Dream Beauty in the Dream, Woman in the Grave

Dream Beauty in the Dream, Woman in the Grave

Corpse Mover left. He went back to his ramshackle thatched hut to pack his things, then swaggered out of the city.

Yu Chen had no idea where he was going and had meant to give him a few words of advice.

But when he thought of the Innate Realm martial cultivation and the surging Blood Aura above the man's brow—

Yu Chen could not even be bothered to say, "Stay safe." He turned and left as well.

After Corpse Mover departed, Yu Chen bought some meat and vegetables and prepared to head up the mountain.

On the way, he took a couple of turns around the market at Hanging Bridge.

Worth mentioning was that Sun's tofu shop at Hanging Bridge was doing better and better. As for Li Er, the bully from the butcher's shop, he had become far more courteous and respectful, not daring to step out of line in the slightest.

Yu Chen was quite pleased by the sight. He did not linger and headed up Qingfeng Mausoleum.

Throughout this, a little tail followed behind him—the ghost of Wang Ling, trailing after him step for step.

Back at the earthen hut, he set down the meat and vegetables.

Winter truly was convenient. Meat and vegetables could be tossed anywhere after purchase; if it were the sweltering heat of midsummer, they would have to be wrapped up tight and thrown into a water vat, or they would all spoil within two days.

Only after finishing all that did Yu Chen sit down. Looking at Wang Ling's foolishly grinning ghost, he took out the Scripture of Deliverance.

His expression was complicated.

After hearing Corpse Mover's words and the townsfolk's idle gossip, Yu Chen had basically confirmed that this pitiful kid before him was one gigantic simp.

Though he did not have much of an opinion on simps in this life, the memories of his previous life utterly loathed such behavior—simps deserved miserable deaths!

But never mind all that mess. Since this foolish young master of the Wang Household had died and left behind an unfulfilled wish, it was Yu Chen's job.

As for whether he would help fulfill it, that depended on what the wish actually was.

The Scripture of Deliverance unfurled, and the foolish young master's soul was immediately drawn to the banks of the Yellow Springs River. Smoke-blackened gray words lit up.

[Ordinary Wish, Eighth Grade]

[Birthday Gift]

[Time Limit: Five shichen]

[Reward upon Completion]

Yu Chen froze.

Wang Ling was such a fool, yet he had managed to produce an eighth-grade unfulfilled wish?

And this time limit was absurd enough—only five shichen?

Even donkeys in the village were not driven this hard!

At once, Yu Chen looked into the revolving lantern of Wang Ling's life.

But perhaps because the boy had been born dim-witted, his revolving lantern was fragmented and chaotic. Only one thing was clear.

—Today was that woman's birthday. He absolutely had to give her the birthday gift.

As for everything else—Wang Ling's own life and death, the Wang Household, the woodcarving workshop, and so on—none of it appeared in his revolving lantern.

Thus, after only a short while, Yu Chen withdrew from the revolving lantern.

Though the revolving lantern was simple, Yu Chen had already understood the rough outline of Wang Ling's wish.

Today was the birthday of that woman from his hazy memories. Wang Ling had spent a long time beforehand carving an exquisite wooden figurine, intending to give it to her on her birthday.

But before he could even leave home, he choked to death on a steamed bun during breakfast and kicked the bucket.

Thus, Wang Ling's obsession with personally delivering the wooden carving to the woman became an unfulfilled wish, caught by the Scripture of Deliverance.

No wonder the time limit was only five shichen. Five shichen later, it would be tomorrow!

That woman's birthday would be over!

The matter was not complicated, but Yu Chen felt uncomfortable.

For no reason at all, he developed a faint dislike for that woman whose identity was still unknown.

Look at this fool. His life was already miserable enough.

Yet that woman had accepted things from this fool year after year without giving him any response or cutting things off.

And if what the foolish young master's coworkers said was true, she had even taken the wooden carvings Wang Ling painstakingly made and sold them.

She had found a fool and was milking him for all he was worth!

And Wang Ling was no better. Since she did not like him, why did he keep eagerly sticking himself to her, giving her gifts year after year, come wind or rain?

If this had happened in his previous life, even the three brothers Two-Faced Turtle, Boiling Sheep, and Black Little Tiger would have offered him a cigarette!

If Yu Chen had not known Wang Ling's brain did not work quite right, he would have definitely given him a few remarks that would never pass review.

"Tsk."

With a sigh, Yu Chen closed the Scripture of Deliverance. He still decided to fulfill Wang Ling's wish.

After all, the benefits of an eighth-grade unfulfilled wish could not be ignored.

Besides, between Wang Ling and that woman, one was willing to give while the other was willing to receive. No one could blame anyone else.

There was not much time, so he set off at once.

Yu Chen pushed open the door and headed for the woodcarving workshop.

Though Wang Ling's revolving lantern was chaotic, his memories concerning the wooden carving gift were exceptionally clear.

—It was beneath the pillow on the bed in his residence.

After arriving at the woodcarving workshop, Yu Chen used the Infernal Mask to conceal his aura. With the skills of the Innate Realm, he easily entered Wang Ling's quarters, retrieved the wooden carving, and drifted away.

Along the way, he encountered a worker returning to rest. With a shake of the Soul-Shaking Golden Bell, the worker fell into a daze. When he came to, he merely thought it had been his imagination.

Leaving the woodcarving workshop, Yu Chen followed the fragmented memories in Wang Ling's revolving lantern all the way onward.

—Though Wang Ling's revolving lantern was a jumbled mess, he remembered the scenery along the road to meet that woman with remarkable clarity.

As for why he remembered the scenery rather than the route... because he was stupid.

Thus, following the images in Wang Ling's revolving lantern, Yu Chen crossed Hanging Bridge, passed through Youfang Street, went by the foot of Fanghua Mountain, and left the city.

By then, Yu Chen was beginning to feel suspicious.

Because the memories in Wang Ling's revolving lantern were so fragmented, Yu Chen had no idea where that woman actually lived.

But... surely she did not live outside the city?

Could the woman Wang Ling admired be someone from beyond the county town?

Muttering to himself, he continued onward.

The farther he went, the more wrong it felt.

The road grew increasingly desolate, increasingly silent, increasingly secluded. Ahead lay a lush and verdant forest.

—Are you sure anyone lives in this godforsaken place?

After stopping, he carefully checked Wang Ling's revolving lantern once more.

Only then did Yu Chen confirm that he had indeed not gone the wrong way.

So he gritted his teeth and continued forward.

By the time he stepped into that deep forest, dusk had fallen. The woods were terrifyingly silent, and only the occasional rustle of small animals scurrying through fallen leaves sounded sharp and unsettling.

Finally, at some unknown moment, the forest came to an end.

Just as the mountains and rivers seemed to leave no road ahead, the willows darkened and flowers brightened, revealing another village!

A vast, imposing complex of buildings appeared before Yu Chen. Square blue-gray walls were covered in unknown dark-green vines, while two enormous gray pillars stood on either side of the entrance like giants guarding it.

A towering stone gate stood cold, hard, and square, mottled and rough. Beneath the setting sun, it was dyed a dim yellow, speaking of nothing but decay and the weight of years.

Beside the gate stood a square stone stele, upon which several large characters had been carved in heavy black ink.

—Bright Moon Mausoleum.

A question mark slowly appeared over Yu Chen's head.

What the hell was this supposed to be?

With a trace of doubt, he checked Wang Ling's revolving lantern once more.

That was right!

There was no mistake!

In Wang Ling's memories, that woman lived within this vast cemetery!

At once, Yu Chen felt as though his head had grown twice as large!

What?

How had a tale of devoted love turned into a horror story?

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(End of Chapter)