Four Great Wishes, Dream Weaver

It was as if a mysterious phantom had stepped out from the vast darkness, clinging to him like marrow-deep rot, whispering softly into his ear and brushing against the fine hairs on his neck.

"Ah!"

The gaunt man let out a shrill scream, trembling so violently his soul seemed to leave his body. He bolted from the spot, leaping several meters away in a single bound.

Shaking like a sieve, he turned around, his face filled with terror as he stared at what lay behind him.

He saw a tall, slender figure standing exactly where he had been, watching him calmly.

As for his childhood friend, the situation was even more pathetic.

The man had kicked his legs out and fainted on the spot from sheer fright.

What a waste of such a large frame!

"Brother Mu, is there something else you wish to ask of me?"

Although the gaunt man was drenched in sweat, his voice trembling and his face as pale as if he had just recovered from a grave illness—a state obvious to anyone—he still struggled to remain composed, gritting his teeth to hold his ground.

"I simply have one thing I do not understand."

"Speak, speak. I, Rong, will certainly... certainly tell you everything I know, hiding nothing."

"You and I are mere strangers who met by chance; we have never had any conflict."

"I, Mu, believe I have been perfectly courteous and never frivolous, yet I do not know why you, Brother Rong, seem to have harbored hostility and hatred toward me from the start."

"Could you, Brother Rong, provide me with an answer?"

Mu Chen walked toward the gaunt man step by step, his pace steady and firm.

"Run!"

Upon hearing this, the gaunt man's expression shifted violently; he knew the game was up.

At this point, there was no room left for wishful thinking.

Without a moment's hesitation, he turned and fled, disappearing into the depths of the dense forest.

Bang! A whip-like shadow descended, striking the fleeing figure and knocking him back to the ground.

"Brother Mu Chen, Brother Mu Chen, I was wrong, I was wrong!"

"I was just muddled for a moment earlier, please, spare my life!"

"I, Rong, lost my parents at a young age and come from a poor family. I have a mother and a younger sister waiting for me to return from the Spirit Road with glory; I cannot die here!"

The gaunt man scrambled up from the dust with agile movements. Knowing he was no match, he collapsed to his knees like a falling mountain, bowing his head to the ground with a heavy thud.

While weeping bitterly, he began to slap his own face with fierce, resounding force.

In a short time, his cheeks were swollen like steamed buns.

"I already gave you a chance."

Mu Chen shook his head, his expression as calm as ever. It was not as if he hadn't offered a chance.

"Go to hell, die, die, die!!!"

Just as he walked within reach, the gaunt man, who had been kneeling and kowtowing, suddenly jerked his head up, revealing a face twisted in madness.

He pulled a spiritual weapon from his robes and lunged straight for Mu Chen's chest.

I already apologized, what more do you want?

Why can't you forgive me?

You really are a complete hypocrite who is lenient with himself but harsh on others.

Hypocrites deserve to die!

The gaunt man brandished the sharp blade, surging forward with a desperate, all-or-nothing momentum, until... until the low-grade spiritual artifact in his hand was snatched away by Mu Chen with his bare hands.

With a casual twist, he crushed it into a mangled mess and tossed it aside.

Though ambushed, Mu Chen showed no sign of shame, anger, or frustration. He simply looked at the gaunt man, who now lay like a dead dog, with eyes devoid of emotion. "Anything else?"

Under the gaze of those emotionless eyes, the gaunt man began to wail again, snot and tears streaming down his face: "I lied just now, my biological mother died a long time ago too."

"But I really do have a younger sister waiting for me!!"

Accompanied by a shrill scream, a bloody piece of flesh fell into the dust.

His tongue had been ripped out; he could no longer speak.

"This is for making life worse than death."

Mu Chen unleashed a whip-kick, striking four times in rapid succession to shatter his limbs.

"This is for ending your lineage."

He kicked him in the groin, pulverizing his private parts.

"As for a 'spiritual car drift,' the conditions in the Spirit Road are too primitive; there is no such luxury here for now."

"Struck by lightning and covered in Black Divine Thunder? That is a phenomenon only triggered when a Super Heavenly Beast evolves into a Divine Beast. Mu Chen is powerless to condense such a thing, my apologies."

Mu Chen paused for a moment, appearing to hesitate, his face showing regret. "However, 'being bitten to death by a vicious beast while walking'—that, I can certainly fulfill for you."

With that, Mu Chen grabbed the limp, gaunt man, hauling him like a tattered sack, and vanished from the spot with incredible speed.

He tracked down a pack of starving beasts and tossed the fellow right into their midst.

Only after confirming the gaunt man's emotions had stabilized and he had departed in peace did Mu Chen leave, satisfied.

Brother Rong, I have helped you realize all four of your beautiful wishes!

By the campfire, next to the tent.

The tall man whom the youth surnamed Rong had called "Old Shi" remained unconscious on the ground.

It was not until long after Mu Chen had left that he cracked his eyes open just a sliver, tentatively surveying his surroundings. The area was empty, save for the crackling of the firewood.

Even then, the tall man did not rise, continuing to feign sleep.

After another while, once he was certain, he scrambled up from the ground.

Naturally, he hadn't truly been frightened into a faint; he had merely been playing dead.

"That was way too close."

The tall man stood up, working the stiff, aching muscles of his body, and muttered to himself.

"Are you done tossing about?"

Suddenly, a voice, familiar to the point of being unmistakable, rang out across the clearing.

"Eek!"

The tall man jumped three feet into the air, nearly scared out of his wits.

His heart hammered against his ribs, his limbs turned ice-cold, and cold sweat broke out all over his body.

He followed the direction of the voice and saw the handsome youth in fine robes still sitting atop the large bluestone, exactly as he had been hours before.

"If you're done, come sit over here. I have questions for you."

Mu Chen gestured to the tree root at his feet, extending an invitation.

The tall man wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and sat down, as obedient as a kitten.

"Very good. I like those who know the times. You know what I'm going to ask, right?"

"That Rong fellow was as stupid as a donkey; don't you follow his example."

"I know, I know!"

The tall man nodded frantically. Wisely, he didn't ask where his companion had gone. Without needing any prodding from Mu Chen, he honestly spilled every piece of information he had regarding Luo Li.

Luo Li had indeed not yet been captured, but she was severely wounded, her combat strength was steadily declining, and defeat was only a matter of time; the situation was critical.

The Black Demon Forest was not to the north, but to the west—a five-day journey.

However, the Black Demon Forest was vast, stretching for thousands of miles.

Even if ten thousand people were scattered inside, they would vanish without a trace in an instant.

Furthermore, it was riddled with lethal intent and extreme danger.

High-level spirit beasts like the Golden Armored Dragon Tiger Beast were beyond counting.

"Many thanks. Here, this is your payment."

Upon learning the truth, Mu Chen was deeply worried, his brows locked in a tight frown.

Without paying much more attention to the man, he tossed an item down and hurried away in a flurry.

The tall man caught it and saw it was a low-grade storage bag.

Inside was the very reward Mu Chen had previously given to the youth surnamed Rong.

He suddenly felt the item burning his hands.

"Brother Rong, rest in peace. I will take good care of your sister for you."

Whatever thought crossed his mind, the tall man tucked it away.

Suddenly, he whipped his head around to look at the large bluestone, but it was empty.

Whew, he was truly gone this time.

Seeing this, the tall man let out a long sigh of relief.

Then, not even bothering with the tent, he bolted straight into the darkness.

This place was far too ominous; it was no place to linger!