Chapter 971: When Dreams Bleed Into Reality
A few days after Mount Fuyo erupted, Qi Xuansu had a dream.
In the past, Qi Xuansu often dreamt, but his dreams were usually connected with Lingshan or the Great Witches. This time was different. There was no looming mountain or shadowy Great Witch, but a completely different dreamscape.
The dream began gently enough, likely a case of what he thought of by day, he dreamt of by night. In it, Qi Xuansu married Zhang Yuelu, and the two even had a daughter.
But from there, the dream began to distort, taking on a sinister and eerie cast.
Their daughter looked exactly like Yin Wanmiao, as though that little imp had been reborn into their family.
Worse still, the girl seemed mentally unsound, as though her mind had been shattered or her soul sealed. She was dull and witless, neither laughing nor crying, staring at Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu with a vacant expression. She lacked all of Little Yin’s quick wit, seemingly intellectually disabled.
This Little Yin grew to eight years old in the blink of an eye, though she looked more like five or six. She was frail and looked like a child who might die young at any time. Her left arm was especially troubling. It was thin and withered compared to her right, weak, and always hanging limp by her side. Thankfully, she used her right hand for writing and eating.
She could understand speech, but only slowly. Usually, she took a long time to process. As a result, she rarely spoke, never cried or laughed, and unlike the real-life Little Yin, she never caused mischief. Each day, she sat quietly in her own world, eyes glazed, lost in a trance.
At times, she would mutter to herself in a garbled murmur that no one could understand.
In the dream, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu lived in Taishang Place, with neighbors all around them. Little Yin would sometimes go out to play, only to be bullied by other children. She was mocked as a fool and had her things stolen. Her clothes were often muddied, and sometimes, she was even beaten. Yet she simply stood there with a blank expression, not knowing how to resist or run away.
Whenever Qi Xuansu came upon this scene, he would discipline the bullies, and at such times, Little Yin would finally have some reaction. She would burrow into his arms and weep silently, tears soaking his robe.
With his cultivation, Qi Xuansu knew well enough that he was dreaming. However, he could only accept this flawed daughter, taking her to seek doctors and speaking with her, though all to little avail.