Chapter 264 - 260: Trouble Comes Unbidden

Chapter 264: Chapter 260: Trouble Comes Unbidden

A dream?

The dozen or so people at her side all heard the Red Demoness’s voice as well.

"Lady Red Demoness, is it the dream itself, or is a Demon attacking them through their dreams?"

The Red Demoness’s voice always seemed to carry a faint, ethereal smile, as pleasant as a song.

"Some can wander within dreams, some are like dreams themselves, and of course, some can control dreams... I can’t be certain without seeing it for myself."

’There are actually this many types of Demons related to dreams?’

This revelation startled everyone from the Celestial Traveler’s Hall. However, they quickly accepted it, reasoning that anything was possible when it came to Demons from beyond their world.

"Shall I teach you how to catch it~"

The Red Demoness asked again with a hint of playfulness.

"I don’t know what it is, but for now, it seems to be something of a purely dream-like nature. Hmm, things inside dreams are rarely powerful..."

The Red Demoness didn’t explain this in detail to Mo Qingxue and the others, as it wasn’t something that could be clarified in a brief phone call. She only highlighted a few key points, telling them that Mo Qingxue would have to learn the finer details later by studying the association’s files herself.

Simply put.

Dream Demons are generally interpreted in two ways. The Demon might be a rather illusory thing, like a dream itself, or it could be a Demon that can control dreams.

The former is closer to a Demonized object or a convergence of resentment, similar to the Nightmare Swamp. They can’t be considered pure life forms and are fundamentally different from Elves that awaken from non-living things. Perhaps after a long time, they might evolve life-like characteristics, but until then, such entities—with few exceptions—usually lack any semblance of reason. Even if they possess a weak, instinctual consciousness, their lingering resentment is far more potent.

Strictly speaking, some of this type are more appropriately referred to by the concept of "Anomalous Events" used in mainstream human nations.

Of course, many low-level living Demons, or even a few powerful ones, also lack reason. That’s purely a matter of low intelligence, or the occasional halfwit appearing among their kind.

The latter, Demons that control dreams, should be pure life forms with complete, individual bodies. Whether they’re stupid or not is another matter, but they definitely possess their own consciousness or instincts, as well as dream-related Abilities. It wouldn’t even be out of the question for them to have Magic Power.

Regardless of the type, neither has the necessary foundation to become powerful through dreams alone. Note: this means they are generally not strong *just* by relying on dreams, not that all Demons that can influence dreams are weak.

In fact, the Red Demoness herself can influence dreams; it’s just not as convenient as inducing hallucinations in someone who is awake.

This is because dreams are not only illusory, but the dream world itself forms within an individual’s soul and consciousness, shattering the moment they awaken. It is highly unstable, making the dream environment quite hostile.

Some weaker, purely dream-based creatures even have to constantly worry about finding their next dream the moment they enter one. If they can’t escape, the moment the dreamer awakens is equivalent to the collapse of their world, and they will die within it.

Truly stable dreams, on the other hand, are born from the minds of truly powerful beings. Trying to enter their mental home turf to interfere with such a dream offers a much lower chance of success than just confronting them head-on.

Hearing the Red Demoness’s question, Mo Qingxue didn’t dare to hesitate.

"Lady Red Demoness, please teach us how to eliminate the Demon!"

"Eliminate it? Why eliminate it? It’s a rare type of Demon. He would be very interested in it..."

...

The phone call lasted a full twenty-plus minutes before the group from the Celestial Traveler’s Hall finally came to an understanding.

The Red Demoness couldn’t give them a step-by-step guide on how to catch the Demon, but she did give them a line of thinking.

Given Luo Yuguang and Ping Lei’s current situation, combined with the fact that over a dozen Celestial Traveler Disciples had perceived nothing unusual, it was likely not an external Demon interfering with their dreams through some Ability, but rather a Demon that existed *within* the victims’ dreams.

The Demon seemed to have latched onto these two university students. To capture it, or simply kill it, they would naturally have to start with their dreams.

"Grandpa, do you have a plan?"

Not long after they had figured out what kind of Demon they were dealing with, Elder Mo had begun stroking his beard. Mo Qingxue, who knew her grandfather well, understood this usually meant the old man had an idea.

As the saying goes, the older the ginger, the spicier it is. Elder Mo was a veteran of the world, having lived through decades of chaos and peace, and dealt with everyone from peddlers to laborers. He had a great deal of wisdom stored up.

There weren’t many people who could impress Qin Xiaoxia, but Elder Mo was one of them.

"This old hermit has his ways!" Elder Mo declared with considerable confidence.

...

It was Sunday, so there were no classes. Everyone in the dorm was sleeping in. Exhausted from a full night of nightmares, Luo Yuguang and Ping Lei dragged themselves out of bed.

They wanted to sleep a little longer but didn’t dare fall back asleep. They had finally managed to wake up thanks to their body’s biological clock and had no desire to experience any more nightmares.

"Hey, you two are up early?"

The dorm leader heard the sounds of them washing up and looked up.

"Go buy us breakfast... I’m begging you, Uncle Luo, Uncle Ping..."

"Damn, have you no shame? Where’s your dignity?"

Ping Lei couldn’t help but jab at his roommate.

"For breakfast, a little dignity is nothing!"

Luo Yuguang laughed too. The friendly banter lifted his spirits a little.

"Alright, fine. What do you want? Ping Lei and I are going out to buy some anyway..."

"I want a ci fan tuan and some tofu pudding from Chen’s!"

"Same for me!"

"I want youtiao, soy milk, and a tea egg!"

"Get me two mao dan!"

The moment they heard breakfast was on offer, the roommates who had been sleeping like dead salted fish all sprang to life. They all called out their orders, and it was impossible to tell if they had been faking sleep or if the promise of food had triggered some primal survival instinct.

Flipping the bird, Luo Yuguang and Ping Lei finished washing up and headed out.

The school cafeteria was decent, but the breakfast selection was relatively monotonous. After a while, the food from most of the counters started to taste bland.

Usually, on holidays when there were no classes, everyone except the freshmen—the sophomores and juniors—preferred to go buy food in the neighborhood just outside the school’s back gate.

Commercial streets tend to spring up around universities, featuring internet cafes, pool halls, and all sorts of food and fast-food joints. There was food and entertainment available from morning till night, but the area was liveliest in the evening, when over a dozen barbecue stalls would open for business.

Many students, and even teachers and foreign instructors, were regulars here. Residents from the neighborhood and even citizens from a bit farther away would also come here to spend money.

Bathed in the morning sunlight, Luo Yuguang and Ping Lei gradually started to feel more awake, despite their poor night’s sleep.

After leaving through the back gate, the two walked a few hundred feet and arrived at the night market street behind the campus.

This scene had long been observed by the people from the Celestial Traveler’s Hall. They had already gotten a crystal-clear picture of the students’ daily routines.

Chen’s was a restaurant specializing in Hangzhou Cuisine, and their breakfast was also quite good. Since it was Sunday, university students were already lining up to buy food.

Inside the small shop, all six tables were already full. There were university students and white-collar workers. At a small table near the door sat an old man with white hair but a youthful complexion.

It wasn’t just Luo Yuguang and Ping Lei; practically every student in line and every person eating couldn’t help but notice Elder Mo.

The old man wore a set of training clothes the color of rolling black ink. He was full of vigor, with a ruddy complexion. His long beard remained immaculate, untouched by a single drop of soup or speck of food, whether he was drinking soy milk, eating tofu pudding, or consuming wontons and soup dumplings. His presence was both extraordinary and naturally harmonious.

While Luo Yuguang and Ping Lei were in line, the old man seemed to sense something. He looked up at the two of them, his gaze meeting theirs.

His aged but sturdy hand set down his chopsticks, and he sat there stroking his beard, watching the long line of students.

Many students discreetly took out their phones to take pictures. Quite a few even thought the old man was looking at them. Naturally, Luo Yuguang and Ping Lei, the actual targets of his gaze, thought so as well.

However, their mindset was different from the others. They had a gut feeling that this old man might be able to help them.

This was the first time in days they had such a strange feeling. But the old man showed no sign of moving, and they were still in line, so they both just maintained the status quo.

By the time they finished buying breakfast, Luo Yuguang and Ping Lei were hesitating over whether to go up and speak to him, but the old man finished his own meal, stood up, and left.

As he passed by the two of them, everyone nearby could clearly hear him murmuring.

"Sitting idly at home, nothing to do; stepping out for a walk, trouble finds you. You don’t invite trouble, yet trouble comes, trouble comes..."

Only when the old man was a good ten-plus meters away did Luo Yuguang and Ping Lei seem to snap out of their daze. They glanced at each other, hearts pounding, and hurriedly chased after his retreating figure, breakfast still in hand.

But even though the old man wasn’t walking fast, he seemed to get farther and farther away the more they chased.

Panting, they sprinted for several hundred meters, unconsciously chasing him from the end of the street near the school to the very other end.

By this point, even an idiot would know they had met a master. Even though they were out of breath, even though he was getting further away, they ran with all their might, ignoring the annoyed curses from people around them.

"Wait!!" "Wait for us!!!" ...Their shouts had no effect other than drawing stares from everyone around them.

Just as they were despairing, about to give up, the old man ahead suddenly stopped. A faint sigh reached their ears.

He turned around and stood there, as if waiting for them.

"You can’t escape trouble when it comes for you..."

Before Ping Lei and Luo Yuguang could even explain the trouble they were in, they heard the old man sigh again.

"Young men, the trouble I spoke of was not your trouble. It is my own..."

His words left them stunned.

"Sir, you’re in trouble too?"

Elder Mo stroked his beard and smiled.

"I wasn’t before. But now you’ve caught up to me!"

PS: First Chapter for Monday.