Chapter 279: The Woman in White

Bai Qiusheng cannot have returned.

Before leaving in the morning, Li Banfeng had seen him; even if he had immediately taken a train, he could not possibly appear in Zhengjing Village at this time.

This Bai Qiusheng is fake!

Li Banfeng asked: "Qiusheng, when did you get back?"

Bai Qiusheng looked up and said: "My stomach hurts, Seventh Master, let's talk later!"

Saying this, Bai Qiusheng dashed off and slipped into the outhouse beside the studio, slamming the door shut.

Li Banfeng was about to chase after him when Ma Wu blocked his path: "Seventh Master, you haven't told me why you've come back."

"I took a train, and then…"

Seventh Master?

Ma Wu called me Seventh Master?

Li Banfeng stepped back half a pace and smiled: "Guess why I came back."

This Ma Wu is fake too!

Ma Wu glanced at the camera: "The film's run out. I'll check if there's any left."

Saying this, Ma Wu sprinted off to the warehouse by the lake and shut the door.

"Don't go!" Li Banfeng took two steps after him, then saw Zuo Wugang walking toward him in a green vest: "Seventh Master, what was Old Wu so flustered about just now?"

"He's not… uh, the film ran out, he's going to look for more."

Zuo Wugang called Ma Wu Old Wu.

Li Banfeng nearly pulled out his sickle.

He kept reminding himself not to act rashly.

He scanned every person around him—he couldn't tell who was real and who was fake.

Li Banfeng said no more and walked quickly along the village path alone.

Aqin walked toward him in a green qipao, smiling: "Seventh Brother, you're back?"

"Yes, I'm back," Li Banfeng forced a smile, curling his lips.

Did Aqin call me Seventh Brother?

Since returning to Zhengjing Village, everyone who spoke to Li Banfeng—except Qiaocui—seemed fake.

Is Qiaocui still at the village entrance?

Li Banfeng sprinted to the village entrance and found Qiaocui gone.

What is going on?

Preliminary analysis suggests two possibilities.

First possibility: Zhengjing Village has been occupied.

Someone occupying Zhengjing Village is plausible—after all, many would want the ten-li plot of Xin Di.

But after occupying Zhengjing Village, why impersonate its original residents? What's the purpose?

This is easy to verify.

Li Banfeng drew his dagger and cut a gash in his palm.

Blood dripped onto the ground as he murmured: "Someone has invaded my plot."

After anxious waiting, the Water Spring did not appear.

This proves one thing.

This is not Zhengjing Village!

An illusion?

I walked into an illusion!

When did I enter the illusion?

Since I started feeling the path was familiar?

Who set up this illusion?

That mad old man who thought he was a train?

Li Banfeng carefully examined the surroundings—every building, every blade of grass and tree, was identical to Zhengjing Village.

That old man could not possibly know Zhengjing Village so well.

Someone who has been to Zhengjing Village?

Who among those who've been to Zhengjing Village could create such a vast illusion?

Sun Tiecheng?

It seems only…

Don't guess randomly—ask my wife in the Portable Dwelling.

Li Banfeng was about to unlock the key when his thoughts shifted—he immediately abandoned the idea of returning to the Portable Dwelling.

If I'm truly inside an illusion, what state am I in now?

Could it be that I'm currently wandering aimlessly across some wasteland, with someone always following me?

If I pull out the key now, the secret of the Portable Dwelling will be exposed.

That person could kill me, seize everything I own—even my identity.

Who could this person be?

Whoever he is, I must leave this place first.

Li Banfeng was about to leave the "Zhengjing Village" before him, but after a few steps, he stopped.

If I'm truly inside an illusion, leaving won't be this easy.

Walking blindly will almost certainly get me nowhere—and might lead me into even greater unknown dangers.

To escape the illusion, I must find its creator—even if I can't defeat him, I must be prepared.

Who knows Zhengjing Village intimately?

To what extent?

Li Banfeng went to the meeting hall and saw two faint scratches on the wall.

When Xiao Chuanzi removed the windmill phonograph, he accidentally scratched the wall; fearing discovery, he tried to conceal them—but Li Banfeng caught him red-handed.

Xiao Chuanzi was actually quite skilled—even Ma Wu hadn't noticed those scratches.

The illusion-maker replicated even these two scratches—could it be Xiao Chuanzi?

Is this boy who operated the roller machine really a hidden master?

If so, he's hidden himself too well.

Can I see Xiao Chuanzi in this illusion?

Li Banfeng left the meeting hall and wandered the village for a long time without seeing Xiao Chuanzi—only Xiao Genzi appeared.

"Seventh Master, you're back," Xiao Genzi, as diligent as ever, gave a simple greeting and went back to scooping up night soil with his spoon.

As a figure created by the illusion, Xiao Genzi showed no flaw—proving the illusion-maker knew him well.

Could it really be Xiao Chuanzi?

But that didn't make logical sense.

Xiao Chuanzi knew Ma Wu and Zuo Wugang well—he wouldn't have messed up their titles.

Ask this "Xiao Genzi" a few questions—see if I can extract any clues.

Li Banfeng looked around—and Xiao Genzi suddenly vanished.

Where did he go?

Did Xiao Genzi's illusion disappear?

Li Banfeng continued searching the illusion, and without realizing it, reached his own house.

After hesitating, he pushed open the door and stepped inside.

The interior furnishings were identical to his real house.

In Zhengjing Village, very few people could enter Li Banfeng's house.

Who created this illusion?

Sweat trickled down his cheeks one bead at a time; Li Banfeng had a new suspicion.

He lay on his back and crawled under the bed, spotting a groove between the floorboards.

He himself had made this groove—after entering the Portable Dwelling, he could precisely toss the key into it; its purpose was to store the key.

That means only one person knew where this groove was.

That person was Li Banfeng himself.

What did this mean?

Who created the illusion?

Li Banfeng himself did.

How could he create an illusion for himself?

Even if Li Banfeng had gone mad and harmed himself, he didn't know illusion arts—he couldn't have crafted such a lifelike illusion.

Li Banfeng sat in the room, his face twisting uncontrollably.

He feared his condition—he suspected he might be falling ill.

Should he return to the Portable Dwelling?

Where am I right now?

If this were truly out in the wilderness, things would be manageable; but if it were inside a residential building, blood would surely flow like a river.

But this situation doesn't resemble an episode of illness.

Li Banfeng felt he had not lost control.

Is there another possibility?

This illusion was indeed created by me, but not through illusion arts?

Li Banfeng sat on the bed, lost in thought for a long while.

He picked up a pen from the table and wrote three characters on the sheet: "I am not mad."

Li Banfeng closed his eyes, kept them shut for over two seconds, and when he opened them again, the three characters had become five: "A little bit, at least."

He closed his eyes once more, opened them again, and the five characters had changed to four: "That little bit doesn't count."

Li Banfeng was not mad; he knew what was happening.

The text here changed at any moment.

Think back to what had happened before.

The person you're desperate to find is always out of reach.

This kind of situation often occurs in one particular setting.

"This is a dream," Li Banfeng murmured, "I am dreaming."

"Hehehe!"

A woman's laughter reached his ears, as if coming from outside the window.

Li Banfeng immediately flung open the window—no figure was visible, only a white robe floating in midair.

"Knowing it's a dream means you've passed the first trial."

Li Banfeng demanded: "Who are you?"

"I am one person, only one person. Find me, shout out that you've found me, and I'll let you go."

"Don't guess randomly—just one wrong guess, and you'll be trapped here forever."

After the laughter faded, the floating white robe vanished instantly.

Li Banfeng rushed out of his room, searching everywhere for someone in white.

From the village's head to its tail, from the territory of Water Gush Spring to that of Autumn Fallen Leaves, Li Banfeng scoured every corner but found no one in white—not even a single white aberration.

Sitting on the hillside, Li Banfeng gasped for breath.

Within a hundred li, walking several laps was no challenge for Li Banfeng.

But this was a dream, and dreamers grew exhausted far too easily.

Where had all the people in white gone?

Had anyone ever worn white before?

Could I just not look for that woman in white?

Since I'm trapped in this dream, why not try to wake myself up?

Li Banfeng forced his eyes open abruptly.

He tried several times—no effect.

Slap myself?

Useless.

The wound on his hand still throbbed faintly; pain alone could not wake him.

After sitting silently for a long while, a thought interrupted Li Banfeng's train of mind.

Urgent. Intense.

Avoid misfortune, seek good fortune?

No.

He needed to urinate.

Since leaving home this morning, Li Banfeng had not used the latrine.

As everyone knows, never urinate in a dream.

Get up and walk around—walking will fix it.

He took two steps, but felt worse—the urge to relieve himself grew stronger.

In such a dangerous dream, why care about such things?

Urinate then—let my wife wash a pair of pants.

If I fear her laughing, I'll just throw the pants away.

Let me see if there's a latrine nearby.

Following memory, Li Banfeng found a dry latrine in the woods, pushed open the door, relieved himself, and the anxiety and irritation weighing on his heart vanished instantly.

This pair of pants is certainly ruined.

Strange—why did I even look for a latrine?

Couldn't I just find any spot and take care of it?

Afraid of embarrassment?

That's not right—this is my dream.

In a dream, why should I care about face?

Perhaps because his stomach was empty, Li Banfeng felt hungry.

In dreams, feeling hungry is common, but you rarely find a place to eat—even if you do, you can't eat.

Li Banfeng had planned to endure it, but when he descended the hill and returned to the proper village, he actually found a restaurant.

When had this restaurant opened?

Aromatic smells of food drifted out; Li Banfeng couldn't resist the temptation, went in, ordered two small dishes, and ate his fill.

Honestly, he was truly full.

How could you get full in a dream?

Must be an illusion.

As Li Banfeng was about to pay, Ma Wu walked into the restaurant.

He wore a blue suit and sat beside Li Banfeng: "Old Seven, good you're here—let's look at the script together."

He called him Old Seven!

The title was correct.

Zuo Wugang also entered the restaurant, his green vest replaced by a purple short jacket.

"Fifth Master, I can't act—don't put me through this."

The title was correct too.

Aqin sat beside Ma Wu and stole a kiss, her green qipao now a red long dress.

She smiled at Li Banfeng: "Night Boss, I cooked a few small dishes—will you join Fifth Master for dinner tonight?"

Aqin had followed Li Banfeng to Black Rock Slope—she called him Night Boss, and that was fine.

Everyone's condition matched—had I truly escaped the dream?

Where was the woman in white?

Everyone's clothes had changed color—but not a single person wore white!

White…

White clothing…

Why was I searching for white clothing?

Li Banfeng blinked, and suddenly understood something.

Finding that woman had nothing to do with white clothing.

I've seen her—more than once.

He scanned the people around him—there were only two kinds here.

This is my dream—I used the wrong method.

This is my dream; only what exists in my line of sight exists in the dream.

I don't need to search for her—she can only follow me.

Xiao Gen came over carrying a bucket, followed by Xiao Chuan in his coarse work uniform.

The two were about to speak when Li Banfeng shouted: "Don't say a word—not a single word!"

PS: Say more, and you'll never find that woman again.

(End of Chapter)