Returning to Reality
Reality.
Xu Shulou rarely woke from dreams without a start, but this time she emerged with unusual calm.
She felt a slight dampness at the corner of her eye and reached up to touch it—a teardrop.
Yet in the dream, Xu Shulou had not shed a single tear... Despite a life of hardship, even at its end, she had never wept for herself.
Still dazed by the blizzard from her dream, she lay motionless for a while before realizing this tear wasn’t lingering emotion from the dream—it was her own, here in reality.
Gazing at the teardrop on her finger, she couldn’t help but wonder about the purpose of such an eerie, drawn-out dream. Was it to make her save someone? Kill someone? Prepare for a demonic invasion? Or stop a villain from destroying the world?
Xu Shulou had even considered whether Lu Beichen’s tyranny might have led to irreversible consequences, provoking the heavens to send her this vision so she could prevent his rampage.
But who could have guessed? The dream took an unexpected turn—the ultimate destroyer of the world turned out to be herself.
Was this dream a warning, urging her not to slaughter the innocent as she had in the vision?
To have a prophetic dream not as the hero saving the world, but as the villain ending it?
Xu Shulou wavered between absurdity and sorrow.
Faces flashed through her mind—Bai Roushuang, Xiao Ya, Luo Fusheng, Ling Yuechan, the two little foxes... From vibrant to lifeless, each existence seemed bleak and cruel. Yet it was impossible to pinpoint where their paths had diverged, as if fate had played a cruel joke just to elevate Lu Beichen.
Bai Roushuang passed by her window and noticed her sitting blankly on the bed. Softly, as if afraid to startle her, she asked, "Senior Sister, what’s wrong?"
Seeing her junior sister, Xu Shulou’s mind filled with images—Bai Roushuang’s golden core gouged out as she writhed in despair; her standing at her husband’s wedding to another woman, adorned in jewels, smiling; her in a courtyard surrounded by maids, the light in her eyes flickering, unable to tell if she regretted anything.
What variable could lead to such divergent paths? Where exactly had her life taken that wrong turn?
Xu Shulou beckoned to her.
Bai Roushuang immediately hopped through the window and nestled against her senior sister, resting her head on her shoulder. "Senior Sister, did you have another nightmare?" she asked sweetly.
"Yes."
"Don’t worry—dreams are the opposite of reality."
Xu Shulou smiled. "I know."
"Maybe I should sleep with you from now on. If you have a nightmare, I’ll wake you up right away."
"No need," Xu Shulou mused. "The dream has already reached its end."
Noticing her pensiveness, Bai Roushuang peeked at her. "Senior Sister, what are you thinking about?"
Xu Shulou snapped out of it. "I’m thinking about whether to return to the cultivation world and beat up your Senior Brother Lu."
"Beat up who?" A lively voice chimed in from outside—Yue’er, passing by, had overheard. "Can I join?"
Bai Roushuang laughed. "You don’t even know Senior Brother Lu, yet you want to beat him up?"
Yue’er shrugged. "If Sister Xu wants to hit someone, there must be a good reason."
Seeing the two leaning against each other, she also jumped through the window, eager to join.
Xu Shulou’s mind flashed to Yue’er’s pale, gaunt face in the dream. She pulled her close, feeling the warmth of their heartbeats.
Bai Roushuang rolled her eyes in her sister’s embrace. "Left and right, sharing the love equally, huh?"
"I—"
Bai Roushuang cut in, "You love all the beauties of the world equally?"
Xu Shulou pushed her away and flicked her forehead. "What strange books have you been reading?"
Rubbing her forehead, Bai Roushuang pouted. "You hug me when you’re scared, then toss me aside when you’re done. How ruthless."
"How’s your cultivation progressing? How long until you break through to the Nascent Soul stage?" Xu Shulou abruptly changed the subject.
"Eh?" Bai Roushuang grimaced. "Senior Sister, wasn’t your dream about Senior Brother Lu? Why ask about my cultivation?"
"It’s related," Xu Shulou said, choosing her words carefully. "I dreamed you married him. He used rare treasures to push you to the Golden Core stage, but then your progress stalled for years."
Bai Roushuang replied carelessly, "Well, at least he treated me nicely."
"...He also married many others. You all lived in a huge courtyard in Lingxiao Sect’s Spirit-Quiet Valley. You had the best room because he favored you the most."
"That just proves dreams are nonsense," Bai Roushuang wrinkled her nose. "How could he dare? Why wouldn’t I leave him? Why wouldn’t you kill him?"
"I married him too."
Bai Roushuang burst out laughing. "Senior Sister, you give Senior Brother Lu way too much credit."
"..."
Yue’er piped up, "Sister Xu, was I in your dream?"
"Yes. You also married Lu Beichen," Xu Shulou glanced at Bai Roushuang, "along with Miss Xiao Ya, Luo Fusheng from the Joyous Union Sect, and the two little foxes we saved..."
Bai Roushuang’s lips twitched. "All girls close to you. Was that harem for him or for you? Not fair, Senior Sister—dreaming yourself a whole harem."
"Stop talking nonsense."
Bai Roushuang added, "Honestly, Senior Brother Lu sounds pretty redundant in this scenario."
"He really is," Xu Shulou let go of the dream and stretched. "I miss the sunlight."
Outside, a fierce yellow dog from the demon palace barked, followed by a cook’s shouts—"Damn mutt, give back that meat! I’ll share some after cooking it!"—and Aunt Liuli’s mocking laughter, "By then, even the dog won’t eat it."
The lively clamor gradually pulled Xu Shulou away from the dream’s desolate snowscape.
———
Xu Shulou returned to Xuanyang Demon Palace for a secret meeting with the Demon Lord. In the dream, he possessed a deadly poison—she needed to ensure he wouldn’t misuse it.
The dream had shown that after the Demon Lord’s death, Demon Lord Xuanyang risked his life to retrieve his head from Lingxiao Sect. Their relationship was clearly more complex than their hostility suggested.
If they could reconcile and jointly govern the demon realm, it would be for the best.
She spent hours in Xuanyang Demon Palace. No one knew what they discussed, but when she left, Demon Lord Xuanyang’s expression was deeply conflicted.
Xu Shulou and Bai Roushuang soon prepared to depart the demon realm.
Before parting, Bai Roushuang took out a teardrop-shaped pendant and handed it to Ling Yuechan: "This is a magical artifact I obtained years ago in an ice cave. It contains an acre of spiritual farmland where you can grow any spiritual or mortal crops you desire, as long as you can acquire the seeds. It can also be refined and upgraded."
Yue'er was momentarily stunned, understanding the significance of such a gift, and thanked her solemnly: "Thank you so much."
"Don’t mention it. I have no use for it anyway," Bai Roushuang replied. "Everyone has been so kind to me and my senior sister during this time. I hope you can also enjoy the delicacies of the mortal world."
Yue'er nodded. "That’s what I long for too—to wander freely among humans someday. I truly hope that one day, demons and humans will no longer fear each other and can exchange goods freely. Our demon realm actually has many rare minerals and herbs that the cultivation world needs."
Bai Roushuang winked at her. "If you ever become the Demon Lord, you can work toward that goal."
Yue'er froze. "I’ve never even considered becoming the Demon Lord."
Bai Roushuang looked puzzled. "Is your demon succession system based on abdication?"
"Our demon realm follows the rule of the strongest," Yue'er explained. "When the reigning Demon Lord ascends, their children fight, and the strongest becomes the next Demon Lord."
"..." A brutally simple method.
"But my father only has me as his daughter," Yue'er sighed with worry. "You’re right. One day, he will ascend, and I’ll inevitably have to become the Demon Lord."
"Being the Demon Lord sounds impressive. Why are you worried?" Bai Roushuang asked, confused.
"The responsibility is heavy. I don’t know if I’m up to the task," Yue'er shook her head. "Actually, when I used to read mortal romance novels, I thought about following the example of the heroines—taking in a husband and letting him inherit the title of Demon Lord while I spend my days in love and leisure. Oh, do you remember Li Muci and Nan Xiuxiu? Back then, I thought I’d definitely marry someone as refined and charming as Li Muci."
"If you’re referring to the Li Muci who was... ahem, 'dealt with' by his wife," Bai Roushuang remarked, "he doesn’t sound very reliable."
"He wasn’t," Yue'er laughed, but then sighed again. "My father tried to teach me important matters before, but I never had the patience to learn. But if I’m to become the Demon Lord someday, I’ll have to start preparing seriously."
Bai Roushuang comforted her, "Don’t worry. I’ll work hard too. When I become the leader of a major sect and gain influence in the cultivation world, I’ll collaborate with you to foster friendship between our realms. Maybe we can even establish trade, exchange cultures, and benefit from each other’s resources."
"Deal!" Yue'er grinned, linking her pinky with Bai Roushuang’s. Though neither took their grand ambitions too seriously, they reveled in their shared dreams like carefree children.
Xu Shulou watched them make their pact with a smile. Unlike the dream world, they would have brilliant futures ahead.
Yue'er then gifted each of them a thorny phoenix flower, unique to the demon realm, tucking the blossoms into their hair. The crimson blooms blazed vividly against their dark tresses. "These flowers will never wither after being plucked. May your lives always remain as radiant as they are now."
"Thank you."
Ling Yuechan saw them off. Bai Roushuang had half-expected another battle with headless skeletons to leave the demon realm, but to her surprise, they had a convenient teleportation method—something even more advanced than the cultivation world’s methods.
Back in the mortal realm, the two stood in a grassy field for a long time, breathing in the sunlight and the fragrance of the earth.
Bai Roushuang stretched contentedly under the sun. "Senior sister, where should we go next?"
"Let’s return to Dustless Island first. There’s something I need to ask Master."
Xu Shulou rubbed the ring on her finger thoughtfully. Elder Changyu in the dream world had mentioned a sliver of hope—but where could it lie?
