Fellow Daoist! That scoundrel has written a new book again.

Chapter 263 Returning the old dream to me, breaking through the illusions of the present.

Inside the Hall of Enlightenment.

Sect Leader Fang, Shen Anzhi, and Song Kezi happened to be gathered together.

Shen Anzhi asked, "Master, have Junior Sister Ye and the others returned yet?"

"Shen Xiaonao, do you know what kind of situation is the most difficult to solve in the world?"

Shen Anzhi considered many answers, but ultimately shook his head.

Sect Leader Fang pointed to the empty table and said:

"There is nothing here, no cause and no effect, so no turmoil arises. There are no grudges or affections, only a void and chaotic dream. If one enters this situation, what should one do?"

Young people may have ambitions to slay dragons, but what truly extinguishes their spirit is not the swords and spears along the way. There are always those who can sing with high spirits, become more courageous with each setback, and forge a smooth path.

What truly erodes willpower is the absence of upheaval and change, the daily grind, and the unchanging routine of life.

It means standing at one end of the road and being able to see the other end.

Until his body was covered in dust, like a wandering soul.

It was like being trapped in a long dream, rushing around and busy, yet also ignorant and numb, exhausted, fading into gray.

Ultimately, we become one of the myriad beings in the universe.

Shen Anzhi pondered for a long time, but before he could give an answer, Song Kezi, who was standing next to him, said with a hint of doubt:

"May you sleep soundly without dreams, and in this cold night, let not the wind blow. This place is empty, so why does a hundred kinds of confusion arise?"

If you're asleep, you'll be fine when you wake up, right?

Sect Leader Fang glanced at him.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"Xu San'er, manage that shop assistant you hired. Did you pay him properly? How dare he steal Xuan paper from the shop?!"

"Is it because his child loves writing that he sent him to school?"

The group had gradually gotten used to their current life, and Chaoxi Bookstore seemed to have become their everything. Thirteen years had passed.

The outsider, a figure amidst the myriad forms of life, has become just another one of the masses.

They began to become familiar with the trivial matters of each neighbor's household, and gradually got used to not using their spiritual power. They knew which family's tofu was delicious and which vendor was good at passing off inferior goods as superior ones.

If we were to tell this story in a historical novel—

This place can accommodate prodigal sons who turn over a new leaf and villains who break their swords, living a simple life hidden in the streets.

Ye Xiaozhou was in a bad mood early in the morning.

I checked the goods, and they didn't match the accounts!

She went underground, to the secluded training ground created by Zhu Wuyao.

I tossed a coin; it can disturb the peace without causing anyone to go astray. Believe it or not, it's been quite a while since I've cast a divination.

She raised her hand and slapped the wall.

“Bang, bang, bang!!”

A swirl of dirt fell down, and Ye Xiaozhou reached out to fan away the dust in front of him, saying:

"Wake up!"

It wasn't until quite a while later that Zhu Wuyao's voice came from inside:

“You came to me a year and a half ago to ask me to come out of seclusion so that I would fight you. You had better have something important to do.”

"Worry, you suddenly have a little sister!"

These words had barely left his lips.

The door next to it was immediately opened.

Compared to when he first entered the realm of sentient beings, Zhu Wuyao seemed to have become a little more composed, no, he should be a little more subdued, like an old object buried underground, carrying a slight, imperceptible weariness.

At this moment, however, his gaze held a hint of surprise as he asked:

Where is she?!

Zhu Wuyao unearthed A Meng's existence in his memory, as if he had found an old object from long ago, and was surprised with a hint of unfamiliarity.

"Outside Chaoxi Bookstore, huh? You actually have a younger sister?"

After years of seclusion, Zhu Wuyao finally advanced from the mid-Foundation Establishment stage to the mid-Foundation Establishment stage.

She proved Qi Suowei right with her own abilities.

Ye Xiaozhou delivered the message, muttering about how picky and difficult to communicate with the literati. She didn't know when it started, but she stopped wearing red dresses, just like Hua Yingting had changed her gorgeous clothes and hairpins.

Perhaps it's because clothing in Biyi City is often ordinary.

Or perhaps the people around you are dressed simply, without any bright colors, and you unconsciously follow suit.

As time goes by, you get used to it.

Just as Zhu Wuyao always forgets his bladeless sword, Ye Xiaozhou uses a kitchen knife more often than a pair of knives, and Hua Yingting at most makes some mosquito repellent ointment.

Ye Xiaozhou was somewhat better off; she had been cultivating for a long time, and thirteen years was not enough to completely erase her memories.

It's just faded.

"Ah Meng?"

"Sister, Mother asked me to bring you vegetable buns!"

Qi Suowei seemed to have noticed the unusual situation here. He strolled leisurely to the front of Chaoxi Bookstore and looked at Zhu Wumeng.

Cherish the false and cultivate the true?

A Meng saw Teacher Qi in the school and respectfully performed a student's salute.

Then, he stepped forward, took Zhu Wuyao's hand, pulled her aside, and whispered:

"Sister, when will our book go on sale?"

This question really stumped Zhu Wuyao.

The Silver Fox was imprisoned in the cycle of precognitive dreams because the news of "The Travels of Zhu" had already been released, and it was not easy to change it; the only option was to continue.

But afterwards, the so-called Chaoxi Bookstore was just a place for everyone to stay that Hong Fei had taken over, and those two books were never written again.

What happens after that?

Because it was of little use, Zhu Wuyao hadn't touched paper and pen for a long time.

Seeing Zhu Wuyao remain silent, A Meng understood perfectly.

"Sister must be too tired, so she wants to rest at home for a while before continuing her travels, right?"

"Can I come with you this time?"

Ah Meng's eyes are very bright.

She took out the amber given to her by Zhu Wuyao from the pocket tied around her waist; inside was an ant whose life had been frozen in time.

It seems to have been frozen in time.

Zhu Wuyao accepted it.

She carefully observed the light outside the Chaoxi Bookstore. Having been in seclusion for a long time, she seemed to be no longer used to such light, finding it somewhat dazzling.

Ye Xiaozhou stood not far away.

They were also quietly gazing at the ant.

The myriad beings are like a giant piece of amber; all who enter it become hesitant, dull, and slow, until finally, they freeze in place.

Looking at this piece of amber, the life I had long been accustomed to suddenly seemed suffocating.

Like unknowingly drowning in the deep sea.

She heard Ameng say:

"Sister, I've said it before: if you're tired and lying down on the road ahead, I will be your guiding light and walk on for you!"

The last time she said something like that, Zhu Wuyao tapped her on the forehead.

This time, they cleverly changed "倒在" to "躺" (lying down).

Time wears down one's spirit.

But amber freezes time.

Zhu Wuyao didn't know how A Meng disappeared, nor why she reappeared. It was as if her very existence was a dream.

So lively and vibrant, unlike anyone else.

A Meng turned around, avoiding Qi Shi's gaze, and took out a book from her bosom. For some reason, the corners of the book seemed to be yellowed, as if it had been stored for a long time.

What's on the other side of the mountain?

"Sister, you forgot this at home, so I brought it with me!"

After A Meng finished speaking, Zhu Wuyao bent down. Instead of taking the book, she gently hugged A Meng.

I hugged the Lilliputian Kingdom, crop circles, Martians, Easter Island statues, the Bermuda Triangle... In the shattered dreams of One Thousand and One Nights, some people once closed the book and fell asleep, dreaming of traveling across great rivers and seeing countless landscapes.

But after waking up, every step I took took me further away from that world and into a deeper, more chaotic dream.

Return the old dreams to me, and dispel the illusions of the present.

Zhu Wuyao took A Meng's hand and walked towards the crowd.

With each step taken, a new beginning is made, until all the dust settles and vision becomes clear.