Dream Ape

A month passed in the blink of an eye.

Kaiyuan Martial Academy finally announced that its entrance test would soon be held. The test site was Guangling Valley, thirty li east of Feng City.

At once, Martial Disciples from all four prefectures under Kaiyuan Prefecture sprang into action. Some rode horses, others traveled by boat, all surging toward Feng City.

Just then, the prefect of Feng City also issued an extremely strict curfew order. For the three months surrounding the Martial Academy's test, all martial artists were forbidden to cause trouble in the city. Minor offenders would be shackled in heavy armor; serious offenders would be killed on the spot.

Groups of armored soldiers began appearing on the streets throughout Feng City. Each one carried a spear and a bow, cutting an imposing figure.

The great clans and gangs of every size also began strictly restraining their disciples and members, forbidding them from provoking martial artists who had come from elsewhere during this period.

Shi Mu, who lived on the outskirts of the city, had not left the estate once during that month. He simply practiced his saber techniques and fistwork by day, then burrowed under the covers and slept soundly at night, as if he had truly forgotten all about the Kaiyuan Martial Academy's entrance test.

A seemingly young White Ape and more than a dozen gray apes leaped and played among several mountain peaks, chasing one another.

Only after the sun sank in the west did the other apes, utterly exhausted, troop into a huge cave to rest and sleep.

The White Ape alone still seemed full of energy. It lingered outside the cave, then swiftly climbed a tall tree near the top of a mountain. It wrapped its tail around a branch, crouched there, and gazed motionlessly at the silver moon in the sky.

An astonishing sight unfolded.

The White Ape had been perched in the tree for only a short while when specks of white light suddenly appeared in the sky beneath the moonlight. More and more gathered, flickering through the air like fireflies.

The White Ape blinked. Its black-and-white eyes instantly turned golden, lending it an eerie appearance.

With a soft pop, the countless white specks stirred of their own accord and surged downward like a tide, streaming into the ape's golden eyes.

An indescribable feeling of comfort spread through the White Ape's body. Grinning broadly, it could not help dancing with delight...

With a thump, Shi Mu abruptly sat up in bed. Sweat drenched his body and soaked his clothes, while his face was deathly pale, as if he had just finished an intense workout.

"Seventh time! What is this dream about? I've had the same dream every day for seven days straight. This is downright bizarre!"

Shi Mu wiped the sweat from his brow. His eyes were unfocused as he muttered to himself.

He had started having that strange dream seven days ago, and every night since, it had been the same.

In the dream, he became a White Ape, leaping through the mountains and forests and playing with the other apes. He seemed to be the leader of the whole troop.

For the first six nights, the dream had ended as soon as he entered the cave with the other apes to rest. He would abruptly wake up, unlike tonight, when he remained outside the cave, climbed into the tree, and witnessed that strange scene.

"What's going on? Could it be the Stone Monkey Bloodline they detected causing this? After all, I dreamed of an ape. But why has nothing like this happened before? Could it have something to do with the sense of qi I comprehended not long ago?"

Shi Mu's expression shifted as he pondered.

He glanced up without thinking and suddenly noticed that the paper-covered window, which had been shut tight, had somehow been blown open. A faint wash of moonlight spilled in from outside, covering most of his bed.

Shi Mu's expression changed. Almost at once, he thought of the moon he had seen in his dream.

The next moment, he climbed out of bed, strode to the wooden door, pushed it open, and headed outside.

The small courtyard beyond his bedroom was brightly lit.

Shi Mu looked up. A crescent moon hung in the pitch-black sky, shedding a pale glow. It was strangely serene and pure.

He stared at it for the span of a tea break, then furrowed his brow and lowered his gaze, scanning the courtyard.

In one corner stood an old, half-dead tree, five or six zhang tall. Its leaves were sparse, and it looked to be on its last legs.

Shi Mu narrowed his eyes and studied the withered tree. A sudden flash of insight flickered through his mind, and he walked over.

He wrapped his arms around the thick trunk and climbed to the top in a few quick moves. Then he planted both feet firmly on a thick branch, crouched slightly, and raised his head to gaze at the sky. His pose was exactly like that of the White Ape in his dream.

Perhaps it was only his imagination!

From this angle, Shi Mu felt at once that the moon hanging in the sky looked a little larger and brighter.

But as time passed, nothing happened.

The youth grinned and gave a self-mocking smile.

He really was being ridiculous. Instead of sleeping in the middle of the night, he had climbed a tree to imitate a beast from his dream.

If anyone else at the estate saw him, they would probably think Young Master Shi had lost his mind.

Thinking this, Shi Mu was about to shake his head and leap down from the branch.

But just as he started to move, a sudden boom rang out in his mind. His whole body stiffened, leaving him frozen on the branch, still holding that strange pose as he gazed up at the moon.

Shi Mu felt as if he really were going mad!

He had somehow entered the dream again. Once more, he had become the White Ape, staring wide-eyed as he desperately absorbed the specks of light raining down from the sky. The pupils of his eyes grew unbearably hot, yet his whole body felt blissfully comfortable.

Unlike in his earlier dreams, although he had taken the White Ape's form, his consciousness was perfectly clear. He knew very well that he was dreaming.

What chilled Shi Mu to the bone was that no matter how hard he tried, he could not move the White Ape's limbs even a fraction. It was as if his consciousness had been trapped alive inside the ape's body.

Though Shi Mu was terribly frightened, there was nothing he could do but remain crouched motionless on the branch in the White Ape's body.

After waiting an unknown length of time, the White Ape's body moved. Shi Mu suddenly found that he could control it.

Overjoyed, he had not yet had a chance to make the White Ape do anything when another boom sounded in his mind, making him close his eyes instinctively.

The next moment, when Shi Mu opened them again, he sat there as if struck dumb.

He was still crouched on the branch, his face tilted toward the sky.

But now his body had returned to its original human form. His clothes were soaked with dew, and the sky he gazed at was beginning to pale. The moon that had once hung high had faded, nearly disappearing from view.