Chapter 1337: Like a Dream
The girl brushed past Tianlong as if she hadn't seen him at all and walked into the kitchen. From within came a distant voice:
"Have a seat. Xia is resting and will come to see you soon."
Tianlong's expression gradually darkened. He had no idea what Bai Yang was up to.
He would never dream of something like this. So whose dream was this?
Bai Yang's dream?
Just as Tianlong was puzzling over it, Qi Xia's figure emerged from the depths of the room. He walked step by step to the single dining table and sat down.
His expression was calm, and from beginning to end, he didn't look up at Tianlong. Only the weary look on his face let Tianlong know he hadn't found the wrong person.
"Sit."
Qi Xia slightly raised his hand, and a chair made of flesh rose from the ground, materializing behind Tianlong.
Seeing this scene, Tianlong immediately confirmed his suspicions.
He didn't know what method Bai Yang had used, but he had been pulled from one dream into another.
He clearly hadn't activated "Dream Entry"... so how had he fallen into Bai Yang's dream?
Since this had become Bai Yang's domain, he naturally couldn't act rashly. After all, the master of a dream was an unshakable presence within it.
He had once tried to kill Bai Yang in a dream before, but even with both of them going all out, they had only managed a stalemate.
Although their combat strength was evenly matched, Tianlong knew that this time he had already overdrawn too much "Faith." If it came to a fight, it would be to his disadvantage.
With that thought, Tianlong could only walk to the flesh chair and sit down, slowly regaining his composure.
For Tianlong, as long as "Sanity" remained and his "Faith" was sufficient, no dream could trap him.
"Bai Yang... what are you scheming now?"
Qi Xia reached for the kettle and glass on the table, casually pouring a glass of water and slowly pushing it toward Tianlong.
Facing the rising sun, he asked with a light smile:
"Want a drink?"
Tianlong squinted at the glass of water, knowing full well that it could cost him his life.
"Get to the point," Tianlong said. "Here, you can't kill me, and I can't kill you. What's the point of all these meetings?"
"Don't be in a hurry, Tianlong." Qi Xia shook his head, his gray-white eyes fixed on him. "Don't rush... we have plenty of time..."
Tianlong noticed that Qi Xia bore the exact same wounds as Qing Long—gashes on his forehead, arms, knees, and chest, all still bleeding.
"You know I don't have much time," Tianlong said. "Once I recover my 'Faith,' control of this dream won't be yours anymore."
"Is that so...?" Qi Xia's face showed a hint of disappointment, then he said, "Tianlong... even now you don't understand. I can't control the dream, and neither can you."
"Don't try to shake my faith again," Tianlong said. "I've seen through your tricks. When it comes to 'Dream Entry,' I'm far more skilled than you."
"Ha..." Qi Xia shook his head with a smile and asked casually, "It's still early. Want something to eat?"
"No need." Tianlong's face gradually twisted with anger. "Bai Yang, if you want to end this here and now, I'm game. Since things have come this far, I don't expect you to come with me to the 'New World' anymore."
At the mention of the "New World," Qi Xia turned his head and looked out the window.
"End it..." Qi Xia asked blankly. "What counts as 'ending it'?"
"One of us—you or me—is going to live," Tianlong replied coldly. "You entered my dream to disrupt my faith, then took the opportunity to drag me into yours. Isn't this all for the sake of an ending?"
"Tianlong..." Qi Xia poured himself a glass of water, took a sip, and said softly, "For me, it's already ended."
"It's already ended?"
"Yeah." Qi Xia nodded seriously. "The moment you stood here, everything was already settled. I've fulfilled everything I promised everyone. I didn't lie... including what I promised myself."
Tianlong looked at him, puzzled. "And what did you promise yourself?"
"I wanted to return to a world where Yu Nian'an exists," Qi Xia replied.
Hearing this answer, Tianlong's expression darkened once more. "Bai Yang... what nonsense are you spouting? The buildings on the roadside are made of flesh, the sky is filled with crimson clouds, and the river stinks of blood—is this the world you've been chasing?"
"Yes."
Tianlong was choked silent by Qi Xia's answer.
A few seconds later, he pointed toward the kitchen. "And her—does she know this is a dream?"
Qi Xia stared at Tianlong for a few seconds before saying, "Tianlong... she knows where this is. But you don't."
"What—" Tianlong pressed a hand to his chest. "Bai Yang... you've completely lost your mind..."
"No, Tianlong." Qi Xia let out a deep sigh. "I'm not the one who's crazy. I'm already content with the life I have now. The reason I called you here was to see if we could coexist peacefully."
"Even if you're content... there's still me here." Tianlong stood up, his face stern. "A mountain can't hold two tigers. If you won't let me go back, how can I let you live peacefully here?"
"Tianlong, you can't go back," Qi Xia said.
"Can't... go back?"
"This is your final destination." Qi Xia pointed at the glass of water on the table. "Drink this water, and you'll understand everything."
Tianlong stared at the glass, his expression growing increasingly manic. He let out a light laugh. "To me, that's no different from saying, 'Go die.'"
"I really don't mean it that way." Qi Xia pushed the glass a little closer. "Tianlong, you and I no longer have any reason to keep fighting."
"I do." Tianlong said. "As the master of this dream, once you die, the dream will collapse, and I'll be able to escape from here."
"This isn't a dream."
"Hm...?"
"This isn't a dream," Qi Xia repeated. "You can drink this water normally. If you just try it once, you'll prove I'm not lying."
"You—"
"Like I said." Qi Xia pointed toward the kitchen. "She knows what this place is. But you don't."
Tianlong slowly broke into a smile. "Bai Yang... how many times have you lied to me...? At this final moment, you want to kill me with such a simple trick...? If this isn't a dream, then what is that bloody world outside?"
"I'm not lying to you." Qi Xia shook his head. "You're the one who chose not to believe."
"Whether it's a dream or not, I don't need to verify it by drinking that water," Tianlong said. "I can prove it by killing you."
"We're both at our limits," Qi Xia said. "This time, one of us is bound to die. Are you sure you want to fight?"
"I'm sure," Tianlong said. "I can't stand being in your sick dream for another moment."
"Oh, then wait a moment."
Qi Xia turned and walked into the kitchen, saying to the girl in white, "An, I need to go out for a bit. I'll be back tonight to have dinner with you."
"Alright. Don't work too hard. Come back early."
With that, Qi Xia walked out casually, glanced at the water on the table, and asked, "Sure you won't drink?"
"Don't waste time."
"Then follow me."
"Where to?"
"Find an open space. To kill you."
After saying that, Qi Xia opened the door and walked out without looking back. Tianlong's expression darkened as he followed closely behind.
Fighting in Bai Yang's dream would indeed consume a massive amount of "Faith," but at worst, he would only lose his sanity. What about Bai Yang?
If he died here, he would be dead for good.