Fleeting Dream Across Three Lifetimes - Chapter 23

The terrified little creature realized there was no escape and hid by the entrance of the cave dwelling, not knowing how to get out. But Su Zining had already seen it clearly—it was Qin Mohan’s human hun soul!

At this moment, the once-beautiful little ball of light had transformed into a tiny person, just over three inches tall, only about half the size of Su Zining’s palm. Yet its appearance and expression were exactly the same as the hun soul of Qin Mohan she had seen before—it was simply a miniature version of Qin Mohan.

Su Zining’s heart trembled as she watched the little one circle helplessly around the entrance. Several times it nearly dashed outside, making Su Zining unbearably tense. A human hun soul was extremely timid. Once frightened, it would flee madly, never to be found again. She had already frightened it badly just now, so at this moment she dared not make a single unnecessary move. She knew very well what lay beyond the cave; if it escaped, it would surely be lost forever.

Though the Soul-Gathering Lamp was within reach, she dared not take it. Instead, she worked hard to soften her aura, calming her emotions and breath. The human hun soul, once panicked and restless, began to quiet down after sensing no immediate danger for a long while. Looking at the tiny figure with Qin Mohan’s exact features, Su Zining’s eyes turned red, and after a long silence, she coaxed softly, “Mohan. Mohan.”

She called quietly for a long time. The human hun soul seemed to understand, turning its head to look at Su Zining cautiously, but remained pressed against the stone door.

Su Zining called gently again, carefully watching its movements and expression, and spoke slowly in a soothing voice. “Mohan, it’s me, Zining. Don’t be afraid, be good, come here.”

The human hun soul was familiar with her aura, since Su Zining had nurtured it. Now it hesitated, unsure whether to approach. Seeing the struggle on its tiny face, Su Zining slowly extended her hand, her movements soft and tender, continuing, “Good girl, Mohan, come, come.”

Finally, the human hun soul wavered. Taking tiny steps, it moved closer, stopping just a palm’s distance away, staring at Su Zining’s hand. Su Zining’s eyes reddened further, her voice nasal, her fingers trembling as she beckoned. “Come.”

The human hun soul looked for a long time. Seeing her lean in, and that she was still as gentle as ever, it stepped forward again and tentatively stretched out a finger. Its finger was so small and thin, like a tiny bamboo stick. It lightly poked at Su Zining’s finger, but passed straight through—after all, it was only a soul body.

Su Zining’s heart clenched. Would it be scared off? Unexpectedly, after withdrawing its finger, the human hun soul only looked at its own hand in puzzlement, without much reaction.

But seeing it like this made Su Zining’s pain unbearable. Her whole body trembled, her sorrow so strong it was almost tangible.

The human hun soul clearly felt uncomfortable. It staggered a few steps, then suddenly leaned forward and wrapped its tiny, adorable hands around Su Zining’s middle finger. This time, strangely, it did not pass through. Su Zining froze in astonishment—this, this was clearly an attempt to comfort her.

She stared blankly at the miniature Qin Mohan hugging her finger and giving it a little shake, and suddenly tears streamed down her face. She wanted to cry out, but was afraid her sobs would frighten Qin Mohan’s human hun soul, so she covered her mouth tightly with her left hand, crying until her entire body shook. At this moment, she truly broke down. She missed Qin Mohan so much, so desperately.

She did not know how long she cried. By then, the human hun soul was no longer afraid of her, and seemed to greatly enjoy her aura. The little one, who had been circling her finger, eventually crawled into Su Zining’s palm and fell asleep there, resting in her trembling hand.

Su Zining, who had been grief-stricken, broke into tears and laughter when she saw this. Somehow, the little one was able to touch her. Though she could not feel any real substance, she could sense a cool, spiritual energy. Carefully withdrawing her hand, Su Zining gazed at her tenderly.

She was so tiny, just the right size to sleep in Su Zining’s palm, her sleeping posture neat and proper—just like that person. Her face, no bigger than a thumbprint, still had perfectly clear features. Su Zining did not realize how gentle and grateful her gaze was in that moment, as she stared quietly at this extraordinary human hun soul. The pain and loneliness in her heart were eased, if only a little.

She foolishly watched the little one sleep for half an hour, until it finally woke. Only then did Su Zining lean closer with wide eyes and softly call, “Mohan?”

The human hun soul was so human-like. It stretched lazily, making Su Zining’s smile curve sweetly. This was different from the calm, composed Qin Mohan. Though she could be adorable at times, she would never so casually stretch in front of her.

The miniature Qin Mohan, upon waking, first looked at Su Zining tentatively, then seemed to completely relax, climbing up along her palm. Reaching the crook of her arm, it curiously tugged at her sleeve, as if finding everything fresh and new.

Su Zining let it play around her for a while before whispering, “Come, shall we go inside and take a look?” She extended her hand. The human hun soul was clever, lifting its feet to hop into her palm, then sitting cross-legged within it.

Curling her fingers slightly to protect it, Su Zining carried it deeper into the cave dwelling.

The cave was pitch-black at first, but as she stepped into the secret passage, the oil lamps flared to life. Startled, the human hun soul leapt up and clung tightly to Su Zining’s finger, its expression full of fright and pitifulness. Su Zining scolded herself inwardly, hastily stroking its tiny head. The human hun soul shook its head, then calmed down and sat again, so adorably that Su Zining’s heart melted. She comforted in a low voice, “Don’t be afraid, I’m here. You’re very safe.”

Then she remembered the Soul-Gathering Lamp. Taking it out, she pointed at it and said, “Why don’t you go inside? You’d like it—it nourishes the soul.”

The human hun soul leaned over, peered into the lamp, hesitated for a moment, then shook its head and retreated, clinging instead to Su Zining’s wrist, indicating it preferred staying here.

Su Zining’s brows knitted tightly, her face full of anguish. She stared at it like this for a long time before, eyes reddened, she put the lamp away, holding the little one close to her heart as she walked quickly forward.

A human hun soul was timid precisely because it carried all of its master’s emotions and memories, making it extremely sensitive to everything. That it was willing to draw close to someone meant its master also trusted and cherished that person deeply. Qin Mohan’s human hun soul loved clinging to Su Zining, trusted her absolutely, because Qin Mohan herself was deeply close to and trusting of her. Realizing this, Su Zining’s heart ached all the more.

***

This Great Ascension cultivator who had ascended was clearly a person of deep emotions. The reason Su Zining obtained his inheritance back then was because she admired him greatly. Before his ascension cushion, she bowed respectfully, then fell into a void.

Afraid it might affect the human hun soul, Su Zining coaxed her back into the Soul-Gathering Lamp before kneeling down. She knocked her head nine times heavily, and a dazzling white light flashed from beneath the cushion. Su Zining fell to the side.

Everything was the same as in her previous life. Her consciousness sank into the inheritance left behind by the Great Ascension cultivator. An old man in white robes, with an awe-inspiring righteousness between his brows, handsome as a celestial, stared fixedly at Su Zining, then his gaze brightened. “A supreme spiritual root with balance of the five elements? Haha, interesting, very interesting.”

It was the same words as before. Only that time, her dantian had been destroyed, and he had sighed regretfully for a long while.

But this time, after the old man laughed, he suddenly put away his smile, his expression carrying some regret as he said, “It’s just a pity, your mind is too heavy, your killing intent far too strong. And… though you are not a devil cultivator, your devilish nature is overwhelming. If you receive the inheritance, I fear you may bring calamity to the mortal world!” His tone turned stern, and the killing intent from his lingering consciousness was evident.

Su Zining’s back went cold. If a consciousness could sweat, she would already be drenched. She dropped to her knees and raised her voice. “Senior, is it not too rash to make such a conclusion?”

The man narrowed his eyes and gave a cold snort. “How insolent!”

Su Zining forced herself to remain calm. “You say my thoughts are heavy and my killing intent excessive, I do not deny it. But I have never slaughtered the innocent. I am no good person, but I have never wantonly taken lives, nor have I ever wronged anyone! If people do not offend me, I do not offend them. My life has been rough and without support. I had but one dearest friend, yet she was brutally murdered. I could not accept it, so I descended into this Burial Grounds, snatched a chance at life, and sought to avenge her. How does that make me a scourge to the world?”

The old man watched her for a long while, then raised his head. A white light entered her brow, and his eyes suddenly widened. After a long moment, he muttered, “It is actually you… how is it that you only have half…” He stopped abruptly, as if unwilling to speak further. After a pause, he sighed, yet with some relief. “Since fate allows me to meet you, perhaps my thoughts back then were not wrong. But I wonder… which life of yours is this?” His low murmur left Su Zining utterly confused. What did he mean by which life?

The old man’s expression softened greatly. “You and I are fated. This inheritance is indeed yours by right. But I hope you remember these words. Sometimes, the calamities you encounter may not merely be caused by people, but even more by the disasters of Heaven.”

Su Zining wanted to ask his meaning, when suddenly a surge of consciousness rammed into her mind, making her grunt in pain. The reason she had to reaccept the inheritance was because she had been too weak in her past life; much had not truly been inherited. Moreover, there were many treasures within the inheritance that could greatly aid her—she could not miss this chance.

After passing it on, the old man within the halo looked at Su Zining with a complicated expression, and sighed deeply. “Since you have appeared, then she must be here as well. I hope, in this life, you two will not be nothing more than a fleeting dream.” With that, his figure completely dispersed.

***

When Su Zining woke, she did not know how much time had passed. Looking around, she saw that her body was already covered with a layer of dust. In her slumber she had already reached mid-Foundation Establishment, which must have taken a long time. The hidden cave entrance had also opened. Back then, she had found many treasures left by the Great Ascension senior inside and survived for ten years. She was a little dazed—this inheritance had been different from before. That person had told her many strange things, and his name seemed to be Xu Mi? She could not understand why he told her these things, so she set aside her chaotic thoughts and quickly took out the Soul-Gathering Lamp, releasing Qin Mohan’s human hun soul.

The little one did not move after coming out, its back facing Su Zining. When Su Zining tried to touch it, it immediately turned away. The outstretched fingers froze in the air. After a moment’s daze, Su Zining almost wanted to laugh—was the little one angry?

But she dared not laugh out loud, for the human hun soul was sharp-witted. She quickly lowered her head and coaxed carefully, “Mohan, be good, I was wrong. I didn’t mean to leave you inside the lamp. It’s just that I passed out after receiving the inheritance. Look, I’ve even gathered dust all over…” Saying this, the slightly fastidious Su Zining looked awkward, hastily brushing the dust away. The human hun soul avoided her disdainfully, standing at a distance with a cold look—its  manner was exactly the same as the true body.

Su Zining did not want to use a cleansing spell on her clothes, and thought to change them instead. But the human hun soul was staring straight at her, making her feel embarrassed. She tried to negotiate. “Mohan, will you turn around? Don’t look, all right? Or maybe you could go back…” The words stopped abruptly. The little one was still angry—if she asked it to return to the lamp, who knew what would happen?

Sure enough, the human hun soul stomped its foot, as if to say, “Say it again and I’ll run.” Su Zining gave a helpless smile. “Then will you just turn around?”

The human hun soul tilted its head in puzzlement, not quite understanding. Su Zining had no choice but to walk over and lift her up. The little one looked pleased, but then realized Su Zining had placed her left middle finger before her eyes to block her view. “No peeking.”

The human hun soul tilted its head again, but still stood obediently without moving. Su Zining’s right hand quickly undid her belt and knots.

She removed her underclothes and hung them over her left arm, then picked up new garments to wear. The once-thin and flat body of the girl had unknowingly grown mature—delicate, fair skin, a beautiful supple waist, and her small peaches had developed into perfect curves, carrying a natural allure. Su Zining glanced down at herself, pausing briefly. It truly had been a long time, long enough for her to grow up.

For no reason, she recalled Qin Mohan’s teasing when she once fetched clothes for her. The corners of her lips curved, though sorrow soon followed. Suddenly she felt a chill on her finger. She looked up quickly to see the human hun soul clinging to her finger, peeking its little head out, its bright eyes fixed on her with curiosity and focus. At once, Su Zining’s face flushed hot.