Chapter 6: The First Encounter with the Dream Maiden

“Where is this place…?”

Gazing at the boundless expanse of the ocean, Hu Junan felt his heart quicken, his breath involuntarily accelerating.

‘Who am I, where am I, what am I doing?’

After this philosophical trio of questions echoed in his mind, Hu Junan took a deep breath, then forcefully slapped his cheeks.

“Hmph—calm down. This is all a dream, yes, it’s all a dream…”

Moments later, nothing before his eyes had changed in the slightest; the only alteration was his body temperature.

“Achoo—”

He blew his nose, then, with immense reluctance, stripped off his soaked clothes in the sea breeze.

He used dry sand to absorb the seawater clinging to his body, before walking along the beach naked like a wild man.

Scanning his surroundings, the beach was utterly deserted, save for a single, conspicuously narrow cave.

If he had to choose a temporary refuge, there appeared to be no better option.

Left with no alternative, Hu Junan steeled himself, dragging his heavy body as he hastened towards the cave.

Only upon approaching did he discover that the entrance to this coastal cave resembled a *dorayaki* with a bite taken out of it.

He had to curl his body to squeeze inside, but fortunately, the interior was not too cramped, appearing spacious enough for an adult to walk upright.

As the cave’s interior was exceedingly dim, Hu Junan, wary of potential dangers, scooped up a handful of inconspicuous broken shells from the sand.

He then hurled them into the cave, using the sound of their landing to gauge the space within—once, twice, thrice…

Only after confirming it was entirely safe did he feel reassured enough to enter.

Immediately upon entering the cave, he leaned against its mouth, with the bright sky on one side and profound stillness on the other.

Listening to the rhythmic crash of waves against the sand, he no longer felt the same panicked helplessness as before.

His mind gradually settled, and his nervous tension began to subside.

Just as his consciousness began to blur, a sweet aroma wafted to his nostrils, instantly awakening a craving in his stomach.

“It smells so good. What is that scent…?”

Hu Junan swallowed, scanning the cave, only to find nothing but rocks and sand; there was absolutely no food to be found.

Grumble—

“So hungry…”

His stomach rumbled a warning, yet he still couldn’t locate the source of the scent, as if he were hallucinating.

To distract himself, he began to stroke his chin, earnestly analyzing how he had arrived at this place.

‘First hypothesis: Could the deep pools of the grotto lead directly to the ocean?’

‘Impossible. The Saxi Autonomous Region is far from the nearest coastline.

Even with hidden currents within the cave, it would be difficult to arrive in a short time.

A rough estimate would be at least three to five days, and by then, a person would likely be waterlogged beyond recognition.’

‘Second hypothesis: Was I abducted by aliens?’

‘Impossible. Aside from any experimental traces, there isn’t even a single man-made injury on my body. At the very least, wouldn’t they study how humans reproduce?’

‘Third hypothesis: Could there be a hidden underground cave deep within Saxi’s dense forests, leading directly to a lost world untouched by humanity?’

‘It’s possible. What lies before me might be a large, undiscovered saltwater lake within a lost world, rather than the open sea…’

He had no idea how long he had been lost in thought when the setting sun gradually dipped below the horizon, and the sky began to darken.

To conserve his strength, the famished Hu Junan lay down in the cave, preparing to sleep, yet the mysterious sweet aroma continued to linger by his nose, causing the cravings in his stomach to stir noisily once more.

“I can’t take it anymore; these hallucinations are too strong…”

The following day, shirtless, Hu Junan emerged from the cave just as dawn was breaking, gazing aimlessly at the clouds drifting across the sky.

It was at this moment that an incredible sight unfolded before him…

An indescribable creature burst forth from the gloomy clouds.

Its body was long and slender, much like a giant python, with a pair of sharp talons both at its front and back.

A magnificent pair of colossal wings sprouted from either side of its spine, and its entire body was covered in glistening, pure white scales.

“Am I so hungry I’m seeing things?”

He rubbed his eyes, then looked towards the strange creature, only to find the unknown being swooping down, approaching the coast with astonishing speed.

“Oh my…”

Hu Junan instinctively recoiled several steps, his nerves instantly taut, cold sweat beading on his back.

With no time for further thought, he dashed into the cave like a well-trained soldier, skillfully dropping into a prone position at its mouth, and peered out with half his head, vigilantly observing the situation on the beach.

Closer, closer, even closer…

It beat its wings and landed on the beach, instantly kicking up countless grains of sand and pebbles, forcing Hu Junan to duck his head to protect his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.

“Cough, cough, cough—”

Before long, everything on the beach returned to stillness.

When his vision cleared, he found no trace of the colossal creature; only a disheveled old man remained.

Facing the sea with his back to Hu Junan, the old man wore a white, wide-sleeved robe, his hands clasped behind him.

In his right hand, he tightly clutched an emerald jade flute, giving him the appearance of an ancient immortal descended from the heavens.

The old man, sensing his presence, turned his head and cast a glance at him, causing Hu Junan’s heart to skip a beat.

“Hmph, that fellow brought someone in again without permission. He’s truly becoming more and more outrageous.”

With that, he brought the jade flute to his lips and began to play.

The melody was neither melodious nor light, yet each note carried a power that pierced directly into one’s soul.

As he listened, Hu Junan distinctly felt an inexplicable, direct force assaulting his mind.

Before long, he succumbed to the overwhelming drowsiness and fell into a deep, hazy sleep.

When he awoke again, the old man was nowhere to be seen.

Only massive dragon claw prints remained on the beach, but in the blink of an eye, a wave crashed over them, instantly washing away all traces.

Grumble—

Hu Junan was still shaken by what had just transpired, but the most pressing matter at hand was not to uncover the identity of that old man, but to conquer his hunger.

Inadvertently, an unassuming rock caught his attention.

Upon closer inspection, he saw that it was large and black, perfectly oval in shape, and remarkably smooth, unlike a natural stone.

Moreover, the closer he approached it, the more potent the sweet aroma in the air became.

Hu Junan bent down to examine it for a while, touching and prodding, and soon discovered that something else seemed to be beneath the rock.

Gritting his teeth, he struggled to move it aside, revealing countless small fruits submerged in a viscous, transparent jelly.

He reached out and picked up one of the small, jelly-covered fruits, then walked to the cave entrance to examine it in the light.

He was utterly baffled, unable to identify what kind of fruit it was.

The small fruit resembled both a raspberry and a cherry; structurally, it appeared to be a tree fruit, though its toxicity remained uncertain.

At this moment, his rationality still held sway over his primal instincts.

He forcibly suppressed his hunger, swallowing the surging saliva, and returned the mysterious fruit to its original spot.

Then, he sat back at the cave entrance, hoping the sea breeze would dissipate the sweet scent in the air.

‘Even if I die, even if I crawl out of this cave and drown myself in the sea, I will not eat something of unknown origin!’

Before long, instinct triumphed over his fragile reason.

Like a ravenous beast, Hu Junan snatched up a small fruit enveloped in the unknown jelly and unhesitatingly shoved it into his mouth.

“Mmm…”

The small fruit tasted like a strawberry but had the texture of a pomegranate.

A sweet aroma immediately surged through his mouth, effortlessly conquering his taste buds.

After chewing a few mouthfuls, the crisp, refreshing sensation instantly captivated him.

“So delicious—!”

In the afternoon, the gentle sunlight shimmered upon the undulating sea, and a faint, salty tang, carried by a still-cool breeze, swept in.

Everything before him felt incredibly real.

Hu Junan leaned against the cave entrance, quietly basking in the nourishing warmth of the sun.

It was then that two unexpected visitors came into his view…

They appeared to be ordinary children, with beautiful dark brown eyes and thick black hair.

Dressed in rustic coarse cloth, they skipped and bounced along, one following the other.

Having finally seen other living beings, Hu Junan was so excited he almost leaped up.

However, upon closer inspection, he noticed that the children had a pair of not-so-conspicuous horns on their heads.

What astonished him even more was a small, scaly tail trailing behind each child, with a fin-like tip, making them resemble aquatic creatures.

“Brother, why are you running so fast? Wait for me!”

“Ling’er, run faster! Brother will take you to eat something delicious!”

“Huh? Where is there food here? Isn’t this where Sister Xiyu pickles the Qiongye Cherries?”

“Yes, right here!”

“Could it be… Brother, you’re going to sneak a bite!”

“Silly little sister, when I take you to taste Sister Xiyu’s handmade delicacies, it’s called ‘appreciation,’ not ‘stealing,’ is it?”

“Sister Xiyu will get angry if she finds out~!”

“Good Ling’er, if you don’t tell and I don’t tell, how will Sister Xiyu ever know?” The Little Boy grinned slyly.

“Mmm… alright!” The Little Girl pursed her lips and nodded.

One after another, they hurried to the cave entrance, skillfully bending down and peering halfway into the cave like nimble little animals.

Unexpectedly, the first thing they saw was not the sweet and delicious fruits, but Hu Junan, completely naked and searching for a hiding spot.

The air seemed to freeze instantly.

After a few seconds of frozen silence, the Little Boy and Little Girl displayed expressions of extreme terror.

This was followed by the sharp shrieks of children.

“Ahhhhhh—!!!”

They swiftly retreated from the cave with the speed of lightning, turning tail and scrambling away, little tails swishing behind them.

As they ran, they continued to scream at the top of their lungs, as if they had just witnessed a monstrous creature from a horror film.

Hu Junan initially thought to use this opportunity to change his position.

However, upon further reflection, although the children had strange horns and tails, they at least appeared human.

Perhaps they knew how to return to Saxi.

Still, he couldn’t follow them blindly; what if they were cannibals, and he ended up as their next meal?

He cautiously trailed the children, fearful of being discovered, and soon left the beach, entering a flat, open area.

Seeing the two children crying and rushing into a thatched hut, he seized the opportunity to find a patch of tall grass for concealment.

Like a seasoned secret agent, he cautiously observed his surroundings through the gaps.

Before long, an Old Man with white hair and a grizzled beard emerged from the hut, clutching a hoe with trembling hands.

The Little Boy and Little Girl were hiding behind him, darting glances around like startled rabbits, clearly indicating that Hu Junan had frightened them quite badly.

Hu Junan was dumbfounded.

The Old Man’s head bore a pair of slightly yellowed horns, and behind him trailed a somewhat wrinkled tail…

‘What in the world is going on?’

Just as his thoughts descended into chaos, the clear, melodious voice of the Dream Maiden, like the ringing of silver bells, drifted from not far away.

This drew his gaze involuntarily towards the source of the sound.

“Grandpa, why are you carrying a hoe by your doorstep? Are you going to work in the fields?”