Dream Walker: Feng Shui Master Bai Ya

Shang Muchen was absolutely certain that the well-dressed, white-haired, and upright old lady who walked past him was Liu Qingyang.

"Lightly!" Shang Muchen shouted with all the strength he could muster.

The old woman froze, turning to look at Shang Muchen. She clearly didn't recognize him. She asked weakly, "Are you calling me?"

"Qingyang! It's me!"

"Sir, you are...?"

"Old man? What old man am I!" After uttering just this one sentence, Shang Muchen felt breathless, his lungs empty, and he felt utterly exhausted. But he persisted, desperately saying, "I am Shang Muchen!"

"Shang Muchen?" The old lady's eyes were conflicted as she tilted her head, trying hard to remember.

After a long pause, the old lady's eyes suddenly lit up, as if she remembered, and she exclaimed, "Oh! You're Shang Muchen!"

"Yes!" Shang Muchen was overjoyed to see that she remembered him and wanted to take her hand, but the old lady took a step back and dodged away.

"If I remember correctly, we were high school classmates, right?" the old lady said with a smile but politely.

"No!" Despite his chaotic state of mind, with countless scenes of memory flashing by like the ebb and flow of the tide, Shang Muchen still spoke firmly.

"Liu Qingyang! Wake up! You are dreaming right now!"

This is all an illusion; it's not real!

Liu Qingyang raised her eyebrows in surprise, took a half step back in fear, then smiled, nodded and said, "Shang Muchen! I remember you."

I remember back in high school, you would often say these crazy things.

If I remember correctly, it seems you were experiencing hallucinations because of the trauma of your brother's accidental death, right?

As Liu Qingyang said this, a middle-aged man who looked like an attendant walked over and stood between Shang Muchen and Liu Qingyang, asking Liu Qingyang, "Grandma, this old madman is not safe. Let's get away from him."

Liu Qingyang smiled and waved her hand, signaling the man to step aside, and gently asked Shang Muchen, "Shang Muchen, I heard that you begged Lu Mingdi for a long time to find a job for your son back then."

I was not in China for those years and really didn't know about this.

If I had known, I would have definitely put in a good word for you.

I heard from other classmates that you've had a tough life. Your wife passed away recently, leaving you all alone as an old man.

Are you under financial pressure?

Here's what I'll do: I'll write you a check to help you with your household expenses.

If you encounter any difficulties, please be sure to ask. I will definitely help you if I can.

They're all old classmates. At our age, how many of them are still alive? Every meeting is one less we'll see...

As he spoke, Liu Qingyang beckoned to his men to bring out the checkbook.

As Liu Qingyang spoke, countless images and scenes sprang up from the cerebral cortex like bamboo shoots after a spring rain, instantly filling the entire memory area and overwhelming Shang Muchen's rationality.

Every word Liu Qingyang spoke was like planting a seed in the field of memory.

The seed sprouts, multiplies, grows, branches, and gives rise to countless experiences—images, sounds, smells, and all sensory experiences are generated instantly, rationalized, and naturally, ultimately condensing into absolute truth.

Shang Muchen desperately resisted these "false" memories that arose from within. He couldn't even say that these memories were false, because they contained a complete experience, with a beginning and an end, and were coherent and smooth.

All sensory experiences are shouting loudly at Shang Muchen:

These are real memories!

You remember all the sensations you felt: what you saw, heard, smelled, tasted, and touched!

What makes you think your feelings aren't real?

"If it weren't real, how could you remember these feelings?"

All rational thoughts were whispering to Shang Muchen:

These are real memories.

If you think about it carefully, there is a complete cause-and-effect logic between each memory. The process of coming from here and going there is clear and very reasonable.

Think about it carefully. You are an ordinary person from a humble background, with average talent, no special skills, and even a bit of a mental illness. Isn't it normal for you to live such a life?

Think about it carefully, is the ordinary life you're living right now—"going to work, getting married, having children, a difficult and arduous job, a messy marriage, and getting seriously ill and old age"—the most reasonable one?

Or is your legendary life story of "learning feng shui, making a fortune, living in a mansion, creating miracles, and marrying a beautiful and wealthy woman" more reasonable?

Think about it carefully. Isn't your so-called "legendary life" more like a daydream you've conjured up to cover up all your resentment and regrets after experiencing a mundane and miserable life?

Shang Muchen was gripped by his own thoughts, just like when he was dragged out of the classroom by Curly Hair, Shorty, and Glasses.

All his memories and reason compelled him to admit that the old, ailing, poor, and sorrowful man before him was himself.

Shang Muchen was unwilling to accept this reality, just as he was unwilling to accept the check handed to him by the old lady.

A tickling sensation gradually rose in his mind. Shang Muchen tried to abandon all memories, because memories could be altered and rewritten. All his life memories were nothing more than a low-quality online novel with a rough plot and collapsed characters!

He also tried to abandon all rationality, because all seemingly reasonable logical deductions were based on completely unreliable memory data and completely unreal deduction processes!

He recalled his fourth uncle's words of advice: trust your intuition, trust your instincts, trust your first reaction;

He recalled his brother's words—wake up, wake up from the great dream of life, and use the wonderful imagination of humankind to regain control of his life!

Everything in front of me is wrong!

This old lady is not Liu Qingyang!

Although she looks like an older version of Liu Qingyang, she is not the real Liu Qingyang.

She was just a character, an actress, in this grand drama of my illusions!

Moreover, she is merely a character created automatically by an uncontrolled imagination based on hallucinations!

Shang Muchen pushed away Liu Qingyang's hand that was offering him a check and staggered away.

"Hey, Shang Muchen, what's wrong?" the old lady asked in surprise. "You guys, go help him up and see if he's having another attack..."

Two men who looked like bodyguards strode towards Shang Muchen and reached out to grab him.

Shang Muchen believed he could walk, run, and break free from the control of the illusions; he believed he was not an old man, but a strong young man.

He dropped his cane.

The first step almost caused me to fall, and my kneecaps were in excruciating pain.

A man rushed up and almost grabbed his arm.

Shang Muchen took the second step firmly and stood firm.

The third step still felt like his legs were going weak, but Shang Muchen roared at himself in his heart, "Stop lying to me! I can run!"

Fourth, Shang Muchen shook off the other man's hand and ran away.

Step 5, Step 6...

As he ran, the surrounding scenery rolled up rapidly like a canvas.

Shang Muchen ran faster and faster, completely ignoring what information his five senses were receiving—

Let whatever I want to see, let whatever I want to hear, I don't believe in all sensory experiences!

Shang Muchen ran desperately, shaking off, abandoning, and completely discarding the body that outsiders called "Shang Muchen".

In the instant he lost himself, Shang Muchen saw a beam of light.

Without any hesitation, he leaped into the light.