Chapter 548: Counting Down From Three

"Three."

"It's a one-in-four chance, smash it! The worst that happens is we sink into the Deep Dream Layer together." The smile had long vanished from Chen Jiuge's face, leaving only a vicious scowl.

"Two."

His fingers tightening involuntarily, Chen Jiuge refused to back down. "I'll give you one more chance to make a deal. We both get what we need, and I can send you out of here."

"One."

I read out the final number, giving Chen Jiuge absolutely no time to argue. My fist slammed down, and the mirror shattered.

Picking the glass shards out of the back of my hand, I walked over to the three remaining mirrors. My tone didn't change. "I'll count down from three. Tell me which mirror is real."

"Are you crazy?! If you destroy the mirrors, none of us are getting out—not you, not me, not Ye Bing! Isn't your stream mission to save her and get her out? I can make a deal with you. We'll just go with what we agreed on at the start..."

"Three." I didn't want to listen to Chen Jiuge's nonsense. I had already prepared for the worst.

"Don't do it! I'm warning you! The mirror in front of you right now might be the only way out! If you destroy it, none of us will ever leave. We'll just wait to be assimilated by the Deep Dream Layer!" Chen Jiuge trembled with rage. "What the hell provoked you? Why the sudden change in attitude?"

"Two." I raised my fist. In truth, I didn't care if this mirror was real or fake.

My steady, cold tone carried not a trace of emotion. Just as I was about to call out the final number, Chen Jiuge suddenly shouted.

"Stop! I'll tell you which mirror is real! Fuck! How could a lunatic like you ever become a live show streamer?" His voice was loud, practically roaring. "You win! The mirror you're about to smash right now is the only one connected to the outside world."

After saying this, Chen Jiuge drew a breath. His expression was a mix of deep regret and lingering resentment.

"Are you sure?" I stared at his face. "In that case, I'll just smash the other two mirrors. They're useless anyway."

With that, I raised my bloodied fist and viciously struck toward the last mirror. At that exact moment, Chen Jiuge let out a bloodcurdling shriek. "Stop! Stop! Stop! That one is the real mirror!"

My fist stopped a centimeter or two away from the glass. Blue veins bulged on my arm; I had almost failed to pull my punch.

Looking back at Chen Jiuge, his face had turned green. All that previous regret and remorse had vanished. He clutched his chest with one hand, his nails digging into his flesh. Only when he saw that the final mirror was completely intact did he gasp for breath. "Stop. I'm telling the truth! That last mirror is the real one. If you don't believe me, you can smash the other two! I'm telling the absolute truth this time! Calm down. Just calm down a little, okay?"

I stared at Chen Jiuge, the corners of my mouth turning up. His acting was outstanding. I had nearly been fooled.

"Believe me, the first four mirrors all reflect the despair at the bottom of a person's heart. Only the last one reflects their deepest hope. This final mirror gathers the last hopes of all the tortured souls in the entire Despair District. It's the only passageway to escape the Deep Dream Layer, so you absolutely must stay calm!" Knowing he could no longer hide it, Chen Jiuge finally revealed the truth.

"The only mirror capable of reflecting hope?" My eyes blinked lightly beneath the mask. I hadn't expected the sole passageway hiding hope to be located in the core of the Despair District, much less that the deepest depths of despair would actually conceal the only glimmer of hope!

"Most things in this Deep Dream Layer carry their own hidden meanings. If I can grasp those inner meanings, the Deep Dream Layer will no longer be a mystery to me." 'I possess the Dream Wing Gu. If I can overcome every hazard, this place will practically be my own exclusive treasure ground!'

"No wonder the Underworld Live Show wants to obtain the Dream Wing Gu. For a wild Gu born and raised by nature, its value is definitely not beneath the Plum Blossom Gu." I couldn't help but feel a bit glad. Luckily, I hadn't handed the Dream Wing Gu over to the Underworld Live Show back then just for some measly points and privileges.

As I pondered, I smashed the other two mirrors. Chen Jiuge watched the entire process, his eyelids twitching wildly.

"Xia Chi, we can have a proper talk now, right?" Chen Jiuge swept his gaze over the floor full of mirror fragments, his face stiff. "Even though you know this mirror is the only passageway, you still don't know the correct way to use it. Our deal can still continue."

"Can I still trust you?" My voice was hoarse as I stroked the cuts on my fist. "You nearly got me killed just now. We haven't settled that score yet."

"That was just a misunderstanding." Chen Jiuge firmly insisted that our separation was merely an accident. He refused to admit to anything. "The two of us are currently trapped in the Deep Dream Layer. Aside from us, every other person and thing is an enemy, making us natural allies. How about this? I swear that I will safely send you and your mission target, Ye Bing, out of the Deep Dream Layer. In exchange, you give me what you obtained in that last room. How does that sound?"

"If swearing oaths actually worked, there wouldn't be so much love, hatred, and enmity in this world." I pointed at Ye Bing. "Right here in front of me, use the mirror to send Ye Bing out first. I need to see someone succeed to ensure you aren't deceiving me. Only then will I consider agreeing to your terms."

Silence fell over the hall of ashes. I guarded the final mirror, blocking the glass with my body. Chen Jiuge pondered with a bitter expression, while Ye Bing—who had unwittingly become a stepping stone to test the path—looked up and stared at me, a trace of curiosity and some indescribable emotion in her gaze.

"Alright, I can send Ye Bing out first, but before I do, you have to answer one question for me. What exactly is hidden in the last room on the fifth underground floor?" A trace of wishful thinking flashed through Chen Jiuge's eyes, though he pretended to be calm.

"Mountains of Paper Doll Masks, along with a massive amount of Dream-Entangling Grass," I replied flatly, keeping the existence of the Flower of the Dream Realm a secret.

When I finished speaking, Chen Jiuge seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. He hesitated for a moment before saying, "You really did go inside. Fine. I can help you send Ye Bing out first, and then we'll make our trade."

He pulled out several Blue Talismans from his shirt and stuck them onto a few of Ye Bing's acupoints before he began chanting an incantation.

This was a type of spell I had never heard before; it was completely different from the techniques I had learned. 'Chen Jiuge must have exchanged for the closely guarded secrets of the Xiao Zhuang Taoist Temple, and he's cultivated them to a certain level of mastery. This guy is a formidable enemy.'

As Chen Jiuge continued to chant the spell, the talismans on Ye Bing's body began to change. A thin layer of mist spread from the talismans, shrouding Ye Bing like a light veil.

"Is this dream dust?" I had seen it before with the Dream Wing Gu; whenever the Dream Wing Gu flapped its butterfly-like wings, similar dream dust would sprinkle down.

Once the incantation was finished, Chen Jiuge took out a special Way-Guiding Talisman and stuck it onto the center of Ye Bing's forehead. Like an immortal pointing the way, it guided Ye Bing forward. "Concentrate. Put your whole heart and soul into imagining a specific scene in your dream. Pour all your hope into it. You absolutely must not get distracted."

When Ye Bing stepped in front of the mirror, she turned her head to look at me again. She stared at the Good and Evil Mask, looking as if she were about to say something, but Chen Jiuge gave her a harsh shove.

Strangely enough, enveloped entirely in the dream dust, Ye Bing simply walked straight into the mirror and vanished, never to return.

"Alright, the process of leaving is irreversible. You don't have to worry about me pulling any cheap tricks either." Chen Jiuge panted heavily. It seemed the secret art from just now had taken a massive toll on him. "Now it's time for our deal."

"No rush." With Ye Bing safely sent away, I was suddenly freed from all my worries. I prepared to seize every useful item on Chen Jiuge's person. "I still feel like you're lying to me. Let's do this: let me see the notebook left behind by Target A, and then we'll talk about the trade."

"Impossible! That notebook is the only thing I have to rely on in the Deep Dream Layer." Chen Jiuge flatly refused. "I've already made huge concessions! Don't be so insatiably greedy!"

"Dealing with someone as ruthless and unprincipled as you, I have no choice but to be extra careful. The prerequisite for any deal is letting me see that notebook to ensure there are no issues." I was wearing my mask, so Chen Jiuge couldn't see my face. He had no idea that the expression beneath my mask was brimming with murderous intent.

"I'm the only one who knows how to get out! If you have any sense at all, you'll obediently hand over what you got in that room. Otherwise, you can forget about ever freeing yourself from the Deep Dream Layer for the rest of your life!" Chen Jiuge completely dropped his facade, turning hostile. His eyes were filled with raging fire as he glared fiercely at me.

"Free myself? If I can't leave, I'll drag you down to the grave with me." Raising my bleeding fist, I stood in front of the final mirror. "I'll count down from three. Give me all the notes left by Target A!"