Chapter 68: Reality: Saving Face

Chapter 68: Reality: Saving Face

A crack appeared in Chi Zihe's relaxed facade, threatening to break his emotional defenses.

Fortunately, he had weathered many storms over the years and quickly regained his composure, preventing any loss of control on his face.

Even so, he was still struggling to hold it together.

What... had things progressed to this extent? No, it couldn't be, it's only been a few days! Even a blitzkrieg wouldn't be that fast!

Chi Zihe felt that his brain had never processed information this quickly in his entire life; this question was pushing his mental capacity to its limits.

Drawing upon his skill in spinning tall tales in business situations, he maintained a composed demeanor, as if to say, "As an experienced Taoist, I've seen it all," and responded:

"You know, some visitors come to the temple to have their dreams interpreted. Situations like the one you described are not uncommon, happening to both men and women."

Uncommon indeed; this was the first time he had encountered such an absurd query!

"This type of dream suggests that you perceive this friend as someone with strong assertiveness, posing a risk of encroaching on your personal space, which makes you uncomfortable, hence the recurrence of such dreams at night."

"After all, same-sex intimacy is a rather assertive form of expression. Even if you did dream about it, it doesn't necessarily mean anything."

Chi Zihe, like a life mentor, gently guided the conversation:

"I think it might be because Yan Qiling exerts a strong sense of pressure on you, and coupled with his assertive personality, it's quite normal for you to have such dreams."

The young man silently took the cigarette into his mouth and then slowly exhaled against the mountain breeze.

The fragmented afternoon light coated his sharp features, while his pale irises, hidden in shadows, glanced over the flowers between the stone slabs.

Unsettling.

Had he ever felt uncomfortable before?

Ming Yiyang recalled the silk matte cheongsam, the pure black high heels, and the sensation of their tips pressing against his body.

Was it normal to dream of Yan Qiling in women's clothing?

He remained silent.

Not willing to delve into it.

The urge to chat faded away instantly.

He did acknowledge some of what Chi Zihe said, but this was a delicate matter that was hard to critique or discuss openly.

Perhaps he truly only saw Yan Qiling as a friend. After all, apart from that absurd, surreal dream that bordered on dark comedy, Chi Zihe had essentially hit the mark.

"I understand," the young man said. He bent down to extinguish the cigarette butt on the stone pavement and slipped the still-smoking tip into his pocket.

Chi Zihe observed his expression, but with the man's head lowered, it was hard to read anything.

"You're not dwelling on it anymore, right?"

"Mm, just friends. It's best to keep things normal between us."

Chi Zihe felt a bit guilty, but mostly relieved:

"Well, it had to be Senior's intervention. In that case, take good care of him during this time. He rarely gets a break, so you can show him around more."

The Taoist, elated, delved into another topic:

"He's from Ji'an. Have you heard of the Jiangyou Business Guild? The Yan family used to deal in tea and medicinal herbs. They'd purchase medicine in Zhangshu, tea and porcelain in Fuliao, and then sell them in Guangshi. I've heard they were quite prosperous. However, the route was fraught with bandits and mountain thieves."

Ming Yiyang suddenly recalled the expensive old house in Guangshi:

"Don't tell me that house in Guangshi used to belong to his family?"

"It was their base for conducting business in Guangshi back then. But his family completely fell from grace during his generation. Their hometown is no more; it's been flattened to build new buildings... He can never truly go back."

As they walked back to the small courtyard, they found Pan Hu standing by the entrance, seemingly waiting for them.

Upon seeing them, Pan Hu approached promptly, his head bowed as he said dejectedly,

"Mr. Chi, Mr. Ming, there's something else I need your assistance with."

-

Raindrops trickled down, and a pale hand reached through the window frame to catch the warm mountain rain.

Despite the coolness in the mountains, it was still summer, and the droplets falling carried a chill with them.

For Yan Qiling, the rain was warmly comforting.

Each reunion with the world's scenery after an extended absence reminded him of the beauty of being alive.

Even though this world had become a fleeting dream of the past, and old acquaintances were no more, he remained deeply attached to this mortal realm.

Gazing at the impending mountain rain, a casual voice sounded from behind him:

"Retract it, no fingers are missing."

Placing the medicine bowl on the table to cool, the young man creaked open the bamboo chair and sat down leisurely, crossing his legs and leaning back with an air of indolence, asking casually:

"{Pan Hu} informs you that the plumbing and electrical work for the second-floor bathroom in your home has been completed satisfactorily. He now proposes to proceed with repairing the exterior walls, but mentions that financial assistance for the restoration is yet to be secured. He inquires whether you wish for him to commence the wall repairs immediately or if you would prefer to await the arrival of the subsidy."

Pan Hu, upon receiving the call informing him that his renovation permit had been approved, hurriedly took the overnight high-speed train back to Guang City to deal with the matter.

Pan Hu knew that Yan Qiling was concerned about this matter, so he took it very seriously. Originally, he had entrusted Ming Yiyang and Chi Zihe to look after Yan Qiling together.

But Chi Zihe needed to guide his newly recruited employee through the company procedures, leaving the responsibility of caring for Yan Qiling to him and She Lingshuang.

Fortunately, Yan Qiling, as a patient, was very cooperative. He took his medicine promptly without any complaints.

"Better catch up on it now, before your certification expires."

Upon hearing this, Ming Yiyang pulled out his phone and started typing a message to Pan Hu.

Yan Qiling left his spot by the window and joined them at the table, slowly sipping his herbal decoction from the bowl.

His eyelashes, like raven feathers, drooped in clusters, too beautiful to be real.

The knuckles of his fingers turned a faint pink from the effort, almost indistinguishable from the porcelain white of the bowl they held. As the herbal soup dwindled, his slender neck arched slightly, revealing the pulsating Adam's apple.

The young man with his thumb paused on the phone watched him with a scrutinizing gaze. When Yan Qiling's neck tilted back to its limit, he averted his eyes, opened a cookie tin on the table, and tossed a piece of rock sugar into his mouth.

"Have some," he offered.

Yan Qiling set down his empty medicine bowl and ignored the candies in the iron box, instead searching for a handkerchief.

Ming Yiyang, aware of his meticulous nature, fished out a pack of tissues from his pocket and tossed them to him, saying, "Can't you clean your mouth after having a candy? Otherwise, you'd have to wipe it twice."

Yan Qiling unfolded the tissue to wipe the residue of medicine from the corners of his mouth, smiling softly without uttering a word.

After ensuring his mouth was clean, he still didn't take the candies but instead straightened his clothing, adopting a serious demeanor. "If you have any questions, you can ask now."

Ming Yiyang remained leaning against the bamboo chair, using the back of his hand to push the iron box closer to Yan Qiling. "I'll ask when your words are as sweet as honey."

Lost in thought, Yan Qiling twirled the ice candy between his fingers before placing it into his mouth.

The sweetness of the ice candy carried a slight chill, a subtle and restrained sweetness.

But as the sweetness of the candy heated up on his lips and tongue, it became more straightforward, and when it melted in his mouth, it didn't leave a cloying sensation.

The sound of candy being bitten echoed in the room. The young man finally spoke:

"What's your relationship with the Prison Train?"

Yan Qiling did not evade this question. Instead, he moved the cookie tin in front of him and said,

"Let me use this box as an analogy."

Ming Yiyang looked over, like a guest awaiting a performance.

The man took a piece of rock sugar from the cookie tin:

"This represents the Realm of the Unfettered Lord."

He tapped the metal box lightly with his finger, producing a faint metallic sound:

"And this, is the Realm of the Unfettered that the Prison Train can reach."

Then he tapped the table again:

"This, right here, is the truly boundless Realm of the Unseen."

Ming Yiyang understood his meaning – this was the foundation for comprehending the Prison Train.

The Prison Train moved within the cookie tin, which contained many realms belonging to the Unseen Lords. However, the true Realm of the Unseen was far vaster than the tin itself.

The tin was but a tiny glimmer in that boundlessness.

Yet, even such a faint light, once unleashed, could cause immense headache.

"My connection with the Prison Train is just like that," Yan Qiling said.

He picked up the lid, which had been opened, and gently placed it back on the tin, pressing down softly.

The tin emitted a soft metallic click as the lid sealed shut.

Ming Yiyang raised an eyebrow.

"You're suggesting that you can seal off the Train's world, preventing it from ever using 'tickets' to draw in more innocent people?"

"Yes."

Yan Qiling stood up and fetched two cups of water from the water dispenser. He said casually,

"I've already started the process."

"… You mean devouring the realms of those Wujian Masters?"

"No, that's just a side effect."

Placing the water in front of the young man, Yan Qiling smiled at him,

"My goal is to awaken the Train's owner, and then kill it once more."

His tone was so casual that Ming Yiyang was misled into thinking it was an easy task.

However, he reflected that Yan Qiling had spent three years without much progress. For anyone else, it would likely be an insurmountable challenge.

Ming Yiyang reopened the iron box and popped a piece of rock sugar into his mouth.

"I need to know who the owner of this train is, where they are, and how you plan to awaken them."

"It… is a crucial waste of space," Yan Qiling said, which was rather unexpected.

This was the first time Ming Yiyang had heard such an unflattering remark from him.

Despite the man's well-mannered smile, Ming Yiyang sensed a subtle yet undeniable air of disdain and detachment.

The man explained softly, "The train was its creation, but that's all. Afterward, it became a living corpse, hidden away by other Interstitial Rulers in what they believed to be the 'safest' location. So it's alive, but also dead."

"To awaken it, the key doesn't lie within it itself, but rather—"

Yan Qiling lifted his gaze slightly, looking directly at the person before him.

"The Unseen Master of Concealment."

Chewing on the crystal sugar in his mouth, the silver-haired youth nonchalantly fiddled with the remaining pieces in the tin, causing them to rattle noisily.

"Are you suggesting that the owners of these trains are puppets of other Incarnations of Oblivion?"

"Yes, and yet no. Not all Unbounded Lords possess the qualifications to be its controller, but indeed, they each do harbor reasons to shield him."

Yan Qiling lowered his head to drink water, his moisturized lips parting like blooming petals.

"I can only seal it, not destroy it."

"Why?"

"No why, that's the answer." The man lowered his gaze. "Fortunately, although it was an unexpected occurrence, they revealed themselves voluntarily, sparing me the trouble of searching for them."

"Unexpected? You mean Jin Shuen's world."

The young man ceased fiddling with the iron box and instead propped his chin on his hand, gazing at him.

"Why have you been avoiding the Demons of Oblivion? Are you afraid of bodily destruction?"

"I'm... making preparations," Yan Qiling replied softly with a hint of detachment.

"I hope our next encounter with them will be more pleasant," he added.

Though his words were calm, Ming Yiyang could not help but scrutinize him more closely, sensing the underlying meaning.