Chapter 105: Falling into a Dream

The Elder Celestial Master asked Ye Yan to accompany Dean Deng on a tour of Dragon and Tiger Mountain, which was really just a polite way to excuse himself.

After leaving the small courtyard, the two parted ways. Dumbledore said he needed to find his disciple, while Ye Yan planned to return and sort through the day’s findings, hoping to uncover some new insights.

...

Elsewhere, in the reception room.

The Elder Celestial Master and Wang Ai sat down in turn, each holding a cup of hot tea. Behind Wang Ai stood Wang Ze, who gazed curiously at the Elder Celestial Master.

Wang Ze’s stare was unabashed, direct and open, and under such scrutiny, it was impossible for the Elder Celestial Master not to notice.

As Wang Ze appraised him, the Elder Celestial Master, too, studied the young man who carried a faintly Western air about him, his eyes clouded with subtle doubt.

Caught in this mutual gaze, Wang Ai’s heart skipped a beat, and she quickly said, “Celestial Master, allow me to introduce a junior member of my family, Wang Ze.”

Then turning to Wang Ze, she urged, “Wang Ze, go and greet the Celestial Master.”

“Celestial Master,” Wang Ze said with a casual salute, his tone unceremonious.

“Wang Ze, is it? Greetings,” the Elder Celestial Master responded warmly, concealing his inner questions and offering a polite return greeting.

“Old Wang, how is your youngest son? I wanted to visit him, but with the recent conclusion of the Great Ritual of Luo Tian and the many affairs on and off the mountain, I’ve been quite overwhelmed,” the Elder Celestial Master said.

“Oh, Celestial Master, you flatter me. I’m just glad to hear it from you. After all, all the matters on the mountain are managed by you alone—I can understand,” Wang Ai replied.

“That’s good, that’s good,” the Elder Celestial Master nodded.

After some polite small talk, the Elder Celestial Master shifted the conversation. “Old Wang, I thought you had already descended the mountain. What brings you back all of a sudden? Is there unfinished business?”

He was still somewhat puzzled by Wang Ai’s departure and return.

Wang Ai sighed. “My son’s condition isn’t good. I placed him in a nearby convalescent home, planning to move him to a better place once he stabilizes. I’ll likely be coming up and down the mountain frequently during this time...”

“Don’t worry about bothering me. There are plenty of rooms on the mountain. You’re welcome anytime,” the Elder Celestial Master assured her.

Wang Ai’s words were understandable. After all, the Elder Celestial Master had witnessed Wang Bing’s injuries firsthand, so he trusted her explanation.

As the conversation went on, the Elder Celestial Master’s gaze fell on Wang Ze. He asked calmly, “Old Wang, your family doesn’t have many young members, but this Wang Ze looks quite refined.”

Wang Ai set down her cup and smiled. “Wang Ze is my late brother’s grandson. He’s been studying abroad and is about to graduate. I plan to have him work with me now to prepare him to contribute to the family in the future.”

“I see,” the Elder Celestial Master said, a faint seriousness flickering in his eyes as he looked at Wang Ze.

...

Night fell.

Dragon and Tiger Mountain.

All was silent.

In a guest room, Ye Yan lay in bed wearing pajamas, idly texting with Xu Si. “Brother Si, how are things on your end?”

“Same as always. Everything that needed arranging is set. We’re just waiting for the full team to be in place.”

Hearing this, Ye Yan yawned and turned over lazily. “If I’d known you all were planning something like this behind the scenes, I’d never have gotten involved.”

On the other end of the screen, Xu Si chuckled. “You only say that with your mouth. Anything involving Xia He, and you can’t stay that calm.”

“Tch, I don’t care about her. She’s worthless,” Ye Yan scoffed, his tone hard.

“Tut tut~” Xu Si clicked his tongue. “If you really were as indifferent as you claim, how would you have ended up in this mess? Don’t tell me that last disappearance of Quan Xing had nothing to do with you.”

“Who would believe that,” Ye Yan retorted.

Xu Si sent a sly smile emoji.

Ye Yan’s texting momentum faltered, but he quickly fired back, “Ha… Boss, how’s that ‘Guide for Sycophants’ coming along?”

“What ‘Guide for Sycophants’? What nonsense are you talking about? No decent person reads that stuff.”

“Don’t slander me.”

“Of course it’s you, Brother Si.”

Xu Si was unmatched in his talent for brazen lies, and if he claimed first place, no one could claim second.

Ye Yan didn’t bother arguing.

With that much time on his hands, he might as well lie down and get some rest. Lately, on Dragon and Tiger Mountain, he’d been running around at night like a vigilante and hadn’t slept properly.

Now that he had some downtime, he intended to catch up on sleep.

After a brief spat with Xu Si, Ye Yan put down his phone, shifted to a comfortable position under the covers, closed his eyes, and slowly drifted into sleep.

As his vision darkened, Ye Yan felt the world plunge into utter blackness. His body seemed wrapped in lead and cement, sinking relentlessly downward.

“Damn it.”

“What’s happening?”

The sudden change alarmed Ye Yan. He struggled to open his eyes but felt completely cut off from the outside world.

Though his body fell unceasingly, his mind remained sharp and calm.

He suspected he had fallen victim to some sort of supernatural power, sorcery, or curse, which had transported him to this strange, eerie realm.

His body continued to descend, but that didn’t stop his brain from analyzing the situation. He kept observing his surroundings.

Thanks to his innate mastery as the Lord of Darkness, he could clearly perceive everything around him.

This was a pure, dark, chaotic space. Ye Yan sensed no life or activity—only endless descent.

Loneliness seemed to be the absolute theme of this chaotic world.

In response, Ye Yan’s first move was to summon Jin Erpeng, intending to absorb the spirit into his body to slow his fall.

But after trying for some time, Ye Yan realized the demon flag that always accompanied him was missing.

This place appeared to be completely severed from reality. Not only could he not use the demon flag, but even his watchman’s skills were entirely nullified.

An unshakable sense of crisis rose in Ye Yan’s heart—a feeling he hadn’t experienced in ages.

Without any way to arrest his descent, Ye Yan felt like a puppet cast into an abyss, struggling in vain.

As he endured the agonizing fall, time slipped by slowly. After what felt like an eternity, he suddenly sensed his downward speed slow.

This endless plunge seemed finally to have reached its bottom.