Food Fairy Lord

Chapter 713 Dream Far Away
Pei Ye didn't say a word all night.

The kitten sat beside him.

When dawn broke, the darkness around the boat turned into a white expanse, and the heavy rain seemed to never stop. Looking around, the shore was completely invisible.

The Longhu Sword Competition ended a few days ago, and most of the swordsmen have dispersed, but the echoes still linger. Many swordsmen who have gathered here still spontaneously compete on the shore, which attracts many onlookers who cheer them on.

Sometimes they would fight all the way to the middle of the lake. In the middle three realms, anyone who could walk on water was considered a master. Pei Ye and Xiao Mao would sit side by side and watch for a while.

In reality, there aren't that many things that can be tried.

Even though the boy was determined to push forward, continuing forward as long as he didn't hit a wall, and pushing the wall forward even after hitting one, the road was visibly getting narrower and narrower, and it didn't seem like it could be pushed forward.

How many things related to the Mirage Realm are there in Shenjing in total?
He had almost run out of resources in the first two attempts.

The Illusionary Tower has long since lost its entrance, and Yu Sicheng is now just a skeleton. Pei Yeting misses the young old man, but he can no longer enter the Bright Moon Palace.

The entire capital city, spanning eight hundred miles, was completely transformed into the ordinary. The ethereal beauty that shrouded it, unseen by mortals, was washed away by this torrential rain. Pei Ye had played against swordsmen like He Jiu and made friends like Luo Weiyou within it, but now they were separated by two worlds.

The pearl powder has lost its luster, the roselle flower only exists in dreams, and even the boundary marker has disappeared with the melting of the water lord. What other way do you have to enter the spirit realm?

For the boy outside the boundary, the only way to influence those inside might be to negotiate with the man in black in Xitingxin.

That was originally his only way of knowing if the woman was safe.

That was indeed a very tempting offer, and Pei Ye wasn't entirely unmoved.

Yong Ji truly understood him quite well. He was not greedy for Xiting and Canxingquan, nor did he have any fixed opinions about them. In some cases, he would use them to exchange for someone's life—even if it was a stranger. In other cases, he would not let go even if threatened with a city.

Friends are a factor that Pei Ye would consider.

Li Xizhou was one of the most important people he met after leaving Fenghuai alone. If she died, he would definitely take revenge on the Prince of Yan's mansion in a very crazy way. He could hold a grudge over the past, but he had to be ruthless in the face of new hatred.

Yong Ji said that her life was hanging by a thread.

From a strategic perspective, it's not too difficult to accept that Yong Ji simultaneously holds the power of the Western Court Heart and the Beak Star, since he hasn't been granted immortality at the Immortal Platform, and his influence is far less than what I have now. As long as I kill him later, I can take everything back.

But Pei Ye still refused.

Because he truly felt fear and cowardice when Yong Ji threatened him with his life, he suddenly felt inexplicably that his concession would be a betrayal.

...The dead man of Wuyang, how can he achieve success?

The woman had recited this poem to him countless times; she had never acted like Qin Wuyang, so he wouldn't either.

If Jing Ke had really been killed, he would have continued his assassination attempt on the King of Qin.

But this was wishful thinking on his part. Two days and two nights had passed, and every second the woman in the mirage might die... or she might already be dead.

He was now in a desperate situation, but he couldn't afford to be anxious. The only thing he could do was to continue to move firmly toward the mirage.

“All mortals from the outside world who can enter the Mirage must have some connection with the creatures of the Mirage.” Pei Ye closed the book in his hand and looked at the river surface that was constantly rippling. “So in essence, mortals cannot enter the Mirage unilaterally; they are all guided by the creatures within the Mirage… Considering that all creatures in the Mirage belong to the Mirage Dragon, it can also be considered that the Mirage itself is the guide.”

"But some are not guided. Killing and devouring the scales will not result in rejection from the Mirage Realm."

“I think that’s why the Mirage Dragon died.” Pei Ye tapped the book gently. “The entire Mirage Realm has no will; it only has instinct.”

“Under normal circumstances, the boundary marker serves the function of welcoming mortals, and its effectiveness is essentially the connection between mortals and the interior of the Mirage Realm. Therefore, when people complete this connection in other ways, the guidance still takes effect,” Pei Ye said slowly. “This is the instinct of the Mirage Realm.”

“But now all things in the mirage have disappeared,” the black cat said, looking at the boy. “The mirage itself is fading away, and you can no longer connect with it. That’s the only reason why all your previous attempts failed. Your method of impersonating Yong Ji was ingenious; it would most likely have worked a few days ago.”

“A few days ago, I might not have needed this method to enter the Mirage Realm.”

Pei Ye sat barefoot on the bow of the boat, his sword at his side. The rain washed his sword sheath clean and then soaked his clothes and chest through his straw hat.

After a moment of silence, the black cat said, "The only relevant remnants are probably the merfolk. They came from the South China Sea of ​​the Celestial Pole and are obviously not beings from the Mirage Realm, but they seem to hold some authority over the White Water."

“After soaking in the waters of Shenjing, that little fishman seems to be completely useless,” Pei Ye said. “It’s impossible for him to make it back and forth to the South Sea of ​​Tianji.”

"Yes."

“Actually, there’s another option to try,” Pei Ye suddenly said slowly.

"what?"

Pei Ye lowered his head, stroking the piece of white rhinoceros horn in his hand.

“This is probably the only thing we have related to the Mirage Realm. I’d like to try consuming it,” he said.

The black cat looked down at the two people who had been searching for the thread but had not found it. They had stroked this gift from the water master countless times in the past two days.

“It didn’t disappear with the Spirit Realm, so it’s probably not from the Mirage Realm,” the black cat repeated. “Besides, this is our only hope right now. If we use it recklessly, what if there’s a turning point later…”

“We can’t just keep it and wait for whatever happens.” Pei Ye held it up in front of her eyes. “What if it’s just a souvenir? Like the little pottery figurine of Li Bai sold on Leyou Plain.”

The black cat gently patted his knee, rewarding him for finding joy in hardship.

But Pei Ye didn't find it amusing. He sighed softly and frowned for a moment: "Let's cut it off. I'll only take half... no, two-thirds. How about leaving a portion?"

"Four-fifths, just leave the tip."

"Row."

Pei Ye drew his sword, aligned it, and pressed down on his wrist.

Its texture was harder than that of ordinary horned creatures, but it was very smooth and didn't produce any foam. It was smoothly cut into two pieces. Pei Ye took the smaller piece back.

"Swallow it directly?" the black cat asked, looking at him.

"It's too thick."

Pei Ye lowered his head and wrote a short note, ordering the Immortal Terrace to send over a pair of short oxen and a small cauldron.

Fire is readily available.

Heavy rain pierced through the fog.

Just as Pei Ye was grinding the shavings into the burning pot, Zhu Gaoyang arrived.

He flew over and landed in the cabin. Pei Ye looked up at him, then raised her hand to cover her crooked little pot: "Don't drink it."

"...Nobody wants to drink this." Zhu Gaoyang frowned as he looked at the white flakes rising in the clear water. "What is this?"

"A precious medicine."

Zhu Gaoyang sat cross-legged to the side, somewhat worried: "Don't swallow everything."

"Of all the things I've swallowed, this one doesn't even rank in the top tier yet."

Zhu Gaoyang sighed softly and raised his thumb in admiration.

"Are you done with your work over there?"

"That's about right. I won't bother with it anymore if it's not over," Zhu Gaoyang said. "Haven't we two brothers done enough? The Feather Scale Trial is in less than a month, so we're not going to worry about the Immortal Platform anymore."

He looked at Pei Ye for a while and said, "I asked the authorities and Li Jian about your matter. They said you have a prince in your heart, but that person doesn't exist in the world."

He paused. "I've carefully reviewed my memories, and I really can't recall anything. Some parts seem inconsistent, but they're not entirely inexplicable... In short, it's not to the point where I absolutely have to add another person to the world." "Hmm."

“The capital has been bustling for two months now.” Zhu Gaoyang handed him a small bottle of wine and opened another one for himself. “I was thinking that once things are finally done here, we should meet up with our peers from all the sects in the world, get together and exchange some tips. This is the perfect time to make friends.”

“You don’t know, now that all sorts of geniuses are making their mark in the capital, your reputation, Young Hero Pei, is almost overshadowed,” Zhu Gaoyang said, taking a sip of his drink. “Today’s news is that the Sword Master has gone to Mount Hua to challenge the sword, so we’re only a few hundred miles apart.”

Pei Ye paused, her hand stroking the bottle opening.

"Tonight, the top swordsmen of Xudao Mountain, Dongting, Tianshan, Bailu, and others are hosting a small banquet on Phoenix Terrace. I got you an invitation too. He Yaoyao, whom I met a couple of days ago, asked me about you." Zhu Gaoyang handed him a rather pretty little bronze sword. "So, are you going or not?"

Pei Ye paused for a moment, then said, "Of course not, give it to... give it to Yin'er. Let Yang Zhenbing look after her."

Zhu Gaoyang laughed: "Who can Yang Zhenbing take care of?"

That makes sense. Pei Ye thought for a moment and said, "Then I'll ask Miss Shi from Tianshan... or Miss Zuoqiu."

"I've heard that your sister from Shenxiao is exceptionally beautiful and well-mannered, and is very popular. It's just a sword banquet; if you go, she'll have to take care of you, her country bumpkin brother. So don't worry about her."

“…Your words make sense.” Pei Ye lowered his head and rubbed the rhinoceros horn in his hand.

It's already more than halfway done.

As the two chatted, Zhu Gaoyang sipped his wine. The sword duel between the two swordsmen on the lake ended, and Zhu Gaoyang finished his bottle of wine.

Not a single drop of Pei Ye's liquid was touched.

"Sigh, I don't really understand what you're doing." Zhu Gaoyang smiled and raised his large hand to pat his head. "Anyway, just say so if you need help. Come to Shenjing soon, everyone is waiting for you."

Pei Ye remained silent. He carefully rubbed the rhinoceros horn in his hand into the small pot, causing countless tiny bubbles to rise in the water.

"Just you wait and see. I'll drink this whole pot of water and disappear from your sight. Then you'll know what I'm doing." Pei Ye wasn't afraid of the heat. He grabbed Xiao Er, lifted her up, and tilted his head back to pour the water into his mouth.

He swallowed five times, finished the drink in one gulp, tossed the small pot aside with a clatter, and stared directly at the man in front of him with his dark eyes.

Zhu Gaoyang also turned her head to look at him, holding the empty bottle in her hand.

For a quarter of an hour, the two stared at each other without moving, and Pei Ye's brows slowly furrowed.

He sighed.

Zhu Gaoyang waved his hand, picked up the empty bottle, and left, saying he would come back to see him the next day.

"Swallowing such a big thing, and you don't have any reaction at all?" the black cat asked.

Pei Ye paused for a moment: "...Actually, there are some."

"what?"

“Binglu swallowed it all,” Pei Ye said. “It liked it very much.”

"..."

Not knowing what this was, Binglu, having been satiated with this dessert since the rose of the hibiscus, grew a little stronger.

The river returned to calm, and Pei Ye felt no dizziness at all; the lightness and ethereal feeling he had experienced after consuming the shark powder seemed to be gone forever.

He lowered his eyes and looked at the bottle of wine in his hand. The beautiful porcelain bottle seemed to still carry the warmth of the Shenjing Banquet Hall.

After a while, Pei Ye opened it, took a long sip himself, and poured a small capful for the kitten. Then he turned his head and placed the ancient book on his lap.

Zhu Gaoyang's visit left him feeling slightly wistful.

He seemed to suddenly realize that it wasn't the entire world that had fallen into chaos. Nor was he saving the world.

His subconscious fantasy was to expose the lies and restore clarity to the world. It was just an ordinary and real day, only the rain was a bit heavy.

The mirage, along with everything associated with it, has vanished, but almost no one knows that it ever existed; they never truly belonged to this world.

The Feather Scale Trial is drawing ever closer, with sects from all over the world converging here, scholars actively engaging in discussions, and ordinary people living their lives day after day.

It's just that one person is missing from the world.

This happens tens of thousands of times every day.

Her quest was indeed only related to herself, nothing special. Perhaps when the rain stopped, all traces of the woman would vanish completely, she would be swallowed up by the mirage, and the world would continue as usual.

Pei Ye slowly drank the wine the man had brought. The sky darkened once again. He had eaten the Frost Abyss Fish sent by the Immortal Terrace. It tasted very sweet and fresh, but his whole body felt cold from the inside out, and he had no fire in his body.

A vast lake, torrential rain, a small boat.

That was the essence that Pei Ye discovered himself, and he verified it time and time again.

Without a connection to the spiritual realm, one can never enter it from the outside.

When everything in the spirit world disappears from the mortal realm, no one can find any connection to it anymore.

Therefore, this is an insurmountable chasm, written in the essence of the two worlds.

Pei Ye leaned against the cabin, gazing quietly at the lake, with the black cat beside him.

"Should we still try?" the black cat sighed softly. Rationally speaking, it thought it was pointless. But the boy beside it, of course, had his own thoughts.

"Where there's a will, there's a way," Pei Ye said.

He lowered his head and raised his wrist to turn the pages of the book.

Then he paused for a moment.

“Look, I’ve seen it.” He suddenly whispered in the dead of night, amidst the pattering rain.

The black cat, who was lighting up the cabin for the night, turned its head and asked, "What?"

Pei Ye lowered her eyes and quietly looked at her wrist, without saying anything more.

It was an extremely thin, delicate, dreamlike ribbon that extended from his wrist, disappeared into the dark, rainy night, and then fell towards the lake.

It was clear and cool, flowing gently and calmly, like a small galaxy. Even though it was so thin, Pei Ye could still recognize this familiar texture.

blood.

Pei Ye, are you really not involved in anything within the Spirit Realm?

On the morning after the assassination attempt ended, the woman gave him her blood.

“That way we’ll be connected by a ribbon.” She lowered her hand and grasped his wrist, her soft voice still ringing in his ear, “Let’s go.”

This connection had already been established long before the seven-day feast.

Therefore, once the spiritual realm is sealed off, you are the only one in the entire world who can still enter it.

However, you need to chase it at a speed slightly faster than the disappearance of the spiritual realm.

(End of this chapter)