“We mustn’t let the manor owner succeed!” Gao Ming had a guess in his heart. Bai Feng wanted to open the door that led to deeper nightmares. The manor owner wanted to bury the testers in this nightmare. If he had to select someone to help, Gao Ming might side with Bai Feng. He was interested in the deep-level nightmares too. However, the other testers would suffer. If they knew Bai Feng and Gao Ming’s thoughts, they would call them crazy.
“The sampan has left the port. If you’re not coming, I’m going on my own!” Bai Feng didn’t move instantly. First, she knew how dangerous the east lake was. The ice might break at any moment. She had no confidence that she could catch up to the manor owner. Once she fell into the lake, she’d be consumed by the fish. Plus, she needed the letter Gao Ming had and his aid.
The woman in red and the doll couldn’t step on the ice. The snow in this nightmare became dirtier. Mists rolled down from the mountains. The manor owner’s figure started to blur.
“We don’t have time!”
Gao Ming left the doll. He examined the ice layer and then stepped on it.
“I’ll walk in front. If I fall into the lake, don’t waste time to save me. Just go after the owner!” Bai Feng said firmly. She was never one to prevaricate.
Gao Ming realised how dangerous it was when he was on the ice. The ice creaked with every step. His steps produced small cracks. The sound attracted the attention of the fish. They were waiting for Gao Ming to fall!
“Just run!” Bai Feng waved. She charged ahead. She had no fear. She just wanted to find her children.
“Auntie Bai sure is something else. Is that the power of a mother’s love?” Gao Ming tried to run. He realised the thickness of the ice was different at different spots. Some places were extremely fragile after being chewed down by the fish. One wrong step, and he would be gone. There would be big fish around such traps. They hid in the dark lake. Their eyes alone could scare the other fish away.
With Gao Ming and Bai Feng on his tail, Qian Jin started to pain. His sampan was safe, but he needed time to break off the ice. He had already chosen the path where the ice was the thinnest, but the testers were still catching up with him.
“Isn’t it a good thing to spend a serene life in the nightmare?” The manor owner inside Qian Jin seemed to remember something. He spat, “Humans are so easily bogged down by obsession. That’s why they are so troublesome.” Qian Jin opened the bag around his waist. He squeezed some sticky liquid out of it. Once the liquid touched the oars, the ‘lost memories’ started to bleed. The ice touched by the oars started to melt like snow. “This is why I’ve kept your head with me. Your gaze and blood are the best ingredients to disintegrate your nightmare.” Qian Jin said venomously, “After I leave this place, I promise to thank you in person. I’ll save your real body from the research and reward you with the most painful death.” Qian Jin’s destination was the centre of the lake. The place was dark, even in the day. One couldn’t tell what was hidden there. The fish didn’t dare to go there. “We’re almost there. If they come here, they’d die.” Qian Jin turned back to look. His eyes shone with uncertainly. Bai Feng and Gao Ming were very close to him!
The head in the sack couldn’t produce any more liquid. Qian Jin smashed the heavy oars onto the ice. The chipped ice flew everywhere. Without the nightmare owner’s tears and blood, the tears were just normal items. The lake had been changed, but there was still quite a distance to the centre. Qian Jin wanted to move faster but there were only five meters between the two parties now.
“Stop!” Qian Jin dropped the oars and stood up. He aimed the rifle at Bai Feng, “If you take another step, I’ll shoot!”
Bai Feng wasn’t frightened of being targeted by the rifle for the second time. “If you had said that when we were ten meters from you, I would have hesitated. However, do you still have the chance now?” The wind dropped the snow on them. The ice underneath them cracked. Qian Jin chose the path with the thinnest ice.
“You need to reload that rifle once you take a shot. In less than five meters, you can only take down one of us. No matter what, the other one of us will rush over to catch you.” Bai Feng’s voice was cold like a machine. Gao Ming had to look at her. What if Qian Jin shot him? They hadn’t discussed that before.
“Plus, how many more bullets do you have left? Three? One? Or not even one?” Bai Feng took a tentative step forward. Qian Jin put his finger on the trigger but didn’t fire.
“You’re seeking death!” At this moment, Qian Jin’s fury faded away. He became calmer, “Don’t you wish to enter the deeper nightmares? I came from there. He can bring you there but I can too! Plus, I can ensure you can survive there!”
“I don’t trust you.” Bai Feng signalled at Gao Ming. They charged at Qian Jin from both sides.
“The deeper nightmares are different from middle-level nightmares. That place is connected to a different world. The black mist covers the sky. The accumulated despair forms the land. Ghosts and monsters created thirteen bloodred cities. They have their own rules. I can tell you about the rules to help you survive there!” Qian Jin probably ran out of bullets already or else he wouldn’t have said all those things.
Bai Feng laughed coolly. She didn’t believe Qian Jin. He had tricked too many people.
Gao Ming looked stunned. Every word Jian Qin said raised a storm in my mind. When he heard about the thirteen blood cities, a taboo switch in his mind was triggered.