Chapter 29: Outlook

January 28th, 2023

Xie Huai saw himself pick up him.

The man’s face was pale white, and those gray eyes were dim and lifeless. The man looked in his direction woodenly, as if he’d thoroughly given up on everything.

And all of this had been caused by him.

In the dream, this person was his sworn enemy who had destroyed his family. In order to get revenge, he hadn’t hesitated to make use of his feelings, watching with eyes wide open as that person gave up everything for him…… Watching him fall from noble, lofty grand duke to the point of being half-dead. Then, Xie Huai had finally appeared and brought this person back.

He hated him, and he should have killed him straight away, yet he couldn’t bear to, couldn’t let go.

So he’d silently stood guard by his side, watching him brave forward without a second thought time after time despite knowing that the outside was covered in thorns. Knowing that Xie Huai was his sworn enemy, yet putting down his pride just to search for his corpse.

To share the same path in life and the same tomb in death. This person had carved this sentence into his heart, never forgetting it for a moment.

It was probably precisely because this person had paid his all without complaints or regrets, not sparing a single thing…… so the him inside the dream had still fallen for him in the end, despite the sea of blood that lay between them.

In the end, he had returned to his side.

But that person made him leave, because he knew now, knew that that person was him, but even after knowing the truth, knowing that everything was part of his scheme, that person still chose to let go, to the point that he was unwilling to expose Xie Huai.

Probably because this beautiful lie was the only thing he had left.

So he couldn’t give it up, couldn’t shatter it just like that.

He wanted to take this beautiful dream to the grave with him.

Xie Huai looked at him, and in the end, he still fell in love with someone that he shouldn’t love. The emotions in the dream tangled in threads and strands, like mist seeping into the ground, softening the hard, dry ground bit by bit. In the midst of a daze…… he’d already picked this person up. He said to him, as long as they made up their wedding night, he would left and never disturb him again.

But those words weren’t sincere. He was never going to leave again. He only wanted to accompany him to the last moments of life.

He wanted to do many, many things to him, wanted to entangle in affection with him.

To take all of those mistakes and make them up to him.

Xie Huai knew he shouldn’t continue on like this. This was merely a dream, nothing more. After waking up, it would be nothing. Everything in the dream was fake, and those thoughts weren’t his, yet he was too deep in the dream……

Even knowing that all of these were the emotions of the dream, he still madly, uncontrollably wanted to get closer to this person.

Even though he clearly knew that he should kill him, he couldn’t strike.

Even though he clearly knew that he should leave, he still came back.

Tormenting each other without release.

Unwilling to part, unable to let go.

What would happen next.

He was fully aware.

For the first time, Xie Huai’s heart was a knotted mess. He knew he shouldn’t, yet he actually felt a trace of anticipation, as if he really were the person in the dream right now, wanting to……

It was also precisely at this moment—

The eyes of the person in his arms suddenly blazed with bright light. Fang Li had actually forcefully broken through the restraints of the dream! With a single movement, he drew the sword by the bedside and raised the corners of his lips to smile at him, and then, without any hesitation, slit his own throat!

This scene happened too quickly.

To the point that Xie Huai didn’t have any time at all to stop it—

He fiercely stretched out his hand, but all he grabbed onto was thin air when the sight before his eyes vanished like a mirage.

He woke up from the dream.

Xie Huai raised his eyes in a daze.

The pale, wan man was standing calmly in front, his expression languid and carefree, his posture leisurely and relaxed. He was still alive and well, standing there whole and unharmed……

Thank goodness, it was only a dream.

This was the first, unconscious thought in Xie Huai’s heart.

Following that, his eyes dimmed.

But even knowing none of it was real……

Xie Huai still had no way to forget the scene before his eyes just now, no way to forget the smile that Fang Li had shown him at the end, as well as that decisive, unhesitating swing of the sword.

You kept saying over and over that you wanted to pray for union fated across lifetimes, and you’ve already stayed through all of the infatuation and torment just for the sake of a good dream, yet at that very last moment, you would rather end your own life rather than really…… why? Are you that scared of really compelling me……

Xie Huai closed his eyes, his mood extremely heavy.

But……

How fortunate that everything in the dream was fake, how fortunate that things between us aren’t really like that.

I hope that in the future, no matter what the situation, no matter for whose sake…… even for me.

You won’t hurt yourself.

Only, I’m afraid that I won’t be able to return these feelings that you have. After all, you and I walk different paths.

When he thought up to here, he actually felt a trace of guilt.

The other person was clearly a vile and unforgivable devil, and he’d once sword to kill him, but in the end, his heart had softened, had wavered.

Things shouldn’t be like this between them.

After Fang Li slit his own throat, the illusion immediately disappeared, and they came out of the dream.

Because they had broken the illusion by force, they weren’t at the exit of Lover’s Pass right now, but were instead standing on a soft surface that felt fleshy to step on. Just what kind of place was this? Was this where the illusions were created?

Truthfully, although this Lover’s Pass used a rotten mess of a script, they still had a thing or two. Manufacturing that many dreams night and day without rest and letting thousands of people dream together at the same time wasn’t something an average person could do.

Fang Li was a little curious. Although the surface of the ground looked smooth, it seemed to be faintly trembling. Interesting……

He narrowed his eyes, then suddenly raised his foot and stomped down hard!

Peals of pained cries rang out, and the surface beneath his feet unfurled like flower blossoms, the layers and layers unfolding along with the sound of rustling. It turned out that they were actually standing inside a massive flower.

It looked like the dreams of this Lover’s Pass were created by this flower spirit.

Seeing that it couldn’t hide, the flower spirit trembled and rustled, instinctively sensing that Fang Li was dangerous. Even after being stomped on, it didn’t make a sound. If it were anyone else…… it would’ve tossed them into a nightmare long ago!

But faced with Fang Li, it didn’t dare……

Fang Li widened his eyes with interest, his gaze roaming around, and he said leisurely, “Didn’t this lord say early that if this dream couldn’t please this lord, this lord would burn this place to the ground?”

Flower: …… Who did I provoke?! QAQ

Xie Huai’s jaw was clenched tight, his lips pressed together without a word. He looked at Fang Li’s reckless, laughing appearance, yet what appeared before his eyes was his withered appearance in the dream, his eyes hollow and vacant.

You wanted to seek out a lovely dream, but in the dream, I turned my back on you, so your dissatisfaction isn’t without cause.

Fang Li was joking, wanting to scare the flower spirit a little. Who knew that when he looked around, he would see Xie Huai with a stiff face and a grave appearance? His heart couldn’t help but make a thump.

He’d obviously already stopped things in time in the end, so why did Xie Huai’s expression look this bad?

Had he really gone overboard?

Recalling Xie Huai’s dainty, artificial manner in the dream, he thought, it looked like he’d still accidentally pulled a bit too much enmity……

With a guilty conscience, Fang Li felt his scalp go numb, and he subconsciously wanted to take a step back. But he recalled that he was the demon lord right now, and making a fool out of himself like that wouldn’t do, so he forcefully stopped his feet.

It looked like he could only make his move against the flower spirit for the sake of alleviating Xie Huai’s anger. Who told you to pick such a rotten script?

At this point, you can’t escape punishment!

Fang Li waved his sleeves, and an imposing aura exploded from his entire body. He said in a dark and foreboding voice, “Do you know what the outcome of offending this lord is?”

The flower spirit whimpered, scared to tears.

As it cried, all of its petals rustled and trembled, opening and closing without pause. The ground beneath their feet was like a wave of flowers, and a sound appeared in their minds.

“Sob sob sob, please spare me, sob sob sob, I’m only an innocent little flower, I’ve never, ever hurt anyone, I only wanted to give all of the lovers a lovely dream, sob sob sob sob, forgive me!”

It hiccuped as it cried, “Sob sob sob sob, there’s, there’s so many people who dream every day, it’s hard to avoid having some that aren’t to our guests’ tastes, but even if we pick a dream that the guests aren’t pleased with, the guests can still choose to end the dream. How would I dare to force our guests to have a dream they don’t like? The reputation of our Love’s Pass is real, everything is done with the customer’s satisfaction as the priority, besides, guests, didn’t you also forcefully come out of the dream? Sob sob sob sob…… I really didn’t do it on purpose, sob sob sob…”

Fang Li’s expression abruptly froze.

It, it seemed like that really was the case……

Thinking back on it, he had indeed broken through the illusion very easily, but at the time, he’d burst out his entire strength and hadn’t thought twice about it, and he’d thought it was because he was too strong……

So, this dream could actually be ended any time?

Fang Li couldn’t help but turn to look at Xie Huai.

Xie Huai’s face was heavy as stone, and his expression was even worse than before by a hundred times.

Although the dream had been preposterous, bizarre, and ridiculous, when he was inside the dream, he had only paid attention to the person before him…… He hadn’t thought about this at all, but had allowed himself to sink into it……

Crack.

The joints of Xie Huai’s fingers cracked.

Flower: …… I’ve clearly already explained very clearly, so how come the guests seem to be even more angry? Before, there was only one person looking to kill, but now there’s two! Sob sob sob, just what had it done wrong? Sob sob sob sob sob!

Fang Li also sensed Xie Huai’s killing intent, and his whole body shivered.

Last time he’d felt Xie Huai’s killing intent had been because he’d accidently left him alone for seven days and nights after using the love parasite on him.

Cold sweat dripped down Fang Li’s forehead. He, he really had gone overboard, it seemed……

He hadn’t in a thousand years imagined that the dream could be exited at any time. The reason that Xie Huai hadn’t freed himself could only be because his cultivation had been sealed, and he had no way to break through the illusion. Now, listening to the flower spirit’s words, he’d immediately thought of his imprisonment and lack of freedom. Being forced to have such a humiliating dream was shameful enough, but now it was even being brought up to his face. How was he supposed to save face?

Wasn’t this basically adding oil to the fire?

Flower: “Sob sob sob sob, I really don’t dare to force our guests to dream, sob sob sob sob sob sob, I’m only an innocent little flower, I only wanted to give some lovers a nice dream, at, at most, I just take a few spirit stones…… sob sob sob sob, how about, I return those three spirit stones to you…… No, I’ll compensate with thirty spirit stones! Sob sob sob……” There were occasionally dissatisfied guests, but if they weren’t especially hard to handle, it definitely wouldn’t return their money……

Fang Li said coldly, “Shut up!”

Flower: “Sob sob sob…… hiccup.”

It was so terrified it didn’t dare cry, only hiccuping.

Fang Li cautiously glanced at Xie Huai, then turned his head and looked at the flower spirit under his feet. He gave a light cough and said, “You don’t even know that you should say such an important thing beforehand? Isn’t that your own problem?”

The flower spirit was extremely aggrieved, but it didn’t dare retort.

This time, Fang Li wasn’t in the mood to tease the flower spirit. He only wanted to quickly bring Xie Huai away from here, but just as he was about to reach out to take Xie Huai’s hand, he saw the Xie Huai who was as stingy with words as if they were gold open his mouth to say coldly, “Ridiculous. If they’re truly in love, what use have they for a dream? If not, what use is a dream to them?”

Very true, very true. As expected of the protagonist shou going the stone-hearted, logical route! He never indulged in tiresome matters of love and looked at desire as if it were manure!

Fang Li gave the flower spirit a sidelong glance and reprimanded coldly, “Next time, find a better story. Stop using these kinds of terrible, dog-blooded scripts.”

Creating dreams wasn’t too bad, but that dream was really too garbage. After killing his entire family, you still want him to fall in love with his sword enemy? It was even more nonsensical than the book he’d transmigrated into! If things went on like this, sooner or later, someone was going to make a fuss!

When he was done speaking, Fang Li pulled Xie Huai by the hand and dragged him away.

Having weathered the deadly storm, the flower spirit sat there in a daze.

Were its stories not good?

Its dreams were all made to fit according to each guest. All of the guests before were very satisfied?

Besides, what was wrong with that dream? It had all kinds of twists and turns, suspense and stimulation, love and hate, affection and enmity, and at the end, there was a big reunion and a happy ending. It was really a very touching, unforgettable love story……

The flower spirit felt extremely aggrieved.

Maybe its scripts really were out of date? Recently, it seemed like the story of the demon lord and Yuyi-jun was very popular, and there were tons of different versions of novels about them. Since it was so popular, it should be a good script……

Maybe it should fix it up a bit and use that?

…………………………

Fang Li dragged Xie Huai directly away from Lover’s Pass.

They stepped out of the white mist.

With a single glance, Fang Li spotted Wu Yimei standing guard outside. Wu Yimei really was a good subordinate who gave his all. His boss had gone off with his little lover to play, and he still didn’t know to give himself a vacation……

He was really too honest.

Actually, even if you ran off for a bit, I wouldn’t blame you.

Wu Yimei stepped forward as soon as he saw Fang Li come out. When his gaze swept over them, it fell onto their tightly clasped hands, and his eyes immediately darkened.

For the past few shichen, he had waited here without moving, just to wait for Fang Li to come out.

He knew Fang Li and Xie Huai had entered the dream.

When had His Excellency ever paid attention to these things before? Even less had he cared about things like love and romance, viewing it all as a sham…… He was such a cold-hearted, ruthless person who looked down on the whole world, yet he broke precedent over and over again for Xie Huai. He was even willing to go to a little couple’s spot like this with Xie Huai just for the sake of spending a lovely dream together……

Before, His Excellency had said over and over that he wouldn’t fall for Xie Huai, that he was only using him. But looking at things now, whether he was making use of him still stood to be seen, but he had clearly already fallen for him.

Those words had only been for the sake of reassuring Wu Yimei so that he wouldn’t act against Xie Huai.

His Excellency had gone to such painstaking lengths, all of it for Xie Huai’s sake.

Wu Yimei tightly clenched his teeth.

He took in a deep breath and pressed down all of his jealousy and unease, then stepped forward to welcome them.

He said respectfully, “Your Excellency, this subordinate has already made arrangements at the inn. Will Your Excellency rest for the night before departing again?”

Oh? Considerate as always.

Fang Li nodded with satisfaction, saying, “Alright.”

As it happened, he was a little tired.

Wu Yimei led the carriage over respectfully and helped Fang Li inside. As for Xie Huai, he only coolly shot him a glance and pretended not to see him.

Xie Huai didn’t even look at Wu Yimei and followed behind Fang Li directly into the carriage.

Very quickly, they arrived at the inn.

Wu Yimei had considerately prepared three rooms, ensuring that His Excellency could rest well at night.

The three of them appeared calm as they each entered a room.

Fang Li went into the room lazily. The inn was pretty decent, and what Wu Yimei had prepared was naturally the best. After cleaning up, he was about to rest when he suddenly heard a knock at the door.

Wu Yimei’s low, hoarse voice carried over. “Your Excellency.”

Oh? What business did he have this late at night?

Although Fang Li had had his doubts, he still said, “Come in.”

Wu Yimei pushed the door open and entered, his gaze resting on Fang Li.

Fang Li had a crude stone talisman hanging at his hip. The talisman had been bound with red string, and it swung from his waist.

His Excellency was used to wearing all black and never liked to wear any kind of accessories, but today, he was carefully wearing this lover’s talisman that cost just three spirit stones, never taking it off once during the whole journey.

How was this lover’s talisman a match for His Excellency?

His Excellency couldn’t really believe that he and Xie Huai’s hearts could be tied forever this way? Do you really care about that person this much……

Wu Yimei finally couldn’t watch on any longer.

Xie Huai didn’t like His Excellency at all. Right now, he was only making compromises and pretending to ingratiate himself for the sake of finding a chance to kill His Excellency. If His Excellency insisted on going down the wrong path and loving with someone who wanted to kill him, he was bound to get hurt.

But His Excellency didn’t like it when Wu Yimei opposed Xie Huai and warned him over and over again that he wasn’t allowed to stick his hand in matters concerning Xie Huai. If he really did secretly make a move, forget the fact that he wouldn’t be able to hide it from His Excellency, he was afraid that it would have the opposite effect and make His Excellency feel even more affection for Xie Huai and estrange himself from Wu Yimei.

Wu Yimei’s expression was somewhat solemn. He stepped forward and said slowly, “This subordinate has something he has to say.”

Fang Li looked at Wu Yimei’s extremely grave appearance and thought, what kind of important thing was this about…… He couldn’t help but stand at attention, saying, “Speak.”

Wu Yimei said word by word, “Your Excellency, in the beginning, you led the demonic horde to besiege Cloudbank Keep and captured Xie Huai in front of the whole world, forcing him to submit to you. Xie Huai definitely won’t like you. No matter how diligent you are, what use is it? There won’t be any results from trying to obtain something by force like this.”

Fang Li’s expression sank, and he pretended displeasure as he said, “This lord has already said, don’t bring this matter……” Up again……

But Wu Yimei didn’t retreat this time. He suddenly looked up and met Fang Li’s eyes. “If you really like him, it would be better to let him go. That could also count as fulfilling his wishes.”

Fang Li was startled.

He almost thought he was hallucinating.

Wu Yimei was actually persuading him to let Xie Huai go??? Instead of telling him to kill Xie Huai???

“Xie Huai won’t be happy being forced to stay by your side like this, but will only hate you more. Are you really willing to watch him be unhappy and depressed…… Why not let him go, and maybe he’ll even remember Your Excellency with fondness……” After he was done speaking, Wu Yimei immediately knelt to the ground. “This subordinate has been too bold. Begging Your Excellency’s forgiveness.”

He really did want to monopolize Fang Li and didn’t want anyone else by Fang Li’s side, but his concern for Fang Li was also genuine.

He couldn’t watch His Excellency continue to sink……

His Excellency had always listened to no one but himself and didn’t like it when others argued with him. Today, he’d committed a great taboo, but even if His Excellency punished him, these words still had to be said.

Xie Huai couldn’t be allowed to stay!

Fang Li looked at Wu Yimei.

It looked like all of his efforts had finally paid off!

Wu Yimei had finally stopped opposing Xie Huai and opened his mind. Even if his goal was still to drive Xie Huai away, his methods had become much less underhanded, and he no longer tried to convince him to kill Xie Huai, nor did he secretly make trouble for Xie Huai anymore. On the contrary, he was openly and honestly borrowing the excuse of thinking for Xie Huai’s sake to have him return Xie Huai’s freedom.

He’d changed his outlook on life!

Fang Li felt incredibly gratified.

How could he bear to get angry with such an obedient, studious, well-taught subordinate?

Fang Li reached out his hand and helped Wu Yimei up, saying gently, “This lord understands your concern for this lord. Why would this lord blame you?”

Wu Yimei lifted his head and looked at Fang Li, falling into a pair of tender eyes, and his heart couldn’t help but skip a beat.

He, he had said such outrageous things, but His Excellency wasn’t angry at all and was even being so kind to him……

Wu Yimei’s lips moved slightly, and his expression was complicated. “Your Excellency……”

Fang Li was very satisfied with Wu Yimei’s transformation, so of course he wouldn’t attack his self-confidence. At this time, he should be encouraging and affirming and put Wu Yumei at ease, so he sighed softly and said, “This lord will let him go, but not right now.”

Wu Yimei was a little afraid to believe it. “Your Excellency will really……”

Fang Li slowly nodded, his tone assured as he said, “When has this lord ever lied?”

Anyways, there was only a little over a month until the end of the story. By then, he would have died, so wasn’t that the same as letting Xie Huai go? It didn’t count as lying to Wu Yimei.

Fang Li said, “It won’t be much longer.”

……………………….

Xie Huai’s room was two rooms away from Fang Li’s instead of being lined up together. How could Wu Yimei’s thoughts be hidden from him? Was he that afraid of Xie Huai being together with Fang Li?

Although the rooms weren’t together, as a cultivator, Xie Huai’s senses were extremely sharp, and no movement on this floor was hidden from him.

So when Wu Yimei knocked on Fang Li’s door in the middle of the night, Xie Huai heard it all.

Now what business did that master and servant pair have to discuss?

What did they have to say that had to be done so secretively and hidden away from him?

Fang Li had always been like this in the past. No matter what it was, he wouldn’t hide anything from him, but only when he was with Wu Yimei, he would never let Xie Huai stay……

Before, Xie Huai had told himself that he didn’t need to be curious about these things. Whatever Fang Li wanted to talk about with Wu Yimei, it was his freedom to do so.

But tonight.

Xie Huai sat alone in the room.

He thought about Wu Yimei quietly going to look for Fang Li again. Wu Yimei had always found Xie Huai unpleasant, so who knew what he was saying behind his back? Xie Huai didn’t think Fang Li was someone who easily believed what others said, and even less did he believe that Wu Yimei could incite Fang Li.

Besides, even if Wu Yimei said something, it was all true. From the start, he and Fang Li stood on irreconcilable sides……

He shouldn’t care about these things

But when he closed his eyes, he saw the affectionate, short-lived appearance of the person in the dream…… Before he had even thought things through, he’d already quietly gotten up and arrived at Fang Li’s door.

Xie Huai pressed his lips tightly together. After a long time, he breathed in deeply.

Perhaps, Wu Yimei and Fang Li were discussing attacking the righteous sects. If his moment’s negligence allowed the demonic sects to incite chaos and bring disaster to the world, then that would be his responsibility…… So, even if he listened in a bit, so what?

Thinking thus, Xie Huai bent his ear to listen.

And then he heard Fang Li say, “This lord will let him go.”

………………………………………

The Author Has Something to Say:

Fang Li: It’s all part of the script, don’t take it seriously.

Wu Yimei: It’s about one’s outlook on life.

Xie Huai: ……