The Nightmare Experience of a Useless Person

The suspicions about Man Niang were confirmed at this moment. Although it was not entirely clear what she had done, it at least proved that she was not the perfect and virtuous person in everyone's eyes.

What should we do? We should do whatever we have to do! Even if it's the dumbest and most foolish way, we have to do it!

As night deepened, Yu Qingjun slept soundly. Jiang Zhiyang tiptoed out of the room, easily avoiding the night watch maids, and went from the sleeping quarters to the Guanyin Hall. He was certain that there was something behind the medicine hall.

But Jiang Zhiyang was terrified. The night was deep and the dew was heavy, and the cold air entered his body, making him feel completely chilled.

He picked up a pebble from the ground, clenched all his courage into it, and with a burst of energy, shouted twice towards the other side of the mountain, "Lord Bai Chan!"

"Please, Lady Bai Chan, help me! I really can't take it anymore!"

The darkness swallowed his voice, and the silence of the mountains made him even more frightened. His legs trembled uncontrollably, and Jiang Zhiyang felt like his heart was about to die.

Suddenly, a gentle breeze brushed past his ear, making the downy hairs on his ears tremble. "Looking for me?" A soft, ethereal voice came from behind him, and Jiang Zhiyang's heart nearly stopped; the blood rushed from his feet to the top of his head!

Bai Chan appeared.

Looking at the little fox in front of him, Jiang Zhiyang really wanted to kneel down and hug her legs, begging her to stop scaring people.

"What do you want from me? I already told you, I'm very busy." The culprit was very smug, her fingers twisting a lock of hair in circles.

"Lord Bai Chan, would you please come in with me and take a look?" At this moment, Jiang Zhiyang's big, watery eyes were full of sincerity, but Bai Chan wasn't buying it.

"Jiang Zhiyang, I remember Qingjun gave you a very simple task, right? Don't you think you're going astray in what you're doing now?"

Indeed, he was merely a tool to awaken Yu Qingjun.

But... I'm so captivated by her pure beauty. When I'm by her side, it's as if time itself stands still. Every tender moment is irreplaceable. If she were to wake up, she would probably just push me away.

"Now that things have come to this, I will hurry. Please, Lord Bai Chan, I beg you."

"Let's go, let's go, just this once."

The little fox led the way, while the tall Jiang Zhiyang hid behind her, only showing his head.

"Lord Bai Chan, you smell so good! How come you don't have body odor?"

"Lord Bai Chan, I used to think your ears were fake."

"Lord Hakuzen, where are you hiding your tail?"

The person walking in front turned their head to the side, revealing a pair of eyes that gleamed with a fierce light.

"I was wrong, I was just worried you were nervous and wanted to help you distract yourself."

Actually, it's to distract myself...

"If you dare to offend me again, I'll rip your heart out and eat it. I've heard that cowardly people have very tender hearts."

"I was wrong, I was wrong, Lord Bai Chan, please don't be angry."

They walked past the herb garden, through the herb hall, and further in, there was a wild path leading into the mountains. The path was full of stones of all sizes, making it bumpy and painful to walk on. Bai Chan would occasionally click his tongue in frustration.

Jiang Zhiyang was a little worried that Bai Chan might get agitated and leave him alone in this desolate wilderness.

They walked a little further on, and Jiang Zhiyang saw a dim candlelight in the distance, which vaguely illuminated a figure.

"Did you see clearly? With your eyesight, how much longer do you have to walk? My feet are killing me from this lousy road."

"Lord Bai Chan, have you seen clearly?"

"I am a fox."

"Then can you describe it to me? Let's not go any further." Having reached this point, Jiang Zhiyang's courage had completely run out.

"There's a well in front, and the well is covered with talismans. The ground is covered with incense sticks. There's a man sitting next to it, probably in his early twenties, asleep."

"Lord Bai Chan, then smell it again."

"Do you treat me like a dog?"

"No, no, can you smell a very strong incense for calming the soul?"

"It's really strong; there seems to be a hint of rottenness beneath the fragrance."

"Rotten!" Just as expected, Jiang Zhiyang's eyes widened in surprise.

My mind raced. So the truth was, over a decade ago, villagers abandoned baby girls in a well, accidentally causing an epidemic. The village chief summoned the highly skilled healer, Man Niang. Driven by greed, Man Niang fabricated rumors of a vengeful female ghost and abducted the then-child Yu Qingjun, forcing her to impersonate a goddess and establish an order in this impoverished village where the goddess held supreme authority. For years, the village continued to abandon baby girls, and these infants were secretly handed over to Man Niang, who threw them all into the well.

Yes, that's right! It all makes perfect sense, encompasses all known clues, it must be like this!

How clever! He was smug about "breaking through the difficult problem".

"Is that enough? Can I leave now?" the little fox gritted its teeth, clearly impatient.

"Lord Bai Chan, aren't you going to escort me back?"

"I have no obligation to do that." She forced a smile that looked like she wanted to kill someone, and then disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Not again! Bai Chan, a short-tempered and utterly unlovable fox!

……

Before dawn, Jiang Zhiyang rushed back to his room. As for how he got back, he didn't remember the scenery along the way, only that his legs were weak and he ran wildly, almost kneeling down when he stepped on the stones.

Looking at the sleeping Yu Qingjun, Jiang Zhiyang lay down by the bed and pretended to be fast asleep. In fact, he was very sleepy, but his pounding heartbeat wouldn't allow him to fall asleep.

Unbeknownst to Jiang Zhiyang, Yu Qingjun overheard his return but didn't expose it. Her brother, who had died many years ago, suddenly reappearing, inquiring around the temple, and then sneaking around suspiciously at night—she reasonably suspected he was a… traitor.

Although she was happy when she was with him, she was not afraid to sever ties with anyone who wanted to harm her, even if it was her brother.

During the day, Jiang Zhiyang slept soundly, and at night he would sneak out to guard the pharmacy. After several days without any success, he became somewhat disheartened and spent his days like a dejected kitten, quietly huddled in his room.

In fact, ever since she discovered Jiang Zhiyang going out at night for the first time, Yu Qingjun had been secretly watching him. Every time, he would just squat in front of the pharmacy, doing nothing, and would stay up all night. Yu Qingjun couldn't understand it, but she was really tired, unlike the woman in the house who could catch up on sleep during the day. She was diligent every day and had to handle many affairs.

With dark circles under her eyes and feeling dizzy, she finally gave up today's chanting and returned to her bedchamber. Jiang Zhiyang was fast asleep, sitting by her bedside.

Is this sleeping position comfortable? Yu Qingjun followed Jiang Zhiyang's example, sat down next to him, rested her head on the soft bed, and listened to the even breathing of the person next to her as he slept soundly. She soon fell asleep as well.

When she opened her eyes again, it was already dusk. The twilight had painted the whole room in a golden-red hue, and the dust motes swirling in the air were like a galaxy descending to earth, twinkling with starlight. The twilight made the person in front of her appear hazy. He opened his eyes and quietly gazed at her.

"Brother, if I have a new family, will you be sad?" Yu Qingjun asked sleepily, her mind still hazy.

There was no one around, and all was quiet. Jiang Zhiyang didn't speak. He tried to understand why Yu Qingjun would ask such a question, but to no avail. He could only stammer out, "If you are happy, nothing else matters."

"I'm happy as I am now." Her smile was hazy, touching a chord deep within Jiang Zhiyang's heart.

As expected, the owner of this dream should be the original owner that Yu Qingjun possessed. In this dream, she was always wrapped in a small box woven for her by Man Niang. The world inside the box was pure white and flawless. She was just a simple and innocent goddess who loved all people and was loved by all people.

If there is a reason why she can't let go, is it that she sees the world she lives in as full of lies and filth?

Can we cherish this happiness for even a moment longer?