Chapter 366: Nightmare’s 18 Sleep-Inducing Techniques (14)

Chapter 366: Nightmare's 18 Sleep-Inducing Techniques (14)

Song Chuyi obviously sensed his unease as well.

He couldn’t hold back a laugh.

"Oh my, who’s being so honest with their body?"

He gently patted Jiang Zhuxiu’s head and leaned closer.

"So, how about showing me that little horn of yours?"

Jiang Zhuxiu remained silent.

He didn’t want to lose face in front of a human; it would truly tarnish the dignity of the Nightmare King.

But his body betrayed him, unable to lie.

The more he tried to escape, the more honest his body became.

Jiang Zhuxiu took a deep breath, his cool voice slightly hoarse.

"Alright."

"But there’s a catch."

Song Chuyi hummed softly, "What condition?"

Jiang Zhuxiu pursed his lips and asked, "What scares you?"

Fear was the sweetest treat for a Nightmare; he adored that flavor.

So, he needed to harvest fear from Song Chuyi’s dreams.

Since he couldn’t pinpoint Song Chuyi’s fear, he would make him say it himself.

Jiang Zhuxiu stared intently at Song Chuyi, waiting for his answer.

This question really caught Song Chuyi off guard.

He leaned one hand on Jiang Zhuxiu’s chest, sitting slightly on his lap.

After a long pause, he finally spoke slowly, "I used to be afraid of being alone."

Jiang Zhuxiu’s brow creased slightly.

"And now?"

"Now, though..." Song Chuyi tilted his head, his gaze resting on Jiang Zhuxiu, a bright smile spreading across his face, "Now, I’m afraid you might not like me."

His radiant smile seemed to light up the dim room.

The metallic tang of blood faded, replaced by a gentle, woody scent.

Jiang Zhuxiu recognized it as Song Chuyi’s woody scent, like the natural aroma of a tree or his own unique scent.

It was both intoxicating and energizing.

Jiang Zhuxiu’s Adam’s apple moved as he swallowed, his gaze locked intently.

"I don’t know what liking someone means."

Nightmares don’t have human emotions.

Love is too alien and too lavish for a Nightmare.

Song Chuyi wasn’t fazed by this answer.

He gave a soft chuckle, "I don’t know either."

"Why don’t we learn from each other?"

His finger lingered on Jiang Zhuxiu’s chest, giving it a gentle poke.

"Weren’t you trying to scare me?"

"Why didn’t you just say you don’t like me?"

"If you’d said that, I’d have been really scared."

Jiang Zhuxiu was taken aback.

"True."

If he really wanted to feel fear from Song Chuyi, he should have said he didn’t like him after he finished speaking.

He should have played the part of someone being forced, no matter what Song Chuyi did, he should have stuck to his disgust.

In this dream, he was supposed to be disgusted with him.

But for some reason, when he heard him say "I used to be afraid of loneliness," he just couldn’t bring himself to say "I don’t like you."

He couldn’t lie to him.

So he didn’t say "I don’t like you," nor "I like you."

Because he didn’t understand—had never understood—what it really meant to like someone.

Jiang Zhuxiu gazed blankly at Song Chuyi, muttering, "I don’t know."

"I just... don’t want to lie to you."

Song Chuyi poked Jiang Zhuxiu, "So, is this what liking is?"

Jiang Zhuxiu pursed his lips, as if struck, and the dream suddenly turned chaotic.

Song Chuyi was jolted, and the whole dream space trembled.

He opened his eyes and let out a lazy yawn.

"So easily riled up."

He leaned down, his breath close to Jiang Zhuxiu’s ear.

"Minister~"

Jiang Zhuxiu was still fast asleep.

Song Chuyi didn’t mind, figuring his active mental energy had still gotten to Jiang Zhuxiu.

Otherwise, Jiang Zhuxiu would have woken up.

It’s just unclear exactly what part of Jiang Zhuxiu was affected.

Meanwhile, inside the dream space.

Jiang Zhuxiu, back in his original form, wore a cold expression.

His restless energy kept pulsing, pushing him to stir up trouble with other Nightmares again.

The other Nightmares had been having a streak of bad luck lately.

Not only had they inexplicably accepted a king, but this king was also a bit unhinged.

They were doing just fine crafting terrifying dreams for humans, but this king showed up and completely ruined the vibe.

It was supposed to be a dark, narrow, confined space tailored for humans with claustrophobia, but the king made the walls transparent, giving a clear view of the open sky.

Forget claustrophobia—humans just lounged around, enjoying the view.

Then there was the car crash scene meant to depict family separation, but the king turned the car into chocolate.

Not only was the impact painless, but humans even started munching on the chocolate.

In short, it was all just plain weird!

The Nightmares, who hadn’t gotten much to feast on, were starting to get fed up.

They never wanted a king to begin with, and after being forced to accept one, the king didn’t even let them eat.

Their hunger-fueled resentment far outweighed their fear of the king.

So, two hundred Nightmares banded together to confront Jiang Zhuxiu.

Jiang Zhuxiu listened to the endless chatter of hundreds of Nightmares and frowned in annoyance.

“You’re all so annoying—no more sweets for you from now on.”

The Nightmares were baffled: ???

The tail hook behind Jiang Zhuxiu swayed gently, his restless energy always looking for something to do.

Even if it meant picking a fight with these Nightmares, he was fine with it.

Unfortunately, these Nightmares were all weaklings, and even two hundred of them together couldn’t take him down.

He couldn’t actually bring himself to kill these Nightmares.

After all, they were his own kind, and he wasn’t that heartless.

Jiang Zhuxiu was lost in thought when he heard one of the Nightmares speak.

“If you don’t let us feed on humans’ fears, we’ll starve to death.”

“If we starve, the Nightmares will die out!”

Jiang Zhuxiu’s tail hook stopped swaying. “Extinct?”

A flicker of emotion crossed his cold eyes. “We can’t go extinct.”

The Nightmares below perked up—yes, they couldn't let their race die out.

So they needed to feed on the negative emotions humans experience in their dreams!

Just as they were getting excited, they heard Jiang Zhuxiu say, "But your breath stinks. No more sweets for you."

The Nightmares: ...

Sweets were the fear and despair of humans, a favorite treat among the Nightmares.

Sweets were rich and heavy, yet they provided plenty of energy for the Nightmares.

Not letting them eat sweets—wasn't this cutting into their energy supply?

"No way, no way!"

One bold Nightmare spoke up, followed by a wave of agreement.

"You don't get to say no," Jiang Zhuxiu smirked. "Since I'm the king, you'll do as I say."

"Or, if any of you can tell me what liking is, I'll allow you to eat sweets."

The Nightmares exchanged glances, thinking their new king was a bit crazy.

"I like eating sweets, isn't that liking?" one Nightmare asked.

Jiang Zhuxiu replied coldly. "No."

"I want to know what humans mean by liking."

The Nightmares: ...

The new king was truly out of his mind.