PD -Chapter 175 Bloodshed in the Dream

I let out a sigh and took Tang Shanshan’s hand again, looking at her as I said, “Focus on resting and recovering first. Since you’ve already decided to walk this path, you need to be prepared for what comes with it.”

Hearing that, Tang Shanshan’s face immediately lit up with joy. She turned to me and asked, “So… does that mean you’ve agreed to teach me Daoist arts?”

I gave a bitter smile instead of answering directly, flicking her lightly on the forehead.

“We’ll talk about it after you’ve recovered.”

After that, I helped Tang Shanshan back onto the bed and made sure she was resting comfortably. Then I decided to check on Liu Xiaopeng.

His room was right next to hers. When I pushed open the door, I discovered that he wasn’t there. The IV bag hanging beside the bed was still half full, but the needle had been pulled out and tossed aside.

Frowning, I was about to go look for him when I noticed a note on the table.

After a brief pause, I picked it up and recognized Liu Xiaopeng’s handwriting immediately.

Brother Han, don’t look for me. I’m truly sorry for almost getting you and Sister Shanshan killed earlier…

I probably can’t keep traveling with you from now on.

Sorry.

I stared coldly at the note.

The incident he was referring to was obviously when he had invited Liu Bowen to possess him. Controlled by Liu Bowen’s divine consciousness, he had tried to eliminate the Ghost Emperor before it had fully left Tang Shanshan’s body, nearly killing both of us in the process.

I shook my head, feeling an urge to curse the kid.

He had actually blamed himself for what happened. Feeling guilty toward Tang Shanshan and me, he had chosen to leave without a word.

Sighing, I ignored the pain in my injured hand and pulled out my phone to call him.

But the brat was clearly avoiding me on purpose.

Left with no choice, I returned to my room and sent him a message through WeChat after thinking it over.

Everyone knows it wasn’t your fault.

The message disappeared like a stone sinking into the ocean.

Even after I took my medicine and drifted off to sleep in a daze, there was still no reply.

Later, I sought out Di Ting to ask about Liu Xiaopeng’s condition.

Di Ting told me that physically, he was fine. However, the backlash from being possessed by an immortal and from forcibly channeling the power of the Immortal-Slaying Sword had severely damaged his meridians.

More importantly, his bloodline power was likely ruined.

In other words, the bloodline ability he had struggled so hard to awaken—the power to command the Nine Sons of the Dragon—would never be usable again.

I suspected that was also one of the reasons he had left without saying goodbye.

To be honest, I had long realized that Liu Xiaopeng was the type of person with immense pride, yet deep-seated insecurity.

Perhaps he felt that without his abilities, he could no longer help me in any meaningful way.

That was why he had chosen to leave.

I sighed again.

With him refusing my calls and ignoring my messages, I had no idea where he might have gone. Besides, both Tang Shanshan and I were still injured, making it impossible for us to search for him immediately.

Tang Shanshan and I remained in the hospital for about another half month.

During that time, we focused on recovering and unexpectedly enjoyed a rare period of just the two of us together. Our relationship deepened considerably, and before long, neither of us bothered hiding our feelings anymore.

The thin paper window between us had essentially been pierced through.

My injuries healed quickly, though the qi sea within my body still felt empty. I could clearly sense the loss of spiritual power and the damage to my primordial spirit. Those were not things that could recover overnight.

Tang Shanshan’s condition also improved greatly. She was able to get out of bed and move around, and the leg that had been struck by a bullet gradually began rehabilitation training.

Throughout this period, she complained constantly that I had been far too ruthless.

She joked that if she ended up unable to walk for the rest of her life, she would break my legs as revenge.

At first, I genuinely felt guilty.

But after hearing it countless times, my skin gradually thickened.

Eventually, I started joking back that I would become her legs. If she really couldn’t walk anymore, I would carry her on my back every day for the rest of our lives.

Another ten or so days passed.

By then, Tang Shanshan could walk normally again.

I decided that when she was discharged, I wanted to give her a surprise.

So I secretly planned a confession for the night before she left the hospital.

This was Section 507, after all, and there were restrictions on almost everything. But after endless pleading and pestering, Di Ting finally made an exception and helped me get a batch of supplies inside.

I decorated one of the hospital’s lounge rooms and prepared everything carefully.

Tonight, I intended to confess properly and give Tang Shanshan a chance to be moved for once.

At around nine o’clock that evening, I quietly arrived outside her room.

Seeing that she had gone to bed so early, I assumed the rehabilitation exercises during the day had exhausted her.

After hesitating for a moment, I decided to wake her up.

After all, I couldn’t let all the effort I had put into preparing this surprise go to waste.

Carefully, I opened the door and walked to her bedside.

Just as I was about to wake her, I noticed something wrong.

Large beads of sweat continuously rolled down her forehead.

Her brows were tightly furrowed.

Her eyes darted rapidly beneath her closed eyelids.

Both fists were clenched tightly, and her entire body was rigid with muscular tension, as though she were facing something unimaginably terrifying.

I frowned.

It was obvious that she was having a nightmare.

Immediately, I reached out and gently patted the bare shoulder protruding from beneath the blanket.

“Shanshan. Shanshan, wake up.”

But even after several attempts, she showed no sign of opening her eyes.

In fact, her reaction only grew stronger.

More sweat poured from her face.

Her entire body began trembling.

A sinking feeling suddenly formed in my chest.

After a moment’s thought, I closed my eyes and pressed two fingers against the center of her forehead.

Transforming into spiritual consciousness, I entered Tang Shanshan’s dream.

My vision instantly went black.

It felt as though I had fallen into a swirling vortex.

A few moments later, I spotted Tang Shanshan.

She was standing on a narrow path beside a forested mountainside.

Walking over, I took hold of her trembling hand.

She turned to look at me, surprise flashing across her face.

The next second, however, she pointed toward the dark forest ahead and motioned for me to look.

Following her gaze, I saw a car.

It appeared to have lost control and crashed into a tree near the edge of the woods.

The front end had been crushed inward, and white smoke billowed continuously from beneath the hood.

Not far from the vehicle, I spotted a shadowy figure running rapidly in our direction.

At the same time, faint screams seemed to echo through the darkness.

Holding Tang Shanshan’s hand, I started walking forward to investigate.

But she immediately shook her head and refused to move.

“Don’t worry,” I reassured her. “I’m here.”

Taking her hand again, I led her forward.

This time, she reluctantly followed.

“This is actually your dream,” I explained as we walked. “No matter what’s here, it can’t hurt you.”

Tang Shanshan looked doubtful, but eventually nodded softly.

“Mm.”

Together, we stepped into the dark forest.

And immediately, a bloody scene unfolded before our eyes.