Chapter 675: Stepping into the Unknown
Everyone naturally had no good looks for Ground Monkey. If not for everyone's full cooperation this time, Ground Monkey would have already taken their lives.
"Yo, Brother Monkey, what's your advice?" Chen Junnan asked impatiently.
Ground Monkey acted as if he hadn't heard anything and walked straight toward Xiao Cheng.
"You..." Ground Monkey was silent for a moment before speaking, "Are you sure his trauma was caused by 'Entering Dreams'?"
"This..." Xiao Cheng hadn't expected Ground Monkey to be concerned about this issue either. He could only shake his head. "I really don't know. It just looks very similar. It could be another ability similar to 'Entering Dreams'..."
"Can you 'treat' it?" Ground Monkey asked again.
"I..." Xiao Cheng felt a bit uneasy and quickly shook his head. "Like I said, if I enter the dream of someone with stronger mental fortitude than mine, I could very well be devoured by their dream. If it's a normal dream, it's manageable, but if it's a 'nightmare,' I'm highly likely to die inside the dream..."
"Liar." Ground Monkey snapped coldly. "Unless the dream's owner sees you and personally kills you, you can't die in the dream."
"What—" Xiao Cheng was stunned and turned to look at Ground Monkey.
"Your 'Entering Dreams' skill isn't up to par. It's hard for people in the dream to see you, right?" Ground Monkey said. "Under those circumstances, how could they possibly kill you?"
"You... even know this?"
"The only time you died in a dream before was because you tried to kill someone in their dream, and they detected your presence, leading to a counter-kill." Ground Monkey continued. "Even if you really entered Qi Xia's dream, I don't think Qi Xia would have the intention to kill you."
After hearing this, Xiao Cheng nodded solemnly. "That's true... but what if there's a one-in-a-million chance..."
"Qi Xia just gambled on your behalf as well." Ground Monkey pulled another cigarette out of his chest pocket and put it in his mouth. "So aren't you willing to gamble for him too?"
Chen Junnan and Qiao Jiajin, standing nearby, suddenly felt that Ground Monkey seemed a bit more agreeable when he said those words.
"Actually, I've thought about it too..." Xiao Cheng gritted his teeth and replied. "I'm just afraid my skill isn't good enough. Not only would I be unable to help Brother Qi, but I might even make his condition worse..."
"It doesn't matter." Ground Monkey lit his cigarette. "Go take a look. Qi Xia's situation can't get any worse than it is now."
He then glanced around at Qi Xia's teammates and asked, "What do you all think?"
Tian Tian pondered for a moment before replying, "This matter is a bit beyond my understanding. It's up to Xiao Cheng's willingness..."
"Exactly," Chen Junnan nodded. "Xiao Cheng, if you're willing to go in and help us brothers check on Old Qi's condition, we'll remember this favor. If you don't want to go, we won't hold it against you either."
"This..."
While Xiao Cheng was hesitating, Ground Monkey blew a puff of smoke into his face and said, "Sorry, they're them, and I'm me."
"What?"
"If you can't find a way to wake Qi Xia up, I'll break your legs today and make you crawl out of here."
Ground Monkey's words were firm and left no room for negotiation, causing everyone present to freeze in surprise.
Although they were all worried about Qi Xia's condition, what they were doing now was essentially coercing Xiao Cheng. To Xiao Cheng, Qi Xia was nothing more than a stranger he had met only once. It was understandable if he was unwilling to risk his life to save him.
But why was Ground Monkey so concerned about Qi Xia's condition? Or did he have some ulterior motive?
Seeing how earnest Ground Monkey was, Chen Junnan began to feel a bit suspicious.
"Brother Monkey, I didn't see you caring this much about Old Qi when we were playing cards earlier," Chen Junnan said, staring at him.
"I have a vested interest in him," Ground Monkey said. "If he stays like this forever, I don't have the patience to wait."
"You'd better not do anything reckless." Chen Junnan said. "Brother Monkey, the higher-ups don't know about your 'Fiery Golden Eyes' yet, do they?"
Ground Monkey's face darkened as he turned to look at Chen Junnan.
"If I find out you have any selfish motives, I'll make sure everyone knows about it." Chen Junnan smiled faintly. "Don't underestimate me just because I usually don't talk much—news like this spreads fast."
"Relax. I told you I have a vested interest in him." Ground Monkey pointed at the sleeping Qi Xia. "If he doesn't get better, neither will I."
After saying that, he looked at Xiao Cheng again and said softly, "Do I need to spell it out for you? Would you rather I 'accidentally' step on your foot, or go in and check on his condition for me?"
Xiao Cheng looked nervous. He clenched his hands and replied, "I have to make this clear first... I'm not confident I can cure Brother Qi at all. At most, I can look at his 'root cause.' If you don't mind, then of course I can enter his dream and take a look."
"Then why are you wasting time talking?" Ground Monkey asked. "Get on with it."
Everyone had their own selfish motives, and no one spoke up for Xiao Cheng at this point. Compared to Xiao Cheng, they all wanted Qi Xia to be safe and sound. Though making such a selfish choice sometimes left a guilty conscience, they had to admit that Qi Xia's value far exceeded Xiao Cheng's.
"Uh..." Chen Junnan finally offered a word of caution. "Kid, be careful not to die in there. I suspect Old Qi's 'dream' is extremely terrifying. If things look bad, try to withdraw as soon as possible. Me and Old Qiao will figure something else out."
Chen Junnan had seen Qi Xia wake up a few times before, and every time, his expression looked as if he had been reborn. Given Qi Xia's mental fortitude, if even he found a 'nightmare' terrifying, it meant that anyone who accidentally entered it would face something extremely dreadful.
"Alright..." Xiao Cheng nodded stiffly. "I understand."
With that, he sat down beside Qi Xia, laid him flat, and dragged a chair over next to him.
While he was busy, Ground Monkey walked into the small room behind the casino and brought out a few pieces of fruit that looked nearly rotten. He unceremoniously tossed them onto a mahjong table.
"What's this...?" Qiao Jiajin blinked. "Do you need us to feed the monkey?"
"Scram." Ground Monkey said impatiently. "This was my promise to that kid earlier. He said if the game ended, I'd treat you all to something to eat."
He lit another cigarette with a look of annoyance and said hoarsely, "I'm a man who honors his bets."
Everyone looked at the fruits on the table. The bananas had blackened, and the apples had a few dark spots. But none of them had eaten or drunk anything in a long time, and at the sight of these fruits, they couldn't help swallowing their saliva.
"Eat up." Ground Monkey waved his hand. "I don't have the energy to poison you with a few rotten fruits. It'd be easier to just stomp you to death."
Xiao Cheng sat beside Qi Xia, took a deep breath, and placed his hand on Qi Xia's forehead.
This was his first time trying to enter someone's dream during the daytime, and he was now concentrating all his focus on controlling his will.
"Hey..." Chen Junnan lowered his voice and asked, "Do you have to fall asleep too?"
"It's not exactly sleep, but the idea is similar." Xiao Cheng nodded. "Once I enter Brother Qi's dream, I won't be able to sense the outside world anymore. Remember, don't wake me up voluntarily, or I might die."
"Can't call you...?" Chen Junnan glanced at Qiao Jiajin, then turned back and asked, "Then what if you run into danger?"
"Then I'll try my best to sever my will and find a way to pull myself out of the dream." Xiao Cheng spoke very seriously. "Remember, no matter what happens, unless I can get out on my own, don't wake me up."