Before morning prayers began, He Ning pulled her master aside.
"M-master, I dreamed of that thing last night. Red clothes... she threatened me not to meddle. Senior Sister Wang and Senior Sister Li dreamed of her too. What should we do...?"
The Abbot deftly arranged her topknot and glanced at the two uneasy juniors nearby.
"You dreamed of a vengeful ghost?"
Seeing that her disciple did not even dare say the word "ghost," she gave her a look that said she was hopeless.
"And here I thought something had happened. You'd still dream of her even if I helped resolve this. Some unusual people, when murdered, harbor such deep resentment that they linger in the world waiting for revenge. What's there to fear? She can't do anything to you. At most, she'll make a few threats. You'll get used to it."
With her topknot arranged, she was about to enter the hall when someone gently tugged her sleeve again.
"When I dreamed of the vengeful ghost, Little Black suddenly appeared and scared her away."
The Abbot turned her face slightly, her lashes stirring.
"Little Black?"
Only then did she realize her disciple meant Black Snake.
"That's perfectly normal. Her resentment is no match for Black Snake, so naturally she'll retreat. You needn't worry about nightmares anymore. Just remember not to stray too far from Black Snake. All right, all right, hurry inside for morning prayers."
After morning prayers, the three gathered in a corner of the hall and quietly discussed last night's dreams.
The two senior sisters described theirs in hushed voices. The woman in the red dress had said a great deal in both their dreams, pestering them for a long time before leaving on her own. Only He Ning's dream had been brief.
After discussing it for a