The profound terror that lies between illusion and reality is that it becomes exceedingly difficult for a person to discern what is true and what is false.
Even though Li Yundong had fully awakened, he still could not distinguish whether the events that transpired in the illusion were real or fabricated, especially since in that illusion, he found himself intimately involved with two women he disliked—and upon opening his eyes, there they were, standing right before him!
How could this fail to leave Li Yundong deeply unsettled?
Li Yundong’s eyes were fixed, and it took him a long moment to regain his senses. He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, forced a dry smile toward Zhou Qin and the others in the room, then lowered his head, patted the little girl’s shoulder, and tentatively asked, “Hey, why are you crying?”
The little girl had every reason to weep. Cultivators only get two chances in their lifetime to establish their foundation (Zhuji). The first attempt, which had been nearly guaranteed to succeed, had almost led them both to their doom. If Zhou Qin and the others had not arrived by chance, the two of them would have been forced to walk the Bridge of Hel together.
The little girl shuddered, thinking about it now. She hated herself for not considering everything thoroughly, and she dreaded what might happen if Li Yundong’s next attempt at Zhuji also failed.
Su Chan, clinging to Li Yundong’s waist, was sobbing uncontrollably, a sound filled with unspeakable anguish.
Li Yundong, harboring secrets, found her cries increasingly jarring. He felt as though the little girl had suffered some monumental wrong, which only amplified his own dread and unease: Did I really do something to betray Su Chan? No way! I couldn't have been that much of a beast, could I?
Thinking this, Shen Hui, who had been standing stock-still with a vacant expression since he snapped back to reality, suddenly stamped her foot, her cheeks flushed scarlet, and muttered under her breath, “Beast!” Then, tears began to stream down her face as she turned and bolted out the door.
Damn it!
That demeanor, that tone—wasn't that exactly how chaste women in old movies reacted after being violated?
Li Yundong’s mind exploded. Could it be? Did I really commit some monstrous act? Otherwise, how could things align so perfectly? Will this girl rush back in a moment wielding a pair of scissors, shouting something like, "I'll cut you off!" or similar declarations?
Li Yundong stood frozen like wood for quite some time. Fortunately, Shen Hui did not rush back in. Yin Mengfan, seeing Shen Hui flee as if grievously wronged, was torn between chasing after her or staying put.
Cao Kefei nudged her aside and whispered, "Hurry up and catch Shen Hui. She's being childish. Don't let anything happen to her. Whatever is happening here can wait."
Yin Mengfan let out a silent sigh of resignation. She nodded farewell to Li Yundong and hurried out after Shen Hui.
Li Yundong’s mind was in utter chaos; he had no energy to concern himself with Yin Mengfan and Shen Hui. After fidgeting uncomfortably for a while, he finally steeled himself. Whether it was execution or flogging, just say the word! What was all this tearful nonsense about?
Li Yundong lowered his head and patted Su Chan’s shoulder again, murmuring softly, “Hey, stop crying. Tell me what’s wrong; your weeping is messing up my head. What exactly happened to me?”
Only then did Su Chan lift her tear-filled eyes and sob quietly close to Li Yundong’s ear, “The Zhuji... failed…”
Li Yundong jolted, asking in a low, confused voice, “But didn’t you tell me it succeeded?”
Su Chan whimpered, “Th-that was your inner demon's illusion…”
Li Yundong immediately let out a long, massive sigh of relief, patting his chest with immense gratitude for surviving a disaster: Thank heavens, thank heavens, my unimpeachable reputation is safe! Those beastly acts were all inside the illusion, which means they weren't real! What a blessing!
Seeing Li Yundong show no trace of sorrow or sadness, Su Chan was stunned. “You aren’t hurt? Or upset?”
Li Yundong laughed, “What is there to be sad or upset about?” He inwardly mused: If I had actually done something to betray you, and you got angry and stopped speaking to me, that would make me sad and upset!
Seeing his reaction, Su Chan mistook it for broad-mindedness and couldn't help but start crying again. “It’s all my fault for causing your Six Roots to remain unpurified and unbroken…”
Six Roots unpurified and unbroken?
There was gossip!
At this, Feng Na, Cheng Cheng, and Cao Kefei, the few women who hadn't left yet, instantly perked up their ears, wearing expressions of keen interest.
Li Yundong also found the words highly suggestive. He coughed dryly and started comforting Su Chan instead: “It’s okay, isn’t it? There’s still one more chance, right? You know, a sage once said something very true: Failure is the mother of success!”
Hearing this, Su Chan couldn't help but giggle, her tears ceasing as she chided playfully, “You’re naughty, the sage never said anything like that!”
Li Yundong chuckled, “Sage Confucius said many things you haven't heard of. You’re just ignorant!”
Su Chan, amused by Li Yundong, felt her distress diminish. She wiped her tears and retorted playfully, “What did Confucius say that I haven’t heard? We memorized the Analects when we were little; it’s etched in our hearts. How could there be something I don't know?”
Li Yundong smiled, ignoring the little girl’s retort. He turned to greet Zhou Qin and the others, “What brings you all here?”
Zhou Qin’s mind was still reeling from the events of the illusion. Her cheeks were so red they looked ready to bleed. Hearing Li Yundong call out, she snapped back to reality, stammering incoherently in distress, “I, I didn’t do anything! I didn’t do anything at all.”
Li Yundong was caught between laughter and tears. “Hey, what’s wrong with you?”
Feng Na stepped in to smooth things over. “Li Yundong, here’s the thing: President Yin called Zhou Qin earlier asking for your address. Zhou Qin went to your place to find you, but you weren’t there. Coincidentally, she ran into me, asked about your whereabouts, and I told her you were here, so we came to look for you.”
Li Yundong and Su Chan finally understood. Su Chan inwardly thought, Thank goodness they came, or we would have been finished today! Her Master was right: cultivation truly is the most terrifying thing in the world—walking on thin ice; one slight misstep leads to eternal damnation.
The more Su Chan thought about it, the more frightened she became. Seeing that Li Yundong was completely unaware of how narrowly he had escaped death, she decided not to tell him, lest the shock trigger an inner demon that could affect his next Zhuji attempt.
Li Yundong smiled, “So that’s it. I was thinking, when I opened my eyes, I was suddenly surrounded by so many vibrant, beautiful women, I thought I was still dreaming and hadn't woken up yet!”
Mentioning dreams made Zhou Qin blush again. Although her time spent with Li Yundong appeared brief, the time elapsed in the illusion had spanned several days. The events that transpired there—the thrilling ambiguity, the romantic flirtations—were truly not fit for outsiders to hear. Even with her composure and self-control, a slight recollection made her feel uncontrollably ashamed.
Li Yundong, accustomed to Zhou Qin’s icy demeanor, was struck by her flushed, shyly beautiful appearance, like a blooming peach. He quickly looked away, turning to Cao Kefei, “President Cao, why are you here too?”
Cao Kefei gave a wry smile. “Oh, Young Master Li, you finally remember me? That huge mess you caused at the Shengyuan Hotel last time nearly ruined me! You left a disaster zone, and I spent ages cleaning it up!”
Li Yundong recalled the brawl between himself and Lin Youfa at the Shengyuan Hotel and couldn’t help but laugh sheepishly. “Is that so? I’m truly sorry about that. Back then—ahem—I actually wanted to explain clearly, but I never got the chance…”
Saying that, Li Yundong suddenly remembered something and asked quite timidly, “Don’t tell me you expect me to pay compensation? Let me state this upfront: I have no money, but I do have one life to offer!”
Cao Kefei laughed. “Do I sound like some tyrannical landlord from the old society? I’m here to talk about something else—something profitable, in fact!”
Hearing there was money to be made, Li Yundong’s face lit up. “Profit? That’s great! What is it?” His expression immediately shifted to seriousness. “But if it involves protecting those boring, low-level guys I ran into last time, don’t even mention it. I’m afraid I’ll beat them so badly they won’t be able to manage their own lives.”
Cao Kefei chuckled. “No, it’s not that. I couldn’t find a suitable male escort to attend a banquet, and after much thought, I settled on you.” She then turned to look at Su Chan, “Su Chan, I’m borrowing your boyfriend for one evening. That’s alright, isn't it?”
Su Chan blinked, looking utterly innocent, and replied, “Sure!”
Feng Na, watching from the side, worried secretly. She tugged Cheng Cheng’s arm, pulling her out of the room, and whispered, “This is bad. Su Chan is completely guileless, but Cao Kefei is shrewd and manipulative. I’m afraid Li Yundong won’t be able to withstand Cao Kefei’s dual assault of money and physical appeal.”
Cheng Cheng, however, whispered back, “I actually think Su Chan looks foolish, but she isn't stupid at all. And even if she were truly simple, a simple person often gets simple blessings. I don’t believe Li Yundong would abandon Su Chan for Cao Kefei.”
Feng Na suddenly asked in a low voice, “What if this guy decides to have both?”
Cheng Cheng froze. “No way! He doesn’t seem like that kind of person!”
Feng Na countered, “But what if he is?”
Cheng Cheng and Feng Na exchanged a look, both realizing with crystal clarity a single issue: If Li Yundong truly meant to have both, it implied he could accept Cao Kefei, which meant he could also accept others, including the two girls who secretly loved him.
But if Li Yundong acted that way, would he still be worth loving?
This was a devilish proposition, leaving Feng Na and Cheng Cheng intensely conflicted. They had initially intended to warn Su Chan, but now they adopted an attitude of passive observation, secretly hoping Li Yundong would resist this temptation, while simultaneously hoping he would succumb to it.
Humans are the most complicated creatures on this earth, and women especially so.
Li Yundong paid no attention to Feng Na and Cheng Cheng’s whispers. He smiled at Cao Kefei and said, “Attend a banquet? What about my payment from last time?”
Cao Kefei shot back with a teasing reprimand, “Are you serious about mentioning that again? You caused me to lose so much money out of pocket, and you still dare ask for a fee?”
Li Yundong managed a dry chuckle, not daring to bring the matter up again. He turned to Zhou Qin and laughed, “Zhou Qin, I have to thank you for finding me such a good job! This mistress is too hard to serve; she treats me like a full-time laborer!”
This was meant as a joke, but it stung Zhou Qin’s ears. She couldn't bear seeing Li Yundong being intimate with Su Chan, nor could she bear seeing him chat so happily with Cao Kefei. A surge of bitterness and sorrow welled up inside her, and she snapped, “So, you mean I helped you the wrong way?”
With that, she turned and walked out.
Li Yundong was stunned speechless. He never expected Zhou Qin to get angry over such a casual remark. Su Chan, however, reacted quickly, grabbing her arm and saying sincerely, “Zhou Qin, thank you so much today.”
Zhou Qin, having grown up in a wealthy, influential family, was a girl skilled at controlling her emotions. She had temporarily lost control due to the sharp contrast between the intense passion of the shared illusion and the sudden return to reality. Once Su Chan stopped her, she immediately regained her composure, stopped walking, and forced a weak smile. “Thank you for what?”
Su Chan thought to herself: If it hadn't been for you, Li Yundong and I would probably both be dead! But she couldn't say that directly, so Su Chan smiled and said, “In any case, thank you.”
Then, Su Chan turned, made a face at Li Yundong, and changed the subject: “You still haven’t told me what Confucius said! Don’t try to slip away!”
Just then, Li Yundong’s stomach let out a roar like distant thunder. He seized the opportunity to make his exit, chuckling, “Confucius said: Don’t nap at noon, collapse in the afternoon; skip one meal, become a dried corpse!”
Su Chan pouted. “Confucius never said anything like that! You’re talking nonsense!”
Li Yundong’s face became serious, and he stated formally, “Who says? I have the famous saying of the Secondary Sage, Mencius, as evidence to prove the correctness of this statement!”
Li Yundong’s solemn demeanor made even the resentful Zhou Qin curious. “What did Mencius say?”
Li Yundong waved his hand grandly: “Confucius said: Don’t nap at noon, collapse in the afternoon; skip one meal, become a dried corpse! Mencius said: Confucius is correct!”
Hearing this, Su Chan, Feng Na, Cheng Cheng, and Zhou Qin all burst into hearty laughter.
[Ti: Dear readers, the current chapter has reached the final page of this book]