Chapter Sixty-three: Drag Ladufang Down, Accuse Him!
Inside the stadium,
a heavy silence hung in the air; not a single sound could be heard.
Everyone held their breath, staring blankly at the images on the LCD screen.
What Lan Xiang had endured sent chills down the spines of many in the audience.
Despite Lan Xiang’s extraordinary skill and his astonishing, eerie ability to control souls, he was still suppressed by the nightmare’s malevolent entity, even forced to participate in a sinister wedding ceremony.
And then,
the final scene appeared—
Lan Xiang’s own perspective.
He saw Du Fang, handsomely smiling at the head table,
and heard Du Fang’s heartfelt blessing.
As Du Fang’s blessing ended, the dream-vision linked to the LCD abruptly cut off, vanishing instantly.
The entire stadium erupted. Everyone was abuzz with curiosity about the identity of the man who had appeared at the end.
Tracking down a competing Dreamwalker was hardly difficult—
especially after getting a clear look at Du Fang’s striking face.
Very soon, Du Fang’s identity was revealed.
“A rookie Dreamwalker from Wildfire Squad?!”
“He’s first on the betting board? Someone placed a hundred million on him, betting he’ll be the provincial champion!”
“Is this guy really that incredible? Who would dare wager a hundred million on a total unknown?”
...
Du Fang’s identity was out in the open,
as was his position on the odds board.
A hundred million bet—enough to be called a colossal gamble—captured the crowd’s attention, even overpowering their fear of the nightmare.
In the audience,
Zhang Changlin sat grim-faced in his wheelchair, a cigarette between his lips.
Beside him, Su Jiuming looked over with a faint smile. “I heard you bet on Lan Xiang to become provincial champion?”
Zhang Changlin just silently puffed on his cigarette,
his eyes full of the weariness of someone battered by reality.
“I just wanted to try... Thought there was nothing to lose, and if Lan Xiang really did become champion, I’d make quite a profit.”
“But...”
Zhang Changlin’s voice faltered. Suddenly, his eyes welled with tears and he covered his mouth.
He’d never expected
it would actually come true.
He, Zhang Changlin, who lost nine bets out of ten... Would he never escape that fate?
Though there was a hint of stubbornness in his wager,
Lan Xiang, upon entering the nightmare, immediately encountered the most terrifying event associated with the Red Embroidered Shoes—a stroke of misfortune so uncanny...
Zhang Changlin couldn’t help but feel there was some mysterious causality between his bet and Lan Xiang’s fate.
According to the rules of the nightmare’s conquest, resolving three bizarre events meant promotion.
This suggested that the nightmare contained more than one strange incident,
perhaps even several minor events caused by lesser entities.
But clearly, what Lan Xiang faced was no trivial anomaly—after all, it was linked to the Red Embroidered Shoes.
It was as if, upon entering a dungeon, Lan Xiang had run straight into the final boss...
Soon, Zhang Changlin came to terms with it.
It was Lan Xiang’s own bad luck—what did it have to do with him, Zhang Changlin?
“But who placed a hundred million on Du Fang?”
Su Jiuming asked, puzzled.
Zhang Changlin paused, cigarette in mouth.
He turned woodenly to his young assistant.
The assistant clenched her small fists, face flushed with excitement, waving a banner with Du Fang’s name and holding a candid photo poster of him, a picture-perfect little fan girl.
Was it her?
Could it really be Su Xiaoyu, the assistant?
Zhang Changlin remembered her saying she’d use her pocket money to bet on Du Fang...
Just a little pocket money—
How much could that possibly be?
...
...
“In the village, a wealthy family’s son died unexpectedly.
He had returned from overseas, young and talented, still unmarried. Not wanting his son to be alone in the afterlife, the rich man arranged for his dead son to be wed.
The son had fancied the village belle, Xiaohua, so the rich man offered a lavish bride price to her parents, but they refused.
Xiaohua refused as well, for her heart belonged to another. When the rich man found out, he hired a killer to drown Xiaohua’s beloved, then threatened her with her parents’ lives. Pressured and desperate, Xiaohua agreed to marry the dead son.
On the day of the wedding, Xiaohua’s mother died of illness; her father was beaten to death by the rich man’s servants.
That day, Xiaohua wept and tried to flee, but was dragged back by force and made to kneel and bow. Her forehead was split open, blood flowing everywhere...
After the ceremony, Xiaohua threw herself into a well. In the water, her dead beloved appeared and put a pair of red embroidered shoes on her feet...
Dressed in wedding robes and those crimson shoes, full of unending resentment, she floated out of the well.
That day, she wore a smile.
And slaughtered the entire wealthy household—hundreds, high and low.
From then on, the rich man’s son was no longer lonely in the underworld.”
...
The bridesmaid with the elegant figure rested her chin in her hands as she recounted this tragic tale to Du Fang.
Du Fang listened quietly, his face etched with sorrow.
Perhaps
this was the true nature of the dream.
The happiness he had seen was merely a beautiful illusion.
A heaviness settled in his heart.
Perhaps the beauty he glimpsed was something others would forever be unable to reach—
A scene remaining deep in their souls, impossible to realize.
“This is a sorrowful story born of feudal superstition...”
The bridesmaid’s long lashes fluttered as she looked at Du Fang, a sweet smile on her lips.
“The backward will always be swept away,” she said.
Du Fang replied earnestly, “There is endless beauty yet in this world—one must look with a beautiful heart to see it.”
The bridesmaids at the table burst into laughter, delighted and lively.
Du Fang picked up his wine glass and sipped.
Yes—
Formidable—
No, delicious wine!
Suddenly, all the bridesmaids rose to their feet.
Du Fang stood as well. In the distance, accompanied by a clear, tinkling sound,
the bride in her red wedding dress walked gracefully forward.
She wore bridal red, her face adorned with rouge,
her expression a mix of joy, anticipation, and nervousness.
She stopped before Du Fang.
Looking into her beautiful eyes, Du Fang seemed to glimpse her longing for a bright future.
The bride bowed slightly to Du Fang.
The bridesmaids turned their expectant eyes to him as well.
Du Fang was momentarily taken aback.
Then he understood what they wanted—
After all, he had promised to offer a blessing to the bride.
Du Fang smiled gently,
looked at the bride, and spoke slowly,
“To share a boat is the reward of a hundred years’ cultivation;
To share a pillow, a thousand.
May you be happy.”
...
...
“Damn!”
“Blessing? Are you kidding me?”
Lan Xiang tore off the red veil, eyes reddened as he glared at Du Fang.
Hearing Du Fang’s blessing, he was first stunned, then overwhelmed with rage.
Who blessed someone like this?
Couldn’t he read the room?
There was no doubt—
This rookie from Wildfire
was mocking him!
Laughing at his misery!
Lan Xiang had disliked Du Fang from the start, and since entering this nightmare, everything had gone wrong. Now, he poured all his fury onto Du Fang.
Enjoying the show?
Lan Xiang would drag Du Fang into the water with him!
Blood gushed from Lan Xiang’s mouth, the wound from the fake Sun Zhe refusing to close.
But Lan Xiang no longer cared.
He raised his hand, pressing his forehead, eyes locked on Du Fang.
Since Du Fang dared mock him, he wouldn’t show mercy—he’d drag Du Fang down, let him join the wedding, too!
He was about to use his special high-tier ability: Soul Control!
This was the very skill that had earned him a fifty million signing bonus as a rookie!
Staring at Du Fang,
Lan Xiang knew that as long as the opponent’s soul was weaker than his, he could control them—be they entities or humans!
He intended to seize Du Fang, make him fully experience the ceremony!
So you like watching?
So you like giving blessings?
Come—
Be happy together!
In Lan Xiang’s eyes, Du Fang, still not even a junior Dreamwalker, couldn’t possibly have a stronger soul than him.
So, just two words—
Control him!