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Cui Ming found himself standing in a palace, his mind racing. No, he was not affected; he could still quickly recite the square table and recall every word Ashen had said to him before entering the formation. It was only then that he began to survey his surroundings. This was a typical palace from a thousand years ago, filled with numerous columns, all neatly arranged. The walls were lit with torches, yet the vast palace was devoid of any people. Still, Cui Ming felt as though someone was watching him.
"Ashen," he said, "the human memory is quite mysterious, divided into many layers. Most of the time, a person's consciousness resides in the superficial layer, but during sleep or similar states, it can delve into deeper levels. Each person's consciousness is different, and their memory capacity varies, leading to different environments appearing. You need to find where Mi Xiaonan's consciousness is located so that you can communicate with him."
"I'm in a palace," Cui Ming replied.
"The palace you are in should belong to the Roni Islands' Balance Sect. We have been here for several years; clearly, Mi Xiaonan has a deep impression of this palace in his subconscious, which has manifested in his mind," Ashen explained. While Ashen could communicate with Cui Ming, he could not see what Cui Ming saw. "Push open the door and step outside."
Cui Ming opened the palace door and stepped out; the palace behind him vanished, leaving only a single door. Before him lay a village nestled among mountains and forests. It was a village with hundreds of households, featuring a narrow road, a small stream, and houses scattered about. Cui Ming described it briefly, and Ashen said, "This should be Mi Xiaonan's hometown. Have you seen Mi Xiaonan?"
"No."
"This indicates that his subconscious is not in his hometown nor in the Roni Islands."
Cui Ming asked, "The palace has a door; where is the village's exit?"
"At the edge of the village."
Cui Ming understood; it was along the road. Mi Xiaonan must have left the village by car or on foot. He leaped forward and landed on the highway, walking outward. As he walked, the environment around him began to shift. He entered another scene where only one road remained behind him.
This scene was incredibly familiar to Cui Ming—it was a villa in Dawn City near Beiyue. Unfortunately, Mi Xiaonan was not present in the villa.
Cui Ming pushed open the villa door and stepped out into darkness.
In the darkness stood a television glowing softly without sound; Mi Xiaonan sat cross-legged before it, gazing up at the screen. Cui Ming approached Mi Xiaonan from behind, but there was no reaction; he simply stared at the television where his favorite drama played.
"Mi Xiaonan," Cui Ming called softly.
There was no response from Mi Xiaonan. Cui Ming tapped his shoulder gently; his hand passed through it as Ashen said, "He cannot see you; he is in a dream state where his senses are dulled to their lowest point—his vision is effectively zero. You need to attract his subconscious attention with words or scents."
"What did you do when you communicated with Akali?"
"Akali loves the fragrance of roses; as for Mi Xiaonan... I have never communicated with him in dreams."
"What does Mi Xiaonan like?" This question stumped Cui Ming. Apart from television dramas, it seemed that Mi Xiaonan had no other hobbies. Eating, drinking, and having fun didn't seem to matter much to her. After observing Mi Xiaonan for a while, Cui Ming said, "Beiyue is coming, run!"
Mi Xiaonan turned around in a flash and immediately began to flee. Under the influence of Ding Ze, Li Qing, and Cui Ming, Mi Xiaonan had started to come into contact with many negative things. Beiyue was very annoyed by this. He remembered the day before the assessment when he left Dawn City. Ding Ze took Mi Xiaonan to a nightclub, using his self-healing technique that he had invented. He also wanted to broaden Mi Xiaonan's horizons. Just as a striptease performance was underway in the private room, Beiyue stormed into the nightclub. Mi Xiaonan was so frightened that she broke a window to escape.
"Mi Xiaonan, it's me."
Mi Xiaonan looked around and after a while asked, "Cui Ming?"
"Yes." He didn't even ask where they were; clearly, some thoughts had already been imprisoned. Cui Ming said, "Follow me, follow my voice."
"Okay." Mi Xiaonan stood up.
At that moment, Cui Ming saw a nightmare drifting out of the darkness, extending its hand and saying, "Mi Xiaonan, come with me."
"Okay." Without hesitation, Mi Xiaonan placed her hand in the nightmare's hand and walked into the darkness.
Cui Ming continued, "Mi Xiaonan..."
Mi Xiaonan ignored him.
Cui Ming said, "Mi Xiaonan, Beiyue is at the front door."
A fierce and angry gaze suddenly appeared in Mi Xiaonan's mind. She shivered and let go of the nightmare's hand, taking two steps back. "No way! If Beiyue catches me watching a striptease, she'll kill me."
Cui Ming understood; deep down in Mi Xiaonan's memory, what she couldn't forget was that day when Beiyue had stormed in with murderous intent. On one hand was Beiyue's established authority; on the other was Mi Xiaonan's own guilt for having promised Beiyue not to mess around with others, especially not to engage in anything sexual. However, because Ding Ze was in a bad mood, Mi Xiaonan still accompanied him to the nightclub. Although she outwardly rejected the girls who approached her, inside she was already captivated by the music, alcohol, and sensuality. The girls danced, kissed each other, caressed one another, and struck various poses—this scene made her blood boil for the first time. The sudden intrusion by Beiyue had plunged Mi Xiaonan from heaven into hell; it was like two different worlds. Guilt and shame tangled together in her heart. Not knowing how to face Beiyue—who felt like an older sister—she just wanted to escape because that night became the most unforgettable experience for Mi Xiaonan.
Beiyue, look at how your imposing presence left such a deep psychological scar on this child.
Once Cui Ming realized this, he seized the moment: "Mi Xiaonan, run with me."
Without thinking much, Mi Xiaonan followed Cui Ming's voice to escape while the nightmare lingered behind her: "Mi Xiaonan, come with me." Its pale and weak presence held no attraction for her at all. Beiyue broke down the private room door with a punch; furious and radiating power like a demon king—though her gaze was directed at Ding Ze—the impact still landed heavily on Mi Xiaonan's fragile heart. In that instant, Mi Xiaonan lost her memory; she forgot how she had left the nightclub. When she regained consciousness, she was already on her way home; Beiyue had vanished and beside her was a languid Ding Ze. To this day, Mi Xiaonan still dared not ask what had happened after Beiyue burst in.
Having left the darkness behind and entered the villa, Mi Xiaonan's expression brightened significantly as she slowly pushed open the door and stepped inside. People were present in the villa. Ding Ze lay on the sofa with his legs crossed and a cigarette in his mouth. Cui Ming saw himself busy cooking in the kitchen. Mi Xiaonan naturally walked over to wash some dishes and put them away in the cupboard before cleaning up the table in the living room with a cloth.
Li Qing appeared, leaping over and landing on the sofa, taking a leisurely breath of the air and asking, "Is there anything to eat?"
Ah, it seems this is the most profound impression everyone has of Mi Xiaonan.
Beiyue returned from outside, and Cui Ming immediately set aside everything to greet him while asking how he was. Hey, Mi Xiaonan, that expression doesn’t seem right. My expression should be one of concern and thoughtfulness, not one of infatuation. So this is how you see me…
The meal was ready, and everyone gathered around to chat and eat. Mi Xiaonan served soup for everyone, and at that moment, Cui Ming suddenly noticed that Mi Xiaonan only picked up his chopsticks after everyone else had started eating. The other four, oblivious to this detail, finished their meals and tossed their bowls aside before leaving, leaving Mi Xiaonan to clean up alone…
"Mi Xiaonan, put down the bowls and sit."
Mi Xiaonan looked around; only Cui Ming was sitting beside him. Cui Ming said sincerely, "Mi Xiaonan, thank you for preparing so much for us. We haven’t expressed our gratitude because we are family. Beiyue, Li Qing, and Ding Ze are all our family. You tolerate their shortcomings and work hard to do more for us, which touches our hearts. But we don’t want to say it out loud because we are family; there’s no need for such sentimental words. Remember, Mi Xiaonan, you are an indispensable part of our family, now and forever. Regardless of your strength or whether you are a practitioner or not, whether you are human or beastman, you are our family. As family, we don’t need you to be strong; we just hope you can be with us and talk to us so we can feel your presence. Your existence means a lot to us; we can’t imagine what it would be like to lose you. So, Mi Xiaonan, come back to us."
Li Qing suddenly appeared, ruffling Mi Xiaonan's hair before sitting down beside him. Ding Ze showed up next and stuffed a cigarette into Mi Xiaonan's mouth; after taking a puff, he took it back. Beiyue punched Ding Ze away, but everyone looked expectantly at Mi Xiaonan. He looked up and asked, "Am I really that important? But I haven’t made any progress; I envy your breakthroughs. Even though I know jealousy is wrong, I still feel it. I’d rather none of you had breakthroughs so that we could still be a family."
"No, Mi Xiaonan," Cui Ming replied. "Even if you’re not a practitioner, you are still our family. This has nothing to do with strength; it’s about feelings."
A nightmare appeared in the living room as everyone else vanished without a trace. The nightmare said, "Don’t believe him; he’s lying to you. He’s mocking you inside. For three years now, you haven’t made any breakthroughs; they don’t like having you as a burden; they’re just too embarrassed to say it. They aren’t your family; they are the ones who will abandon you. Without strength, you have no value in their eyes. Have you forgotten how you joined this group? It was because they valued your strength."
The surroundings of the villa turned dark, reflecting Mi Xiaonan's sinking mood. Cui Ming said, "Mi Xiaonan, remember our daily lesson? I told you to unconditionally trust your companions and family because the temptations offered by bad people will always outweigh the sense of belonging your family gives you. When something is very tempting—even when your heart agrees—you must remember that there’s no free lunch in this world; the more beautiful something seems, the more likely it is a trap. Come back to your family; there’s no need for free lunches because your family will prepare them for you without expecting anything in return since we are family."
The nightmare said, "On Sakura Island, you were reluctant to join the Balance Sect; your master was using you. You became one of them because of your strength; they are using you too. Now that you no longer have any value for them, come with me—I can give you power and help you regain your confidence so they won’t be able to leave you." (To be continued.)
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