Chapter 224: A Dream in the Qionglin

It feels like the IQ of these people is no longer within the range of normal human beings.

Ruan Xing could not help but start to wonder, if her Thread Control Technique developed to the later stages where it could completely control a person's speech, or even their expressions, gaze, and thoughts, would they also look this stupid? Passing the large cauldron in front of the door, the red-robed Cultivator continued to scoop water for the people behind with hollow eyes.

The scarred male Cultivator had already half-carried the female Cultivator into the pavilion behind.

Ruan Xing hurriedly followed.

Inside the pavilion, the first thing that met her eyes was a Fairy Stone Statue.

However, unlike a normal stone statue, this Fairy Stone Statue wore a loving smile and was slightly hunched over. On her back, shoulders, hands, and beside her legs, there were chubby little dolls frolicking. It did not look like a goddess who sacrificed herself for others, but rather a fertility-bestowing Guanyin.

As she watched, Ruan Xing only felt dizzy; the stone statue seemed to move, its eyeballs rotating to look in Ruan Xing's direction.

She blinked, and the stone statue returned to normal, as if nothing had just happened.

Yet she secretly remained on guard against everything in the Xianzi Temple.

The female Cultivator knelt respectfully before the stone statue, muttering, "I beg the Fairy to let my child pass on to the afterlife, I beg the Fairy to grant me a new child..."

As she repeated this, the statue lowered its head and sent the Stone Doll in its hand to the female Cultivator's side. The moment it touched the female Cultivator's body, the Stone Doll vanished, seemingly merging into her lower abdomen.

The scarred male Cultivator and the female Cultivator acted as if they had seen nothing, continuing to kneel and repeat their prayers like people possessed.

The stone statue turned its head and smiled at Ruan Xing, and a strange woman's laughter echoed in her mind, "Do you also want a child?"

Ruan Xing bit her lip to keep herself clear-headed and cursed, "You psycho, you're the one who wants a child."

With a beckoning gesture, the White Jade Sword flew from the void, and with one strike, it chopped at the stone statue's neck. The head fell off, and the stone dolls on her body scattered in a flurry.

Yet the fallen head still had its corners of the mouth upturned, without any change.

The voice came from all directions.

"Come here, I will give you a child..."

"Come here, I will give you a child..."

Ruan Xing only felt a headache.

This stone statue was not the main body of the World Consciousness; it was likely just an avatar, much like the Glazed Salamander of the Heavenly Dao, using physical objects to influence people or things within the Small World. After all, the first law of the Heavenly Dao was that it could not directly interfere with the development of the world.

It might not even have a conscious avatar; it was just a pre-set program.

Because Ruan Xing did not find any threads around the stone statue.

Even if she smashed the stone statue to pieces, the World Consciousness would not suffer the slightest harm.

But even so, she still could not find its location.

She had to go along with it for now to find what she wanted.

But this voice was truly too annoying!

Ruan Xing opened the Sui Spirit Pearl and threw Xie Feng and Xizui out directly, without even having time to go through the procedure of passing through the Light Gate.

Xizui had long ceased to care about such worldly matters; he did not even want to be the Demon Lord, and he raised no objection to Ruan Xing's highly disrespectful behavior toward him. Instead, he stepped forward directly and launched an attack at the stone statue's head that was still emitting the voice.

Xie Feng stumbled back two steps to steady himself and complained, "Why so sudden? You scared me."

"Less talk." Ruan Xing kicked him in the butt, "Get in there!"

The Fairy Stone Statue was extremely fragile and seemed to have no protective measures; even Xizui's demonic claws could easily crush the stone, and the statue shattered into countless fragments.

The rubble left scratches on the two people kneeling on the ground, yet they remained oblivious.

Xie Feng dodged while trying to swallow the stone statue, then leaned against the wall and began to retch, "Pah! Tastes worse than dirt!"

The more rubble there was, the more sources of the voice there were. The sound echoing in the pavilion was dense and overwhelming, and Ruan Xing could only temporarily seal her five senses.

Suddenly, the previously chaotic rubble seemed to organize itself, arranging neatly into a wall of rubble that smashed toward Xizui.

Xizui raised his hand to reveal his magical tool, preparing to clash head-on with the rubble wall, but the wall was like an illusion, passing directly through Xizui's body, and then Xizui vanished.

He did not even have time to say a single word.

However, Ruan Xing was not worried. Since they had entered this Small World, they belonged to it; the World Consciousness could not kill them directly and could only fight in a roundabout, indirect way.

Just like the Heavenly Dao could not directly kill her, a transmigrator.

Xizui would not die; he would only be taken to another place by the World Consciousness. If he went to the lair of the World Consciousness, then she could only hope he would find the Primordial Purple Energy soon.

The rubble wall continued to advance toward Xie Feng.

However, Xie Feng seemed to have understood why Ruan Xing wanted to clash with the opponent so quickly, and he did not resist.

She was hoping the World Consciousness would take them to its familiar home turf.

Taking advantage of these few seconds, Ruan Xing's Divine Soul left her body, clutching her Fate Line, and entered the Sui Spirit Pearl.

A single thread connected the Sui Spirit Pearl to Ruan Xing's body, and in her final field of vision, the rubble wall came rushing toward her.

Inside the Sui Spirit Pearl, it was still the same as when she had entered before.

Xie Feng and Xizui had not made any changes to this place.

How could Xie Feng be so well-behaved... He was like a rowdy child in a supermarket; if you weren't careful, he would take a bite of the roast chicken on the counter, tear open the snack packaging on the bottom shelf, or pour mung beans into the red beans and mix them thoroughly.

Her gaze shifted slightly, and a ripple appeared in the air as Sword Lai slowly revealed himself from concealment.

"What did those two do inside the Sui Spirit Pearl?" Ruan Xing asked.

Along the way, except when influenced by the Secret Realm Space, Xizui almost never expressed his own opinions, leaving all decisions to Ruan Xing.

Yet he had taken the initiative to suggest using the Sui Spirit Pearl to transfer the influence of the Secret Realm.

To show his sincerity, he had actually handed the Sui Spirit Pearl to Ruan Xing to use, while he did not use it himself.

There was a hundred thousand times the suspicion hidden within this unusual behavior.

Thus, after entering the Sui Spirit Pearl, Ruan Xing found an opportunity to release Sword Lai.

She had him hide within the Sui Spirit Pearl.

Xie Yao did not know she had a Puppet, and likewise, Xizui was unaware of Sword Lai's existence. Xie Feng might have guessed, but he could not control Xizui's behavior.

Sword Lai did not know Magic Arts like the Water Mirror Technique, so he learned to perform for Ruan Xing by imitating the two of them.

One moment he would slightly hunch his chest, tucking his hands in, pretending to be a gray-clad old man. The next moment he would shrug his shoulders, pulling hard at the corners of his mouth to mimic that careless smile of Xie Feng's.

Xizui said in a low voice, "The Saint Demon Lord asked me to inquire if you need any help?"

Xie Feng glanced at him, speechless, "No need. We have stayed in Wuxu City for so long; you should know that if I needed help, I would have snuck off to find you all long ago."

"Then are you content to remain under the thumb of a mere child?" Xizui said, "The Saint Demon Lord previously had me send people to inquire about what kind of person Ruan Xing of the Nanzhou Wind Shadow Yueying Sect is. According to several Cultivators who came from Yunyang City, she is small in stature like a child, and while her appearance is innocent and naive, she is actually cruel and heartless, cold and perverted, taking pleasure in torturing Cultivators. Such a person is a figure feared and disliked by everyone even in the Northern Territory, yet she happens to be an Immortal Cultivator. I fear her psychology is even darker; being controlled by such a person, I imagine you have had a hard time these past few years."

He sighed and continued, "Originally, Shui Linglong suspected that Ruan Xing's sudden rise to prominence in Nanzhou meant she was a member of the Hidden Sect, but after the Saint Demon Lord heard of her conduct, she dismissed this possibility. People of the Hidden Sect all take the Heavenly Dao as their own responsibility; even if they are cold, they do not kill indiscriminately. She is definitely not a member of the Hidden Sect."

"Where did you hear this nonsense..." Xie Feng said with a strange expression, then suddenly thinking of something, he chuckled, "But it seems what they said isn't wrong. Yes, she is indeed extremely detestable!"

Xizui lowered his hoarse voice, "Therefore, the Saint Demon Lord asked me to find an opportunity to contact you; she still owes you a favor."

"More than one, I'd say. How many troubles has she caused outside using my name? Does she not intend to pay them back?" Xie Feng said lazily.

Demon Cultivators without protection usually live precarious lives. From Foundation Establishment to Golden Core, no one knows how many Demon Cultivators die every year. That Xie Yao has been able to survive alone for so long is largely due to his, Xie Feng's, contribution.

Although he didn't care about these things in the past.

"The Saint Demon Lord didn't say that much. She only asked me to ask you if you need help regarding the favor she owes you," Xizui said.

"Forget it, she doesn't need to pay it back. You tell her to act as if she doesn't know me from now on. If one day she and Ruan Xing clash and fight to the death, there is no need to care about my life or death," Xie Feng sighed melancholically, "I used to want freedom very much, but some people are like kites; without the string pulling them, they are no different from being dead."

Xizui nodded, "Alright, I understand."

Sword Lai's movements stopped.

"And then?" Ruan Xing asked.

Sword Lai shook his head honestly, "Nothing else. After that, they didn't say another word, nor did they make any moves."

Is that so...

Ruan Xing pondered. There was nothing wrong with what Xie Feng said, but she didn't know if he had guessed that Sword Lai was here and said it on purpose.

However, since he said that to Xizui, he probably didn't consider Xie Yao his backup plan.

Ruan Xing set her mind at ease for the moment and turned her focus to the Secret Realm Space outside the Sui Spirit Pearl.

She needed to temporarily obey the World Consciousness, but she was worried that if she truly let go of her mind, she would forget to end the Simulation and go bankrupt, so she compromised and thought of a method.

Her Divine Soul left her body to enter the Sui Spirit Pearl, leaving only a sliver of divine sense to instinctively control her body, and she grasped her own Fate Line as insurance.

This way, there was no need to worry.

Outside the Xianzi Temple, the voices of people were clamorous, and the pavilions remained as they were; it seemed as if nothing had ever happened.

'Ruan Xing' and the scarred male Cultivator emerged from the Xianzi Temple together. Their faces were brimming with joyful smiles as they spoke to another slightly older mortal woman.

"Cousin, since your mother has come to pick you up, you should go home with your aunt. You are welcome to come visit me again next time," the female Cultivator said with a smile.

'Ruan Xing' nodded, "Alright, then goodbye, cousin, cousin-in-law."

The mortal woman came to take 'Ruan Xing's' hand, and 'Ruan Xing' followed her away very obediently.

As the woman walked, she hummed an unknown song, seemingly in a very good mood.

"Mother, why are you in such a hurry to take me back? I haven't had enough fun at my cousin's house yet," 'Ruan Xing' pouted and said with dissatisfaction.

The woman smiled lovingly, "Silly child, you're so grown up, yet you still only know how to play. You should get married; let's go back and find you a good family so you can hold a baby soon."

'Ruan Xing' said: "I don't want to hold a baby."

The woman's face darkened, "How can you not hold a baby? Procreation is the heaven-sent duty bestowed upon us humans by the Xianzi Temple. We must not only give birth, but give birth to many! Listen to your mother; after you get married tomorrow, go to the Xianzi Temple to pray with your husband, and you will be pregnant the day after tomorrow."

The logic of what she said was very chaotic, making 'Ruan Xing's' brain turn to mush. She hesitated and said: "But how do I remember, 'fewer births, better births, a happy life'..."

"Nonsense!" The woman raised her eyebrows and shouted loudly: "You are defying the teachings of the Xianzi Temple and bringing shame upon our entire Qionglin Town! Look at the banners on the wall yourself: 'One child is shameful, two children are glorious, three children are heroes!'"

"'If you want to live a moderately prosperous life, have more children to help! Rewards for a second child, penalties for the first, DINKs and the infertile should all be arrested!'"

"Look, is there any part of the words on this wall that is wrong!"

'Ruan Xing' shook her head, feeling that she was already losing her mind, but she still resisted what the woman said from the bottom of her heart. She retorted: "No, it's not like that! I remember it's not like that! 'Plant more trees, have fewer children; if you want to get rich, build roads first'..."

"'Control the population size, improve the quality of the population'..."

"'If you should have an abortion but don't, we'll tear down your house and take your cow'..."

"'One person undergoes ligation, the whole village is glorious'..."

"I remember now, I remember it all!"

'Ruan Xing' shouted out loud.

The woman's face was already as gloomy as charcoal. She twisted her face and rushed up to grab 'Ruan Xing's' shoulders, "You have to listen to me, you have to listen to me! Hold a baby, hold a baby soon..."

Her voice seemed to have a demonic quality.

It drifted out in layers.

It was ethereal and real, emitting countless echoes!

It was stronger than those voices back at the Xianzi Temple!

'Ruan Xing's' gaze gradually became dull and hollow.

"Caught you!" Ruan Xing found that line in the Sui Spirit Pearl, which was like a firefly in the dark night. She rushed out of the Sui Spirit Pearl abruptly and grasped that extraordinary Fate Line.

The woman let out a shriek and immediately fainted.

All the echoes of the voices also came to an abrupt stop.

However, Ruan Xing did not lose the trail of the World Consciousness.

She gripped it tightly without letting go, her Divine Soul diving into her own body. Immediately, the influence of the Secret Realm Space lightened suddenly, and her consciousness recovered.

She immediately flew forward, following the guidance of the line in her hand, and caught a half-grown little boy in the crowd, "Still want to run!"

The little boy struggled for a moment, then lost all movement.

Ruan Xing did not pursue further, but instead pulled on the Fate Line in her hand, dragging back the body that the World Consciousness had re-possessed! "How can you find me every single time!" the old woman in front of her screamed in extreme terror.

It had no physical form of its own, and its stone statue avatar had already been destroyed into dregs and rubble by Xizui, so it could only mingle among the people in the town.

Thanks to A-Niang for the monthly ticket~