Chapter 71: Dragon’s Granddaughter
Everything else after completing her first meridian pathway was a blur that night. Anji ate and bathed robotically before she crashed onto the bed, too exhausted to remain awake.
That night, Anji had a dream. It felt like a long and realistic dream.
"Who are you?" she called to the mysterious presence looming in the misty dreamland.
Oftentimes, the child’s dreams were full of mundane things that happened during the day or something she wished would happen during the day. Sometimes, she dreamt of helping Lizi and the chef cook in the kitchen, something she wasn’t permitted to do. On other days, she would dream of herself as a frog, playing in the rain until it was dinnertime.
Today’s dream wasn’t nearly as colourful as her previous dreams. There were only a few times that Anji dreamt of a dull world. Most of them were frightening nightmares. She would wake up in tears and cold sweat. However, the panic would soon abate when Lizi or her mother would hold her in their arms and soothe Anji until she fell back to sleep, feeling safe.
Although her dream was gloomy, Anji did not get the usual sense of foreboding tonight. In fact, her mind was exceptionally clear. The misty scenery enshrouded a familiar stranger. Anji had never heard their voice before. It was neither man nor woman and travelled straight into her head without going through her ears. Yet, the sound reverberated with her soul, beckoning to her.
"Come here, child. Let me have a closer look at you," the voice behind the fog said again.
Her mother and the adults around her always cautioned Anji about strangers. She knew what stranger danger was and heeded their advice all the time. Even if someone wore the Celestial Dragon Sect uniform, it did not always mean they were people Anji should talk to unless someone she knew introduced them first with the approval of her parents or Lizi. However, they weren’t here right now. Besides, this was a dream. How could following a stranger in a dream be a bad thing?
Hence, Anji defied logic and followed her instinct for the first time since her birth. She walked towards the mysterious figure, pushing through the thick mist. Upon closer inspection, that was mist. They seemed to be closer to clouds. Anji knew from experience because she had previously flown on her teacher’s staff and observed them closely.
As the child trudged towards the source of her dream, she realised that the voice’s owner was much bigger than she thought they were. In fact, they were taller than her father. Zhao Mingfeng was by no means short. He was a fair head taller than most people, even in the capital city. However, this figure loomed at least eight heads above her father. What kind of person was this?
"Come closer, child. I can’t see you well with eyes as old as mine."