In fact, it wasn't a dream at all, but rather a vision. However, how could Qiu Yunru know that right away? All he knew was that he immediately got the sense that it felt a little too realistic. His mind must be acting up from anxiety.
In that dream, he saw a cavern.
It was spacious and dark, lit only by the light of many torches along the walls, which filled the space with an enchanted red glow. The ceiling was so high that the ceiling couldn't be seen, instead disappearing into shadow. Despite the entire cavern being made of stone, it had been painstakingly carved out to create a uniform area. Entrances to the space had been carved into proper doorways.
All through the cavern, small groups of people were scattered. There were perhaps a few dozen in total: huddled around small fires, sitting on rocks and murmuring, sharpening knives and stacking arrows. Every one of them was clothed in black from head to toe.
Qiu Yunru's blood ran cold.
There were the people who had been after Li Chenyuan for years. Not only were they the "mysterious men in black" who had tried to poison him and kidnap Li Chenyuan back then in Jin He City, but also the people who had driven Li Chenyuan to madness at the tournament!
Could this really be a dream? Or was it something more?
It seemed this must be their hideout. No one's face was wrapped in black cloth; instead, they all lounged and spoke freely. He saw that there were both men and women among them.
Off to the side of the cavern, sitting by a fire, two people were conversing quietly. Qiu Yunru recognized one of them immediately. His heart leapt up his throat.
Sitting on a stone and staring grimly into the fire was none other than Li Chenyuan!
His face was pale with exhaustion, and there were dark bags beneath his eyes. However, his face was a coldly pretty as ever. He had tied his hair back with a golden thread, revealing his snowy white throat.
Looks...good, Qiu Yunru thought without meaning to. He swatted the thought away. Not the time!
Scanning the scene, Qiu Yunru saw that Li Chenyuan wasn't chained or restrained at all. There weren't any marks on his wrists or signs of struggle, either. How strange--how had these people gotten ahold of Li Chenyuan? Shouldn't he be in danger with them? They were allowing him to walk freely...
Studying Li Chenyuan, he saw that, rather than wearing the white and green robes of the Jade Cloud Sect, he was wearing something else that seemed strangely familiar: violet robes with golden trim. Qiu Yunru couldn't quite recall where he'd seen them before...
"It's not my priority," Li Chenyuan muttered, frowning deeply. "Finding him comes before anything else."
"Yes, but you must become stronger first. How will you retrieve him from the Demon Realm without such strength? It will speed your cultivation along greatly." The one who spoke was the man who sat across from Li Chenyuan.
That cold face, those sharp features...even though he wore all black, Qiu Yunru couldn't shake the feeling that he recognized him as well.
"Senior Lei," Li Chenyuan said coldly. He straightened up, casting a cool look at the man. "Didn't you say you'd serve me in whatever way I saw fit? I want to get to him before anything else. If we hunt for Soul Idols, it'll only be a waste of time. When I meet him again, I don't want to be..." Li Chenyuan trailed off, seeming nervous. "I don't want to be in that kind of state."
Senior Lei...?
Lei, as in Lei Ruolan?
That was it!
He had indeed seen this face somewhere, but only once before. On that Three Wind Fruits mission all that time ago, he'd accidentally gotten pulled into Lei Ruolan's memories. There, he'd seen her father, who was a scholar and a nobleman.
This was indeed him!
Several puzzle pieces clicked into place at once in his mind. Hadn't Lei Ruolan also said her father had told her to give that Soul Idol to Li Chenyuan? If that was the case, it made sense that he would be the leader of those people who had been trying to get their hands on Li Chenyuan!
But, what was their motive...?
The conversation didn't wait for him. Lei Ruolan's father sighed heavily, pursing his lips. "Yes, Master Li," He relented. "Indeed, the Eight Winds Sect exists to serve you. If you so wish to delay advancing your abilities in favor of searching for that person, we will obey your command."
Qiu Yunru felt as though someone had just shoved a sparkler up his nose, lighting his brain on fire. What was this? The Eight Winds Sect, which Li Chenyuan's father had founded? It had fallen apart after Li Guiren's death, leaving nothing but ruins and little history behind.
Was it possible that, after Li Guiren's death, the remnants of his sect had remained behind, waiting for his heir to command them?
If that was the case, why had they waited so many years? Why were they so devoted to the Li family? Why did they have to operate in secret, in a far-off hidden cavern, wearing all black and covering their faces?
What was it they wanted?
Feeling his head spinning and brain sizzling, Qiu Yunru heard Li Chenyuan speak, his voice satisfied:
"Good. I'm not my father, but I'm sure I can bring the Eight Winds Sect back to prominence in the future with my cultivation. It will just have to wait." He sighed, leaning back against the rock and crossing his arms. "Any updates on contact with noble demons?"
Senior Lei shook his head grimly. "Nothing. It's rare for them to arrive in the Mortal Realm, and we are only able to communicate with our contacts when they do. You will be notified as soon as we hear something..."
Slowly, the vision of the cave faded away into a series of fuzzy colors, leaving Qiu Yunru swimming in darkness.
Holy shit, he thought to himself. There's no way that wasn't real. If it isn't, I have the best imagination out there. I should become an author!
Expecting to wake up, he was surprised when color returned to the darkness around him. There was another scene before him.
Li Chenyuan lay awake atop a large, comfortable bed with silken blankets draped over it. His hair was splayed out about the pillows, and he wore nothing but a thin, white inner robe.
If Qiu Yunru wasn't dreaming, his face would have turned three shades of red, and he would have run the other direction. This was--really too intimate a scene! Even if there wasn't anything illicit happening, it was still too much!
His dream vision didn't seem to care. It pushed him forward towards the bedside, until he was looking down on Li Chenyuan. If he had been there, he would be close enough to reach out and brush the hair off his shoulders...
Li Chenyuan closed his eyes, seeming exhausted. "Gege..." He mumbled hoarsely. "Please stay safe."
Qiu Yunru felt a lump welling in his throat. Even when the last thing he'd done was stab this kid, he was still worried about him. "Don't worry," He said. Even if he couldn't be heard, he felt too bad not saying anything. "I'm safe."
Li Chenyuan's phoenix eyes suddenly opened tiredly. Dark as obsidian, they locked onto Qiu Yunru's face like a vise, filling with tears.
"...Gege...? Am I dreaming already?"