Plot Concocted from Imagination

The last time Lu Li entered the Dream of Delusion, he had been unclear about the situation and quickly encountered monsters, so he had never truly observed this realm. Now, looking closely, he realized it truly did not resemble the real world.

The terrain here was perfectly flat, essentially devoid of any undulations. Blood-red snow drifted through the sky incessantly, yet no layers of snow accumulated on the ground; the flakes seemed to vanish the moment they touched the earth.

Even the ground appeared to be ordinary soil, but Lu Li recalled that by the campfire earlier, the Puppet had tossed dirt stained with the fluids of the Variant Corpse Ghost into the flames. Just now, however, Lu Li noticed that the spot had already smoothed over. The Puppet likely lacked the leisure to fill in the earth, so it could only mean the ground restored itself.

"This world... the Dream of Delusion feels as if it were... man-made!" Lu Li paused to define it. Everything here in this Dream of Delusion was too deliberate. It projected the real world, yet it did not project the terrain. Everything here, aside from the ghosts, possessed a specific purpose, and the environment itself even had the ability to recover. Of course, this was merely Lu Li's unilateral view; after all, this was only his second time entering the Dream of Delusion.

"When we arrive at the temple in a moment, I must ask you to open the temple gates, Young Master," the Puppet said in a low voice as she walked ahead. "After all, I am a ghost myself and cannot voluntarily enter a house that symbolizes safety."

"You are different, Young Master. Although you can move freely within the Dream of Delusion, you are still a human, and thus you are able to push open the temple gates," the Puppet said earnestly. She then stopped in her tracks, as if sensing something, adjusted her direction slightly, and continued forward.

"How do you know where the temple is?" Lu Li asked, as if in passing. He noticed the Puppet's footsteps falter, but she continued forward, maintaining her respectful tone: "We have not encountered any Variant Corpse Ghosts along this path. Given the number of them here, that is abnormal. Coupled with the fact that those Variant Corpse Ghosts were all surrounding the temple earlier, I assume they are still gathered around it. I simply sensed the aura of those Variant Corpse Ghosts and followed it to find the ruined temple."

"You are clearly aware of the events in the real world," Lu Li laughed. The Puppet stopped again, turning back to look at the smiling Lu Li. For the first time, she felt how terrifying this seemingly indifferent human truly was. She said desolately, "Young Master, perhaps I have indeed hidden some things from you, but please, for the sake of my master, forgive this servant for now. Once this matter is concluded, I shall submit to whatever punishment you deem fit!"

"What are you doing? I never said I was going to do anything to you!" Lu Li laughed, his expression bright and sunny. "Let's keep moving. I am also very eager to save the old man; you don't need to worry about that."

The Puppet wanted to say something, but seeing Lu Li's nonchalant expression, she bowed slightly, turned, and continued following the aura of the Variant Corpse Ghosts toward the temple. The atmosphere remained awkward until the Puppet suddenly stopped.

Lu Li walked over and saw that some traces had appeared. In the Dream of Delusion, everything had meaning; there was nothing useless. These traces formed a slightly raised mound of earth, from which a skeletal hand protruded.

Lu Li felt no disgust and began digging away the soil. The earth was exceptionally loose, and within moments, most of the skeleton was exposed. Lu Li knew that the important thing was not the remains, but what the skeleton held in its hands.

The skeleton lay supine in the dirt, staring up at the sky, its bony mouth filled with soil. Also unearthed were a chisel and a small hammer. The skeleton's hands were clutched tightly around the object in its chest—the head of the Headless Buddha!

This skeleton was the thief who had stolen the Buddha Head. Who would have thought he had died here! Or perhaps, he had died in the real world, but because he possessed special significance, he had been manifested into the Dream of Delusion?

Lu Li picked up the Buddha Head, and a new notification appeared at the corner of his vision. He had obtained a Ghost Relic:

[Ghost Relic: Buddha Head]

[Item Description: This is the place where a ghost's essence resides. It gathers the faith of countless believers. Although it is a ghost itself, it possesses the power to suppress other ghosts.]

[Ability Description: Possesses the power to suppress ghosts and ward off evil.]

[Usage: Just hold it. What else do you want to do? Twist off your own head and attach this one? Actually, that's not a bad idea!]

Ignoring the snarky comment, Lu Li glanced at the Puppet beside him and found she had no particular reaction. Come to think of it, this Puppet was strange. Other ghosts feared fire, yet she could remain by the campfire. Now, even the Buddha Head, which was explicitly labeled with the ability to restrain ghosts, had no effect on her.

Temporarily setting aside his thoughts on the Puppet's uniqueness, Lu Li slowly deduced the significance of the skeleton here: "It shouldn't just be to alert me that the Buddha Head is here. The treasure under the altar is the source of the Variant Corpse Ghosts; it clearly has the power to reanimate corpses. The Buddha statue that suppressed it had its essence—the Buddha Head—cut away, causing its power to diminish greatly and leading to the leakage of the treasure's energy. This is the source of the Variant Corpse Ghosts, and perhaps even the reason the temple was destroyed!"

A plot formed in Lu Li's mind. Although it might not be entirely correct, it was at least logical. Long ago, someone obtained a treasure capable of resurrecting the dead, a treasure that could make corpses rise and turn into ghosts. That person deemed it ominous and wanted to destroy it, but due to greed or similar emotions, they ultimately used a Buddha statue to suppress it.

Later, for reasons unknown, that person never returned to activate the treasure. Instead, the beauty of the Buddha statue attracted thieves. The group that stole the Buddha Head might have consisted of several people—some responsible for the theft, others for the getaway. After the Buddha Head was stolen, the treasure's power leaked out. Whether due to its temptation or internal greed, the thieves turned on each other, or perhaps they were discovered by the temple monks; regardless, a battle ensued.

The thief who stole the Buddha Head was mortally wounded and fled with it, dying here. Others died as well, but at that time, the treasure's power had not fully leaked. It wasn't until a certain night, when a corpse began to fester with maggots, that it was finally infected by the treasure and turned into that Variant Corpse Ghost, sparking a great massacre. More and more Variant Corpse Ghosts wandered here, while the thief holding the Buddha Head was protected by it and did not turn into a ghost!

And now, the Puppet had somehow learned of that treasure. She wanted to save the old man, so she craved the treasure that could resurrect the dead, believing that even if the old man died, he could be brought back to life!