Chapter 59: The Dream’s Intruder and the Miko’s Plot

The sun soon dipped below the horizon, and night quickly descended.

Simultaneously, the insidious plot against Bai Mengqi and Zi Yanran was set to begin.

Yet, a question lingered: why was even Bai Mengqi being targeted?

It was because her assailants were not human, but ghosts.

At that very moment, within the haunted town on the outskirts of Tokyo, the female ghost, now back in her ordinary human guise, suddenly opened her eyes.

“Has the time finally come? Little girl, you may be formidable, but you could never have imagined I still possess a trick you know nothing about!” The female ghost cackled wildly, her face a mask of excitement and fervent madness.

After uttering these words, her body dissolved into nothingness with a soft `plop`, vanishing without a trace as she burrowed into the immortal crystal fragment within her.

It was as if the female ghost was traversing a temporal passage, journeying to another dimension.

Meanwhile, Bai Mengqi, who was sleeping soundly beside Zi Yanran, was suddenly overcome by an intense wave of drowsiness. She yawned, then drifted off to sleep.

Once asleep, Bai Mengqi began to dream.

She inexplicably found herself back in her childhood, stranger still, as a newborn infant.

At that age, she shouldn’t have any memories. Why was she dreaming of this particular period?

She glanced at herself lying in the baby cradle, then surveyed her surroundings. This was her parents’ home, and they were both asleep in their bed.

‘This is Dad and Mom. Am I dreaming? But this doesn’t feel right. What’s happening?’ Bai Mengqi felt a profound sense of confusion.

Even more bizarrely, she only possessed sight and consciousness, yet couldn’t feel her own body.

She was like a detached third party, able only to observe, powerless to react.

The room was utterly silent, everything appearing peaceful, and the infant Bai Mengqi slept soundly.

However, at that precise moment, a sinister vortex suddenly materialized above the infant. It seemed to emanate from another dimension.

“What is that?” Bai Mengqi froze.

But then, she immediately recognized its true nature.

From within the vortex, a mass of black,怨气-laden hair surged forth. After the hair, a pale, bloodless face with hollow eyes emerged.

Upon closer inspection, it was none other than the female ghost from the outskirts who had fought Bai Mengqi earlier that day! How had she appeared here, within Bai Mengqi’s own dream?

“This? What’s going on? How did this female ghost get into my dream? Damn it, what does she want?” Bai Mengqi felt a surge of panic. Though she didn’t understand the situation, she instinctively sensed danger.

After all, her infant self possessed none of the Great Immortaless’s power.

The female ghost gazed at the infant Bai Mengqi, emitting a chilling, terrifying laugh.

“Heh heh! Woman from the daytime, you probably never imagined I also possess the ability to traverse dream dimensions. As long as you’re tainted by my power, I can enter your dreams, then choose a segment from your memories to kill you. And now, you are merely a lamb awaiting slaughter.”

“Moreover, if I devour you, my power will undoubtedly increase significantly. By then, I won’t need to fear Abe Haruha anymore!” The female ghost laughed maniacally, exhilarated.

She slowly opened her mouth, which grew wider and wider, forming a gaping maw that was incredibly repulsive.

Bai Mengqi could only watch helplessly, unable to take any action.

But just as the female ghost was about to consume the young Bai Mengqi, something entirely unexpected occurred.

Suddenly, a stern voice echoed from within the child’s body.

“Where did this evil spirit come from? Get out!”

As these words were spoken, pure streams of light instantly burst forth from the infant Bai Mengqi’s body.

The flowing lights, like sharp swords, pierced through the female ghost’s monstrous mouth.

“Ah! Impossible! You, who exactly are you?!”

The female ghost let out a bloodcurdling shriek, then was forced to retreat into the vortex, vanishing from Bai Mengqi’s dream.

This sight left Bai Mengqi utterly bewildered.

In her memories, she was supposed to have met the Great Immortaless when she was five or six years old, and the Great Immortaless had only parasitized her body at that age.

However, if this dream was real, it implied that the Great Immortaless had been within her body shortly after her birth.

She began to realize that the Great Immortaless seemed to be keeping something from her.

****

Turning to the female ghost, she had already returned to her haunted house. Yet, she was now severely wounded, her ghostly essence scattering.

Even the ground throughout the town had developed cracks.

From this situation, it appeared that Bai Mengqi’s childhood self was, in fact, more powerful than her current self.

Of course, it was also possible that this was the ghost’s own method; she had sent her true form into Bai Mengqi’s dream, and the Great Immortaless’s power had directly wounded her true form. There seemed to be no other explanation.

“Impossible! Could it be that this woman’s power was innate, not acquired through cultivation?” The injured female ghost immediately used the surrounding resentment to repair her body.

However, the wounds left on her true form by the Great Immortaless proved impossible to heal.

****

Meanwhile, the plot against Zi Yanran also commenced.

Around midnight, the previously silent living room inexplicably warped, and an eerie aura began to spread from the television set.

The brightly lit living room instantly dimmed, and even time and space were frozen by this power.

Once time and space were frozen, the VCR automatically switched on, and the television content changed by itself.

Captain Liang, seated on the sofa, seemed utterly oblivious, remaining frozen in place.

The television soon displayed a chilling image: a well. From within the well, a ghostly hand, brimming with resentment, reached out, as if something was climbing from it.

As the entity slowly emerged from the well, a closer look revealed a disheveled woman in white, or rather, a female ghost.

Her face was completely obscured by her long hair, making her features indistinguishable.

Her figure flickered, and in a few movements, she arrived at the television screen.

Even more horrifying, this female ghost slowly began to crawl out of the television screen.

Yet, the Special Abilities Bureau bodyguards inside the room remained completely unaware of anything amiss.

This was because they and the female ghost seemed to exist in different dimensions; nothing was happening on their side, and the television’s content hadn’t changed.

After emerging, the female ghost’s gaze swept over the ability users before locking onto Zi Yanran’s room.

****

Concurrently, at the location of the miko named Kyoko in Tokyo.

The miko was performing a ritual, and the image displayed before her showed the female ghost standing in the living room.

This strongly suggested that the female ghost had likely been summoned by her.

Given that even B-rank sorcerers couldn’t detect her, Matsushita Suguru’s claim of people dying mysteriously might indeed be true.

It was likely that the daytime negotiations had yielded no advantage, prompting them to resort to underhanded tactics that very night.

As the miko continuously chanted, the female ghost quickly arrived at the room door.

She intended to kill Zi Yanran.

The female ghost slowly phased through the wall, appearing beside Bai Mengqi and Zi Yanran’s bed.

She merely glanced at Bai Mengqi before extending her ghostly claw toward Zi Yanran.

However, just as her hand was about to touch Zi Yanran, a stern voice resonated beside her.

“Well, well, two female ghosts causing trouble in one night.”

This voice startled the female ghost, and she slowly turned her head to look.

There, the Great Immortaless stood, her face radiating murderous intent, having appeared at some unknown point.

Seeing this, the female ghost immediately lunged at Zi Yanran. But at that moment, Zi Yanran’s protective talisman activated, unleashing a burst of golden light that blasted the female ghost away.

On the other side, the miko controlling the female ghost was also greatly astonished.

“This spiritual power from the Shinto Shrine? How does this woman possess a consecrated talisman from the Shinto Shrine?” Kyoko’s face was etched with dismay.

With the protection of divine power, it was now impossible for her to have the female ghost kill Zi Yanran.

Of course, what surprised her even more was the presence of another female ghost here.

Naturally, she mistook the Great Immortaless for another female ghost.

****

The Great Immortaless watched the female ghost get flung away and immediately pursued her.

“This is outrageous! If one isn’t enough, then two come. I’d like to see which bastard is trying to harm me and Yanran!” the Great Immortaless declared angrily.

From her tone, it was clear that the person wearing the Great Immortaless’s clothes at this moment was Bai Mengqi, not the Great Immortaless herself.

This was quite perplexing.

Bai Mengqi followed out, and once outside, she conjured a sword in her hand. She swung it, striking the female ghost again, who let out a piercing shriek before frantically fleeing toward the television.

This female ghost was actually stronger than the one from the outskirts, at least a tier higher in mental power.

However, Bai Mengqi’s greatest strength also lay in her mental power.

Moreover, this space was a mental realm created by the female ghost, existing in a different dimension from the outside world.

“Where do you think you’re going? I’m very angry today, so I’ll vent my frustrations on you!” Bai Mengqi instantly flashed before the television and kicked the female ghost in the head, sending the fleeing ghost flying.

Seeing that she couldn’t escape immediately, the female ghost began to fight back. She transformed into a cloud of black mist and lunged at Bai Mengqi.

Her speed and strength were considerable. Unfortunately, Bai Mengqi merely struck out with a palm, effortlessly batting her away.

Both of them were mental entities, so when mental entities clashed, it naturally felt like a physical impact.

“Still daring to resist? Watch me shatter you today!” Bai Mengqi instantly appeared, grabbed the female ghost by the foot, swung her around, and repeatedly smashed her against the surroundings.

The female ghost shrieked incessantly; she had likely never encountered such a terrifying opponent.

After smashing her an untold number of times, Bai Mengqi saw that the ghost still hadn’t dissipated. She realized this wasn’t the ghost’s true form; to kill her, she would need to find the main body.

“Damn it, why are Japanese ghosts so troublesome? Forget it, I’ll let you off this time. You, and your controller behind you, just wait. I’m coming for you soon!”

Bai Mengqi swung hard, throwing the female ghost toward the television.

The female ghost, seizing the opportunity, dove inside and escaped back to the dry well at top speed. Subsequently, this eerie power quickly receded until it vanished.

Bai Mengqi also returned to her own body.

Upon her return, she immediately opened her eyes and glanced at Zi Yanran beside her. Seeing Zi Yanran sleeping soundly, she breathed a sigh of relief, then stood up, put on her clothes, and flew out the window.

“I’m very angry, and the consequences will be severe. Great Immortaless, you must know where the person controlling this female ghost is, right?” Bai Mengqi asked.

The Great Immortaless quickly responded.

“Follow my guidance.”

Bai Mengqi did not immediately inquire about what she had just witnessed in her dream.

If the Great Immortaless was unwilling to tell her, it likely wasn’t good news. Moreover, if that dream sequence was real, she probably already had some suspicions.

But now was not the time to dwell on that. She had to seize the opportunity of the night to deal with the ability user who sought to harm Zi Yanran.

After landing, Bai Mengqi swiftly moved through the darkness, unwilling to waste her power on flying.

Approximately ten minutes later, she arrived at the entrance of the courtyard where Kyoko, the miko, resided.

Bai Mengqi had located her target.

“Hmph! It seems I’ll have to kill. I won’t show any mercy to Japanese ability users!” Bai Mengqi snorted coldly, then vaulted over the wall.

At the same moment, the miko inside sensed someone infiltrating her residence.

“Who’s there?” The miko stood up, her face filled with confusion, and looked behind her. Simultaneously, she grabbed her ritualistic implements, preparing for battle.

Her ritual had just been interrupted, and someone had arrived at her home so quickly; this could only mean an enemy, not a friend.

She watched the main entrance warily. Soon after, a figure appeared in the doorway.

“Who are you?” the miko demanded angrily.

She quickly manipulated her ritualistic tools, activating her witchcraft to strengthen the protective barrier around the house.

Unfortunately, in the next instant, a flash of sword light cleaved through both the barrier and the main door, appearing in the miko’s line of sight.

Bai Mengqi naturally knew a barrier had been set up here, but she was completely unafraid.

Bai Mengqi wore a mask and a hat, revealing only her eyes.

“Do you Japanese ability users enjoy resorting to such insidious manipulation techniques? And controlling ghosts to harm people?” Bai Mengqi questioned in fluent Japanese.

These words revealed her identity and origin, and she also recognized her opponent.

After all, through the female ghost, she had seen Bai Mengqi sleeping on the bed.

“It’s you? You’re an ability user?” The miko’s face turned terribly grim.

She hadn’t yet connected Bai Mengqi with Bai Mengqi in her Great Immortaless form.

“Yes, it’s me. Surprised, aren’t you? That I found you so quickly?”

Bai Mengqi raised her hand, forming a sword seal, and slashed. A fierce sword light shot toward the miko.

The miko watched the approaching sword light and immediately cast a spell, a blue barrier instantly enveloping her.

Bai Mengqi’s sword light crashed against the barrier, producing a loud roar.

However, this sound did not spread beyond the house.

When the energy smoke dissipated, the miko gazed at Bai Mengqi in horror, for her barrier already showed cracks. With just one more strike, the barrier would surely shatter.