Chapter Sixty-One: He Changed into the Bridal Robe and Slipped on the Red Embroidered Shoes [Happy New Year's Eve]

The entire Jiangling City Sports Center was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. In the stands, tens of thousands watched the New Dreamweaver Invitational, yet not a single sound came from the crowd. Every gaze was tightly fixed on the court, where over a thousand rookie dreamweavers had simultaneously fallen into slumber.

As the rookies released their dream spirits and entered the dreamscape together, that pair of red embroidered shoes seemed to grow ever more bizarrely crimson. Du Fang made no effort to stand out; he too released his dream spirit, using standard dream-probing techniques to enter the nightmare.

Luo Luo and his wife quietly followed, their spiritual forms slipping into the nightmare alongside him. No one noticed that as Du Fang stepped into the expanding region of the nightmare shaped by the red embroidered shoes, the shoes themselves—placed at the center of the court and looking more otherworldly by the moment—suddenly, as if startled like a frightened rabbit, began to tremble, ever so slightly...

...

“Mother, watch over my red embroidered shoes,
Don’t let me die too soon, too soon,
Ah~ Ah~ Ah~
Your hair falls in the night,
Your eyes close in the night,
May the woman you caress bleed without end,
May the woman you caress rot away…”

...

A woman's plaintive, mournful song, accompanied by blaring trumpets and suona, echoed in his ears, rattling the very soul. Lan Xiang opened his eyes, a faint chill prickling his scalp. He looked around; everything seemed peaceful. The sky retained its natural color—blue sky, white clouds drifting lazily—and he found himself in a tranquil village. Smoke curled from many chimneys, filling the air with warmth and calm.

But it was precisely this that unnerved him. Like those terse news reports—the fewer the words, the more dire the event. Nightmares were the same: the more peaceful they seemed, the more terror lurked within. In contrast, some lower-grade nightmares were horrifying at first glance but were, in fact, easily conquered.

“Troublesome,” he mused. “But that’s what makes it a challenge.” Lan Xiang smiled with confidence. After all, he was a genius dreamweaver, awakened to an exceptional special ability. The more terrifying the nightmare, the greater his brilliance would shine. “First, I need to find Sun Zhe—Captain Sun’s son is competing with me. If I can help him, I will.” Lan Xiang smiled lightly. “And perhaps I can track down that newcomer, Wildfire, as well…”

His special ability, “Soul Control,” gave him a unique edge in nightmares. If he encountered Du Fang and used his power, he could turn Du Fang into his puppet, a human shield.

He walked along the village’s damp, earth-scented paths. Soon, a figure appeared in the distance. Lan Xiang’s eyes lit up. “Sun Zhe!”

At his call, the young man named Sun Zhe ran over, face filled with delight. “This nightmare is unusual, very difficult—but if you follow me closely, there’s still a chance to conquer it,” Lan Xiang said. Sun Zhe nodded repeatedly.

The two began wandering the village. It was larger than expected, its alleys tangled and slick. After a while, Lan Xiang encountered a few other rookie dreamweavers. They passed each other without much exchange; after all, within this nightmare, they were competitors. With only three bizarre events to resolve, and perhaps only so many to go around, whoever solved them first would advance. Thus, whoever found the paranormal first had the advantage. Cooperation was rare, and words were few.

Lan Xiang felt the same—he didn’t care to cooperate. He was destined to advance. “Never mind—if I can’t find Wildfire, so be it. Resolving the three bizarre events comes first.” He took a deep breath, leading Sun Zhe through the village. Confident though he was, he moved with caution.

Soon, they came upon a grand residence. On the gate, two large “Double Happiness” characters were pasted. The mansion was festooned with red banners and lanterns. Festive trumpet and suona music drifted from within.

Approaching the mansion, Lan Xiang felt his dream spirit quiver. His senses told him there was a paranormal presence inside—the first bizarre event must be connected to this place.

“Heh—finally, something strange,” he murmured, joy flickering in his eyes. “Before the others find this mansion, let’s go in and resolve it.” He turned to Sun Zhe, who nodded vigorously.

Lan Xiang knocked on the door. The lively music inside ceased in an instant. The red lanterns at the entrance, as if crafted from flayed human skin, swayed gently, emitting an eerie scarlet glow. With a groan, the ancient wooden door, pasted with “Double Happiness,” slowly creaked open.

Lan Xiang frowned slightly and glanced back at Sun Zhe. “Stay close.” Sun Zhe nodded again, then nervously reached out and clung to Lan Xiang’s arm. Lan Xiang thought nothing of it, assuming Sun Zhe was simply terrified.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped into the mansion, draped in red banners and lanterns. In an instant, crimson flooded his vision and the scene changed.

He realized that, at some unnoticed moment, he was now wearing a red bridal veil, sitting demurely in a bridal chamber, waiting for the groom to lift the veil. He was dressed as a bride, his head covered, his gaze lowered to his feet.

On his feet—

A pair of red embroidered shoes, as if dripping with blood, eerily unnatural!

Wait—red embroidered shoes? Damn! Those red embroidered shoes!

...

Outside—

As the thousand rookies entered the nightmare domain of the Red Embroidered Shoes, the entire stadium was shrouded in tension. After about ten minutes, some of the dreamweavers in the probing state began to groan, faces bruised and bloodied, blood trickling from their mouths—their ordeals in the nightmare reflected in reality. One by one, pale-faced, they forcibly exited the nightmare, marking their failure and the end of their hopes to advance.

Medical personnel rushed in to treat them. The failed dreamweavers, after brief care, slinked dejectedly off the court.

Sun Yaohai watched grimly as his son, Sun Zhe, returned battered and bruised. Sun Zhe, also a rookie, had entered the invitational but was eliminated in the first round. Sun Zhe behaved obediently, not daring to argue. His luck had been poor—upon entering the nightmare, he was swept into a bizarre event, forced to try to fight his way through, only to be beaten by the paranormal entity. At the final moment, he was rescued and forcibly ejected by the referees.

“Never mind, watch and see how your Brother Xiang advances,” Sun Yaohai said. Sun Zhe looked on with a trace of grievance.

In truth, he had meant to follow his father’s advice and seek out Brother Xiang as soon as he entered the nightmare, but—he hadn’t found him.

...

Meanwhile, the massive LCD screens facing all sides of the stadium began, with a hiss of static, to select the most promising dream-probers and transmit their visions to the audience.

The stands were silent. All eyes lifted to the screen. After a moment of snowy interference, the scene sharpened: a grand mansion hung with red silk and lanterns, its gates adorned with giant “Double Happiness” characters. In front of the mansion wandered Lan Xiang and Sun Zhe.

Though the scene seemed peaceful and ordinary, the audience found themselves holding their breath.

At the same moment, in the stands, Sun Yaohai’s body stiffened as he slowly turned to look at Sun Zhe beside him, his gaze strange. If Sun Zhe had already been eliminated… then who was the Sun Zhe beside Lan Xiang?

Terror and dread filled Sun Zhe’s eyes. “That… that’s not me!”

PS: Today is New Year’s Eve. Wishing everyone a happy New Year’s Eve! It’s also Monday—please give me some recommendations and monthly votes!