The Dream Continues
Dream.
Lu Beichen sat imposingly on his chair, his gaze sweeping over the three women standing before him. Two of them trembled uncontrollably, their fear so palpable that even their beastly ears had involuntarily emerged. Only Xu Shulou remained composed, her eyes fixed on a dark spot on the floor, lost in thought.
"Speak. Where did you go?" Lu Beichen's tone was far from pleasant.
"Husband, the Lingxiao Sect is currently facing turbulent times. Bingji and Yugu, as your favored concubines, should have been considerate of your burdens. Instead, they chose to flee at such a critical moment—their betrayal is unforgivable," Xu Shulou said calmly. "Fortunately, I noticed in time and pursued them, bringing them back."
Lu Beichen turned his furious gaze toward the two demon women. "Why would you two try to escape? Is it because you resent me for exterminating those demons in the brothel?"
The one in red raised her eyes defiantly, ignoring the warning tug from her companion in white. "What if it is?"
"Absurd!" Lu Beichen roared. "They were all poisoned! It was a necessary measure! You only care about your kind, but have you ever considered the lives of the people in Ruzhou?"
"If they were poisoned, why didn’t you first try to find a cure?" The red-clad fox demon sneered. "Let me ask you this, Sect Leader Lu—if they had been cultivators, would you have slaughtered them without hesitation?"
Lu Beichen’s eyes flickered, clearly caught off guard. But long accustomed to his position of power, his first reaction was not guilt but indignation. "Are you questioning my judgment?"
The fox demon clenched her fists. "I wouldn’t dare. That’s why we chose to run—to escape from you!"
"Sect Leader Lu, we would never dare oppose you," the white-clad demon knelt, pleading. "We only beg for our freedom."
"You’d abandon me for a group of unrelated demons?" Lu Beichen found it incomprehensible.
"They may be strangers to us, but this incident revealed your contempt for demons," the red-clad demon said, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "In your eyes, how are we any different from them?"
"I treat you differently! I’ve clothed you in finery and fed you delicacies—was that a mistake?"
The fox demon’s expression turned icy. "Before your duel for fame and fortune, my sister and I willingly let you drain our centuries of cultivation to strengthen yourself. We’ve more than repaid your 'generosity'!"
"You dare keep accounts with me?" Lu Beichen bellowed. "Guards! Lock them in their chambers and post sentries. They are not to take a single step outside!"
As the attendants dragged them past the door, the red-clad demon spat at Xu Shulou. "Xu Shulou, aiding a tyrant like him will bring you no good end!"
Xu Shulou smiled brightly. "Indeed, it won’t. You can rest assured of that."
Without another glance at the stunned demons, she turned to Lu Beichen, seeking her reward.
Rubbing his temples, Lu Beichen sighed wearily. "Causing trouble at a time like this—they’re nowhere near as sensible as you."
Standing behind him, Xu Shulou massaged his shoulders with practiced ease. "They’re still young, husband. With time, you’ll mold them properly."
"You did well this time," Lu Beichen acknowledged. "Finally learning to share my burdens."
Xu Shulou bowed her head. "But my cultivation is weak. I was injured while chasing them..."
Comforted by her touch, Lu Beichen tossed her a porcelain vial. "Pills to enhance your cultivation. A reward."
"Thank you, husband." She tucked it away carefully. "Oh, I wouldn’t have caught them without the help of a fellow cultivator. He’s waiting outside."
Suppressing his fatigue, Lu Beichen waved a hand. "Let him in."
A servant hurried out, returning shortly with a man who shuffled in, grinning obsequiously. "This humble one greets Sect Leader Lu."
Lu Beichen eyed the man’s unimpressive appearance with distaste, already planning to dismiss him with a handful of spirit stones.
But Xu Shulou whispered, "On the way back, I discovered he’s actually Senior Brother Shen Zhuang’s martial brother! Isn’t that a coincidence?"
"Oh?" The mention of Shen Zhuang gave Lu Beichen another headache.
Xu Shulou continued, "He repairs puppets for the Qingcheng Sect—the foremost sect in the cultivation world! Someone employed there must be skilled. I thought he might be useful to you."
"Not a bad thought, but..." One Shen Zhuang with his temper was enough. Lu Beichen shook his head—he had no desire for another.
Seeing his refusal, Xu Shulou sighed. "I knew it wouldn’t work. I only learned on the way that Shen Zhuang left his sect on bad terms. He and this senior brother can’t possibly work together. I’d hoped you might have a solution, but since you agree, it’s a shame."
To her surprise, Lu Beichen’s expression softened. He turned to the man. "You and Shen Zhuang trained under the same master? Do you share his skills?"
"Not exactly," the man hedged, then hastily added, "but my expertise in puppetry is no less than his!"
After a long pause, Lu Beichen declared, "The Lingxiao Sect could use a competent puppeteer. Would you consider joining us?"
The man’s eyes lit up—his work at Qingcheng was menial, poorly paid, and hearing of Shen Zhuang’s prominence here had stung his envy. "This one would be honored to serve under such an illustrious master! But... my junior brother Shen Zhuang and I don’t get along. If he objects..."
Lu Beichen scowled. "Since when do I need his permission? Am I the sect leader or is he? Does an emperor consult his ministers before appointing officials?"
The man hastily backtracked. "No, no! I didn’t mean—"
"Then it’s settled," Lu Beichen cut him off. "Stay as our guest. Once settled, I’ll introduce you to your junior brother. If you can produce anything useful, the sect’s resources are at your disposal."
"Y-yes! Thank you, Sect Leader!" The man beamed.
"Dismissed."
Watching him leave, Xu Shulou frowned. "But husband, you just said—"
"You wouldn’t understand. I still need Shen Zhuang, but his arrogance is a problem," Lu Beichen sighed. "This will remind him he’s not irreplaceable."
Xu Shulou’s face cleared in feigned admiration. "How wise of you."
"Enough. You may go."
When Xu Shulou left the main courtyard, the man was still waiting for her outside. As she approached, they exchanged a glance.
Seeing that no one was paying attention, he leaned in and whispered, "Thank you, Madam."
"No need for thanks. Just deliver what you promised."
"Of course," the man hesitated for a moment before finally mustering the courage to ask, "Might I ask how you came to seek me out? And why you gave me the credit for capturing the sect leader's beloved concubine?"
Xu Shulou glanced at him, and the man actually shrank back under her gaze. Yet she only smiled faintly. "I happened to hear Shen Zhuang mention you once and knew the two of you didn’t get along. I’ve given you the opportunity—whether you can earn the same trust as Shen Zhuang is up to you now."
The man dared not press further and meekly replied, "Understood."
———
Outside the dream, Xu Shulou could only watch as her dream self meticulously schemed and maneuvered, exhausting every effort.
She saw Shen Zhuang and Lu Beichen gradually grow apart. What Lu Beichen saw as "disciplinary measures," Shen Zhuang interpreted as favoritism toward mediocrity, leaving him increasingly disillusioned. The fact that puppetry techniques could be openly displayed—except for the forbidden human puppetry—meant that, in the eyes of outsiders, Shen Zhuang’s work paled in comparison to his senior brother’s tangible achievements. The Lingxiao Sect’s culture of sycophancy further widened the disparity in their treatment.
Under the senior brother’s instigation, Shen Zhuang and Lu Beichen began quarreling incessantly, until their rift became irreparable.
Xu Shulou couldn’t dream the entire sequence of events. As time leaped forward, the situation in the dream took a sharp turn for the worse.
In an exquisitely decorated boudoir, once-priceless ornaments now lay shattered and worthless. Bai Roushuang lay sprawled on the floor, her ethereally beautiful face twisted in agony, blood continuously trickling from her lips as she weakly reached for the scattered antidote pills.
Just as her fingers brushed one, Xu Shulou stepped on them, crushing each digit with deliberate force until they were a mangled, bloody mess, only stopping when Bai Roushuang’s screams filled the air.
At her feet lay the lifeless bodies of maids and disciples, their breaths long stilled.
Bai Roushuang glared up at her with venom. "You dare do this while my husband is away? Do you think you’ll survive when he returns?"
Xu Shulou’s gaze was eerily calm, her voice soft. "He won’t be back anytime soon. Shen Zhuang’s beastmen accidentally escaped and devoured an entire city in the Xiao Kingdom—every last citizen. Right now, he’s too busy covering his tracks to worry about you."
Bai Roushuang seethed. "Senior Brother and the others will never let you get away with this!"
"Don’t worry. Once you’re dead, I won’t spare them either," Xu Shulou murmured, her eyes drifting toward Dustless Island in the distance. "Shan Yu and Ji Ci might even join you sooner than you think."
Bai Roushuang trembled. "What have you done?"
Xu Shulou crouched beside her, pressing a blade to her abdomen and slowly driving it in.
Bai Roushuang’s voice broke in terror. "Elder Sister… please! I’m your youngest junior! Have mercy!"
Xu Shulou patted her cheek. "From the moment we met, you’ve held nothing but hostility toward me. And now you beg for my mercy? Tell me—what have you ever done to deserve it?"
"I won’t deny my hatred for you," Bai Roushuang gritted out. "But what about you? Did you ever act like an elder sister to me?"
"You’re right. Had either of us been wiser, things might have turned out differently. Maybe we could’ve been proper sisters." Xu Shulou smiled faintly. "But there’s no use dwelling on ‘what ifs.’ We’ve reached this point, and now—you must die."
She carved out Bai Roushuang’s golden core, holding the gory mass in her palm for a moment before pocketing it. "I’ll be taking this."
Bai Roushuang passed out from the pain, only to be jolted awake again, now too weak to speak, her eyes pleading silently.
"You always used that pitiful look to trick fools into stealing from me," Xu Shulou mused, raising the blade again. "But since you weren’t the mastermind, I’ll grant you a quick death."
With a swift stroke, she ended Bai Roushuang’s life.
As she withdrew the knife, warm blood sprayed from Bai Roushuang’s chest, splattering across Xu Shulou’s face. She blinked, expressionless, unmoved by her junior sister’s death. There was no hatred in her eyes, nor any satisfaction of vengeance.
Bai Roushuang’s wide, unseeing stare remained fixed—Xu Shulou had no intention of closing those eyes for her.
She stood, leaving Bai Roushuang’s corpse behind, just another discarded object among the fallen servants. She didn’t look back.
