Chapter 85: Dreamscape

The void was chaotic, dark as an endless night. Other than the faint glimmer of spiritual energy in their hands, everything remained shrouded in a darkness so thick one couldn't see their fingers.

The three of them fell silent, as if by unspoken agreement.

After a long pause, Gu Baiyi glanced at the blood trickling down Mo Yu's neck, shook her head, and said, “Senior, everyone has the right to make their own choices. There's no absolute right or wrong in that, your choice simply differs from your husband's.”

“Deep, unwavering love, onstage, makes for a touching drama. But in the real world, how many people can truly live up to it?”

Mo Yu nodded. “Truthfully, I’ve always known my husband’s love for me wasn’t that deep.”

“But I’ve always been a stubborn person, so I only gave him two paths. Either he loved me to his bones, or he hated me just as deeply.”

“Of course, I gave myself two options too. If he lived, I’d stay mute for the rest of my life, never uttering a word. If he died, I’d give my life to follow him, and never cling again.”

Mo Yu chuckled. “Besides, whether I lived or died, in the end I couldn't speak anyway.”

“So those two choices made no difference to me. In the end, the only one who truly suffered was him.”

“Now I dwell within this domain, free from worldly turmoil, no longer entangled in right or wrong. When I’m bored, I chat with the pieces on the chessboard. You could say I live like an immortal.”

Ji Rong: “…”

She had thought Mo Yu was still clinging to the past, but clearly, the woman had already moved on—and even started her retirement early.

Gu Baiyi paused thoughtfully when she heard the word chessboard, then asked, “Senior, if you can converse with the black and white pieces on the Mountains and Rivers Chessboard, then surely you must know how to leave this domain and reach the board itself?”

Mo Yu raised her hand and lightly flicked her fingers, unbinding the red threads wrapped around Gu Baiyi and Xie Bai’s necks.

Then she looked at Gu Baiyi with a smile. “Of course I know. In fact, you’re already on the chessboard. The domain merely obscures it. Once I open the domain and let you pass, the chessboard will be right outside.”

Gu Baiyi cupped her hands. “Many thanks, Senior.”

“You little girl, don’t thank me too soon.”

Mo Yu gently stroked the white feather at her sleeve and said with a teasing smile, “I only said I wouldn’t kill you. I never said I’d help you.”

The three of them fell silent again.

They had to admit, she wasn’t wrong. She had no reason to help them.

What’s more, Mo Yu was already dead. Even if they managed to get the Chixiao Sword, they had nothing to offer a dead woman in return.

Unexpectedly, Mo Yu chuckled and went on, “But an old friend of mine once said, if three people come here a hundred years from now, I should let them in. I just gave it a little test, perhaps you three are the ones she spoke of?”

Xie Bai: “…”

That “little test” sure felt like a brush with death.

On the other side, Ji Rong had her own suspicions. The Mountains and Rivers Chessboard belonged to Yue Qianqiu, so Mo Yu’s old friend was likely that woman.

She unconsciously tightened her grip inside her sleeve and asked, “The friend you mentioned, was it Sword Saint Yue Qianqiu?”

As Ji Rong expected, Mo Yu smiled and answered without hesitation, “Indeed.”

She studied Ji Rong’s face for a moment, then mused thoughtfully, “You do bear a bit of a resemblance to her.”

Little did she know—that line had been repeated to death in the cultivation world.

Ji Rong was already sick of hearing it. She didn’t bother being polite and replied coldly, “Why not say she looks like me instead?”

All three were momentarily stunned.

Xie Bai’s mouth twitched. He thought Ji Rong was really something, to say even the Sword Saint looked like her?

The Sword Saint had perished a hundred years ago. Was she supposed to have traveled through time to steal Ji Rong’s face?

Even Ji Rong realized her comment might have been too reckless.

After all, her sister had transmigrated earlier than she did—her words sounded like a petty attempt to force a connection.

But to her surprise, the system chimed in cheerfully:

[Ding! Mo Yu’s favorability +20]

Ji Rong: “…”

She was beginning to suspect that Mo Yu might’ve held a grudge against Yue Qianqiu.

[Mo Yu’s favorability has reached ≥30. Unlocking “Obsession” plotline.]

As the electronic voice faded, Mo Yu let out a laugh, unable to hold it in. “What a bold girl. You’ve got some wildness in you, quite entertaining. Perhaps my elder sister really was referring to you three.”

Ji Rong thought, Glad you figured it out. Now hurry up and let me in already.

“But before I let you in,” Mo Yu said lazily, “you’ll have to play a little game with me.”

“It’s been a hundred years since I last spoke with the living. If you don’t indulge me for a while, I don’t know when I’ll get the chance again.”

Xie Bai, ever the troublemaker, smiled cheerfully. “Sure thing, Miss Mo. What do you want to play? As long as it doesn’t involve offering myself in marriage, I’m in.”

After all, marrying Mo Yu sounded no different from marrying the King of Hell.

Mo Yu burst into laughter. “Young man, you're far too bold! With my age, I’m old enough to be your grandmother. Besides, I wouldn’t want you even if you begged me.”

Ji Rong suppressed the urge to roll her eyes at Xie Bai and simply gave him a cold glance. “No need to mind him, Senior. Just tell us the rules.”

“At least one of you has some sense,” Mo Yu said with a smile. “The game is simple. I’ll put you to sleep. Inside the dreamscape, each of you must confront your own obsession. If you can successfully exit the dream, you’ll be allowed onto the chessboard.”

Ji Rong thought, Well, that is simple enough.

This is just one of those classic dream trial arcs from cultivation novels, right?

Heh. This kind of tired cliché? I’m not scared in the slightest.

Then, out of nowhere, Xie Bai asked, “And what if we can’t get out?”

Mo Yu toyed with her fingers and replied gently, “Then I’m afraid… you’ll stay in the dream forever.”

In other words—death.

The group fell silent.

Before Ji Rong or Gu Baiyi could respond, the professional backpedaler had already opened his fan and smiled again. “Senior, I just remembered some urgent business back home. I’ll have to excuse myself from this game.”

Ji Rong was speechless. Urgent business? What home? You don’t even have a fixed address!

Even Mo Yu was taken aback, this man switched faces faster than flipping pages.

Still, she’d seen her share of strange people. She only looked surprised for a moment, then smiled faintly. “But young master, just now you said you’d stay with me to the end.”

Xie Bai fanned himself. “That was then. I’ve since had a rebirth and am now a completely different man.”

Gu Baiyi frowned and shifted her stance, clearly uncomfortable being grouped with someone so shameless.

Once she steadied herself, she said flatly, “Don’t forget, the antidote you need every three days is still with me. Refuse to come, and you die anyway.”

Xie Bai fell silent.

The Demon Sect’s people were the worst. Life was just too hard.

He couldn’t help but sigh and said, “That may be true, but if I enter the illusion, it’ll be a death sentence for me.”

Ji Rong replied, “You haven’t even gone in yet, how can you be so sure you’ll die?”

“No! Senior Sister, you don’t understand.”

Xie Bai clutched his head in anguish, looking as though he were mourning a great loss.

When everyone present grew visibly impatient, he finally let out a dramatic sigh and declared, as if sacrificing himself for a greater cause, “Fine! If the heavens have chosen me for this task, then I, Xie Bai, shall go in.”

Ji Rong: “…”

If she could, she would really love to pretend she didn’t know him right now.

Mo Yu smiled faintly and raised her hand, ready to cast the spell that would put the three of them to sleep.

But before she could act, Xie Bai suddenly turned around and asked out of nowhere, “Miss Mo, once inside the illusion, will I be able to see the person tied to my obsession?”

His voice was soft, his lips barely parting. He smiled gently at Mo Yu.

Perhaps because most of his body was already half-shrouded in mist, that fleeting smile on Xie Bai’s face struck Mo Yu as unexpectedly pure, unbearably so.

Moments later, that beautiful smile vanished.

Like melting snow, it left behind only a pool of cold, lifeless water.

Snapping back to herself, Mo Yu answered with a smile, “Yes.”

As she spoke, her long, slender fingers moved slightly.

With a flick of her hand, Gu Baiyi and Xie Bai collapsed instantly and vanished into the void.

Only one person remained standing.

Mo Yu stared at Ji Rong in disbelief.

“How is this possible? How could someone have no obsessions at all? So long as a person lives in this world, they must long for something.”

On the other side, Ji Rong looked blankly at the two people on the ground, just as stunned.

She was shocked, and somewhat miserable.

So she’d really become such a total slacker that she didn’t even have the will to survive anymore?

…

It took a long while before Mo Yu reluctantly accepted that Ji Rong truly had no obsession.

A hundred years ago, she had believed that the most confounding mystery in the world was love.

How could loving someone bring such joy, yet such piercing sorrow? How could simply loving someone make life feel meaningful, only to plunge you into madness, shame, and ultimately, death?

But to her surprise, a century later, something even more baffling had come along.

A living, breathing person with no obsessions?

Ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous.

Ji Rong had no idea how much of a shock she had dealt Mo Yu, because she was equally stunned herself.

She had transmigrated into a cultivation world, and yet learned nothing. On top of that, she’d become so apathetic she didn’t even care to cling to life.

She had thought, at the very least, she’d have some kind of obsession.

When Mo Yu raised her hand earlier, Ji Rong had even tried to guess what it might be.

Was it survival? Wealth? That woman? Or… Gu Baiyi?

At that moment, Ji Rong wished she could be like the heroines in transmigration novels, someone with a heart demon, something deep and mysterious to drive her forward.

Even if that obsession were something as petty as one kiss to settle all grudges with Gu Baiyi, she’d take it!

But no, she had nothing. Hehe.

This woman’s a salted fish. This woman has no feelings.

Ji Rong was wallowing in the misery of her pathetic state when, without warning, Gu Baiyi stirred on the ground and slowly opened her eyes.

Her complexion was pale, a fine sheen of sweat clinging to her brow.

It was clear she’d endured a difficult trial. But she had overcome her obsession and made it out.

At that moment, Ji Rong, who didn’t even qualify to have an obsession, felt a sharp pang of envy.

Realizing she couldn’t even envy properly, she walked over and helped Gu Baiyi up, putting on a falsely concerned expression. “Are you alright?”

Honestly, Ji Rong really wanted to ask the classic sour-grape trio of questions:

How was it? What did you see? Felt good, didn’t it?

Gu Baiyi looked up at her, some color returning to her cheeks.

She stared at Ji Rong for a long while, then smiled faintly and said, “I’m fine.”

But Ji Rong couldn’t hold back her curiosity and asked, “Junior Sister, what did you see in the illusion?”

Gu Baiyi met her gaze, her voice soft and warm. “Do you really want to know, Senior Sister?”

Ji Rong thought to herself, What kind of question is that? Of course I do.

She gave a calm nod.

To her surprise, Gu Baiyi stepped closer with a quiet smile, gently cupped Ji Rong’s face, and kissed her on the lips.

It was a very light kiss, just a brush, perhaps out of consideration for Mo Yu’s presence.

Mo Yu: “…”

Don’t mind me. I’m just a corpse, not like I matter or anything.

Ji Rong stared blankly at Gu Baiyi, then calmly wiped the corner of her mouth.

That’s it? Seriously?

Heh. For something so minor, was it really necessary to come out pale and drenched in sweat?

But Gu Baiyi only smiled mysteriously and said, “The rest… I’ll tell you another time, Senior Sister.”

Ji Rong: “…”

No need, really.