Little Alpaca – Chapter 159

Volume 4: Immeasurable

Nine Lifetimes Nightmare¹

Yi Qiu stuck close to You Yan’s side as she followed her into the small hut.

The room wasn’t large, and with so many people crammed inside, it felt more than a little crowded. Jian Li took one look and wisely pulled a curious Yue Zhuo back outside.

Xun Chi leaned against the window frame, quietly watching Chao Yun and Jiang Yuyao, who were seated by the bed. He looked as if he had something to say but was holding his tongue.

You Yan walked straight to the table, sat down, and poured herself a cup of tea. Seeing Yi Qiu had followed her, she offered the cup to her.

Yi Qiu paused for a second before accepting it with both hands. Curiosity got the better of her, and she drifted a few steps closer to the bed.

Luo Mingyuan looked dreadful. It was obvious he was trapped in a nightmare. Even lying peacefully in such a safe place, his brow was tightly furrowed, and cold sweat beaded on his skin. His breathing was ragged and shallow.

Still, you had to admit, the constitutions of these gods and demons were truly formidable. This little pig trotter² had spent the last two months as a human-shaped walking living sandbag³—if he wasn’t getting beaten up, he was on his way to get beaten up. A normal person would be dead or crippled by now. But after not seeing him for over two months, though he was still unconscious, his old wounds were mostly healed⁴. That was perhaps the only thing to be thankful for.

Chao Yun sat beside him, gently stroking his furrowed brow with her index and middle fingers. A faint, soft spiritual light glowed from her fingertips.

But the gentle light failed to soothe the man trapped in his nightmare.

Jiang Yuyao stared anxiously at Chao Yun’s fingers, only to see her take a deep breath and slowly pull her hand away.

“How is he?” Jiang Yuyao pressed.

Chao Yun’s brow furrowed, her expression a mixture of shock and bewildered panic.

The expression sent a chill straight through Jiang Yuyao’s heart. “Is there… no way?”

Chao Yun shook her head. “No, it’s not that… I just…”

“Just what?” You Yan cut in coldly.

“I just took a look inside the dream…” Chao Yun said, closing her eyes and taking another deep breath as if still reeling from the aftershock.

Every problem required a specific solution; you had to prescribe the right medicine for the illness⁵. If someone was trapped in a nightmare, you had to know what they were dreaming about before you could use spiritual energy to dissolve their pain and wake them.

But entering another’s dream was far easier than leaving it. The slightest misstep could mean death. Only those with a deep understanding of dream illusions could safely peer into another’s mind.

It was clear that, aside from Chao Yun, no one here could see what kind of nightmare had ensnared Luo Mingyuan.

And Chao Yun’s reaction made it obvious that the nightmare had terrified her, too.

“Chao Yun, what did you see?” Jiang Yuyao asked, her voice tight with anxiety as she grabbed Chao Yun’s wrist.

“I…” Chao Yun’s eyes, which had just opened, flickered with hesitation.

“Is there something you can’t say?” You Yan asked, raising an eyebrow. She set her teacup down with an air of detachment, her gaze drifting lazily toward the conflicted woman by the bed.

Yi Qiu subconsciously took a sip of her now-cool tea, her curious gaze fixed on Chao Yun.

Excluding the half-dead man on the bed, there were five people in the room. Each wore a different expression, yet they were all united in a synchronous silence, as if no one could read anyone else’s thoughts.

After a brief pause, Chao Yun’s brow furrowed even deeper.

She lowered her gaze, pondering for a moment before saying, “The suffering of nine lifetimes, all in his heart.”

“What?” Jiang Yuyao asked, stunned.

Xun Chi hesitated for a moment before speaking up. “A thousand years ago, the Jinwu⁶ formed ten suns, bringing a great catastrophe upon the mortal realm. To answer to the mortals, the Heavenly Emperor⁷ banished the Jinwu to endure trials on earth. The punishment was set for ten lifetimes. If he failed to achieve enlightenment in all ten, the Jinwu would never be allowed to regain his divinity.”

You Yan added dryly, “And this kid wasn’t up to the task. The first nine lifetimes all ended in failure.”

Xun Chi frowned and continued, “For gods and immortals, the tribulation of a single lifetime is already like piercing the heart and stabbing the bone⁸. To have the suffering of nine lifetimes converge in a dream… the torment is unimaginable. There’s a significant time difference between the dream world and the real world. Two months have passed out here, but who knows how long has passed in his dream.”

“It could be ten years, a hundred, or even a thousand,” You Yan said, a new seriousness in her voice. “He’ll be trapped in a cycle, reliving different dreams, enduring the agony again and again. When his heart and soul can no longer take it, they will shatter along with the dream, his soul flying and spirit scattering⁹.”

Jiang Yuyao’s composure broke. “Then… then what can we do?”

“Someone has to enter the dream and wake him up,” You Yan said. “But since it’s a nightmare, it will be incredibly dangerous. In someone else’s dream, our own cultivation won’t be worth a damn. One wrong move, and you’ll be trapped in there with him.”

“I’m not afraid!” Jiang Yuyao declared, her voice filled with resolve. “I’m willing to enter the dream and try!”

“If you fail, you…” Xun Chi started, then trailed off.

His eyes were filled with hesitation, as if he couldn’t decide whether to voice the selfish words he’d left unsaid.

But even without him saying it, everyone understood.

Yi Qiu frowned. “If something happens to you, Jian Li and Yue Zhuo will…”

Jiang Yuyao was speechless, a flicker of conflict in her eyes.

But if she didn’t go, who else would be willing to take such a risk?

After a long silence, Chao Yun spoke, her voice soft. “Fusang¹⁰ once told me that even if the Jinwu was a lost cause who couldn’t achieve enlightenment in nine lifetimes, she still had to try. Even if it meant giving up everything, she would do all she could to guide him through one lifetime.”

She looked up at the tense Jiang Yuyao and smiled. “Because you believe in him. You believe he isn’t a lost cause. You believe he has you in his heart. That makes you the only one in this world who can guide him.”

“I…” Jiang Yuyao’s eyes, which had been dim with despair, began to shine again.

Yi Qiu remembered this. There was a scene just like this in the original text, a memory from the Jade Sea, but the context had been completely different.

In the original story, Jiang Yuyao had been utterly disappointed in Luo Mingyuan. Having lost everything, her ten thousand thoughts had turned to ash¹¹.

As she lay dying, Chao Yun held her hands and reminded her of what she had once said back at the Jade Sea.

She had asked, “Goumang¹², do you still remember?”

Chao Yun had replied, “Those are your words. I’ve always kept them in my heart. I’m holding onto them for you. Can’t you please not give up like this?”

But the only response she received was, “I regret it.”

Three simple words that conveyed a lifetime of misplaced devotion.

She said he was a lost cause, and she wasn’t the one who could save him. She had been wrong from the very beginning.

Because of this, she had renounced her divinity, given up everything, and cursed Luo Mingyuan to never find peace, all at the cost of never being able to reincarnate herself.

Who knew a line from a memory kill¹³ flashback could be repurposed for a motivational speech like this, Yi Qiu thought. That “Little Bird Coo Coo Fly” author actually has some skill. They wrote a bunch of trashy plot points that even dogs don’t want to listen to¹⁴, but the world-building and foreshadowing are solid. Even with the plot completely changed, it’s all still usable.

As Yi Qiu’s thoughts wandered, Chao Yun continued speaking.

“Today, I finally understand. In his first nine lifetimes, he was without love or affection, drowning in loneliness. It was only in this life, when you appeared, that he escaped that desperate suffering,” Chao Yun said. “Therefore, only you can—and you will—wake him from nine lifetimes of despair.”

“Can I really do it?”

“I can create a guidance formation to support you. If you encounter mortal danger, you must not linger,” Chao Yun said, her expression grave. “Remember this: if he dies in the dream, he just enters the next cycle. If you die in the dream, your soul will truly fly and spirit scatter.”

In that instant, Yi Qiu caught You Yan glancing at her out of the corner of her eye, and she felt a phantom ache in her knees.

She knew it. Whenever a topic like this came up, You Yan would be silently cursing her for being a fool—a fool who doesn’t measure her own strength¹⁵ and has no regard for her own life.

Actually, she cherished her life very much… But for some reason, whenever You Yan was in danger, she turned into one of those idiots from a TV drama who would rather die than abandon their companion. Still, thinking back on all those impulsive moments, she didn’t regret a single one. After all, if she had taken even half a step back during any of those choices, perhaps You Yan wouldn’t be treating her this way today.

With that thought, feeling completely in the right and self-confident¹⁶, she turned and made a ghost face¹⁷ at You Yan.

You Yan deliberately looked away, but she couldn’t hide the faint smile that touched her lips.

Chao Yun stood up from the bedside and turned to Xun Chi by the window. She bowed deeply. “Shang Shen¹⁸ Xun Chi, you don’t need to worry. I will always prioritize Yuyao’s safety. If you can trust me, please allow me to try.”

“…” Xun Chi was silent for several seconds before taking a deep breath. “This doesn’t require my permission. It’s just… Jian Li and Yue Zhuo…”

Before he could finish, a small head popped up from outside the window.

“We agree!” Yue Zhuo shouted, perched on the windowsill. “Jian Li and I are only together because Goddess¹⁹ Fusang put aside her past grievances to help us. Now that the man she loves is in trouble, the least we can do is not get in her way for our own selfish reasons, especially since we can’t even help!”

Yi Qiu stepped forward and craned her neck to see outside.

Sure enough, Jian Li was squatting by the corner of the wall. Having been discovered, he scrambled to his feet and mumbled, “I… I feel the same way as Yue Zhuo.”

“You were eavesdropping!” Yi Qiu exclaimed.

“It’s not like it’s a secret!” Yue Zhuo shot back, completely justified. “We came out on our own, we weren’t kicked out. Can’t we listen?”

“You can, of course you can,” Yi Qiu said with a shrug.

When she turned back around, Jiang Yuyao was looking at Chao Yun, her eyes filled with urgency. “When can I enter the dream?”

“I sealed my divine power to assist in the lower realm, and now I happen to be injured. I can’t undo the seal on my own,” Chao Yun explained, turning her gaze to Xun Chi. “I wonder if Shang Shen would be able to help me break the seal?”

“I would be glad to assist. It’s not convenient here with so many people. Wood God, please follow me,” Xun Chi said, turning to lead the way out of the room.

Chao Yun sighed softly, then gave Jiang Yuyao a faint smile that was both a comfort and an encouragement.

She turned to follow Xun Chi. As she passed the table, her eyes met You Yan’s for half a second.

Then, just as quickly, she lowered her gaze and walked away.

Yi Qiu pouted, then pulled You Yan outside to a spot where no one could hear them. “I feel like Chao Yun didn’t say everything,” she whispered. “Did you notice something?”

You Yan chuckled. “Getting smart.”

Yi Qiu waved her hand dismissively. “Cut it out. If you know something, just spit it out. Don’t give me that ‘I know everything but I’m not telling’ look. I’m dying of curiosity!”

“When people dream, they only dream of things they already know or things on their mind. A nightmare, especially, should be what a person fears most deep down—the thing they’re most unwilling to face.”

“So?”

“Since it’s a dream, how could it create something from nothing²⁰?” You Yan asked in return. “When you have a nightmare, do you dream of the suffering from your past life?”

Yi Qiu froze for half a second. A look of dawning shock spread across her face.

She really wasn’t stupid.

With just that little hint from You Yan, she understood immediately.

---

The author has something to say:

On my deathbed, I sit up in shock²¹—didn’t think I’d be able to update!

The comments for chapter 157 didn’t even break a hundred! Every other chapter has over a hundred, and this is going to kill my OCD²²! Will any little angels²³ save my OCD?

---

---