Chapter 652: Is It a Word? It Doesn’t Seem to Be

Ye Qianning found it all mystical and fantastical. Her own situation was already bizarre enough, so she was inclined to believe the old Taoist. "If that’s the case, why can’t I just send a message?"

"Little one, your body has perished. Delivering a message for the dead violates the laws of heaven. It cannot be done."

Ye Qianning had too many people she couldn’t let go of. Ten years... that was truly too long for her. Her great-grandfather was already very old, his vitality faint; she feared he couldn’t wait another ten years.

"I’m begging you," she suddenly said.

The old Taoist froze, stunned. "Little one, what did you say?"

"Please, I’m begging you. Help me." Ye Qianning’s eyes stung, and she looked at him with misty-eyed pupils.

The old Taoist was caught off guard by the little girl’s sudden seriousness and the way she looked like she would burst into tears at any second. He was at a complete loss. ’Tsk, this is heartbreaking to watch.’

"You might as well have just beaten this old man up."

The little girl was plump and pretty, and her expression was just heart-wrenching. In all his long years, he had never been able to stand seeing a little one cry.

"Great-Grandpa, Grandpa, and Grandma... they’re all so important to me. Ten years... I’m afraid they’ll fall ill from constant worry... Please, Grandpa, just help me..." Tears streamed from Ye Qianning’s large, stinging eyes.

"Whoa, whoa, little one, don’t cry, don’t cry..." The old Taoist was in a panic.

"If you don’t agree, then I’d rather not go with you. Just send me back. At least they’ll know my body is intact. When I’m laid to rest, they’ll have a place to pay their respects and remember me by..."

"No, don’t do that! Little one, if you don’t come with this old man, you’ll never wake up again."

"Then I won’t wake up. I refuse to watch them live in torment..."

"Alright, alright! I promise, I promise! Just stop crying." The old Taoist deeply regretted saying that bit about ’making the incense.’

Ye Qianning rubbed her eyes. "So you promise you’ll deliver a message to my master and my father?"

"Yes."

"Then what about my great-grandfather’s medicine..."

"Little one, don’t push your luck. Medicine is out of the question."

"Alright..."

"Tell me the message you want to send. I’ll memorize it."

Ye Qianning figured they might not believe a verbal message, especially since they had all seen her body. After a moment’s thought, she squatted down. "Grandpa, you need to watch every single character I write now. You must relay it to my master exactly as it is."

"What a pain," the old Taoist muttered, but he obediently walked over.

Ye Qianning reached out and had just written five characters on the ground when a wave of dizziness washed over her. With a *POOF*, she was back in the space. She turned to look at the familiar surroundings, her fingers clenching slightly.

’How did I get out?’

’I hadn’t even started writing the actual message, how did I get pulled out...?’

’My head is spinning so badly. What do I do?’

’Will Master even be able to understand those few characters?’

Ye Qianning was worried sick. She had no time to find a way back into the dream before the intense dizziness caused her to lose consciousness.

「Fifty li outside the Capital City, deep in the mountains.」

The old Taoist squatted on the ground, using a branch to draw a few symbols in the dirt. He studied them closely, but no matter how he looked, something seemed off.

"Are they words? No, that doesn’t seem right either."

The old Taoist mumbled in confusion, unsure what the little one had written in the dream.

It seemed she hadn’t finished writing before he was pulled out of the dream.

The old Taoist turned to look at the little one lying on a rock. He raised a hand to his face; it was swollen. He was certain it had happened in the dream, but how could he get beaten up in a dream?

"Strange things happen every year, but this year is especially strange."

’Beaten black and blue in a dream... Who would believe it if he told them?’