Chapter 535: Lift It Over, Quickly!

Lu Wu Dao: "Sir, you have arrived, please sit."

Masked Man walked in and took a seat.

Lu Wu Dao: "For the past three days I've used the Tongxin Technique to empathize with them while they slept."

"First, to probe the military information you wish to know; second, to amplify each person's inner fear to the extreme, draining their spirit."

"This method can kill without a trace, and also uncover secrets hidden in the heart."

"But I have found that I can easily discern everyone else, except that child."

Masked Man asked: "How?"

Lu Wu Dao rubbed his temples: "She has not a single ounce of worry or fear in her heart, so I cannot empathize with her."

"None?"

Lu Wu Dao nodded: "I am pondering this."

"All people have worries and fears; why does she have none?"

Masked Man thought for a moment: "What has the gentleman discovered?"

Lu Wu Dao smiled proudly: "Xiao Ningxun worries about the key and the Heavenly Son Sword."

He thought inwardly: Such a crucial military matter—if not for me, how could you know?

"When that key is forged, whatever is on the Heavenly Son Sword will shine, and they will attack Jingcheng."

Masked Man: "…"

"I've known these for a long time!"

【8】 "Anything else?"

Anything else?

Lu Wu Dao looked at his expression, and a sudden thought struck him: Could it be useless?

"Xiao Yuanhang worries about his 50,000-strong army—whether it will be defeated and the whole force annihilated."

Masked Man: "…"

"Isn't that obvious? As the commander, Xiao Yuanhang naturally worries about losing a command and the army's collapse."

"Anything more?"

Lu Wu Dao's expression stiffened: "Xiao Ningyuan worries about his ledger, fearing he'll have to rewrite it."

Masked Man: "…"

Xiao Ningyuan had spent many years trading abroad; his eidetic memory is known throughout Jingcheng, otherwise Xiao Jieyun wouldn't have appointed him as Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Revenue.

"Anything else?"

Lu Wu Dao swallowed his saliva: "Xiao Ningchen worries that the troops he leads will be ambushed in a pitch‑black, narrow place."

Masked Man's gaze hardened: "A pitch‑black, narrow place? What is that?"

Lu Wu Dao was startled: "I don't know either; his dream is like that—only these images appear, and I don't know where exactly."

Masked Man: "…"

"A pitch‑black, narrow place?"

"That's far too many; if you don't know where it is, what's the use?"

Lu Wu Dao couldn't help asking: "Sir, have you already known all these?"

Masked Man stared straight at him and nodded.

Lu Wu Dao: "…"

His hand trembled slightly as he lifted the teacup and gulped it down, nearly choking.

It was the first time in his life he felt his face couldn't hold on; after a few days of frantic probing, everything he learned was already known by others.

Masked Man did not rebuke: "Master, you've worked hard; please continue and see if you can uncover anything I don't know."

Lu Wu Dao nodded: "Sir, rest assured."

Masked Man stood up: "I won't disturb the master further," and turned to leave.

In the following days, each night Tuan Tuan would hug Xiao Feifei's wooden box, waddle on short legs and begin "moving houses."

Today she slept with mother and father; the next day she slept in Third Brother's tent; the day after that in Big Brother's, and the following day in Second Brother's…

After a round, she started over again.

After a few days, Tuan Tuan could no longer bear it and pouted at Cheng Ru'an: "Mother, I'm not a sleepy bug! Why do you make me move houses every day?"

Xiao Ningyuan said seriously: "Who says you aren't? Right now, you are a big sleepy bug!"

Tuan Tuan widened her eyes: "I'm not!"

"How could you not be?" Xiao Ningyuan counted on his fingers, "See, whoever's tent you sleep in can sleep soundly."

"If not a big sleepy bug, what else could it be?"

Tuan Tuan puffed her little face: "Then, then I'm a small sleepy bug, not a big one!"

Xiao Ningyuan laughed heartily: "Alright, alright, you're the small one, I'm the big one, okay?"

Xiao Ningchen, expressionless, said: "The big one is useless; if it weren't for Tuan Tuan, wouldn't you still be having nightmares every day? And you have the nerve to say that."

Xiao Ningyuan: "…"

Xiao Ningxun heard it and the corner of his mouth lifted slightly.

Xiao Yuanhang sat behind the desk, shook his head, a smile in his eyes.

Although the nightmares continued, with Tuan Tuan as a "Human-shaped Calming Medicine," the few took turns benefiting; every few days they could sleep soundly, and their spirits noticeably improved.

Even though they don't know why, this method lets them barely hold on.

Jingcheng.

Lu Wu Dao furrowed his brows; he enters dreams daily, and his eyes are now a deep bruise.

That child shows no abnormality, but whoever she sleeps with, I cannot empathize with them.

Why is that?

Could it be that it's not because of her, but because of that Gu worm?

The more he thought, the more he felt he had found the source; he took out a talisman from his bosom and laid it flat on the table.

If so, tonight I will enter the situation with my own body!

Although if discovered, light backlash, heavy soul and spirit scattered, but a tiny Gu worm, what can it do to me?

The night is deep like water.

Tonight, it's Tuan Tuan's turn to sleep in Xiao Ningxun's tent.

The wooden box is placed at the head of the bed, one big and one small sleeping soundly.

Xiao Feifei inside the box suddenly moved its chubby body uneasily.

A faint illusion slowly appeared in the tent.

Lu Wu's soul stood before the couch, lowered his head to look at the sleeping Tuan Tuan, his gaze fell on the wooden box.

He softly chanted the incantation, and the box lid slowly opened.

Lu Wu lowered his gaze; inside the box, a white, chubby worm lay lazily, its whole body snow-white, shimmering with a soft luster in the moonlight.

He frowned: "You are a Gu worm, how did you grow like this?"

Xiao Feifei opened its eyes, lifted its head, and looked up at the large face approaching from above.

The next moment, "Pfft!"

A stream of viscous liquid spurted from its mouth, hitting Lu Wu's face squarely.

Lu Wu was startled, jumped back a few steps, and reached out to wipe the slime off his face.

But the slime was extremely sticky, smeared on his eyes, no matter how he wiped, it wouldn't come off.

"What the hell is this!"

At this very moment.

Chu Yuan's formation before him suddenly lit up.

He suddenly opened his eyes, sharp light bursting forth.

"Finally, I've waited for your opening!"

He formed hand seals, his fingertips flowing with faint light, the tortoise shell at the formation's center trembling violently.

"Go!"

Lu Wu, desperately wiping the slime off his face, suddenly stiffened all over.

The surrounding scene suddenly shifted.

He found himself amidst a battlefield woven with blood and fire.

Corpses lay everywhere, rivers of blood flowed.

Countless soldiers fell to the ground, their faces ferocious, dying with eyes unclosed.

In the distance, the towering fire blazing from the Ning Prince's Mansion lit up the night sky crimson.

Lu Wu's pupils contracted: "This is..."

"Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh—"

Countless feathered arrows pierced the air, striking his chest.

He lowered his gaze to the trembling arrow shafts in his chest, excruciating pain sweeping through his body.

"Ah—!"

He let out a miserable cry, and the next moment the scene shifted again.

Blazing flames roared, scorching heat waves hit his face.

He found himself again in a sea of fire, surrounded by burning bookshelves and ledgers, paper turning to ash and fluttering before his eyes.

Flames licked his robes, his skin feeling burning pain.

He frantically patted the flames on his body, but the fire only grew fiercer.

After another bout of dizziness, he fell into a pitch-black void.

He could not see his hand in front of his face; nothing was visible.

In his ears came earth-shaking shouts of battle, clashing of swords and spears, miserable cries, footsteps...

He did not know where he was, only able to run futilely in the darkness.

Suddenly the ground gave way beneath his feet; he fell once more onto that battlefield, again experiencing the pain of being pierced by myriad arrows.

In the next instant, the scene around him began to twist again.

Battlefield, flames, darkness... came in waves, over and over.

He let out a piercing wail: "Ah—!"

The servants outside heard the commotion and pushed the door open.

Lu Wu collapsed on the ground, trembling all over, eyes wide open, mouth continuously emitting terrified cries, yet he could not wake up no matter what.

The servants rushed over, but dared not touch him: "Master! Master, what's wrong with you?"

He turned and ran outward.

Shortly after, the Masked Man hurried over.

He crouched down, examined carefully for a moment: "Go! Bring Teng Qingxing over."

The servant was puzzled: "Carry?"

"Yes, carry him over, quickly!"

Not long after, Teng Qingxing was brought in on a stretcher.

His body still wrapped in white cloth, he lay weakly on the stretcher; seeing Lu Wu's appearance, his face changed drastically: "Master!"

Masked Man said: "Try it, see if you can wake him."

Teng Qingxing struggled to climb up, kneeling before Lu Wu, murmuring something.

Finally, he shouted: "Wake!"

Lu Wu trembled all over, and in the burning flames saw Teng Qingxing's face.

Teng Qingxing exclaimed joyfully: "Master! You've awakened!"

Awake?

This is a forbidden technique! Without someone to take my place, it's impossible to ever wake from the dream!

A flash of ruthlessness crossed Lu Wu's eyes; he reached out from the flames and grabbed Teng Qingxing's wrist.