Chapter 77: GO TO FU HANZHENG FOR HELP

She had left the space last night with how uneasy he was and watched him all night.

Li Yan took the cup of water from Xiaoxiao and drank slowly, letting the cool liquid ease the dryness in his throat. The nightmare was still fresh in his mind, but he did not want to dwell on it, so when Xiaoxiao looked at him with concern, he simply shook his head and placed the cup back on the table.

"I had a nightmare, but I’m okay now. It happens."

Xiaoxiao studied him for a moment after hearing his answer, but she decided to accept what he had said rather than question him further. Since Li Yan claimed that he was fine, there was no reason for her to force him to explain something he clearly did not want to discuss. She turned toward the food she had prepared earlier and gestured for him to sit down.

"I already made breakfast. Eat up, and afterward I’ll teach you how to make some basic defensive arrays."

Li Yan sat down and picked up his chopsticks, finding that the familiar taste of breakfast helped distract him from the lingering memories of the nightmare. He was not particularly hungry after spending most of the night tossing and turning, but he still ate while listening to Xiaoxiao explain what the arrays would accomplish.

"These arrays will prevent people from entering your residence without permission, probing the inside with their spiritual sense, or attacking you from outside. They are only basic defensive arrays, though, so they may not work against a high-level cultivator. Your cultivation is still too low, and the difference in strength would make it difficult for the formation to withstand someone far stronger than you."

Li Yan nodded as he continued eating, understanding the limitation without needing any further explanation. He did not expect a few basic defensive arrays to protect him from every powerful cultivator in the sect, but having some protection around his residence was still better than leaving himself completely exposed. He also thought that keeping himself busy with something practical might help clear his mind, so he was willing to spend the day learning the formations.

After breakfast, Xiaoxiao took Li Yan into the courtyard and began teaching him how to draw the foundations of the defensive arrays. They worked at different corners of the courtyard, carefully placing each section so that the individual formations could eventually connect and create a complete defensive barrier around the residence. Li Yan followed her instructions closely and used his spiritual energy to reinforce each marking as he drew it, taking his time to make sure that one careless mistake would not affect the rest of the formation.

The work required enough concentration to keep his thoughts occupied. Whenever the image of the unfamiliar Hu Bai from his nightmare surfaced in his mind, Xiaoxiao’s instructions gave him something else to focus on. He checked the markings after completing each section and corrected the places where his spiritual energy had not been distributed evenly, which kept him occupied for several hours.

Once they finished setting up the basic defensive arrays, Li Yan returned inside and took out his study materials. He settled down with his books and began studying, deliberately keeping his attention on the lessons instead of allowing his thoughts to wander back toward the nightmare. The method worked reasonably well, and as long as he remained focused on what he was reading, the disturbing images became easier to ignore.

Later in the day, Gu Jun came to visit, and Li Yan welcomed him before the two of them sat down to have lunch together. Their conversation remained casual throughout the meal, and having Gu Jun around gave Li Yan something else to think about instead of spending the entire afternoon alone with his thoughts. After lunch, Gu Jun eventually found somewhere comfortable to sleep, while Li Yan decided to use the remaining quiet time to cultivate.

He sat down and began circulating his spiritual energy, intending to take advantage of the peaceful afternoon to strengthen his cultivation. His breathing gradually settled into a steady rhythm, but his concentration quickly began to slip once his surroundings became quiet. The moment his mind stopped focusing on the cultivation method, the nightmare returned, and he found himself remembering Hu Bai’s cold expression as clearly as though he were still standing inside that terrifying dream.

Li Yan opened his eyes and tried to calm himself before starting again. Unfortunately, every attempt ended the same way, with his concentration breaking whenever the memories surfaced. He eventually stopped cultivating and returned to his studies, deciding that reading was easier than sitting quietly and allowing his mind to wander. He didn’t even know when Gu Jun had left.

When night arrived, Li Yan discovered that keeping himself occupied during the day had not solved the problem. He was exhausted and desperately needed sleep, but the moment he closed his eyes, another nightmare began. Once again, he found himself trapped somewhere he could not escape while someone tortured him, and once again, that person was always Hu Bai.

The details changed each time, but the nightmare always led back to the same terrifying person. Li Yan would eventually die within the dream and wake up covered in sweat, only to fall asleep again later and find himself trapped in another nightmare where Hu Bai was his captor. After experiencing it several times, Li Yan became afraid to close his eyes at all, since he knew that sleep would only send him back into another nightmare.

To keep his sanity, he decided that he needed to stay awake.

Xiaoxiao watched Li Yan struggle through the night and finally spoke after seeing how exhausted he had become. "Why don’t you head to your master’s courtyard? There must be something here that causes your nightmares. Your master might be able to help."

Li Yan considered her suggestion before slowly nodding. His master was strong, so there had to be something in Fu Hanzheng’s possession that could help him.

Hopefully they’d let him in even though it was so late at night.