RYEY -Chapter 356 Nightmare

In the middle of the night, Ye Chengying and Ye Jun faced the bright moon and offered their respects, telling their ancestors that the Wu family had been completely annihilated—they had finally avenged the Ye family.

A dark cloud briefly obscured the moonlight, dimming the world for a moment. Slowly, the clouds parted, and the moon shone brighter than before. Ye Jun wiped away his tears, exhaling the long-suppressed bitterness from his chest.

“I’ll leave early tomorrow. I’ll return at the end of the year for the commendation ceremony. Hopefully, by then, everything will be back on track.”

“I understand. You need to take care of yourself. By the way, this is the health pill Cheng Qiao asked me to give you. Take a few when you have time. Also, give some to your sons.”

“Brother, be honest with me—what secrets is Cheng Qiao hiding?”

Ye Jun lowered his head, unsure how to answer. Cheng Qiao had never told him her secrets, yet many things happened right in front of him.

For example, the sudden appearance and disappearance of the little red-headed creature; the meticulous pills that she could create seemingly out of nowhere; the water she produced that had miraculous healing effects on wounds.

And there were the constant supplies of food, meat, daily necessities, and other scarce resources. Who knows what secrets she truly possessed?

“Brother, Cheng Qiao does have secrets, but I’ve only observed. I never asked. I felt it wasn’t my place to pry.”

“Why not? Aren’t you her master?”

“I am her master. My duty is to teach and protect my disciple, not to uncover her secrets.”

“No wonder Cheng Qiao was willing to entrust her youngest son to you. You gave her sincerity, and she returned it. I fully approve.”

“Brother, aside from your family who served in the military, the rest of the Ye family—both direct and collateral lines—have been shattered. Without Cheng Qiao over the past ten years, I don’t even know what would have become of us.”

“Hmm, even my old superior was saved by Cheng Qiao. So, while she is officially your disciple, she is in truth a benefactor of the Ye family. I will do everything I can to protect her.”

The two men went to their respective bedrooms. Cheng Qiao and Li Huan couldn’t sleep either, lying on the kang and chatting. Li Huan looked at Cheng Qiao with deep concern:

“Qiao, maybe we shouldn’t attend school tomorrow. We could go straight with your father to Hexi. My eldest brother is there, and Brother Qin is there too.”

“Li Huan, your eldest brother is only a battalion commander, and Brother Qin only a regiment commander. How could they compare to the general? We shouldn’t endanger them.”

“I’m so worried that someone will discover your treasures. If they’re captured for experiments, I’d lose my wife and the children their mother. How could I go on? It’d be better to die.”

“It’s not that serious yet. Didn’t you hear what General Yao said? With his old bones there, who dares touch the Ye family? I’m Ye Jun’s disciple, which makes me more than half a part of the Ye family.”

Li Huan nodded and cuddled Cheng Qiao, preparing to sleep. There were still many things to do tomorrow. Yet Li Huan’s sleep was restless all night, plagued by nightmares.

At times, Ye Chengying’s familiar face morphed into Wu Hongxin’s, grotesque and terrifying, seizing Cheng Qiao and opening her abdomen.

He rushed to save her but was held back by Ye Jun. His martial arts, taught by Ye Jun himself, were no match, and he was ultimately knocked to the ground.

Little Cheng Li and his siblings tried to intervene but were too young, and were struck down one by one. Xiao Nuan’s face was mutilated, bloodied beyond recognition.

Xu Hui grabbed a firewood stick and charged at Wu Hongxin, aiming for his head, but Wu Hongxin’s guards kicked him away, sending the stick into his own chest.

His mother, too weak to walk, crawled toward him, crying, but her hands were pinned by Wu Xiaolin’s tiny feet, her face lit with a triumphant smile.

Shouhou and Wang Xiangyang arrived with homemade guns, ready to fight to the death, but Yao Peng’s guards placed the heavily pregnant Qiu Min in front of them, blocking the way.

Li Huan felt hopeless. Then suddenly, Little Red Head and Hai Dongqing appeared by Cheng Qiao’s side. Little Red Head had grown into a huge python, and with further training, it might become a dragon. Hai Dongqing flapped his enormous wings, and the two beasts sent the attackers staggering in all directions, fleeing in chaos.

But Cheng Qiao had fallen. That was her final attack—she had saved the Li family but gave up her own life. He collapsed on her, wailing uncontrollably, nearly unable to breathe.

“Wake up, wake up, Li Huan! What’s wrong?”

Li Huan finally awoke, opening his eyes to pitch darkness, terrified and covering his face as he cried. Cheng Qiao sighed and tugged the lamp cord, flooding the room with warm, orange light.

“Qiao, I had a nightmare. It scared me to death.”

“I know. You’re drenched in sweat. Change your clothes—your back is soaking.”

Cheng Qiao retrieved a set of pajamas for Li Huan. His movements were sluggish as he changed. Seeing that he still seemed trapped in the dream, she handed him a cup of icy water from her space.

“Quick, drink this and calm down.”

The cold water hit his throat. Li Huan shivered, finally clearing his mind. He grabbed Cheng Qiao’s hand, recounting his nightmare:

“Qiao, I dreamt that the Ye family was against you. Could they really do that?”

“Nonsense. It was just a dream. Deep down, you don’t distrust Ye Chengying and the others, which is why the nightmare troubled you.”

Li Huan nodded. Indeed, aside from Cheng Qiao and his mother, he trusted no one. Especially knowing Cheng Qiao’s secret, he constantly feared accidentally revealing it and endangering her.

But no matter how careful, it’s impossible to guard against everything. That Wu Hongxin, just with the water Little Cheng Li gave Wu Xiaolin, could raise suspicion. Beijing was terrifying.

“Qiao, once you graduate, let’s go straight to Hexi. My eldest brother is there, and your father too. Here, aside from your master, we have no relatives.”

Cheng Qiao nodded and glanced outside. Dawn was approaching, so they decided not to sleep. Today, Ye Chengying was leaving, so they needed to prepare a hearty breakfast and food for the journey.

Li Huan followed Cheng Qiao to the kitchen. Medicinal porridge was a must. Side dishes were ready. They steamed a basket of buns and boiled over ten eggs.

They also sliced the soy-braised beef prepared the day before—delicious even as snacks, both healthy and nutritious.

Li Huan also cycled to the state-run restaurant. The breakfast offerings were gradually becoming richer: tofu pudding, fried liver, mung bean juice, lamb offal soup, fried cakes—basically anything they saw, they bought.