Dream Lover

Though autumn arrived late in Jiangnan Province, it eventually came, and the weather gradually turned cooler.

Li Chu looked at the female pilgrims, still dressed provocatively in revealing clothes, with a hint of confusion.

"Aren't they cold?"

"What's the difference between girls who are willing to show off their beautiful figures regardless of the weather and celestial maidens? All we can do is offer them our ardent gazes and provide a sliver of warm comfort," Yu Qi'an said righteously.

Li Chu seemed to understand, yet not entirely.

As noon approached, a commotion arose in the line of pilgrims in the front courtyard.

Someone shouted, "Which little bitch dares to cut in line!"

"Drag her back, shameless!"

"Don't you know you have to follow the rules even if you want to see Little Daoist Priest Li?"

"Make way! I am a Purple-Clad Guard from Facing Heaven Pavilion, who dares to stop me!"

"..."

Li Chu quickly went to lead the newcomer to the backyard.

Li Xinyi's hair was disheveled, her willow brows furrowed, and she sat by the stone table, pouting with her arms crossed over her chest, looking very angry.

Of course, even without being angry, her chest was quite full.

Li Chu poured her a cup of tea.

She looked at the little daoist priest and said softly, "It's really hard to see you these days."

Li Chu nodded, "The incense offerings at the temple have been very popular recently."

Li Xinyi's tone was sour, "Yes, you're famous now. I went back to Hangzhou Prefecture a while ago, and I heard people talking about you..."

Li Chu said indifferently, "I've just earned a lot of money, people recognize me when I go out, and many people flatter me... Other than that, there's nothing good about it."

Li Xinyi's chest heaved violently twice, and some words that would be censored were on the tip of her tongue. But looking at Li Chu's face, she held back in the end.

What had she, Female Knight Li, been striving for in the martial world for so long?

Wasn't it all for this!

And you're acting so nonchalant about it?

Among the deeds of Little Daoist Priest Li that were being spread, her shadow was not entirely absent.

But most of the evaluations were like "riding coattails," "winning by doing nothing," "a freeloader," or "a nobody from Facing Heaven Pavilion."

It's truly infuriating.

What's even more infuriating is that when faced with something I can't solve, I still have to come to Li Chu for help...

Ever since the Vengeful Spirit Case, she had been stationed in Yu Hang County. It had been peaceful for a while, and she should have returned to Hangzhou Prefecture.

But a couple of days ago, Li Chu told her about being ambushed by several ghosts.

Li Chu was just informing her as a matter of procedure, as innocent people had been harmed. But Li Xinyi immediately smelled something unusual.

Ghosts that could appear in broad daylight were usually called Day Roaming Ghosts, and each one was by no means a benevolent being.

Because ghosts' nature was to love the night, even if they could withstand the intense Yang Energy of the day without dying, their strength would be significantly weakened.

Those that dared to commit murder in broad daylight were no ordinary Day Roaming Ghosts.

They might even be Ghost General level!

According to Li Chu, at least three Ghost Generals had gathered in Yuhang Town, although he had killed two of them.

But behind this, there must be a bigger fish!

She increasingly wanted to uncover the truth behind the Vengeful Spirit Case, perhaps even finding a Ghost Commander!

If she could truly resolve this matter, she wouldn't say she'd become famous, but at least a promotion and a raise would be guaranteed.

That's why she decided to stay.

As for why Li Chu was unharmed in a trap set by three Ghost Generals and even managed to kill two of them...

She no longer wanted to ask.

Asking too much would drain the motivation from one's life.

Speaking of which, the reason she was looking for Li Chu today had nothing to do with the Vengeful Spirit Case.

While she was in Yu Hang County, all the Weird Cases in the county were reported directly to her by Zhou Dafu. She had handled many minor matters casually.

But recently, a strange incident had occurred that she couldn't handle either.

Facing the gentle breeze, she slowly began to explain to Li Chu.

At the foot of Miao Feng Mountain lay Ge Family Village, also under the jurisdiction of Yu Hang County.

Ge Family Village had only one major landowner, which was Master Ge's household. The rest of the villagers were basically tenant farmers working for Master Ge.

Landowners like this were unlike the Wang Family or Zhao Family in town who made their fortunes through business. But their families had been established for generations, and their wealth might not be inferior.

By Master Ge's generation, although he had married seven concubines, he had only one daughter.

As he gradually aged, he became more open-minded. He no longer planned to have sons and doted on his only daughter as his treasured pearl.

Miss Ge was beautiful and lively, always well-liked. Master Ge also hoped to find a good live-in son-in-law. He searched and searched but had not yet chosen a husband for his daughter.

Miss Ge's spirits began to decline suddenly about half a month ago, and she became sickly.

However, many doctors were consulted, but none could diagnose her illness. They could only say it was a heartache.

When asked if Miss Ge had any worries, she would just blush and remain silent.

A little maid went to attend to her at midnight and heard her muttering in her sleep every night. Listening closely, her sleep-talking sounded like a conversation with someone, with questions and answers... And if one listened carefully to the content, it was quite indecent.

After many occurrences, the little maid dared not conceal it any longer and reported the matter to Master Ge.

Up to this point, the Ge family had not considered the possibility of an evil spirit. They only thought that Miss Ge had some physical problem.

Master Ge thought, "Could my daughter be getting old and unmarried, and starting to think about men?"

So, he began to consider finding a live-in son-in-law. As soon as the news spread, handsome young men from ten miles around came flocking.

This time, Miss Ge was no longer silent. She mustered all her strength and made a great fuss, threatening to kill herself, crying, making a scene, and...

While the commotion was at its peak, Master Ge advised, "You have to get married sooner or later. There's no harm in marrying a little earlier."

Unexpectedly, Miss Ge replied, "I've already set my heart on Zhang Lang in this life. I won't marry anyone else."

This statement shocked the entire family.

So, their daughter had a sweetheart long ago?

Could it be that her recent sickly state was due to lovesickness?

Master Ge did not intend to stop her. It was a good thing for his daughter to have a sweetheart. No matter who the young man was, he would give away his family fortune to ensure his daughter's happiness.

However, his daughter adamantly refused to reveal who this Zhang Lang was.

Finally, through coaxing and trickery, she revealed that this Zhang Lang was someone who came to her dreams every evening for the past month.

He had peerless beauty, could be described as a jade-like figure, was immensely talented, and could compose poetry with ease. He was understanding and knew all of a woman's little thoughts.

In short, there was simply no more perfect lover in the world.

In her dreams, Miss Ge had already joined him in passionate embraces, experiencing several rounds of intimacy, amidst torrential rain...

It was after these consecutive days of heavy rain that Miss Ge woke up feeling increasingly weak.

But she did not consider this Zhang Lang's fault, attributing it only to her own excessive worry.

She did not know where Zhang Lang came from, nor where they would go. But she felt that her interactions with Zhang Lang during this period were unlike anything she had experienced in the previous twenty years, and she would be willing to die for it.

Master Ge was greatly alarmed.

This was no sweetheart, this was a demon-possessed person!

He dared not delay, and quickly reported to the government, hoping to invite the adults from Facing Heaven Pavilion to eliminate the ghost.

Unfortunately, Miss Ge was very resistant, and Li Xinyi couldn't get much information from her.

She guarded the outer room of Miss Ge's bedroom for two days, but there was no sign of any evil spirit.

But Miss Ge's sleep-talking still persisted.

It seemed...

This was not some evil spirit's Illusion Technique, but that the evil spirit was coming and going within dreams.

She recalled a legendary type of ghost.

Nightmare.

This type of ghost specialized in entering people's dreams to absorb Yang Energy for cultivation, and was very difficult to deal with.

Helpless, she had no choice but to come to Li Chu.

This was almost becoming a habitual way of thinking...

Li Chu didn't have much experience dealing with this type of ghost, but he didn't refuse. After all, he couldn't just watch a Young Maiden be harmed to death by a ghost; he had to try.

Immediately, he and Li Xinyi came to Ge Family Village together.

The entire Ge Family Village had only one extremely vast mansion, and without a doubt, this was the home of the landlord, Master Ge.

Upon arriving at Master Ge's residence, Master Ge naturally expressed his immense gratitude, shaking Li Chu's hand and making many promises.

As long as the harmful ghost was eliminated, there would be no shortage of benefits for the two of them.

However, Li Chu was no longer the naive Little Daoist Priest who hadn't seen money before.

He merely said with a calm and detached air, "I will do my best to eliminate the ghost and save Miss Ge... This is absolutely not about money."

Master Ge felt the Little Daoist Priest's grip strength increase by seven parts, and nodded repeatedly, "I understand, I understand. How could the Young Daoist care about these worldly possessions... But I only have these worldly possessions. If my daughter is safe and sound this time, the reward I promised earlier can be doubled."

Li Chu's grip strength also doubled with a calm and detached air, squeezing Master Ge until he grimaced.

After some pleasantries, he personally led the two to Miss Ge's residence.

As soon as they entered the courtyard, they heard Miss Ge's weak yet sharp voice coming from within.

"Don't harbor any more foolish fantasies! Zhang Lang is the best man in the world, and we have already pledged ourselves for three lifetimes! I would rather starve to death or hang myself here than fall for anyone else, get out!"

Then came a series of crashing sounds, and a group of matchmakers dressed as women scurried out, covered in dust.

Li Xinyi clicked her tongue and whispered, "Miss Ge... is getting harder to deal with."

This week, the book was featured on two platforms, the main site and the app. Although they were inconspicuous spots, I heard that whether a new book can take off depends on this step... So I've been thinking for a long time about what to write during this period. The major plot points will be delayed a bit, as I haven't figured them out yet...

Today, the number of collections seems to have increased a bit faster, but the comments and recommendations are particularly quiet, as if they're fake... I'm a little flustered, and I don't know if it's a bot from Qidian...

As always, if you're interested, feel free to collect, recommend, tip, comment, or chat. Thanks!