Chapter 307: It's just a nightmare

"Ah Zhi!"

Xiao Yichen opened his mouth, but no matter how he tried, he couldn't make a sound.

Yet he still didn't realize he was dreaming.

"Dust brother, you've come?!"

Ah Zhi?!

The voice of Mu Yuanzhi, filled with surprise, came from beside his ear, mixed with too much emotion, the feeling he knew, the endless affection for him.

It felt as if separated by lifetimes.

Hearing that voice, Xiao Yichen grew even more anxious; he really wanted to see her!

He really wanted to hold her, yes, he had come!

But immediately, he heard a strange, out-of-place sound.

"I've come to send you on your way."

Who?!

Who is imitating his voice?!

Xiao Yichen was furious; someone was impersonating him to deceive Ah Zhi!

"Dust brother, what are you saying?"

A fragile, incredulous, trembling, pitiful voice that made Xiao Yichen's heart ache asked this question.

No, that wasn't me!

Ah Zhi, don't be fooled by him!

"When you repeatedly harmed Xi'er, you should have anticipated this fate, Mu Yuanzhi, you utterly wicked woman! You don't deserve to live in this world!"

Shut up!

You shut up!

He would never speak to Ah Zhi like that, even when he was deceived by Pei Yunxi, he had never said such harsh words!

Ah Zhi, don't believe him!

Immediately after, he heard the sound of a blade slicing flesh, so sharp it made one's scalp tingle.

What's going on?!

What happened?!

"Ah!!!!!!"

A shrill wail, one cry of pain after another, heart-rending, enough to make anyone unwilling to listen, yet the brutal sound of skin being cut and flesh torn continued!

Xiao Yichen felt as if his whole body were being dragged into a vast, sticky darkness, endless fear nearly drowning him.

No!

Don't!

Ah Zhi!

Don't hurt her!

Xiao Yichen jolted awake, gasping, sitting up, his eyes bloodshot, dread spreading in the eyes of this usually calm man.

"Ah Zhi!"

Xiao Yichen leapt from the couch and rushed out.

"Master Xiao, please wait, what you just experienced was merely a nightmare, stay calm."

A low voice, carrying an almost imperceptible strange tone, came from the other side of the room—the shaman doctor.

Was it a dream?

But it felt too real...

Xiao Yichen shook his head; he couldn't believe it was just a nightmare.

"The Dream-wandering Pillow, as the name suggests, is a great dream." The shaman doctor smiled.

"But legend says the Dream-wandering Pillow can see past and future." Xiao Yichen said.

"Oh?" The shaman doctor raised his tone, "Master, do you think it's your past or your future?"

"Impossible to be the future!"

Xiao Yichen immediately denied it; even if he blamed Ah Zhi for not saving Chu Chu, even if he felt cold that Ah Zhi truly wanted him to die, he also knew they brought it upon themselves.

He had not yet become so insane as to inflict extreme punishment on Ah Zhi for this; even if she were an evil spirit, she could not possibly do something so cruel! Moreover, he still liked her so much!

Having calmed down, Xiao Yichen sat down.

"If not the future, then it can only be the past." The shaman doctor said lightly.

"Past?" Xiao Yichen snorted, "That's even more nonsense."

"What do you consider the past?" the shaman doctor asked, "Is it vanished time, or reset time?"

Xiao Yichen completely didn't understand, "What do you mean by that?"

"Do you believe in past and present lives? Or a life lived again?" the shaman doctor continued.

Xiao Yichen shook his head: "No, it's ridiculous."

"Is that so?" the shaman doctor said no more, lifted his tea cup, and slowly sipped.

Xiao Yichen, due to the shaman doctor's attitude, reconsidered the shaman doctor's earlier words.

What does it mean? Is it saying those events happened in a past life?

His life had been lived again, yet he was unaware?

Though he had thought it absurd, for some reason he suddenly began to think about it.

The nightmare experienced by Pei Shangyan and Pei Shangling was similar to his; unless this pillow is some demonic object that deliberately deludes them, making them see illusions about Ah Zhi, then...

Otherwise, he couldn't explain it!

Xiao Yichen's mind was in turmoil; reason told him such a thing was impossible, yet he couldn't help but ponder that possibility.

But what if? What if it really is like that?

If that's really the case, what does it mean? It means they deeply hurt A Zhi before time was reset!

Too terrifying!

Xiao Yichen couldn't believe he would be ruthless enough to subject Mu Yuanzhi to death by a thousand cuts because of Pei Yunxi.

Just thinking of that phrase made him tremble with fear; how could he possibly be the one to commit such atrocity?

Xiao Yichen looked at the Dream Pillow again, finding it utterly terrifying, like a demon from hell waiting to devour him.

"Do you still need this pillow, sir? If not, I'll return it for you; otherwise, you might be in a bit of trouble." The shaman said with a smile.

No sooner had his words fallen than a servant hurried in to report, saying that people from the Imperial Court of Justice had arrived!

Xiao Yichen guessed that the National Teacher must have summoned the Chief Justice of the Imperial Court of Justice.

So he said to the shaman, "Please trouble yourself to send it back."

"Good."

The shaman set down his tea cup, rose, cradled the Dream Pillow, and vanished in the blink of an eye.

What incredible skill!

It must be skill, right?

Xiao Yichen suddenly felt uncertain.

This shaman is very mysterious; to this day he doesn't even know whether the shaman is male or female, always wearing a large purple robe, hooded, with lips purple as if poisoned; occasionally lifting his gaze, the area around his eyes is also painted purple, his nails are painted purple, and his whole person exudes an abnormal aura.

Yet this person could save his sister, so no matter how strange, he still kept them here.

When the Imperial Court of Justice officials came, Xiao Yichen generously let them search the whole house, but since there was no order to search the premises, he merely gave them a casual look.

"Go back and tell the National Teacher to investigate properly; perhaps he simply forgot where he put it." Xiao Yichen teased.

These people showed no panic at his words, hesitating.

"What, do you all still want to search the house?" Xiao Yichen asked again.

"..."

"Sure, but if we can't find it, I'm afraid the Chief Justice will have trouble explaining to the Emperor."

As soon as Xiao Yichen said that, they had no choice but to leave.

Having come away empty‑handed after a futile search, the Chief Justice wasn't angry; after all, being able to show off at the former Senior Grand Secretary's residence was a pleasure, and he could only say, "Thank you, National Teacher, for giving me this opportunity."

Meanwhile, the National Teacher stared at the Dream Pillow that had suddenly appeared in the room, lost in thought.

He had merely stepped out to change clothes, and in the span of about a quarter of an hour, that person could come and go without anyone noticing.

No one saw it, nor did anyone notice.

The National Teacher's hand touched the Dream Pillow.

There was a fragrance—this scent is the famous Lingxi incense from the Black Sea region.

The Classic of Mountains and Seas records that burning Lingxi incense enables a person to communicate with ghosts.