novel
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TN: Unedited because I wanted to get this out first. Sorry for the wait!
However, this was the Dream Demon's illusion. It was the best at using the feelings in the depths of people's hearts. Bringing out their most ancient terrors or rages or bitterness, it could then break down their psychological defenses. Therefore, all these countless hundreds of years, there had been no one (known) to break free.
Shen Qingqiu always wanted to tsukkomi [1] this point in the original work. It was said very plainly, yet for Luo Binghe and Ning Yingying these two medium-sized children to pull around bitterly for a while and break through; Great God Airplane Towards The Sky, please give the demon Elder more face!
Luo Binghe suddenly charged forward, seeming to want to beat aside the people who beat him in his younger self's beggar days, but his fists went through their bodies. There was completely no way to dispel the illusion. Fists and feet continued to rain down on that small body.
Shen Qingqiu quickly caught Luo Binghe's fist and stabilized his body. Calmly, he said: "See? You can't touch them. This is only the Dream Demon's trap."
If it were the Luo Binghe after activating his cheats, ten thousand Dream Demons altogether would be nothing more than tiny tricks in his eyes. But the Luo Binghe right now: the demon blood inside his body hadn't woken yet and was sleeping dormant in the dark depths of his memories and dreams. What he could see was only his helplessness.
Suddenly, the small illusion the two people were in twisted and became another scene.
It wasn't good for Shen Qingqiu's heart, he was taken unawares and slaughtered!
This was a dilapidated cottage. Inside the cottage, there was only one bed and one crooked little table. On the table was a dim oil lamp and there was a small bench to the side.
On the bed lay a brittle old woman striving to support herself and sit up, not far from death. From outside the door, a small figure rushed in who was just ten years old with a soft and childish face. Luo Binghe supported the old woman as she sat up. Around his neck he still wore that jade pendant. He hurriedly said: "Mother, how come you want to get up again? Didn't you say you'd get better if you rested?"
The woman coughed and said: "Lying down doesn't get anything done. It would be better to rise from bed and get the clothes washed."
Little Luo Binghe said: "I've already finished Mother's work. Mother, lie down and wait for me to stew your medicine. Eat medicine, your body gets better, then do work."
Shen Qingqiu already knew there was this scene, but when it played out in front of his eyes in reality, there was no way to be unmoved.
That woman's face was grayish white, the disease beyond cure; she was at death's door. She smiled and touched the top of Luo Binghe's head: "Binghe, you're really obedient."
Little Luo Binghe raised his face, his entire face strongly smiling: "Mother, what do you want to eat?"
The woman said: "Right now, I have less and less appetite. Last time our estate's young master poured out that white congee. I'm inclined to have a try, but I don't know whether the kitchens have any left over."
Little Luo Binghe vigorously bent his head and said: "I'll go ask for Mother!"
"Just asking will be fine. If there's none left over, just any other regular light and watery dish to fill the stomach will do."
Little Luo Binghe ran da da da outside like a gust of wind. The woman lay down for a moment, then pulled out needle and thread from beneath her pillow again and began her women's work.
The light inside the cottage grew dimmer and dimmer. Luo Binghe's figure wasn't clear. He reached out a hand to grab something. Shen Qingqiu grabbed his hand and forcefully said: "Luo Binghe! Look clearly, this isn't your mother, you aren't that weak child unable to fight back anymore!"
The dream's killing power was based on handicapping the person's emotions. The more they felt, the greater the damage they received. Like Luo Binghe right now, his instability was a great threat to his life.
Secondly, it was necessary to be careful. The 'people' in the dream definitely could not be attacked.
All these 'people' in the dream were from the dreamer's own consciousness and heart. Attacking them actually meant attacking your own brain. There were many people who didn't understand this point, or couldn't control their own emotions, and in the dream attacked and grievously harmed their own 'people. ' From then on, they entered eternal sleep.
According to the current situation, if Luo Binghe entered into eternal sleep, Shen Qingqiu would also accompany him and be trapped in the dream.
The surrounding scenery changed unpredictably. The scene changed to little Luo Binghe begging a wealthy young master to give his mother a bowl of congee to eat; another scene change shifted to the time when he just entered Qing Jing Peak, all his apprentice-brothers excluding and making things difficult for him; a small figure struggling to wield a rusty axe; watching a figure carry water buckets up the stairs more and more slowly; his sole treasured jade pendant getting stolen, unable to be found ever again......
The chaos of the scenes continued to unceasingly pile up. At this moment, these scattered pictures and memories made Luo Binghe unable to see anything or hear anything. There was only the resentment, despair, pain, helplessness, fury, and other emotions tangled in a mess churning in his chest and his mind.
This dream was the collection of ups and downs of this young boy's short ten years of life. Luo Binghe already completely entered into it! His breathing was unsteady and his two eyes were unnaturally red.
Shen Qingqiu felt that standing at his side was very dangerous!
The only way to break the dream was to resolve the tangles in your own heart, then the dream would defeat itself. Luo Binghe's fist was tightly clenched, his bones resounding ka ka, spiritual power circulating throughout his whole body.
Shen Qingqiu saw his desire to attack rising and sternly said: "Calm your heart! Don't attack the illusions! Hitting them will only hurt yourself!"
But Luo Binghe was already unable to hear any of his words. His right hand raised, spiritual power surged in his palm and flew out, cutting straight towards the people laughing boisterously in the illusion!
In his heart, Shen Qingqiu let out a cry of grief for himself. No matter how painful, his body still cleverly went up and took the initiative to move forward in front of the illusion, using his body to block this fierce attack.
At this time, Luo Binghe was shorter than him by only a little and coincidentally hit him in the lower abdomen.
Suddenly, Shen Qingqiu felt as though he'd been kicked by an elephant's leg, his eyes growing dark. If this wasn't a dream, he was afraid he'd be spraying out a mouthful of blood......
He was indeed the protagonist!
Shen Qingqiu's face was full of tears. He was obviously only a little disciple, why could he attack with such a powerful hit...... it seemed that since he opened the OOC function, not only was there not much contribution, he instead had to block knife and block knife and still block knife and continuously to sacrifice his own interests for someone else as a good meat shield!
With this attack by Luo Binghe, the surrounding illusion was broken. The figures of the people and objects all cracked into pieces like shards of glass. The place where they exited was a piece of remote, wild forest. A cold, ancient moon hung above their heads, the sky dark blue.
Once the illusion was scattered, Luo Binghe was suddenly sober. First, he looked at the unable-to-stand, kneeling on the ground and wordless Shen Qingqiu. Then he looked down at his own fist, a trace of spiritual power still remaining and vaguely recalled what he did earlier. His face immediately paled.
Luo Binghe flew to Shen Qingqiu's side and supported him, anxious and regretful: "Shizun! You, why didn't you hit back!"
With Shen Qingqiu's spiritual power, it was completely within his ability to harm him. With both of their spiritual powers attacking each other, not only could he dissolve Luo Binghe's attack, he could also turn the attack back to him.
Shen Qingqiu said some words from the heart: "Silly child." He smiled weakly: "...... The original purpose was for you not to get hurt. If I hit back and hurt you, would there be any meaning?"
Luo Binghe listened to Shifu's weak voice and even thought of taking a palm to his own chest and killing himself, "But the one hurt right now is Shizun...... this disciple should be dead ten thousand times over!"
The matter of the Demon Realm's three trials hadn't been over for long and he already let Shizun get hurt because of himself, this time even hit by him directly!
Shen Qingqiu saw the child's face overflowing with self-blaming agony and softened for a rare moment, comforting: "This master's cultivation is strong, being hit a few times doesn't matter."
Luo Binghe would rather Shen Qingqiu viciously beat and scold him with biting sarcasm as he had in the past. His heart would feel a little more comfortable. But Shen Qingqiu was so warm and his words so soft that he was struck dumb and unable to speak, his heart somehow feeling even more helpless.
After a long while, Luo Binghe said in a low voice: "It's all my fault."
No no no no no, it's not your fault. Truly at this early stage you are walking the route of sadly abandoned, warm little pure white flower. How can you be blamed?
Shen Qingqiu thought Luo Binghe had fallen into a tangle of self-reflection and taken the matter to heart. Patiently, he said: "It's not your business. Demon Realm people have despicable methods that cannot be avoided. However, if don't want to have something similar happen in the future, you can only become strong."
This was a 'the weak are the prey of the strong' world. Becoming strong was the only guarantee and method against going with the current and becoming cannon fodder!
Luo Binghe's heart was moved and he didn't speak. He suddenly raised his head and his two eyes stared firmly at Shen Qingqiu.
Shen Qingqiu's heart thumped.
Luo Binghe's obsidian-black eyes held a light more brilliant than the moon and the stars.
This...... this kind of gaze!
This filled with 'determined conviction' and burning morale emanating from the protagonist's gaze!
Could it be...... I already became the protagonist's motivational star?!
Luo Binghe knelt by Shen Qingqiu's body and with a resounding voice said: "I understand."
Shen Qingqiu: Wait a moment, what did you understand this time? Could you not leave things half-said every time? Tell me the rest!
He didn't notice that as these words left Luo Binghe's mouth, he didn't call himself "this disciple." [2] Luo Binghe firmly clenched his fists and opened his mouth again, enunciating every word: "From now on, these things...... I definitely won't let them happen a second time."
Letting Shizun protect his weak self, letting Shizun suffer injury for him...... these things, will absolutely never happen again!
Shen Qingqiu responded with a cry of unconditional assent, "Mm."
...... What's going on. Suddenly there's a feeling of 'getting covered in the protagonist's reassurance, ' what's the matter with this?!
Reassurance my ass, this person in the future is going to slice you into a human stick; wake and sober up a little, Shen Qingqiu!
Becoming the protagonist's life teacher [3] was a Max vanity that Shen Qingqiu was very satisfied with, though it wasn't quite right in flavor.
Fuck. Originally, the belief for 'becoming strong to protect his important people' should have happened when the protagonist was confronted with the pitiable and charming female lead who helped him and got hurt for his sake. Afterwards there was a model scene of tender gasps opened. According to this meaning; system, aren't you piling all the female protagonists' scenes onto me?
—End Chapter 17—
[1] Tsukkomi: Using this Japanese term because it's probably more familiar to you and the Chinese term used is a transliteration of it. Meaning is "to question or comment creatively on something ironic/funny" and is often oversimplified to mean "complain, grumble."
[2] "This disciple": In Chinese, the most formal way of speaking makes you refer to yourself as 'this disciple' or 'this master' and etc. according to your station and who you happen to speak with. Luo Binghe not referring to himself as 'this disciple' with Shen Qingqiu takes away that social barrier. XD
[3] Life teacher (人生道路上的導師): Literally 'life's path's teacher' or 'teacher for life' but I'm using this form to differentiate it from regular teacher. This specifically refers to someone who teaches you how to live - like your parents, grandparents, etc.
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