Chapter 154: Chapter 154

The scene shifted. Li Tianyao was secured on an iron bed with iron chains, still wearing iron rings on his wrists and ankles.

An Yan instinctively felt something was wrong. She hadn’t expected the other party to come in with a knife and directly slice open Li Tianyao’s wrist.

"Let’s try, maybe you can improve their constitution."

"Whose constitution?" An Yan asked the dark figure.

Unfortunately, the figure couldn’t hear her and passed straight through her body before leaving.

An Yan wanted to follow and see, but this was Li Tianyao’s dream; she couldn’t leave his side within it. All she could do was watch helplessly.

Before long, the shadow reappeared.

"It works, it really works! Haha, from now on, who in the world can compare with me, Gu Shifang! I, Gu Shifang, will become the king of this world!" Fresh chapters posted on nοvelfire.net

"This world is mine! Hahaha..." Gu Shifang laughed maniacally.

An Yan was desperately anxious.

"What works? What did you do with his blood? Gu Shifang, answer me!!"

Regrettably, the figure still couldn’t hear her voice.

After that, the scene began to fast-forward.

Gu Shifang not only took his blood but also cut his flesh! Day after day!

Do you know which moment is most painful when a knife cuts you? It’s not when it slices into your flesh, but the moment it’s about to strike, and you know you can’t escape.

An Yan didn’t know what Li Tianyao felt when his flesh was cut and his blood was drained. She only knew that just watching, just being a spectator, left her in utter despair. The chains were so thick, the guards so strict; there was no hope of escape.

If it were me, I might not survive at all!

But Li Tianyao didn’t; he obediently ate the meals the shadow brought every day.

Just as An Yan thought this nightmare would continue endlessly, wondering if she should find a way to leave his dream, the man actually endured excruciating pain, broke his own limbs, and escaped...

Pain pierced him to the core with every step, but he did not bend his proud body! Step by step, he walked forward, resolute and brave.

At that moment, An Yan suddenly burst into tears, as if she were the one who had escaped, not him.

"Why is it this bug again!" A familiar voice rang out, and that massive hand appeared again, skillfully flicking her out...

An Yan clutched her aching head with one hand and grasped Li Tianyao’s shoulder tightly with the other, shaking him.

"Li Tianyao, Li Tianyao, wake up!"

The man slowly opened his eyes, his amber pupils meeting hers.

"Why are you crying? Did you enter my dream again?"

"Yes!" Her tear-soaked eyelashes were dark and lustrous. Her eyes were red, her lips pressed tightly together, and her voice was heavy with a concerning nasal tone.

A pang of regret struck his heart; I regret letting her see those things, he thought.

"It’s just a dream! All fake." He raised his hand to wipe the tears from her face. "Don’t be sad! It’s all in the past."

Even though he was the one plagued by nightmares, his first reaction upon waking was to comfort her. An Yan’s emotions were still stuck in his dream.

"Was everything in the dream something you actually experienced?"

"Did Gu Shifang really cut your flesh and drain your blood?"

"In the dream, what did he use your blood and flesh for? Why was he so sure that he would become king of this world?" An Yan’s questions came one after another.

The man reached out, pulled her into his embrace, and said in a low, heavy voice, "Living Dead!"

"He used my blood and flesh to feed the Living Dead! The restorative properties of my blood could allow those mindless Living Dead to rapidly heal on the battlefield!"

"Battlefield??" An Yan furrowed her brows. "Which battlefield?"

The man was silent for a few seconds. "It certainly wasn’t around here."

It was a battlefield from a very, very long time ago.

An Yan, however, thought, If it’s not here, then it must be abroad. Although their own country was peaceful and stable, other nations were still engulfed in war. True peace had never existed in this world. We’re just fortunate to be born in a peaceful country, in a peaceful era, she reflected.

The man’s fingers gently stroked her hair as he continued, "Gu Shifang turned me into a Living Dead, claiming my flesh and blood could cure all the world’s poisons!"

"But in reality, my flesh and blood are the deadliest poison! Living Dead can use it to prolong their lives, but if normal people consume it, they will lose their minds and become Living Dead!"

An Yan was profoundly shocked. So, that’s why he didn’t want me to keep his blood?

But there’s something strange, she mused. Aren’t dreams supposed to only show important content? How could his subconscious still have the energy to fabricate things like clothes and backgrounds? Could it be the brain’s defense mechanism? Does it think changing the scenery and clothes can alleviate the pain of his memories? If that were the case, the brain should just make him forget altogether! It wants him to remember, yet it also doesn’t want him to remember. How odd!

"Pain isn’t the most terrifying thing. The real horror is loneliness!" he said.

An Yan instantly recalled the scene from the dream where he counted bricks over and over.

"Little girl, stay with me!"

An Yan’s nose tingled. She rested her chin in the crook of his shoulder and remained silent for a few seconds before saying, "Mm."

After her affirmative sound, she added, "Not just me, there’s also Lu Feng and the others. Li Tianyao, the past is already gone, and now there are many people by your side!"

Displeased, the man squeezed her shoulder. "Are they worthy of accompanying me?"

Aren’t you afraid of loneliness? If you’re afraid of loneliness, how can you be so picky? she thought.

"I only want you!" The man’s grip on her shoulder tightened slightly. "I know you blame me for hurting Ling Xiao and the others."

"I also know that from your perspective, you find my torment of Ling Xiao and the others utterly unforgivable."

"But from my perspective, this was the only way I could find Gu Shifang!"

"Little girl, please stop blaming me, okay?"

An Yan fell silent. She suspected Gu Shifang had harmed her mother and was determined to capture him to avenge her. And he, having been so brutally tortured by Gu Shifang, isn’t it natural for him to seek revenge? But revenge shouldn’t involve hurting innocent people! Yet if he doesn’t harm others, he can’t find Gu Shifang!

The conflicting thoughts pulled her in different directions, frustrating her. She pushed them aside and said, "I will definitely help you find Gu Shifang!"

The man looked into her eyes, his expression clearly dissatisfied. "And after we find him, do you still plan to leave me?"

Her silence made the corners of his lips lift involuntarily. He was still smiling when he suddenly reached out and pinched her chin.

"Little girl! I forbid it!"

I forbid you to leave, and you won’t be able to!

An Yan understood his meaning.

"Let’s find Gu Shifang first!"