Chapter 80

"Flying Light's done reading—any more?" Chen Yue flipped through the Astral Express official account; everything that needed to be posted was pretty much up.

Star Rail

Luofu Immortal Vessel

Hidden Prison

Cloud Knight Soldiers

A man in a black long coat, escorted by two Cloud Knight soldiers, slowly walked toward the light.

His coat bore an engraving of spider lilies, his dark blue long hair flowing behind him swayed lightly with his steps, and bandages wrapped around various parts of his body, making them especially conspicuous in the shadows.

Directly ahead, Jing Yuan stood with his hands behind his back, while his disciple Yan Qing sat alone to the side, seemingly also waiting for him.

Guo Haihuang

Miyamoto Musashi

Lie Haiwang

Yan Qing raised his head in surprise to look at the prisoner before him, not understanding why this man was so important as to warrant the general's personal appearance.

Yoshioka Seijuro

"…I remember." The man spoke in a very stern tone; even in this situation, his slightly hoarse voice had no inflection at all.

Only when he slowly lifted his head did a hint of madness appear in his blood-red eyes beneath his sculpted visage: "People have five names, prices have three…… Jing Yuan, you're not one of them."

One Vehicle Temple

Guo Haihuang sighed, "To nurture such killing intent…… he must have killed hundreds, if not thousands."

Unexpectedly, these words provoked Miyamoto Musashi into a burst of loud laughter: "Hundreds, thousands…… hahaha! You mean none of you have ever really killed anyone?"

It was as if he'd heard the funniest joke in the world; Miyamoto Musashi laughed until tears streamed down, and he could only keep rubbing his eyes: "Guo Haihuang, even if you've practiced martial arts for over hundreds of years, how many people have you really killed? Your so‑called 'fist principle' surely hasn't even seen blood, has it?"

Facing this mockery, Guo Haihuang remained calm and composed, keeping a kind, elder‑like smile on his face, while Lie Haiwang behind him tensed all his muscles and let out a low‑rumbling roar: "Shut up! You insolent wretch!"

Miyamoto Musashi glanced at him with a faint smile, only after a long while did he ease his expression: "I can tell you've never experienced real slaughter, kid…… your gaze is still pure."

Yumemizuki Mizuki

Yae Miko

In his youth, Miyamoto Musashi became a ronin, settled in Kyoto, and once challenged the Yoshioka school, which claimed to be the "Number One Sword School in Kyoto."

After killing the Yoshioka hall's head, Yoshioka Seijūrō, in a duel at Ichijō-ji Temple, the seventy‑six Yoshioka disciples who had been watching all at once launched a siege on Miyamoto Musashi, but he met each attacker one‑on‑one, turning the mob into seventy‑six individual duels, and ultimately slew all seventy‑six warriors.

March 7

"In a slaughter, people turn into beasts, lose reason, and go mad." Even after four hundred years, Miyamoto Musashi still seems to cherish the pleasure that battle brought.

"If you, like me, have slain hundreds, you should know that the black‑clad man in the light curtain has killed far more than just hundreds or thousands."

Miyamoto Musashi closed his eyes, which were shaped like magatama beads, and said, "The number of people he has killed… is countless, and I find it hard to judge. The viciousness and madness in his eyes are somewhat similar to those of a woman named Jingliu."

"……But they're not the same, right?" Guo Haihuang suddenly spoke.

"Yeah, my simple guess—perhaps it's because of the demonic yin body, Jingliu should be deliberately suppressing this madness, lest she open a great killing spree……but it's very hard to do."

Miyamoto Musashi opened his eyes and sighed, saying, "But this man is different; he seems to deliberately indulge his inner frenzy, turning madness into a means when he slaughters."

——

「"""」

"In the dream, that person's familiar figure appeared."

"Accompanied by the sound of his shattered sword in hand, a nightmare-like voice slowly echoed beside Dan Heng's ear."

""Person has five names, the price has three……"

"That person drew his sword, sharply pointed a finger, and in a daze I saw the corner of his mouth curl into a mocking smile: 'You——are one of them!'"

"In the next instant, the sword thrust came from the void, a bone‑piercing killing intent surged straight at his face, and he couldn't help but cry out in alarm."

""——Ah!""

"Dan Heng sat up, his chest rising and falling rapidly; only after a moment did his tense muscles gradually relax."

"It seems Dan Heng's psychological issues are quite serious; he's reached the point of 'thinking by day, dreaming by night.'"

"In Inazuma's autumn sand money bath, Yumemizuki Mizuki lay in the steaming hot spring, frowning as she watched the boy tormented by nightmares on the light screen."

"Well, that's someone from another world; even if you wanted to help, you couldn't. You might as well enjoy the present." Yae Miko, having changed into a bathrobe, teased from the side: "How come? Is it your occupational disease as a dream‑eater flaring up, making you want to fly in and devour the nightmare?"

"As a healer, I see plenty of patients like him." Yumemizuki Mizuki shook her head, brushed a damp strand of hair behind her ear, and said, "Even if you devour him once, his heart will quickly spawn new nightmares; facing such patients, it's better to treat the symptoms than the root cause."

"Oh?" Yae Miko also became interested, shifted her body closer, and asked, "How should we treat it?"

"It's obvious that black‑haired man is a heart‑ailment for Dan Heng." Yumemizuki Mizuki pondered seriously.

"At times like this, we can't avoid it; we need to talk face to face. Lay everything out——best to do it in front of General Jingyuan, who seems quite fair; with him judging, many contradictions might be resolved."

"Uh……"

"Perhaps she'd been soaking too long; Yae Miko wiped the sweat from her forehead and said, 'Mizuki, this therapy……is pretty deadly.'"

""Huff……huff……"" Dan Heng panted heavily, he looked around; outside the train window lay the endless river of stars, faint light shining on the blue tatami of the data room. All around was silent, no other sound.

"I had that dream again."

"Dan Heng was just letting out a breath when, suddenly, the calls of Xing and San Yue Qi came from outside the door, urging him to go to the carriage to prepare for the train meeting."

""You go ahead; I'll be right away.""

"Upon hearing the reply, Xing and San Yue Qi returned to the carriage, where Walter and Qizi were already waiting."

""Let's go, the train route meeting is about to start." Seeing the two, Walter greeted them to come over to Pam's side."

"Although Dan Heng was still late, Qizi and the others weren't surprised at all; after waiting for the rest of the train's crew to arrive, she cleared her throat and announced the start of the train meeting."