Chapter 188: The General's Dream

The capital city had indeed entered autumn; the leaves had begun to pile up at the entrance.

Some early risers, eager to clean, took advantage of the sparse street traffic and used bamboo brooms to sweep the fallen leaves into heaps.

According to the regulations of the

yamen

, residents living on the street were required to maintain the cleanliness of the area in front of their homes. In practice, if it was an ordinary household, the

yamen

might not be too strict; however, for businesses, a messy entrance would certainly lead to orders for cleanup. Especially after a windy night like last night, which had blown down countless dried leaves.

Now, the streets were filled with the sounds of sweeping, mixed with the chatter of small vendors, creating a lively yet tranquil atmosphere.

It was unusual for a military general to ride in a litter [1]. General Chen arrived on horseback, followed by several personal guards, all tall and robust, either skilled fighters from the military or renowned martial artists from the

jianghu

.

As they walked to the middle of Willow Street, they soon spotted the “Dao“ flag. It hung beneath the shop sign reading “Rodent Extermination.”

The door was open, and someone was already seated inside.

General Chen did not rush in but instead quietly stood at the entrance, looking inside.

The buildings along this street were quite similar; the first floor resembled the shops of several famous fortune tellers in the Eastern District, simple with a square table, where the Daoist sat on one side and the client on the other.

Inside, there was a woman holding a child, who had arrived early, likely with urgent business.

He could hear two voices conversing from within.

“It's likely due to the change in season and weather from hot to cold. However, he still wears his summer clothes, leading to cold symptoms, which is why he has a fever. It’s not a curse, nor is it possession. Madam, you should take the child to see a doctor.”

“Cold? What should we do, sir?”

“I’m not proficient in medicine and cannot give advice casually. I can only tell you, madam, that this is an illness, not possession. There's no need to spend money seeking folk healers, invoking gods or buddhas; it's best to see a doctor.”

“Please, sir, take another look!”

“There’s nothing that I can do...”

“But we can't afford a doctor...”

“There’s a Jishi Hall on Longevity Street in the south. Dr. Chen there studied under Dr. Cai outside the city. His medical skills are excellent, and he has a kind heart. He’s well-known; it’s said he offers free consultations every fifth and tenth day. Today just happens to be the fifth of August, so if you wish to go, you should set out early.”

“Is it really a free consultation?”

“Last month, there was an elderly man who was seriously ill, talking nonsense and often hallucinating, thinking he was possessed. After leaving here, he returned to thank me half a month later, saying it was Dr. Chen who cured him.”

“That’s wonderful!”

“Madam, you should hurry; it will be crowded if you delay.”

“How do you charge, sir?”

“If there’s no exorcism, then there’s no charge.”

“Thank you, thank you, sir...”

The woman was so grateful that she nearly kowtowed in gratitude. She then hurriedly left with her child.

As General Chen was about to enter, he noticed a figure emerging beside him.

It was a thin middle-aged man carrying a load; he had likely come into the city to sell vegetables. After placing his load down, he walked to the Daoist’s door but didn’t go inside.

Instead, he paused at the entrance, smiling as he spoke to the man inside, “Sir, there are heaps of leaves at the entrance. The patrol from the county office will come looking for them soon. Since there are fewer people around right now, where is your broom? Let me help you sweep.”

The young Daoist inside shook his head with a smile. “Your kindness is appreciated, but there’s no need to worry about it. I’ll sweep it myself tonight.”

“But when the patrol comes...”

“It’s fine.”

“You truly are a refined person.” Only then did the middle-aged man return to his seat. It seemed that his stall was right outside the door.

General Chen withdrew his gaze from the man and looked inside again, meeting the Daoist's eyes just in time.

Song You smiled and nodded at him. While General Chen lowered his head slightly before stepping inside.

Song You slowly stood up, and both parties bowed to each other. Someone behind them moved forward with gifts.

“Sir,” General Chen said to him, “It’s been a long time since we last met.”

“Welcome, sir. I regret not having come out to greet you properly.”

“No need to be so courteous.”

“Please, have a seat.”

The two sat down again at the table.

“I’ve long wanted to visit you, but I had some concerns in my heart and didn’t come until now,” General Chen said. “I hope my sudden visit hasn’t disturbed you.”

“I’m quite free every day; it’s hardly a disturbance.”

“I heard that you have taken down the sign for ‘Exorcism,’ but I didn’t expect that so many people would still come seeking you.”

“Poor families have no other options; they can’t help but come, and I can’t ignore them either,” the Daoist smiled and replied. “However, the number of people isn’t too great. I occasionally entertain them, which doesn’t hinder my leisure but rather aids my cultivation.”

“Is that man also someone who has received your favor?” General Chen turned to glance at the middle-aged vendor sitting at the door.

“That can't really be considered a favor. It's just that these people who set up stalls at the entrances of shops usually have to give the shop owners a small rental fee,” Song You said unhurriedly.

He added, “When I first arrived in Changjing, I didn't know about this, and this small building was transferred to me from someone else, so I never collected that fee. Later, when I found out, I still didn't collect it. Instead, they give me a few homegrown vegetables and a couple of eggs every month. Sometimes, when I'm out buying food and someone comes looking for me, they help inform the visitors.”

“So it’s a matter of sincerity for sincerity.”

“The way you speak doesn’t quite match what I’ve heard about you from the storytellers.”

“Storytellers only tell what people want to hear,” General Chen said, his expression calm as usual. He then smiled and said, “Since you don’t care for such talk, I won’t bring it up again.”

“Please have some tea. It’s plain tea; don’t mind it.”

“Thank you.”

“You’ve come so early, and you brought such valuable gifts...” Song You glanced at the gifts beside him. “I wonder if there’s something urgent?”

“The gifts aren’t anything special; I just randomly brought a few things here. They’re not worth much, it’s just to show some courtesy and respect,” General Chen said as he raised his teacup and drank it all. He continued, “However, although I’ve long wished to visit, I do have something I’d like to consult you about today.”

“Please go ahead.”

“Do you understand dream interpretation?”

“I don’t.”

“You don’t?”

“However, if you’re troubled by dreams and cannot find anyone to discuss it with in Changjing, you could tell me about it.”

“...” General Chen could only cup his hands in salute.

His majesty had summoned him back to the capital, and for so long, he had neither assigned him any tasks nor allowed him to return to the north, leaving him in Changjing to await orders. It was likely a sign of some caution.

General Chen remained calm, yet as the saying went, “A person can act with integrity and behave uprightly, but they cannot prevent others from gossiping.” At his position, every word must be chosen carefully. No matter the matter, nothing could be said lightly, especially when it came to these mysterious subjects.

If such things were to spread, there would always be people eager to twist the stories into many different versions. The need for caution and vigilance in Changjing was no less than on the battlefield.

General Chen sighed. “To be frank, since I returned to the capital, I’ve been occasionally troubled by nightmares. The scenes in my dreams are almost the same, and I’ve been perplexed for a long time. Knowing that you are indifferent to fame and fortune, I came to seek your advice.”

“Judging from how well you look, it doesn’t seem like you’ve been troubled by nightmares.”

“I once fought through three days and nights in the enemy camp, advancing over a hundred li without showing any fatigue,” General Chen said, his expression calm. “After the battle, I removed my armor, drank two jars of wine, ate half a sheep, and slept for a day and night. When I woke up, everything was back to normal. A few nightmares are just a minor annoyance.”

“You mean the battle at the Lanshui River?”

“Precisely.”

“You’re truly heroic.” The Daoist couldn’t help but cup his hands in salute. “I’ve heard this story from storytellers before, with some saying that you were possessed by the Golden Spirit Official at that time.”

“Those are just rumors made up by the people.”

“Hahaha.” The Daoist chuckled a couple of times before returning to the topic. “I wonder how often you have these nightmares?”

“Initially, I would go half a month without having one, but by summer, it’s become about every ten days or so. Recently, it’s been every three to five days.”

“In that case, it doesn’t seem like ordinary dreaming.”

“That’s what I think too.”

“May I ask what you dream about?”

“Fire...” General Chen frowned. As he was recalling it, his expression turned pained.

“The sky and the earth are all ablaze, as if I’m in a giant furnace. Many people are being burned, and among them are my former subordinates and personal guards, waving at me and crying for help. Each time, the people are different, but I recognize them all. They fought beside me in battles and even shielded me from blades and arrows...”

“You have no evil energy about you,” Song You said. “With your skills, common curses and malevolent spells likely wouldn’t work on you, and minor demons and ghosts shouldn’t be able to approach. If someone were trying to harm you by projecting dreams, they would either fail or you would sense something amiss; it seems improbable.”

“Then, why am I having nightmares?”

“...” Song You thought for a long moment before saying, “With my limited knowledge, I can only think of one possibility.”

“Please enlighten me!”

“You possess extraordinary martial skills and have the ability to slay demons and ghosts, with a reputation that spreads far and wide. Though you’re a mortal, you have a divine awareness,” Song You said slowly, as if contemplating his own words.

He added, “These subordinates have a deep bond with you, and you share a profound connection with them. If they are in distress, they might reach out to you, resulting in these dreams.”

“Is this really possible?”

“As the saying goes, ‘What one thinks of during the day will manifest in dreams at night.’ It’s not just you who dreams of those you think of; sometimes, if people deeply miss you, their genuine feelings can also lead to you dreaming of them.”

“...” General Chen sat still, but his eyes flickered intensely as he took a deep breath. If a minor ghost were present, it would be frightened into losing its soul.

“So, are you implying that my subordinates might have become ghosts after their deaths, suffering torment somewhere? In their anguish, they call out to me for help, and I, sensing their plight in some mysterious way, end up having such dreams?”

“While I have some understanding of dreams and rudimentary knowledge of projecting dreams, I truly don’t know how to interpret them. This is merely my conjecture.”

“The northern barbarians’ army often has talented eccentrics who play with little tricks,” General Chen mused. “Could it be that they’ve used dark arts to imprison the souls of my soldiers, tormenting them day and night for their amusement?”

“I do not know,” Song You replied.

“Do you have any other methods?” General Chen asked.

“I can draw a talisman for you, General. Place it under your pillow. If you continue dreaming after doing so, it would mean that no other sorcerer is using the dream projection technique to confuse you.”

“And if there is indeed someone using the dream projection technique to deceive me? Is there a way to counter it?”

“The sorcerer would most likely have had some contact with you and wouldn’t be far away.”

“I understand!” General Chen cupped his hands in thanks. After a brief pause, he added, “But what if I still continue dreaming?”

“Then you must find the souls of your soldiers and bring them peace,” the Daoist said, pausing before reluctantly continuing after meeting the General’s gaze, “But from what you've described, each soldier in your dream is different every time. I wonder... General, have you ever dreamt of the same soldier more than once?”

“Never,” General Chen replied.

That sentence seemed to lower the temperature in the room. Song You also showed an expression of regret at the appropriate moment.

1. The litter is a class of wheelless vehicles, a type of human-powered transport, for the transport of people. ☜