Jiang Wen was speechless, just as the old woman had said. The simplest thing in the world is the human heart, and the most difficult thing is still the human heart.
If the Emperor secretly colludes with the Purple Cloud Hall, it is indeed something that others cannot know.
Putting aside this question, Jiang Wen asked, "Why did you ambush us? And what exactly is this Nan Ke Dream technique?"
"I am not trying to deal with you, Senior, but to deal with this Prince of Pingxi's heir," the old woman said, her gaze falling on the still-sleeping young master, Xue Changming.
"Some people don't want him to get involved in these matters, but he insists on immersing himself in them. But that matter involves many people, and if the truth is to be revealed to the world, it will inevitably cause turmoil. If the court is unstable like this, there will be holes everywhere, like a broken ship that needs patching. And my task is to nail a plank over a crack in this ship."
"If you want to ask who is trying to hide the truth about the Prince of Pingxi's case, then I must beg your pardon for not being able to answer."
"Why?" Jiang Wen couldn't help but ask after hearing this.
"It involves too much, and I don't know where to start," the old woman sighed. "The case of the Prince of Pingxi was actually very simple. It was just that the Prince of Pingxi also wanted to use demon cores. However, he seemed to have forgotten something, and so he suffered retribution."
Hearing this, Jiang Wen faintly understood the truth of the Prince of Pingxi's case. However, he reserved three parts suspicion and continued to stare at the old woman.
"Then tell me about this Nan Ke Dream technique of yours."
Just using his consciousness to sense, he felt that the Thousand-Faced Demon that had gone away had returned again. However, this time it seemed even stronger than before, and its carapace appeared even more ferocious.
The two chatted for a while and fell into silence. Yan Gongli was not in good spirits, so she lay on Jiang Wen's lap and continued to sleep. She had always been so familiar and rarely cared about worldly distinctions between men and women.
"I have already repelled the demon; Ancestor need not worry too much," Jiang Wen said, soothingly stroking Yan Gongli's forehead. "I see that your energy is exhausted; it must have been difficult to break free from the nightmare, right?"
As Jiang Wen expected, not long after, Yan Gongli rubbed her eyes, looking sleepy.
"Is there no way to wake them up?" Jiang Wen frowned and asked.
After resolving these matters, Jiang Wen sat in the house, looking at the people trapped in the dream. Knowing that there was no good way to solve the current situation, he could only sit by the fire and quietly warm himself.
The old woman said, her eyes looking out of the wooden house.
Jiang Wen smiled without saying a word. Naturally, he wouldn't say that it was because the events in the dream were too outrageous, so much so that he felt they were unreal, which was why he woke up.
It makes one wonder how these thousands-of-years-old cultivators have lived through it all.
Hearing Jiang Wen's words, the old woman was still somewhat worried. Then, she saw Jiang Wen's sleeves flutter, expanding in the wind. Finally, he took the old woman entirely into his sleeves.
"Naturally, I can," Jiang Wen immediately agreed, after all, he was quite disgusted by the Thousand-Faced Demon's appearance. He didn't particularly like this type of segmented monster.
"People are always more at ease when facing objects. They can let go even when facing deep-seated hatred and reconcile with the past and present. But often, the most difficult thing to reconcile with is oneself."
He sat cross-legged and cultivated the Yellow Court Scripture.
Zi Yun no longer spoke, and a shocking rumble came from outside the house.
"I know it's here," Zi Yun's response came from the wooden ring, and then a wisp of green smoke floated out of the wooden house, circling around the rafters before quietly leaving. "Can I eat it?"
"What?! It's actually such a bizarre secret technique," Yan Gongli said with a serious expression, her gaze sweeping in all directions. "In that case, we must be careful of such enemies. This Nan Ke Dream technique is not simple. I've heard that even Real People in the Dao Palace realm find it difficult to break free from it."
"Naturally, the events that happened in the dream were incredibly real, but for me, they are already past burdens. It's just that I didn't have the power to break it, so it took some effort," Yan Gongli said lightly, then she looked at Jiang Wen. "But you were able to wake up so quickly. It seems that this Nan Ke Dream is ineffective against you."
"I'm afraid some people hope to muddy the waters and released this Thousand-Faced Demon here. The people in this village have all been eaten by this beast."
"I naturally know some news about the God-Worshipping Society, but I don't know much about such matters. I've only heard that the God-Worshippers are very mysterious, and most of them are demons. It is said that the God-Worshipping Society travels all over Dagan, specializing in providing for various monsters. As for the Thousand-Faced Demon you mentioned, Senior, that has nothing to do with me. I can't control that kind of monster either."
It sounded like the Thousand-Faced Demon's miserable scream, the shrill roar abruptly stopped.
"Once this technique is successfully cast, it can lead people into a dream without their knowledge. This dream is transformed from the most malevolent things in the heart. If one cannot discern whether they are in a dream, they will be trapped in the Nan Ke Dream forever. Even if one has boundless power and vast supernatural abilities, they will be unable to use them in this Nan Ke Dream. Because this technique affects oneself, not the secret technique itself."
This secret technique is indeed cunning, and it's no wonder it can be called a secret technique.
"Alright, I understand roughly," Jiang Wen smiled. "Considering that you have honestly answered various questions, I will temporarily imprison you. After I find the truth, I will release you."
"There is none for now, and I am also powerless," the old woman shook her head.
"Then, one last question," Jiang Wen said again. "Do you recognize this God-Worshipping Society? And did you place that Thousand-Faced Demon here?"
Yan Gongli, not far away, frowned tightly, seemingly also trapped in a nightmare.
"How could Ancestor Granny be affected by this secret technique?" Jiang Wen wondered, and could only soothe Yan Gongli. After a long time, her frown gradually loosened, and her eyelids also twitched slightly. Clearly, she had broken free from the nightmare and was gradually waking up.
Jiang Wen suddenly felt the ground shaking, as if something was attacking.
"The Nan Ke Dream technique is a secret technique of the Purple Cloud Hall. Casting this spell requires human sacrifice, burying seventy-seven forty-nine people alive, and taking their blood from between their eyebrows to merge into a magical treasure. Then, with the help of a formation, this technique can be cast at the cost of lifespan," the old woman said, pausing to catch her breath.
Not long after, a wisp of green smoke floated into the house and then drilled into the wooden ring.
"It's already done. I need to rest and digest a bit," Zi Yun said calmly, and then fell silent.
Jiang Wen looked out the window, and a trace of milky white appeared on the distant horizon.
The sun is about to come out, he thought.
