Chapter Seven: Taking Action on Horse Street

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Wu Que gazed at the fairy-like figure before him, her lips rosy and teeth white, every frown and smile radiating charm. Yet, the thought that this fairy’s body belonged to a decrepit old man stirred an unsettling prick in his heart.

At this moment, dawn gradually broke, and the first morning light filtered through the cracks above the warehouse, filling Wu Que with a sense of rebirth. He retrieved a black blade from the belly of the scorched snake vessel, cleaned it, and slung it over his back. Staring ahead into the light, his eyes grew resolute.

With a guide to lead him, his inner unease and fear lessened considerably.

“Mother, wait for me. I will definitely come to save you.”

Together, master and disciple set off, accompanied by the faint glow of early dawn, silently leaving the brothel along the warehouse.

Though the brothel’s interior was lavish and magnificent, its outskirts were overrun with wild grass, with no proper road in sight. They walked for three miles before finally spotting a small path. On either side of the path stretched vast emptiness, broken only by the occasional rickshaw puller rushing by.

The rickshaw drivers wore threadbare, yellowed cloth shoes, their large feet pounding the dirt road as the wheels squeaked against the sand. They shouted and joked among themselves, oblivious to the two beauties crouched in the grass.

Wu Que was about to step out and stop one of the drivers when Hong Lei gripped his arm.

“We’re dressed like this, and it’s so sparsely populated out here. If you just walk out carelessly, don’t you want others to know our whereabouts?”

Wu Que scratched his head awkwardly. “But if we stay hidden here, everyone else will be gone.”

Hong Lei chuckled softly. “Even among wolves, there are lone wolves who don’t fit in.”

Just as he finished speaking, a rickshaw driver came into view. The man was short and stocky, with bulging eyes and a large, hairy black mole between his brows.

Probably due to childhood calcium deficiency, his upper jaw protruded sharply, revealing a row of yellow teeth that made him look particularly sleazy.

Unlike his diligent peers, he lazily pulled his rickshaw along, muttering curses nonstop. By the time he reached the master and disciple, he had already recited three family genealogies in his curses.

As his rickshaw rolled past, Hong Lei subtly moved his palm, releasing a barely perceptible gust of wind that struck the rear wheel. The tire visibly deflated, and the vehicle tilted to one side.

The driver, already low in stature, nearly toppled with the wobbling cart. Irritated, he stopped, raised his foot to kick, but reconsidered the high rental fee. He leaned against the cart and leisurely pulled a cigarette from his pocket.

After taking two puffs, a somewhat youthful female voice came from beside him.

“Big brother, hello. We’re from elsewhere and got lost in these wilds. Do you know the way to the nearby town?”

The driver, hearing the young girl, grew even more agitated. Muttering curses, he looked up, only to freeze in place.

Before him stood a fairy-like woman in a white dress and shoes, her upper body clad only in a loose bustier and a sheer, translucent veil draped over her shoulders.

Her slender waist, the faint glimpse of her soft chest, and snow-white shoulders teased his nerves incessantly.

“My goodness, where did this fairy come from?” he murmured, entranced, unaware that the cigarette was burning his hand.

The woman smiled apologetically, bending slightly at the waist, her ample chest swaying with the movement. She turned and scolded a girl resembling her in facial features, dressed in a school uniform.

“You child, how could you be so thoughtless? This handsome brother worked hard and finally lit a cigarette. And you disturb his rare moment of peace.”

Then, with a look of grievance, she fixed her gaze on herself.

“Handsome brother, to be honest, my sister and I have had a family emergency and rushed to this wilderness. We’ve been hungry all day and can’t find the way out. We had no choice but to trouble you.”

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“I only regret not having a strong man like you by my side. We won’t disturb you any longer—we’ll leave now.”

With that, the woman lowered her head in sorrow, biting her lip, and turned to leave.

“Don’t... don’t go!”

The driver, seeing her tearful appearance, felt his heart break. He hurriedly fumbled at his chest and pulled out a crumpled map and a few silver coins.

“Dear sister, here is a map of the whole town and some silver coins. I run this cart daily and no longer need this map. If you don’t mind...”

Before he finished, a fragrant jade hand rested on his bare arm, sliding slowly to the back of his hand. Playfully, it traced a circle around his hand, taking both the map and the smallest silver coin.

The driver stood stunned for a moment. When he looked up again, the fairy-like woman had vanished.

Feeling the softness that had just brushed his skin, and staring at the few silver coins left in his hand, he leaned weakly against the cart and lit another cigarette.

A plume of pale blue-white smoke mixed with the lingering fragrance of the fairy as he inhaled. He felt as though his thirty-plus years of life had been wasted.

After savoring the cigarette, he looked toward the brothel and pinched the remaining silver coins. As if compelled by an unseen force, he began walking in that direction.

“Master, did you have this kind of work in the mortal world?” Wu Que glanced at the map, teasing.

Hong Lei’s previous actions made even Wu Que blush and his heart race. Had he not known beforehand that the fairy-like woman’s body concealed a filthy old man, Wu Que might have been tempted to check his own valuables.

“Stop wasting words. Look at your map,” Hong Lei said nonchalantly, smoking the cigarette he had taken from the driver’s bag.

“If you don’t understand it, you’ll have to catch the ash with your mouth.”

“That old bastard...” Wu Que muttered inwardly, picking up the map again.

Perhaps due to seeing so many snakes, the entire map resembled a snake’s head.

To the north was a town called Chang Town, occupying the snake’s head tip. On either side were Xu Family Village and Wutai Hamlet, symmetrically arranged protrusions flanking the town.

According to the dreamlike worldview, the “Chang” in Chang Town likely did not mean ordinary “common.” Rather, it represented “Chang,” the immortal.

Setting the map aside, master and disciple ascended a hill to the north and indeed spotted a town.

At the town’s entrance stood a giant stone statue of a python, at least seven people tall, surrounded by gilded railings, a testament to the statue’s significance to the townsfolk.

Beside the statue hung a plaque inscribed with two large seal-style characters:

Chang Town.

They reached the street corner. Though the sun had yet to rise fully, the streets near the town gate were already crowded with people. Vendors shouted, buyers haggled, laughter and cheers filled the air.

After the eerie brothel experience, the normalcy of this bustling scene struck Wu Que as somewhat jarring.

Within a few steps along the street, Wu Que felt many burning gazes fixed on them—some greedy, some envious, but all naked and unashamed. These eyes lingered on Hong Lei and refused to look away.

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Hong Lei’s skin was thick, and he seemed to enjoy the attention, pulling his clothes down further, which only elicited more astonished gasps from the men.

Wu Que watched in dismay, nearly retching. He quickly dragged Hong Lei to a nearby tailor shop, grabbed two black robes, draped them over their bodies, and then hurried away.

Behind them, two men with flushed faces in a tavern watched their departing figures, whispering.

“That flirtatious woman, I really want to pin her down hard.”

“Forget it. She’s the top courtesan from the mountain brothel. People like us laborers don’t stand a chance.”

“Heh, it’s just a show for now. When she falls from grace, I’ll take her life for sure!”

Naturally, the master and disciple heard none of this. After a simple meal, they continued onward.

Reaching the town center, the sound of theatrical singing drifted from ahead. They pushed through the crowd and soon found a stage.

Onstage were two performers: a muscular, shirtless man lying atop the platform, and an elderly woman in traditional opera costume energetically singing.

“Opening the gates of heaven and earth, the temple doors open on the first and fifteenth days.”

“On the southern heavenly gate, the golden bell rings; heavenly soldiers and generals descend.”

“Riding horses and cicadas, the heavens send forth the great emperor, paying respects to the Queen Mother of the West.”

“Respect to the great elder Li Laozi, respect to the second elder Yuan Shi Tian, respect to the Chang family, the python family, the snake family, and Liu family, possessing the body!”

Though she sang alone, the old woman’s hoarse voice, authentic opera style, and strange expressions and movements drew continuous cheers from the crowd.

After finishing, she grabbed a worn gong tied with a red cord and struck it over the strong man’s head.

With the gong’s sound, the man on the ground began to tremble.

Seeing this, the old woman struck harder, loudly shouting,

“Chang family, python family, snake family, Liu family, come to the great hall, we have matters to discuss!”

More and more people were drawn by her voice. Wu Que listened, fascinated, nodding along.

Only Hong Lei’s expression grew ever more solemn.

He saw clearly that the spectators’ eyes held not curiosity but a near-fanatical reverence.

Wu Que, lost in the rhythm, suddenly felt the old woman’s voice blur, no longer operatic but cold, emotionless, mechanical.

“Congratulations to the Dream Completer for successfully unlocking an important location—Chuma Street. The following are the rules of Chuma Street announced to the Dream Completer.”