Chapter 844: I Came from Earth

Quite a few days passed. Every three days, Madam Rouge's dream would reset as the same scenes repeated and she relived the same events. Each cycle only deepened her pain. Experiencing that kind of trauma once was hard enough, but living it again and again would be like having knives driven into her heart. Xiao Nanfeng knew that if he didn't pull Madam Rouge out of her dream soon, the anguish would scar her soul irreparably.

"It looks like I'll have to go in after her," Xiao Nanfeng murmured, frowning.

He didn't rush into the dream. Before that, his avatar, within the imperial study, immediately summoned a few officials and generals.

"Mr. Wen, is the situation in Dahan growing smoothly?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

Wen Zhong began, "Since we're in possession of the Immortal Emperor of Dahan's body, we've smoothly managed to start replacing the key officials in Dahan. We've also won over a few previously overlooked officials and their clans, an unexpected gain. Some complications did arise, but with the help of the spectral guards and Sir Tu, everything is proceeding steadily."

"And You Jiu, how about the situation in the green knoll hidden realm?"

"Gan Qing is rebuilding the divine empire of Daliang, and some of the Yuqing Enlightenment Grounds have moved into her territory. They may be planning something big, but we don't have specifics just yet."

Xiao Nanfeng nodded. "Then we'll carry on with our plans. Mr. Wen, you're in charge of Dahan. Tu Feng, assist Mr. Wen. You Jiu, keep an eye on the green knoll hidden realm. Avoid any unnecessary moves."

"Understood!" everyone replied.

"I'll be in secluded cultivation for some time. During this period, Mr. Zheng will act as regent. Ye Sanshui will remain in Yongding to guard it."

The officials were taken aback. It was rare for Xiao Nanfeng to have neither body available.

"Understood!" everyone replied.

Xiao Nanfeng reiterated the details of their plans and drafted a few imperial edicts before withdrawing into seclusion.

Entering Madam Rouge's dream wasn't something to be taken lightly. This form of mental immersion could potentially leave both his bodies unable to think or act independently.

After making these arrangements, Xiao Nanfeng returned to the hall and looked toward Madam Rouge again.

Her dream had begun to loop once more.

Xiao Nanfeng knew that he could wait no longer. He picked up the cup of Yuqing dreamliquor and drank it all in one gulp.

A surge of violet energy exploded within him, sending shockwaves through his soul. But as he prepared to enter the dream, he sensed something off—the golden sprout in his heart had begun to glow and absorb the violet energy.

Xiao Nanfeng blanched as the golden sprout continued to absorb the energy, preventing him from fully entering the dream.

"Don't! I need to enter this dream to save someone," Xiao Nanfeng hissed.

Even so, the golden sprout ignored him. It continued to draw in the purple energy.

Xiao Nanfeng grimaced. He only had one cup of Yuqing dreamliquor. How was he going to save Madam Rouge now?

He tried to manipulate his golden sprout in a variety of different ways, but was completely unable to do so.

In the end, he thundered, "I want you to stop! Don't you understand? Stop!"

He sent a burst of anger at the golden sprout, which finally seemed to react and understand Xiao Nanfeng's intentions. It hummed and stopped its absorption.

"That actually worked...?" Xiao Nanfeng exclaimed.

The next moment, without the golden sprout's interference, the purple energy surged through his body and pulled him into a dark abyss.

As he fell, a disturbing thought flickered across his mind.

"Damn it, I feel like I'm starting to forget things... Does the Yuqing dreamliquor cause memory loss like the loss chants?" Xiao Nanfeng exclaimed.

Before he could contemplate on the thought any further, all his thoughts were washed away.

The purple energy was overwhelmingly potent. Even Madam Rouge had been unable to keep her sense of self, let alone Xiao Nanfeng, who had barely embarked on the cultivation of the heart.

Darkness engulfed him.

He didn't know just how much time had passed.

Xiao Nanfeng fell from the sky and crashed down onto a bustling street with a loud thud.

The surge of pain made him feel as though he had broken all the bones in his body. He lay there, unable to move, while people passed by and paid him no heed.

"It really hurts... Did I fall off a building? Have I been paralyzed? Why isn't anyone helping me up? Has society really gotten this bad lately? Can't they even call the police for me? Ouch!"

Xiao Nanfeng lay on the ground until the pain subsided and he was able to move once more.

He weakly lifted his head to look around.

"What's going on? Why are all these people wearing ancient robes? Did I travel through time? Or am I in a movie set?" Xiao Nanfeng exclaimed.

He propped himself up and examined his surroundings. The people seemed entirely authentic.

There were no cameras or modern decor—just a scene out of time, out of history.

"Is this real? How could this be...?" Xiao Nanfeng exclaimed.

He looked down at himself and saw that his hands were smaller. Though he was still dressed in a white shirt and slacks, he looked younger, his body was a size smaller, and he was covered in dirt.

"Have I turned into a teenager? I remember I was playing games at an Internet cafe, until... Could I really have traveled through time?" he wondered, feeling a mixture of annoyance and excitement.

He was annoyed at having left behind the life he had worked hard to build, but the thrill of returning to his youth, an opportunity that money couldn't buy, quickly took over. With an adult's wisdom, he was sure to be able to build a successful life here. Furthermore, if time travel were possible, even immortality might not be out of reach.

"Haha, thank you, Heaven!" Xiao Nanfeng exclaimed, grinning with excitement.

His outburst attracted the curious and judgmental stares of nearby passersby, who began to whisper among themselves.

"That poor beggar must have gone mad. A street urchin thanking the heavens for his lot? What a pitiful soul..."

"To have lost his mind at such a young age..."

"He's dirty and even seems a bit off, doesn't he?"

The passersby glanced at him and shook their heads in pity.

Then, someone tossed a copper coin in front of Xiao Nanfeng.

Xiao Nanfeng glanced at the woman who had tossed him a coin. He glanced up in shock. "No, you're mistaken. I'm not a beggar."

He picked up the coin and attempted to return it to the woman, but her male companion immediately pulled her away. "Let's get going before this street urchin latches onto you. I told you not to pity such beggars! Look—now he's coming over. He'll ruin your new clothes!"

"Ah, don't come near me!" the woman squealed. She hastily ran off.

Xiao Nanfeng held the copper coin awkwardly in his hand.

In the end, he decided not to chase after her.

He slowly got to his feet and stretched his sore limbs, then examined the copper coin with a frown. "I didn't want to start off my journey in this new world by begging, but..."

Suddenly, his stomach rumbled, a reminder of his ravenous hunger.

"...I suppose it's rather timely."

He glanced around and saw a nearby vendor calling out, "Steamed buns for sale!"

Xiao Nanfeng walked over.

"Get lost, beggar! You'll scare off my customers," the vendor snapped.

"I'd like to buy a bun," Xiao Nanfeng replied, handing over his entire fortune.

The vendor hesitated, but in the end, chose not to turn away any business. He grudgingly took the coin and handed him two buns from the basket. "Fine. Now, leave. Don't eat here, or you'll drive away my business."

"Ugh, people really look down on the poor, don't they?" Xiao Nanfeng muttered.

Not wanting to argue, he walked away with the buns. He finished one in three large bites, which eased his hunger somewhat, though he was far from full.

As he was about to eat the second, he heard soft sobbing from nearby.

He turned to see a little girl huddled in a corner, filthy and disheveled, resembling nothing more than a starving kitten. The passersby gave her a wide berth, their expressions full of disgust.

"Are these people blind? That's a real street urchin. Isn't anyone going to help her?" Xiao Nanfeng frowned.

His initial excitement about traveling through time quickly faded as sympathy welled up inside him. He glanced at the bun, and then at the little girl. Eventually, he sighed and approached her.

"Well, I wanted to go on a diet anyway. Lucky you," Xiao Nanfeng said, handing the little girl the bun.

The little girl, of course, was Yanzhi. She had just escaped a tragedy and was now wandering through the city, cold and starving. As she huddled in a corner, the world around her felt all too vast and cruel in its indifference. She longed for the candy her sister would give her, the chicken drumsticks her mother made, the candied hawthorns her brother would buy her, and the peach blossom cakes that her father brought back for her. Now, however, she had nothing but an all-consuming hunger.

Suddenly, a voice broke through her despair. She looked up with a tear-streaked face. The teenage boy before her was offering her a bun.

"Here, take this. Next time, if you're going to beg, you should pick somewhere more crowded," Xiao Nanfeng said.

He stuffed the bun into her hands and left.

The young Yanzhi stared after him, dumbfounded, until he had disappeared from sight.

Only when he had vanished did she suddenly sniff, committing the image of the boy to memory and devouring the bun in a few ravenous bites.