall, white silks swayed.

"Is the marriage contract complete?" Ye Changong's pleasant voice drifted over.

"Yes, it's written," Ning Changjiu replied calmly.

"Whose name did you write?" Ye Changong asked.

"Your disciple humbly dared to write Master's name," Ning Changjiu replied.

A moment of silence settled in the hall, then a gentle breeze returned, stirring the curtain shadows.

Among the white silks, Ye Changong's expression was unreadable.

"So, this marriage contract is for me?" Ye Changong asked again.

"Yes," Ning Changjiu replied concisely and firmly.

"Hm, you truly are... quite bold," Ye Changong said, nodding slightly before lifting the curtain and stepping out.

Ning Changjiu looked at his Master and presented the marriage contract.

Ye Changong took the marriage contract, glanced at it, then closed it.

Ning Changjiu awaited her response.

"Very good, then I..." Ye Changong's voice suddenly turned cold. "I, your Master, intend to annul this marriage."

"What?" Ning Changjiu felt utterly blindsided.

With a slight jolt, Ning Changjiu suddenly awoke.

He found himself still asleep on the chessboard atop the stone table, golden butterflies fluttering above him, and fish circling at his feet.

Ning Changjiu looked at the marriage contract; it was still blank, devoid of any name.

Everything that just happened... was still a dream!

He looked up.

The Unobservable Daoist hall stood quietly before him, its doors tightly shut, as if awaiting him to knock them open.

He suddenly understood: he was trapped in his Master's dream. Only by truly handing the marriage contract to his Master and having it accepted by her could he escape this recurring dream!